Exasperated, Whitney brushed past Zoe and flung open the office door without hesitation.
Carter was taken aback, startled by the sudden intrusion. Just moments before, he had been gently applying burn cream to the woman seated on the couch.
Zoe looked helplessly at Carter. “Mr. Harris, Ms. Moore insisted on coming in. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen,” she explained, shooting Whitney a resentful glance.
Carter frowned at Whitney, his expression turning serious. “Zoe, you can leave us. Since Ms. Moore is already here, I’ll handle it from here.”
“Finally, with Emily present, I can confront Whitney about yesterday,” Carter thought, a sense of determination building within him.
Whitney crossed her arms, a sly grin playing on her lips. “Oops, my apologies for crashing your little moment.”
“But Mr. Harris, I genuinely thought you called me over for something urgent. I didn’t expect to find you doting on your dear sister.”
Both Carter and Emily froze, the awkwardness hanging thick in the air following Whitney’s pointed remark.
“Whitney, you’ve misunderstood,” Emily interjected, attempting to sound innocent. “My mom asked me to bring Carter some soup since he had that accident. She just wants him to recover. I didn’t realize you were coming too…”
“Ugh, what a sweet adopted sister, I might just vomit,” Whitney thought bitterly.
“Emily, you don’t owe her any explanations for being here,” Carter said firmly.
“But you.” His eyes turned icy as he focused on Whitney. “Whitney, we still need to address what happened yesterday. Because of you, Emily almost got blisters. You intentionally hurt my sister. You need to apologize to her right now.”
Whitney let out a derisive snort, glancing at Emily’s so-called injury-a mere tiny red dot, hardly the size of a fingernail-not even close to the marks on her own neck.
“Mr. Harris, allow me to give you a quick legal lesson,” Whitney said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “You need at least a second-degree minor injury for it to qualify as intentional harm. Why don’t you get her examined? If you wait too long, her ‘injury’ might heal before you even get there.”
“And as for yesterday? At worst, it was just a public disturbance. Emily and her friend instigated it. If they hadn’t come looking for trouble, none of this would have happened.”
“Maybe you should advise your sweetheart to steer clear of me from now on.”
As soon as Whitney finished her tirade, Carter and Emily’s expressions darkened significantly.
“WHITNEY MOORE,” Carter snapped, his handsome face now a mask of frost. “You’ve truly outdone yourself this time. You actually threw hot water at Emily. How cruel can you be?”
For a fleeting moment, Emily’s eyes sparkled with satisfaction, but she quickly reverted to her usual meek demeanor. “Whitney, I know you don’t like me, but please don’t take it out on Carter. I promise I’ll keep my distance from now on…”
“Go on, swear it,” Whitney shouted. “Promise me that if you ever show up just to annoy me again, you’ll end up with every nasty lady problem imaginable-lumps, cysts, fibroids, and anything else you can think of.”
Then she turned her gaze to Carter, a sincere look in her eyes. “What about you, Mr. Harris? Want to make a vow too? I have one ready for you. If you ever bother me again, you’ll suffer from hemorrhoids and sexual dysfunction.”
Whitney concluded, feeling invigorated. “Sounds terrible, doesn’t it? I’m such a ruthless woman. Asking you both to promise to stay away from me seems quite reasonable, right?”
Carter and Emily were so taken aback that they seemed at a loss for words.
Carter was the first to regain his composure, shooting Whitney a glare. “Why should we be the ones making vows? Why don’t you go first?”
Whitney blinked, her expression challenging. “I already did. Don’t you remember? Didn’t I say the other day that I would never marry you? If I ever break that promise, you’ll never have kids.”
“See? I’ve reiterated it. Now, what about you two?” Whitney taunted, a smirk on her face.
Emily bit her lip, her complexion oscillating between crimson and pale. There was no way she could utter something so vile.
Carter clenched his jaw, his thoughts racing. ‘How dare she curse me like that? What a heartless witch!’
Whitney scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Tsk, you two are both such cowards. I’m done here.”
Carter’s office was a sanctuary of silence, meticulously soundproofed to ensure that no outside noise could penetrate its walls. Inside, however, a tempest brewed as Whitney unleashed her frustrations upon him. Zoe, stationed outside, remained blissfully unaware of the confrontation unfolding just beyond the door.
