At thanksgiving, my dad announced: “we’re selling the family business. you’re getting nothing.” my siblings cheered. i smiled: “dad, who’s the buyer?” he proudly said: “everest holdings – they’re paying $50 million.” i laughed: “dad, i am everest holdings.” the room went silent…
Chapter 1: The Feast of Wolves
Greenwich in late November was always shrouded in the biting cold of New England. The old pine trees, covered in frost, stood silently like sentinels guarding the Vance mansion. Inside, the aroma of roasted turkey mingled with the scent of oak from the fireplace, creating a false sense of warmth for a family rotting from within.
I, Ethan Vance, sat at the corner of the long mahogany dining table. I silently cut a piece of turkey, listening to the clinking of my knife and fork against the exquisite bone china plate – the only sound breaking the tense silence.
Opposite me sat Julian and Clara – my brother and sister. They wore the most expensive designer clothes, Rolex watches, and diamond necklaces, but their faces betrayed a profound weariness. For the past ten years, they had considered working at Vance Manufacturing – the aerospace manufacturing empire my father, Arthur Vance, had built – a torment. They only cared about Hamptons parties and lavish trust fund trips.
Arthur Vance sat at the head of the table, majestic as an emperor preparing to issue his final decree. He sipped a $2,000 glass of red wine, his cold, ash-gray eyes sweeping over his three children.
“I have made a decision,” Arthur said, his voice sharp as metal striking stone. “Vance Manufacturing will be sold tomorrow morning. The process is 99% complete.”
The room fell silent. I put down my fork and stared at my father.
“And here’s the most important part,” he continued, a faint, sarcastic smile playing on his lips. “Since you two have proven you have no ability or passion for this legacy, I have changed the will. All proceeds from the sale of the company will go to an anonymous charity. You will receive nothing. Not a penny.”
Chapter 2: The Cheers of the Defeated
I had braced myself for a storm, a furious outburst of demands for my rights from Julian and Clara. But what happened next stunned even Arthur.
“Finally it’s done!” Julian slammed his hand on the table, bursting into a fit of hearty laughter. “You know what, Dad? I’ve been waiting for this day for so long. Sell it! I’m fed up with going to that greasy factory pretending to work just to get a few pennies from you.”
Clara also cheered, raising her champagne glass as if she’d won the lottery. “Great! No more boring board meetings, no more listening to Dad’s lectures about ‘inheritance.’ We can live our lives freely. Dad, you keep your money; we’ll live off our remaining personal shares and our freedom!”
They laughed and danced at the Thanksgiving dinner table, completely unconcerned about being removed from the will. Their hatred for the family business was so intense that they were willing to lose everything to be free from Arthur’s control.
Arthur looked at his two favorite children with utter disgust. He turned to me—the always-silent son, the one considered a “coward” for working hard in the research lab instead of showing off in the CEO’s office.
“Ethan, and you?” Arthur asked, his voice challenging. “Are you happy to be ‘free’ too?”
Chapter 3: The Climax – Who is Everest Holdings?
I smiled. A gentle, calm smile, the kind that had helped me survive ten years of being ignored by my family.
“I’m not happy, Dad,” I said softly. “I just feel sorry for an empire. But I’m a little curious… you said the paperwork is complete. So who’s the buyer?”
Arthur puffed out his chest proudly. He pulled out a draft contract from the file beside him. “A powerful, up-and-coming investment group from Manhattan. They’ve acquired a number of tech companies in the last two years. Everest Holdings. They paid $50 million in cash – a price no one in New England could afford.”
The name “Everest Holdings” echoed, causing Julian and Clara to stop laughing for a moment.
“50 million dollars?” Julian clicked his tongue. “You’re a real old fox, Dad. But anyway, that money isn’t ours, so I don’t care.”
I took a sip of water, looking into my father’s eyes. “Everest Holdings… That name sounds magnificent, doesn’t it, Dad? It evokes a peak that no one can reach without perseverance.”
Arthur frowned. “What kind of philosophy are you spouting right now, Ethan?”
