Chapter 8 - Severing the Lifeline
That night, after tucking all three kids into their warm beds and making sure Jacob had his favorite stuffed bear, Thomas went down to his home office.
He didn't sleep. Instead, he brewed a pot of black coffee, sat down at his computer, and opened his financial spreadsheets.
For nearly a decade, Thomas had managed Robert and Helen’s finances through an automatic payment dashboard linked to his business bank account. He pulled up the master list.
- **Mortgage on 1422 Elmwood Drive:** $2,850/month (Auto-drafted on the 1st).
- **Property Taxes & Homeowners Insurance:** $620/month.
- **Xcel Energy (Gas & Electric):** Average $380/month.
- **Denver Water & Sewer:** $140/month.
- **Comcast Premium Cable & Gigabit Internet:** $260/month (Helen insisted on having every movie channel).
- **Lexus RX350 Lease Payment (Helen's car):** $740/month.
- **Ford F-150 Loan Payment (Robert's truck):** $680/month.
- **Walgreens Specialty Prescription Delivery:** Average $450/month.
- **Whole Foods Delivery Subscription:** $1,200/month.
Total monthly outlay: Over **$7,300**.
Eighty-seven thousand dollars a year. Over the course of eight years, Thomas had quietly handed his parents nearly seven hundred thousand dollars of post-tax money. And in return, they had treated his children like indentured servants and publicly branded him an incompetent failure.
Thomas clicked on the first tab: *Lakewood First National Bank - Mortgage Services.*
He entered the administrative portal, unlinked his business checking account, and changed the primary billing address to Robert Mitchell’s personal email. Then, he drafted a formal letter of payment revocation, digitally signed it, and sent a copy to the bank’s loan officer.
Next was the automotive leasing agency. He revoked the recurring ACH transfers for both vehicles.
Then came the utilities. He removed his credit card from Xcel Energy, the water board, and the telecom provider.
Finally, he called the specialty pharmacy in Lakewood that handled Robert’s heart and cholesterol medications.
"Lakewood Pharmacy, how can I help you?"
"Hi, my name is Thomas Mitchell. I'm calling regarding account number 8841 under Robert Mitchell."
"Yes, Mr. Mitchell, we have your corporate card on file for recurring refills."
"Remove the card immediately. Do not process any future orders against that card. Any future prescriptions must be paid out-of-pocket by the primary cardholder upon pickup."
"Understood, sir. The card has been removed."
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By 2:30 AM, Thomas had severed every single financial tether that connected his hard-earned success to his parents' ungrateful lives. For the first time in fifteen years, his shoulders felt light.
He closed the laptop, went upstairs, and slept peacefully until sunrise.
