Tycoon's Kids Learn Dad Left His Entire Inheritance to 5-Year-Old Boy from Slums – Story of the Day

Brothers Rick and James are shaken when they learn their rich Dad has passed on his entire legacy to a little slum boy named Brady. Rick, who is indebted to a dangerous gang, is dead set on reclaiming the money. He goes to extreme lengths and devises a cunning plan to lure Brady's disabled mother.

"Brady? Who the hell's Brady??" 27-year-old Rick was as furious as a raging storm as he clenched his fist, staring daggers at his family lawyer Mr. Fox.

"Rick, calm down...we have to listen to him fully," Rick's brother James forced Rick to sit down. They were at the lawyer's office regarding the will of their late father, who had died two weeks ago from cardiac arrest.

Calm and composed, Mr. Fox delivered the news again. "It's true. Your father's will states that the entire inheritance, every dime of it, goes to a 5-year-old boy named Brady...who lives in a slum downtown with his mother, Megan."

The brothers exchanged a curious and skeptical glance. They could not quite pinpoint who this boy Brady was and why their wealthy father would cut them off his will and leave his entire fortune to a random kid from the slums...

"Mr. Fox...no, this can't be true," Rick argued. "We had no idea about this. How can Dad just cut us off his will? This Brady or whatever...we've never heard of him before."

Mr. Fox cleared his throat as he showed Rick and James a copy of the will for reference. "Brady is the son of the woman you had hit with your car during a drunk and drive accident three years ago, Rick," Mr. Fox explained.

"Your father made arrangements to support them financially after the lady lost her ability to walk. He paid her money to silence her and not get you arrested. And he wanted this to be under wraps."

Rick and James were dumbfounded. "But I thought everything was settled...Dad never told me anything about this. God…Is there something we could do to get the money?"

"I'm afraid no!" Mr. Fox replied, closing the file.

Rick was so frustrated that he could not muster the patience to stand in the lawyer's office even for a minute. He angrily stormed out, swearing under his breath.

"Rick, hey, wait up...come back," James ran after his brother.

But Rick had already made up his mind that there was no point in talking to the lawyer. He disappeared down the elevator, and just as he stepped out of the building, his phone rang.

"Why is this happening now?? What am I gonna tell them?" Rick stood stranded on the sidewalk. Mustering his courage, he pulled out his phone to deliver the bad news to the thugs to whom he owed money.

"What took you so long to call us?" a gangster's menacing voice on the phone sent shivers down Rick's spine. "Got the money from your Dad?"

A cold sweat broke on Rick's forehead. He had borrowed money from the gangsters with whom he was involved in illegal activities.

Rick had heavily relied on his Dad's estate and thought he would pay the debt off once he got his hands on the money. But now, without the inheritance, Rick knew he was in deep trouble.

"The plan didn't work out, pal," Rick frustratingly said. "....my Dad betrayed me. He left me with nothing. And has passed on his entire estate to some stupid kid living in the slums."

The thugs were not in the mood to buy Rick's excuses. "One month is all you've got to repay the money. ALL of it. Got it?" the gangster said.

"You take a day more, and we anonymously turn you in along with evidence of the illegal activities you've been involved in. And if you think of outsmarting us, you're finished! Did you hear me loud and clear, Rick??"

Rick's heart shuddered. He had seen the dark side of the gangsters himself. They were menacing smugglers, drug dealers, and organized criminals donning the town's underworld. And he knew there was no escape and had to come up with something quickly.

"I...I have a plan, Ricardo," Rick stuttered, plucking up the courage.

"What are you talking about?" the gangster replied.

"I will lure the mother of the kid who received my Dad's inheritance. I'll then find a way to extract money from her," Rick added, his eyes glinting with desperation for the plan to work.

"I don't care what you do...and how you do it. One month. August 28 is the deadline..." the thug threatened and hung up, leaving Rick trapped in a dead end.

"Rick...man, get back to the lawyer's office," James shouted from the doorway, jolting Rick to his senses.

