THE PRICE OF inHERitance

The Inheritance

Elliot's confusion deepened. "But... what does that have to do with me?"

Robert leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as if he were about to reveal a long-kept secret. "That's what we need to discuss, Elliot. Vivian and I have been thinking about this for a long time. We can't let the Greenhill fortune slip away to one of your cousins, or worse, to someone outside the family. But there is a way for us to secure it."

Elliot's heart began to race. "What are you saying?"

Vivian stepped closer to the desk, her eyes locking onto Elliot's. "What your father is trying to say, Elliot, is that we need you to become the girl who inherits Aunt Eleanor's fortune."

Elliot stared at them, his mind struggling to process the words. "What? You want me to... become a girl? That's insane!"

Robert held up a hand, his voice steady. "Listen to me, Elliot. This isn't permanent. It's just a temporary measure to ensure that the inheritance stays within the family. Once Aunt Eleanor signs over the fortune, you can go back to being yourself. No one will ever know."

Elliot felt as if the ground had fallen out from under him. "You can't be serious! You want me to pretend to be a girl just for money? That's... that's insane!"

"It's the only way," Robert said firmly. "Aunt Eleanor isn't going to change her mind, and we can't afford to let this opportunity slip away. This is about the future of the Greenhill family, Elliot. It's about securing the legacy for future generations."

Vivian crossed her arms, her gaze cold. "We've already spoken to specialists. There are doctors who can help with the transformation, and it won't be permanent. It will be just long enough for Aunt Eleanor to pass the inheritance to you."

Elliot shook his head, disbelief and anger swirling inside him. "This is insane! You're asking me to give up everything I am for money! I won't do it!"

Robert's expression hardened. "You don't have a choice, Elliot. If you refuse, we lose everything. Do you understand that? Everything."

Elliot's heart pounded in his chest. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His father, the man he had always respected, was willing to sacrifice his identity, his life, for the sake of money.

"I need time to think," Elliot said, his voice shaky.

Robert nodded. "Take the night. We'll discuss it again in the morning."

Elliot stood and left the study, his mind reeling. As he walked down the hallway, he felt like he was trapped in a nightmare. The walls of the mansion seemed to close in on him, suffocating him with the weight of his family's expectations.

He made his way to the bedroom he shared with his wife, Clara. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading, but she looked up when she saw the expression on his face.

"Elliot?" she asked, setting the book aside. "What's wrong?"

Elliot sat down heavily on the bed, running a hand through his hair. "You're not going to believe this," he muttered. And then he told her everything—about Aunt Eleanor's inheritance, about his father and Vivian's plan, about how they wanted him to become a girl to secure the family fortune.

Clara's eyes widened as he spoke, disbelief etched across her face. When he finished, she sat in stunned silence for a moment before shaking her head.

"This is insane," she said, echoing his own thoughts. "They can't seriously expect you to do this."

Elliot sighed. "They do. My father says it's the only way. If I don't do it, we lose everything."

Clara frowned, biting her lip. "But... isn't there another option? What about Lizzie?"

Elliot blinked, confused. "Lizzie?"

"Yes, your sister. She's still part of the family, even if she's not from your father's side. Couldn't she be the one to inherit?"

Lizzie was Elliot's half-sister from his mother's first marriage. She had always been distant, having lived abroad with her father for most of her life. While they shared the same mother, Lizzie had never been considered a true part of the Greenhill legacy by his father.

"My father would never consider Lizzie," Elliot said, shaking his head. "He doesn't see her as part of the family. And besides, Aunt Eleanor barely knows her."

Clara sighed, frustration evident on her face. "This is absurd, Elliot. You can't let them force you into this."

Elliot leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes. "I don't know what to do, Clara. I don't want to lose everything, but... this is my life we're talking about."

Clara placed a hand on his arm, her touch gentle but firm. "We'll figure it out. You don't have to do this. There has to be another way."

But as Elliot lay there, staring up at the ceiling, he couldn't shake the feeling that his life was spiraling out of control. The weight of his family's expectations, the pressure to secure the Greenhill legacy—it was all becoming too much. And for the first time in his life, he felt truly powerless.