My Brother Got My Fiancée Pregnant, And My Dad Gave Him The Family Business....- Reddit Stories

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
My brother got my fiance pregnant and my dad gave
him the family business in a house, so I decided
to make them both pay for their betrayal. Hello everyone,
before we begin today's video, I need your help. We've
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(00:21):
Your support means everything. Let us keep this channel growing collectively.
Thank you very much. Now let's begin the video. Okay, people,
this is going to be long, but I need to
get this off my chest. The recent events in my
family have been extremely upsetting, but in order to understand why,
you must first understand the context. I am thirty three
years old and I grew up with my younger brother, Alex,

(00:44):
who is thirty years old, in what appeared to be
a normal household from the outside, but gosh, the dynamics
in our house were severely off. See. Alex was a
miraculous baby. Mom had a difficult pregnancy with him, and
he was quite sick for the first couple of years,
in and out of the hospital. Breathing problems, infections, the
entire thing I recall sitting in hospital waiting rooms a lot.

(01:06):
As a child, I understand that having a sick child
is scary, But even when Alex recovered, my parents, particularly
my father, continued to treat him as if he were
made of glass. Meanwhile, I was expected to be the perfect,
responsible elder brother who should know better about everything. Alex
could miss school, he needed to recuperate, Alex failed a class,

(01:26):
He has been through a lot, Alex broke something expensive.
Don't be upset with your brother, what about me? From
the age of seven, I was expected to obtain excellent grades,
never say anything back, work around the house, and overall
act like a small grown up. The double standard was ridiculous.
I recall one incident in high school when I received
detention for being late to class and was grounded for

(01:48):
a week. That same month, Alex was caught skipping school
to hang out with his friends at the mall, and
my parents had just spoken with him about it. When
I was fifteen, I started working with my father in
his electrical business, not because I was particularly interested in
becoming an electrician, but because it was the only way
I could obtain his attention or acceptance. And you know what,
I actually grew better at it, very good. I began

(02:11):
learning everything I could about electrical work, staying late to
watch Dad handle the difficult tasks, reading manuals, and watching
YouTube videos to learn more. Meanwhile, Alex remained well Alex
he was a smart kid when he wanted to be,
but he lacked work ethic. He could enchant everyone with
his sad, little ill kid routine, which he never outgrew.
He attempted college for about two semesters, got out because

(02:34):
it was too stressful, began an online business selling dropship
trash that flopped, and then tried to be a day trader,
losing a lot of his father's money. But nevertheless, I
was still the one receiving lectures about supporting your brother
and putting family first. I won't lie. It made me
feel a strange mix of hatred and responsibility. I liked
my brother because he was my brother, but I couldn't

(02:55):
tolerate being around him the most of the time. We
were complete opposites. I was the serious, hard working person
who valued keeping my word and doing things well. He
was the fun one who never faced repercussions and believed
regulations were for other people. Dad's business was dependable, basic
home electrical work, some small commercial work, nothing special, but
it paid the bills. I saw potential in it. However,

(03:18):
when I wasn't working, I was studying about new technologies,
smart home systems and security installations. Dad was old school,
preferring to do things the way he'd always done them,
but I insisted on modernizing and taking on larger projects.
The strange thing is that even when I brought in
new clients or completed large projects flawlessly, Dad would find
a way to credit Alex. Your brother's charm really helps

(03:40):
with customer relations, he answered. Phones Sometimes Alex has such
good ideas for the business. He suggested we get a website.
In twenty twenty, I moved out as soon as I
could afford it. I moved into my own place, around
twenty minutes from my parents' house, close enough to help
with the business, but far enough away to have some space.
I felt I was doing fairly well. You know, I

(04:01):
had my own place, made decent money, and was learning
new skills. I was even considering getting my master electrician
license and even having my own business someday. Sophie, a
twenty nine year old female, and I met around six
years ago while working on a large rewiring job at
these upscale flats downtown. She was the property manager there.
The first time I saw her, she was arguing with

(04:23):
some HVAC technicians about their substandard work, getting into the
technical specifics of why their installation was not up to code.
I recall thinking, damn, she actually knows her stuff. Most
property managers I'd dealt with wanted things done cheaply and quickly,
but Sophie was different. She had read through all of
the electrical codes and knew exactly what she wanted done.

