Chapter 1

I invested in my cousin Dustin's livestock farm, and in just one year, it generated over six hundred and fifty thousand dollars in net profit.

On the day of the payout, he broke his promise of a fifty-fifty split right in front of the entire family. Instead, he transferred a measly four thousand dollars to my bank account.

He even patted my shoulder with a patronizing grin.

"Nolan, you just sat in your lab all year while I did all the heavy lifting. Giving you four grand is already more than generous, isn't it?"

I looked at his smug, greedy face, smiled, and accepted the transfer without arguing.

The very next morning, I cut off the supply of my proprietary bio-feed formula and prepared to move abroad for a prestigious research post.

Without my formula, I wanted to see how long his precious farm would survive.

At the family dinner that evening, Dustin was beaming as he showed off his banking app with a balance of six hundred and sixty-eight thousand dollars.

He shoved his phone across the dining table for everyone to see.

"Look at that! Over six hundred grand! We struck gold!"

His face was flushed with raw greed and excitement.

He walked over and wrapped an arm around my shoulders in a show of false affection.

"Come on, Nolan, let me buy you a drink!"

"Thanks to your feed mix this year, our livestock grew faster and healthier than anyone else's on the market!"

Seeing his high spirits, I had genuinely felt happy for him at first.

A year ago, his farm was on the brink of bankruptcy due to skyrocketing feed costs and sickly livestock. I stepped in and handed him the proprietary feed formula I had spent years researching and testing.

Back then, he was practically in tears of gratitude, gripping my hand tightly.

"Nolan, we are brothers!

You provide the tech, and I do the ground work. When we turn a profit, we split it fifty-fifty right down the middle!

If I ever break my word, I swear I will lose every penny I ever make!"

My Uncle Wayne and Aunt Brenda were right there, backing up his promises. That was the only reason I agreed to help.

I clinked my glass against his, waiting for him to settle our agreed-upon split.

After a few rounds of drinks, Dustin walked to the center of the living room and cleared his throat.

The room fell quiet as everyone turned their attention toward him.

He began with a long, theatrical speech about how exhausting his year had been.

He bragged about managing workers, negotiating with buyers, and working himself to the bone.

A bad feeling crept up my spine, but I stayed quiet and listened.

Finally, he turned to me with a rehearsed, oily smile.

"Nolan, that formula of yours really helped out, and I won't forget it."

He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen a few times.

A second later, my phone vibrated with a bank deposit notification.

I glanced down, and the number on the screen made me freeze―$4,000.00.

Thinking I had misread it, I counted the digits again.

It was really just four thousand dollars.

I looked up at Dustin, my eyebrows raised in disbelief.

Dustin had already pocketed his phone, wearing that same dismissive smirk.

He walked over and slapped my shoulder hard.

"Got the notification, Nolan?"

He raised his voice so everyone in the room could hear.

"You've got a cushy job at the research institute where you just scribble notes. Meanwhile, I busted my back on the farm all year, handling logistics and securing contracts.

All this profit came from my sweat and tears.

I figured four grand is a solid consulting fee for your little recipe. I'm treating you pretty well, aren't I?"

He stared down at me without a trace of gratitude in his eyes.

Uncle Wayne and Aunt Brenda buried their heads in their plates, deliberately avoiding my gaze.

My parents sat on the other side of the table, their faces tight with embarrassment and anger.

Uncle Wayne stood up, glass in hand, and walked over with a patronizing chuckle.

He patted my other shoulder like a benevolent patriarch.

"Nolan, you got the money, right?

You're an educated man with a steady research job, so you don't need this extra cash.

Your cousin is running a physical business with massive overhead and bills to pay at every turn. You two are blood, so you need to be understanding."

Aunt Brenda chimed in immediately, her voice dripping with artificial warmth.

"Exactly! Look at Dustin, he worked so hard this year that he lost ten pounds!

Your formula is nice, but without Dustin running around day and night, it wouldn't be worth a dime, right?

Four thousand is plenty of pocket money. Family ties matter most, Nolan. Your cousin has your back, and he will help you out if you ever run into trouble."

The two of them flanked me, talking down to me in a sickening mix of condescension and manipulation.

I gripped my phone tightly until my knuckles turned white, but a calm smile slowly spread across my face.

I looked at my uncle, my aunt, and then straight into Dustin's eyes.

"You're right, Uncle Wayne, Aunt Brenda.

Dustin worked very hard. I received the money, so thank you, cousin."

Hearing that, the three of them visibly exhaled in relief.

"Now that's my boy!"

Uncle Wayne slapped his thigh enthusiastically.

"I knew my nephew was a reasonable man! That's what real education does for a person!"

Aunt Brenda nodded eagerly.

"See? I told you Nolan wouldn't cause a fuss!

Our Nolan has always been smart and sensible since he was a kid.