[Otis]I was caught off guard. I was too focused on the problems at Haworth Incorporation to realize they were after Camari's father. I allowed my wife to help her parents and take a few days off work.I could take care of the administration for a while without her help. Besides, I could check the files directly on the email and have Jasper print them before I signed them. While he was printing them, I could do other work.At lunchtime, Jasper and I headed to an office. It was time for us to meet and talk. I brought all the evidence so the man wouldn't get away with it. The money they received was a lot. So, I didn't want to let it go.Seeing Farrell in the room, I glanced at him for a moment. I thought he wouldn't want to come. Fortunately, he still had a sense of responsibility for the mistakes he had made. Thompson greeted me kindly, but I ignored his helping hand."I didn't come to make friends, Derek." I pointed to a chair near me. "May I sit down?""Of course." He smiled."We nee
[Camari]I hurriedly cleaned myself up and changed my clothes. Father was furious when he discovered the source of the two hundred million. I was sure he'd gone to his house to talk to him. I asked Nicole to drive quickly."James calmed down last night. I don't know what he read in that report to leave like that. What should we do, Camari? What if your father did something stupid?" Mom said worriedly."Dad isn't answering his phone." I sighed. "I can't reach Jasper because he's dealing with other things.""We see the mayor sometimes at events but don't get along. Why would he and Greg do this to us?" Mom muttered again.My phone vibrated as I thought of someone else I could ask. "Brad!" I greeted."What's your dad doing at the mayor's house?" Brad asked in surprise."Are you there? Please stop my dad from doing anything stupid, Brad." I turned to Mom. "We know where the money came from.""We should meet," Brad suggested. "Your father doesn't know me. He won't listen to me, Camari. We'
Otis laughed when I asked him about Jasmine. He glanced at Jasper, and the man stood up. Otis invited me to follow him. I frowned as he led me to the parking lot of his car."Where are we going?" I asked when we were in the car."You'll find out soon enough," Otis replied mysteriously.Otis never allowed our two bodyguards to be in the same vehicle. Therefore, Nicole followed us on her motorcycle. Jasper drove to a place I recognized. We had just come from that place, Haworth Tower.Security greeted us warmly, as did the receptionist. We entered the executive elevator and headed to the top floor. I frowned as Otis headed for the finance director's office. The secretary greeted us and invited us to meet her boss."Good afternoon, ma'am. I have a guest to see you," the woman said politely."Guest?" a woman from inside said in confusion.I rounded my eyes, then turned to Otis. He just smiled meaningfully. The secretary opened the door wider and invited us to enter. I walked in first and
[Otis]It was my third meeting with the psychologist. I deliberately chose a different clinic from Camari's. At first, I didn't want her to know I had mental problems, but I changed my mind and put the medicine on the nightstand.It was the best decision I ever made. Camari didn't mock me, but she supported my recovery. Also, she didn't feel ashamed of having a husband who worried excessively. Her support encouraged me to heal.Edward asked me to be patient with myself. My recovery process would be long and painful. Just hearing that made me want to give up. I was used to pain, not that I wanted to feel it again."I'm glad to see your progress, Otis." He lifted his head from his notes. "I watched the video Jasper sent. You interact well with your employees. How did it feel to be among them at lunch?""Strange," I admitted. "But their acceptance of my condition helped boost my confidence. They respectfully looked at me, and no one made fun of me.""It's your acceptance of yourself that
They were stunned for a moment before exchanging glances. Their faces paled, and some lowered their heads. A few more looked at me arrogantly but said nothing in response to my question."I hold sixty-five percent of Precious Fund's shares. All of you united against me can’t dethrone me from my position. If you are dissatisfied and fear a loss, I'll buy back your shares at a high price."I built this company from scratch. You invested money here, but that's the extent of your role. You've never made brilliant suggestions or helped when the company was in crisis. I shouldered everything."Then, when news broke about my shortcomings, you questioned my abilities. You haven't answered my question. What do you want?" I urged."That's no way to talk to them, Otis." There was a voice at the door. I turned around and saw Father entering the meeting room. "Let me help you.""Father, what are you doing here?" Camari asked with concern.Father smiled at her. "I'm helping my son, who's having tro
[Camari]I never thought I'd come to this place again. It was a beautiful house with stunning architecture, but it looked cold. After walking out of this house, I vowed never to return.However, Otis fulfilled his nephew's invitation to have dinner together. I felt uneasy going into that house. It was as if we'd walked into a den of villains who'd set up a trap. Farrell and Bella wouldn't turn into good people this quickly."Welcome, Mr. and Mrs. Otis Haworth," the butler kindly greeted. He wasn't the same person who had worked here. That man must have resigned. "Come, I'll take you."Of course, Farrell and Bella wouldn't welcome us. They were too arrogant to stand by the door and greet their guests, especially since we were people they didn't like.I felt even worse about the atmosphere of the house."Please come in, sir. Master and Madam are waiting for you inside." The butler opened the door. Otis entered first.We were startled by the flash of light directed at us. The dining room
