Chapter 3

3

I was packing my things when Tommy walked in.

"Percy, it's just for a few days. My wife and I won't stay forever."

Seeing his smug face made me want to slap him.

"Tommy, stay here if you must, but don't touch my things. Got it?"

Tommy didn't care. He was swinging his legs carelessly. "Yeah, yeah. Just leave me a charger. I have the new iPhone, and I don't use knockoff cables."

I shook my head and walked out. That afternoon, Tommy's wife, Mindy, arrived.

"Hi, I'm Mindy, Tommy's wife," she said sweetly.

"So beautiful! Tommy has great taste," my mom praised her with a smile.

"Of course, Auntie. You should find someone for Percy soon. Even someone with a tenth of Mindy's looks would be enough for him."

I wanted to punch him.

"Uncle, Auntie, where's the gift for my wife? It's her first time here. Give her the envelopes!"

I watched as my parents handed over two thick envelopes filled with cash. It hurt to watch.

I wouldn't mind burning that money, but giving it to these ungrateful wolves was sickening.

After getting the cash, Tommy pulled his wife into my room. I saw him reaching for my display cabinet before the door closed.

My cabinet was full of rare, expensive collectibles I'd gathered since high school. I glared and started toward the room.

But Beatrice stopped me. "Percy, come here. I have some girls for you to meet."

I sat on the sofa, still worried about my room.

"Look at this one. She's divorced with a kid, but she's pretty. Her family only wants eighty thousand for the wedding."

"And this one is forty, but she's never been married. Her family wants a hundred and fifty thousand."

"Auntie, are you looking for Tommy's next wife?"

I snapped back. I knew she wasn't serious. These were terrible matches meant to mock me.

"How can you say that? It's the holidays! Don't be so disrespectful."

"If you actually wanted to help me, you wouldn't show me these. Keep them for your son. I'm not that desperate."

Beatrice looked offended. Silas, being clueless, added, "Don't mind her, Percy. By the way, what's your position at your company?"

I wasn't about to tell these bloodsuckers about my wealth. They were already draining us; if they knew I was rich, they'd never leave.

"I'm just a regular office worker. Nothing special," I lied.

Silas nodded, looking satisfied but pretending to be concerned.

"Maybe you should work with Tommy. He's doing a huge project. It's called the 1040 Project. He'll make millions in three years."

I nearly had a brain hemorrhage. "Silas, did you put your life savings into that? The 1040 thing is a total pyramid scheme."

Tommy walked out of the room right then.

"Pyramid scheme? You don't know anything! This is a top-secret government project. I only told you because we're family. If you want to get rich, ask me. I'm an expert."

Tommy looked so proud, as if he were a Fortune 500 CEO. I just stared at this hopeless family and stopped talking.

The next morning, I went upstairs and saw water―or some liquid―leaking from under my bedroom door.

My heart sank. I thought a pipe had burst. I grabbed the spare key and rushed inside.

But what I found was much worse.