THE UNDERESTIMATED HEIR

STRIPPED OF EVERYTHING

Two days after Marvin’s discharge from the hospital, he was driven home. The shock of his wife’s revelation still clung to him like a shadow, leaving him sober and hollow.

It wasn’t just that he had wasted years loving the wrong person—the truth was worse: He had no children.

As the car rolled to a stop in front of his house, Marvin barely noticed the towering structure before him.

His mind was a battlefield, as the words of his wife replayed in a torturous loop.

Therapy had been prescribed for his injured head, but how could twenty-four hours of counseling ever soothe the wreckage of a man who had lost everything?

"Hey, I know you're dealing with a lot," said Mr. Fredrick from the driver’s seat, breaking the silence. "But don't be too hard on yourself, okay?"

Marvin nodded absently. "Okay," he muttered, already opening the door.

"If you need anything, just call me, alright?" Mr. Fredrick added before driving off, his voice was full of concern.

Marvin stood at the entrance of his sprawling, two-story mansion, nestled in the heart of the luxurious Richmond Estate.

The gates creaked as he pushed them open, but something felt wrong. A sleek, black G-Wagon was parked outside, one he didn't recognize.

Frowning, he hurried to the front door. His key twisted in the lock with an unsettling ease.

Inside, Marvin's breath caught in his throat. The house was stripped bare. His lavish furniture, the towering entertainment system, the wine collection—all of it was gone. The walls were naked, echoing his every step.

"What the hell?" he whispered, his voice began to tremble. Panic flickered in his chest, but it wasn't the missing items that sent a chill through his spine.

No, it was something far more important. Ignoring the pain pulsing at the back of his head, he raced upstairs, his heart was pounding as he headed for his private study. His life’s work—his research, his theories—was all that mattered now.

When he reached the second floor, he froze. The door to his study, which was always securely locked, was now wide open.

With dread swirling inside him, Marvin stepped inside.

Sitting casually at the desk, flipping through his research papers, was the last person Marvin ever wanted to see—his father, Mr. Richmond.

Marvin's heart lurched. He staggered backward, unable to believe his eyes. The man who had disowned him, the man who had taken everything from him, was now seated comfortably in his sanctuary, studying his work with a cold, calculating gaze.

"Dad?" Marvin's voice cracked.

Mr. Richmond didn't look up. "You’ve always been good with numbers," he said, his tone was smooth but loaded with something far darker.

Marvin’s blood ran cold. "Where's all my stuff?" he demanded, forcing himself to stay calm.

"Your stuff?" His father finally looked up, his eyes were narrowing. "When did you ever own anything, Marvin?"

Confusion flickered across Marvin’s face. “What are you talking about? I used my money to refurbish this house—”

"Your money?" Mr. Richmond scoffed, rising to his feet. His towering figure loomed over Marvin. "You think a few scraps from my company give you ownership of anything? You think your half-baked 'contributions' entitle you to something?"

Marvin felt a surge of anger but he bit his tongue. He wasn’t here to argue. "Just tell me where my things are, Dad."

Mr. Richmond let out a heavy sigh, his lips curled into a cruel smirk. "I had them burned."

Marvin’s world spun. "What…?" His breath caught in his throat, as disbelief rendered him speechless.

"Oh, and this house?" Mr. Richmond continued, as if he hadn’t just shattered his son’s life. "It doesn’t belong to you anymore."

Before Marvin could react, the door behind him swung open, and in strode three large men. Flanked between them, standing smugly, was Daniel Richmond—his younger brother. And right behind Daniel…was Martha.

And the children.

Marvin's stomach churned. His rage, which was once barely controlled, now roared to life.

He clenched his fists, his knuckles turned white. Seeing Daniel was one thing, but to see Martha—the woman he thought was his wife—standing so comfortably with his brother, tore him apart.

Daniel smirked, sliding an arm around Martha's waist. "We’re here to tear down this dump and build something proper," Daniel said, with a voice that was dripping with arrogance. "Martha and the kids deserve better. They’ve waited for me all these years."

Martha smiled up at Daniel, planting a kiss on his lips. Marvin felt the ground slip beneath his feet.

Mr. Richmond’s voice cut through the suffocating silence. "You’re lucky we even allowed you to stay here as long as you did. Now, this house will be mine again, and your 'research'... well, it never meant anything."

Marvin's hands trembled with fury.

"Dad, all these is insane." Marvin muttered. "Besides the fact that this wizzle here has synapticore force, he doesn't have the technical know how to run the company. He doesn't know anything about tech." Marvin said angrily.

SLAP.

The force of the blow made Marvin’s ears ring. Mr. Richmond stood over him, his face became a mask of fury. "How dare you insult my real son?" he spat.

"It was because of him, the Bowen group ended their long lasted rivalry with us and agreed to partner with us, awarding us a contract of a hundred million dollars." Mr Richmond said proudly. "Just like that. Something you could never dream of accomplishing."

Marvin’s vision blurred with the sting of tears. But as the insults rained down, as his brother gloated, and as Martha and the children watched on with indifference, he felt something shift inside him. Beneath the rage and humiliation, a fire kindled.

He may have lost everything, but he hadn't lost himself.

Marvin forced himself to remain calm. "Dad," he said quietly, "just let me take my research with me."

"Research?" Daniel snorted, striding over to the desk. "You mean this junk?"

"Those papers, and the formulas on the board," Martha said, with a voice that was dripping with contempt. She leaned in close to Daniel, with her gaze never leaving that of Marvin. "Let’s see what this ‘genius’ has been working on."

Marvin’s heart pounded in his chest as Daniel reached for the papers on the desk.

If they touched his work, it would all be over. His only hope, the last remnants of his tech future, would be destroyed.

Just as Daniel's hand hovered over the documents, something snapped inside Marvin.