Chapter 138
Sampson grabbed Rebekah’s wrist, his face dark. “We raised you for eighteen years, and this is how you repay us? So what if you’re a Hawthorne? You stole Candice’s place for eighteen years. You owe her for the rest of your life!” he hissed. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get the Hawthornes to agree to a long-term partnership with us to pay us back. Otherwise, I have ways of ruining you p>
With that, he chased after Benjamin and Candice.
Mrs. Fletcher looked as if she wanted to spit fire at Rebekah, but Mr. Fletcher pulled her back. She took a deep breath, her voice a cold command. “Sampson is right. You lived Candice’s life for eighteen years. It’s time you paid us back. Your birth father will do anything to make it up to you, so you will make sure the Hawthorne and Fletcher families enter into a long-term partnership. Do you understand p>
Rebekah finally understood the real reason Benjamin had brought her here. The throbbing in her cheek was a dull counterpoint to the realization. She looked at her adoptive parents. Their eyes were hard, not pleading but demanding. In their view, she had taken advantage of them for eighteen years, and now it was time to settle the debt.
The old Rebekah, desperate for their love, would have agreed without hesitation. But she wasn’t that person anymore.
“If I recall correctly, you were the ones who brought home the wrong baby
eighteen years ago. I was too young to even remember my real parents. How was
I supposed to tell you I wasn’t your child?” Her voice was like ice.
Mr. and Mrs. Fletcher stared at her, stunned-not by her words, but by her tone. She had always been meek and submissive, never fighting back no matter how they treated her. Now, her eyes were filled with a cold distance, as if she were severing all ties with them.
“The last eight years of endless insults and beatings have more than repaid my debt to you. I am no longer a Fletcher p>
She turned to leave.
Mrs. Fletcher’s anger finally erupted. She lunged forward and seized Rebekah’s right wrist, right where it was still bruised and tender. Pain shot up Rebekah’s arm, and she broke out in a cold sweat.
“You think eight years pays for eighteen? I’m telling you, Rebekah, you will help us with this partnership. You don’t have a choice! You owe us p>
Mr. Fletcher’s
r’s face hardened. “You
think you’re a princess now that you’ve found your real family? You want to cut ties with us?” he sneered. “Even if you hate us, what about your grandmother? She was good to your fer memorial is tha month. DO you want her to have no peace, even in death p>
At the mention of her grandmother, Rebekah froze. The only reason she had stayed this long was to pay her respects at the memorial. This wasn’t the time to break with them completely, or they would surely bar her from attending.
She fell silent.
Mrs. Fletcher shoved her away. “You are who you are today because we raised you! Without us, you would have died somewhere, and you never would have had
the chance to connect with the Hawthornes p>
Mr. Fletcher’s expression softened.
He signaled for the butler to bring him a file. “This is the Fletcher Group’s new project proposal. When
you see your birth father, you 13
give this to him, and you will make sure he invests. Understood p>