“Dad,” I pushed my chair back, standing up with a completely different demeanor – the demeanor of someone holding the chessboard. “I am Everest Holdings.”
Chapter 4: The Twist – When the Pawn Becomes the Player
The entire dining room fell into a deathly silence. Forever.
Julian choked on his wine, coughing violently. Clara dropped her crystal glass to the floor, champagne splashing onto her Dior dress. Arthur Vance froze, his hand gripping the contract trembling.
“You… what did you say?” Arthur stammered. “Everest Holdings is a multinational corporation headquartered in Delaware. Their chairman is an anonymous financial genius…”
“I founded Everest five years ago,…
“With the royalties from three engine component patents that I secretly registered under an anonymous name, instead of giving them to Vance Manufacturing’s R&D department,” I said, walking slowly toward my father.
“You always said I was incompetent. You always said I was the most useless son because I didn’t know how to yell at workers or drink with business partners. But while Julian and Clara were squandering money on parties, I used the profits from Everest to quietly buy back Vance Manufacturing’s debts from local banks.”
I took a phone from my pocket, opened the asset management app, and placed it on the table. On the screen was the Everest Holdings logo and an available balance that left the whole family breathless.
“The truth is, Dad,” I said, my voice as cold as the snow outside the window. “You’re not selling the company to some Manhattan conglomerate. You’re selling it to the son you kicked out. And that $50 million price tag?” “That’s the money I took from Everest’s profits to buy back my freedom and to ensure that this ‘legacy’ wouldn’t be destroyed by you and those two.”
Chapter 5: The Extreme Climax – The Collapse of a Virtual Empire
Arthur Vance slumped into his chair. His face turned from crimson to pale. He realized that the son he most wanted to punish was the very one who had saved his empire, and also the one who had just taken it from him.
“So… Everest’s money… is also your money?” Julian stammered, his eyes filled with greed and fear. “So if I sell it to you, that money will go to charity… meaning you just lost $50 million just to buy this rotten company?”
“No, Julian,” I sneered. “I lost nothing.” As the largest creditor of Vance Manufacturing, under bankruptcy and restructuring laws, that $50 million will be prioritized for repayment to bondholders before going to charity. And guess who the sole bondholder is? Everest Holdings.
In other words, I’m just transferring money from one pocket to another. I got the company, got the money back, and left the Vance family empty-handed.
Clara lunged forward, trying to grab my hand. “Ethan, my dear little brother… I knew you were always the smartest. We’re family, right? I’ll help you manage the company…”
I took a step back, my eyes filled with contempt. “You were just cheering for your freedom, Clara? Enjoy that freedom. But from tomorrow morning, this mansion, the cars you’re driving, and even the supplemental credit cards Dad gave you… all belong to Everest Holdings.” “And I have no need to hire useless employees.”
Chapter 6: The Last Thanksgiving
I picked up the contract from the table, took out Everest’s anonymous signature pen, and signed it decisively in front of my father.
“You taught me a lesson tonight, Father,” I looked at Arthur—a man who now looked older and more pathetic than ever. “You taught me that money and fame can blind people. You want to remove my name from your will? That’s fine. Because from this moment on, you have no will left.” “Father is living in your house, drinking your wine, and breathing the air you’re paying for.”
Arthur looked at me, his lips trembling, unable to speak. The pride of a “king” had been crushed by the very son he despised most.
I turned and walked out of the dining room. The aroma of turkey still filled the air, the fireplace still burned, but the Vance family had officially become a ghost of the past.
Outside, snow still fell heavily on Greenwich Street. I got into the waiting black car.
“Let’s go,” I said to the driver.
“Where are we going, Chairman?”
“To the factory,” I looked out the window, my gaze resolute. “It’s time to clean up the mess they hate and build a real Mount Everest.”
Author’s concluding remarks: The story concludes with Ethan’s brutal plot twist. The climax lies in the quiet preparation and superior intellect of the outcast. A practical lesson for those… Those who use power and money to value family ties: Never underestimate the silent, because when they speak, your whole world will crumble.
