Twenty-Five Years and Nothing to My Name

4: 4

4

I said nothing and stepped around her, moving on.

That was when Fred called out, "Wait."

I stopped.

He strolled up to me, slowly, the gentleness on his face peeling away piece by piece like a mask.

"Miles." He gave a short laugh, his voice neither loud nor soft. "If you're really leaving the Simmons family, then there's something we need to make clear."

"You can go. But you don't get to take anything that belongs to the Simmons family."

Angela blinked. "Fred, what are you saying?"

Fred turned, spread his hands at her, all reluctance.

"Angie, think about it."

"When Grandfather took him in, he was just an orphan. He had nothing to his name."

"The food, the clothes, everything he used — which of it didn't come from the Simmons family?"

"His tuition, Grandfather paid for it."

"His position in the company, Grandfather arranged it."

"The house he lives in now, the car he drives, all of it is Simmons money."

"He wants to leave? Fine. But he doesn't get to take Simmons property with him."

"Otherwise, how is that any different from stealing?"

Angela frowned slightly. "That's... maybe a bit much?"

Fred sighed, walked over and put an arm around her shoulders, his tone earnest. "Angie, I know you have a soft heart."

"But think about it. Grandfather was so good to him, raised him like a real son, even gave him the family pendant."

"And now he's throwing a fit over something this small and threatening to walk out. Is that how he repays Grandfather's memory?"

Then he pressed harder. "Yes, he ran the company all these years. But that's Simmons property. Without Grandfather backing him, what did an outsider have that gave him the standing to run anything?"

"Grandfather giving him that chance was a kindness, not something he was owed."

"So the way I see it, leaving with nothing is only fair."

Angela's eyes flickered, but she kept her face cold and nodded.

"You're right."

"Miles, open the suitcase."

My hand tightened around the handle.

The streetlight was dim, too weak to make out her expression.

But her chin was tilted up, like she was interrogating a criminal.

I pressed my lips together and spoke each word slowly. "That's right. The Simmons family raised me for twenty-five years."

"But after Grandfather passed, I took over Simmons Group."

"I poured everything into it these years, took it from a mid-sized company to one of the top firms in Riverton."

"And now it's about to go public."

"I didn't eat and live off anyone for free!"

"Angela."

"Are you sure you still want to search my suitcase?"

Angela went quiet.

That was when Fred twisted the knife from the side. "Miles, I know you're good."

"But without the Simmons family as your platform, do you really think you could have gotten this far?"

"Don't put Angie in a hard spot. She's only thinking of the family too."

"You open the case, we check it, everything's fine, and we let you go right away."

"If you won't, that only proves you've got something to hide."

Angela's eyes went colder. "You heard him. Open it!"

I said nothing more, bent down, laid the case flat, and pulled the zipper open.

The lid flipped back, the case lying open on the ground.

When they saw what was inside.

Fred froze.

And Angela froze too.