Cutting ties

“I can give you 1.5 million. And you can try to raise the rest. I am not marrying that cretin.” Her voice dropped to a low, steady tone as she spoke. Her eyes narrowed with determination, and her mouth formed a thin line. Cathleen behaved more like William, but unlike Avery, she wasn’t a spoiled brat. Her unnerving composure sent shivers down William's spine as he braced himself for her to explode in anger. Instead, she spoke with cold precision, delivering her words like sharpened daggers that cut through the tension in the room.

“Marrying Finn is our only option for Grandma’s survival. Baby girl, please. Grandma is counting on you.” Grandma's name triggered a range of emotions within her. She couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and nostalgia, but at the same time, there was a tinge of guilt and regret. Her face betrayed these conflicting emotions as she let out a heavy sigh.

“6 months. I will marry that jerk for only 6 months, and we will be done. Do not expect me to have children with that fool. Do not expect me to appear on public occasions with him because I feel nothing for him and I am not an escort. Call him and tell him my condition. If he agrees, then we can go ahead.” Cathleen's gaze turns cold as she looks at her father, finally realizing that she has no place in this family. Their constant lack of love and never-ending attempts to humiliate her boil over inside her, pushing her to cut all ties with them once and for all. She sees them for who they truly are: manipulative and toxic, and she knows it's time to break free. Cathleen's lips curl upwards, revealing a flash of white teeth, but her eyes remain cold and distant. “Oh, and father, there is another condition.” William slowly lifts his head, locking eyes with his daughter. His face remains hardened and stoic, and his emotions are guarded behind a wall of steel. But then, unexpectedly, Cathleen smiles at him, her bright expression penetrating through his defenses like a ray of sunlight breaking through storm clouds.

“What condition?” William's voice trembled as he finally mustered the courage to ask, but his words were cut off by the sharp glint in his daughter's eyes. She pinned him with a sly grin, causing his heart to race and his palms to sweat. He could feel her power over him, like a predator toying with its prey.

“You and your wife have always used every opportunity you have to embarrass me. You lie to the public that I am an adopted child. You never acknowledge that I am your first child or that you were previously married to my mother before marrying Dora.” Cathleen has never called her father's wife by her name; she has always called her mom, but today the girl just called her by her first name.

“I have nothing against Dora, and I respect her, but she has never considered me a member of this family, and you, Father, have allowed all of this to happen under your roof. I have been bullied in this house and turned into a slave all these years, and you never did or said anything. So since I am an embarrassment and you have no intention of telling anyone I am your daughter, I want to cut all ties with you and your precious family.”

“No, you are doing this for Grandma, remember, and since when did you start calling me by my first name?” Dora's voice drips with desperation as she plots to use Cathleen as a pawn in her game to uncover the elusive owner of Knight Group International. She schemes and manipulates, hoping that by marrying Finn, Cathleen will lead her straight to the source. But as Dora's conniving words spill out, Cathleen's gaze hardens into a piercing stare, like a wolf ready to pounce on its prey. No longer willing to be a victim of Dora's cruel games, she stands tall and fierce, unafraid to speak her truth. The once meek and timid girl has transformed into a force to be reckoned with, shocking Dora, who never expected this fierce defiance from someone she had always seen as weak.

“I wasn’t talking to you, Dora.” Cathleen's voice dropped to a low, commanding pitch that sent shivers down Dora's spine, making her want to leap out of her seat. Gone was the timid girl, now replaced by a force to be reckoned with.

“How dare you call me Dora? I am your mother!" Dora's face contorted with rage as she yelled, her eyes bulging and red, like a wild animal about to attack. Meanwhile, Cathleen's smile was sly and knowing, her eyes glinting with determination and defiance.

“Listen, your name is Dora; you have one child, not two. Never think you can walk all over me; I am not a pushover." Cathleen says this as she now turns to face her father. "Grandma is your mother, not mine, Father. Do you think I don’t know that you are lying about her health? Well, if anything, I know for a fact that this union is not about grandma’s medical bills; it’s about the both of you feeding your egos and you." She said, pointing a finger at Dora, “Stop daydreaming; never will I call a dog like you, Mother! Get that!” Her words hung in the air like a heavy stone, each one a sharp and deliberate attack. William's blood boiled as he fought the urge to defend his wife's honor, knowing it would only push Cathleen further away. He clenched his jaw in frustration, feeling powerless as she continued to raise her voice, her disdain and disregard for his wife cutting deep. But he stayed silent, knowing that if he spoke out of turn, she might walk away from the marriage, leaving him with no status in the city.

“Why are you giving us conditions? We raised you. You owe us.” Dora ranted, her voice rising to a fever pitch as she spewed venom at Cathleen. This was her tried-and-true tactic, one that never failed to get her way in the past. And Cathleen, always feeling indebted to them, would do whatever it took to keep them happy. But this time, something inside of Cathleen snapped, and she refused to be a puppet any longer, standing up for herself with a ferocity that shook Dora to her core.