Chapter 13: The Daughter They Tried to Destroy
Claire’s voice stayed in my ear long after she stopped speaking.
“Soon everyone will believe you stole from your own family.””
The call ended.
I stared at the screen.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Then my father took a slow breath.
“She wants you scared.””
I looked at him.
“She wants me destroyed.””
Richard didn’t deny it.
“Yes.””
The word was heavy.
Because this was no longer about a marriage.
No longer about Daniel.
No longer about Margaret.
This was about survival.
My father’s assistant moved quickly.
“We need to secure all accounts immediately.””
My father nodded.
“Do it.””
Then he looked at me.
“Emily, I need you to understand something.””
I waited.
“This is exactly what they wanted.””
I looked down at the evidence.
My credentials.
My name.
My access.
Everything pointing at me.
“They want everyone to think I betrayed the company.””
“Yes.””
“And then?””
My father’s expression hardened.
“Then they remove you legally.””
I laughed softly.
The sound surprised everyone.
“What?””
My father looked concerned.
I shook my head.
“I spent my whole life trying to prove I wasn’t like Claire.””
My voice cracked.
“And now she’s trying to turn me into the villain.””
My father stepped closer.
“You are not your sister.””
I looked at him.
“She knows that.””
“What?””
“That’s why she hates me.””
The words came out before I could stop them.
Claire didn’t hate me because I was better.
She hated me because I was different.
I didn’t want power.
I didn’t chase approval.
I didn’t need the company to feel important.
And maybe that made her feel like she had lost before the fight even began.
Daniel quietly spoke.
“She’s not going to stop.””
Everyone looked at him.
I almost forgot he was there.
Almost.
“You don’t get to advise me.””
His face fell.
“I know.””
“Then why are you still here?””
He looked at me.
“Because I know Thomas.””
I crossed my arms.
“And?””
“And because I know what he does when people become inconvenient.””
A chill moved through me.
“What does that mean?””
Daniel looked serious.
“He doesn’t just take things.””
He swallowed.
“He destroys people first.””
Margaret, who had been silent, suddenly stood.
“Daniel.””
He looked at her.
“What?””
“You’re saying too much.””
That sentence told me everything.
I turned toward her.
“You know what he does.””
She looked away.
For the first time, Margaret looked afraid.
Not angry.
Not arrogant.
Afraid.
My father noticed too.
“Margaret.””
She said nothing.
“What did Thomas do?””
Her lips tightened.
“Nothing.””
Nobody believed her.
My father stepped closer.
“You protected him.””
“I protected my family.””
I stared at her.
“No.””
My voice was quiet.
“You protected yourself.””
Margaret looked at me.
“You have no idea what it’s like to lose everything.””
I almost laughed.
“Really?””
I touched my stomach.
“I lost my marriage today.””
I looked at Daniel.
“I lost the person I trusted.””
Then at her.
“I lost the family I thought I had.””
My voice became stronger.
“But I’m still standing.””
Nobody spoke.
Then my father’s assistant interrupted.
“Mr. Bennett.””
We all turned.
“The company servers are secured.””
My father nodded.
“Good.””
“But we found something.””
My stomach tightened.
“What?””
He looked at me.
“The access using your credentials wasn’t done from your account.””
I frowned.
“What does that mean?””
“It means someone copied your authorization.””
My father’s eyes narrowed.
“How?””
The assistant hesitated.
Then opened another file.
“We found the source.””
He turned the screen around.
A security camera image appeared.
A woman entering the Bennett Holdings headquarters.
My breath stopped.
Claire.
But that wasn’t what shocked me.
She wasn’t alone.
Standing beside her was another person.
Someone who should have been on my side.
Someone who had spent years telling me they loved me.
My father whispered:
“No.””
I stared at the image.
May you like
Because beside Claire…
was my mother.
