“I want Laura and her nephew to apologize to me in person. Then I won’t take this to the media.”
Samuel’s eyes widened with surprise. “Really? That’s more like it, Whit. You’ve always been so reasonable. Family business should stay behind closed doors.” He nodded, feeling a sense of relief. “Alright, I’ll have Laura come in and apologize right now. Don’t worry; she’s not unreasonable.”
Whitney let out a cold laugh, her thoughts dark. ‘We’ll see if she’s truly that reasonable,’ she mused.
Samuel’s gaze drifted to the imposing line of bodyguards. The caliber of security surrounding Whitney was astonishing. ‘Where did she find the funds to hire such people?’ he wondered. ‘Could it be that she’s managed to reconcile with Carter? Did he provide them for her?’
As that thought settled in his mind, Samuel’s anger dissipated, replaced by a warm smile. “Whit, do all these bodyguards work for you?”
Whitney raised an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of amusement and challenge. “Who else would they work for?”
For a moment, Samuel was at a loss for words, but he quickly regained his composure. “Good, good. I’ll go get your Aunt Laura to come in and apologize first.”
Outside, Laura and Tina were huddled together, their expressions a mix of hope and trepidation. When they saw Samuel emerge after such a brief time, their eyes lit up. “Dad, you saw everything, right?” Tina asked, her voice laced with urgency.
Samuel waved his hand dismissively. “Tina, stop making such a fuss over nothing. Laura, listen to me. I just spoke with Whitney, and she’s reconsidered her stance. Remember how she wanted you to apologize publicly through the media?”
“Well, she’s thought it over. Now, she just wants you to go in there and apologize to her face. After that, she’ll let the whole thing go.”
“What?” Tina’s voice rose in disbelief, her body tensing with anger. “Dad, she just kicked me and Mom out, and now you want Mom to go in there and apologize to that little brat?”
“Tina Moore.” Samuel’s voice was slow and deliberate, each word hitting them like a hammer. “Is that how you speak about your sister? You clearly need to learn some respect.”
He frowned, turning to Laura. “Look at our daughter. Does she resemble what a Moore family girl should be? Anyone who saw her would think she’s some common thug.”
“Alright, I’ll have the staff pack your things and load them into the car. Once you apologize, I’ll personally drive you both to South Orchid Villa.”
Laura bit down hard on her lip, her nails digging into her palms so deeply that they left marks.
‘Fuck you, Whitney,’ she thought, the bitterness coursing through her veins.
She vowed silently to make that girl pay for every ounce of humiliation she had suffered today. Whitney’s mother had stolen her rightful place while she was alive, and now she had left behind a daughter who continued to insult her even after death.
‘I will have my revenge,’ she thought bitterly, her resolve hardening.
Her eyes reddened slightly, but when she spoke, her voice was soft and gentle. “Samuel, if you insist, I will go in and apologize to her.”
She appeared so fragile and vulnerable that Samuel’s heart softened at the sight of her.
He pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. “I know you’re the one who’s been wronged here, Laura. I haven’t forgotten everything you’ve done for this family.”
Whitney lounged on the couch, casually sipping her coffee, having made it through half a cup by the time Laura and Tina finally made their entrance.
Samuel tried to lighten the mood with a laugh. “Whit, Laura’s here.”
Whitney set her cup down on the table with a forceful clank that drew attention, her gaze sharpening as she focused on Laura.
“Oh, you’re here,” she said, pulling out her phone with an air of casual indifference. She opened the camera and aimed it directly at Laura’s face. “Go ahead then. Apologize. I’m listening.”
Tina stared at her, trembling with rage. “Dad, are you seeing this? What is she doing? Is she really recording this?”
Whitney shrugged, a smirk playing on her lips. “Why not? You really think a half-hearted apology is enough? I need proof, something to remind you all not to forget about today.”
She wanted them to remember that she wasn’t someone who would simply take their disrespect lying down.
She wanted them to reconsider before crossing her again.
Having played the good girl for far too long, she was done being labeled as difficult.
Laura felt a sharp pain as she bit through her own lip, the taste of blood flooding her mouth. ‘I clearly underestimated her. Twenty years of feigned meekness, and it was all a façade.’
Samuel felt a flicker of irritation and considered intervening, but then he thought about how Whitney might actually persuade Carter to reconsider their situation. He hesitated, weighing his options.
He was a businessman, after all. Recording or not, it wouldn’t truly harm his wife-just bruise her ego a little.
