Every tale of greed begins with a choice — a single moment when love could have triumphed, but selfishness takes its place. For Aaron Whitmore, heir to one of Texas’s grandest fortunes, that moment came on a golden afternoon by the sea.
The ocean shimmered under a pale sky, the cliffs rising sharply from the restless water below. From a distance, the sight seemed tender — a devoted son wheeling his elderly, disabled mother toward the shore for fresh air. But behind that peaceful scene hid a sinister truth.
Helen Whitmore, once the formidable matriarch of the Whitmore real estate dynasty, had spent the last five years confined to a wheelchair after a devastating accident. Once admired as “the Iron Lady of Austin,” she was now fragile and dependent — and in Aaron’s eyes, an obstacle standing between him and total control.
When his father died, Aaron inherited the company’s leadership but not full ownership. Helen still held the majority shares, and her steady hand kept him from reckless ventures. Her insistence on caution infuriated him. To her, it was wisdom. To him, it was control.
And so, on that quiet afternoon, Aaron brought his mother to the cliffs once more — but not for the view.
“Let me fix your blanket, Mom,” he said gently, masking the tremor in his voice.
Helen smiled, unaware of the darkness in his heart. “You’ve always been a good son, Aaron. Your father would be proud.”
Her words pierced him. He hesitated — but only for a breath. Then, with one final push, he sent the wheelchair rolling forward.
The cry that escaped her lips vanished into the wind. The sea roared below, indifferent to her fall.
Behind him, Max, her loyal golden retriever, barked desperately — howling into the empty horizon as the only witness to the unthinkable.
Aaron stood trembling at the edge, his hands shaking, before whispering the lie that would define the rest of his life: “It’s done.”