5
Sensing my father’s distrust, my mother’s panic escalated.
Mrs. Gable, the head housekeeper, returned quickly with a stack of documents and four or five burner phones. My father immediately summoned the head of the company’s finance department.
The finance head quickly scanned the documents, then leaned in and whispered something in my father’s ear.
My father erupted. “This is outrageous! Absolutely lawless!”
Everyone froze, too terrified to even breathe. My mother, in particular, was trembling uncontrollably. The financial statements revealed a capital deficit of three hundred million dollars.
My father shot to his feet. “Tell me! Who did this?” he roared.
I pretended to be scared, but my mind was working.
Mom is definitely going to frame me. Should I defend myself? What if Dad doesn’t believe me?
Sure enough, after a moment of panicked scrambling, my mother pointed a finger at me, her voice sharp and accusatory. “Darling, Claire has been sneaking out a lot lately, who knows what she’s been up to. She must have been the one who took the money! You’ve always spoiled her too much! And now look, she has the audacity to steal from the company!”
Then she glared at me. “Tell your father the truth right now! What did you spend all that money on?”
“I didn’t. It wasn’t me…” I whimpered.
My mother, enraged by my denial, lunged forward and slapped me hard across the face.
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The force of it sent a coppery taste of blood into my mouth. I stumbled back and fell to the floor, staring at her in disbelief.
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“How could I have given birth to a daughter like you? You’ve gotten bold, haven’t you, stealing from your own family’s company!”
In my last life, everyone else was so deceived that they believed whatever she said without question. They were all convinced I had been spoiled rotten. My father, utterly disappointed, had grounded me, confiscated my belongings, and frozen all my bank accounts. That was how she and Isabelle had planted the seeds of doubt in his heart.
I looked at her now, my eyes blurry with tears, feigning speechlessness. “It wasn’t me, Mom…” I choked out.
As she raised her hand to strike me again, my father caught her wrist.
“Enough! What in God’s name are you doing?”
My mother, misreading the situation, probably thought he was just trying to save face in front of the staff. She had no idea he was actually worried about me.
I discreetly shuffled back a few steps.
Isabelle saw her chance and jumped in to fan the flames. “Aunt Eleanor, I’m sure Claire didn’t mean it. With that much money… do you think she was scammed by someone?”
My father turried to her, his eyes blazing. “This is a matter for the Sterling Group. What right does an outsider like you have to speak? And another thing–those designer bags and jewelry of yours must be quite expensive, Where did you get the money for them?”
Isabelle was rendered speechless, her lips pressed into a thin, tight line.
My father threw the stack of documents at my mother’s face. “Look at what you’ve done! One day, I will settle this account with you!”
He ordered a complete audit of the company’s finances. Until the results were in, my mother was banned from the company and all her assets were frozen
That evening, as I passed Isabelle’s room. I heard hushed voices.
“Mom, are you sure about this? David doesn’t
Chapter 2
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“Mom, are you sure about this? David doesn’t seem approachable at all. How am I supposed to win him over?” Isabelle complained.
My mother was dabbing ointment on her bruises, making her hiss in pain. “How should I know? The boy always seemed so gentle. I never thought
he’d be so completely bewitched by that little vixen, Claire.”
We were both her daughters, yet she called me a vixen. It was clear just how much she hated me, and this entire family.
