To My Dad, I'm Only Worth One Dollar

My dad, who has gotten remarried and cut off contact with me years ago, suddenly sends me one dollar via Venmo, saying he wants to borrow my new car for two days. Thinking he wants to mend our relationship, I remind him to take good care of it before handing over the keys. That very afternoon, I stumble across a livestream of my half-brother street racing. The car he's driving is unmistakably my brand-new vehicle. In the livestream, the car is covered in crude graffiti, and the interior is a mess. I immediately take a cab over to stop my half-brother, only to be humiliated by him during our first meeting. "Who the hell are you? My dad says I'm his only son!" Only then do I realize that I no longer have a place in my dad's life. What they don't know is that the car is a gift from my CEO girlfriend. And she never lets anyone bully the people she cares about. Chapter 1 "Everyone, check it out! Look at that custom Pagani Huayra. It's the only one in the world!" "Look at those curves. Listen to the engine roar. How much do you think this thing costs?" "Zayn's got some serious clout. I can't believe he actually got his hands on this supercar just to flex on us!" I sat in the backseat of the cab with my eyes glued to the livestream on my phone as my body shook with rage. The car was a third-anniversary gift Quinn Fuller had given me a week ago. She spent a fortune hiring a top expert in automotive customization from Irion, who took a full year to finish detailing the car's body. Every part of it, even down to the seat stitching, was done according to my liking. I loved it too much to drive it, so I just kept it parked in the villa's climate-controlled garage. But now, on the livestream, the car body was covered in tacky graffiti spray-painted in neon pink and bright green. There was also cigarette ash scattered across the leather seats, a half-empty bottle of champagne, and even a few pairs of mud-splattered sneakers planted directly on the console. The male streamer who was currently shouting the loudest into the camera was Zayn Meyer. He was the child my dad, Jake Litt, had with his current wife after he remarried. I had never met him before this, and only knew what he looked like from my dad's Instagram posts. Half an hour later, the cab came to a halt at the starting point of the abandoned Ridge Road located in Westos. I pulled open the door and charged straight into the partying crowd of young scions and influencers. "Stop! Who gave you the permission to spray graffiti all over the car?" The deafening music stopped as everyone stared at me, bewildered. Only Zayn reacted, jumping down from the car hood while giving me a disdainful once-over. "Who are you? Are you out of your mind? Do you know who's the boss here? It's my dad's surprise birthday gift for me, and I'm in the middle of streaming. Why are you causing such a scene?" "Your dad gave it to you? Are you blind? Can't you see the license plate is a custom-made abbreviation?" I angrily pointed at the plate embossed with "WGQF". A blonde-haired guy leaned over with a smirk. "What the hell are those letters? I'm guessing it's some sort of code for a rental car company." "I own this car! You vandalized it and even raced it under the influence. That is illegal!" I gazed at the deep scratch mark on the car door, an ache filling my heart. But Zayn just let out a cold snort. He pointed right at my nose with a sneer. "Yours? Who are you kidding? You could never afford a top-tier supercar. Take a good look. My dad got this specifically for me." "Also, what do you mean by 'vandalizing'?" Zayn kicked the expensive carbon fiber front lip with contempt. "This is graffiti art! My dad doesn't even care that I destroyed it, so why are you all up in my business?" After all these years, Jake was still just as vain. Back then, he abandoned us just to marry into the family of a nouveau-riche woman named Jill Meyer, all because he looked down on my mom for being poor. He had completely ignored me my whole life. Yet this morning, he reached out to me on WhatsApp and sent me one dollar via Venmo, saying that he wanted to borrow my car to impress an important client. After all, he was still my dad. In a moment of weakness, I agreed. Who knew that in his attempt to play the "good father" to Zayn, he would allow these punks to trash a gift I so cherished? I decided not to waste another breath on Zayn. I retrieved my phone, wanting to call the cops. Suddenly, a half-finished bottle of champagne was smashed into my head. The pain was so excruciating that my eyes immediately blurred as a large bump formed on my forehead. Chapter 2 Two thuggish-looking men charged over and held me down. "My dad got this car behind my mom's back just so I could show it off. Are you going to make a scene now and make things difficult for him?" Zayn looked at me condescendingly as if I were someone insignificant. "There has long been