Chapter 5

It turned out, she was still that little girl who burst into tears when faced with a problem she couldn't solve—only now, she had found someone else to lean on.

A pang struck deep in my chest, sour and aching, but I resolved to pull back my feelings. I'd let them go. And I'd wish her well, truly. She deserved happiness, even if it wasn't with me.

As I mulled over whether to slip away quietly, the doors to the emergency room swung open.

Katie and Melissa rushed forward, anxious and frantic. They began bombarding the doctor with questions about George's condition.

The doctor explained that while the resuscitation had been successful, the external injuries had inflicted irreversible damage to his brain. He would remain in an unresponsive coma—a vegetative state, as they call it—with the stark possibility that he might never wake again.

Katie staggered back, pale as death, her knees buckling as darkness threatened to claim her. I caught her just in time. Meanwhile, Melissa clung desperately to the doctor's sleeve, tears streaming down her face as she begged him to save her father.

It felt unreal. Moments ago, the man had been full of life, and now he lay on the edge of oblivion.

The news hit me hard, too. He'd been a kind, fatherly figure to me, someone who'd watched me grow up with patient, doting care. He'd hoped—perhaps too ardently—that I'd end up with his daughter. He treated me like family, even before there was talk of marriage.

When Melissa and I got married, I thought it was because she had weighed things carefully, deciding that marriage was something worth building, despite our differences. I thought we'd make it work, and I was prepared to use my connections and resources to help her family through their rough patch.

Now, I wasn't sure how everything had unraveled into this mess. Melissa flung herself into his arms as if he were her anchor, sobbing out her fears and grievances.

I stayed silent, watching for a moment before slipping away unnoticed.

The next day, Katie called me. She told me arrangements had been made for a caregiver to tend to George, but there was an urgent need to stabilize the family business. She asked if I could help hold things together for a few days, at least until the worst was behind them.

I didn't hesitate. I agreed.

I began reaching out to my network, hoping to find investors willing to support the Olson family business under the guise of new project opportunities. I started planning a small reception to pitch the idea to potential backers.

Given my status as the family's son-in-law—at least on paper—it seemed reasonable for me to act in this capacity, especially during such a critical time.

But I hadn't expected Melissa to find out.

She stormed in, her anger blazing like a wildfire. "How dare you!" she spat. "My dad isn't even dead, and you're already trying to take over the family business!"

I was taken aback, caught entirely off guard. My instinct was to calm her, to explain, but before I could say a word, Katie rushed in after her. With forced composure, she nodded politely to the guests and whispered to Melissa, urging her not to make a scene.

Katie pulled her aside and tried to coax her into the hall to sit quietly, while I busied with the potential investors.

Then I saw him. Matt. He stepped through the door with all the swagger of a conquering hero, and Melissa quickly ran to him like a bird seeking shelter, clutching his arm with a familiar intimacy.

Her chin lifted defiantly, and she cast me a sharp, deliberate glare. With Matt at her side, she strode straight to the center of the room, the hub of attention, and raised her voice for all to hear.

"Shawn," she declared, venom dripping from every syllable, "you don't speak for the Olson family."

The crowd murmured, heads turning, uncertain what to make of this sudden turn. Then she gestured to Matt, her tone triumphant, almost gloating. "This man, Matt, is my man, and the rightful heir to the Olson family business."

And then, with a haughty glance down her nose, she sneered at me. "I told you, everything that's mine belongs to him. So why are you still here, Shawn? Get out."