"I refuse to stand here with my arms crossed while you spout such nonsense, Dad," shouted Carson, attempting to be authoritative."Much less me," added Cambell."Nor I!" concluded Ágata.The three Stanton siblings stood up from their chairs and were now standing, staring firmly at their father."You don't have to do this, Mr. Joseph. Thank you very much, really," Curtis insisted, trying to avoid a conflict between a father and his children."Of course, you don't have to do this!" shouted Ágata, filled with anger."Dad's money can only be for us and by us," asserted Cambell.While all this was happening, Joseph Stanton remained silent, observing his children's behavior."You're just a freeloader who has come to this mansion to take advantage of our father's old age," accused Carson."Yes!" said Ágata."Our father is senile; he doesn't know what he's saying."Insults against Curtis were thrown around. It was a full-blown attack against the poor guy who wasn't even at fault for being in
Some days had passed, and Joseph's health deteriorated again. The doctor prescribed spending at least a month on a paradisiacal island, away from the stress of his family.While Joseph enjoyed the sun on a beautiful Caribbean beach, Curtis was left at the mercy of the Stanton brothers and their deep hatred towards him.One day, Curtis was washing some of his clothes in the same fountain he used for bathing."Wash this garment too," Carson ordered, throwing one of his underwear in Curtis's face."Carson, please don't throw that at my face.""If not, what?" he asked threateningly, "Daddy isn't here to protect you.""Exactly... Joseph isn't here to protect anyone," Curtis said.His blood boiled with fury, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost cut into the flesh of his hands. His body trembled with rage, and the desire to beat Carson increased a thousandfold."What? Are you tired already? Can't take it anymore? Want to hit me? Go ahead! Hit me with all your strength."
Early the next day, the police inspector parked his car at the main entrance of the Stanton mansion.The Stanton siblings had reported the disappearance of some very expensive jewels belonging to their father. Among them, a wristwatch valued at over a million dollars.Inspector Ascanio was a highly corrupt and hateful man, always loyal to the interests of the Stanton siblings. He knew that someday these three brats would inherit Joseph's astronomical fortune and become the owners of the city.Carson, Cambell, and Agatha tried to look very distressed, pacing back and forth, with an acting performance worthy of an Academy Award."Inspector... Inspector..." Agatha shouted, pretending to be terrified.She ran to Inspector Ascanio, and when she finally reached him, she hugged him while pretending to be frightened."It's horrible, Inspector... My poor father has been the victim of a heinous robbery," Agatha said with a shaky voice.The inspector hugged her empathetically, but Agatha made su
"Probably a drug addict," said the police station receptionist when she saw Curtis arrive.She observed his unkempt hair, wrinkled shirt, and dirty shoes."You can't even imagine," replied Inspector Ascanio as he removed the handcuffs from Curtis."Tell me.""This little man was living in none other than the Stanton mansion, but he's not very bright.""No way," said the receptionist, astonished."He dared to rob Mr. Stanton and hid the loot under his bed.""How stupid!" exclaimed the receptionist.The inspector and the receptionist burst into laughter while Curtis endured it in silence."Put all your belongings here," the receptionist instructed, showing a plastic tray.Curtis just stared at her with an annoyed expression on his face."Don't you have anything?""He's a poor devil, Elizabeth, what do you expect from a man like him?""Not even a belt to hold up your pants?" the receptionist insisted."No," Curtis replied expressionless."What a kind heart the Stanton family has," the re
Curtis entered one of the most run-down hospitals in the entire country. The Stanton brothers refused to pay a penny for him to receive specialized care at a private clinic.For them, it was much better if Curtis died due to the severity of his injuries, but they never anticipated that he would endure all that punishment.Apparently, Curtis was much stronger than they thought. Those doctors barely cleaned his wounds, but he stayed alive throughout that time.After a week, he had managed to get out of that bed, albeit with difficulty walking and speaking, but he was always handcuffed to the hospital bed railing."Hello, Norton."That morning, Curtis woke up to Inspector Ascanio's face."The doctors just discharged you."Curtis struggled to speak, given the inflammation inside his mouth and the absence of some teeth."Me.... Me...""Sorry?" the inspector approached with his hand to his ear, sarcastically pretending not to hear Curtis. "I can't hear you," he said."Me.... am I going... h
"Norton... Norton..." Curtis heard over and over. He had fallen into a deep sleep where he believed he could hear Joseph's voice from the far reaches of that cell. Mr. Stanton's voice became louder and closer until he opened his eyes to realize it wasn't a dream. Joseph was truly there. He had come personally to get him out of that horrible place. "Joseph?" His eyes widened in surprise, his body gave a small jump that ended in gestures of pain, and a smile was inevitable upon seeing a familiar and trustworthy face after what he had been through. "You came." Curtis got up as best as he could and quickly stood in front of the bars to hold Joseph's hands through the grate. "I rushed here as soon as I found out," Joseph confessed. "I didn't steal from you, Joseph. It was all a plot against me." "I know, Norton, I know... You don't have to tell me anything; I know perfectly well what happened." It was at that moment that Joseph noticed the damage Curtis had suffered. "What the h
Baxter parked Joseph's luxurious car in the parking lot of a prestigious store that catered to dressing the elite millionaires in the country."We've arrived, sir," said Baxter, sporting sunglasses that made him look quite stylish.Joseph sat in the front seat with Curtis in the back. Curtis still didn't quite grasp Baxter's role – a lawyer, a personal friend, and now a private chauffeur.Joseph sighed deeply and turned his smiling face towards Curtis."You must be quite excited.""What are we doing here?" Curtis asked, somewhat confused."Here, they'll dress you like a true gentleman of high society."Curtis smiled, hoping it was a joke, but both Joseph and Baxter remained serious, though Joseph had a smile."This is a joke, right?""No, Norton... if you're going to work directly with me, you have to dress according to the position.""But what's wrong with my clothes?"Joseph and Baxter exchanged a glance, both thinking the same thing."Norton, how can I say this without offending yo
Curtis immediately noticed that the saleswomen in the store were looking at him disdainfully. It was so direct and unapologetic, but he didn't care about their opinion, and they didn't care about treating him like a stray dog."There he is, surely planning to steal something," said one of the saleswomen in the gathering that was growing with more participants."I just hope he doesn't start touching the suits with his dirty hands."Curtis was undecided about the clothing he wanted to buy; there was so much variety, so many styles, and all of them were excellent, so he couldn't decide which one he wanted.His indecision led him to the most exclusive and expensive side of the store. The suits in that section had been designed by the world's best stylists, and their prices were simply exorbitant.The store manager was very close to Curtis. He, too, looked at him with disdain, hoping he wouldn't touch anything with his dirty hands while they took their time to remove him; it was probably j