Rick stormed back to the attorney's office and slammed $500 on the table.

"I'll give you another $500 if you want," he snapped at the lawyer. "Just do this much: for now, don't say a word about the inheritance to that woman, Brady's mother. Notify Brady's mother about it in a few weeks. Not now. Maybe in three or four weeks…and give me her address..."

"Rick, hold on," James rushed after his brother. "Where are you going?"

But Rick had no patience or time to explain. He hopped into his car and drove to the slum where Brady lived with his mother.

Half an hour later, Rick arrived outside the little boy's dilapidated house, nestled within the grim confines of a poverty-stricken slum.

The pungent stench of rotting garbage lay scattered on the alley, disgusting Rick. Swatting mosquitoes and cursing his dead father for dragging him down to the dirt, Rick headed to Brady's house and knocked.

The door creaked open moments later, and a little boy shouted for his mother. "Mama...there's somebody at the door."

"Who is it?" Rick heard a woman's faint voice emanating from the dingy depths of the shabby little house. And then he saw Megan, the woman he had knocked down with his car three years ago, approaching in a wheelchair.

"Yes?" she looked up at Rick.

"Good afternoon, Ma'am. My name is Rick...and I've been contracted by the county health department to inspect the plumbing in this area. Is it alright if I come in?"

Rick sighed, hoping Megan hadn't recognized him.

"Oh, thanks for coming. This way, please..." Megan wheeled into the room.

Rick sighed deeply and followed her inside. Paint peeling off the walls adorned with cracks and stains, coupled with the stench of clogged drains, made Rick sick to the stomach. This was not the kind of house he would ever visit.

As Rick scanned the house, a heavily drunk man entered, downing a bottle of whiskey.

"Jesus...not again," Megan stormed toward the drunkard as Rick watched in disbelief. "Dwayne, how many times do I have to tell you not to come home drunk? We have a kid in this house."

But Dwayne expressed no remorse as he gulped the liquor and stared at Megan with bloodshot eyes. "He's your kid...why should I care?" he sneered, his breath sour and stinky.

"I work hard in the warehouse to feed you and that kid of yours. It's my money. I'll drink. I'll spend it the way I want. Quit questioning me like you're my wife. You're NOT!"

Things were starting to get clearer to Rick. Dwayne was not Brady's biological father or Megan's husband. His immediate thought almost made him smile: He could now easily set the trap for Megan and make her fall for him.

"You come home drunk again, and I'll kick you out of my house. Do you hear me?" Megan yelled at Dwayne before turning to Rick.

"I...I'm so sorry. He's just..." Megan said, unable to find the right words.

"It's okay, Ma'am. I understand!" Rick said as he watched Megan taking Dwayne's wallet from his pocket so he wouldn't spend everything on alcohol.

"Aren't you checking the pipes?" Megan looked up at Rick, who had no idea about plumbing at all.

"Oh, yeah...yeah, I am..." Rick pretended to inspect the pipes in the kitchen that were in awful condition.

"I can't do it on my own...need a hand," Rick said as he gave up, realizing this was not his trade. He took out his phone and called a plumber he knew, promising the guy a good wage for fixing the pipe without a word.

A couple of hours later, the piping was fixed, and Megan was so thankful to Rick for helping with the repairs.

"Thank you so much!" she followed Rick to the doorway to send him off.

While Dwayne was heavily drunk and asleep in his room, Rick knew this was his chance to start flirting with Megan. "Hey. I just wanted to say...I've never met someone as beautiful as you!" Rick told her.

"Excuse me?" Megan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I'm sorry. I know this might sound weird coming from some guy you just met, but it doesn't look like there's anyone here to remind you how amazing you are as a person. I don't know your life, but...some men like Dwayne just don't know how to appreciate women like you. I mean, I barely saw the guy and he makes my blood boil. That jerk doesn't deserve you," Rick pretended to be annoyed as he bumped his fists. "He seems to take you for granted. You deserve better...someone who really cares about you."

