Five Years of Broken Dreams

Chapter 4

"Lily, are you out of your mind?" he yelled. "How dare you hit me?!"

I glanced at my swollen hand, the pain a small price to pay. A cold laugh slipped from my lips. "You hit me first. Why are you so upset now?"

"You really think you can bully the eldest daughter of the Carter family?" I shot back, my voice dripping with bitterness.

Before Derek could respond, his mother rushed in, clearly sensing the escalating tension. "Lily, Derek was just upset. Don't hold this against him."

She tugged at Derek's sleeve, giving him a pleading look.

This was the first time Derek had ever raised a hand to me, and I could see the nervousness in his eyes. But with Chloe there, or maybe out of pride, he refused to apologize, turning away like nothing had happened.

"Derek!" his mother snapped, finally stepping in. "This has to stop now."

She turned to me, trying to soften her tone. "I was angry earlier, but if you had just gone to dinner with Chloe, none of this would've happened."

Of course, it was still my fault. No apology, no remorse. Just more of the same.

I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't join them for dinner. I locked myself in the bedroom, avoiding them the rest of the night. Mrs. Wilson, my loyal housekeeper, brought me my dinner in silence.

The next morning, I didn't wake up until noon. When I finally emerged, I saw them preparing lunch, but I didn't stick around. I left without a word.

Just as I stepped out, my assistant called, giving me the latest gossip. Apparently, the whole office had caught wind of Derek's return from his six-month business trip, with a pregnant woman in tow. The whispers about me were impossible to ignore.

And then, thirty minutes after I left the house, I got a text from Derek. He asked me to grab two boxes of supplements for Chloe on my way back, and suggested I buy her some jewelry to apologize for "upsetting her yesterday."

The nerve.

I couldn't help but laugh. A bitter laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. I texted back, cool and detached: "If you want to eat, you can handle it yourself."

No sooner had I sent it than Mrs. Wilson came in with more news. Apparently, Chloe had taken all the health supplements my mother had sent me, claiming they were for her baby.

I raised an eyebrow. "What did they say?"

Mrs. Wilson scoffed, clearly irritated. "Derek's family was practically thrilled. They told Chloe to just ask for whatever she wanted."

I couldn't believe it. My mother had been sending me supplements every three months, making sure I stayed healthy. But instead of helping me, they'd all turned it into something for Chloe. My mother's kindness had just been used against me.

Even Derek's mom, who usually kept her distance, had joined in. At that point, I had no reason to care about saving face for them anymore.

If they wanted to treat me like this, why should I be concerned about their dignity?

With a sharp sigh, I left the house, my mind made up. No more playing nice. I went straight to the office and called an urgent senior management meeting.

We assessed the company's current state, reassigned tasks, and made the necessary changes, informing everyone of the updates.

Then I turned to the room, my voice steady and firm. "Effective immediately, I'll be returning to Carter Corp. And as of today, Derek is banned from the premises."