The Unlikely Inherited

His family

As he looked at his phone, Nathan sat on the bed, lost in thought. He remembered the day he got the text message that said he had seven hundred thousand dollars in his bank account.

Nathan was over the moon. He couldn't believe his luck. He quickly ran to the nearest ATM to withdraw the money, but as soon as he inserted his card, he was caught on video by Andy Vaughn, Dylan Blanchard, and Anthony Turner, his classmates who had sent him the fake SMS message.

Dylan laughed while recording the video: "Nathan's bank account must be feeling lonely, with just a few cents in there."

Andy Vaughn, the head of the pranksters, didn't miss the opportunity to mock Nathan and said: "Yeah. Poor guy. He can’t withdraw because his withdrawal limit is zero dollars. Haha.”

"Nathan, you should stick to daydreaming about being rich rather than trying to withdraw fake money.” Anthony Turner join in.

The incident made him a laughing stock, and the video went viral.

Nathan felt humiliated and vowed never to trust the SMS again.

"Isn't today bad enough already?" Nathan exclaimed, "And you all still want to make it worse?"

Recalling one more unpleasant memory made Nathan's mood worse.

In a moment of anger, he threw his old phone against the wall.

Somehow, the phone was intact. The phone was working correctly, as evidenced by the ringing bell.

Cautiously, Nathan answered, "Hello?"

"Nathan, I'm your father," came the severe voice on the other end. "Have you received $100 million?"

"Dad, is this some kind of joke?" Nathan asked, still in disbelief.

"No, it's not a joke," his father replied. "Our family is not poor at all. On the contrary, we are the richest family in the world."

Nathan was shocked. "What do you mean?"

"You see, son, in traditional, before our heirs reach 18 years old, they are not given a penny from our family and must make a living on their own," his father said. "When they reach the age of 18, the first sum of money they receive is 100 million dollars.”

“You should use some of the money to start a business, invest in real estate, or use it to create a charitable foundation.” His father added.

Nathan sat there, trying to process the information he had just received. "So you mean I'm fending for myself before I turn eighteen simply as a test of our family?" he asked, seeking clarification.

"Yes, that's correct. It's a tradition that has been passed down for generations. It builds character and teaches responsibility," Nathan’s father replied.

Nathan was speechless. He never knew his father was a wealthy man, and also, he had never suspected the extent of their fortune.

"Do you believe me, Nathan?" his father asked.

"I...I don't know," Nathan stammered.

"Well, you can go to the bank tomorrow morning and check for yourself," his father said. "And happy birthday, son."

The call ended, and Nathan sat there, still in shock. Was it true? Could he be the heir to a 100-million-dollar fortune?

Nathan had always thought his parents were hardworking people who had to leave him behind in a small, dilapidated house while they went away to earn a living. He rarely saw them, and their time together as a family was scarce.

However, today Nathan suddenly discovered that his parents had been deceiving him all these years. They were living a life of luxury while he was left to fend for himself in poverty. The betrayal was brutal for Nathan to swallow, but at least now he knew the truth.

He decided to go to the bank tomorrow and find out for sure.

But for now, he spent the rest of the night thinking about it, trying to process the revelation. He didn't know what the future held, but he knew one thing for sure: his life would never be the same again.