The Dumb Heir

The following morning, Rudy emerged from her room, looking refreshed and rejuvenated. "Thanks, brother," she said, showing appreciation to her junior brother Simon, who had taken care of her the previous night.

Simon looked at her with a mix of concern and scrutiny. "All this lavish and extravagant spending, are you pursuing Dad's dream?" he asked, his voice laced with a hint of skepticism.

Rudy's face fell, and she looked away, avoiding Simon's piercing gaze. Despite being older than Simon, she seemed uncertain and defensive. "If I don't claim mine, they will misuse it," Rudy replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Simon's eyes locked onto Rudy's, and he took a step closer to her. "Did you know what has been spent so far?" he asked, his tone firm but controlled.

Rudy's eyes darted around the room, and she seemed hesitant to meet Simon's gaze. 

As Rudy hesitated before answering Simon's question. "I don't know what's left, but just an iceberg compared to what we've been spending," she said, her voice uncertain.

Simon shook his head and smiled wryly. "Do you think it's going to be the same even if one dollar was taken away?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm.

Rudy ignored the question and turned the tables on Simon. "Why are you asking me all these questions?" she demanded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Simon's expression remained calm and collected. "Because the trillion dollars you all leaned on is left with just 10 million dollars," he replied, his voice simple and matter-of-fact.

Rudy's eyes widened in shock, and she let out a loud shout. "What?! I only got this car out of it and one billion... No, I can't believe this!" she exclaimed, her face reddening with anger and dismay.

Simon stood firm, his stance unwavering. "My girlfriend Jenny is in the audit department, so I know what's going on," he said, his voice steady and confident.

Rudy's reaction was a mix of shock, anger, and denial, while Simon remained calm and composed, armed with the knowledge of the company's financial situation.

Just as Simon's revelation widened Rudy's eyes, Mrs. Johnson, Maybel, and Jerry burst into the room, their faces beaming with excitement. The trip to Dubai had clearly been a success, and they had built an aura of extravagance around themselves.

"Hi, Rudy, how was your condition?" Mrs. Johnson asked, her voice dripping with feigned concern. Rudy's response was curt: "Fine."

Mrs. Johnson smiled, her eyes glinting with amusement. "That's all right. We couldn't take you with us because your drinking would have disturbed us. You drink too much," she said, her tone laced with condescension.

Maybel chimed in, her voice softer and more reassuring. "She can go and have fun with her boyfriend now that she's fine. Maybe next time, we can include her in our trips."

Simon sat quietly, observing the exchange with a discerning gaze. To himself, he thought, "So, they did know their strength was left with only ten million dollars? This means they spent without accountability." A wry smile played on his lips as he listened to the conversation.

But just as Maybel finished speaking, Rudy called out to her. "Maybel, please can you excuse us for a minute? There's a family issue we need to discuss right now."

Mrs. Johnson's gaze narrowed, her eyes fixed on Rudy. "Is it about Simon? Is he ready to apologize?" she asked, her tone tinged with skepticism.

Maybel's eyes locked onto Rudy's, and for a moment, they seemed to communicate silently. Then, Maybel nodded and excused herself, leaving the hall but not before finding a spot to hide and listen in on the conversation.

Rudy's eyes narrowed as she turned to her mother and Jerry. "Mom, Jerry, when was the last time you checked the family account?" she asked, her voice firm and insistent.

Mrs. Johnson waved her hand dismissively. "We've just returned from a holiday trip. Won't you let us rest for another day's discussion?" she pleaded, her tone laced with fatigue.

Rudy's gaze shifted to Jerry, her eyes piercing. "Jerry, you're the head of this family. When was the last time you checked?" she asked, her voice unwavering.

Jerry shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll do so by this week," he replied, his tone casual.

Rudy's face turned a deep shade of sadness, her eyes wide with shock. "This week? While the entire trillion has shrunk to 10 million dollars?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with disbelief. She knew Simon's predictions never failed, and this revelation only confirmed her worst fears.

Jerry laughed, his tone mocking. "It's a trillion dollars Dad left for us, not forty cents. Wake up from your slumber," he sneered, his words dripping with condescension.

