Chapter 2

The room fell dead silent.

Mark and Chloe exchanged looks and muttered under their breath, "What an idiot. Does Hailey even realize how much money Charles had? It's enough for three generations to burn through for a lifetime."

Mary crossed her arms, sneering. "Oh, cut the saint act. If you really don't want the money, why don't you sign a waiver right now? Who are you trying to put on a show for? The corpse?"

Actually, I was putting on a show for the "corpse."

But honestly, I couldn't entirely blame my family for being so heartless. Grandpa had always been an incredibly eccentric man.

He had built a multi-billion-dollar empire from scratch, dominating real estate, tech, and retail. Even the state governor had to treat him with utmost respect.

By all accounts, with that kind of wealth, our family should have been living like royalty.

But Grandpa was naturally paranoid and hyper-cautious. He always suspected everyone was trying to steal his money.

When my dad got married and asked for help with a down payment on a house, Grandpa accused him of trying to carve up the family estate.

He threw my dad out of the house after a massive screaming match.

When Mary didn't get into college and wanted to open a small boutique, Grandpa mocked her relentlessly, saying she would just lose all his money.

When Mark wanted to study abroad, Grandpa blasted him for being a spoiled brat who only wanted to squander his hard-earned cash.

So, despite our patriarch being the richest man in the state, our three families lived on tight budgets, constantly pinching pennies.

How could such a stingy, overly calculating man pass away without securing his fortune first?

This fake death was a setup. He was testing us!

My knees went weak, and I threw myself by his bedside, sobbing loudly. "What is wrong with all of you? Grandpa just passed away, and all you care about is dividing his money! Aren't you afraid of breaking his heart?"

"Stop acting! If you're so noble, sign the waiver!"

Mary clapped her hands, and Mr. Davis, Grandpa's senior estate lawyer, walked into the room, dressed in a sharp, expensive suit.

"Mr. Davis, Hailey just said she wants to waive her inheritance rights!" Mary yelled eagerly.

Mr. Davis looked at me. "Is this true, Miss Hailey Miller?"

Before I could speak, my mom panicked and pinched my arm hard.

"She's talking nonsense, Mr. Davis! My girl is just devastated by grief. She didn't mean it!"

Mr. Davis nodded slowly. "Actually, before Mr. Charles Miller passed, he did leave a will."

"And everyone in this room has a chance to inherit his entire estate."