Megan was frustrated, and she was clearly not the one to entertain Rick's flirty talk.

"Sir, thank you for fixing the pipes," she fumed. "I've known Dwayne for a year now, and I will not listen to a stranger talk trash about my fiancé, alright? You're right. You don't know my life. The conversation ends here. Please leave."

"See you!" he said as Megan slammed the door shut in his face.

Rick paid the plumber and drove down the street in his car. But he could not drive any further. Megan's rejection was too frustrating to let him focus.

The disgust and anger on her face kept replaying before his eyes. Rick, the rich young guy who women swooned over, wasn't used to this ugly feeling of being rejected. But Megan was different. She didn't care for his charm. She wasn't going to swoon over him.

"Not yet, at least!" Rick said to himself. At that moment, all he could think of was how to win Megan's stubborn heart and make her fall for him. It was almost devilishly exciting. Everything else in the world could wait.

Suddenly, an idea struck Rick, and he knew just what to do to drive Dwayne out of Megan's life forever.

Two days later, he discreetly followed Dwayne to the warehouse where he worked. When nobody watched, Rick crept into the workers' locker room and quietly observed Dwayne stashing his belongings in the locker before slipping into his workwear and leaving.

When the coast was clear, Rick approached Dwayne's locker and opened it. A wicked grin beamed on his face as he stashed a crumpled $100 bill in Dwayne's jacket and fled the spot.

Rick dressed to the nines the following evening and arrived outside Megan's house. Clutching a bouquet of red roses, he knocked on her door. The door swung open, and Megan was shocked to see Rick on her doorstep again.

"You again?" she looked up at him.

"Hey! Got this for you!" Rick smiled as he extended the flowers. "Wanted to just check if everything is okay with the pipes…and…I wanted to apologize for being a jerk the other day. I'm sure your fiancé is a nice guy, and I wanted to apologize to him, too..."

"He's no longer my fiancé!" Megan stopped Rick's rant and frowned.

A strange joy sparked in Rick's eyes. His plan had worked!

"Well...I'm sorry to hear that!" Rick said, his eyes searching for something to help strike up a conversation.

"Uh, is that a novel you're reading?" he asked, pointing to a book she held.

"Kipling," Megan said dryly.

"Oh, great! I'm not a die-hard Kipling fan. But I've read some books. And they're great!" Rick said, sounding very uncertain because he was not really fond of reading or books.

"What's your favorite work of Kipling then?" Megan asked as Rick struggled for a reply.

"I...er...Mowgli!" he said.

"What?!"

"Yeah...the kid in the woods. With a bear. And a tiger. Shere Khan...?" Rick stammered.

"You mean The Jungle Book?" Megan burst into laughter.

"Yeah...I'm not that into books. But I can talk about basketball all day if you want!" he laughed.

"My son's gonna be home from school soon. I need to get dinner ready," she said, staring Rick in the eye.

"Does that mean...uh...you want me to leave?" Rick asked sheepishly. "I thought I'd check the pipes in your bathroom if you don't mind?"

Megan thought for a while and led him to the bathroom. Rick was overly embarrassed about what he was doing. But he did not wish to let the chance of getting closer to Megan slip.

"The flush gets clogged sometimes," Megan said.

"Where's the pipe? Let me check," Rick grabbed his toolbox.

With zero knowledge about plumbing, Rick unscrewed a nut on the pipe, causing it to break down completely. Chaos erupted in the toilet when the broken pipe sprinkled 'dirty water' across the floor and on Rick, who had no idea how to fix it.

He removed his T-shirt and clogged the pipe, temporarily stopping the leakage.

"I'm so sorry," Megan was embarrassed for Rick while suppressing her laughter looking at him drenched in stains. And he smelled horrible!

"It's okay. Part of my job!" Rick replied, although deep down, he wanted to throw up. "The whole place has started to stink. I'm worried about your son now. Do you have another place to stay until we sort this out?"

"No!" Megan disappointedly nodded.