This time, Simon laughed loudly, his amusement a stark contrast to the tension in the room. Mrs. Johnson's eyes flashed with anger as she saw Simon's laughter as a threat.

"Rudy, just like your brother said, don't pay attention to anyone except your brother, parasite," Mrs. Johnson spat, her voice venomous. Her words were laced with malice, and her gaze seemed to dare Simon to respond.

Rudy's eyes locked onto her mother's, her voice filled with incredulity. "Can't you understand? Simon's girlfriend Jenny was at the auditing department. You mean Simon was lying?" she asked, her tone laced with frustration.

Maybel, who had been hiding and listening in, whispered to herself, "Their money is gone? Let me run with my 20 billion dollars." She quickly came out of her hidden spot, a look of urgency on her face. "Please, Mom had texted me, I want to see her. I'll return in a few minutes," Maybel said, using the excuse to make a swift exit.

Simon chuckled, his eyes lifting to meet Maybel's as she made a hasty departure. He knew she was running, and a sly smile spread across his face. "Well, let those who run, run for good," he teased, his voice laced with amusement. Maybel ignored him and walked out of the room.

Jerry's eyes widened in shock as he heard that Jenny was Simon's girlfriend. He whispered to himself, "I have to sack Jenny for informing Simon of such lies." The meeting continued, with questions and answers flying back and forth, but Jerry's mind was already made up. He picked up the phone and gave orders to sack Jenny, his voice firm and decisive. "Sack Jenny right away for feeding lies to Simon," he instructed. The Kepler director replied with a single word of commitment: "Yes, sir."

Rudy turned to Jerry, her voice filled with outrage. "How could you?" she demanded. Mrs. Johnson answered for Jerry, her voice cold and calculating. "Because liars don't deserve to occupy that office."

The banter between Rudy and Jerry heated up, neither backing down. Rudy threw out a question, her voice laced with challenge. "So, how come Maybel had 20 billion in her account?" Jerry's anger flared as he realized he didn't know the answer. "Rudy, you know I hate lies. Stop pushing me to the wall," he growled, his voice rising in frustration.

Rudy's eyes blazed with anger as she confronted Jerry. "Wall, do your worst, Jerry. You signed and sold almost 80 percent of the construction houses to the workers for as low as a million dollars per each storey. Was that how Dad taught you?" she demanded, her voice trembling with rage.

Jerry's mind racing, he tried to deflect the accusation. "How are you piling lies on me?" he asked, his tone defensive.

Rudy pushed further, her voice unwavering. "Okay, consider everything as lies, and sacking Jenny isn't my problem now. Why did you give the company account access to Mom to redraw money?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

Jerry's response was laced with skepticism. "So, all these lies are because of that?" he asked, his tone dripping with doubt.

Rudy's expression remained resolute. "No, but before your expensive trip, Mom redrew 10 billion. Ask her what she used it for," she said, her eyes fixed on Mrs. Johnson.

Mrs. Johnson's body shook as she heard the accusation, her face pale. Jerry's eyes locked onto his mother's, his voice firm. "Mom, did you... did you redraw such an amount?" he asked, his tone demanding an answer.

Mrs. Johnson remained silent, her eyes avoiding Jerry's gaze.

Just then, Simon's phone rang, breaking the tension. "Dear, I've been fired," Jenny said on the phone, her voice laced with worry.

Simon chuckled, his voice filled with amusement. "Come home, let's celebrate, dear love," he said, his tone playful.

Jenny's response was one of shock, but Simon's next words gave her hope. "Bae, come home, I've secured another job for you at Legacy Dream," he said, his voice filled with reassurance.

Jenny's tone changed from worry to excitement as she processed the news. Simon's words had given her a sense of security. 

Mrs. Johnson stood frozen, her eyes fixed on Rudy's accusing gaze. She struggled to find the words to defend herself, but her silence only fueled Rudy's anger.

Rudy's eyes sparkled like a trapped cat, her voice laced with triumph. "You can't answer, can you, Mom?" she taunted, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

Jerry's face was scrunched in concentration as he tried to add up the numbers in his head. He couldn't figure out how a whopping trillion dollars had dwindled down to just 10 million dollars. Despite his efforts, the numbers just didn't add up. He had never confirmed the financials with the editors, and now he was starting to regret it.

