Vindication of the Rejected Heir

Chapter 1

As the rain patted softly on the window pane, Declan watched the city from his small apartment. The landscape of the city in the early hours of the morning always hit him with a whiff of nostalgia.

His mind wandered like it always did these past few days. He was coming to a full realization that he was suddenly turning into a full-grown man with nothing to show for it.

Life had done him a lot. Growing up was not very easy for him. He had not learned to speak properly as a child, and thus, he was not considered fit to be at the forefront of the family business.

Daniel, his younger brother, was the trophy child that everyone applauded, thus Lord Rowland, his grandfather, thought him fit to handle the family's business despite being the younger one.

Things took a drastic turn after his parents passed in a ghastly accident. The coldness that came with their death seemed to dry up every ounce of love that he could ever receive.

Lord Rowland no longer regarded him as a vital part of the family, and Daniel was appointed CEO of the family business. That was his right there given to his younger brother, but he couldn't complain.

He had never complained about anything that was handed to him, he could not protest, could never speak up or defend himself, could never disagree and make his own solid decisions.

He was the definition of what Daniel and Lord Rowland would regard as a weakling.

He barely had a great education like his brother and it forced him to seek a source of survival. His job at the roadside coffee shop had been his means of survival for about two years after he gave up his job as a waiter.

The ping from his phone shook him into reality, and as he stood up to get it, he almost wobbled. He had grown so lean over the past few months.

He was sick, he knew this. He has requested help from his brother on many occasions, but it wasn't forthcoming. He knew he should see a doctor.

As he picked up the phone expecting to see a message from his co-worker at the coffee shop, he was surprised to see that it was from his brother. Daniel seldom talked to him.

"Call me", the text said abruptly, but he couldn't care less. He needed all the help he could use at the moment. For a split second, he wanted to hesitate but now was not the time.

Daniel answered on the first dial.

"You said to call you?" He stuttered. He could hear Daniel scoff at the other side of the phone, but he couldn't care less. He was getting accustomed to being treated like that by his brother.

"Grandpa requested a meeting by 1 pm today, and he wants you to be there", Daniel said hurriedly.

Part of Declan wanted to believe that that was just a pathetic show-off, a kind of mockery to his stuttering self. The message was odd by the way. He could count the number of times he was ever requested for in the office.

"Do you have any idea why?" He asked.

"I don't", Daniel replied, already sounding irritated by him. "But at least have a good long bath, wear a suit and try to stutter as little as possible in there", he stated, ending the call abruptly leaving Declan no chance to speak at all.

When the clock struck 12:10 pm, Declan was already fully dressed and standing in front of the mirror. He was strikingly handsome and the fact that he didn't have a girlfriend or wife was of many wonders.

Daniel had a different girl on his arm every weekend, the wealth and recognition that came with being the face of the prestigious family business added to that effect.

The air was still wet when he took the bus. In no time, he was in the company building. A lot had not changed since the last time he was here.

He glanced at his wristwatch again. It was 1 pm already. Lord Rowland hated tardiness and he didn't want to be in his bad books today.

"Good of you to be here on time, and nice suit by the way, even if it's the only one you own", Daniel said with a smirk as he entered the conference room. Why did his brother hate him so much, he wondered.

"Good evening grandpa", he said, ignoring his brother and stepping into the office. Lord Rowland nodded in reply with a grunt.

Declan noticed two other people in the room. A middle-aged man and a young girl in her early twenties. She was pretty, that was all there was to her, aside from the fact that she was tapping furiously on her phone.

When they were all seated, Lord Rowland cleared his throat and leaned forward with his arms before him on the mahogany desk.  "Let's get straight to the point", he began, the authority in his voice was unmatched. He was a powerful man. "

As we all are aware by now, the business is in a huge debt and the banks are already calling in" He stopped and his eyes rummaged.

"As a kind of redemption, I spoke to my very good friend here Paul", he continued, turning to the man that he didn't bother to introduce earlier.

"He's an ardent businessman like myself, and we have agreed on a merger, instead of selling, with full protection of our company shares and staff".

He seemed pleased by his idea of salvaging the company.

"This will keep this business solvent and for us to seal this agreement, we've decided on a more intentional approach, '' he paused and looked at Declan. "Marriage", he announced finally. Daniel nodded but Declan was motionless.

He had no idea that the company was in debt or needed saving. He was beginning to question his place in the family business.

"Declan would be getting married to Patricia here, Paul's daughter", he finally dropped the bombshell. Declan's eyes widened. "What?" he stuttered in inquiry.

Daniel's eyes grew dark. He knew that Declan getting married to Patricia meant him assuming a more active role in the company, if not the chairman. Patricia on the other hand seemed unbothered. She was still tapping away on her phone. She was spoiled.

Declan was lost in a world of his thoughts.

He was never regarded or considered fit to head the family business, not fit to go to a good school like his brother, not fit to live in a nice apartment like his brother, or have a nice job.

And all of a sudden, they wanted him to get married to sustain the business he has never considered a part of.

He could only think of himself as a sacrificial lamb at the moment. But Daniel was not having it.

"It can't happen grandpa", Daniel stated, rising on his feet, like he could not be heard in his seat.

"I've labored for this company for years, I've given it my all and sacrificed a lot, and here you are entrusting the seal of this merger to a man that can barely make a complete sentence without stuttering?"

"I'm not having it grandpa", he said, turning away. Paul sat quietly, taking in all the drama unfolding before him.

"Daniel", Lord Rowland began, "you have to consider the fact that your brother is the eldest son of this family and is the rightful heir to the family business", he stated, quite calmly.

"It doesn't matter", Daniel replied quickly.

Declan was still in shock at the news. At what point does one tell him that this was a joke? Would anyone even ask him if this is what he wanted? Yet, he could not protest, could not complain. He just sat there.

"We've already concluded on this", Lord Rowland said with a note of finality.

"I'm not having this grandpa. I'm not", Daniel said angrily and stomped out of the office, the door slamming hard after him.