(04:43):
For the first few weeks on the job, she kept
coming around to inspect our work, not in an irritating way,
but because she truly wanted to know what we were
doing and why. I began taking lunch breaks when I
realized she'd be making her rounds. We'd discussed the project first,
then about other topics. She told me about growing up
with her father, a general constructor, and how she learned
everything about construction by helping him on assignments. I informed

(05:06):
her about my desire to update my father's business and
potentially grow into more commercial work. She was simple to
chat to right I could rave about my family turmoil
and she understood her brother was also the beloved kid,
a hotshot lawyer who could do no wrong. We joked
about forming a support group for responsible siblings. After we
finished the apartment job, I assumed that was it, but

(05:28):
about a week later, she called the office to report
an urgent electrical problem in her own apartment. Dad asked
me to check it out. It turned out there was
nothing wrong. She just wanted to see me again. I
have to say that was a really nice maneuver. We
began dating after that. Sophie was different from the other
girls I dated. She did not play games or expect

(05:49):
me to read her mind. If something bothered her, she
would simply express it. If she was happy, you would know.
She also showed genuine interest in my job. She'd help
me study for my licensere her examinations, and eventually started
assisting with the business side of things. Within a year,
she was effectively running our business, having implemented a new
scheduling system, upgraded our invoicing, and prepared actual contracts in

(06:12):
place of the handwritten quotes we used to use. Dad
was initially unhappy about it. He preferred doing everything on paper,
but he had to acknowledge the firm was functioning more smoothly.
I finally felt like I was creating something real. We
moved in together after two years and started talking about
marriage and even having children. Someday. Sophie would joke about
our future children becoming electricians and carrying on the family

(06:34):
business man. I thought I had everything sorted out. The
weird part is that my family liked her at first.
Mom was continually calling us over for supper, asking Sophie
for assistance with computer issues, or soliciting her advice on
house renovations. Even Dad warmed up to her once he
realized how much she was contributing to the company's growth.
We were gaining larger contracts, doing more commercial work, and

(06:57):
establishing a solid reputation in the area. Sophie got along
well with Alex two. When I became irritated with his
latest unsuccessful attempt, she would defend him, telling me that
I should try to understand his point of view better,
how growing up unwell might have influenced him. Looking back,
I should have recognized that as a red flag, but
you know how it is, when you really trust someone,

(07:17):
you do not want to see the signs. We became
engaged after four years together. Nothing spectacular. I proposed at
home after we finished the massive project we had been
working on together. She'd been helping me plan this large
electrical renovation for a nearby hospital, staying up late with
me to go over blueprints and deal with contractors. It
just felt right, you know, as if we were true

(07:38):
partners in everything. Around a year ago, things began to change.
Alex had spent another chunk of dad's money trying to
launch a cryptocurrency trading business, returned home bankrupt, and Dad
offered him a job in our office. Just the basics,
answering phones, filing papers, and organizing appointments. It should have
been simple enough, but Alex always managed to screw it up.

(08:00):
Sophie began spending more time at my parents place, assisting
mom with wedding preparations and such. She stated it was
easier to focus on company documents there while Alex was
learning the procedures. I was working most days, so it
made sense at the time. Following that everything began to
spiral out of control. I began to notice subtle changes
about eight months before everything blew up. Nothing big at first,

(08:23):
just minor details that didn't line up. Sophie was spending
more time at my parents house helping with business matters.
She explained that she was educating Alex on our new
billing system and assisting mom with wedding plans. Makes sense, right.
I was out on jobs most days, working my tail
off to save money for our future. We planned the
entire wedding and talked about buying a property. I wanted

(08:45):
to do things correctly, But then other things started happening.
Sophie changed her phone's password. She has never actually hidden
her phone before. We knew each other's passwords. It was
no big problem, but she started acting strangely about it.
She explained that her banking app required her to update
security or something whatever. I absolutely trusted her, so I

(09:06):
didn't think much of it. Then Alex began acting differently.
He began wearing cologne at work. Dude used to turn
up half the time in the same clothes as yesterday.
He got all these new clothing and started showing up
to work on time, which was unusual for him. He
was also strangely polite to me, volunteering to stay late
at the office, and expressing a strong desire to study business.