a rumor about a shameless man who goes around extorting money from luxury car owners. That's you, right? You're unbelievable. I can't believe you would show up here today. Anyway, I'm going to do everyone a favor and teach you a lesson." I noticed he was about to get violent as the men continued to hold me down, so I quickly said, "This car is really mine. Jake borrowed it from me. If you don't believe me, you can ask him. Have him confront me!" "Fine. I'll give you what you want." Zayn sneered as he dialed the number. "Dad! When are you going to be here? Some lunatic came looking for trouble and even tried to beat me up. Bring your men here now!" "Zayn, don't worry. I'll be there soon." On the other end of the line, Jake's voice was gentle and anxious, unlike anything I had ever heard before. Sure enough, Jake arrived rather quickly, alighting from the car with a tense expression. I recalled my memories with him over the years, and it seemed like I had always been the one who waited for him. Back then, I waited for him to pick me up at the school gate, only to be greeted with the news of his divorce from my mom and his marriage to a rich woman. When I grew older, I waited for him to visit my mom at the hospital, only to be slapped in the face with the text message that never showed it had been delivered. I was always the one left behind. Even the conversation we had today was his way to please his son. I used to think he had it hard, trying to rebuild a new family, so I didn't want to bother him. Now I found out he was capable of protecting someone, too. It was just that the person was never me. The moment he ran into the crowd, Jake anxiously checked Zayn to ensure he wasn't hurt. "Zayn, I'm here. I'm here now. Who's the troublemaker?" "It's him!" Zayn pointed at me nonchalantly, raising his chin. "He started hurling insults the moment he arrived, and claimed the car was his. He also threatened to call the cops on me!" Jake swiveled around. A flicker of guilt flashed across his face when he saw me. I looked at him coldly. "Jake, you borrowed my car, and now, someone wrecked it. Care to explain?" Gnawing anxiety and guilt were apparent on Jake's face. Before he could respond, though, Zayn jumped to his defense. "What the hell is wrong with you? What do you mean by 'your car'? You're just a loser. How dare you disrespect my dad? Did you lose your money-crazed mind and think every car is yours?" Having said that, his demeanor shifted as he turned to Jake, speaking with casual indifference. "Dad, don't be upset, okay? My friends and I had too much fun and went overboard, spraying the car with some paint. Don't worry. I'll get the auto detailing shop to clean it up real good, and it will be brand new again in a few hours. Mom won't find out." I smirked. "The paint on this car is a custom-formulated midnight blue. It uses a specialized application process that an ordinary detailing shop couldn't possibly handle. These low-quality spray paints have already corroded the surface, and a complete repaint is necessary. No detailing shop could do that." "Enough!" Jake interrupted me abruptly, "Wayne! When did you become so petty? It's just a car. What's so great about it? You're just doing this to make things difficult for Zayn. Come at me if you're upset. If you dare bully Zayn, I'll make you regret it." Chapter 3 I froze. Even though my dad wasn't there for me when I was a child, my mom doted on me. Then, when I started dating Quinn, she was incredibly considerate and loving, never once losing her temper with me. I realized that the few times I ever felt aggrieved were in the presence of my dad. While I was in a daze, Jake stepped up to me and spoke to me in a volume that only I could hear. "I already gave you money this morning. I get to do whatever I want to the car today, so you'd better keep your mouth shut. I can't let Zayn know I'm your dad. If my wife finds out and starts a fight, I'll make you pay!" Oh, so that was it. Throughout the years, he had treated Mom and me coldly, while being at the beck and call of that woman's child. I believed that, instead of guilt, he was afraid his current wife would find out he had a grown son like me when he agreed to change my surname to follow my mom's. But I was too gullible. When he told me he missed me this morning, I readily handed over my trust. Zayn was thrilled to see the distraught look on my face. He violently slammed the champagne bottle in his hand against the car window. The hard bottom left an immediate white gash in the reinforced glass as the liquor spilled onto the expensive leather seats. "Stop it!" Fury surged through me as I broke free from the men's grip and lunged toward Zayn. Seeing this, Jake placed himself before his son and forcefully pushed me away. "Wayne, are you insane? It's just a car! Do you have to go this far? It's not like he tried to kill you. Why are you lashing out like a lunatic?" I fell to the asphalt