I Raised Him for 12 Years; He Sends Me His Wedding Bill

Evelyn Larson's nephew, Maxwell Larson, has been staying at my home for 12 years. On top of sponsoring everything he has in life, I even view him as my own son. Heck, I'm the one who paid the down payment for Maxwell's new family home. But on the night we're having a holiday dinner, he throws me a list in front of everyone. "Uncle Lawrence, I've already hashed out the details with my fiancee's family. We'll be giving her family 700 thousand dollars as a wedding gift. You've raised me for so many years, so you need to prepare this amount for me." I frown instantly. "Didn't I just settle your down payment for you? Besides, Tiffany's about to get married soon. I need to save some money for her own wedding gift." But Maxwell instantly smashes a plate out of anger. "Since she's marrying into another family, that means she's no longer a part of this family! Are you saying that you're willing to give your money to an outsider rather than your own nephew? "If you refuse to agree to my terms, I'll make Aunt Evelyn divorce you right now!" I turn to look at Evelyn out of instinct, only to see her pulling out a gift agreement that she has already drafted. "We don't need to prepare any wedding gifts for Tiffany, seeing as she's the one marrying into another family. Max, on the other hand, is the only son of the Larson family. You should give your money to him instead." Chapter 1 I stared at my wife, Evelyn Larson, eyes wide with disbelief. On the table lay an agreement. In black and white, it read, "I, Lawrence Zimmerman, am giving 700 thousand dollars to Maxwell Larson, and I will never take it back." Maxwell's signature was already scrawled at the bottom. Mine was the only one missing. "You had this ready all along?" I questioned, staring at Evelyn. She avoided my gaze and said, "Max is my sister's only son. His wedding is a huge deal. We have to help." Maxwell grinned from ear to ear as he slid the paper toward me. "Uncle Lawrence, just sign it. We'll still be family." I looked at the agreement, then at the relatives around the table. Evelyn's siblings and cousins kept their heads down, eating in silence. The steam from the simmering stew stung my eyes. Maxwell had come to live with us at ten, after his mother died and his father vanished. I had raised him for 12 years, never skimping on tuition or living expenses. When he failed college courses, I pulled strings to keep him afloat. When he needed a job, I made the calls. I even paid 40 thousand dollars toward the down payment on his house. I never expected him to be grateful, but I hadn't imagined this either. "I'm not signing this," I said in a low voice. All at once, the air turned thick with tension. My mother-in-law, Lucy Jones, set down her fork, and her expression darkened. "Lawrence, what do you mean? Max is the only grandson in the Larson family! His wedding is a huge deal! You're his uncle, and you won't even chip in?" "Mom, it's not that I don't want to help," I replied, trying to keep my voice calm. "Three months ago, I covered the down payment for his house. And now, he wants another 700 thousand dollars as a gift? "I'm strapped for cash. Besides, Tiffany is getting married next spring. Her in-laws are—" "Tiffany, Tiffany! All you ever care about is your daughter!" Maxwell shot to his feet, jabbing a finger in my face. "Lawrence, you've raised me for years! Now that I'm getting married, you won't give me a cent? You're playing favorites! I want that money today, got it?" Beside me, Evelyn tugged at my sleeve. Her voice was low, but each word cut deep. "Lawrence, don't be foolish. Once Tiffany is married, she'll belong to another family. That money would just benefit them. Max is the one who keeps the family line alive. You have to listen to him." At that, I turned to her. Decades of marriage, yet she seemed like a stranger now. "Evelyn, Tiffany is your daughter!" I snapped. She avoided my gaze, her tone unapologetically firm as she shot back, "I know she is, but one day, she'll be part of another family. Max is the one who carries on our name." Maxwell waved the agreement in triumph. "Hear that? Aunt Evely said it! Sign it now, and we're still family. "When you're old, I might still put food in front of you because of this money. Otherwise, don't expect me to take care of you!" Chapter 2 "Take care of me when I'm old?" I let out a chuckle. "You don't even have a job. You're living off us every month. What exactly are you going to support me with?" Maxwell's face twisted with rage. "Lawrence Zimmerman! Don't push your luck!" Without missing a beat, he grabbed the wine glass beside him and smashed it against the floor. "If you don't sign the agreement today, I'll make sure Aunt Evelyn divorces you! You'll walk away with nothing, and you'll be thrown out of this house!" I looked at Evelyn. But she