**Chapter 8**
“Cassandra, you’ve worked hard holding shares for Dad these past few months. Now it’s time to return them,” Julian smiled gently at me. Blair and Eleanor Davies nodded in agreement.
“Don’t drag your feet! The shares you hold rightfully belong to Dad, they should have been returned to us long ago!” Blair couldn’t hold back, glaring at me through gritted teeth.
“Are you dreaming in broad daylight?” I covered my mouth, feigning a small gasp, making sure everyone present heard me. “I bought those shares with my own hard–earned money, and the cash was transferred to Dad’s account on the spot. Just because you blew through it, you’re not going to acknowledge it?”
It was a weekday, and the company entrance was crowded with onlookers, many of whom were shareholders who had been present that day. Seeing this spectacle, they shook their heads and sighed.
“Cassandra transferred the money to old Mr. Davies right then and there. Why are they causing a scene now?”
“I said from the start that old Mr. Davies shouldn’t have gotten remarried! Now look, he’s paralyzed, and his second wife brings her whole family to bully his eldest daughter. How low can people sink!”
Eleanor Davies heard that and wasn’t happy. “What do you mean ‘bully her‘? Cassandra is part of our Davies family! Now the family’s having financial issues, what’s wrong with asking her to contribute some money?”
I pouted, gesturing for the security guards to escort them away. “Who’s part of your Davies family? My mom died long ago. Don’t bother trying to claim kinship with me.”
My dad sat slumped in his wheelchair, his face contorted, eyes askew. His cloudy eyes were filled with sorrow and pleading.
He uttered a few garbled sounds. I could tell he wanted me to hand over the shares to Blair and Julian to pay off their debts.
But I simply turned my head, no longer looking at him, my voice tinged with sadness. “You didn’t even renew the lease on my mom’s grave. What right do you have to be my father? Don’t worry, I’ll still cover your medical expenses, As for anything else, don’t even think about it.”
Julian had dragged my dad from his hospital bed purely for emotional blackmail. They thought that seeing a paralyzed old man, I would dutifully obey and hand over the shares.
Seeing that tactic fail, Julian sneered, pulling a gold ring from his pocket. My face instantly changed.
He actually hadn’t sold that ring!
Of course, he wouldn’t keep it because he loved me so much
A subtle smile played on Julian’s face, as if he had finally found my weakness. He mused for a moment, then raised his chin towards me.
“Crawl over here and lick my shoes clean!” His words caused an uproar among the crowd. No one would have expected this seemingly gentle and refined man to humiliate his ex–wife like this.
I narrowed my eyes, my gaze flicking across his face. Suddenly, my knees bent a few inches.
Just as he showed a satisfied expression, thinking I was about to give in, I surged forward, launching myself at him with all my might. One slap knocked the ring from his hand, and another smacked him hard across the face.
Kind–hearted bystanders helped me retrieve the ring. I clutched it tightly in my palm and spat at Julian.
His face contorted. To suffer such humiliation in front of so many people–normally, he would retaliate fiercely.
But now, he had no power, no influence, and a group of security guards watched him menacingly. He could only grit his teeth and swallow his
rage.
The group slunk away. I quickly finished my business and returned to the research institute.
Fortunately, the security at the institute was robust. If I had been outside, I would have worried they might resort to desperate measures against me.
Indeed, desperate people do desperate things.
