The Man Behind The Empire

Chapter 3

Judy threw her head back and laughed until she was holding her stomach. Tears of pure amusement leaked from the corners of her eyes.

“Hahahaha! Oh my God, did you hear that, Dad? Mom? He’s saying SM Group got this big because of him? Harvey, Harvey, which part of your head did you hit to start hallucinating this hard?”

Mason roared with laughter too, wiping the corner of his eye with the back of his hand and shaking his head in pure mockery.

“I knew this loser’s brain finally broke from sitting around unemployed too long! Claiming he played a major role in SM Group? What kind of joke is that?”

“Exactly, Judy!” Leona cut in, her voice dripping with hatred.

“This man has no shame at all! The one who saved SM Group and poured in the massive cash injection to keep it from going under was Kane Roman! Kane is the one who worked day and night supporting our company, not you, Harvey! You’re just a useless parasite who wanders around doing housework like trash!”

Judy’s eyes narrowed sharply. “Trash! That’s the perfect word for your place in this family! Kane brought high-level business connections and golden contracts to SM Group! What have you ever given? Floor dust? Dirty dishes? Don’t you dare compare yourself to a man like Kane Roman!”

“She’s right! Know your place!” Mason snapped.

“Compared to Kane, you’re nothing! You’re just a freeloader living under our roof! How dare you stand there and claim credit for SM Group’s success in front of us!”

“Hahaha! Look at his face, Mom!” Judy kept sneering.

“He’s just standing there quiet because he knows he’s useless! Wake up, Harvey! Stop making us more disgusted every time we look at you!”

The mocking laughter and insults filled the living room, crashing over Harvey in wave after wave of pure contempt. Lily stood beside her mother, wearing the same cold little smile, staring at her father without a shred of respect.

But in the middle of all that noise and laughter, Harvey’s face showed none of the usual fear or shame. His eyes had gone ice-cold, sharp as frozen mountain peaks. He didn’t shout back or try to defend himself.

He simply looked at each of them in turn, the silence around him suddenly heavy. At Judy still giggling, at Mason’s red, angry face, at Leona’s arrogant snort, and finally at his own daughter.

“You people really don’t know a thing.” His voice was quiet and flat. But it was enough to make their laughter stutter for a second.

Without wasting another moment arguing their nonsense, Harvey turned his back on his wife’s family. He walked out of the noisy room with calm, even steps, as if the chaos behind him no longer existed.

The next morning, the news of his father’s death finished what was left of Harvey’s heart. Hudson Morgan was gone.

With his chest tight and tears barely held back, Harvey walked into the living room where his wife and daughter were getting ready. Judy was fixing Lily’s makeup in front of a small mirror.

“Judy. Lily. We have to go,” he said, his voice rough with the effort of holding it together.

“My father passed away. I want you both to come to the funeral.”

Judy let out an annoyed huff and turned with a sharp look. “Passed away?”

“For God’s sake, Harvey! Why are you so good at inventing drama first thing in the morning? Don’t you dare make up some sad story just to get attention. We already have important plans with Kane Roman today!”

Lily tugged on her mother’s sleeve, pouting. “Mom, I don’t want to go to some old man’s funeral! Uncle Kane promised to take me to the park and buy me new toys. I want to go with Uncle Kane!”

“You heard her?” Judy said coldly.

“Even your own daughter doesn’t care. Why would I? And what, you think we’re going to show up at your unimportant family’s funeral? We’re going with Kane. It’s a lot more fun. Besides, if I go with you, you’ll probably try to make me pay for the whole thing!”

Something twisted hard in Harvey’s chest at that last sentence. But he didn’t waste time arguing.

He reached into the pocket of his coat, pulled out the official documents he had typed and signed the night before, and held them out in front of Judy’s face.

“Sign the divorce papers. I’ve already signed.” His voice was cold, empty of emotion. He looked at the woman who had been his wife for years with completely blank eyes.

Judy froze for a second, then let out a sarcastic laugh and snatched the papers roughly. “Wow, look at you! Now you’re threatening me with fake divorce papers? You think I’m scared?”

The front door opened. Kane Roman walked in wearing a confident smile.

“Just sign it, Judy,” he said casually.

“This useless guy is only acting childish and fishing for attention because he knows he’s about to get dumped. He thinks you’re bluffing. Don’t let him waste any more of our time.”

Lily cheered. “Yay! Uncle Kane’s here!”

“That’s right! Sign it right now so he learns his place!” Leona urged her daughter.

Fed up and irritated by Harvey’s stubbornness, Judy grabbed a pen from the table without a second thought. She signed the papers with rough, angry strokes and threw them back at him.

“There! It’s signed! Happy now?! From this second on, we’re officially divorced! Don’t you ever show your face around us again!” she shouted, breathing hard.

Harvey caught the divorce papers calmly. He slipped them back into his coat pocket. Without a single word of goodbye, he turned and walked out of the house for the last time.

“You’re going to regret this and I’m not changing my mind! My patience has limits!” Judy yelled after him, her voice cracking with emotion.

Outside, under the harsh morning sun, Harvey pulled out his phone. He dialed a private number he hadn’t used in a long time.

After a few seconds, the line connected.

“Jack! Get everything ready. I’m coming back.”