The morning sun cut through the tall glass windows of the grand Hartley estate.
Old Mason pushed his heavy mop bucket down the long marble hallway.
His faded blue uniform showed years of hard work and honest labor.
Nobody in the giant house ever paid much attention to him.
They thought he was just a quiet man who cleaned up their daily messes.
Mason did not mind the quiet life he lived inside those large walls.
He preferred to watch and listen while everyone else shouted.
His younger nephew Chad walked into the main hallway wearing an expensive suit.
Chad held a shiny gold phone tightly against his right ear.
Chad: Make sure the lawyers have all the inheritance papers ready today.
Chad did not even glance at the old man washing the floor.
He stepped right over the wet tile without saying a word of thanks.
Mason watched his nephew walk away with a calm expression on his face.
He had seen Chad grow into a very greedy young man over the years.
Ever since the old head of the family passed away, Chad wanted total control.
Chad believed he was the sole heir to the huge Hartley fortune.
A few moments later, Mason's daughter Lily entered through the double doors.
Lily worked as a dedicated secretary for the family business downtown.
She carried a heavy stack of legal folders in her slender arms.
Lily: Good morning, Dad.
Mason: Good morning, sweetheart.
Lily set the heavy files down on a nearby side table.
She wiped a small spot of sweat from her high forehead.
Lily: You should rest your tired back today.
Mason: Work keeps my tired old heart beating fast and strong.
Lily smiled softly at her father with deep warmth in her eyes.
She was the only person in the house who knew his real strength.
She knew how much he had sacrificed for everyone in this big town.
Chad stepped back out into the hallway with a sharp frown.
Chad: Why are you talking to the cleaning staff, Lily?
Lily: He is my father, Chad.
Chad: He is just an employee who sweeps the floors here.
Mason gently laid his hand on Lily's shaking shoulder.
Mason: Let it go, Lily.
Chad: You both need to clear out your desks by noon today.
Lily gasped audibly as she stared at her rude cousin.
Lily: You cannot fire us from our family home.
Chad: I run the entire company now.
Chad pulled a crisp white envelope from his inner jacket pocket.
He tossed the letter casually onto the wet marble floor.
Chad: Sign those exit papers before the sun sets today.