Chapter 11
“You’re lying!” Bowen shouted, so furious that he set Levi down and moved to slap Helena.
But before he could, Helena struck first. The sound echoed through the room, and Dad erupted in anger.
“Look at what you’ve become! We spoiled you rotten!” he roared, his face red with rage.
Helena’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous light, and Dad snapped, “What? Are you going to hit me too?”
Helena smirked, her expression chilling. “Dad, how could I ever hit you? Levi is the future heir of Gardner Corporation. Of course, I’ll take good care of you.”
Finally hearing her true intentions, Dad’s face turned crimson. “You’re delusional! Maisie is still my daughter, even if she’s abroad. We haven’t cut ties! I’ll call my lawyer right now and rewrite my will. You won’t get a single cent from Gardner Corporation after I’m gone. I’m disowning you!”
He pulled out his phone, but before he could dial, Helena slapped it out of his hand. She stomped on it, crushing it under her heel.
She hissed, “Dad, for 25 years, you and Mom loved me the most. We’re family. You think you can abandon me and give everything to that useless Maisie? Not a chance!”
“I’ve taken care of you all these years. Even as an adopted daughter, I have rights. You can’t take my inheritance away!” she shouted, her voice rising. Mom, who had been silent until now, could not take it anymore. “You’ve never suffered a day in your life! You’ve had drivers, household staff, everything handed to you.
“Meanwhile, Maisie struggled her whole life. You envied her, but have you ever stopped to think that she’s our real daughter? If she hadn’t been switched at birth, you’d never have had this life!”
“Instead of being grateful, you’ve been jealous of her. You almost killed her! And even then, we us?” Mom demanded, tears streaming down her face.
protected you, even lied to Maisie. Is this how you repay
“Mom! You’ve been against protecting me from the start! And you call that not favoring Maisie?” Helena shouted.
Helena had never raised her voice at Mom before, and the outburst was too much for Mom, who clutched her chest, her face turning pale.
“Nancy!” Bowen rushed to find her medication while Dad, enraged, slapped Helena across the face.
“Look what you’ve done! If anything happens to Nancy,
you out of this house!” he yelled.
Helena had never once been hit by them, and she completely lost the little sanity she had left. She shrieked, “You hit me over that worthless Maisie?” She shoved Dad with all her strength, causing him to stumble backward and hit his head on the marble coffee table.
When he did not get up, Helena sneered. “Stop pretending, Dad. You’re not making
call today.”
KOMA – Ak redkloni posing beneath his head and realized
pulse, and her face went white.
“It’s not my fault… I didn’t mean to…” she stammered, scrambling backward.
was terribly wrong. She dropped to her knees, checking his
Bowen returned with the medication and froze at the scene. He screamed, “Helena, what did you do to Edward?”
Helena lunged at him, covering his mouth to silence him. Mom, struggling to crawl toward Dad, let out a bloodcurdling scream when she realized he was gone. She collapsed, unconscious.
Bowen sank his teeth into Helena’s hand, and she yelped in pain, releasing him. He shouted, “Nancyl
He ran to her side, fumbling to force the pill between her lips, but it was too late–Mom was no longer breathing
With Dad dismissing all the staff after the scandal, only Bowen, Helena, and their five–year–old Levi were left in the house. Levi wailed in the background as Bowen turned to Helena, his eyes blazing.
“Helena, after everything Mom and Dad did for you, you killed them! I’m calling the police–”
Before he could finish, Helena grabbed a heavy crystal ashtray and smashed it into his head. She did not stop until Bowen lay motionless on the floor.
“You really thought you were Maisie’s man? Go to hell, you scum!” she spat, her voice cold.
Helena knew there was no escaping the death penalty now, and if she was going down, she was not going alone.
The call came early in the morning. Allen told me Helena had set the villa on fire, and even Levi had not survived. I was shocked, but knowing Helena’s selfish, spoiled nature, it wasn’t entirely surprising. My parents and Bowen had brought this on themselves. They deserved it.
Three months later, my legs had fully healed, and I could walk again. I returned home to claim my parents‘ ashes and inherited Dad’s shares in Gardner Corporation.
My new life was just beginning.
