Everything was a large shock to Karen so far, she was still in disbelief that she was hardly able to control her breathing. The air felt thin, like it wasn’t entering her lungs properly, and every thought she had seemed to clash against another.
Her life had drastically changed in these few moments, but she had somewhat accepted that, she had time to accept it when making the decision. Selling the department store had been painful, but it had at least been something she chose.
What she was finding hard or close to impossible to get over, was that all of it had gone to Max.
She started to think of what could have been a better situation. Her money going to some unknown company she would have preferred. Her money going to one of the other members of the Stern family that were doing even better than her.
But for it to have gone to Max Stern.
The kid who had no mother or father to back him up. The young one who had been pushed even by his own cousins. If he had managed to best her, then what did that mean for her?
Not only that but there was a part of her that was worried, now that all of this money was in Max’s hands.
Now that he had all of this unknown power and position behind her that she never knew about, what would he do to harm her.
When she saw Chad walking through the doors she was left with confusion, but also thought it was the start of her punishment from Max.
"What is my son doing here?" Karen asked. "Why did you bring him here, is it to humiliate me even further, right in front of my own family!"
When Chad walked in, he wasn’t surprised that his mother was on her knees. He had been filled in with bits here and there, and actually Max had told Chad what he was planning to do.
To his surprise, it was Chad, that had asked, to come.
"I didn’t invite him here." Max said. "Chad has been living in this building for quite some time now. If you were closer family members, then maybe you would have known that."
"He’s been living here?" Karen turned her head. "What do you mean...wait, were you in on this as well? Did you help Max to take my fortune, to trick us all?"
Karen then stood up on her feet.
"You planned all of this from the beginning, this is why you stuck up for Max at his graduation isn’t it! Now I understand, my own family is now attacking me.
"My very own child that I gave birth to, is stealing from me!"
Karen started to laugh but it was as if it was a person who had gone mad. The laugh wasn’t natural, it was sharp, forced, something between anger and denial.
"Mother.." Chad called out, and both of his fists were clenched. "I didn’t work against you.
"And you should listen to what Max said, he didn’t work against you or target you either."
Karen then looked at her son.
"What are you saying have you gone ma-"
"Just shut up and listen to me for once!" Chad snapped.
The room fell silent.
"I had lost all of my money. I was an idiot with it, I never tried to be part of this heir race thing, so I just had fun with the money.
"But I got myself into some trouble, and I nearly lost my life as well as all of my money.
"When I was in that desperate situation, there were so many times where I just wished there was someone there to help me.
"Someone I could reach out to and ask for help, and I realised at the time, there was no one...not even my own family.
"If I had called you up, and said I had made a mistake, that I had lost it all, what do you think your response would have been?"
Karen knew the answer, because it would have been much like what her own father had said to her.
It would have been about weakness.
About how she had failed.
About how the Stern name didn’t tolerate incompetence.
"And do you know what happened after that, I tried to drag down Max with me.
"I had no one that could help me, so I thought I would feel better if I could either push someone even lower than me, or at least they would be in the same place.
"Yet I saw Max not fall, not fail, and while I’ve been here I’ve seen, unlike us...Max has so many people by his side, so many people he can call when he has a problem.
"And then look at us? We have no one, and we can’t even call our own family members when we have a problem.
"It wasn’t Max’s fault that I lost all my money, and you should look at your situation now as well, it isn’t Max’s fault just because he is a Stern, it’s ours, and until you see that, I don’t think you’ll ever be happy."
There was no shouting at the end, no anger, just frustration mixed with something close to regret.
Max smiled as he heard the end of Chad’s speech, it must have been the most smart thing he had ever heard him say.
’I can’t believe it, but I guess, someone can really mature at any age.’
Chad then turned slightly.
"Max, I also wanted to ask..." Chad called out. "Can I have an increase of my allowance."
"This guy..." Max said shaking his head.
****
For updates for MWS and future works, please follow me on my social media below.
Instagram: Jksmanga
*Patreon: jksmanga
When news of MVS, MWS, or any other series comes out, you will be able to see it there first, and you can reach out to me. If I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.