Brandon, a homeless and penniless man, gives his last $2 to an elderly man in need at the gas station store and inherits his business the next day. Brandon believes this is the beginning of a new life for his family, but a powerful enemy wants to take it all away. Brandon shuffled into the gas station store, clutching his paper cup filled with change. A loud voice distracted him as he stood near an aisle. He craned his neck and observed a line of irate shoppers behind an old man who had difficulties hearing.
“I’m sorry, young lady, but what did you say about the water being funny?” the old guy asked the cashier. “Money!” she moaned. “I said you don’t have enough money, sir!” “Yes, it was a sunny day!” said the man, frowning. “You need more money!” “For the water!” A younger guy standing behind the man grabbed his shoulder and roared into his ears, prompting him to recoil. Brandon noticed everything. He was inclined to intervene, but he didn’t want to infuriate the consumers. Meanwhile, the elderly guy claimed that he didn’t have enough money and asked for a smaller bottle of water so he could take his pills.
“If you can’t afford to pay, you’ll have to go!” The cashier shouted. “I can go?” He grinned and turned to go, but the cashier sprang across the counter and grabbed the water bottle from him. “Just get out, old man!” she demanded. “You’re way too much trouble!” “Yeah, get lost, old fart!” A woman standing in the midst of the line exclaimed. The old guy pleaded that he take his pills, but his pleadings went unheard. Brandon had had enough. He marched to the cashier and volunteered to pay for the elderly man.
“Have a heart, lady,” he murmured before emptying his cup on the counter. Before counting the money, the woman glanced at him with contempt. “That’ll cover it,” she responded, collecting all of his money, including the final $2. “Now, stand away. “You are holding the line.” Brandon left his can of beans on the counter as he offered the older guy the water. “Here you go, Sir. “I got you water,” he said slowly and clearly, making sure the man could see his face in case he needed to lip-read. The man thanked him. They exited the store together, and Brandon started for his tent on the bare patch of land next to the station, but the man stopped him.
“Wait!” Brandon turned around.”Why did you help me when you obviously needed the money?” said the older guy, noting Brandon’s tent and his eldest daughter washing her two siblings in a bucket. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being homeless, sir,” replied Brandon, “it’s that the world functions best when people are nice to one another. Unfortunately, nobody was going to aid you at the store.” “But what will your kids eat?” “I noticed you left the beans on the counter.” “We have the last of yesterday’s bread, and there’s a good chance I’ll find some scraps at that fast food joint across the street,” Brandon said. “We’ll get by.”
The man walked away with a frown. Brandon noticed he got into a shining SUV and pondered how a man like him could not purchase a bottle of water. The next day, while Brandon was splitting cold fries among his three children, a silver vehicle drove up to his tent. A man in a beautiful suit stepped out and approached him. “Good morning, sir. Mr. Grives’s last wish was for me to give this to you,” he added, holding out an envelope. Brandon cleaned his hands, then took it. There was a letter inside.
“Dear sir, Yesterday, you demonstrated your good character by spending your last few bucks on a bottle of water for me. Your kindness and belief in doing good for others has inspired me to reciprocate your generosity with the best present I can give you: my business. My time on this earth is coming to an end. I’ve recently become concerned about leaving my business to my son, as I’ve discovered that he is a greedy, entitled man with a heart of stone. It would tremendously relieve my conscience if you inherited the company instead. All I want is that you take care of my son and allow him to continue living a safe and comfortable life.
However, I have to warn you that my son will not readily accept my decision. In reality, he will likely try everything in his power to seize control of the company. You’ll need to be on your alert.” “Is this some kind of joke?” Brandon looked up at the man. The man produced a stack of printed paper and a pen. “Mr. Grives was very serious. And after you sign these documents, it will be official. You will inherit his firm as well as other personal belongings.”
“But I just met this guy yesterday. And now he’s gone, leaving me with everything? Brandon inquired as he reviewed the paperwork. He was no stranger to legalese, having run several small enterprises before falling on hard times. “I understand your fears, sir, but these documents were prepared by the best lawyers. Mr. Grives was very clear in his intentions. All we need to do is enter your name, and the attorneys will handle the rest.” Brandon signed the forms because he saw it as an opportunity to establish a better life for his children. The man then drove him and the children to their new home.
Brandon looked up at the enormous colonial-style estate at the top of the driveway as they approached. “Can we put up a tent under that tree with pink flowers?” tiny Derrick inquired. “We are going to live in that house, foolish! “Right, Dad?” Kelly asked. Brandon nodded, though he couldn’t believe it himself. But as soon as he pushed the double doors open, he realized something was amiss. The house was in disarray—a table lay on its side in the hallway, a painting was impaled on the railing, and a wardrobe had collapsed over.
Brandon threw the baggage on the top step, sprinted after the car, and told the driver to dial 911. A few hours later, he stood among ripped sofas and damaged furniture, conversing with cops. “We’ve examined the entire perimeter of the house and found no sign of forced entry, sir,” the law enforcement official added. “This, combined with the fact that the security system appears to have been overridden using the correct code, suggests that whoever vandalized this place had a legitimate means of gaining entry.”
“Like a key?” You’re telling me that the perpetrator just walked in here?” “I’d suggest you change the locks, sir,” the officer said, nodding. “Whoever did this was looking for something and got very angry when they didn’t find it.” As the cops drove away, Brandon assumed the elderly man’s son was behind everything.The following day, Mr. Grives’ secretary arrived early. She took Brandon shopping and had him cleaned up at a barbershop before taking him to work. Brandon was ready to browse through the computer data in Mr. Grives’ former office when the doors burst open.
