Chapter 24
I looked at my parents innocently. “I’m just saying that Julianne looks healthy. What, I can’t do that now?”
My parents were livid.
“Millicent, when did you become like this?” Mom scolded. “Your sister’s always been nice to you. She was even trying to stop us from calling the police on you.
“But not only did you not appreciate her kindness, you even mocked her! Do you have any conscience left? Why do you always treat Lianne like this?”
She was so angry that she put down the bowl to slap me. “First, you got Lianne kidnapped and refused to apologize. You even told her to kill herself, causing her to end up in the hospital.
“Then, at your grandmother’s birthday celebration, you humiliated her and pushed her into the pond. Don’t you feel at all guilty after doing so many vicious things? Milicent—”
Before Mom could continue her tirade, Dad cut her off. “There’s no use talking to her. Call the police and get her arrested. She’s beyond saving. Let the police discipline her for us! She deserves to be locked up for a few years. Then maybe she’ll finally learn her lesson!”
“Dad, don’t. Millie only pushed me into the pond because she was in a bad mood. She didn’t mean to hurt me,” Julianne said.
Hearing this, Dad looked at me with disgust. “Look! Look how kind Julianne is! Even now, she’s speaking up for you. She’s always thinking of you! And what about you? Get on your knees and apologize to her right now, or you can rot in jail!”
I know Dad didn’t really want to send me to jail, and it wasn’t out of some misplaced fatherly love or something. He just didn’t want the embarrassment of having a convicted criminal for a daughter.
Besides, he was also hoping that this whole fiasco would make me feel indebted to Julianne, which he could use as leverage to extract more from me.
When Julianne heard Dad’s demand, she attempted to showcase her usual magnanimous act when Irvin spoke up. “Emi, he wasn’t serious. Henry’s just angry. You just need to apologize to Julianne.”
Julianne’s benevolent smile disappeared from her face instantly, replaced with a dark look that disappeared quickly.
“ Yes , Millie , you just need to apologize . ” Then, as if suddenly realizing that her words were inappropriate , she quickly corrected, “I mean , you don’t have to if you don’t want to. We’re family , after all. I understand that you act impulsively when you’re upset . ”
1/2
24
+25 BONOS
Her pitiful, self–sacrificing attitude immediately made everyone in the room–my parents, Irvin, and Jeremy, who’d been standing silently at the side–look at me in anger. Their gazes were commanding, urging me to apologize to Julianne at once.
She always had a talent to make me look like a bad guy before I had the chance to say anything. In their eyes, my refusal to apologize was akin to committing an unforgivable crime.
Before I could speak, Dad said, “Not just apologize. You have to convince your grandmother to give Lianne the 10% shares that she gave you! She’s her granddaughter too. Why should you have the shares when Lianne doesn’t have any? Get it done, or you can go to jail!”
Grandma was still holding 30% shares for Quillcrest Pharmaceuticals. Jeremy and my parents had always been under the impression that she would give 20% to Jeremy and hand him control of the company, while I would get 10% and support him.
They’d made plans long ago to get me to transfer the 10% ownership to Julianne. However, Grandma never mentioned anything about giving me the shares at her birthday celebration. Then, with the commotion about our fall in the pond, my parents hadn’t had the chance to ask me about it.