The comparison between her and Derek, where Derek was painted as the ambitious and successful one, while she was relegated to the role of a stubborn and capricious daughter, was a bitter pill to swallow.The crushing realization that her father and Derek saw her as a failure, despite her tireless efforts, was heart-wrenching. It felt as though all her hard work was being dismissed in favor of Derek’s manipulative success. The sight of Derek’s smug satisfaction, his demeanor radiating triumph, only intensified her sense of betrayal.Lily’s heart felt heavy with a mix of anger, sadness, and frustration. The weight of her father’s misplaced faith in Derek, combined with the pain of being unfairly judged, was almost unbearable. As Derek stood there, basking in the approval he had so deceitfully earned, Lily was left grappling with the reality of her shattered dreams and the painful recognition that her father’s trust had been misplaced in the very person who had stolen her hard-earned su
Lily stood rooted to the spot, her body rigid with a fury so intense it made her hands tremble. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, each beat echoing with the betrayal she felt. As she watched her father, Mr. Hartley, smile proudly at Derek, the man who had stolen everything from her, the rage within her only deepened. Her fingers twitched with the urge to lash out, to scream, but she bit down hard on her lip, tasting the metallic tang of blood, trying to hold herself together. Her breathing grew shallow, each breath a struggle against the fury threatening to spill over.Her father, oblivious to the storm brewing inside her, continued to heap praise on Derek. "You’ve really proven yourself, Derek," Mr. Hartley said, his voice brimming with pride. "I’ve always known you had a good head for business, but this… securing such a massive deal, worth $100 million—it’s remarkable. I couldn’t be prouder of you. You’ve outdone yourself. This is the kind of ambition and intelligence that ru
"Thank you, Dad. I’ll make sure to live up to those expectations. It’s always been my goal to prove that hard work and focus pay off. And well… some of us just need a bit more time to figure things out," he said, his words aimed directly at Lily, the jab unmistakable.Lily’s teeth ground together as she fought to keep her composure. His words stung like poison, each one a reminder of how he’d stolen her thunder, how he had deceived everyone and made her look like a failure. She seethed inside, her fury bubbling over, but she forced herself to keep her expression neutral. She had to. If she lashed out now, it would only make her look petty, jealous, like she was the antagonist in her own family. And worse, it would give Derek exactly what he wanted—a chance to bask in her defeat.Despite everything, Lily held on to a sliver of hope. She didn’t know how, but she had to find a way to prove them all wrong, to reclaim what was rightfully hers. Even as the congratulations and accolades co
A round of laughter erupted, loud and mocking, echoing around the room. Derek laughed the loudest, his voice sharp and scathing. Mr. Hartley smirked, shaking his head in disbelief, while Mrs. Hartley covered her mouth, trying to stifle her amusement, but failing miserably."Poverty has really done a number on you, Robert," Mr. Hartley sneered, wiping a tear from his eye as if Robert had told the funniest joke. "I didn’t think it was possible for someone to say something that stupid with a straight face.""Yeah," Derek added, his tone dripping with mockery. "It’s like being broke has melted away what little sense you had left. Securing a deal like that? You? Lily? Please, don't make me laugh."Lily’s heart sank. She watched as the sneers and laughter continued, cutting deeper into her already wounded spirit. Mr. Hartley’s expression turned more serious as he directed his next words at her."Lily," he said, shaking his head in disappointment, "I don’t know how you let yourself get so inf
Lily’s nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists tighter, fighting to hold back the tidal wave of emotions. The sheer injustice of it all burned inside her, but she knew better than to give Derek the satisfaction of seeing her crumble.Robert, unwilling to be silenced, felt his heart twist at the sight of Lily’s frustration and misery. Seeing her like this ignited a burning resolve inside him. He was determined to expose Derek’s lies, no matter what it took. With gritted teeth, his voice laced with frustration, Robert finally spoke up. “Fine,” he spat, his tone sharp, “if that’s how you all want to play the game. No problem. Just wait and see—Lily and I will prove you all wrong, and you’ll see Derek for the fraud he is.”His words lingered in the air like a storm on the horizon, tension rising in the room. Robert turned sharply, his movements purposeful as he gestured for Lily to follow him. She hesitated, her eyes flitting between her father, mother, and Derek’s smug face,
There was a pause on Simon’s end as the information sank in, and when he spoke, his voice was tight with anger. “That snake… I should’ve known Derek was up to something. He always had that cunning, sly way about him, like he was always looking for shortcuts. But to steal his own sister’s hard work and take credit for it… it’s low, even for him.”Robert clenched his jaw, his own anger simmering just below the surface. “Yeah, and now they’ve made him the CEO because of it. Lily’s been left in the dust.”Simon’s anger only grew. “This is unbelievable. The nerve of Derek to pull something like that—and to get away with it in front of his whole family? He’s always been manipulative, but this... This is outright deception. If they knew the truth, if they saw what he really was, they’d be ashamed.”Robert nodded, his mind racing. “I know. That’s why I need your help, Simon. We have to set this right.”Simon didn’t hesitate. “You’ve got it. We’ll expose Derek for the fraud he is. He’s not get
Mr. Hartley’s face flushed with anger as he struggled to process the astronomical figure in the bank statement. He turned back to his wife, his voice low but shaking with fury. “You’re telling me you had nothing to do with this?” Mrs. Hartley, trying to calm herself, shook her head adamantly. “I don’t know how it happened. “I didn’t spend that money.”He paced the room, his frustration mounting. “Then why were you trying to hide it?” he demanded. “If you didn’t have anything to do with it, why hide the email from me? What are you keeping from me?”“I just... I didn’t want to stress you out,” she replied, her voice wavering. “You’ve been so busy with the conference, and I didn’t want to distract you. I was trying to save you from unnecessary stress.”Her words did nothing to soothe him. Instead, they only fanned the flames of his suspicion. “Save me from stress? By hiding an eight-million-dollar expense?” His voice rose, his temper flaring. “Do you think I’m an idiot, Miranda? Do you h
But the tension between Derek and Lily was too far gone. The atmosphere in the room grew fierce and toxic as they continued to trade accusations.“I didn’t do it!” Derek shouted. “You’re the one always trying to make me look like the bad guy.”“That’s because you are!” Lily fired back, her voice filled with fury. “You’ve always been manipulative, always trying to sabotage me.”“I sabotage you? You’re the one who’s always whining about how no one takes you seriously,” Derek sneered. “Maybe this is just your latest stunt to finally get some attention.”Lily’s face contorted with frustration, her fists clenched at her sides. “You’re disgusting, Derek. I can’t believe you’d sink so low.”Their heated exchange was rapidly spiraling out of control. The room was thick with resentment, and the toxic atmosphere made it clear that years of sibling rivalry and buried tensions were bubbling to the surface.Mr. Hartley, standing in the middle of it all, could hardly contain his own fury. His voice