kept her head down, eating and saying nothing. My heart sank. "Evelyn Larson!" I snapped. "You're going to divorce me just because I won't give up Tiffany's wedding fund? She's your daughter! Have you no soul?" Lucy slammed her hand on the table. "What nonsense are you talking about? Lawrence, my daughter's been married to you for decades. She gave you a child and took good care of you. "Now, we're just asking you to help out her nephew, and you keep making excuses? You call yourself a man?" Maxwell seized the moment to pile on. "Exactly! Aunt Evelyn, why keep a man like him? Divorce him! Do it tomorrow, then kick him out!" Just then, the door to the dining room swung open. My daughter, Tiffany Zimmerman, walked in carrying a plate of fruit. When she saw the shards of glass scattered across the floor, she froze. "Dad, Mom, what's going on?" The moment Maxwell saw Tiffany, he fixed her with a sharp glare. "Your parents are about to get divorced! From now on, you're just a burden no one wants!" he spat. Shocked, Tiffany flinched and nearly dropped the plate. "Maxwell Larson! Watch your mouth!" I bellowed as I pulled Tiffany to my side. She clutched my arm, saying, "Dad, everything was fine. Why would you get divorced? He's just talking nonsense, right?" "I'm not," Maxwell shot back with a sneer. "Your dad's planning to give me your wedding fund as well. When you get married, your parents won't fork out a dime. You'll be walking into that marriage with nothing to your name!" The color drained from Tiffany's face at once. "Dad… Didn't you promise me 300 thousand dollars for my wedding? If I show up with nothing, what will my fiance's family think of me?" "They can think whatever they want!" Maxwell cut in, his tone dripping with contempt. "You're just marrying into their family to have kids anyway. Why should we pay anything? You're just a burden!" "Shut up!" I roared. My body shook with fury as I continued, "Maxwell, I raised you for 12 years. I gave you food, clothes, everything. What more did you want? "During your four years in university, when you kept failing classes, I was the one who went to your professors and begged them to give you a chance. When you got fired from your first job, I pulled strings to get you another. "And when you bought your place, I paid every cent of the down payment. Now that you're getting married, you expect me to pay for it. On top of that, you want me to hand over my daughter's wedding fund? On what grounds?" Maxwell shot back, "Because you're my uncle! Because you married my aunt! Your money belongs to the Larson family!" "I'm a Zimmerman, and you're a Larson. When did my money become yours?" "Lawrence Zimmerman! What do you mean by that?" Lucy yelled. "You married my daughter. Doesn't that make your money hers? And if it's hers, what's wrong with her nephew using it?" What kind of twisted logic was that? Evelyn, too, furrowed her brow. She shot me a disapproving look and said, "Lawrence, we're family. Why make such a fuss over money?" "Fine. Family, huh?" I nodded, then picked up the agreement. A victorious smile spread across Maxwell's face. But in the next instant, I tore the document in half in front of him. "I won't pay a single cent for this wedding!" Maxwell's smile faltered. "Lawrence Zimmerman! You've got a death wish!" he roared. Almost immediately, he raised his fist and lunged at me. "Dad! Watch out!" Without a second thought, Tiffany threw herself in front of me. Chapter 3 The punch slammed into Tiffany's shoulder. "Tiffany!" My heart seemed to stop, and I dropped beside her. "Where does it hurt? Are you okay?" My chest tightened at the sight of her. I looked up and glared at Maxwell, fury blazing in my eyes. Across the room, Evelyn rushed over, but not to check on Tiffany. Instead, she grabbed Maxwell's hand, turning it over anxiously. "Max! Does your hand hurt? You could've broken something! What were you thinking?" Only after making sure he was fine did Evelyn turn to me. She jabbed a finger in my face and yelled, "Lawrence Zimmerman! Are you really going to tear this family apart over a little money? "She's your daughter. Once she gets married, she'll belong to someone else's family anyway! What are you giving her all that money for? Why are you wasting money on a worthless woman like her?" Tiffany couldn't take it anymore. Her voice choked with sobs as she shouted, "Mom! I'm your daughter as well! How can you say that?" Evelyn froze for a second at the outburst, then her anger flared. "Why can't I say that? Am I wrong?" she retorted. "You'll get married eventually, and your brother's the one who'll carry on the family name!" Tiffany screamed, "He's not my brother! His last name is Larson! Mine's Zimmerman! He's just an outsider!" Without missing a beat, Evelyn slapped her hard. The sharp crack echoed through the room, and everyone froze. Tiffany clutched