Chapter 192: ” You Ungrateful Little Shit “

The Next Day

———-

The grand dining hall of the Osborn Estate sparkled in the warm embrace of morning light.

A dazzling crystal chandelier cast a kaleidoscope of colors across the pristine linen tablecloth, setting an elegant stage for breakfast.

The long mahogany table groaned under the weight of sumptuous silver platters, scrambled eggs laced with truffle, delicate smoked salmon, flaky croissants fresh from the oven, and carafes brimming with freshly squeezed juice.

Gathered around this lavish spread was the entire family, a rare sight these days. At the head of the table sat Arthur, impeccably dressed in a navy suit, his expression inscrutable as he sipped his black coffee.

To his right was Liz, now fourteen but possessing eyes that seemed to carry the wisdom of ages, pushing her pancakes around her plate with little enthusiasm.

Across from her, Ashley observed everything with keen alertness, her fingers drumming a silent rhythm against her teacup.

Uncle Philip occupied a seat beside Nathaniel, who was holding a file sipping his coffee while glancing through it.

The younger cousins, George, Oscar, Charlotte, Olivia, William, and Edward etc. Chattered animatedly, blissfully unaware of the tension crackling beneath their cheerful banter.

And then there was Billy.

He sat stiffly in his chair, his graduation cap placed ceremoniously beside his plate; its tassel dangled precariously over the edge. His face was a mask of composure, but his knuckles were white where they gripped his fork tightly.

“To Billy!” Uncle Julian boomed as he raised his mimosa glass high. “First in his class at Neo-Luminara University! The Osborn legacy continues!”

Glasses clinked together in celebration; cheers erupted around the table.

“Well done, son!” Aunt Emily beamed proudly.

“We’re so proud of you,” Margaret added warmly as she reached over to squeeze Billy’s hand gently.

Billy managed a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks, everyone.”

Arthur watched him intently over the rim of his coffee cup.

As conversation lulled and servants moved to refill drinks, Arthur broke the silence with deliberate calm: “So… you start with Uncle Philip on Monday, yes?”

A heavy silence fell upon them like an unwelcome fog.

Every head turned toward Billy expectantly.

He swallowed hard; his throat bobbed nervously. “Actually… no.”

The air thickened instantly.

Arthur’s fingers stilled on the tablecloth as he repeated incredulously: “No?”

Billy lifted his chin defiantly. “I’m not joining the finance division. I’ve decided to pursue my own path.”

A beat passed…a moment pregnant with unspoken consequences.

Then…

SLAM!

Arthur’s palm hit the table so forcefully that silverware jumped and coffee sloshed over the rim of his cup like an angry tide.

“You what?”

The room fell silent, tension thick in the air.

Billy remained unfazed. “I’m not working for the family business. I’m going to…”

“You ungrateful little shit,” Arthur snapped, his voice slicing through the stillness like a whip crack.

Liz dropped her fork onto her plate with a clatter, and Ashley’s fingers halted their drumming on the table.

Arthur rose slowly, his chair scraping back as he leaned forward, palms pressing flat against the table. “Do you have any idea what you’re saying?”

Billy met his glare head-on. “I’m saying no.”

Arthur let out a jagged laugh that sent chills down everyone’s spine.

“No? No?”

He leaned closer, eyes blazing with intensity. “Let me remind you what ’no’ has cost this family.”

His voice dropped to a hiss as he continued, “A year ago, Mom and Dad died in that ’accident.’ The banks called in every loan. Our stock plummeted. Suppliers abandoned us! We were just hours away from losing everything!” His fury was palpable.

“Uncle Julian sold his vineyards,” he jabbed a finger at Liz, who sat hunched over, shame washing over her face. “Aunt Emily liquidated her inheritance! And Liz, thirteen years old, handed over her entire trust fund just to keep the lights on!”

Arthur’s chest heaved with emotion as he turned back to Billy. “And where were you? At university, chasing some girl who’s filling your head with nonsense about ’following your dreams’?”

Billy felt his cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment. “That’s not….”

“I had to kill for this family!” Arthur roared.

Gasps rippled through the room; Aunt Margaret covered her mouth in shock.

Breathing heavily now, veins bulging on his forehead, Arthur pressed on: “You think this empire…this family rebuilt itself? You think our enemies just stepped aside?” In a fit of rage, he grabbed his coffee cup and hurled it against the wall, porcelain shattered everywhere.

BANG!

“I was shot last year!” He ripped open his dress shirt; buttons flew off like confetti to reveal a gnarly scar just above his heart. “The bullet missed my lung by an inch!”

Ashley froze in place while tears welled up in Liz’s eyes.

“And Uncle Nathaniel was nearly shot too!” Arthur pointed at him furiously.

He spread his arms wide and shouted, “All of us were in danger! We’ve had to hide like dogs chased through the streets! You think you were safe at university? I protected you so you could finish school!”

Nathaniel touched his temple grimly.

In a hushed tone now, Arthur added, “Do you know how many men I’ve had killed to protect us? How many nights I lie awake seeing their faces?”

The admission hung in the air like gun smoke, thick and suffocating. Charlotte let out a small sob, her heart heavy with the weight of unspoken truths.

Arthur slammed his fists on the table again, frustration boiling over. “And you dare stand there and say no?” His voice was a thunderclap, echoing through the room.

Billy trembled, his voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t ask for this!” Panic flickered in his eyes.

“None of us did! Billy! None of us!” Arthur’s scream shattered the silence like glass. “But we’re Osborns! We are family! That name means something! If you walk away now, you’re spitting on every sacrifice this family has made!”

A heavy silence fell over them all. Tears streaked down Liz’s face as Uncle Philip looked pale and shaken.

Suddenly, Billy stood up abruptly, his chair clattering to the floor behind him. “I can’t live like this!” he exclaimed, desperation lacing his words.

“You think none of us want to live like this?” Arthur shot back, anger flaring in his eyes. “Your cousin Ashley wants to be a painter, but she has to sacrifice that for the family!”

Ashley’s eyes dimmed at Arthur’s words; they cut deeper than any knife.

“We all want to chase our dreams,” Arthur continued fiercely, “but we set them aside to make this family great so that the younger ones can live our dreams for us.” His gaze was cold as he shouted.

“I didn’t ask for this!” Billy retorted fiercely, his face flushed with emotion.

Arthur’s laugh rang hollow in response. “Then you’re no brother of mine.” The words landed with brutal finality, a guillotine severing ties that once bound them together.

With that crushing statement hanging in the air, Arthur collapsed into his chair, breath coming in ragged gasps as if he had just run a marathon through emotional turmoil.

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