(09:27):
Sophie was talking about him differently, Alex is really getting
good at handling the scheduling, or your brother's actually pretty
smart when he applies himself. She'd get angry whenever I
complained about his messing something up, and even started taking
his side in family disputes. The atmosphere in the office
also become strange. Janet, our receptionist for the past fifteen years,
was like a second mother to us. She began giving

(09:49):
me these looks while Sophie and Alex were working late together,
but whenever I asked what was going on, she would
simply say nothing and change the subject. Once I returned
to the office early from a task because we had
run out of materials, Sophie and Alex were in the
break room giggling over something. There was nothing clearly wrong,
but they both jumped as if they had been caught
doing something. When I stepped in, Sophie mentioned that they

(10:11):
were just going over some invoices. Around seven pm, right
Sophie seemed to talk less about our future. She used
to be quite enthused about wedding planning, looking at houses online,
and discussing what kind of family we'd have. Then she
became quiet about it all. She claimed she was just
anxious about work. The true red flag I missed was
when she stopped visiting job sites to check on projects.

(10:33):
It used to be our thing. She'd bring lunch, we'd
go over plans and solve problems together, but she was
suddenly too busy at work With Alex. We had a
large family meal approximately six months ago. Sophie was acting
funny all night, barely speaking and constantly checking her phone.
Alex kept attempting to make inside jokes with her. Sophie
snorted with laughter when he mentioned that insane person at work,

(10:55):
but when I questioned what was hilarious, they both said
you had to be there after dinner. On the way home,
I finally brought it up, Sophie remained glancing at her phone.
You okay, you seemed off tonight, just tired. Work's been crazy. Yeah,
it seems like you and Alex are getting along better
these days. She tightened up, but tried to keep it casual.

(11:17):
He's not as bad as you always say. He's actually
pretty funny when you get to know him, funny enough
to make you ignore everyone else at dinner. What's that
supposed to mean? Nothing? Just that you've been different lately, distant,
always on your phone. She became defensive quickly. Oh so
I'm not allowed to have my own conversations now everything

(11:38):
has to be about you. That threw me off guard.
Sophie never spoke to me like that before. That's not
what I said. Just feels like something's changed. Maybe you're
just paranoid. I'm tired of you always complaining about Alex.
He's trying his best. I recall getting a horrible feeling
in my stomach, like if something was seriously wrong, but

(11:58):
I couldn't put my finger on it. She had never
defended Alex like that before. Since when are you team Alex?
Since I actually got to know him instead of just
listening to you bashing him all the time, we drove
the rest of the way silently. Man. All the symptoms
were there, the protective attitude, the phone, the inside jokes,
the way she suddenly thought Alex was fantastic. But you

(12:19):
never want to believe someone you absolutely trust could do
that to you, especially not your own brother. I recall
lying there that night, watching her try to sleep, and thinking, Nah,
I'm just being paranoid. The next several months were just
more of the same, Sophie working late, Alex becoming interested
in the business, and me being a complete idiot, working
twelve hour days to save for our future while my

(12:39):
brother was stealing my girl right under my nose. Then
came the day when everything burst. It was Tuesday, I
recalled because I was working on a large commercial project
that involved rewiring a warehouse. Sophie called about two pm,
crying so hard I couldn't hear her. She claimed she
needed to speak with me in person and that it
was urgent. My immediate impression was that something had happen

(13:00):
to her parents. I told my colleagues that I had
a family emergency and drove straight home. I discovered her
sitting in her car in our driveway. She refused to
come inside, instead sitting there gripping the steering wheel as
if it was the only thing holding her together. I
sat in the passenger seat, waiting for her to say anything.
I'm pregnant, she explained. For a few seconds, all I

(13:21):
felt was happiness. We discussed starting a family after the wedding,
and suddenly it was happening. I started talking about how
we'd work things out and how we could move the
wedding up if necessary. She kept crying. There's more she said, choking.
It might not be yours. Everything within me became still.
My brain initially refused to accept it, as if I

(13:42):
needed to repeat it to ensure that I had heard
her correctly. Might not be mine. My voice sounded strange,
as if it weren't even mine. Who else would it be?
I paused it all connected at once, the late nights,
the sudden secrecy with her phone, and the strange discomfort
whenever I mentioned it. No. I gazed at her, waiting
for her to deny it and tell me I was wrong.