her cheek, staring at her mother in disbelief as tears streamed down her face. I pulled her behind me, trembling all over. "Evelyn, you hit her?" Evelyn faltered, but she didn't back down. "S-So what if I did? I'm her mother. Can't I discipline my own daughter?" "Discipline?" I let out a bitter laugh. "When have you ever cared for her in all these years? When she was sick in the hospital, where were you? "Where were you when her school held the parent-teacher meetings? All you've ever cared about is your precious nephew! And now, for his sake, you hit my daughter?" From the side, Maxwell fanned the flames. "Serves her right! A useless burden like her needs to be put in her place!" Lucy hurried over to break it up. "Alright. That's enough. It's Christmas. Let's not fight. "Lawrence, Evelyn just lost her temper." "Lost her temper?" I looked around at everyone in the room and nodded. "Fine." Then, I took Tiffany's hand. "Let's go." "Where do you think you're going?" Maxwell moved to block the doorway. "If you don't sign the agreement today, don't even think about leaving." Having said that, he pulled out his phone and started recording. "Lawrence, you're a manager at your company, aren't you?" He continued, "What do you think your bosses will say if I post this online with the caption 'A manager abuses the nephew he raised for 12 years and refuses to pay a dime for his wedding'? "With how fast things spread online these days, I could ruin you overnight!" I stared at his phone screen and felt my heart sink. "What exactly do you want?" I demanded. Maxwell set his phone aside before pulling out the agreement again. "Sign it and wire the 700 thousand dollars to my account within three days. "Then, buy me a car. Violet's got her eye on a car. The down payment is only tens of thousand dollars. "Oh, and you'll cover the renovations for my place, too. That will be about 200 thousand dollars." He counted on his fingers, then added, "All in all, it's about a million dollars. That's pocket change for you." Pocket change? I was making 12 thousand dollars a month, with a fifty-thousand-dollar bonus at the end of the year. Even if I didn't spend a cent, it would still take me five years to save that much. "And if I don't?" A cruel smile spread across Maxwell's face as he said, "If you don't? Then, I'll air your dirty laundry for everyone to see." Chapter 4 Maxwell leaned in, lowering his voice as he said, "You really think I didn't know? When you helped your boss cook the books last year, how much did you take in kickbacks? And that project bid the year before…" My eyes widened. How did he know any of that? Back then, I had let my guard down and let my boss use me, unknowingly helping him funnel money. I had pulled back the moment I realized, but by then, he had something on me. Beside me, Evelyn tugged at my sleeve. "Just agree to it. If that gets out, you'll lose your job!" I looked at her, and suddenly, everything clicked. She was the one who told Maxwell. Over the years, I had occasionally talked about work at home. Whatever Evelyn heard, she passed on to her family. I had treated her as the person closest to me, yet she had treated my weakness like a bargaining chip. Tiffany clutched my sleeve, sobbing as she said, "Dad… Just give him my wedding fund. I don't want anything to happen to you." "No! That's your money. No one touches it." Maxwell snickered. "What a touching father-daughter moment. Too bad. You're handing over that money today, whether you like it or not." "I've already saved the video and backed it up to the cloud," he added, waving his phone. "If you don't agree, I'll upload it right now. "I've even got the caption ready. 'A manager, Lawrence Zimmerman, embezzled for years and abused his nephew. He's a monster.' "By then, you won't just lose your job. People will be gossiping about your daughter everywhere she goes." Then, he turned to Tiffany, his gaze full of malice. "Isn't that right, my dear cousin?" Tiffany shrank back behind me, trembling. I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, my decision was made. "Fine. I'll sign it." Maxwell's face lit up with delight instantly. He lifted his chin smugly and said, "See? It would've been so much easier if you had done this from the start. Why drag this out and make everyone miserable?" With that, he slid the contract and a pen toward me. "Sign it." But I didn't take the pen. "Not this. I meant… the divorce papers." All at once, Evelyn froze. "What did you just say?" "I said, I want a divorce." "You said it yourself!" Her eyes lit up as she pulled out a few sheets of paper from the drawer. "Since you brought it up, I'll be clear. The house and savings are mine, while Tiffany stays with you. "From now on, she's none of my concern. And don't even think about asking for her wedding fund." I stared at the divorce papers Evelyn pushed toward me. It