The Unwanted Son's Inheritance

Alex, I'm buying you an apartment next year.

My mother, who always favored Chloe over me, suddenly announced this at dinner.

The entire dining table fell silent.

After all, we hadn't spoken properly in twenty years, ever since I witnessed her affair.

The next second, my sister's angry voice cut through the quiet.

"Mom, why?! Alex is a grown man, he has hands and feet, why would you buy *him* an apartment?"

"I'm getting married soon! If all the money goes to him, what about me?!"

With that, Chloe slammed her forks down and stormed off.

My father, who always claimed to love me the most, panicked at my mother's sudden show of kindness.

"Chloe's right. She's getting married soon; she needs enough savings so her fianc doesn't look down on her."

"Alex, you're a man; you should take on more responsibility. If you're worried about not having money for a wedding, you can always find a rich girl to marry and move in with her family, become a house husband, whatever!"

"What do you say, Alex?"

I stared at him blankly, nodding stiffly.

My father breathed a sigh of relief.

But this time, I didn't listen to him.

Later, when he saw the three property deeds in my hand, my father's composure finally shattered.

"No, I'm buying Alex an apartment, no matter what!"

"If Chloe doesn't have money for her wedding, then she just won't get married!"

My mother's stance was firm, and my father's anxiety deepened.

"Why? What's gotten into you? Why are you suddenly thinking about buying our son an apartment?"

"You two weren't... weren't..."

My father stammered, unable to finish his sentence.

I knew what he wanted to say: *Weren't we enemies?*

After all, when my father found out about my mother's affair, he directly dropped eight-year-old me at his mistress's doorstep.

He looked at me with teary eyes.

"Alex, if your mom doesn't come home, Dad will have to take you with him to die."

Then, he just left.

Eight-year-old me cried hysterically outside the door, my heart-wrenching screams attracting a huge crowd, practically blocking the street around the mistress's house.

My mother had no choice but to appear.

Amidst the stares and whispers, she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me back.

Once we were home, I got a brutal beating.

From then on, my mother resented me for the public humiliation.

And I hated her for betraying my father.

Since that day, we hadn't spoken properly in twenty years.

I never called her "Mom" again.

...

Hearing this, my mother turned her gaze to me.

There was a profound meaning in her eyes that I couldn't decipher.

After a long silence, she finally spoke.

"No reason. He's my son. As his mother, it's only right for me to buy him an apartment. This matter is settled!"

"Robert, you always said I favored Chloe. Now that I'm being good to my son, why are you suddenly unhappy?"

My mother's cold tone made my father's face stiffen.

Hearing her, I put down my forks, quietly waiting for my father's reply.

After all, my father always favored me, and that favoritism only grew stronger after Chloe was born.

"Alex, girls eventually leave to start their own families, but I'll always be able to count on you, Alex. It's only right that I treat you better now."

So, I always got first pick of the good food;

Dad always bought me designer clothes while Chloe got stuff from discount stores;

Even my cash gifts during the holidays were thicker than Chloe's.

...

My mother saw my father's favoritism, which only made her resent me more and love Chloe more.

This time, I didn't understand why my mother was suddenly being kind to me.

Nor did I understand why my father reacted so strongly.

After all, Chloe's wedding apartment and her entire wedding fund were already prepared.

Even if my mother bought me an apartment now, it wouldn't affect Chloe's marriage.

My father's eyes darted around, and his voice unconsciously grew weaker.

"That's not what I meant. I... I... I just thought that once our daughter gets married, her new family will need a lot of money... shouldn't we, as parents, help them out more?"

"Besides, if our son-in-law finds out we bought Alex an apartment, it's hard to say he won't fight with Chloe. After all, you promised all the family assets would go to Chloe. What if... what if he refuses to marry Chloe because of this?"

Every single word was filled with worry for Chloe.

A heavy weight settled in my chest, making it hard to breathe.

Turns out, in my father's heart, a prospective son-in-law was more important to him than his own son.

My mother let out a cold laugh.

"If Chloe and her husband can't support their own family, then they shouldn't get married! Don't drag us down!"

"Besides, I'm spending my own money to buy my son an apartment. What's it to anyone else?!"

"If you object, then we're getting a divorce!"

With that, my mother simply stood up and walked away.

The word "divorce" struck my father hard.

Even when confronted with my mother's affair and his mistress's provocations back then, my father hadn't wanted to divorce her.

