Chapter 271
Chapter 271
The bank statement for the past six years stated a monthly transfer of one thousand in the beginning, then a rise to two thousand per month subsequently. That was it, and the amount transferred monthly never increased since.
Two thousand?! No, this is impossible!
His annual salary along with his bonuses would come up to at least a couple of million every year. Plus, he would often remind Rachael to transfer some money to his mother. How could she have only gotten a mere two thousand a month?!
"How is it impossible?" Belle retorted. "Are you saying you've given me more than this, and I deliberately made a fake bank statement to slander you?"
"No, Mom, that's not what I meant… I-I…" stuttered Brian. His mind was a complete mess, unable to put his thoughts into words. Content provided by NôvelDrama.Org.
"You can make a police report if you don't believe me. Let the police dig into this." Belle sneered. "Ever since marrying Rachael, you've planted yourself in Dusktown and never went back to Sanguine Mountain. I swear you've also completely forgotten about Alex. You've never visited your son in the past four years. In the past six years, you gave me one thousand a month for the first two years and two thousand a month for the next four. This money is considered my pension and the expenses needed to raise Alex…"
"Mom…" Brian went weak at the knees. If it weren't for his mentality, he would've already dropped to the floor by now.
He was a deputy director who earned at least a couple of million a year. However, he only gave his mother, who had no income and couldn't work, two thousand a month to help raise his child. If word got out, his reputation would be ruined entirely! People would despise him!
"I didn't know. I really didn't know…" He shook his head, pale-faced.
Since his work was hectic and he had to be isolated from the outside world for months after entering a project, he always entrusted the task of transferring money to Rachael.
Every time he asked, she would always promise to see to it and that he didn't need to worry. He was so busy that he just took Rachael's word for it when she said things were dealt with.
However, he dared not say this out loud, for he'd be shifting the blame onto his wife if he did so. He wasn't shameless enough to do such a thing.
Belle, on the other hand, sneered after hearing his denial. "I'm your mother, and Alex is your son. Who else would know when even you don't?"
Brian was rendered speechless, tongue-tied.
"That's it. I don't want to waste any more time on this. I'll just get straight to why I've come to see you," said Belle plainly as she looked at her son. "I already have one foot in the grave and might leave any day. I don't feel comfortable about leaving Alex in your hands with how heartless you are. While I'm still alive, give Alex all the assets he deserves. I'll have someone look after it for him in the meantime."
"Mom…" Brian blacked out and nearly fainted.
Even if only a few sentences got out from all that his mother had said, he would still be backbitten forever, and he would be unable to hold his head up high ever again.
He had always thought of himself as a dutiful son, and he never dared forget how his mother had raised him despite the hardship. However, he couldn't understand just what exactly he had done that got his mother beyond disappointed in him.
However, since it had come to this, he could only admit his mistakes and beg for her forgiveness. "Mom, I'm really sorry. I know I've done wrong. I deserved to be punished and yelled at. I'll definitely take good care of you and Alex. Mom, please give me another chance!"
"I don't trust you." Belle shook her head while gazing at Brian with nothing but pain and disappointment. "Brian, do you still remember Alex's birth mother? When you got the chance to go to high school, we were so poor that not only did we have no money, but we even owed people debts. I wanted you to go to school so badly that I spent many sleepless nights worrying and crying myself to sleep. In the end, you managed to go to school because of the money from Alex's birth mother."
Brian nodded at that. "I know. I know…"
"You do? In that case, is this how you should treat Alex?!" Belle suddenly roared with a gaze filled with disappointment and resentment. "Yuri was an orphan too. It wasn't easy for her to earn all that money, but still, she helped you in any way she could! She gave you the chance to go to school and even saved my life once. If it weren't for her, I would've long been dead!"
She continued, "I've never forgotten everything she's done for our family, but look at you! You've long thrown it out of the window! After marrying Rachael, you forgot all about the things Yuri did for you. You
promised me that you would take good care of Alex, but you broke your promise. You wanted nothing more than for my grandson to be starved to death lest he continues to be a bother to you. You're nothing but a beast, you ungrateful, heartless monster!"
Belle trembled in anger, heaving as she took heavier breaths than the last.
Alex freaked out and stroked her back while crying. "Grandma, that's enough. Let's just go home. I want to go home!"
Now, he knew what his grandmother had come to see his father for, but he wanted none of his father's money. He just wanted Belle to continue living with him. Once he grew old enough, he would do what his father hadn't done in the last six years. He would care for his grandmother and let her live a good life!
"I didn't… I swear I didn't…" Brian shook his head like a rattle, pale-faced. His mind had gone blank, and this was all he could say to defend himself.
"You didn't?" Belle rolled up Alex's sleeve with shaking hands. "Take a good look at this! Look at how scrawny Alex is! He's all skins and bones, and you're telling me you didn't?! What do you take me for, a fool or a blind person?"
Brian's lips trembled upon seeing his eldest son's bony arm, unable to utter a word.
Meanwhile, Belle put Alex's arm down and wiped her tears away. "Alright, just get straight to it. If you still have some conscience left in you, give Alex all the assets he deserves while I'm still breathing. If you don't agree to it, we'll see each other in court."
"Mom, please don't get upset anymore. I'll do whatever you say!" Brian finally got his voice back when he heard the word 'court'. "I'll give Alex everything you tell me to. Please forgive me, Mom. I'll definitely take good care of you and Alex. I'll do whatever you say!"
"Tell your wife to come, and we'll portion out everything that should be Alex's. Don't think about fooling me either. I've brought a lawyer with me." While speaking, Belle looked toward Madeline. "She's the lawyer I hired, and I'll have her sue you if you dare fool me."
Madeline was a licensed attorney, so they weren't exactly lying to Brian when Belle introduced her as the elderly woman's hired lawyer.
On the other hand, Brian's face twitched as he took a gander at Madeline. Never in his life had he been this humiliated.
To hell, his mother brought a lawyer with her to ask for money for his own son! Was it necessary to come to this when they were mother and son?!
"You don't have to worry about that, Mom. I'll do exactly as you say. You must be exhausted after a long journey. Let's talk this through at home, okay?" His boss was still watching by the side, and he didn't want to embarrass himself further.
However, Belle sneered at him. "What, are you stalling me? Are you thinking of cajoling me out of this so that you can continue to bully Alex and me at home? I'm telling you this, Brian. As of this moment, you're nothing but an ungrateful, heartless beast to me. Do you think I will negotiate an issue with a beast in private? I'm not going anywhere! I'm sure there will be none left of Alex and me if we go with you!"