After steeling himself for a second and taking a deep breath, Rick turned to Megan and offered them to live in his house.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Megan declined the offer. "My son and I can stay with a neighbor. Besides, I don't want to bother you…"

"Rubbish, you won't be bothering me!" Rick insisted. "I caused this problem, and I'll fix it soon. Until then, you and your son can stay at my house. I'm a short drive away, I've got a decent bedroom, and I call dibs on the couch."

After a long awkward conversation with even longer awkward pauses in between, Megan finally acknowledged that taking this man up on his offer was her best bet. He was clearly falling for her, and though he was still a stranger, his presence was not as creepy or scary as some of her neighbors.

"Alright," she mumbled just loud enough for Rick to hear and his heart to leap out of his chest.

She packed her things, and an hour later, Rick drove Brady and Megan to his house.

"Are you kidding me? This is your house? Are you sure you're a plumber?" Megan looked at Rick with growing suspicion.

"Uh...well," he stuttered. "It belonged to my late Grandpa!"

Having convinced Megan and Brady to crash in his house for a few days, Rick showed them the guest room and helped with their luggage.

"Does Brady like pizza?" he asked Megan.

"He loves it...yeah!" Megan smiled.

Later that night, they had a hearty meal and spent a long time chatting in front of the fireplace. As time fleeted by, Rick started to harbor a strange fondness for Megan. But to his dismay, she still treated him coldly.

When Megan and Brady woke up and approached the kitchen the following morning, Rick was already making breakfast.

"I'm not a great cook! But I hope little Brady enjoys the scrambled eggs!" Rick chuckled as he watched Megan and Brady enjoy the food.

"Hey, I was thinking. Since I ruined your house and all, how about we spend the day out today? Maybe we could do some shopping. Do lunch someplace nice. And watch a game?" Rick said, offering three tickets to a local basketball game.

"I don't think we should..." Megan stared at the ticket and then into Rick's eyes, completely caught by surprise. "This is not a vacation, is it?" she muttered when she felt two tiny hands tugging at the end of her sweater.

"Mama, please say yes," the boy pleaded, looking up at Megan with his big, brown eyes. "I want to go. Please, Mama. Pleeeease."

The light in Brady's eyes was too bright for Megan's toughened heart not to melt. The boy never asked for anything. Also, what bad could come from going to a silly game?

That evening, they spent quality time together at the stadium, watching Brady cheer out loud for his favorite team. Halfway through the game, the announcer the name of a boy named 'J. Ray' on the mic, inviting him onto the court to play a free throw challenge.

"May we have 7-year-old J. Ray onto the court, please?" the announcer said again. "Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for a very special champ, J. Ray...The kid won first place in the local mathematics league, and I'm told he's crazy about basketball...so, courtesy of his proud family, please welcome this little whiz onto the court for a surprise free throw challenge. C'mon up, kiddo!"

The crowd waited in anticipation to see the boy who was about to have his golden moment. When there was no sign of the kid for about a minute, Rick grabbed Brady and raced to the court, screaming, "It's J. Ray! He's just shy!"

Leading him to the court, Rick placed Brady on his shoulders and whispered to him. "Come on, buddy. Look around. Take it all in. And give it your best shot!"

"Rick! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Megan exploded with anger and nervousness. She had half a mind to grab Brady off the court and flee.

But as Rick turned and winked at her, and Brady waved to her, sporting his widest smile, she knew she had to stay back.

Brady, sitting on Rick's shoulder, made two successful shots out of five and won an autographed basketball.

"Ladies and gentlemen, J. Ray! Our Lil champion!" The announcer fist-bumped with Brady as the spectators applauded and roared with cheers.

Megan was amused, but things turned awry for Rick when the real Jimmy Ray's parents burst into the court with their little son, puzzled about who had won the free throw challenge instead of their son.

"Hurry...we need to get out of here!" Rick grabbed Megan's wheelchair, and the three rushed out of the stadium.