“Laura, it’s fine. Just apologize to the girl. You were in the wrong before, weren’t you?”
Laura let out a cold laugh, the irony of her situation cutting deep. This was her wonderful husband.
She forced down the fury rising within her, managing a dark smile. “Fine. I’ll apologize.”
She continued, “I was wrong before; I used the wrong approach with you, and I won’t interfere with your marriage anymore. Whit, can you forgive me just this once?”
“Wait, what method did you use? Come on, tell me,” Whitney prodded, her curiosity piqued.
Laura’s face stiffened, and she took a deep breath, steeling herself before she spoke again. “I shouldn’t have drugged your drink.”
“That was my fault, and I shouldn’t have taken shortcuts just to set you up with my nephew. I know I was wrong, and I won’t do it again. Whit, are you satisfied now?”
Whitney put her phone away, a glimmer of satisfaction in her eyes. “Fine. Next time, bring your nephew along too.”
With that, the drama of the day seemed to reach its conclusion.
Whitney turned her attention to the servants who had been a thorn in her side. “You, you, and you-pack your things and leave. Laura, don’t say I’m being heartless, but these are your most loyal followers, so they can go with you.”
“Sir?” Several of them looked panicked. ‘Were they really being fired?’ they thought, their hearts racing.
They had worked at the villa for years-some for over five years, and the longest-serving among them had been there for a decade.
Samuel felt a rush of frustration. ‘She’s ruthless. She just swept out all of Laura’s people in one fell swoop!’
“That’s enough. You can all leave from now on,” he said firmly. “We don’t need this many servants at the moment anyway. You’ll receive the compensation you’re owed, so that’s settled.”
Laura’s hatred for Whitney surged to an entirely new level.
Once everything was finalized, Whitney glanced at her father, a sly smile on her lips. “Dad, should I have your luggage sent over there too?”
Samuel’s body stiffened, and his expression turned icy. “I’m not moving to South Orchid Villa. I’m staying right here. Whit, this is my home. Are you trying to kick me out too?”
Whitney smiled faintly, a hint of mischief dancing in her eyes. “I wouldn’t dare. Just asking, since you and Laura are so close and all.”
Samuel fell silent, the weight of the tension hanging heavily in the air.
Laura and Tina had just settled into South Orchid Villa, and the sting of humiliation coursed through them like a relentless tide.
Though the place was labeled a luxury apartment, it paled in comparison to the grandeur of an actual villa. The walls felt as if they were closing in, creating an atmosphere that was both stifling and wrong.
Tina stood in her new bedroom, which was a mere shadow of the space she had once occupied. Frustration bubbled inside her, and in a fit of anger, she swept everything off her dresser. The cacophony of cosmetics crashing to the floor did nothing to quell the fury that simmered within her. It was as if each shattered bottle echoed her feelings of defeat.
Laura, however, maintained her icy composure. “Tina, throwing a tantrum won’t help us now,” she stated, her voice steady and firm. “You need to think strategically. We need to find someone influential enough to support you.”
She paused, allowing her words to settle like a weight in the air. “And forget about Carter. He’s not the right match for you, and he won’t assist you in dealing with that little bitch. You need someone with real clout.”
Tina’s head whipped up, her eyes wide with surprise. “Mom, you mean-“
“Yes.” Laura’s eyes sparkled with a calculating glint. “Only that man can help you turn this situation around.”
‘If Tina manages to snag the Harris family heir,’ Laura mused internally, ‘I won’t have to worry about that little bitch anymore!’
Even if Whitney somehow found a way to win Carter back, it would be inconsequential. In the grand scheme of things, Carter was nothing compared to that man.
Tina’s thoughts drifted back to the memorial service for Patricia, to the moment she had spotted him standing next to Whitney. Doubts crept in, and her confidence faltered. ‘Would he actually be interested in someone like me?’ she pondered anxiously.
“Tina, I know he’s not an easy catch, but there are ways to make it happen,” Laura continued, stepping closer and lowering her voice conspiratorially. “If you can get pregnant with his child first, I have plenty of methods to ensure you marry into the Harris family.”
Tina envisioned him-tall and commanding, with a face so perfect it seemed sculpted by divine hands. The thought of being enveloped in his strong embrace sent a wave of warmth through her body.
Her cheeks flushed a light pink. “Mom,” she said softly, her voice almost timid. “I understand.”
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.