Chapter 1: The Prodigal Son Returns

The sky over New York City was a gloomy grey, matching the somber mood at the funeral home in Queens. Luke Miller stood before the casket, his head bowed. He hadn’t seen his mother, Susan Miller, in fifteen years. He had run away to marry his college sweetheart, Lily Evans, against his mother’s wishes. Now, he was back to pay his final respects, believing his mother had died a poor, lonely woman.

But the peace was shattered by the screeching voice of his mother-in-law, Brenda Evans.

“Luke! What is this garbage?” Brenda stormed in, wearing a bright red dress—completely inappropriate for a funeral. Behind her trailed Luke’s wife, Lily, and his lazy brother-in-law, Brad.

“It’s my mother’s funeral, Brenda. Please, show some respect,” Luke said quietly.

“Respect? You spent your entire savings on a funeral for a woman who didn’t even raise you?” Brenda scoffed. “Brad needs a down payment for his new condo! You took that money from our family account!”

“That was my salary, Brenda. I worked three jobs for that money,” Luke replied, his fists clenching.

“Your money is our money!” Brad chimed in, chewing gum loudly. “I’m the Vice President of Sales at Apex Corp now. I need to look the part. You’re just a nobody, Luke. You should be grateful we let you marry Lily.”

Chapter 2: The Cruel Demand

Lily, Luke’s wife of three years, stepped forward. She didn’t look sad for her husband; she looked annoyed.

“Luke, Mom is right,” Lily said coldly. “You spent $50,000 on this funeral. We need that money back. Mom did the math. You owe us for the three years you lived in our basement.”

“And,” Brenda interrupted, pulling out a piece of paper. “Lily is pregnant. If you want to keep this baby and stay married, you need to sign this.”

It was an IOU. For three million dollars.

“Three million?” Luke gasped. “I don’t have that kind of money!”

“Then sell the grave plot!” Brenda pointed to the deed in Luke’s hand. “This cemetery plot in Long Island is worth a fortune. Sell it, give us the cash, and dump your mother’s ashes in the river. She’s dead; she won’t know the difference.”

“No,” Luke said firmly. “I will never sell my mother’s resting place.”

“Then we divorce!” Lily shouted. “And you’ll never see your child!”

Chapter 3: The Resurrection

Luke looked at his wife, heartbroken. “You would use our child to blackmail me? Over a grave?”

“Sign the paper, or get out!” Brenda screamed, raising her hand to slap him.

Creeeeaaak.

The sound of wood splintering echoed through the silent hall. Everyone froze. The lid of the casket began to slide open.

“G-G-Ghost!” Brad shrieked, hiding behind his mother.

A hand gripped the edge of the coffin. Susan Miller, looking very much alive and dressed in an impeccable Chanel suit, sat up. She adjusted her glasses and glared at the Evans family.

“That,” Susan said, her voice icy, “was the most disgusting display of greed I have ever witnessed.”

“Mom?” Luke fell to his knees. “You’re… alive?”

“I am, son,” Susan stepped out of the casket, helped by her chief of staff, Secretary Chen. “I wanted to see if your wife’s family truly loved you, or if they just loved your paycheck. Now I know.”

Chapter 4: The Shattered Heirlooms

Brenda recovered from her shock quickly. “Oh, look at this! She faked her death! Like mother, like son—both liars! You think scaring us will make us forget the money?”

“Money?” Susan laughed. She snapped her fingers. Secretary Chen brought forward a cart filled with gifts: a Ming Dynasty vase, a jade bracelet, and a painting by a famous master.

“I prepared these as gifts for my daughter-in-law,” Susan said. “But clearly, you don’t deserve them.”

“These?” Brenda grabbed the vase. “These look like cheap knockoffs from Chinatown! You probably bought them at a flea market to impress us.”

CRASH!

Brenda threw the vase onto the floor, shattering it into a thousand pieces.

“And this painting?” Brad grabbed the scroll and ripped it in half. “Fake! Just like your death!”

Lily took the jade bracelet—a family heirloom meant for the daughter-in-law—and sneered. “I don’t want your trash.” She threw it against the wall.

Luke watched in horror. “Stop! Those were gifts!”

“They were trash, Luke!” Brenda yelled. “Just like you! Now, sign the divorce papers. We are leaving.”

Chapter 5: The Chairman Arrives

Suddenly, the doors to the funeral home burst open again. A man in a suit ran in, sweating profusely. It was Mr. King, the General Manager of Apex Corp—Brad’s boss.

“Chairman Miller!” Mr. King yelled, rushing toward Susan. “I heard you were in New York! I came as fast as I could!”

Brad puffed out his chest. “Ah, Mr. King! You’re here to support me? This crazy old woman is harassing us.”

Mr. King’s face went pale. He slapped Brad across the face.

“Shut up, you idiot! Do you know who this is?” Mr. King pointed at Susan. “This is Susan Miller! The Founder and Chairwoman of Apex Corp! She owns the company you work for! She owns half of Manhattan!”

The room went dead silent. Brenda’s jaw dropped. Lily looked at Luke, then at Susan, her eyes widening in terror.

“Billionaire?” Brenda whispered. “Luke’s mother is… a billionaire?”

Chapter 6: The 1.5 Billion Dollar Mistake

Susan brushed dust off her shoulder. “Mr. King, calculate the damages.”

Secretary Chen stepped forward with a tablet. “The vase was from the Ming Dynasty, valued at $50 million. The painting was a genuine Van Gogh sketch, valued at $80 million. The jade bracelet was a royal artifact, priceless, but insured for $20 million. Total damages: approximately $150 million.”

“One… one hundred fifty million?” Brad fainted.

“You broke it, you bought it,” Susan said coldly. “Mr. King, call the police. I want them arrested for destruction of private property.”

“Wait! Mom! Mother-in-law!” Brenda threw herself at Susan’s feet. “It was a mistake! We didn’t know! We are family!”

“Family?” Susan looked down at her. “Ten minutes ago, you wanted to dump my ashes in a river.”

Luke stepped forward. He looked at Lily. “And the baby? Is that a lie too?”

Lily wept. “I… I’m not pregnant. Mom made me say it to get the money.”

Luke took off his wedding ring and dropped it on the floor. “We’re done. Secretary Chen, hand them the bill.”

Chapter 7: Justice Served

The police arrived moments later. As Brenda, Brad, and Lily were handcuffed and dragged away, screaming for mercy, Luke stood by his mother.

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Luke said. “I should have listened to you fifteen years ago.”

“It’s okay, Luke,” Susan smiled, patting his cheek. “You needed to see the truth for yourself. Now, dry your tears. You have a company to run.”

“Me?”

“Yes,” Susan turned to the crowd of employees who had gathered. “From this day forward, Luke Miller is the new CEO of Apex Corp.”

As the police cars drove away with the greedy in-laws, Luke got into his mother’s Rolls Royce. He had lost a toxic wife, but he had regained his mother and his future.

THE END