I laughed once because I genuinely thought they were joking.
Dad’s face hardened.
“Family comes before pride.”
“This isn’t pride. It’s payroll. Contracts. Forty-two people’s jobs.”
Mom leaned forward.
“Your sister could lose everything.”
“She already lost everything. She wants mine now.”
The silence turned ugly.
Then Dad gave me the ultimatum.
Sell Bennett & Bloom, transfer the proceeds to Madison’s lender, or they would “stop treating me like family.”