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I looked down at him dismissively. He unwillingly lowered his head, squeezing out a few tears, practically burying himself in Sophia's arms.
"Ethan's right. I don't deserve to be compared to him."
Sophia was happy to be his puppet, eager to start another round with me, but Chloe held her back.
"Let it go, Sophia. Let's just go."
Lucas looked disappointed but had to pretend to be understanding.
"Yeah, Sophia, forget it. Don't fight with Ethan because of me. It's not worth it."
The three of them got into the Maybach. I timed it perfectly and drove my car straight into theirs.
Will, who had been confused about why I wouldn't let him drive, gasped from a short distance away.
The massive jolt of impact released some of the pent-up fury inside me.
Lucas scrambled out of the car, looking heartbroken as he touched the damaged front end.
Chloe and Sophia were also shaken, their legs weak.
"Ethan Foster, are you insane? Are you trying to kill us?"
I blinked innocently. "How could that be? My foot slipped."
Lucas turned and yelled at me, "Do you have any idea how expensive this car is?!"
Now I wanted to throw his own words back at him. How could someone live a life of luxury for four years and still not shed that cheap, petty attitude?
"I bought it with my money. Of course I know. But since it's mine, I'd rather destroy it than let you have it."
The three of them, looking disheveled and defeated, went to hail a cab. I laughed heartily, feeling immensely satisfied.
Two weeks later, I reclaimed the Foster manor. The villa Lucas was living in was also sold off by me.
But Chloe and Sophia could still get by. After all, they had hoarded plenty of luxury goods. Selling them off gave them enough to support Lucas for a while.
The problem was, Lucas hadn't learned anything good these past few years, only the bad. Any money he got his hands on went straight to the gambling tables.
Before, when he was spending my money, he felt flush and spent without a care. Now, spending Chloe and Sophia's money, things were getting tight.
With a little nudge, Lucas soon racked up significant gambling debts.
The Lawson sisters, for their "wonderful, kind" Lucas, had no choice but to sell off their remaining luxury items to pay his debts.
Then they turned around and realized they had no money left for rent. They had to move out of their upscale apartment and into a cheaper, cramped tenement building.
I wasn't surprised when Chloe came to me to borrow money.
It was obvious her standard of living had plummeted. Her clothes were plain, her face lacked its usual spirit.
Chloe was awkward. "Ethan, I…"
I held up a hand, cutting her off.
"Want a loan? Sure. You, Sophia, and Lucas can beg me. Who wants to go first?"
Chloe felt insulted, standing up furiously.
"Ethan! If you don't want to lend the money, just say so! Do you have to be so humiliating?"
I slammed my water glass down hard. "What? Giving you a taste of your own medicine is called humiliation now?"
Chloe was speechless. I still had a soft spot for fools, so I pointed her in a direction.
"Maybe you should just go find jobs. Heck, work in a factory. At least you wouldn't have to worry about a place to live then."
She didn't want to hear it, grabbing her bag and leaving. Oh, and by the way, her bag was a fake now.
She and Sophia did eventually go look for work. Their past resumes were impressive, gilt-edged. But with my influence, they hit wall after wall.
Living like this, friction was inevitable. Their tenderness towards Lucas faded. As for Lucas, needless to say, he was a gold-digger at heart. Chloe and Sophia must have been blind back then to think he was some pure, innocent soul.
After daily arguments, the result was Lucas absconding with whatever money the Lawson sisters had left.
Unfortunately for him, he got into a car accident while running away, broke both his legs, and had no one to care for him.
The money he stole didn't last long. Chloe and Sophia eventually found him through the police.
I never tired of watching their dog-eat-dog drama. Will asked me why I didn't just finish them off for good.
I was puzzled. "Don't you think prolonged suffering is worse than a moment of pain?"
It was Lucas's turn now. Slowly but surely, it would be Chloe and Sophia's turn too. They would taste more bitter fruit.
Will thought of the former family head in the psychiatric facility, driven insane, and all the other Foster relatives living in daily terror, waiting for my reckoning. He chose to keep quiet.
This year's first snow began to fall. I whistled a tune, feeling pleased.
Sure enough, I had settled everything before the year's end.
