I felt a bit embarrassed and shook my head, “Unemployed.”
He laughed unkindly, “Got fired?”
Hey, can’t this guy
say 1
things a bit m
more tactfully?
“Don’t put it so bluntly! I’m just taking a break for a few days. I’ll be back in the workforce in no time!”
Hugo closed his laptop and asked very seriously, “Do you need help?”
Hiss–wouldn’t it be overkill for him to step in?
Before I could politely refuse, he spoke up on his own: “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re satisfied.”
I swear to God, I really didn’t doubt him one bit.
Staying at home, I turned off my phone and left my computer gathering dust in the corner.
Until three days later when my dad showed up at the door, looking defeated, “Nancy, my good daughter.”
That one phrase nearly gave me goosebumps all over my body.
“Firing you was something I really didn’t know about. It was all your disobedient sister acting on her own. Nancy, you know our company w already struggling. At this critical moment, Hugo suddenly withdrawing his investment is undoubtedly adding frost to snow.”
To be honest, this company was founded with the joint efforts of your dad and your mom. How can you just watch all those years of your mother’s hard work go down the drain?”
Huh-
My dad is
the type of person who treats you like a golden egg when he needs you.
If he doesn’t need you, he’ll toss you aside immediately, not even sparing a glance.
Natalie probably doesn’t know yet that the stepfather she’s relied on for over twenty years has turned around and sold her out.
Looking at my dad’s hypocritical face, I struggled to hold back my disgust and coldly asked, “Who was it that said just a few days ago that m mom has been dead for many years, so why bring her up?”
11
My dad’s old face froze. After a while, he finally spoke.
“I, I was just thinking of you. Mentioning your mother makes us both sad. That day was your homecoming visit. I, I didn’t want everyone to be
unhappy:
“Were you afraid of making me unhappy, or afraid of making that mother–daughter pair unhappy?”
My dad’s temples were graying, and the wrinkles on his face had increased.
It was clear how anxious he had been these past three days, but wasn’t this all self–inflicted?
My dad’s eyes moistened as he started playing the family card.
“Nancy, will you forgive your dad? Since your mom passed away, all these years I’ve been both father and mother to you…”
I
if he kept making things up like this, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold back from retorting
but not now. I needed to make him alize my importance and also reclaim the property belonging to my mom and maternal grandparents”
4.07 PM dr
<
So, I couldn’t openly confront him right now.
Picking up where he left off, I said, “I know it hasn’t been easy for you these years, caught between me and that mother–daughter pair. As the saying goes, brothers fight tigers together, and father and son go to battle side by side. No matter how strict you’ve been with me, Dad, I know it’s all for my own good. Blood is thicker than water, because we’re the ones with a true blood relationship”
Hearing this, my dad became thoughtful.
Saying these things was actually the first step in my plan to drive a wedge between them.
“My sister has really gone too far. Everyone can see how good you’ve been to her, Dad. But now that I’m married into the Edwards family, and Hugo treats me well too. With me around, Hugo won’t stand by and watch the Collins family go bankrupt.”
“But what about my sister? She turns against me over a small matter, using your seal as a joke. Is that a small thing?”
My dad shook his head, “You’re right about everything. Natalie really went too far this time.”
Seeing him half–believing, I administered another strong dose.
“If outsiders learn about the internal strife in our family, not only will the company employees laugh, but how will others view you? People wil say you can’t manage your own family, and then they’ll think you can’t manage the company properly. They might even look down on you. This would be extremely detrimental to the company’s future development!
My dad’s face gradually showed seriousness and solemnity. “Nancy, only you would say such things to your dad.
It seems these words had taken effect.
I pretended to sigh with resignation, “Dad, my request isn’t much. I just hope Natalie can sincerely apologize to me. When Hugo sees that I’m not angry, he’ll calm down too. Won’t that resolve our family company’s crisis?”
“You’re saying Hugo will really help?”
“Of course I nodded emphatically, continuing to use words to influence him: “You’ve seen how much Hugo cares about me. The reason he withdrew his investment this time was all because of Natalic, wasn’t it?”
My dad finally made up his mind, “Nancy, you’ve been wronged. Don’t worry, I definitely make Natalie apologize to you in person!”
Mission accomplished, oh yeah!
After my dad left, Hugo came out of the study.
Seeing my beaming smile, he couldn’t help but tease, “Look how happy you are. A simple apology satisfies you?”
“NO NO NO, this is just a small step. Just thinking about the high and mighty Natalie having to humble herself and apologize to me makes
me…
