The sun had barely risen when Brian stepped out of the tiny room in the backyard where Lisa had forced him to move after Jason returned from abroad. His clothes were crumpled, and his shoes had holes. Still, he walked like a man who held the world in his palms—silently, steadily, as if he wasn't the joke of the house.
He had barely entered the kitchen when he heard Lisa's voice, sharp and cold.
"Brian! You're not done washing the bathroom tiles? Or do you want Jason to do that too?"
Jason, lounging on the couch with a smug grin, chuckled. "Don't worry, Lisa. He might start charging us soon. I heard beggars are unionizing now."
Brian said nothing. He washed his hands, dried them on his pants, and turned toward Lisa.
"I need to talk to you."
Lisa raised a brow. "Is it about more bills you can't pay?"
Brian calmly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an envelope. "Divorce papers."
The room went silent.
Lisa blinked. Once. Twice. "What... what did you say?"
"I want a divorce."
Jason burst out laughing. "You? Want a divorce? From her? Man, you must've hit your head on the mop stick."
Lisa's hands trembled, whether in shock or rage, Brian couldn't tell. "You think you're the one in control here?" she snapped. "You think I'm going to cry or beg you to stay?"
Brian shrugged. "I don't expect anything from you."
"You think you'll survive without me?" Lisa said, her voice rising. "Without my family? Without a roof over your head? Look at you—wearing those dirty rags. You should be thanking me for not kicking you out years ago!"
"I'll survive," Brian said, calmly.
Jason stepped forward. "Look, man, don't embarrass yourself. You've been a house pet for three years. You clean toilets, scrub floors, wash dishes, and now you want to leave like some alpha male? Hilarious."
Lisa folded her arms. "Fine. You want a divorce? Then pack your things and get out of this house today. I'll call Daddy and tell him you finally grew a spine."
Brian nodded. "Alright."
He turned and walked back to his room, ignoring Lisa's shouting behind him. The walls of the small room were bare. He owned almost nothing. A few clothes. A worn Bible. And a photograph—one he kept hidden, tucked behind the cracked mirror.
In the photo, Brian stood beside an older man. Tall, powerful, and sharp-eyed.
His grandfather.
Brian took the picture out, staring at it for a long time before sliding it into his bag. He looked at the room one last time, then walked out with his bag over his shoulder.
In the living room, Lisa was still yelling on the phone. "Yes, Daddy, he said he's divorcing me. Can you believe that nonsense?"
Jason was laughing again. "Maybe he thinks some rich woman will pick him up from the garbage."
Brian paused at the door. "You're right," he said.
They both looked at him, confused.
Brian smiled slightly. "Someone already did."
He walked out, leaving Lisa and Jason in stunned silence.
---
Later that Day – Lisa's Humiliation
Lisa stormed into the mall that afternoon, dragging Jason along.
"I need to look good," she said, tossing clothes around the boutique. "I'm going to show him that I'm better off without him."
Jason was busy scrolling through his phone. "Sure. But can we make it fast? My sugar daddy friend invited us to that hotel bar again. You know, the one with all the old rich men? Maybe you'll get another Rolex."
Lisa smirked. "Why not? They're always begging for my number anyway."
An hour later, Lisa stood dressed to kill in a red dress and heels. Jason wore his tight shirt that showed off his gym-earned muscles. They entered the hotel bar laughing.
"Back again?" said one of the servers, rolling his eyes. "VIP lounge, right?"
"Of course," Lisa said proudly.
They entered the VIP section like royalty. The lights were low, the wine expensive, and the men older—just the way Lisa liked it. She spotted one of the regulars, Mr. Glenmore, a silver-haired tycoon, seated alone.
Lisa walked over and sat beside him, crossing her legs. "Miss me?"
The old man looked her up and down. "You again?"
Lisa blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I remember you," Glenmore said, sipping his wine. "You were the gold digger who flirted with me last week, then asked for a Louis Vuitton bag and ghosted me after."
Jason stepped forward. "Watch your mouth, old man."
Glenmore raised an eyebrow. "Security."
Two men in black suits appeared out of nowhere.
Lisa stood up quickly. "Wait, Mr. Glenmore, it was just a misunderstanding—"
"Escort them out," Glenmore said coldly.
The security guards didn't hesitate. One took Jason by the arm while the other nudged Lisa toward the exit.
"Do you know who I am?!" Lisa shrieked as everyone turned to watch the scene unfold. Phones were recording. Whispers filled the air.
"She's the one who got dumped by that guy last week," someone said.
"No way," another whispered. "The one who treated him like trash?"
They were shoved out of the lounge, humiliated.
Outside, Lisa was breathing hard, cheeks red with rage. "I can't believe this. That old man dared to—"
Jason interrupted, showing her a video. "Uh… Lisa… look."
She stared at the screen. It was a clip from inside the lounge.
And in the background, walking in, was Brian.
Dressed in a sleek black suit. Surrounded by men in suits and two assistants. He shook hands with Mr. Glenmore, who stood up to greet him with respect.
Lisa's mouth dropped.
Jason muttered, "Wait… is that...?"
Before Lisa could speak, Brian looked up—straight at the camera. His expression was unreadable. Then he turned away, laughing at something Glenmore said.
Lisa's knees buckled.
---
Meanwhile – Somewhere Private
In a quiet office on the top floor of the same hotel, Brian stood facing a large glass window. A man behind him, his assistant, handed him a file.
"All investments have been moved into your name, sir. Shall we begin?"
Brian nodded slowly.
"No one needs to know who I am yet. Not until I'm ready."
His phone buzzed.
A text from Lisa:
Brian… can we talk? I didn't mean what I said earlier. I was angry. Please, let's not rush the divorce.
Brian stared at the message for a full minute.
Then he deleted it.
The storm had begun.