"Oh man, that was hilarious!" Megan burst out laughing. "Did you see that poor dad's face? He was red like a tomato!"

"Oh, he was about to explode!" Rick chuckled as he pushed Meghan's wheelchair forward. As he watched her smile, a strange feeling fluttered in the pit of his stomach.

"Let me help you," Rick gently lifted Megan in his arms and put her in the car. Little Brady fell asleep in the back seat, hugging his panda bear. Rick drove silently, unable to shake off the weird yet amazing feeling brewing within him every time he laid his eyes on Megan, who was sitting beside him.

"I haven't spent such a wonderful day in a long time," Megan looked at Rick, breaking the silence.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yeah...I haven't seen my son so happy," Megan smiled, her sweet melodious voice moving Rick's heart. "Thank you so much, Rick. You know...Brady's laughter is so infectious. It makes me forget all my worries...makes me want to live my life to the fullest, just watching him laugh."

Rick focused on the road ahead with a smile.

Upon arriving home, they retired to their respective rooms. And for the first time since moving in, Megan hugged Rick goodnight.

Two weeks flew by as Rick, Megan, and Brady spent quality time together. They laughed a lot, and Rick's caring and attentive nature, especially his willingness to go above and beyond to ensure Megan's and Brady's comfort, touched Megan.

While everything was going perfectly well, things hit a brick wall for Rick when they returned home from the store one evening and had a visitor.

"Hey! I just came to see you and Brady!" Dwayne greeted Megan with a bouquet of roses.

Rick's heart started pounding. With only two weeks left to meet the August 28 deadline the gangsters had given him, Rick would land in big trouble if Megan left him midway and reconciled with her ex-boyfriend, Dwayne.

But at that moment, Rick did not think about the money. His thoughts clung to Megan, and he could not digest her getting together with Dwayne again.

As he sat quietly, haunted by what would happen next, Dwayne approached the car and opened the door, and offered Megan the flowers.

"Dwayne? What are you doing here?" Megan was startled.

"Megan, look, I'm so sorry. I know I shouldn't have...please, come back," Dwayne pleaded.

Megan inched closer and was very surprised when Dwayne's breath did not stink of alcohol. He was sober and neatly dressed.

"Hey man, could you excuse us for a minute?" Dwayne looked at Rick as he helped Megan get out and sit in the wheelchair.

"Sure!" Rick disappointedly said as he moved away and disappeared into the house with Brady cradled in his arms.

"Dwayne, what do you want?" Megan got straight to the point.

"Honey, please forgive me," Dwayne replied. "I got a new job that pays well. I really want you and Brady back. I'm sorry for everything I did. I've given up on drinking. Please forgive me."

Although a part of her asked her to just reconcile with her ex-boyfriend, another mysterious part stopped her.

"You have to decide now, Megan," Dwayne shattered her silence. "Or we have to call off our wedding..."

Dwayne's words stung Megan. She had dreamed of a complete family for her son. With tears filling her eyes, she raced into the house in her wheelchair.

Rick heard everything from his garage, including the silence that followed. When he peered through the peephole, he saw Dwayne standing alone on the street.

Rick bolted back to the house and slowed down before freezing altogether when he saw Megan packing all her things.

"Megan...are you leaving?" Rick said, his eyes slowly tearing up.

Megan refused to answer as she stashed her clothes into her suitcase, tears streaming down her face. The truth was, she didn't love Dwayne anymore. But the reality was, men weren't exactly lining up to marry her and provide for her and Brady. Dwayne wasn't the man of her dreams, but at least he was willing to marry her.

"Megan, stop...don't do this to me..." Rick took her hand and stopped her.

Megan burst into tears and withdrew her hand from Rick's grip.

"I have to go, Rick. Thank you for everything. This has been lovely. You have been lovely. But this is not everything I want. My boy deserves a father more than I deserve to be happy..."

She cried and continued to pack when Rick's voice distracted her again. But this time, he was on one knee, holding a ring.

