The Rich Son-In-Law

Chapter 4: Official Membership

As the car drove along, Aaron felt nervous. Even though he hadn't been kidnapped this time, he still felt uneasy. He had entered the car without a second thought about being cautious. Noticing his discomfort, Natalie made an effort to reassure him. "Sir, there's no need to worry about anything. The process won't take long at all. We'll be done in less than a minute."

Hearing Natalie's reassuring words, Aaron began to calm down.

After three hours of non-stop driving, the cars stopped at a large gate. He was ushered into a vast estate, unlike anything Aaron had ever seen before. Natalie led Aaron through the massive house, and he couldn't help but marvel at its splendour. It was a world of luxury he had never imagined. They eventually reached a large wooden door. Natalie knocked softly, and a voice from inside—Richard's—granted permission to enter. As Aaron stepped into Richard's office, he saw Richard on the phone. When Richard noticed Aaron and Natalie, he gestured for them to take a seat while he finished the call, which ended a few seconds later. After setting the phone down, Richard turned to Aaron with a warm smile. "Well, Mr. Turner, today is the day you become a billionaire. Are you excited?"

"I guess," Aaron answered nonchalantly. Truthfully, Aaron was very excited, but he didn't want to make it obvious. Richard pulled out a set of documents and placed them on the desk, laying an expensive-looking pen on top of them. "Mr. Turner, before you sign these documents, there are a few rules you must understand. There are thousands of regulations members of our institution must follow, but there are seven of utmost importance that must never be broken."

He then began listing them:

1. Members are under no circumstances allowed to share any information about our institution with anyone unaffiliated with it.

2. All assets a member possesses must be managed by the bank.

3. Members must never lose the identification card given by the bank.

4. Members of lower ranks must respect members of higher ranks.

5. There shall be no conflict among members. Should any conflict arise, it must be resolved in a reasonable manner without violence.

6. Members may use their wealth for any purpose they choose, as long as it does not conflict with the bank's interests.

7. Membership in the Eternal Bank is eternal.

"Failure to follow any of these rules will result in serious punishment, which may include death," Richard concluded gravely.

Hearing this, Aaron became anxious. He didn't want to risk his life by inadvertently breaking the rules. Hesitation overtook him as he considered signing the documents. Both Natalie and Richard could see Aaron's unease but made no effort to reassure him or convince him to proceed. The decision was entirely his. Aaron was ready to reject the offer but hesitated as memories of his past flooded back—the mistreatment he had endured, the humiliation caused by his lack of power to stand up for himself. All the resentment and anger he had suppressed over the years came rushing back, fueling his resolve. He picked up the pen and signed the papers, his hesitation gone. When he finished, Richard collected the documents, placed them in an envelope, and handed them to Natalie, who then left the room. "Well, Mr. Turner, congratulations on your membership. Let me be the first to welcome you to the Eternal Bank," Richard said, extending his hand. Aaron swiftly shook it. "I should mention, while you are now an official member, you still need to prove yourself. Our world is not a simple one, and it's not meant for the weak. You'll need to give it your all. For the next six months, you'll be under trial, which will test your competence. Natalie will fill you in on the rest," Richard added.

Aaron wasn't sure what the trial entailed or what it would mean for his future as a member of the Eternal Bank, but he was determined to succeed.

A few minutes later, Natalie returned without the envelope. After saying goodbye to Richard, Aaron and Natalie both made their way out of the mansion. When Aaron arrived home he had a feeling of apprehension. After the confrontation he had with Amanda earlier in the afternoon, he knew she wouldn't be pleased. To his surprise, Amanda paid him no mind when he entered. Instead, she was smiling, a rare sight. Sarah was also home and appeared to have ordered takeout. Aaron sat at the table, and Amanda's expression immediately changed to a frown. "Look who it is! Mister big shot himself," Amanda said condescendingly. "Tell me, what was so important that you had to ignore me and abandon your responsibilities, huh?" Aaron rolled his eyes. By the time Natalie had come to pick him up, all the chores were already done. "I was just meeting an old friend of mine," Aaron lied. "He called and said he was in the neighbourhood, so he paid me a visit." He couldn't reveal that he was now one of the richest men in the country. Breaking the bank's rules was not an option, and the news might just give Amanda a heart attack. "OH, really now? Your friend seemed rich. Are you sure you weren't asking him for money?" Amanda mocked. Just as Amanda was about to continue, Aaron's phone, which he had placed on the table, began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID; it was Natalie. Standing, he excused himself and stepped outside to answer it. Sarah, who had also seen Natalie's name on the screen, frowned.

"Hello, sir. I hope I'm not bothering you at this moment," Natalie said in a calm voice.

"Not at all, Natalie. Is there a problem?" Aaron replied.