This time, my mother proposed divorce to buy me an apartment, and my father clearly couldn't accept it.

His eyes teared up.

"Alex, what am I going to do? You have to talk to Eleanor for me. I only have you."

I frowned, my heart a jumble of mixed emotions.

I'd heard those same words for twenty years.

Back then, when my mother beat me raw, my father stood by silently, with no intention of stopping her.

Only after my mother had calmed down did he approach, gently applying medicine to my wounds.

"Alex, Dad's just doing this so you can have a complete family."

"You have to make me proud, kid. I only have you."

"For you, Alex, I'd go through anything! Any hardship, any pain, I'd bear it all!"

Looking at my humiliated father, little me decided then and there to study hard, make something of myself, and take my father away from all this.

Three months later, news came that my mother was pregnant again.

I thought, even if my father loved my mother, he would surely divorce her this time.

But to my surprise, my mother had an amniocentesis, confirming the baby was my father's.

My mother returned to the family, and they reconciled, both eagerly awaiting Chloe's arrival.

My resolve felt like a joke.

...

Now, my father's plea was just another demand for me to compromise.

My heart grew colder, bit by bit.

"Dad, if you just agree to Eleanor buying me an apartment, she won't divorce you."

"No!"

Seeing I wouldn't budge, my father angrily let go of my hand.

"Alex, I've really spoiled you all these years! How can you be so thoughtless about your sister?!"

"Chloe's job and education aren't as good as yours, do you know how hard it is for her?! If she goes into her marriage without enough funds, do you know how much flak she'll get from her in-laws?"

"I don't care! Go tell Eleanor you don't want her to buy you an apartment! Otherwise, I'll kill myself, I swear!"

My breath caught in my throat.

If I didn't agree to his demands, my father would threaten to die.

Seeing a flicker of hesitation on my face, my father sighed.

"Alex, please don't make your Dad's life harder, okay?"

"You're a boy, it's fine if you don't have an apartment. There are always girls willing to pay for everything."

"After Chloe gets married, they'll need money for so many things! They'll have to buy a car, pay off their mortgage, and when they have kids, raising them will cost a fortune..."

My father kept rattling on, and my heart was filled with bitterness.

"Dad, do you know how much stress I'm under right now? If I could have my own apartment, it would be a huge relief."

My father brushed it off.

"If you're stressed, just find a rich girl to marry! Being a house husband isn't so bad! When her parents pass, won't all their money be yours?"

"Don't worry, Dad will definitely find you a wealthy wife, so you can enjoy life once you're married! Just forget about Eleanor's assets, okay?"

My heart was filled with disappointment.

My father seemed to have forgotten how gravely he once warned me never to be a house husband.

To never live such a pathetic, undignified life, like him!

Seeing my prolonged silence, my father slammed the table.

"Are you seriously going to stand there and watch me die?!"

My throat felt like it was stuffed with cotton, and I could only nod helplessly.

...

That night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

Faint arguments drifted from my parents' bedroom next door.

Driven by an unknown urge, I crept to their door.

"Robert, you still have the nerve to bring up what happened back then?"

"All these years, haven't you done enough things to hurt Alex?"

My heart was in my throat.

"You always claimed to love Alex the most, but didn't all the good stuff always go to Chloe in the end?!"

"What are you talking about?!"

I clenched my fists tightly, not daring to make a sound.

"Weren't all the designer clothes he bought for you knock-offs?!"

"And the snacks he bought you, weren't they always the ones Chloe didn't like?!"

"And the cash gifts, didn't you always slip Chloe an extra bill the very next day?!"

"How dare *you* accuse *me* of favoring girls?!"

My blood ran cold.

The argument inside continued, and my mind went blank with a buzzing sound.

I walked back to my room with stiff steps.

I pulled the covers over my head, finally letting the tears flow freely.

As I cried, I picked up my phone.

I opened Eleanor's SnapChat chat and slowly typed "Okay."

...

The next day, I showed up with puffy, red eyes.

Chloe, seeing me at the breakfast table, snorted.

"Mom's buying you an apartment, what are you crying for?! So dramatic!"

My mother silently drank her coffee.

My father, seeing my state, brought me an ice pack for my eyes, all while shooting me meaningful glances.

I knew what he wanted, and slowly I spoke.

"I don't want the apartment. Let Chloe have the money."

Chloe looked at me in disbelief.

"You... you're crazy?"

