The next morning, James returned with a bag of coffee beans. “Thought we could have some coffee before dealing with this,” he said, setting it on the counter.
After we finished, James glanced at his watch. “It’s time,” he said, pulling out his phone. “Let’s call Brian.”
As the phone rang, I could feel my anxiety building. When Brian answered, his tone was as arrogant as ever. “What now?” he said impatiently.
“Brian, we need to talk,” James replied calmly. “I want you to understand the situation clearly.”
Brian scoffed. “I know exactly where I stand.”
“No, I don’t think you do,” James said, his voice steady. “You’re suing your mother for her house, but you haven’t considered the consequences of your actions.”
There was a pause on the other end. Brian was caught off guard. “What are you talking about?”
James didn’t miss a beat. “After your father passed, you took his car, watches, and cash, and sold them without permission. That’s theft, Brian. There are witnesses who saw it happen.”
I heard Brian’s breath catch. His confidence was fading.
“You could face serious legal trouble,” James continued. “If you pursue this lawsuit, everything will come to light. Are you willing to risk that?”
There was a long silence. I could almost hear Brian struggling to process what he’d just heard.
“So… what do you want me to do?” Brian finally asked, his voice quieter.
“Drop the lawsuit,” James said firmly. “Walk away now, and we won’t take any further action. But if you push forward, you’ll lose more than just this case.”
I held my breath as the silence stretched. Then, finally, Brian muttered, “Fine. I’ll drop it.”
James hung up, and I let out a sigh of relief. “You handled that perfectly,” I said, still in awe.
James smiled and stood up to refill his coffee. “Sometimes, the truth is all you need.”
Watching him, I realized that karma had worked in the most unexpected way—not through anger or revenge, but through the truth. Brian had been stopped in his tracks, and that was all that mattered.