"Megan, I know this might be too fast," Rick looked at her, his eyes brimming with tears. "...but I can't afford to lose you and Brady. You have become more than family to me. I love you. I want to be with you forever. I want to grow older with you."

Megan could not hold back her tears when Rick finally popped the question: "Will you marry me?"

This was so unexpected of Rick. Megan was moved and immediately threw herself into Rick's arms and cried.

"Yes...!" he heard her through her heavy breath.

Rick slipped the ring on Megan's finger, sealing their love, and watched a frustrated Dwayne angrily disappear onto the street after a long wait.

After spending several more days together and exhausting all his leaves, Rick returned to his office, where he worked as a manager. Life was back on track again, at least until Rick's phone rang with the caller's name — Ricardo — flashing on the screen.

"Damn, not now!" Rick was terrified as he tapped the green button to answer.

"Rick, have you forgotten about your deadline?" The gangster's grim voice sent chills down Rick's spine. "It's August 28 tomorrow. Hope you have the cash ready!"

"Ricardo, hey, I remember. I'm arranging for the money," Rick trembled.

"You're still arranging?" the thug barked.

"Look, I'll repay the loan, okay? All I'm asking for is just a little extra time...just two weeks more. I'll pay $50,000 extra for the delay. Please…" Rick proposed postponing the repayment deadline, fearing the thug's reaction.

"What the hell?" the gangster yelled. "And what about that disabled blondie you promised to lure? You told me about some big plans about extracting money from her. Why is it so hard for you to deal with her? Do you need any help to get the money from her? Tell us...we'll take care of everything."

Rick was shaken. "No...no, I don't want your help. I'll get the money, alright? Just give me a month..." he replied and immediately hung up.

Unable to think of a way out, Rick called his brother James and explained the situation to him. But there was no help in sight as James was in a tough spot himself.

"I'm so sorry, Rick. I totally understand your situation. But I'm struggling with my business and cannot help you right now. Sorry, bro! Hope you understand," James said and hung up on Rick.

Haunted by thoughts the whole day, Rick could not focus on his work or anything. Later that evening, he grabbed the wheel of his car and drove home. But when he entered his house, he was greeted by an eerie silence.

"Megan? Brady? Guys, I'm home...." Rick searched around the house for Megan and her son. But they were nowhere to be found.

He bolted to the bedroom and froze after finding all of Megan's and Brady's things missing from the closet. Her shoes, bag, and even Brady's toys were all gone.

A strange fear crawled up Rick's gut as he marched into the kitchen and stopped in his tracks after finding an envelope on the counter. And next to it was a duffel bag that belonged to Megan.

Mustering the courage, Rick picked up the envelope, and with trembling fingers, he tore it open and pulled out a note:

"Rick, you lying scumbag. I hate you more than you ever know. Everything you told me about you was a lie.

You ruined my life in the accident. You are the reason why I can't walk. And you hid it from me.

You deprived me of my future with my fiancé. You used me for money. We don't need your damn money. Knock yourself out, loser. Rot in hell. Goodbye."

Rick was paralyzed with shock, trying to process everything. He unzipped the duffel bag and found wads of $100 bills stashed inside. It was the $300,000 Brady had inherited from Rick's late father.

"Megan...God...no...." Rick burst into tears, only to be distracted by a phone call.

"Heard she left you, Rick!" the gangster chuckled on the other end of the line. "We thought you were getting a little too emotional. So we decided to give you a little helping hand! Oh, don't thank me yet. We'll be waiting for the money."

The bandit hung up on a shattered Rick, who held his head and broke down, lost in deep thought about what to do next.

Grabbing the duffel bag, Rick hurried back into his car and sped down the street.

Sighing a deep breath, Rick stepped down from his car and walked into the building with the signboard flashing a blue and red inscription with the words 'City Bank' and approached the cash counter.

"I need to make a deposit," he said, eventually transferring all the money in Brady's name.

Having signed the paperwork, Rick left the bank with a smile, and snapping away his tears, he got into his car and headed to the police station to surrender.

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