PART 1: THE FEAST OF BITTER WORDS

Chapter 1: The Black Sheep of a Prestigious Family

Snow fell heavily on the streets of the wealthy Winnetka suburb. Inside the Anderson mansion, the fireplace crackled, and a 10-foot Christmas tree stood resplendent, adorned with thousands of lights and expensive crystal baubles. The aroma of roast goose and gingerbread filled the air, but the atmosphere in the dining room was as tense as a string about to snap.

I, Julian Anderson, 25 years old, sat at the far end of the long dining table, silently poking at my mashed potatoes with a fork. Wearing an old sweater, I felt out of place amidst the luxurious suits and evening gowns of my parents and brother.

“Julian,” the voice of my father, Mr. Thomas Anderson, a notoriously strict judge, rang out coldly. “I heard you just quit your job at the bookstore? That’s the fifth job this year.”

I looked up, meeting my father’s knife-sharp gaze. “They were downsizing, Dad. I…”

“Don’t make excuses!” Father slammed his hand on the table, making the wine glass wobble. “Look at your brother. Kevin was just promoted to senior partner at his law firm. And you? 25 years old and still leeching off your parents, jobless, burying your face in that computer all day drawing nonsense.”

Kevin, my brother, smirked, adjusting his silk tie. “Come on, Dad, Julian has an artist’s soul. He’s not cut out for this practical world.”

“Artist my foot!” My mother, Mrs. Evelyn, spoke up. She put down her wine glass, her eyes looking at me filled with disappointment and fatigue. “I’ve spoiled you too much, Julian. I thought you would change, would grow up. But you only bring shame to the Anderson name.”

Their words were like needles pricking my heart. They didn’t know what I did on the computer. They never asked. They only saw my sloppy appearance and my silence, and defaulted to labeling me a failure.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’ll try to find a new job.”

“Enough!” My father stood up abruptly, his face red with anger and perhaps alcohol. He pointed toward the front door. “I’m sick of your chorus of apologies. Tonight is Christmas, and I don’t want to see your failure of a face ruining this family’s atmosphere anymore.”

“Dad…” I was stunned.

“Did you hear me? Get out of my house! Immediately!” Father roared.

I turned to look at my mother, hoping for an intervention, a bit of maternal love. But Mrs. Evelyn just looked away, then turned back to look at me with icy eyes, her finger pointing straight at my face.

“Go, Julian. Stop making this family suffer. Let us have a peaceful Christmas Eve. When you become a man, come back.”

Silence engulfed the room. The tune of “Silent Night” played ironically in the background.

I stood up. I didn’t cry. Tears had dried up after too many years of being looked down upon. I looked at my father, my mother, my brother. I looked at the magnificent house I never truly belonged to.

“Alright,” I said, my voice strangely calm. “I will go. And I promise, I will never bother you again.”

I didn’t go upstairs to pack. I just grabbed the thin jacket draped over the chair, and walked straight to the door.

“Don’t come back begging for money!” My brother’s voice echoed after me.

The heavy oak door slammed shut behind me.

The cold wind whipped my face, but I didn’t feel cold. In my jacket pocket, there was an envelope I had intended to give them as a Christmas gift. But now it wasn’t necessary.

I pulled out my phone, dialed a number.

“Hello, Jack? It’s me, Julian. Activate ‘Project Phoenix’. Right now.”

Chapter 2: The Abandoned Gift

I walked through the blizzard to a public phone booth at the intersection. A shiny black Limousine, with no license plates, silently pulled up.

The driver stepped out, opened the door, and bowed respectfully. “Welcome, Mr. Julian. We have been awaiting your orders.”

I stepped into the car, shaking the snow off my shoulders. Inside the car, it was warm and luxurious. I opened my laptop; the screen displayed a series of complex financial charts and the logo of Aurora Tech – the emerging software technology conglomerate that was taking the stock market by storm.

No one in my family knew that “Julian the failure” was the anonymous founder of Aurora Tech. I had built my empire in silence, from those sleepless nights at the computer they called “drawing nonsense.”

“To the airport,” I ordered. “I have a flight to Zurich at midnight.”

Before closing the computer, I sent a pre-written email to the Anderson family’s private lawyer – Mr. Henderson.

The email content was brief: “Execute the Severance Protocol. Send the box in safe number 9 to the Anderson house tomorrow morning.”

I looked through the car window, looking back at the lit-up house one last time. I had intended to use tonight’s dinner to announce the truth, to pay off all of Dad’s debts (he was drowning in debt due to bad investments hidden from Mom), to take the whole family on a trip around the world.

But they chose to throw me away.

“Goodbye,” I whispered. The car rolled away, carrying me far from this painful past forever.

PART 2: LATE REGRET

Chapter 3: The Morning of Truth

Christmas Morning.