clearly stated that I'd walk away with nothing. I frowned. "What gives you the right to—" "You're not going to deny it, are you?" Evelyn cut me off. She pulled out her phone and played a recording. In the next instant, my voice filled the room. "Evelyn… I truly love you. If we ever can't make it, I won't take a thing. I'll give you everything." I remembered that. Six months ago, on her birthday, I'd had too much to drink and held her, rambling out all kinds of foolish promises. I never imagined she had recorded it. "I've already had this notarized. You can't talk your way out of it. Even if this goes to court, I've got a strong case." Evelyn pointed at the agreement as she continued, "I was willing to keep things from getting ugly if you'd just handed over the money. But since you brought up divorce, go ahead. Sign it." At that moment, Tiffany rushed forward, tears streaming down her face. "Mom! You can't do this!" "Shut up! You don't get a say here!" Evelyn snapped. "You're just a burden who'll get married and leave anyway. Stop stirring things up!" Maxwell, on the other hand, eagerly shoved the pen into my hand. "Come on, Uncle Lawrence. Sign it! Hurry up! Once you do, this will all be over." "Lawrence, you're a grown man. You should keep your word," Lucy said from the side. "You made that promise to Evelyn, so there's no backing out now." Chapter 5 My gaze swept over the room, taking in every face. Evelyn looked indifferent, Maxwell was greedy, Lucy displayed a sense of entitlement, and Tiffany's tear-streaked face was full of despair. With that, I picked up the pen and signed my name. Evelyn practically snatched the papers back to check the signature. The moment she confirmed it, her face lit up with joy. "This is wonderful! Max, we've got the money now! Your wedding's all paid for!" "Yes!" Maxwell whooped, throwing his arms around her. "I knew you loved me most, Aunt Evelyn! There will even be enough left over to buy a car!" Lucy beamed from ear to ear, too. "This is perfect! Now, Max can have a show-stopping wedding! We're doing this big!" At last, my father-in-law, Thomas Larson, spoke up. "Once you're married, stop fooling around and start taking life seriously." The Larsons gathered together, buzzing with excitement as they discussed the wedding—what hotel to book and how to spend the money. Not one of them spared Tiffany or me another glance. A few minutes later, Maxwell finally noticed us again. He turned, his eyes full of disdain as he spat, "Lawrence, you've signed the agreement and the money's transferred. What are you still doing here?" He pointed at the door. "This house belongs to Aunty Evelyn now, which means it's mine. Get the hell out! Just looking at you two makes me sick." At that, Tiffany looked up at me. Her face was streaked with tears, and fear flickered in her eyes. "Dad… What do we do now? Where are we supposed to go?" I met her gaze, then reached out to wipe her tears. "Don't be scared." Without hesitation, I opened the app and pulled up my itinerary. One quick swipe, and I canceled the Miravia family vacation and the wedding reception. As soon as the cancellations went through, Maxwell's phone rang. "Hello? What? The reception's canceled? And there's a penalty fee? 38 thousand dollars?" He jerked his head up, his bloodshot eyes locking onto mine. "Lawrence Zimmerman! Did you seriously cancel my wedding reception?" Almost at the same time, Evelyn's phone rang. She answered, confusion flickering across her face. In the next second, her expression darkened. "What? The family trip's canceled? I've already bragged about it to all my friends! How am I supposed to face them now? "The deposit's non-refundable? And you're deducting 40 thousand dollars?" She jumped to her feet, pointing at me as she screamed, "Lawrence Zimmerman! Have you lost your damn mind? I've been looking forward to that trip for a whole year!" I stopped in my tracks and turned back to Evelyn. "I paid for it, and I was the one who signed the contracts. I can cancel them if I want to. You can cover the penalties yourself and book your own trip. "But I hear all the prime dates and locations are gone. And a popular destination like Miravia? Good luck finding anything left." Having said my piece, I took Tiffany's hand and headed downstairs. We had just gotten downstairs when Maxwell came running. He seized my arm and demanded, "You think you can leave just like that? You're not going anywhere until my wedding and trip are back on!" His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing was ragged. Seeing that, Tiffany ducked behind me. Just then, a black luxury car glided to a stop in front of us. The window rolled down, revealing a driver in white gloves. "Mr. Zimmerman," he called out respectfully. "Mr. Zimmerman Sr. sent me to pick you up. He said you've had your fun out here, and it's time to come home."