My stepmother handed me a trash bag of my clothes and said, “Your father is d;ea;d, and the house is mine. Get out.” She slammed the door in my face while her kids laughed from the window. I was eighteen, broke, and alone. She thought that was the end of the story. She didn’t know my father had left a separate, secret will in a safety deposit box that only I had the key to. Ten years later, I bought the company she worked for. Today, I’m going to walk into her office and ask her the same question she asked me: “How does it feel to lose everything?”

I walked to the window and looked down at the street. Five minutes later, I saw her emerge onto the sidewalk. She stood there, looking lost, the bag at her feet. It was starting to rain.

I didn’t feel joy. I didn’t feel triumph.

I felt a hollow, clean emptiness. The infection was gone. The wound could finally heal.

I pulled out my phone. I dialed a number.

“It’s done,” I said. “Send the crew to the house.”

Chapter 6: The Keys to the Kingdom

I drove to the estate in my own car.

The rain had stopped, leaving the world washed clean and glistening.

As I pulled up the long driveway, I saw my stepbrothers. They were standing on the lawn, surrounded by a chaotic pile of clothes and electronics. A police cruiser was parked nearby, ensuring they didn’t try to re-enter.

Chad saw my car. He ran toward it, banging on the window.