Chapter 3. Suddenly Become a Rich Woman

“Okay, that’s enough.”

Mr. Curtis spoke up. He looked at his wife for a few seconds, and it seemed that Ernesta was frightened by her husband’s warning gaze. I saw her biting her red lips lightly and clutching at the hem of her skirt, slowly turning away and not looking at me anymore.

“The funeral will be held tomorrow. Juliet Joan, please call the funeral home to prepare the procedure for cremation.”

Aunt Juliet and her husband quietly left the room.

I stood dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. It feels like I’m the extra in this family. Finally, I couldn’t help but feel the pressure, so I tried asking my father.

“Father, do I need to prepare anything for my great-grandfather Joan’s funeral?”

“No. You and I have important things to talk about. Ernesta, go out and wait for me.” My father coldly ordered.

“But…” Mrs. Ernesta seemed to want to stay in the room, but she dared not disobey my father. After a few seconds of lingering, she finally let go.

Father looked at me for a moment, cleared his throat, and spoke.

“We haven’t seen each other for many years, how are you and your mother?”

Well, I didn’t expect my father to suddenly ask me such an intimate question. In my memory, my father almost never visited our poor and makeshift home. Every month, he regularly deposited a sum of money into my mother’s account, fulfilling his duty as a father.

“Mom and I are fine, thank you for your concern.”

“Um…”

The conversation fell to a stalemate. We are clearly father and son, but when we talk to each other, it is extremely awkward, like two strangers just getting to know each other.

Feeling that it was too useless to talk to me, my father seemed to have run out of patience, so he got up and walked towards me.

“Actually… I called you back so suddenly because of this.”

I took a document from my father’s hand.

“Testament?”

I opened it and skimmed the will left by my great-grandfather Joan. The content is quite long and nothing special, almost just information about the property of the Joan family. It wasn’t until I read the last line that my emotions suddenly became out of control.

I gaped, looked up at my father, then back down at the will written by my great-grandfather Joan. If there’s one word that can describe how I feel right now, it’s ‘shocked.’

“This is… impossible.”

“As you can see, I don’t believe it either, but it was Joan’s great-grandfather who wrote this will and gave it to the Joan family lawyer.”

Looking down at the will again, I read it over and over again to make sure I didn’t misread it.

“Great-grandfather Joan… really left all his fortune to me? Only me? Why? How is this possible?” I stammered.

“You yourself find it absurd, don’t you? I know. That’s why I prepared this.” My father pulled out another document. “You just need to sign here, and everything will be settled, you don’t have to worry at all.”

I looked at the document my father had just given me, and suddenly I wanted to laugh. Everything seems to be more ridiculous than I thought.

Joan’s great-grandfather unexpectedly left all his inheritance to me, an unknown grandchild who had never been in Joan’s mansion. I met him a few times, he was aware of my existence, and it was he who asked my father to provide monthly support for my mother and me.

I don’t know why great-grandfather Joan chose me as his heir, but I understand great-grandfather Joan was smart and sane enough to know what he was doing.

What about my father? Well, he seemed to only care about me when I suddenly became rich. Even though he was acting calm and like a caring father, I could still see the impatience and the urge in his eyes.

He must be coveting this huge fortune.

It must be. Because, without this weird will, the one who automatically inherits Joan’s property is my father.

“Father, why do I have to sign here?”

“Why are you asking such a stupid question? You can’t keep this fortune to yourself. Joan’s family will be in chaos.”

“You’re a member of the Joan family, too.”

“No, you’re not.” Mr. Curtis vehemently denied. The way he looked at me was devoid of any emotion. “Stop being stubborn, you’ve been dependent and parasitic on Joan’s house for over 20 years, and now you’re so shameless that you’ve taken the family’s property?”

“You mean… I don’t deserve to be your daughter?”

My voice trembled, the corners of my mouth still smiled, but not because I was happy, but because I was so disappointed. Actually, I don’t need this huge fortune, and of course I can easily sign it according to my father’s wishes. However, what I really wanted was some love, just a little bit, from my father.

Unfortunately, he is too stingy.

Mr. Curtis did not answer.

“I won’t sign it. Great-grandfather Joan left a will and wrote my name on purpose, so I’ll do as he wishes.”

“You… you dare to disobey me?” Mr. Curtis widened his eyes in surprise. Up until now, he was used to everyone having to listen to his instructions. Now, the very daughter he abandoned is doing the exact opposite of his request.

This made him angry and raised his hand and slapped me hard in the face. My cheeks hurt, my mouth tasted weird, like blood.

“Esther Joan, listen. You can’t leave Joan’s mansion until you sign this paper.”

“What? You’re going to lock me up? How dare you? I’ll call the police.” I panicked and yelled at my father, but soon I was dragged away by some of Joan’s bodyguards.

Everything is really unbelievable. Yet my father actually locked me up in the warehouse of Joan’s mansion. He treated me worse than animals. Even the Joan family dog is not as pathetic as I am.