(14:04):
She did not. It's not him, she sighed. My hands
tightened into fists. Sophie, My voice was strong and demanding,
tell me it's not Alex. She made a broken sound
in her throat. It wasn't supposed to happen. I gave
a harsh laugh, but there was no comedy in it.
Oh right, you just tripped and fell into my brother's bed.

(14:25):
It wasn't like that, she replied hastily. It was one
time I shut her off. One time my head was pounding.
Tell me the truth, nothing but quiet. How long her
breathing sounded unsteady? Three months, maybe four. I had to
press my hands on my knees to keep myself steady.

(14:45):
Does he know my voice was tight and controlled? She nodded.
I told him yesterday. That's when I realized I had
to tell you too. I stared at her as if
she wanted me to be relieved. She had finally decided
to come honest. I got out of the car because
I needed air. She followed me, attempting to explain how
it wasn't planned, how horrible they both felt, and how

(15:06):
they had ended at weeks before. All I could think
about was them laughing in the break room during those
late night work sessions. Were you ever going to tell
me if you weren't pregnant? She did not respond to that.
It explained all I needed to know. I hopped into
my truck and drove directly to my folk's place. I
found Alex in the office doing nows as usual. When
he saw my face, he knew I knew. Listen, bro,

(15:29):
I can explain. I don't remember what happened next. It's
all a blur, but I recall him on the ground
with blood gushing from his nose. Dad and two of
our employees are pushing me away from him. Alex began
ranting about how I was crazy how Sophie had come
on to him first, and how they were in love.
In love my own brother, the guy who'd seen me
plan my future with this lady, and sat there at

(15:50):
Sunday dinners, knowing exactly what he was doing. Dad got
between us, tried to calm everyone down, and told us
we had to address this like adults. That's when Alex
at least the next bombshell, she's having my baby. You
can't just ignore that. Dad's face turned white. I guess
he wasn't aware of that portion yet. Mom began crying.

(16:11):
Janet grabbed her purse and walked away. I found out
later that she quit that day, saying she couldn't work
for people like them. I glanced at my father and said,
he's your problem. Now I'm done. Dad attempted to stop me, saying, son, wait,
we can figure this out. Family is family. I told
him Alex ceased being my family the moment he touched

(16:32):
my fiance. I walked out and haven't returned since Sophie
was still at our house. When I arrived home, she
was sitting on the couch crying after packing her bags.
I never meant to hurt you, she explained, it just
got complicated. I informed her she had twenty four hours
to grab her belongings and leave. I didn't care where
she went. Block my number, lose my address. What about

(16:55):
the baby? She inquired, better, hope it's Alex's, because if
it's my we're doing a DNA test and going through lawyers.
She tried to speak more, but I walked away. I
drove to my friend Mike's apartment and stayed for a
few days while she moved out. So after everything happened,
I remained at my friend Mike's house for approximately a week.
I turned off my phone. I simply needed to comprehend everything.

(17:19):
Mike is a real one. Didn't try to offer counsel
or anything. Simply let me crash. When I eventually put
my phone back on, I had about fifty missed calls,
the majority of which were from my parents, some from Sophie,
and a couple from Alex. This dude has some nerve,
but I only listened to Mom's messages. She was crying
in the majority of them, pleading with me to come

(17:39):
talk to Dad, who claimed to have a solution. I
should have known Dad's answer would be manipulative nonsense. But
I went anyway, primarily because Mom sounded so distraught. Walking
into that house was strange. I found everyone in the
living room. Mom looked like she hadn't slept for days.
Dad sat in his normal recliner, looking serious as if
he were to give one of his lectures. Alex was

(18:02):
also there, with a lovely bruised nose. I'm not going
to lie that felt amazing to see. Dad cleared his
throat and smacked me with a diamond son. I've been
thinking about how to resolve this situation in a way
that benefits everyone. Since you're clearly not willing to work
things out with Sophie, and given her condition, I think
it makes sense for her and Alex to get married.

