Chapter 3 - The Anatomy of a Parasite
The silence in the kitchen became so heavy it felt tangible. Teresa looked from her speechless son down to the glowing screen of Elena’s phone, which still rested innocently in her hand. The illusion of wealth, dominance, and endless corporate backing was beginning to crack, revealing the rot underneath.
"What does that mean, Marcus?" Teresa demanded, her voice dropping an octave, losing its screeching edge and turning into something far more dangerous. "What did she mean by 'account balance'?"
Marcus took a step back, hitting the edge of the quartz countertop. "Mom, it’s nothing. Elena is just... she’s exaggerating. It’s a temporary cash flow glitch with the merger—"
"The merger was completed eight months ago, Marcus," Elena said softly, stepping closer to her husband. "And you weren't merging anything. You were transferring liquid capital out of my venture capital firm into a private holding account registered under your sister Chloe’s name. A holding account that I happened to audit yesterday afternoon."
Teresa’s eyes widened. "Chloe? You gave our family money to Chloe’s failing shop?"
"I gave my money, Teresa," Elena corrected, her gaze never leaving Marcus's terrified face. "Marcus hasn't earned a real commission in three years. He’s been living off my salary, using my corporate credit cards to fund his family's extravagant lifestyle, while simultaneously convincing you both that he was the sole provider of this household."
Marcus squeezed his eyes shut, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. "You weren't supposed to look at the ledger. I password-protected the secondary server."
"Did you really think a mid-level project manager could outsmart the founder of a cybersecurity firm?" Elena laughed, a short, humorless sound. "Marcus, I literally built the encryption protocols your company uses. Hacking into your personal slush fund took me less than three minutes while you were in the shower."
Teresa spun toward her son, her hand raised in a swift arc before Marcus could duck. A sharp, cracking sound echoed through the kitchen as Teresa’s palm connected squarely with Marcus’s cheek, leaving a bright red imprint on his skin.
"You fool!" Teresa screamed, her voice cracking with betrayal. "You let her find out? You let this girl take total control while you played the big provider?"
Marcus stumbled, clutching his stinging cheek, staring at his mother in utter disbelief. "Mom! Stop it! You don't understand how much debt we're in!"
"We?" Elena cut in, tapping the screen of her phone. She swiped twice, dismissing the alert. "No, Marcus. You are in debt. The legal notice for the foreclosure on your mother’s suburban home was sent to my office email this morning. Guess who was supposed to pay off her mortgage using my investment dividends?"
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Teresa froze, her hand still raised in the air, slowly dropping to her side as the color drained completely from her face.
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