“Yeah, I need to discuss something with Mr. Moore. By the way, I’ve heard you’ve been doing exceptionally well with your recent cases. Quite impressive for someone your age,” Hector said, flashing a grin.
Hector and Whitney were rivals, and to complicate matters further, Hector’s wife was Samuel’s ex-wife.
Whitney merely smiled faintly, not wanting to engage in banter.
“Goodbye, Hector. I’m heading up now,” she said, dismissing him as she stepped onto the 22nd floor.
Once there, she quickly informed the staff of her purpose for being there.
The head secretary of the executive office had once been Laura, and a few familiar faces still lingered. Someone recognized Whitney and promptly escorted her to Samuel’s office.
“What are you doing here, Whit?” Samuel asked, surprise etched on his face.
Taking a deep breath, Whitney closed the door behind her and smiled. “Dad, I need to talk to you about something important.”
Samuel frowned, clearly irritated. He hated when Whitney showed up unannounced.
“Why can’t you just discuss this at home?” he grumbled, his tone sharp.
Unfazed by his irritation, Whitney pulled out a chair and sat down directly across from him. “I think it’s better if we talk here.”
Samuel set his pen down, his expression turning serious. “Alright, what’s going on?”
“I’ve broken up with Carter. Dad, you need to cancel those wedding invitations before this whole thing turns into a mess,” Whitney stated, her voice steady but laced with urgency.
“Whitney Moore, you better be joking right now. There’s no way I’m going to let you break up with Carter,” Samuel exploded, his voice laced with disbelief and anger.
Whitney simply shrugged, her demeanor unyielding and her voice steady. “What can I say, Dad? We’re already done.”
In an instant, Samuel sprang to his feet, his hand raised as if to strike her. The fury in his eyes was palpable, a storm brewing just beneath the surface.
But Whitney was quick, stepping back just in time to evade his reach. “Dad, once was more than enough. I’m not just going to stand here and let you hit me again.”
Samuel began to pace the room, his footsteps heavy with agitation. “Carter agreed to this? Our families have an engagement, Whitney! He can’t just walk away from it!”
Whitney shot back, her voice rising with indignation. “He doesn’t need to agree. This isn’t some archaic tradition. Don’t tell me you don’t understand what it means for me to have a choice in who I want to date.”
“Whitney, you better reconsider. If you truly go through with this breakup, you’ll be the one stuck paying for your grandma’s nursing home fees,” Samuel warned, his tone chillingly cold.
“That’s 160,000 dollars a year. Are you really prepared for that?” he added, his words dripping with menace.
A wave of fury coursed through Whitney. She thought bitterly to herself, *Is this really my dad? The same man who used to lift me high on the swings? He’s actually using Grandma’s nursing home costs to threaten me?*
“Dad, that’s your mother,” Whitney snapped, her voice firm. “You’re supposed to take care of her.”
Samuel maintained his composure, his expression hardened. “The Moore family is on the brink of bankruptcy. How do you expect me to afford a lavish nursing home for her? Why don’t you bring her back home and take care of her yourself?”
Whitney let out a harsh laugh, her anger boiling over. “Fine, I’ll take responsibility for it. From now on, Grandma is my concern. You don’t have to worry about her anymore.”
With that, all pretense vanished. Whitney slammed the door behind her with a force that echoed through the halls as she stormed out, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
In the secretary’s office, shock rippled through the air.
“Sarah, who was that? Did she really just lose her temper at Mr. Harris?” someone whispered, incredulity coloring their voice.
Sarah shook her head, a frown creasing her brow. “Don’t pry.”
Samuel had made it abundantly clear that gossip was off-limits, so Sarah kept her lips sealed.
Instead, she discreetly sent a message to Laura, her fingers flying over the screen.
*****
Laura glanced at her phone, a cold laugh escaping her lips. “Tina, it seems Whitney has managed to infuriate your dad once again.”
“Mom, what on earth did she do this time? Why is she always stirring up drama?” Tina grumbled, irritation evident in her voice. “I was really hoping Dad would get me a new car.”
Laura placed a calming hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “We’ll discuss the car later. Your dad is in a terrible mood today. Just be patient, sweetheart. One day, everything will be yours.”
Even though Tina was reluctant to wait, she had no choice but to comply.
Meanwhile, Carter awoke with a pounding headache, the remnants of last night’s revelry still clouding his mind. He sat up abruptly, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings.
Emily entered the room, dressed in cozy loungewear and holding a steaming cup. “Carter, you were completely out of it last night. I had no choice but to drag you back to my apartment. Here, I made some hangover soup for you. Drink it, and you’ll feel much better,” she said, her voice soothing.
Carter’s memory was a jigsaw puzzle, pieces scattered and missing, but he faintly recalled drinking with friends before everything faded to black.
“Emily, I really appreciate you looking after me. Where did you sleep last night?” he asked, curiosity creeping in.
Emily’s apartment was small, only one bedroom available.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she replied, “The bed is quite spacious, and I was worried you might need something in the middle of the night, so I just stayed here too.”
“Relax, Carter. I won’t say a word to Whitney,” she assured him, her tone light.
Caught off guard, Carter felt a wave of unease wash over him. “Alright. I need to head to the office, so I’ll be on my way,” he said, attempting to sound nonchalant.
After dressing quickly, he grabbed his phone and headed for the door. “Milly, this place is too cramped. Let me buy you a bigger house.”
Emily smiled sweetly. “That sounds wonderful. Thank you, Carter.”
*****
As Carter arrived at the office, he felt utterly out of sorts.
He found himself glancing at his phone repeatedly, scrolling through his messages, but there was no sign of any texts or calls.
Suddenly, a wave of anxiety washed over him. *Is Whitney really serious about breaking up this time?*
He picked up the phone and dialed his secretary, Zoe Potter. “Could you please get in touch with Whitney Moore from Prime Bridge Law Firm and ask her to come by the office?”
“Sure thing, Mr. Harris,” Zoe replied, her tone professional.
“And don’t mention that it’s me who wants to see her,” Carter added just before hanging up, a hint of urgency in his voice.
Zoe raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Since when did the boss show such interest in a junior lawyer?
“Got it, Mr. Harris. I’ll reach out to her right away,” she said, her curiosity piqued.
*She really thinks she can just dump me and move on?* Carter thought, clenching his jaw. *It’s not that easy!*
Whitney had just cleared her mortgage yesterday, and now, she only had 60,000 dollars left in her accounts-barely enough to cover her grandma’s nursing home fees for three and a half months.
Her grandma, Patricia Moore, had once lived with Samuel in the family villa.
But Patricia’s health had declined, and she preferred the tranquility of the nursing home to the chaos Laura brought. Laura’s morning opera sessions had been particularly unbearable.
After a mishap with the maid administering her medication, Patricia had insisted on moving into a nursing home.
At first, Whitney had resisted the idea, but after witnessing the professionalism and compassion of the staff, she had relented.
The luxurious nursing home offered personalized care, a top-tier medical team, and even retired star doctors on call. It was undeniably more comfortable than living at home.
Whitney made it a point to visit Patricia every week, no matter how hectic her schedule became.
In the Moore family, her grandma was the only one who had ever truly cared for her.
Whitney never thought her father would stoop so low as to use her grandma as a pawn in his threats.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.