(18:22):
I actually laughed. I literally laughed in his face, but
he wasn't finished. Furthermore, since they'll be starting a family,
I think it's appropriate for Alex to take over the business.
With Sophie's experience running the office and Alex learning the trade,
they could Alex learning the trade, I interrupted him. He
can't even wire account's outlet without supervision. Dad had the

(18:44):
same look he typically does when someone disturbs him. Language
and your brother has shown real interest in learning. In fact,
I want you to train him. Guys, I've lost it.
I started laughing again, but it was the kind of
insane chuckle you get when something is so twisted up
that you can't process it. Let me get this straight,
I remarked, you want me to train the brother who

(19:04):
screwed my fiance to take over the business I helped
build while they're married and raising a kid that might
be mine. Are you actually insane? Mom began crying again.
Alex simply sat there, staring at the floor like a coward.
Dad took out his final card. This business is still
in my name. If you won't help your brother, maybe
you should find somewhere else to work. That's when I

(19:26):
realized all those years of hard effort had been for nothing.
All of my hard work, the business I brought in,
and the reputation I earned were insignificant in comparison to
precious Alex's latest blunder. I just got up and headed
to the door. Mom tried to stop me, but I
just said, I'm done. Good luck with your new golden team.
Alex eventually spoke up. Bro wait. I turned around and

(19:49):
simply stated, call me bro again and I'll break more
than your annabrog nose. Dad raged at me about loyalty
and second chances. I did not even look back. The
next day, I began calling all of our big clients,
including those with whom I had personal relationships. I informed
them that I was departing and offered some other reputable
contractors they could work with. Dad called, yelling about how

(20:11):
I was attempting to damage the business. I told him
I was only informing my clients that I would no
longer be handling their jobs. It's not my responsibility if
they don't want to work with his new ideal team.
Alex and Sophie genuinely agreed to the entire thing. They
married at the court House two weeks later, as if
it were a love story rather than a total betrayal.
Dad even backed them up, giving them a down payment

(20:33):
on a house as a reward for what they'd done. Meanwhile,
I was left standing amid the ruins of all I believed.
I knew. There was no apology, no meaningful consequences, only
the expectation that I move on while they played happy family.
So I did. I walked away from it all. I
took a position with one of our old competitors where
my work was respected rather being treated as an afterthought.

(20:55):
Better income, genuine recognition, and best of all, no family drama.
I pushed everything into starting over and developing my own reputation.
I even acquired my Master Electricians license, something Dad always
claimed I wasn't ready for. Turns out, I was more
than prepared. I just had to get out of his
shadow to prove it. I didn't hear much about the
family business for approximately four months. Mom would occasionally text me,

(21:20):
but I requested her not to inform me about Alex
or Sophie. I didn't need the stress in my life.
Then last week I received a call from Mom at
approximately eleven p m. She started crying again, claiming Dad
needed to talk to me right away. I almost hung up,
but she seemed quite disturbed. Please, she asked, I know
you have every right to say no, but we're about

(21:41):
to lose everything. I was truly curious and remained on
the line. Dad came on and his voice was different,
not the typical I know everything tone. He sounded broken.
It turns out that allowing Alex to run the business
was exactly the nightmare I predicted. This genius screwed up
three large commercial jobs so horribly that one customer has
threat and to sue us for code violations. I'm talking

(22:02):
about fundamental things like incorrect gauge wiring, missing ground wires,
and junction boxes put without covers, mistakes that may practically
burn a building down and things get better. Instead of
recruiting qualified electricians, he appointed his drinking buddy from college's
chief electrician. The guy's whole electrical experience involved changing light
bulbs in his flat, no license, no credentials, and probably

