I Arrived at the Family Party I Had Paid for and Found My Children Serving Tables in Aprons—When I Demanded an Explanation, My Parents Smiled and Said, "That's How They Learn Their Place."

The television screen displayed live helicopter footage of his flagship diner engulfed in massive flames. The news anchor reported that a gas leak had caused the catastrophic explosion early in the morning. The breaking news ticker at the bottom of the screen revealed that police had found a suspect. The authorities claimed they had uncovered security footage of Thomas purchasing gasoline near the scene. He realized Robert had orchestrated the fire to completely destroy his remaining business assets and frame him. His parents were systematically erasing his entire existence to ensure he could never fight them in court. The distorted voice on the phone laughed cruelly and hung up, leaving a dead dial tone. Thomas knew he could not run from the police forever, especially with his children trapped by those monsters. He decided to stop playing defensively and take the fight directly to the source of the corruption. He borrowed a pen and paper from a sympathetic waitress and wrote down a list of names. He mapped out every person his parents interacted with, from their corrupt lawyer to their offshore banker. He remembered a conversation he overheard years ago between his father and a shady local politician. Robert had been funneling illegal campaign contributions through a fake charity set up in Helen's name. Thomas realized this was the leverage he needed to break the police protection surrounding his parents. He used the last bit of battery on the burner phone to call the state anti-corruption bureau. He demanded to speak directly with Agent Harris, a man who had been investigating the local mayor for years. He promised Harris concrete evidence of the money laundering ring in exchange for immediate federal protection. Harris agreed to meet him at an abandoned subway station in one hour to discuss the terms. Thomas navigated the underground tunnels carefully, watching for any sign of Robert's hired thugs. He spotted Agent Harris standing near the edge of the dark platform, holding a briefcase. Thomas stepped out of the shadows and began to explain the charity fraud scheme his parents operated. Harris listened intently and nodded, slowly reaching inside his suit jacket for a notebook. Instead of a notebook, Harris pulled out a heavy black pistol and pointed it directly at Thomas's chest. Harris smirked and said Robert sent his regards before clicking the safety off the weapon.