Laura shot Samuel desperate looks, but when he remained silent, she finally spoke up, “Patricia, Samuel and I talked all night, and we really think the nursing home is the best place for you. How about we take you back this afternoon?”
Whitney couldn’t help but smirk, satisfaction bubbling within her.
“See? If you go crazy enough, the timid ones will always chicken out,” she thought to herself, a sense of victory washing over her.
Samuel’s face was grim, the defeat gnawing at him. He didn’t want to admit that he couldn’t bear living under the same roof as his rebellious daughter any longer.
Patricia glanced at Whitney, a smile gracing her lips. “Of course I’d love to stay there, but who’s going to pay for it? Are you, Laura?”
“The nursing home is way better than this place. The nurses and doctors are so nice and professional, and even the food tastes better. The chefs are all trained in nutrition, you know,” Patricia continued, her tone light yet pointed.
“But come on, I can’t be expected to pay for all this out of my own pocket, can I?” she added, her voice steady but filled with unspoken challenge.
It was a bold move, calling out their selfishness. A big-shot CEO forcing his own mother to pay for her nursing home? It was beyond heartless.
Samuel inhaled deeply, wrestling with his emotions before finally letting out a heavy sigh. “I’ll pay for it. But Whitney, you’re not allowed to back out of the wedding at the end of the month. Don’t even think about it.”
Whitney took her time sipping her soup, unfazed by his threats. “Forget the wedding. I’m not going. You can pay Grandma’s nursing home yourself. But let’s make this simple: the 15% stake in the company that used to be Mom’s. Hand it over to me.”
“From now on, you don’t need to take care of Grandma or me ever again. How about that?” she added, her voice steady and unwavering.
Samuel’s rage boiled over, nearly causing him to spit blood. “Well, I really did underestimate you. So all this was just about the company shares, huh? Whitney, unless I’m dead, you’ll never get those shares.”
Patricia felt a sharp pang in her heart. She had raised Samuel, and now he was using her as a bargaining chip against his own daughter.
“Whit, don’t worry about it. I still have 5% of the shares. I’ll put them in your name tomorrow,” Patricia said gently, her voice warm and reassuring.
Laura’s heart skipped a beat, panic flashing across her face.
“No, absolutely not,” Laura burst out, her voice rising in indignation.
“Why should Whitney get 5% handed to her for nothing, while my daughter and I get nothing? This is so unfair!” Laura seethed internally, frustration boiling over.
The tension in the room was palpable as the three of them stood on the brink of a confrontation, each battling their own demons while the world around them continued to spin.
Whitney had never truly desired the shares; they were just a means to an end for her. With a bright smile, she turned to Patricia and asked, “So, who’s covering the expenses for the nursing home?”
Laura’s expression darkened at the question, the weight of unspoken tension filling the air. “I’ll handle it. Is that acceptable?” she replied, her voice steady but laced with an underlying frustration.
At long last, the charade reached its conclusion.
Whitney, casting aside the matter of shares, radiated warmth as she assisted Patricia in packing her belongings. “Grandma, you really shouldn’t pay him any mind. You’re thriving at the nursing home, and if you come back home, I’ll just end up worrying myself sick about you. Don’t fret over finances. I’m on the verge of a promotion, and my salary is about to double. Even if they don’t compensate us, I can manage.”
Yet, deep down, Whitney knew that after settling the costs, her pockets would be empty.
Patricia’s eyes softened with affection. “I know you care deeply, my dear. And about those shares I mentioned earlier, I meant every word. I’m just an old woman. Those shares hold little value for me. If I were to pass them on to you, even if your father continues to play favorites, at least you’d have something to fall back on.”
Whitney felt a surge of emotion, her eyes welling up with tears. “Grandma, I understand. You’ve always been the best to me.”
Overwhelmed, she buried her face in Patricia’s lap, her tears soaking through the fabric of her grandmother’s pants.
Patricia’s heart constricted at the sight. She gently stroked the top of Whitney’s head, offering comfort. “There, there, sweetheart. Don’t cry. As long as I breathe, I’ll love you every single day!”