(22:25):
couldn't tell the difference between a voltage meter and a screwdriver.
They run a real professional operation there. Then there's the
monetary side. Alex reportedly neglected to pay their liability insurance.
Consider this, you were in the electrical company. They'd lose
everything with one accident or fire. But hey, why spend
money on frivolous things like insurance when you can pocket

(22:46):
the cash instead. Because that's exactly what he was doing,
accepting cash payments from consumers while conveniently failing to record
them in the books. And the financial genius had been
taking out loans against the firm without informing Dad. Multiple loans.
We're talking significant money here, and the best part. Nobody
can figure out where all that money went. Nothing in

(23:07):
his bank account, nothing in his investments. It all vanished
like magic. I'm betting his new automobile and the luxury
clothes he's been wearing could be a hint. It's almost
impressive how thoroughly he ruined everything in just a few months.
Dad spent thirty years building this firm, and Alex virtually
destroyed it in less than half a year. That's what
happens when you give over a profitable business to someone

(23:28):
whose greatest accomplishment was becoming the beer pong team captain
in college. Dad finally found out when their insurance was
canceled and he began looking into the books. Alex had
been concealing all of the difficulties by tampering with the papers,
as Sophie had taught him. During all of those late
hours at work, most of their seasoned members quit. I
can't blame them. Alex treated them poorly, and checks began

(23:49):
to bounce. Janet, our previous receptionist, evidently tried to notify
Dad about strange activity in the accounts months ago, but
he refused to listen. Dad's voice was shaking as he
told me all of this, and then he slapped me
with son, I need you to come back, help me
fix this. We can make you majority owner, give you
full control. I told him that I needed to think

(24:10):
about it. He started to become desperate. Please, we're going
to lose everything, the business, the house, everything I built.
Your mother, she's not handling this well. Then he played
his last card. Alex and Sophie split up. She left
last week, just disappeared, left a note saying not to
contact her. The baby. We don't even know where she is.

(24:32):
Alex wasn't daddy material after all. My response was not
my circus, not my monkeys anymore. Dad began with his
typical guilt trip about family and devotion. I cut him off.
Remember when I begged you not to give the business
to Alex, when I told you he'd run it into
the ground. What was it you said? Oh? Yeah, family

(24:52):
is family. Well this is your family's mess. Now. Mom
called back, weeping about how they might be homeless. Soon
hit hard. Mom did not deserve any of this. She's
the only one who's ever attempted to keep the family together,
the only one who hasn't taken sides, even when she
probably should have. I told her she may come and
stay with me at any moment. It's just her, not Dad,

(25:15):
not Alex. I can't leave your father, she explained. I exhaled.
Then that's your choice, Mom, but my door is only
open for you. It sucked knowing she would never go
through it. A few days later, Sophie texted me, I
know I'm the last person you want to hear from,
but I need help. The baby's yours. I got the
test results. Alex took all my money and disappeared. Please,

(25:39):
I don't have anywhere else to go. I read it,
stared at it, and set my phone down. Did not respond,
not going to But damn if it didn't sit there
like a stone in my gut, like a punch I
knew was coming but couldn't handle. It should have meant something.
It should have been life changing, But all I felt
was tiredness, like if I had finally climbed out of
this mess, just to have it reached back and try

(26:00):
to drag me under again. And for the first time,
I didn't know what to do. Dad showed up at
my place last night while I was still trying to
figure out what was going on. There was no notice
simply standing there when I arrived home from work, looking grungy,
wearing an old jacket I recall from my childhood, hadn't
shaven in what seemed like weeks. First thing I noticed
was that he was driving Mom's old Civic rather than

(26:22):
his truck. Later, they discovered that they needed to sell
his truck to pay off some of the business's debts.
Can we talk, he requested, not demanding as usual, he
truly sounded exhausted. I invited him in because I really
wanted him to see how I was doing without his assistance.
My new house is quite nice. I received it following
my last promotion. Nothing spectacular, but it's mine. I earned

(26:44):
it myself. He stood in my living room, looking bewildered,
as if he didn't know how to communicate with me
other than by delivering commands. Finally, he sat down and
began pouring everything. The business is essentially dead, there, being
sued by two business clients over Alex's rubbish work. After that,
the majority of their home customers abandoned them, complaining about

(27:05):
jobs that were left unfinished. The bank is coming for
the house next month. I should have listened to you,
he explained. This is the first time I've ever heard
him confess to being incorrect about anything. I told him
that was good to hear, but it was late. Then
he took out this folder. Inside there was papers to
transfer one hundred percent ownership of the company to me,
with no strings attached. You can save it, he replied.

