After forcing their elderly mother to sign a will to seize a multi-million dollar estate, three unfilial children were left stunned to inherit a mountain of crushing bank debt instead of a fortune
CHAPTER I: CROWS UPON ROTTEN ROOF TILES
In a barren, secluded corner of a certain poor city, where muddy red-clay roads turned swampy in the rainy season and blindingly dusty in the dry season, stood an ancient estate. The lime plaster had peeled off in large chunks, exposing bright red fired bricks like bleeding scars under the dying sunset. Here, time seemed to have stopped decades ago, left behind by the chaotic development of the bustling metropolis outside.
But what drew the eyes and crazed cravings of the world was not that ancient, moss-grown feature, but the vast scale and hidden land value beneath the impoverished facade. That estate was the sole remaining legacy of a bygone golden era, and also a thorn in the greedy eyes born of the homeowner’s own flesh and blood.
The aged mother, her back bent like a dry branch against the north wind, had been worn down physically by a prolonged, severe illness, leaving only her deep, quiet eyes like an untroubled lake. Living under the same roof with her was not care or filial piety in her final years, but a miniature judgment council formed by those she had labored in agony to bear.
Three children—three patient hunters—had surrounded her for months. Not a single sincere inquiry about her health, not a single genuine tear of sympathy. All that echoed in the stifling room reeking of traditional medicine and decay were urging words, frustrated sighs, and ruthless psychological pressure.
— “Why on earth do you keep holding on to this tattered estate? Your strength is gone, living today and dead tomorrow, you can’t take it down to the grave with you!” – the eldest child hissed, slamming a hand heavily onto the tea table, eyes turbid with irritation.
— “That’s right! We’ve discussed it thoroughly. Quickly sign the disclaimer of inheritance rights, hand over all management and ownership of this estate to us so we can zone it and sell it off for investment capital. Don’t be stubborn anymore!” – the second child chimed in, face hardening with hostility.
The youngest child—the craftiest of them all—leaned against the window frame, crossing arms and looking at the mother with a cold gaze as if eyeing an obstructive object: “Mom, don’t blame us for being unfilial. These days, family ties aren’t worth a fraction of real estate values. If you cooperate early, your remaining days in this house will be peaceful; otherwise…”
They no longer bothered to hide their unfiliality. The fake masks had been torn away long ago, revealing the naked essence of starving beasts waiting to rip their prey apart. They thought the weak old mother had completely caved under the relentless pressure, that her will had been crushed after long nights of isolation and mental torment.
The mother raised her head slightly. Her eyes swept over each child—the drops of blood she had once ripped from her womb, nurturing them with her youth, sweat, and tears. Now, standing before her were not offspring, but three calculation machines knowing only money and profit.
She did not cry. Not a single tear fell. A faint smile even flickered on her lips, as fragile as morning dew yet carrying a chillingly profound weight that none of the three children caught in time.
— “Do you want this estate that badly?” – her voice was hoarse, weak yet distinct with every syllable.
— “Yes! Sign it! Stop stalling!” – all three shouted in unison, their hearts flooded with triumph as they saw the mother’s final defense wall collapse.
Slowly, the mother picked up the black fountain pen placed on the table. Her trembling, skinny hand was mapped with bulging green veins branded by time. Taking a deep breath, she lowered her head and let the pen glide across the pristine white paper.
Scrawled yet decisive strokes etched themselves onto the legal paper.
When the pen stopped moving, the mother half-closed her eyes, leaned her head back against the chair, and exhaled her final breath in the absolute silence of the room. Her departure was as gentle as a dry leaf parting from a branch, without a parting word, without a single plea.
CHAPTER II: THE BANQUET OF THE WINNERS
The funeral unfolded in a strange atmosphere. There were no heart-wrenching wails, no overflowing regrets. The three children donned white mourning attire, but deep within their chests danced a triumphal hymn of victory. To them, the mother’s death was not a loss, but the starting gun for an era of wealth and prosperity.
The moment the final layer of dirt covered the coffin lid, and the few mourners from the poor neighborhood had all departed, the three heirs gathered in the spacious living room of the estate. The stifling space was dispelled by hearty, booming laughs and smug congratulatory handshakes.
— “Finally, all this sweat and tears belongs to us!” – the eldest child popped the cap of an expensive imported wine bottle they had hidden away long ago, filling three glass cups. – “Cheers! Here’s to our millionaire future!”
