Mark walked out to his car and strapped Leo into his seat.
He wiped the remaining tears from his son's freckled cheeks.
Mark: You did a great job on that cake, buddy.
Leo: But it broke on the floor, Daddy.
Mark: The cake does not matter at all to me.
Mark: Your effort and kindness mean everything in the world.
Mark drove away from the grand estate without any hesitation.
For years, he had managed the family's main real estate fund.
His relatives relied entirely on his legal decisions and financial guidance.
They assumed he would always endure their insults to keep peace.
An hour later, Mark sat at his office desk downtown.
He opened his computer and pulled up the master trust documents.
The inheritance contract contained a clear clause regarding family business conduct.
Mark held the sole power to revoke their monthly management allowances.
He signed his name on the formal legal withdrawal forms.
He cut off the main funding for Vanessa's luxury boutique line.
He also suspended the payments for the family estate maintenance.
Mark knew this action would cause massive panic among them.
His phone began ringing repeatedly on his wooden desk.
Evelyn's name flashed on the screen over and over again.
Mark let the phone ring until it went to voicemail.
He was done letting them push his little boy around.
He packed up his personal files into a brown leather bag.
He was going to start his own independent legal firm.
He felt lighter than he had in over ten years.