03
I stepped forward, closing the distance between us.
“At my birthday banquet, any bottle of wine is more valuable than everything you own combined. What a waste it would be to spill it on you. With .baseless accusations, you’re trying to slander me. I don’t know whether to call you naive or just plain stupid.”
My words laid bare the petty scheme at play.
“Alright, it’s just children’s play.”
From the shadows, Jack finally emerged to smooth things over. Seeing him as a lifeline, Tiffany quickly ducked behind him for refuge.
He patted her hand.
“The dress was stained by the maid. You’ve misunderstood Zooey.”
What should have been a battle between the real and the fake heiress was dismissed with a simple claim of misunderstanding.
As I turned to leave, Jack abruptly changed the topic.
“Zooey, I’m planning to have Tiffany change her surname.”
I paused, turning back to face him.
“Your adopted daughter can take your surname Johnson. What else do you want to change?”
“The surname Spencer.”
The declaration sent a hush through the room.
Stephan chimed in, “Your father has acknowledged Tiffany as his daughter, making her also your mother’s daughter. Taking the surname Spencer isn’t an issue.”
12:06
I clenched my fists, pondering, “To even consider letting this illegitimate girl share my mother’s surname? The level of shamelessness required for that was something only they could muster.”
My father had integrated into my mother’s family, and thus, I carried her surname, Spencer. As the sole offspring in the Spencer family, the future leadership of the Spencer Group was destined to fall to me.
In my past life, I fell into a trap to justify myself, agreeing to Tiffany taking my mother’s surname in a state of confusion, much to the amusement of the elite guests at my birthday banquet.
I steadied my resolve, raising an eyebrow.
“Mom’s been gone for years, and you’re still eyeing her things?”
My words brought the power struggle into the open.
Jack’s expression darkened, and he raised his hand to strike me.
“You insolent child, how dare you speak that way!”
Though I couldn’t retaliate against an elder, it didn’t give him the right to hit me.
Jessica caught his hand and flung it away.
“Mr. Johnson, that’s enough.”
Her emphasis on his surname, Johnson, was deliberate.
Humiliated by a junior, Jack turned livid.
As he prepared to assert his authority, a voice from the doorway interrupted him. “Who’s bullying Zooey?”
My face lit up with joy, and I hurried to greet her. “Grandma? How did you get here?”
Cecily Spencer, my grandmother, had been a formidable woman in her youth.
Now, in her later years, she preferred to stay away from company affairs, spending time abroad caring for her health.
She handed me a beautifully wrapped box, smiling. “It’s your birthday; no matter how far, I had to come back. Open it and see if you like it.”
I unwrapped the package to reveal a ring adorned with a sapphire.
The onlookers gasped, whispering among themselves.
“That gem, I remember it sold for two million dollars before.”
“As expected, Madame Spencer is the epitome of generosity.”
Then, Cecily asked deliberately, “Who wants to change their surname to Spencer?”
Jack, who had been so arrogant moments ago, wilted instantly.
He knelt before Cecily. “Cecily, I was wrong.”
He had no choice but to submit. After all, his position as chairman of the company was a gift from the Spencer family.
Any disrespect toward Cecily could result in his swift removal from his post by the board.
“You can even acknowledge a dog as your daughter, but if you overstep Zooey’s rights, you know the consequences.”
Jack was quick to agree, his head bobbing in affirmation.
“Yes,” he muttered.