Meanwhile, Simon leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs with a relaxed air. He began scrolling through his phone, his eyes scanning the screen with interest. At the same time, he listened to the drama unfolding before him, a hint of amusement playing on his lips.

As the tension in the room escalated, Simon's calm demeanor only seemed to infuriate Rudy further. She glared at her mother, her voice rising in anger. "Answer me, Mom! What did you do with the 10 billion?" she demanded, her words echoing through the room.

Mrs. Johnson's silence was deafening, and Jerry's confusion only added to the tension.

Sweat began to formed beads on Jerry's forehead, trickling down his face as the gravity of his situation sank in. He felt a wave of panic wash over him as he realized how his careless and ignorant lifestyle had led to this financial disaster. The lack of attention to the company's finances, the unchecked spending, and the poor decision-making had all contributed to the drastic depletion of the family's wealth.

As the reality of his mistakes hit him, Jerry's confidence began to crumble. He felt like he was losing control, and the weight of his responsibilities was crushing him. The once-thriving business was now on the brink of collapse, and Jerry's future looked bleaker than ever. The sweat on his brow was a physical manifestation of the anxiety that gripped his mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was staring into the abyss.

Jerry's eyes scanned the room, his gaze lingering on each person before landing on Simon, who seemed utterly relaxed. "I need to get to the bottom of this," Jerry muttered to himself, his anxiety growing by the minute.

He quickly picked up his phone and dialed a number. "Bossman, come with Henry right now. I need an explanation and account," Jerry instructed, his voice firm but laced with a hint of desperation.

As he hung up, Jerry's eyes locked onto the phone before he dialed another number. "Hi, Mom Comfort. Please, we need you here. Don't forget we'll need some transactional clarifications too," Jerry said, his tone polite but urgent.

Mrs. Comfort's voice was reassuring on the other end of the line. "Okay, Jerry. I don't even have anything doing right now. All my tasks were done yesterday, so I'm on my way."

Jerry's expression softened slightly as he replied, "Thank you."

Just then, Jenny walked into the room, her eyes scanning the space before landing on Simon. "Hey," she said, her voice casual.

Simon looked up from his phone, a hint of a smile on his face. "Hey, dear. You're just in time. We're waiting for some people to arrive."

Jenny's eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze flicking to Jerry before returning to Simon. "What's going on?" she asked, her tone curious.

Jerry's voice was firm as he instructed Jenny, "Jenny, go back to the company and take your position back." Jenny's eyes widened in surprise as she replied, "Really? So, you're not aware of my sacking?"

Jerry's expression remained resolute as he swerved to answer the question. "It doesn't matter now. You go and reoccupy your seat," he said, his tone dismissive.

Jenny's face lit up with a smile as she processed the news. "Thank you," she said, her voice filled with gratitude. She turned to leave, but Simon's voice stopped her.

"Jenny, come and sit," Simon called out, his head still bent over his phone. Jenny hesitated, her eyes flicking to Simon before responding. "Simon, let's make this after closing. There are many things on my desk," she said, trying to reason with him.

Simon put his phone down on the center table and lifted his head, his face authoritative. "I said come and sit down. You're not going there again," he repeated, his tone brooking no argument.

Jenny's face turned pale as she stood frozen, unsure of which side to choose. Rudy pleaded with Simon, her voice soft and persuasive. "Brother, let her go and take charge now. You heard both Mr. Henry and Bossman are on their way coming. Please."

Simon considered his sister's words and nodded. "Okay, you can go," he said, his tone softer. However, Jenny still stood, unsure if she should disobey Simon's initial instruction. Simon noticed her hesitation and added, "Bae, feel free. You can go. Sorry for the harsh talk."

Jenny smiled slightly as she turned away, her eyes meets the accountant, the auditor, and the bank manager at the gate entrance. "What exactly is going on?" she wondered to herself, her mind filled with questions.

As she walked towards the entrance, she exchanged a brief glance with the trio, her expression curious. What was happening? Why were these important people gathering? And what did Simon's behavior mean? The questions swirled in her mind, leaving her feeling both intrigued and apprehensive.