Whitney emerged from the office, her posture radiating confidence, her head held high like a warrior returning from battle. Zoe stood frozen, her mind racing with disbelief.
“Wait, that’s it? That’s how it ends?” Zoe thought, her thoughts spiraling. “She should be defeated, crushed under the weight of her own words. How can she just walk out like she’s the victor here?”
“Did Mr. Harris not even raise his voice at her? Is he really that laid-back?”
What Zoe failed to grasp was that Carter’s calm demeanor stemmed not from indifference but from the realization that arguing with Whitney was akin to wrestling with shadows-futile and exhausting.
Outside, Whitney waited for the elevator, her neck aflame with the remnants of her heated exchange.
“What’s wrong with Carter’s eyes?” she mused, irritation bubbling within her. “Figures; he’s as blind as a bat.”
A bitter smile crept onto her lips as she scoffed internally, “Wasn’t I just as oblivious? Chasing after someone who never cared for me, clinging to a fantasy for far too long. How utterly pathetic.”
Once Whitney departed, a heavy silence enveloped Carter’s office, the air thick with unspoken words. After what felt like an eternity, Carter finally exhaled, breaking the stillness.
“Emily, don’t be upset,” he began, his voice steady. “Whitney’s always sharp-tongued. I promise, I won’t let her bully you like this. This isn’t over.”
With determination, he dialed Samuel’s number, his mind racing with thoughts of how to protect Emily from Whitney’s cruel jabs.
On the other end, in Samuel’s office, chaos erupted. Tina was inconsolable, tears streaming down her face, her mascara smudged and her distress palpable.
“Dad, are you going to do something about Whitney?” she cried, her voice thick with emotion. “Just look at me! My neck and collarbone are all red!”
“Dad, look at this massive blister! The doctor said it’ll take at least half a month to heal,” she sobbed, her words punctuated by hiccups.
Laura, witnessing Tina’s breakdown, felt her heart shatter into pieces.
“Is Whitney trying to ruin Tina’s face?” Laura fumed internally, her anger simmering just beneath the surface.
“Samuel, every time there’s a spat between Tina and Whitney, I’ve always sided with Whitney. But this time, she’s crossed a line. Tina’s a girl; she’s got her whole future ahead of her,” Laura said, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and concern.
She was indirectly branding Whitney as cruel without uttering the word.
Samuel’s expression hardened, his patience wearing thin. “That brat. Just wait. I’ll call her right now.”
He attempted to reach Whitney three times, but she remained unresponsive, her phone ringing into the void.
In a moment of frustration, Samuel decided to call the nursing home directly. “Hi, this is Samuel Moore. I need to arrange for my mom to be discharged. Can you assist me with that?”
The director hesitated, confusion evident in his voice. “Uh… but your daughter just paid for another month’s stay a few days ago. Are you certain you want to bring her home, Mr. Moore?”
Samuel narrowed his eyes, taken aback. He pondered, ‘So she has more money than I initially thought.’
“Listen,” he replied, his tone firm, “my daughter and I have had our differences lately, but my mom wants to come home. I can’t ignore her wishes, can I? How about this? I’ll swing by tomorrow and ask my mom what she wants. Does that work for you?”
“As for the payment, consider it a token of appreciation for the care your staff has provided my mom over the years. Sound fair?”
The director chuckled, relieved. “As long as you sign and your mom agrees, we have no objections. I’ll express my gratitude on behalf of the staff, Mr. Moore.”
Little did Whitney know that the $15,000 she had just paid was being cleverly utilized by Samuel to curry favor.
Every Friday was family day for the Harris clan, a cherished tradition that brought them together.
Carter returned home, his sister injured but resilient.
Sabrina’s keen eyes immediately caught sight of the small bandage adorning Emily’s collarbone. “What happened, Emily? Are you hurt?” she inquired, concern etching her features.
Carter interjected, “Yeah, Mom, Milly got burned.”
George’s brow furrowed in confusion. “How did she get burned there?”
His eyes narrowed, his tone sharp as he addressed Emily. “Let your mom check it out and apply some ointment.”
Emily felt a lump form in her throat, acutely aware of the misunderstanding brewing in her father’s mind.
Sure enough, her mother’s gaze shifted, suspicion flickering in her eyes like a candle flame in the wind.
She bit her lip, feeling an overwhelming sense of injustice wash over her.
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.