"No problem at all, sir. I'm calling to ask if we could meet to discuss your role and duties as an official member, as well as asset management and the trials. Will you be available at noon, sir? "Yes, I will. Where are we meeting?" Aaron asked. "We'll meet at Maison de Lumière restaurant," Natalie responded.

Aaron's jaw dropped. He knew Maison de Lumière—so did anyone who lived in the city. It was one of the most expensive and luxurious restaurants around; a basic meal there cost 2000 dollars. "Did you say Maison de Lumière?" Aaron asked in pure shock. "Yes, sir. Do you know where it's located? Would you like me to send a car to pick you up?"

"No, that won't be necessary. See you tomorrow," Aaron said.

"Very well, sir," Natalie replied before hanging up.

Aaron returned inside to find Amanda already devouring the food. She paused momentarily to mock him again. "Look who's back. Did your friend refuse to give you money? He probably knows you're a good-for-nothing and won't be able to pay him back."

Aaron didn't know where Amanda had gotten this narrative, but it was better than her knowing the truth.

"Mom, you remember what I said, right? No fighting tonight. We're celebrating," Sarah interjected.

"Celebrating? What's the occasion?" Aaron asked, confused.

Sarah was about to respond when Amanda cut her off. "We're celebrating the fact that my daughter's company has been saved—no thanks to you. Someone sent her 30 million just to show how much they appreciate her… something you could never do."

Hearing this, Aaron remembered the request he had made to Natalie. He was glad Sarah's company was saved, but his joy was short-lived when Amanda continued.

"Can you guess who saved her company?" Amanda asked with a sly smirk.

Aaron began to panic. Surely, they didn't know it was him, right?

"It was Marcus," Amanda declared.

Aaron was shocked. He knew the money had come from him and not Marcus. Sarah was obviously oblivious to that fact, but it annoyed Aaron that Marcus was getting the credit.

"Are you sure Marcus is the one who sent you the money?" Aaron asked Sarah.

Again, Amanda didn't give Sarah a chance to reply. "Of course, he did, you idiot. Unlike you, he's a capable man. He promised me he'd help Sarah's company if I gave him permission to marry her, which I did, of course. My daughter deserves someone who will take care of her, not mooch off her like a mosquito."

Sarah was shocked by her mother's revelation. "Excuse me? You did what? How could you promise Marcus such a thing? Have you forgotten I'm married?"

"Married?" Amanda retorted. "Can you honestly call this a marriage? This loser can barely do anything. All he does is spend your hard-earned money. Forgive me if I'm thinking about what's best for you."

"What's best for me, Mom, is for you to stay out of my business and stop trying to control my life. You have no right to make those kinds of decisions, especially without consulting me," Sarah shot back.

Amanda wanted to protest, but Sarah cut her off. "You want to blame Aaron for spending my hard-earned money while you don't have a job and spend your days drinking and gambling with your friends?"

Sarah stood and left the room, signalling the end of the conversation. Amanda chased after Sarah, leaving Aaron to clean the table.

Later that night, as they lay in bed, Aaron was still bothered by the whole Marcus situation. He knew he couldn't tell Sarah the truth; she'd ask too many questions. Sarah noticed Aaron's unease and wondered if it had anything to do with the name she'd seen on his phone. Was Natalie his sister, a friend, or even a secret lover? The thought of Aaron having a secret lover infuriated her. Though she didn't love him, she expected him to honour their marriage as she had.

Unable to figure out what was upsetting Aaron, Sarah decided to ask. "Aaron, what's the matter? You seem upset."

Aaron looked at her with concern, unsure of what to say. "Sarah, I'm not sure Marcus sent you that money. It just doesn't seem like something he'd do."

"I know what you mean, Aaron, but even though he has clear ulterior motives, he was the only one who volunteered to help. So if it wasn't him, who could it be?"

Aaron knew there wasn't much he could say, so he went to sleep.

The next morning, Aaron was woken by Sarah, who seemed in a rush to go to work. "Listen, Aaron, I need you to get a gift for tomorrow. Here's my card; it has five thousand dollars on it. Use all the money, okay? You know how she gets when you buy cheap gifts."

"Who is the gift for?" Aaron asked, confused.

Sarah gave him an incredulous look. "Seriously, Aaron? You forgot again? Tomorrow is Grandma's 80th birthday. Don't you remember how angry she was last year when you didn't bring a gift? We're not making the same mistake this year. Otherwise, who knows what she might do? Anyway, I need to go. Don't forget the gift."

As she left the room, Aaron groaned. He'd truly forgotten about Grandma prescott's birthday. Or rather, he preferred not to remember it. Every year he attended, he was ridiculed and belittled for his gifts. This year would be no different.