No More Waiting, She Chooses Love

Her cheeks flushed a shade of pink, a clear giveaway I'd hit the nail on the head.

And yet, she seemed loathe to let all that money slip through her fingers and into mine.

Over the years, she'd been genuinely kind to me, so much so that I'd almost forgiven them for the roles they played in my parents' demise. But now, it dawned on me that her kindness was conditional, rooted not in genuine affection but in the preservation of her interests. She used to dote on me, claiming that if I couldn't be her daughter-in-law, I'd still be her daughter. I mistook that for real love. Only now do I see that it wasn't me she loved, but my inheritance.

"Jacqueline, this belongs to me. It was plundered from my parents," I declared, no longer playing the obedient girl now that I'd seen through the ugliness of human nature.

"Felicia, I-I didn't mean it like that..."

Such a feeble defense. I wasn't listening, nor did I plan to believe her, turning instead to leave.

But before I could take more than a step, Conrad grabbed my arm, locking me in place. I shot him a cold glare. "Can't let go of the billions in assets, Conrad? The little I'm reclaiming is but a drop in the ocean for the Wagner family, yet it's this very drop that built the Wagner Group."

"You think I care about that?" Conrad's voice was tinged with anger.

His grip tightened as he turned to Dustin, "Dustin, make no mistake, Felicia is my woman. Even if we've broken up, she's still my ex. You can chase anyone you want, but she's off-limits."

Compared to Conrad's fury, Dustin was the picture of calm. "Rad, it's not your call."

Dustin's laid-back attitude only fueled Conrad's rage. "Dustin, if you have any respect for our brotherhood, you'll stay away from Felicia."

The tension between the brothers was palpable, like a prelude to a brawl.

"Enough!" Their father finally lost his

patience. "Look at yourselves!

Fighting

over a woman and

vel.r

forgetting the bond of brotherhood. Aren't you ashamed?"

After scolding them, his eyes landed on Conrad's grip on me. "Let her go!"

But Conrad only held on tighter, dragging me out the door and towards his car. "What are you planning?" I demanded.

"Felicia, I know you don't really want to be with Dustin. You're just here to

stir up trouble in our family, aren't you? Conrad, it seemed, still knew me too well.

He saw right through me, and I didn't hide it. "Yeah, I'm here to stir up trouble in your family."

His eyes narrowed. "You still can't let go of your hatred for your parents' death."

He was wrong. I had let it go, but their cruelty was too much. Killing my parents, making me an orphan, and then snatching away the man I loved.

"If you were in my shoes, could you let it go?" I retorted, my voice laced with mockery.

Conrad's expression softened into a

helpless sigh. "My parents never intended to harm yours. It was their driver who was responsible for your parents' death."

With that, he not only absolved his parents of any wrongdoing but also subtly reminded me that Ernest, the driver, was my real enemy. Like father, like son, it seemed.

"Conrad," I looked him in the eye, "I'm curious about something. That day at the alligator pond, why wouldn't Ernest save you despite my pleas?"