Chapter 4
I just stared at the polished cufflinks on his suit, my voice flat and drained.
I said, "Julian, you don't need to keep talking about the big picture with me.
"You think I have everything, so you keep handing over what's mine to her, trying to fill the emptiness in her life.
"But now, I don't want any of it anymore. Not a single thing."
Julian furrowed his brows deeply, a trace of confusion and frustration flickering in his eyes.
He was so used to me always being the accommodating one, probably still expecting me to back down, eyes brimming with tears, swallowing my pride just like I always did.
I met his eyes, saying each word with absolute determination.
"I told you, I'm moving out tomorrow. After that, you won't have to bother juggling the family politics for me anymore," I said.
My stillness finally cracked his composed facade.
His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, his voice coming out dry and strained.
There was even a hint of panic he himself didn't notice.
"Melody, when I went to the countryside to bring you home five years ago, things weren't like this between us," he said.
I looked down, grabbed the packing tape, and ripped off a strip with a sharp, tearing sound.
The noise cut off whatever else he was about to say.
I didn't bother to reply.
All the warmth and hope had long been drained away by his repeated, entitled favoritism.
Julian stood there, frozen, for a long time.
His lips parted, as if he was about to say something.
But in the end, he just turned and left the study, a hint of defeat in his step.
The heavy redwood door was quietly closed.
The study was plunged back into dead silence.
My eyes landed on the so-called black gold card he'd pushed across the table.
It was just a store card with a tiny limit, only usable at certain shops, nothing special.
Just because it looked fancy in black and gold, he thought tossing it my way would be enough to show off his generosity and make up for everything, like that was supposed to be some big brotherly compensation.
He probably forgot all about it.
My real independent account was frozen last year, when I refused to give Chloe my recommendation spot. He called me "immature" and shut it down as punishment.
The next morning.
In the sleek, cold-toned glass conference room at Evertrust Law Firm, the only sound was the rustle of paper.
I sat at the long table, my fingers calmly tracing over the title of the "Voluntary Renunciation of Property and Related Rights" document.
Ethan Green, the lawyer, slid a thick stack of asset documents across the table to me, with a venture capital subsidiary file tucked on top.
He said, "Ms. Sinchair, these are the shares and trust portions under your name.
"Also, last month, Mr. Sinchair registered you as the legal representative for this subsidiary, saying it was for 'early training.'
"Should we submit the application to remove you as the legal representative today as well?"
I nodded.
Ethan looked up at me, a complicated look in his eyes.
"Are you sure you don't want to let Mr. Sinchair know?" he asked.
My phone buzzed on the table.
A photo popped up in the Sinchair family group chat.
Julian, looking sharp in a tailored suit, was striding through the Sinchair Group headquarters lobby with Chloe in a sleek business outfit.
The caption said: [Showing Chloe around to meet the execs.]
Last night, he kept talking about the 'big picture,' but today, he's already making moves on the heart of the company.
He didn't even remember that his own sister, who had just turned eighteen, was still holding the high-risk legal representative title for them.
I stared at the screen, watching the two of them walking side by side, and I couldn't even muster the energy to be sarcastic.
I just set my phone face down on the table, feeling numb.
I gave a half-hearted excuse. "He's on a business trip. He can't make it."
Ethan didn't say anything else. He flipped to the last page of the document.
He pointed to the liability waiver clause.
He said, "Once this is notarized, you'll lose all your rights to Sinchair Group, and it's irreversible.
"Also, just so you know, changing the legal representative will take some time to go through the business registry.
"During that period, the subsidiary will still be yours on paper."
He handed me a black pen.
I took it, didn't even pause, and just signed my name right away.
"It's fine, let's just get it over with," I said.
When we got to the city notary office, the place was packed and noisy.
The notary leafed through the stack of paperwork worth billions, then shot me a look of disbelief.
He said, "Ms. Sinchair, these numbers are staggering.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to walk away from all this? Maybe you should take a moment to reconsider?"
The fluorescent lights in the hall were harsh and almost dizzying.
My mind drifted back to five years ago, when Julian was wearing a suit just as sharp.
He held my trembling hand as we walked down the Sinchair Group's executive corridor.
Back then, I had just been taken back to the Sinchair family, and I couldn't even raise my head under all those judging eyes.
He pulled me over to the map of the company empire on the wall and leaned down.
He spoke to me in a rare, gentle voice. "Melody, don't be afraid. One day, you'll own half of this place.
"I'll make sure you get the best of everything."
Those words still ring in my ears.
But over these five years, every 'best' he promised turned into a blade against me.
With his endless greed and favoritism, he carved away every last bit of hope I had for that family.
"I've made up my mind," I said.
I met the notary's gaze, my voice barely above a whisper but unwavering. "Go ahead and process it."
The notary checked the documents and recorded the process on video.
The embossing seal thudded down on the papers with a dull, heavy sound.
In that moment, the invisible rope that had been choking me for five years finally snapped.
I took the receipt.
The bright red seal was almost blinding, but the suffocating weight that had been pressing on my chest for days finally lifted.
I could finally breathe again.
Just as we stepped away from the counter, Ethan's phone rang.
Julian's name flashed on the screen.
Ethan glanced at me, and I nodded.
He swiped to answer and put it on speaker.
Julian's voice came through, carrying his usual air of authority.
The background noise from the morning meeting could be heard.
"Ethan, check all the cards under Melody's name and freeze them."
"She wants to move out? Let's see how long she can last without any money."
He paused, speaking with absolute certainty.
"Once she's suffered enough, she'll come crawling back and apologize to Chloe."
I leaned against the tiled wall in the hallway and just listened quietly.
I didn't even feel hurt or angry anymore.
He was still using the same old tricks.
He thought freezing my accounts would make me run back to him, teary-eyed and desperate, just like I used to.
Ethan pushed up his glasses, his eyes landing on the notarization receipt I was still holding.
"Mr. Sinchair," he said; his voice was all business, calm and steady.
"I'm afraid you can't freeze Ms. Sinchair's accounts anymore."
There was a brief silence on the other end, then Julian's voice came through, sounding confused. "What do you mean?"
Ethan looked at me, then spoke into the phone, enunciating every word.
He said, "Five minutes ago, Ms. Sinchair signed a deal she can't take back.
"She officially gave up her right to inherit; it's all notarized and done."