road, feeling it cut into my palm as blood oozed out. The last shred of love I had toward Jake vanished in that instant. I stared at him with all hope diminished. "Jake, are the Meyer family so great that you even refuse to acknowledge me now?" Hearing this, Jake raised his voice as guilt flickered in his eyes. "Wayne, what are you babbling about? I'm a part of the Meyer family, so of course, my priority lies with them. Do you have any idea who the Meyer family is? How dare you yell at me? If you offend them, you'll be in big trouble!" How ridiculous was that? The irony was that the Meyer family had only gotten their foot in the door of the elite circle by supplying minor construction materials to Quinn's company. And to lessen the pressure on me, Quinn did all she could to keep my identity under wraps. Nobody knew I was the future owner of Fuller Corporation. I thought of helping Jake out if he ever ran into any trouble since he was my dad. But now, it seemed he wasn't worthy of my help, let alone worthy of being my dad. I wiped the blood off my palm and stood up calmly as I held Jake's gaze. "Jake, in case you forgot, let me remind you that I own this car. No amount of denial is going to change the fact. Also, it's a gift from my girlfriend, and she isn't someone you can afford to cross." "Anyway, I'm sure she would've noticed that the car wasn't where it was supposed to be and would be on her way here. When she arrives, I hope you will repeat everything you just said to her," I added. Uncertainty crossed Jake's face. I knew what he was thinking about. He must have thought that I was some rich woman's boy toy. Even so, he needed to respect the person backing me up. But Zayn didn't care. He continued with his taunts. "Dad, why are you scared of him? Is it because of his backer? He's just a pathetic freeloader trading his looks for money. When he sees my mom, he'll have to grovel before her too. All of Jaston bow before us!" "Shut up!" Jake growled. His confidence was clearly faltering. Zayn frowned in displeasure. "Why are you yelling at me? I'm telling the truth. If you're afraid he'll spew nonsense or that you'll be lectured by Mom, then we should use his weak spot to make him shut up." Chapter 4 Jake turned his head toward Zayn with confusion. When their eyes met, Zayn flashed a cruel smile as he brandished his phone. "A freeloader like him cares about his reputation the most. If we strip him, take photos of his pathetic state, and force him to admit he's just someone's boy toy, what will happen to him?" "Not only will he voluntarily shut up about this, but even his backer will find him repulsive and dump him! He will be completely under our control!" I was shocked, not knowing how to react. "Dad, a-are you going to watch him do that to me?" I thought my ties with Jake would at least make him hesitate. Enraged and jealous, Zayn barked, "What did you call my dad?" Then, he confronted Jake, "Dad, do you know this loser?" Panic crept into Jake. He quickly tried to appease his son. "Zayn, don't listen to his crap! I don't even know him. He's just a scamming lunatic! You're my only son, and the only one I love." "Dad, please. We're bound by blood. Please ask him to stop… Don't let them hurt me…" Even though I was disgusted by his fake loving-father persona, I knew I was all alone now. I had to try to awaken whatever last shred of humanity he had left. A crisp slap landed on my face. Jake glared at me with warning in his eyes, looking ready to tear me apart. "Damn you, bastard! How dare you spew nonsense here? Who's your dad? If a reality check is what you need, I'll give it to you now!" He turned back toward Zayn, giving his silent approval. With that, Zayn commanded the thugs, "What are you waiting for? Get him!" Then, he propped the camera up and aimed it at me. The men laughed wickedly as they approached me, while I backed away in sheer terror. They ripped off my jacket. Buttons popped off my shirt and clattered onto the ground, exposing my chest. I thrashed fiercely as I roared, "Let me go! You bastards! Get off me!" Jake stood to the side, a fleeting look of pity in his eyes, only to be quickly replaced by cold indifference. "Zayn, a few photos are enough to intimidate him. Don't end up killing him." Zayn nodded agreeably, but his gaze toward me was dripping with pure malice. I knew then that he wouldn't let me go. Just as they were about to strip me bare, the blonde lookout stationed at the intersection came scrambling in sheer panic. "W-We have a problem! Zayn, Mr. Litt, rows of black Maybachs just rolled up outside. They've blocked off the road." Before he could even finish, dozens of lethal-looking bodyguards swept into the area. The crowd froze. They were too terrified to speak. But Zayn and his men remained oblivious, still trying to rip my clothes off. A cold, booming voice rang from the back of the crowd. "How dare you hurt my man! You must have a death wish!"