"You don't need to threaten me, Uncle."
"I have nothing to hide—my conscience is clear."
"Since that's how you want to play it, there's nothing left to discuss. Wait for the summons."
I hung up.
Whatever lingering attachment I'd felt toward family loyalty evaporated completely.
Grandpa had seen right through them all along. That's why he'd left that will.
If not for that fifty thousand dollars serving as a test, I might have been foolish enough to hand over four houses to them without a second thought.
Four houses at current market prices—worth at least four million.
They couldn't even bring themselves to repay fifty thousand. How would they react when they realized they'd lost four million?
Shortly after I hung up, my phone rang again.
The word "Dad" glowed on the screen, and my stomach dropped.
Uncle hadn't wasted any time running to him.
My father had always been honest to a fault, the kind of man who valued family above everything else. To him, keeping the peace was more important than being right.
That was exactly why I'd kept all of this from him.
I answered, and sure enough, his anxious voice came through immediately.
"Hailey, what's going on between you and your uncle?"
"He just called me, crying his eyes out, saying you're trying to drive Jarvis to his death."
"He says now that you've got money, you don't want anything to do with your poor relatives—and that you're even taking them to court."
"What happened? It's just a loan. How did it blow up like this?"
His anxious, faintly accusing tone made me feel so tired.
I took a breath, forcing myself to stay calm.
"Dad, it's not that I'm being unreasonable. They crossed a line."
"Refusing to pay me back is one thing. But Jarvis took my money and spent it on gold chains and partying."
"When I called him out, he cursed at me. And Uncle took his side."
"I can let go of the fifty thousand. What I can't swallow is being treated like this."
Silence stretched across the line before my father let out a heavy sigh.
"Hailey, I know you've been wronged."
"Jarvis was spoiled rotten, and your uncle and aunt have lost all sense."
"But... they're still family."
"Your uncle said on the phone that if you actually go through with this lawsuit, he'll take the whole family to wail at Grandpa's grave."
"If word gets out, where does that leave us? The whole village will tear us apart."
My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms.
"Dad, don't listen to his nonsense."
"They're the ones in the wrong, not me. I could take this case anywhere and still be in the right."
"Please, just stay out of it. Let me handle this myself."
His voice turned pleading.
"Hailey, I'm begging you."
"If you need that fifty thousand urgently, I have my pension—I'll cover it."
"Just let it go. Think of it as paying for peace."
"Qingming Festival is in a few days. We'll be going back to pay respects. If things get too ugly, how am I supposed to face your grandfather?"
That was my father—a man who would rather suffer in silence than confront anyone.
But his constant yielding had only made my uncle's family push harder every time.
"Dad, I don't want your money."
"And please don't worry about this anymore. I know what I'm doing. I won't put you in an impossible position."
"Get some rest. Take care of yourself."
Before he could say another word, I forced myself to hang up.
I walked to the window and gazed out at the city lights glittering across the night. My resolve hardened with every breath.
You want to play dirty? Fine. Don't blame me for playing to win.
Those eight houses—I had originally planned to honor Grandpa's wishes and give half to my uncle's family.