(27:29):
You always knew what you were doing. I was just
too proud to see it. Do you know what is crazy?
Six months ago this would have been everything I wanted,
all that validation, finally having power and Dad admitting I
was correct. But while glancing at those papers, I wondered
what happened to Alex. Dad's face simply crumpled. Alex cleared

(27:49):
out their savings account last week and disappeared. Left this
note about needing to find himself or some bs. Classic
Alex causes a mess and then flees from the consequences.
He still your brother, Dad explained calmly. Number you replied,
he stopped being my brother the day he decided family
loyalty meant nothing to him. Sound familiar. That struck him

(28:10):
hard good. He began telling me how he could help
me restore the firm, how we could collaborate and be
a genuine family again. I had to laugh, Dad, you're
not hearing me. I don't want the business, I don't
want your help. I'm done. But this is your legacy too.
Everything we built, everything I built, you gave to Alex. Remember,

(28:32):
you chose him, even after he slept with my fiance.
Now you get to live with that choice. He tried,
guilt tripping me again about mom's anguish over the family
falling apart. I told him the same thing as before.
She's welcome here any time, just her. She won't leave me,
he said, Then that's her choice, and living with the
consequences of your actions, that's yours. He sat for a

(28:54):
long time before asking quietly, where did I go wrong?
I wanted to lay it all out, all the years
of favoritism, the continual justifications for Alex, how he discarded
someone who genuinely cared about the business for someone who
regarded it as a piggybank to rob. So what's the point.
You didn't go wrong, Dad, You got exactly what you
always wanted, Alex being in charge. How's that working out?

(29:17):
He left shortly thereafter. He looked around twenty years older
walking out than when he walked in. I received a
text from Mom this morning. They'll be moving in with
her sister in Ohio next month. Dad is going to
try to find job there. She asked me once more
if I would contemplate assisting them in their stay here.
I informed her that my offer stood. She is welcome
to stay with me at any moment, but I am

(29:39):
tired of burning myself on fire to keep others warm.
Sophie still sends texts concerning the baby. I advised her
to call my lawyer. I haven't heard from Alex. Do
not expect to. You know what's weird. I imagine that
witnessing them lose everything would be satisfying, as if Karma
was punishing them for what they had done to me.
But honestly, I don't feel anything, nor pleased nor sad.

(30:02):
Just finished. I began dating some one new last month,
taking it slowly. She asked about my family, and I
simply stated that we are not close. Maybe some day
I'll tell her the whole tale, but for now, I'm
focused on creating my own life. There is no drama,
no poisonous familial bs, and no attempting to gain favor
that never comes. I inform Sophie that everything would now

(30:23):
be handled by lawyers. Will I be present from my child? Yeah?
I am not my brother. I do not abandon my responsibilities.
But Sophie destroyed that bridge. Will work out custody and
support through the courts. She made her choices, and now
she must live with the consequences, just like everyone else
in this mess. For the time being, I'm simply trying

(30:44):
to keep my head straight, focusing on work, my new relationship,
and creating something unique to me. Some nights I lie
awake thinking about how messed up it is that my
children will be born into all of this drama. But
you can't undo other people's mistakes. You can only strive
to follow your conscience. Sometimes the best vengeance is simply
living well. This is the last section. Guys. Thank you

(31:05):
for following along. Writing it all out truly helped me
sort through some of my thoughts at it too. Since
people keep asking, yes, if Sophie can show the baby
exists in his mind, I will step forward, but only
through legal means, no direct interaction. Thank you for watching.
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(31:26):
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