Chapter 7
Richard was speechless. His face turned a violent shade of red, then white, then red again.
Aunt Cheryl, ever the shrieking voice of chaos, jumped in to break the silence.
“Still! Doesn’t matter what they did–you don’t lay your hands on people! Violence is never the answer!”
I scoffed.
“Oh, really? You mean like how you all stormed in here swinging golf clubs like a mob?”
“Interesting how the Whitmores can act out but everyone else is expected to sit quietly and take it.”
Vanessa snarled and jabbed a finger in my face. “You think you’re something? You lived off our family for years, and now you’re standing here acting all high and mighty?!”
I slapped her hand away,
hard.
“I earned every damn cent I made,” I said coldly.
“You all know who’s been keeping this company running these past few years.”
“Without me? You would’ve been wiped out by your competitors a long time ago.”
They scoffed and called me delusional.
So I pulled out my phone.
One group text. Sent.
A few minutes later, Richard’s phone buzzed. Then again. And again.
He checked the screen, and his face drained of color.
Dozens of messages popped up–every one of them from major clients.
Termination notices. Cold, direct, and final.
“This… this isn’t possible…”
He stared at the phone like it had betrayed him. His fingers trembled so hard, he nearly shattered the screen.
Vanessa snatched the phone and skimmed through the messages.
Her face turned to ash.
The room went dead silent.
Margaret collapsed onto the couch, her manicured nails digging into her palms as she finally realized the truth.
The company’s success all these years hadn’t come from the Whitmores.
It had come from me.
“Anna…” Richard choked, staggering forward.
Then he dropped to his knees literally.
“I was wrong,” he rasped. “Please… you’ve done so much for this family. Can you talk to them? Ask them not to pull out.” “Please, Anna. I’m begging you.”
I looked down at him–this once–arrogant man with his forehead pressed to the floor–like I was watching a tragic comedy. I’d used every resource my grandfather ever gave me to secure high–value, long–term contracts for Whitmore Enterprises.
Chapter 7
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And this was how they repaid me?
Like I was disposable?
Nathan, who hadn’t seen the messages, rushed to his father’s side in disbelief.
“Dad, what are you doing?! She beat me and Valerie, and you’re begging her?!”
Richard snapped. He roared and slapped Nathan across the face–hard.
“Shut the hell up!”
Do you even realize what you’ve done?! Because of you, a dozen clients pulled out!”
“If this thing gets out tomorrow, we’re done! The whole company is finished!”
The slap landed with such force that Nathan stumbled backward, crashing into the coffee table.
Blood poured from his mouth as a tooth clattered to the ground with a sickening plink.
He curled into the corner, holding his face, looking at his father in utter shock.
Valerie, realizing the tides had turned, tried to crawl toward the door–slowly, silently.
But Richard saw her.
He grabbed the golf club he’d brought and swung it like a bat, cracking it down across her back.
Thud.
Valerie’s scream pierced the air.
Again. And again. Her robe turned red in seconds. Ribs splintered. Bits of white bone jutted through broken skin like jagged fangs. Vanessa marched up and kicked her in the face, her heel landing squarely on her already swollen nose.
Blood and mucus exploded across the floor.
“Still pretending to be the victim?” she sneered.
Vanessa yanked Valerie’s hair and slammed her face into the blood–soaked floor.
“Where’s all that sweet little act now, huh? Come on, say something!”
“Didn’t you love flirting with my cousin? Didn’t you love playing the innocent mistress?”
Valorie spasmed like a dying fish, her designer hair now drenched in blood, her once alluring eyes wide with terror.
She reached out a trembling hand toward Nathan, like he might save her.
But Margaret was laster
She stomped her high heel straight down–crushing Valerie’s fingers beneath it
“Filthy little snake,” she spat, face twisted with rage
“You tricked my son. You destroyed my family. *
Cluster 7
