THE TRASH YOU MOCKED

5

He snatched the file from the and opened it, flipping through pages yellowed by time but stamped with unmistakable authority: notarized agreements, financial records, signatures.

One of the final pages read:

> "Outstanding debt: $43,500,000.00 – Hilton Family (Dalton Hilton, CEO – Hilton Enterprises). Collateral defaulted. Terms extended twice. Final warning issued under Jonathan Lancaster’s seal."

" What's this," Evan's eyes widened.

Harland tapped the page. “ The Hilton family owed your grandfather a fortune—just under fifty million dollars.”

“The Hiltons?”

He recognized that name.

That was Clara's grandfather's name.

Could this be the favor the old man told him he wanted to repay by making him marry his daughter?

He thought to himself

Harland nodded. “Specifically, Declan Hilton. He borrowed heavily from Lancaster’s offshore trust accounts under the guise of real estate expansion. But he defaulted. Your grandfather kept records, perhaps as leverage. But he decided to let them be and let it go”

Mr Harland smiled." Funny how they turned out to be your wife's family"

Evan turned to him sharply, remembering a core memory.

“Clara mentioned it once,” he said slowly. “Back when we were together before she left me for that joker. She joked about her dad owing some ancient tycoon millions... I thought it was just sarcasm.”

Harland raised an eyebrow. “It wasn’t. That debt still stands. Since Dalton Hilton is dead. I'm sure they must have forgotten long about it. "

Evan’s chest tightened.

Suddenly, he remembered the humiliation at work. The harsh way Clara and her family treated him. The fact he was reduced to an office janitor. The pieces began to fall into place.

Clara's family didn't know the truth.

If not, they would have treated him better.

Harland continued, “There are also many other that hoped your identity would remain buried. If word gets out that the new owner of Lancaster Holdings is back, they know their entire empire can crumble overnight.”

Evan let out a bitter laugh.

“Funny how the world works. I was cleaning toilets yesterday. Today, I’m holding the leash around the necks of the people who stepped on me.”

" Excuse me, " Mr Harland said and left to pick a call.

Evan slowly stood and walked over to the mirror that hung above the fireplace. His reflection stared back at him: messy hair, oversized shirt, jeans with faded knees

It reminded him of how the world had viewed him.

Invisible.

Weak.

But not anymore.

One by one, he pulled off his old clothes and let them fall to the floor. He opened the wardrobe beside the fireplace and saw dark suits lined in silk and fine cotton,

He slipped one on, buttoning it slowly. The fabric hugged his frame perfectly, tailored long ago for a future version of himself that no one thought would survive.

But he had.

He smirked.

Then, in a cold, quiet voice, he said to the mirror:

“ I'm going to make you all pay! ”

Two weeks days later...

The ballroom of the Grand Sterling Hotel glittered with wealth and power.

Crystal chandeliers dangled above rows of neatly draped tables.

Reporters hovered near the back, whispering over their phones. Champagne glasses clinked. On the stage, banners of “East Atlantic Business & Tech Summit” hung behind a large screen.

Clara Hilton smiled gracefully for the cameras as she entered on the arm of her new boyfriend, Marcus Mallin, a cocky, mid-level manager at OrionTech who had recently scored a lucrative merger deal.

She wore a slim black designer gown and her signature red lipstick.

Women glanced in envy.

Men stared in interest.

She leaned toward Marcus with a flirty smile. “Be prepared for reporters tonight. Everyone’s dying to know how we pulled off the Orion merger with the Lancasters m.”

Marcus gave her a wink. “You’re the star, babe. They’ll be quoting you tomorrow.”

As they took their seats near the front, Clara felt the eyes of the room subtly gravitating toward her , just the way she liked it.

Her life has been beautiful ever since Marcus came.

He had made his father's company partnership with OrionTech became a reality and now they managed to secure a huge deal.

She noticed the eyes followed her every movement and she liked it.

Until suddenly...

The room fell silent.

Like a light switch being flipped.

it was like everything was placed on a full stop.

Clara blinked in confusion.

Then followed their gazes, toward the grand entrance.

A man in a tailored black suit had just walked in, flanked by two security aides and one sharply dressed assistant.

Evan.

His presence sucked the oxygen out of the room.

Not the quiet, broken Evan she used to know, This Evan walked like he owned the place.

This Evan wore a midnight-black, custom-tailored suit worth $50,000, accented with a platinum Lancaster pin. His posture radiated quiet authority and his eyes were cold.

The crowd rose to their feet, even the press, even the elite. Because they knew now, how his presence indicated he was an important person.

Clara’s heart skipped a beat.

“What the hell…?” Marcus muttered. “Isn’t that—?”

Clara’s throat tightened. “Yes… but no. This has to be some kind of trick.”

Evan didn’t even look at them.

He walked past slowly, flanked by two aides in dark suits, nodding briefly to key CEOs and organizers. The press, sensing a moment, moved toward him.

Clara panicked and grabbed Marcus’s arm. “Say something. This can't be real. He's a nobody. Do something!"

Marcus stepped forward, puffed out his chest, and with a grin said, loud enough for the cameras

“Hey Evan! I didn’t know commoners got VIP invites these days. You must have clearly rugged your way into here? You deserve to be arrested and punished for this impersonation”

A look of confusion spread across the room

Clara smirked, regaining confidence.

Evan didn’t even blink.

Before Marcus could say more, one of the event organizers stepped forward, addressing the crowd as the press now fixated on the unfolding tension.

“A reminder to all guests: Mr. Evan Lancaster, is not just a board member of three major tech conglomerates…”

“He is also the primary investor and financial sponsor of this entire summit. Show respect.”

The silence that followed was instant and suffocating.

Marcus's face drained of color.

Clara’s world tilted.

No one laughed this time.

Evan paused only once, not to acknowledge Clara, but to adjust his cufflink. Then, as the cameras turned toward her, Clara swayed on her heels, her face pale.

Marcus leaned in toward Clara, confused. “Why the hell are they calling him that? Say something, you know him better than anyone. He's a total loser! ”he said angrily.

Clara couldn’t answer. She couldn’t breathe.

Evan didn’t even glance in their direction.

He stopped, waiting for them to finish.

The event host, after noticing everything is settled, came onto the stage and grabbed the mic.

“A-Ahem… ladies and gentlemen, before we begin, I’d like us to formally welcome Mr. Evan Lancaster of Lancaster Holdings, attending publicly for the first time since inheriting control of the company.”

Polite applause broke out.

Clara’s hands started trembling.

Marcus looked at her. “Wait… Lancaster Holdings? Isn’t that— No, no, no, no. It must be a mixup”

“That’s him."Clara said as she stood, unable to take her eyes off Evan and Marcus almost went mad.

" Shit, " he cursed, flaring around.

Clara looked more closer.

Her eyes weren't deceiving her

It was Evan.

Her ex-husband.

The one her father once called worthless.

The one she had left in the gutter.

And now… the heir to a 1.4 trillion-dollar empire.

Evan kept walking quietly as he spoke to his assistant, not sparing her a glance as if she was invincible.

" Prepare the speech."

His assistant nodded." Ok sir but do you know her?" He asked, tucking his glasses well.

" No, I don't. How did you expect me to know a trash like her? " He said quietly as they walked till they got to the front row, where the high-profile CEOs and top investors sat, the chairs reserved for real players.