I shouldn't be selfish. I knew that. However, I wanted to live a happy life without conflict with anyone. I wished Dad and Mom to be healthy and always smiling. I dreamed of Father living a long life and watching Julius grow into a man.I hoped to still be with Farrell and have healthy, active children. I longed to remain friends with Bella, Jasmine, and Emily. Harold Bloom was a good boss, and I was content to be the best employee every month.I imagined that my relationship with Eleanor and Dorothy would remain good. We would have lunch together, shop for the latest collections from their favorite brands, and defend each other when Dad and Farrell picked on one of us.However, all those dreams were shattered. Misfortune after misfortune befell me because of the great secret our family kept. One family destroyed and hurt another for the sake of inheritance. Instead of walking away, I entered this troubled family again.Something cold suddenly slapped my face, snapping me out of my th
After that deafening explosion, the room turned so quiet that my ears were ringing. I felt nothing in my body. Did the bullet lodged in the body numb the wound?I opened my eyes and saw that my lap was clean. There was no blood. Strange. No part of my body felt aches or pains. Did the shooter miss or misfire? I took a deep breath. No part of my body hurt, and I was still alive!"Noooo!!!" Bella shouted, startling me.My heart was beating fast. I turned and saw her running towards me. Oh, God. Did she want to kill me with her hands? I struggled, trying to break free from the bonds on my hands and feet, but it was in vain.Bella didn't approach me but knelt and held something under me. I turned and was surprised to see someone lying on the floor. Bella turned his body so that I could see his face. No way.That selfish man who only loved himself couldn't be lying there. He wouldn't sacrifice himself to save anyone, especially me. Farrell hated me. He only loved Bella. It was impossible.
Jasper moved quickly. He picked me up and ran to the car. Otis broke protocol by getting into the same car as me, but I needed him. So, I let him sit beside me.The medical team welcomed us to the hospital. My obstetrician greeted me and checked my condition. My feelings were uncertain when he said the opening wasn't quite there yet. We needed to wait until the time came.Our family arrived, helping me get ready. Otis stayed in the room with me. Whenever I needed him, I turned to him, and he would come closer. Hours passed, but the torment wasn't over yet.I grew more and more frightened as the pain became unbearable. Seeing Otis' pale face, I smiled at him. It must have been hard for him to see me in this state. It made me realize one important thing. There would be no other man like him in this world."Otis," I whispered. He came closer. "I don't know what would happen in the labor room. But I want you to know... I love you. I love you so much."Otis was stunned. His eyes then filled
[Camari]Otis was busy with the two companies he was responsible for. I thought everything was fine. He solved all of Haworth Incorporation's financial problems and replaced some old directors with his confidants.However, I had no idea why he bought shares from certain people in the company. I wasn't with him all the time since my pregnancy made it difficult for me to move around freely. So, he had lunch or dinner with his colleagues without me.He even bought shares in his company from people demanding that he step down from his seat. I wasn't the finance director, so I didn't know the company's financial position. But seeing Jasmine's calm demeanor, I concluded that everything was still under control.Therefore, I was surprised by today's announcement. Precious Fund Corporation and Haworth Incorporation were merging. Precious Fund remained, while Haworth Incorporation ceased to exist. What did Father think of this?The man I was thinking about came in with a cheerful face, making m
Bella had just given birth. Following Father's instructions, we checked the baby and Farrell for a DNA match. The lab technician called to tell us the results were up for collection. Dorothy flew straight from her town to take care of it with me.Camari was twenty-eight weeks pregnant. I didn't want anything to happen to her if she met Bella in prison. She should be in a high-security place. The office had bodyguards and building security. I could rest easy if she were there."Otis!" Dorothy called.I waved the envelope of test results at her. "The results are here.""Come on, open it quickly," she said impatiently.I opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. I sighed when I saw the results. The question that had been bothering us was answered. For safety reasons, Dorothy and I headed to the prison in our respective cars.Ever since Bella attacked my car, I hadn't been in the same car with my family. Camari and I also didn't share a car when we went anywhere. She still drove
