“No,” Elaine murmurs.
“What?!” Bob shouts.
“Don’t get too worked up now, Billy. You don’t want to have a heart attack,” Tristan smirks.
I wish I were as lethal as Tristan.
“So now you’ll have to work until you drop dead, or sell your house and admit to your friends you’re poor. At least we left your house alone.” Dominik speaks this time.
He was in on this too? For how long?
I have so many questions.
Am I hallucinating?
“We considered it briefly, but Aaron didn’t want to deal with the hassle of finding you an old folks’ home,” Tristan turns to Dom.
“Yeah, that’s a problem for another day.” My brother is still seething, but he seems to have calmed down .
“How much?” I finally say, causing all eyes to fall on me.
“How rich are you?” Tristan taps his chin, staring at the ceiling before looking at me. “Somewhere north of twenty million.”
Sorry, what?
I can’t help but burst into laughter. It’s not just a tiny, delicate chuckle. It’s a type of cackling I can’t seem to rein in or control. And it doesn’t seem to end.
“Think I broke her.” I hear Tristan speaking to Dominik and Aaron.
As Dominik approaches me and embraces me, something strange happens. Laughter fades away, replaced by tears. It feels as though my world is crumbling yet, somehow also coming together. As though the very essence of my being is shattering, yet there is a sense of renewal, as if everything is falling into place at last.
Right now, being surrounded by these three men who have chosen to stand by my side feels beyond overwhelming. My brother’s unwavering defiance of our parents’ wishes leaves me speechless. The depth of his love and this unexpected gesture are hard to grasp.
Gratitude overwhelms me, like a cleansing tide, washing away all other emotions. It fills me, pushing out the fear and uncertainty that have troubled me for so long. These men, with their act of solidarity, have given me a lifeline, a small flicker of hope in the middle of darkness. And for that, I am incredibly grateful.
Smiling through my tears, I look up at Dominik and turn to my brother. “Thank you for choosing me. And for all of this. For helping me find my way back to myself,” I say, glancing at Dominik and Tristan as well. “But I can’t accept this money. I want to donate it. I’ve tried to never rely on anyone else, and I don’t plan on starting now. The only part of them I will keep is you, Aaron.”
My brother’s face lights up with a brilliant smile as he approaches me, wrapping me in a warm, tight hug.
“I’m so proud of you, Zo,” he whispers, bringing fresh tears to my eyes.
“I love you,” I say into his chest.
“I love you more.” He pulls away, wiping a tear from my cheek. “Do you want to leave?”
I nod, and Aaron silently signals for Dominik to take over. He’s beside me in a heartbeat.
“Son, if you walk out of that door, you’re dead to me.” Bob is leaning against Elaine, and she’s barely holding it together. Not sure if she’s crying because all her money is gone or because she’s about to lose her precious firstborn.
“Good. The feeling is mutual,” Aaron says over his shoulder.
And then the four of us turn to walk out.
“Everyone good?” Tristan asks us, but Dominik pauses, releasing my hand and slowly approaching my parents, focusing on Bob.
“You come near Zoe again or show up to an event she’s at or even walk down the same street she’s on, I won’t hesitate to sever your head and toss it in the river. You got it?”
Bob looks like he might lunge at Dominik. But before he can even take a step, Dominik bucks, causing Bob to stumble backwards and bump into Elaine as they both topple over.