Hearing this, my father pretended to be angry with Chloe.

"How can you talk to your brother like that!"

"Your brother is successful; he can buy his own apartment. Not like you, who only knows how to mooch off her parents!"

Though she was scolded, Chloe's face was beaming.

"That's right! Older brothers should always take care of their younger sisters!"

"Mom, since Alex doesn't want it, buy it for me!"

"Perfect, three apartments. You and Dad live in one, Ethan and I live in one, and the last one for Ethan's parents."

My mother finally looked up at me, just about to speak, when a knock sounded at the door.

Chloe's fianc arrived.

"Ethan, what brings you here?"

My father greeted him, his face eager to please.

"I came to visit for the holidays."

Though he said this, Ethan's face held no trace of a smile.

My father quickly took out a cash gift and handed it to him.

To my surprise, Ethan pushed it away, speaking in a cold voice.

"Chloe, I've decided not to marry you!"

Hearing this, Chloe's face changed.

"Why?"

Ethan sneered, looking at me.

"Why? Your parents said all the family assets would go to you, but now they want to buy your brother an apartment! Why would we even get married then?!"

Hearing this, my father anxiously spoke.

"Ethan, don't worry, that won't happen."

"Alex already said he doesn't want the apartment Eleanor bought him."

Chloe quickly chimed in.

"That's right, Mom already promised to buy that apartment for us, and then we'll bring your parents over too."

Ethan's eyes flickered with a hint of struggle.

"I don't believe it! Unless..."

"Unless all three apartments are transferred to our names!"

Hearing this, I laughed, infuriated.

"Ethan, aren't you being too greedy?"

Before he could answer, my mother, who had been silent, suddenly stared at me and spoke.

"Fine. After the holidays, we'll go handle the transfer!"

Seeing my mother agree, the three of them immediately beamed with joy.

"Eleanor, I knew you loved your daughter the most!"

Ethan quickly changed his expression to a smiling one.

Then, he looked at me with mockery.

"Alex, if you want to buy an apartment, go work for it yourself! Don't always depend on your parents' stuff!"

"From now on, this is Chloe's and my home. As an outsider, you should come back less often!"

With that, he and Chloe walked out hand-in-hand to go shopping.

My father looked at me, his lips trembling, but in the end, he said nothing.

My last shred of hope finally shattered.

Just then, my mother sent me a message.

"Parkside Estates, Building 10, 8th floor, Unit 5. Your new apartment. Go check it out."

"If you like it, I'll pay the deposit immediately."

I looked up, surprised, at my mother.

But she just calmly went back to her room.

Parkside Estates, the most exclusive development in our city, selling for a ridiculously high price per square foot.

Why was my mother acting so strange all of a sudden?

My mind was filled with questions.

"Alex, don't blame Dad for not speaking up for you earlier."

"You have to understand, Chloe finally found someone she likes, and your mom and I have to make her happy."

"Don't worry, from now on..."

Before he could finish, I got up and left for Parkside Estates.

The apartment my mother chose was south-facing, with amazing natural light.

It even had three bedrooms and a living room.

It was nothing like the small apartment I had imagined.

My doubts grew stronger.

My mother, who had always favored Chloe, why was she being so abnormally good to me now?

I rushed home, wanting to ask her for a clear explanation.

But my mother wasn't home.

For the next few days, my mother continued to leave early and return late, busy with who knows what.

The only time we saw each other was during family meals.

My mother's expression became increasingly relaxed, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

I had a faint feeling that something was off and wanted to ask,

But my mother inexplicably avoided me.

As my holiday was about to end, my mother sent me another message.

"Tomorrow morning, we're going to handle the property transfer."

The next morning, my mother and I quietly left the house.

She took me to the real estate agency and paid cash for an apartment for me.

My name was the only one on the owner's title.

Before I could even fully grasp it, she took me directly to the property registration office.

"Please transfer the two properties under my name to my son's name."

My mother had already prepared all the documents, and the procedures were completed quickly.

By the time we arrived home, I had three property deeds in my hand.

As soon as we opened the door, the three people in the living room immediately rushed over.

"Mom, where did you go so early? Do you know how long Ethan and I have been waiting?"

"Hurry up and handle the transfer! The office will close soon!"

My mother casually glanced at them and spoke unhurriedly.

"No need. It's already done."

Their faces changed color. Then, they finally noticed me behind my mother, and the property deeds in my hand.