The atmosphere in the Anderson house was gloomy. Mrs. Evelyn woke up with puffy eyes. Even though she had kicked Julian out, her heart felt empty. Mr. Thomas sat drinking coffee, trying to read the newspaper but absorbing nothing.

“Where could he have gone?” Mrs. Evelyn asked worriedly. “It’s so cold…”

“Let him be,” Mr. Thomas snapped, but his voice wasn’t as sure as last night. “Let him taste the real world so he smartens up.”

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Kevin went to open the door. Standing outside was Mr. Henderson, the family’s longtime lawyer, along with two security guards carrying a large metal box.

“Lawyer Henderson?” Kevin was surprised. “Dad, the lawyer is here!”

Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Evelyn hurriedly walked out.

“Merry Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Anderson,” Mr. Henderson said, his face serious. “I am here under urgent commission from my client.”

“Which client?” Mr. Thomas frowned.

“Your youngest son. Mr. Julian Anderson.”

“What?” All three exclaimed in unison. “Julian? Where did he get the money to hire you?”

Mr. Henderson didn’t answer. He signaled the staff to place the box on the tea table, then opened it.

Inside were not Julian’s tattered clothes.

They were thick stacks of files, stock certificates, and a letter sealed with red wax.

“What is this?” Mrs. Evelyn asked tremblingly.

“Sir, Madam,” Mr. Henderson said clearly. “These are all the documents proving Julian’s ownership of Aurora Tech. He is the legendary ‘J.A.’ that the tech world has been rumored about.”

Mr. Thomas dropped his newspaper. Kevin’s jaw dropped. Aurora Tech? That billion-dollar corporation?

“And here,” Mr. Henderson pulled out another file. “Julian knew Mr. Thomas owed the bank 5 million dollars due to failed real estate investments and was about to have the house foreclosed. He secretly bought that debt last week. He intended to give you the debt forgiveness certificate last night.”

Mrs. Evelyn covered her mouth, bursting into sobs. “Impossible… he knew everything…”

“That’s not all,” Mr. Henderson continued, his voice firm. “Julian also bought a villa on the French Riviera for Mrs. Evelyn’s retirement, and a startup investment fund worth 2 million dollars for Mr. Kevin.”

Kevin looked at the file, his hands shaking violently. He had always looked down on his brother, but it turned out he was the pathetic failure in the face of his brother’s greatness.

“However,” Mr. Henderson picked up the letter. “After the events of last night, Julian changed his decision. He signed the order to activate the ‘Severance Protocol’.”

He handed the letter to Mr. Thomas.

My father tremblingly opened it. My handwriting appeared, familiar yet distant.

“Dad, Mom, and Kevin,

If you are reading this letter, it means I am gone. I intended to give everyone a surprise, a life without worry. I worked tirelessly not to prove I was capable, but just to be able to shelter the family when the storm came.

But last night, I realized one thing. My success cannot buy everyone’s respect. And my money cannot heal the coldness in this house.

Dad kicked me out. Mom told me not to make the family suffer anymore. I obey.

I have paid off all debts for Dad – consider it a gift of repayment for giving me life. This house is still yours. But that is all.

I will not come back. Do not look for me. I am going to find a place where I am cherished for who I am, not for what I bring.

Merry Christmas.

Julian.”

Chapter 4: Tears on the Snow

Mr. Thomas slumped into the chair, the letter falling from his hand. The man of steel, proud his whole life, never bowing his head, was now crying like a child.

“What have I done?” He screamed, pounding his chest. “I kicked my son out… I kicked my most filial son out…”

Mrs. Evelyn knelt on the floor, hugging the files, wailing miserably. “Oh Julian! I was wrong! I’m sorry! Come back!”

Kevin stood frozen by the window, looking out at the white snow. He realized his jealousy and arrogance had contributed to pushing his brother away forever.

“Mr. Henderson,” Mr. Thomas looked up, eyes bloodshot. “Where is he? Please, tell me where he is. I want to go find him. I will kneel down and beg for his forgiveness.”

Lawyer Henderson shook his head, closing his briefcase.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Anderson. Mr. Julian flew to Europe last night. And he has cut off all contact. He said: ‘Let them live with their choices’.”

Mr. Henderson walked out the door, leaving behind a broken family in belated regret.

Outside, snow continued to fall. The white flakes covered Julian’s footprints from last night, erasing everything, just as he had erased himself from their lives.

In the magnificent mansion, beside the brilliant Christmas tree and expensive gifts, three people sat there, crying and begging for a forgiveness they knew would never come.

They had a precious gem in their hands, but they threw it into the mud thinking it was a pebble. And when they realized its value, that gem was shining in a place very far away, out of their reach forever.

That was the coldest Christmas Eve in the life of the Anderson family.

THE END