Dual Persona

The lawyer pressed on. "There are more conditions. The second condition: Mr. Han stipulated that his children must take positions on the board of directors of Orion Charitable Trust. You must work together and raise at least 100 billion KRW for the trust fund before the anniversary. It doesn't matter how the money is gathered, but no portion of the funds can come from Mr. Han's estate."

"Wait, what?" Seo Eun-ji-'s voice was sharp, incredulous. "100 billion won is no by means a small amount. If it is bringing investments into the company, yeah, it is possible with rigorous business techniques but bringing such money into charity is next to impossible."

The lawyer sighed, continuing with the list. "That's up to you, ma'am. The third condition: Every month, the family must host a dinner. All of Mr. Han's children and grandchildren must attend. There must be at least one dinner per month, and you cannot miss more than six of these dinners. Anyone who misses more than six dinners will have their inheritance revoked, and it will be donated to the government's treasury."

Tae-jin's mind raced. A family dinner every month? With all the grandchildren? The logistics of it seemed... impossible. And what about his eldest brother? For him, it looked as if his dad made it impossible for the eldest to receive the inheritance. That means 2 trillion won will be going into charity? That's even more absurd to think about. Even Ji-hyun had a similar thought process. They decided to look for their eldest brother's family and bring them back home no matter where they were hiding. The best way is to contact embassies and look for a missing family member, pouring down millions.

"And the final condition," the lawyer said, his voice steady but carrying an undeniable weight, "is that every two months, all of the children and their families must go on a three-day vacation together. There will be six vacations in total. To qualify for the inheritance, each family must attend at least four of them. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the inheritance being revoked."

Seo Eun-ji shook her head. "You can't be serious. A 3-day vacation every two months? That's crazy. Do you know how hard it is even for us to align our schedule? A joint family dinner could be arranged, but a vacation…"

The lawyer remained stoic, his tone unchanging. "There's more. Each family member will be provided an American Express Centurion credit card once you move in. You can spend as much as you like and pay it back with your own money, provided that under any monthly bill, the outstanding balance doesn't cross 100 billion KRW (~70 million USD). At the end of the year, the family member with the least total spending will inherit the estate valued at 750 billion KRW (520 million USD)."

Seol-ah narrowed her eyes, feeling her pulse quicken. "Wait, so... if we're the most frugal, we get the house?"

"Yes," the lawyer confirmed. "However, if the outstanding balance crosses 100 billion won, even once, your credit card will be suspended. And if everyone's card is suspended, the estate will be sold at auction, and the money will be transferred to the government's treasury."

The family exchanged uneasy looks, some faces pale, others incredulous. The stakes were rising, and they were only just beginning to understand the magnitude of this challenge.

Sungjun took a deep breath as he analyzed every part of the will in his mind. "Now, I get it. The will isn't about splitting his property but about bringing his children together. I guess over the course of years, as everyone went in their paths, there shouldn't have been much talk between my brothers or Saeri-noona. Anyway, it doesn't matter as long as I'm here. I hate you, Dad, but I will fulfill your wish."

The lawyer cleared his throat again as if preparing for the final blow. "Lastly, at the end of the one-year anniversary, the remaining 32.67% worth of shares (roughly 12 trillion won) in the Orion Group will be distributed equally among the children who satisfy all of these conditions."

"Wait a minute," Tae-jin muttered, "You're telling us we have to live by all these rules, and if we fail even one? Everything goes to the government?"

The lawyer nodded. "Correct."

"That old man is crazy. Does he want to give away his inheritance to just the government treasury or something," Ji-hyun complained, his face turning ugly. Of course, the temptation of billions of dollars is naturally there, but it wasn't like they were receiving any charity. It belongs to their dad, and it is their birthright to receive the inheritance anyway. However, the fact that they had to make personal sacrifices and compromise a lot to fulfill those conditions took a heavy toll on his mind.

The room felt colder now, as the reality set in. The conditions were impossible, extreme. It was as though Han Dong Hyun, even in death, wanted to trouble them.

Meanwhile, Sungjun closed his eyes briefly, trying to steady his thoughts. He was tempted to abduct this lawyer and destroy the will entirely, forcing the court to just distribute equally without needing to impose any of those stupid conditions.

The lawyer, seemingly done, packed away the will and turned to leave. "Please, take the time you need to consider everything. Remember, the clock starts now. You have three days to move into the estate."

And with that, he left the room, leaving a tense silence in his wake.

*

Kim Seol-ah, the second daughter-in-law of the billionaire, broke the silence with a sharp tone, her voice filled with disbelief. "Unfair," she muttered, her gaze fixed on the empty space ahead. "Jae-soo-nim hasn't even been here for thirty years, and he gets the largest share? How is that fair?"

Her words cut through the tension, and everyone's attention shifted toward her. Tae-jin, sitting beside her, leaned back in his chair with a sigh.

"You know how it is," he said matter-of-factly. "Hyung has always been Dad's favorite. This isn't anything surprising. Sad, yes, but it is the truth."

Seol Ah scoffed, clearly not satisfied with the answer. "Yeobo, that's not the point. He wasn't here when Dad needed him. We have been here, helping father-in-law with everything—why should he get the lion's share?"

Seo Eun Ji chimed in with a more calculated response. "The truth is, we've all contributed. Tae-jin and I have been the ones helping the most with Father-in-law's health and managing his daily affairs."

Tae-jin shot back sharply, his face flushed with annoyance. "Eun-ji-ssi, this isn't something for you ladies to get involved with," he said, looking directly at his wife. "This is a matter for the siblings to settle."

Ji Hyun, who had been silent, couldn't let his brother's words slide. He stood up abruptly, his voice rising. "What do you mean, 'for the ladies' to get involved with? Hyung, this is her family too! Don't talk down to my wife like that."

The tension in the room escalated quickly. A storm was brewing, and everyone seemed on edge. The power struggle over money was one thing—but now, the anger and frustration were boiling over into hurtful words.

"Enough!" Sae-ri's voice cut through the growing argument, sharp and commanding. She stood up, eyes flashing as she silenced the room with her authority. "Kids, go upstairs right now."