Whitney barely made it home before her luggage was hastily shoved back into the car.
Determined, she drove Patricia back to the nursing home herself, snatching the bank card Laura had handed her on their way out.
Laura shot Whitney a glare, her voice dripping with irritation. “There’s $160,000 on that card, Whitney. Try not to blow it all in one go.”
Whitney simply smiled, her fingers deftly slipping the card from Laura’s grasp. “Thanks, Laura.”
As their car vanished from sight, Laura’s anger simmered beneath the surface. Flustered, she stormed off, intent on confronting Samuel.
“Samuel, why on earth didn’t you tell me Mom still has 5% of the shares?” Laura demanded, her voice rising with frustration.
Had it not been for today’s revelations, she would have remained blissfully ignorant.
Samuel fell silent, his gaze distant. “Dad left those shares to Mom. How could I possibly take them from her?”
“And what about that 15% Whitney mentioned?” Laura pressed, her bitterness growing.
“After all these years of loyalty, I don’t get a single share?” she thought, her mind racing with resentment.
Samuel’s eyes flickered with uncertainty. “We’re family. Let’s not split hairs over this. Whatever I possess will eventually go to Tina.”
Deep down, Samuel grappled with a lingering regret-he had never fathered a son.
Both his daughters would eventually marry, and all his hard-earned wealth would ultimately benefit someone outside the family. That thought gnawed at him, a bitter pill to swallow.
Laura seethed, feeling as though she had just squandered $160,000 for nothing. To make matters worse, Whitney had literally drenched her in cold water.
“Absolutely not! I refuse to tolerate this any longer,” she thought, her determination hardening.
“Then buy Tina a villa. This place is getting old anyway. Why don’t we just move out?” Laura insisted, her voice rising with urgency.
Samuel’s expression darkened. “The company needs every penny right now. Just be patient. I promised Tina, and I won’t go back on my word.
“Right now, the priority is for Whitney to marry Carter without any complications.”
Until the wedding was behind them, a heavy burden would linger in his mind.
Only when the Harris and Moore families were truly united through marriage would he finally feel at ease.
Meanwhile, Tina had partied hard with her friends all night, dragging herself home only by noon.
“Mom, where’s Grandma? Didn’t you say you’d bring her back last night?” Tina inquired, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Laura, clearly irritated, snapped back, “We sent her right back to the nursing home.”
“What? Why? I ran into Whitney at Sunrise Bites last night, and I was actually angry at her for saying Grandma was back. Why did you send her off again?” Tina asked, her bewilderment palpable.
Tina genuinely couldn’t comprehend the situation, and Laura shot her daughter an unreadable look.
“Honestly, she’s utterly hopeless,” Laura thought, feeling a wave of disappointment wash over her.
“Alright, your dad mentioned that once Whitney gets married, he’ll buy you a villa,” Laura said, trying to provide some comfort.
“Really?” Tina’s eyes sparkled with excitement.
“Hmph, one of my friends was throwing shade at me yesterday, claiming my family was on a downward spiral. If Dad actually buys me a villa, I’ll make sure to rub it in her face the very second I get it!” Tina thought, her ambition igniting.
“Is she really going to marry Carter?” Tina asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Laura let out a cold, mirthless laugh. “Tina, Carter isn’t the right guy for you. Just let it go. Sure, he’s the eldest grandson of the Harris family, but he doesn’t run the main business at Harris Group. He’s merely the CEO of a subsidiary.
“Besides, you know better than anyone about his relationship with Emily.”
Laura believed that once Whitney married into the Harris family, she would discover just how challenging life could be.
She never thought this was a marriage anyone should envy.
“But…” Tina couldn’t shake the thought.
“That’s the Harris family. How could I just let this opportunity slip away?” she pondered, her determination unwavering.
Laura placed a reassuring hand on Tina’s. “Look at the bigger picture. Carter isn’t the only eligible bachelor in the Harris family.”
Tina paused for a moment, realization dawning on her. “Mom, you mean…”
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.