— “This estate is so vast, if we divide it into lots or sell it off completely to major real estate investors in the city, the proceeds will be enough for us to live like royalty for the rest of our lives!” – the second child raised an eyebrow in excitement, throwing back their head to gulp down the fiery wine.
— “Wait a bit, the lawyer from the notary office across town is coming to read the official will and handle the name-transfer procedures,” – the youngest child smiled sinisterly, gesturing with an arm. – “We still need to complete the legal procedures fair and square before we start bulldozing.”
Before long, a knock sounded. A middle-aged lawyer with thick prescription glasses, carrying a heavy black leather briefcase, stepped into the room. His expression was stern and cold, showing no resonance whatsoever with the jubilant atmosphere of the three people waiting to reap sweet fruit.
— “Greetings. Per the legal authorization of the estate’s late owner prior to passing away, I am here to announce the final will in the presence of all rightful heirs,” – the lawyer’s voice rang out dryly, echoing through the empty room.
The three children sat straight, arms crossed over their chests, wearing arrogant smiles. They were utterly confident that the signed paper before death had locked down all escape routes for the mother, legally delegating this massive fortune entirely into their hands.
— “Read it, professor! We’re burning with impatience!” – the eldest child laughed loudly, urging him on.
Slowly opening his leather briefcase, the lawyer pulled out a stack of documents neatly clipped with a dark red ribbon. Adjusting his glasses, he glanced at the three hopeful figures before ringing out every single word recorded on the paper.
Initially, the opening clauses read matched expectations completely: relinquishing property inheritance rights under forced will, distribution of nominal benefits… But the deeper he read into the following pages, the sound in the room abruptly plunged.
The lawyer’s face remained terrifyingly calm, but the three children began to change color. The smiles on their lips froze, eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the paper in the lawyer’s hand as if refusing to believe their ears.
CHAPTER III: THE VERDICT ON WHITE PAPER
— “What?! What did you just read?!” – the eldest child lunged upward, slamming the table and shouting, face draining completely of color.
Unflinching, the lawyer leisurely lowered the document stack, raised his eyes to stare straight at them, and repeated in a clear, ice-cold tone:
— “Allow me to re-read the conclusion of the will: Due to the three children failing to fulfill the moral duties of offspring, deliberately coercing and torturing their elderly mother throughout her final years, the entire ownership of this estate—including land, structures, and attached assets—has been legally executed by the rightful owner as a complete donation to the city’s Charity Fund for Impoverished Children and Orphans six months ago. Legal procedures were completed and recognized by state authorities long ago.”
The room sank into a hair-raising silence. Even the scratch of a match or a dropped needle could be heard clearly.
— “You’re lying!” – the second child roared, lunging forward to snatch the document stack from the table, greedy eyes sweeping across the lines. – “Impossible! That old hag clearly signed the disclaimer! I saw her put pen to paper with my own eyes!”
The lawyer smirked faintly, leisurely speaking: — “Indeed, she signed. But did you carefully read the content of the paper you forced her to sign? It was not an estate inheritance disclaimer as you mistakenly believed, but a document confirming legal responsibility for the massive bank mortgage debt that this estate incurred years ago due to failed business investments by the late husband—your own father.”
Struck like a bolt of lightning, all three froze in place. The youngest child collapsed into the chair, legs limp with no strength left, stuttering incoherently: — “Debt… bank debt? The estate… the estate has already been donated to charity?”
— “Correct,” – the lawyer stood up, packing the documents into his briefcase, tossing a razor-sharp remark before stepping toward the door: – “By law, since the estate no longer belongs to the testator and has been donated for public welfare, your status as heirs is completely void. However, as the direct blood relatives who signed to confirm undertaking legal responsibility in the document your mother handed directly to the bank and enforcement agency, the entire bad debt worth tens of billions of dong for this estate will immediately be transferred over for the three of you to bear.”
The living room door slammed shut.
Street vehicle sirens echoed from outside, sounding distant and mournful. The three children stood rooted to the center of the vast living room, where just minutes prior they thought themselves wealthy rulers.
Now, the ancient estate still stood there, moss-grown and decaying, but it did not belong to them. The only thing belonging to them now was not a mountain of million-dollar cash, but a towering pile of debt notices, bank collection warrants waiting outside, and the rightful punishment of karma destined for unfilial souls who dared plot against those who gave them life.
The game was over. Greed had dug its own grave to bury the most bloodthirsty wretches, leaving behind a chilling lesson on karma amidst life’s journey.