“You must be Brandon!” A middle-aged man wearing a dark suit entered the office and closed the door behind him. “I’m Christopher, one of Mr. Grives’s former business partners, and I’m here to save you from a whole heap of trouble.” “I apologize?” What’s the trouble?” Brandon asked. Christopher smiled and stated that he managed sales for one of Mr. Grives”specific’ enterprises. Brandon soon realized it was something illegal. He refused to continue such services, but Christopher would have none of it.
“Listen up, moron!” Grives owes me $2 million for conducting his unlawful business! “You are now liable for that debt,” he hissed. “If you don’t pay, I’ll go to the police and tell them everything. Furthermore, as the company’s owner, you will be responsible for any damages or legal implications. So I’ll be anticipating my $2 million by Saturday. Or you can give me full ownership of the company.””What? This is extortion. “You cannot be serious!” Brandon replied.
“Yes, it is. “And just in case you think I’m not that serious…” Christopher slid aside his suit jacket and rested his hand on the buttstock of a revolver holstered by his side. “If you cross me, Brandon, you will disappear.” “The police won’t even find enough of you to identify the body.” Brandon said nothing and accepted Christopher’s demands. But he worried if Christopher was deceiving him. So Brandon looked for any signs of this illegal side of the firm, but no files or data on the computer provided the answers he needed.
Brandon was confident Christopher was lying after checking data from all other departments that evening. But then he noticed the filing cabinet, hidden into a corner of the room. Brandon unlocked it with the keys he discovered on his desk earlier. The first thing he noticed was an old-fashioned file box hidden within the drawer. Brandon understood Christopher wasn’t lying when he saw the ledger inside, which had entries scribbled in some kind of shorthand. In despair, he opened a drawer in search of drink, believing that wealthy businessmen would have pricey bottles of scotch on hand, but only discovered a snapshot.
Mr. Grives was pictured standing with a younger man. Brandon’s eyes bulged with dread as he realized how identical they appeared. The young man was Christopher, Mr. Grives’ son! Things began to make sense to Brandon. He couldn’t believe that a kind man like Mr. Grives would engage in illicit business methods. Brandon reasoned that Christopher was most likely blackmailing him through his own nefarious dealings.
A stroke of luck and a tragic twist that threatened to ruin everything – everything was unfolding far too quickly. Fortunately, Brandon was not new with the whirlwinds of the business world; he had prior experience in entrepreneurship before everything went wrong and he ended up on the streets. Brandon met Christopher in the subterranean parking lot on Saturday morning, but he brought a counteroffer.
“I’ve got to keep my word to your old man,” Brandon continued, “so I’ll give you 49 percent of the company and keep the other 51 percent.” That will be sufficient for you to live lavishly, correct? And I’ll keep the right to handle the company as your father intended.” Christopher declined. “I’m no fool!” I deserved it all, not just a token! Let us chat when you come to your senses!” He snarled and left. Brandon headed back into the office. He resolved to pay Christopher $2 million and be done with it, but discovered that the company’s money was either tied up in assets or allocated to monthly expenses. Brandon was helpless.
He returned home depressed, only to find that he was in for more problems. As he unlocked the front door, he discovered his children’s nanny bound to a chair and gagged. “He took the children! He said, “This should be your wake-up call!” She screamed as he rescued her, and Brandon recognized who she was talking about. Brandon called Christopher and agreed to hand up the firm, imploring him not to harm the children. They planned to meet at noon. But Brandon also phoned the police, and within half an hour, he was sitting with an FBI agent.
“Just follow my instructions, and we’ll have your kids back…” Agent Bates reassured him. That afternoon, Christopher was relaxing by the pool of a hotel he had hired out. He had put Brandon’s children in a closet and fired all hotel employees save the manager, whom he had generously compensated. When there were only five minutes till the deadline and he hadn’t heard from Brandon, Christopher lost his temper. He intended to drown one of the children in the pool and email the footage to Brandon. “Excuse me, sir,” the manager interrupted. “You have a package.”
Christopher grinned as he checked the envelope, forgetting about his wrath. He walked to his room and signed the documents he discovered inside the envelope. Finally, he owned the company! Then he released Brandon’s children. “I’m confident a group of ragamuffins like you three can find their way. “Now get lost!” Christopher completed getting ready and headed to the mirror to adjust his tie, elated with his success. He suddenly heard a click behind him. Despite its softness, Christopher instinctively recognized the sound of a gun’s safety selector.
“FBI! Put your hands in the air and get on your knees! “You’re being arrested.” Christopher surrendered. Meanwhile, Brandon kept his children close on the walkway. Christopher was apprehended as a result of Agent Bates’ suggestion to include a tracker in his documents. “You will file for bankruptcy before the end of the month! And you will pay fines until you die!” Christopher yelled as he was escorted into a police car. Brandon took the children home, determined to make things right. When the FBI’s fraud section arrived with a warrant, he turned over the evidence—the copy of the company’s records and the ledger he discovered in his office—knowing that at the end of the inquiry, he wouldn’t have a penny to his name. But he would be free.
“Daddy, are we going to leave our home again…just like we did when Mommy died?” Kelly asked him once the agents had left. Brandon went down on one knee and hugged his children. “Listen, you three, there are a lot of specifics that need to be worked out, but we’ll be OK. “You want to know why?” Kelly, Derrick, and Sam, his middle child, all looked at him intently and nodded. “It’s because the most valuable item we own is right here, in my arms. As long as we stick together, we will always be wealthy in the most important way: love. The world’s wealth comes and goes, children, but the love we have for one another is a treasure that no one can take away.”