Chapter 1 End of Peaceful Days

Leon POV

“Mama, I’m home, “ I said as I walked through the door

“Oh, you are home. How was school?” Mama asked with warm smile

“Like usual, “ I replied. “where are Papa, Jie jie and Mei mei ?” I asked as I looked all over the house

“Papa is on his way, your Jie jie and Mei mei are in their room “ Mama answered

Not long after, the sound of the door opening was heard. "I'm home," Papa announced

“Oh, Papa. How was the work in office?” I asked

“That damn Andrei….,” Papa muttered, his face was filled with anger

Just hearing that name made my blood boil. Andrei—Papa’s own brother, the parasite who had driven our late Uncle Gabriel to an early grave from sheer stress. And now, that scum was turning his sights on Papa.

“What’s wrong with Andrei?” I asked, my voice low. “Is he at it again?”

Papa sighed, his face looking weary . “Yes,” he said, his voice strained. “He threatened to ruin the project again unless I step down, He wants my shares.”

"Enough!" My voice cracked through the tension in the living room. "I’m done with Andrei and his endless schemes! This isn't just a dispute anymore, Papa. It’s a declaration of war."

“Until when will we let him do whatever he wants? We need to separate from them now. We sell our shares and start anew. We take our talents and leave him empty-handed. We'll see how he manages a business without people who know how to run it. Let him rot in his incompetence.

Papa sighed, then said, “But Leon… without us, company will collapse. We will survive because we made a new one, but what about the rest of the family? After all, Andrei is my brother, your uncle, no matter what he has done.

“To hell with family!” I shouted at the top of my lungs. “Did that bastard Andrei ever think of you as a brother? If he did, my kind Uncle Gabriel wouldn’t have died of stress because of Andrei.”

“Don’t say that about Andrei,” Papa retorted, his voice tired but firm. “You’re too extreme, Leon. There’s no luck in extreme behavior, he’s still my brother,” Papa said.

I felt a burning sensation in my heart. Papa was too patient for someone like Andrei. Andrei had done such a cruel thing, and Papa still loved his little brother, even though Andrei had shown no mercy whatsoever to Uncle Gabriel, even cornering him to the point of death from stress. I shouted, "It's pointless to talk at length about Andrei's actions if Papa won't fight back at all!"

Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked towards my room.

SLAM.

The sound of my door slamming loudly echoed in the hallway. Inside my room, I punched the wall until my hands turned red.

“Damn him,” I cursed. “What can that bastard do without us? To hell with the family, to hell with everything.”

A soft knock sounded, and the door slowly opened, revealing Jie Jie my older sister and Mei Mei my little sister with worried faces. Jie Jie asked, "What were you talking about with Papa so loudly?"

"Yeah…" Mei Mei added. "Gege, you were really loud just now."

I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. “Oh, Jie jie and Mei mei, it’s about that damn Andrei,” I said.

Jie jie and Mei mei entered, Jie jie leaning against the door while Mei mei sat on the bed. “Papa is defending Andrei again? You know that Papa will definitely protect Andrei even if we are angry about Andrei’s treatment to Papa, Papa will never learn and still consider him as family.” said Jie jie.

"I told Papa, it's better for us to start from zero. I'm willing to drop out of university. We have skills and we have money. We can build a new company far away from them." I said with a strong determination.

Jie Jie shook her head and said, “You’re an idiot, Leon. University isn’t just about a degree; it’s your foundation. It’s where you’ll find connections, future partners… or maybe even someone you’ll love.”

I let out a sarcastic laugh and said, “Love? Look at the situation now, Jie. You think I can find a girlfriend in a situation like this? We should focus more on building a new company away from papa’s jerk family. Forget it, I’m going to bed.”

“You never know, Leon,” she whispered as she closed the door. Jie jie said, “Life has a way of surprising you, life is mysterious, Leon.”

“yeah, who knows? Maybe you will get girlfriend this time,” Mei mei teased before door fully closed

Jie jie and Mei mei are delirious. In a situation like this, is it possible to love someone? It doesn't make sense. I would find a girlfriend if things were okay, but my current situation clearly makes that impossible.