Our parents excused themselves from the living room. They ran away and didn't help me to explain the sentence to Camari. I swallowed and saw them smiling meaningfully. Didn't they know I was terrified?After the door closed and it was just the two of us, Camari cleared her throat. "Otis?"I swallowed hard. "Don't worry about the money. I have a personal stash that I've set aside for my wedding. So, I'm not taking the company's operating money."She smiled. "Are you afraid I'll laugh at your feelings?" she cooed. Camari squeezed my hand. "Thank you for loving me, but I can't say the same." She bowed her head."Camari, I—" I muttered, feeling bad."Please don't get me wrong," she cut in. "Give me time. Our marriage was unplanned. The baby came unexpectedly, followed by the blessing and the reception... I didn't have time to digest all the significant events I experienced in quick succession."You are a kind and gentle man. I'll have no trouble loving you. Therefore, I need time. I won't
[Otis]I stared at the loser man without blinking. He just lowered his head, not daring to return my gaze. He didn't touch the envelope I placed in front of him. He must have understood the purpose of my visit. And I needed an explanation."Silence won't make me forgive what you and your team did," I stated. "This is the first and last warning. If you dare forge people's signatures again, I'll shut down your law firm. You know I'm capable of that.""Mr. Haworth." He finally opened his mouth. "Neither I nor my team forged anyone's signature. If the client didn't sign, then Farrell did.""The client didn't show up for her divorce papers, and you were not her attorney. Was that Farrell's fault, too?" I asked. "My nephew died doesn't mean you can put all the blame on him. I'm not that stupid."I took the envelope back. "This is my proof of how negligent your law firm is. If you did it again, I wouldn't think twice about destroying you.""Mr. Haworth." The man stood up and followed me.Jas
Otis and I went to separate places after work. He met Carlos to discuss business while I saw my psychologist. I cried my heart out in that room, telling Jennifer everything I'd been through over the past week.I felt so relieved after pouring out my feelings. Jennifer didn't suggest anything. She congratulated me on successfully ending my hatred for the two people who had done me harm.Otis was still talking to Carlos, so I went home with my bodyguard. Looking at the numbers on the elevator, I thought of someone. I pressed the number to my old apartment and smiled. She must be in her apartment.Sure enough. Deborah greeted me with a smile and the delicious cooking aroma inside her unit. She offered me her appetizing lasagna. We enjoyed it while chatting in the dining room."I'm sorry about what happened to your family," she said with concern.I liked the word she chose, family. She didn't mention Farrell as my ex-husband. "Thank you. What an unexpected turn of events. He was young.""
[Camari]As the weekend passed, we went about our usual activities. Otis and I started the day with exercise. He swam while I practiced martial arts with Jasper. Things had been better since Nicole woke up, and Bella was in custody.I found it hard to concentrate since I was out of danger. I didn't know what was wrong with me. The day went by so fast, but it also felt so slow. I wasn't excited about the day either, even though I forced myself to smile so no one would suspect anything.Otis and Jasper entered the office, so I sat in my chair. My new bodyguard stood guard not far from me. I kept my distance from her to avoid getting emotionally involved. The incidents that happened to Nicole had left me devastated, and I didn't want to go through it again.I didn't know why people closest to me kept getting hurt. I just wanted it to be over. Farrell was gone. Eleanor and Bella were behind bars. Hopefully, no more disasters would befall me or my family."Good morning, ma'am," a security
[Otis]I had never felt so desperate as when I watched my wife being taken away before my eyes. I made the mistake of taking off my seat belt to kiss her cheek. As a result, my body was thrown and fell on the floor after the car hit something.Then, help came. People rescued us, and only then did I find out that our car tires were shot. Therefore, Jasper had difficulty controlling the car. He chose to crash into a shop rather than another vehicle. Fortunately, it saved our lives.We weren't hurt, but it was different with Nicole. They shot her arm, and she fell off her motorcycle. The doctor had to perform surgery as soon as possible to remove the bullet and fix the position of her broken arm and leg."Farrell and Bella have to die," Jasper whispered. He stared at the operating room door with red eyes. "Brad is tracking down Mrs. Haworth. Sorry, I can't concentrate—""Nicole is your girlfriend." I patted the back of his hand. "I understand."It took Brad hours to figure out Camari's w
After that deafening explosion, the room turned so quiet that my ears were ringing. I felt nothing in my body. Did the bullet lodged in the body numb the wound?I opened my eyes and saw that my lap was clean. There was no blood. Strange. No part of my body felt aches or pains. Did the shooter miss or misfire? I took a deep breath. No part of my body hurt, and I was still alive!"Noooo!!!" Bella shouted, startling me.My heart was beating fast. I turned and saw her running towards me. Oh, God. Did she want to kill me with her hands? I struggled, trying to break free from the bonds on my hands and feet, but it was in vain.Bella didn't approach me but knelt and held something under me. I turned and was surprised to see someone lying on the floor. Bella turned his body so that I could see his face. No way.That selfish man who only loved himself couldn't be lying there. He wouldn't sacrifice himself to save anyone, especially me. Farrell hated me. He only loved Bella. It was impossible.