She thought, “That Winchester family really is heartless, using Abigail’s marriage to further their interests.”
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“This is outrageous,” William slapped his thigh in frustration, his voice rising with anger. “How could the Winchester family treat you like this? It’s way out of line.”
He thought, “Even if Abigail isn’t their biological daughter, they have raised her for years–doesn’t that mean anything to them?”
Watching the Yannis family rally around her in righteous indignation warmed Abigail’s heart. She wanted to sit and talk with them longer, but her work was calling.
Forcing a smile, she reassured them, “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m doing just fine. There’s a lot to take care of at the office, so I need to head back now. I’ll come visit again soon.”
The Yannis family exchanged concerned glances. They thought, “Just earlier, she said Caroline ruined her career, and now she is using work as an excuse to leave.” They weren’t buying it. To them, this was clearly just a way to stop them from worrying.
Watching Abigail hurry off, William’s mind ran wild with worry. He thought, “Could it be that her much older husband is a controlling, obsessive type? Someone who doesn’t give her any freedom, let alone happiness?”
The thought strengthened his resolve. He pondered, “Abigail is too wonderful to be trapped in a miserable marriage with some possessive old man. Divorce–it had to happen.”
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Meanwhile, Charles checked on Adela with a team of doctors. After a thorough examination, Charles beamed and said, “Your health metrics look great. Keep resting and recovering. Your family’s good fortune is just beginning.”
Only then did William remember that Charles had come on account of his daughter’s old husband’s connections.
He thought, “Alright, so the old man has some ability–credit where credit is due. But no amount of favors would justify
forcing Abigail into such a marriage. If this is supposed to be “good fortune“, someone else could take it. Divorce. No question about it.”
**
James and Natalia were at home, discussing whether Caroline would be able to secure an invitation to the upcoming event, when the door burst open. Caroline stormed in, her face streaked with tears.
Seeing her distraught expression, Natalia shot up from the couch, rushing over in concern. “Caroline, what happened?” Caroline didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she tilted her face, revealing a swollen, red cheek.
“Oh my goodness, my poor baby. Who hit you?” Natalia exclaimed, her voice trembling with both
g with both worry and anger.
Caroline collapsed into Natalia’s arms, clutching her tightly. She sobbed so hard she could barely breathe, “Mom, I’m so
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heartbroken. I went to visit out of kindness, and not only did they not appreciate it–they hit me.”
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Seeing the bright red mark marring Caroline’s delicate cheek, Natalia’s heart shattered. She thought, “Who would dare hurt my precious daughter?”
Guilt overwhelmed Natalia as she thought about all the ways she had fallen short in protecting Caroline over the years. She thought, “Now, there is no way I’m letting this go. It’s time to stand up for my baby girl.”
She asked. “Who? Visiting who? And who dared to hit you, Caroline? Speak clearly–I want to know who has the nerve to bully you.”
She thought, “After all, no one messes with the Winchester family and gets away with it.”
James chimed in, adding fuel to the fire, “Exactly. This is outrageous. And hitting her face? That’s just unacceptable. What if it left a mark? What are they going to pay to fix it?”
His concern wasn’t entirely genuine. James only cared because Felix was drawn to Caroline’s looks. If her face was ruined, what else could she use to hold his interest?
Caroline sniffled, her voice trembling with indignation, “It’s my foster mother. She’s sick, and I went to see if she needed anything. I even offered to help financially since they raised me for so many years.
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“But I didn’t expect to run into Abigail there. She must hate me for taking Mom, Dad, and Felix away from her. She didn’t even listen to a word I said before slapping me–three times.
“Mom, maybe I was wrong. Maybe I shouldn’t be with Felix, and maybe I shouldn’t have come home at all.”
Natalia was livid after hearing this. She thought, “My sweet, thoughtful Caroline has done nothing wrong. And yet she was still being mistreated.”
Pulling Caroline into a comforting embrace, Natalia said firmly, “Caroline, don’t cry. You’ve done nothing wrong. Abigail is the one at fault. Don’t worry–I’ll make her come back and apologize.”
Without hesitation, Natalia whipped out her phone and dialed Abigail. But Abigail didn’t even give her the chance to speak, briskly explaining she was driving and couldn’t talk before hanging up. Natalia was so enraged her chest tightened with fury.
She wondered, “What has happened to Abigail? Is Abigail’s sweet demeanor in the past just an act all along?”
James, overhearing the brief call, slammed his hand on the table in frustration. “Abigail has really gone too far. If it weren’t for the fact that she’s still useful to the company, I’d fire her right now. Let’s see how arrogant she can be without her job.”
Hearing this, a glint of cunning flickered in Caroline’s eyes. Hiding her triumph, she said casually, “Dad, actually, even if
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you fired her now, it wouldn’t have any impact on the company.”
James‘ interest was piqued. He leaned forward, intrigued. “What do you mean? Explain.”
Caroline pressed her lips together as if hesitant, but her voice carried a note of excitement. “The only reason the company keeps Abigail around is because Envision Group insisted she manage their project.
“But now the contract is signed. Even if we replace Abigail with someone else, Envision Group won’t risk breaching the agreement over her.”
The penalty for breaking the contract was ten times the project’s value. Caroline didn’t fully understand why Envision Group favored Abigail, but she was sure they wouldn’t go to such extreme lengths for her.
James drummed his fingers on his knee, his brow furrowed in thought. “What you’re saying makes sense, but who would take over the project if we let her go? It’s not easy to find someone with her skills.”
Despite his dislike for Abigail, even he couldn’t deny her competence. She was a hard act to follow.
Caroline seized the moment. “Dad, you’re forgetting–I’ve worked on this project before. I’m already familiar with the data. Just give me another chance, and I promise I’ll do even better than she ever could.”
