“Did you come looking for me?” he asked her then, looking fixedly at her as if afraid to miss a sliver of her reaction.
Abigail, however, feigned nonchalance and flashed an impeccable smile. “No, I didn’t. I was just passing by, and I have something else to do. I’ll be leaving now.”
With that, she returned to the car, and urged Jimmy to drive away as fast as he could. “Move, now!”
All she wanted right then was to get out of that place, and even as the car moved, she did not even look out of the window once, as if fearful that she would see Diarmuid holding another woman again.
She wanted to slap herself right then she actually came to make peace, and come clean to him!
“He’s the enemy!” she murmured, giggling self-deprecatingly. “You must have gone crazy- .or drugged, Abigail Bernstein! To think you’d fall for the man who killed your child!”
“Mrs. Althoff…” Jimmy murmured as he glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
Talking to herself and looking a little too agitated… Did she finally lose it?
Abigail rubbed her face behind her palms and composed herself. “I’m fine,” she said.
“Shall we head to the mansion?” Jimmy asked.
Abigail shook her head. “No. Let’s go to the hospital.”
They soon arrived, but as Abigail alighted and headed to Lionel’s ward and knocked on the door, she heard Samantha’s voice from within.
“Come on, Ricky. You know that your father won’t live long, so curry his favor and always be wary of Abigail. There’s a chance she’ll beat you to your father’s estate, even though you’re his only son and you deserve everything he has.’
However, it appeared as if Ricky did not like what his mother was saying. “Why are you talking about the inheritance already, Mom? Dad is still alive!”
“I’m just planning ahead for you, alright?” Samantha insisted, because she knew that Lionel still cared about Abigail and wanted to be prepared for any surprises.
“You really have to be smart now, Ricky. Be sweet to your father, make him happy and don’t cause more trouble. Also, stop Abigail from meeting him at all costs, or she’s going to try to sweeten him up for favors. I mean, what would happen to us if your father suddenly has a rush. of poo to the brain, and gives her everything? You know I’m not married to him, and you’re still an illegitimate son. We have to be cautious.”
Ricky, however, was not as devious as Samantha. “I’m his son. He’d never abandon me.”
“Don’t you see?! Sheryl Harris left town for almost a whole year just to force him into a divorce, but your father refused’ He must still have feelings for her he doesn’t care about us! “Samantha snapped, the very idea leaving her fuming
Sheryl was clearly eager for a divorce, but Lionel just had to refuse!
It was obvious that he never wanted to marry her.
In that case, what did she amount to?!
Abigail had wanted to meet Lionel, but overheard that conversation instead
While the Bernstein family did have some estate left, she was not sure about the precise figures.
However, Samantha was already ready to round up everything while Lionel was still alive?
She certainly did not want to see Samantha, but just as she turned to leave, Lionel stepped out of a room after finishing a test
“Abigail?” he called out to her when he saw her
Abigail turned, and saw him smiling
“Did you come to see me?”
Lionel was naturally happy that she would come to visit without being asked, especially since she had been indifferent toward him before
Abigail nodded. “Yeah.”
“Come in, then,” Lionel said warmly.
“Maybe next time,” Abigail replied, excusing herself because Samantha was there.
However, Samantha must have heard them, and opened the door to greet her with an ambiguous tone. “Oh, Abigail! Did you come to visit your father?”
Abigail could not stand the sight of Samantha just then. Though she had come to realize Ricky was relatively innocent, Samantha could corrupt him no matter how kind hearted he was
Also, coveting the family estate just because Lionel was sick? Had she ever been sincere toward Lionel, or was she after his money from the very start?
“I’m my father’s daughter,” Abigail said. “Is there something wrong with me visiting him?”
Samantha’s face fell. “Haven’t you hated him all this while? And now, you’re suddenly his daughter again? You just want his money, don’t you?”
Abigail never wanted to argue about inheritance, but Samantha’s repeated mention of it left her repulsed, so she snapped, “Oh, I never thought about it thanks for reminding me. I guess 1 should properly fawn over my daddy, so that he’ll give me a bigger share!”
Smantha was furious. “You little-”
“That’s enough,” Lionel was getting irritated with the way they had to bicker every time they met. “You’ll annoy me to death even if this cancer doesn’t kill me!”
Considering his health, Abigail quickly said, “Thank you, Dad.”
She was rarely this sentimental toward him, and Lionel actually felt emotional just then. “It’s what I should do,” he replied.
With that, all the past grievances between father and daughter were cleared away, while
Samantha was left utterly confused.
“Lionel, why is she thanking you? What did you do for her?” she asked. “It’s none of your business,” Lionel answered coolly.
As Lionel stepped inside his ward, he told Samantha, “You can leave. I don’t need you here.”
Samantha quickly tried to appease him. “You can’t be alone, right? I’ll stay.”
However, Lionel had already seen through her and what she wanted.
“You just want my inheritance, don’t you?” he asked, exposing her right then.
“No!” Samantha quickly explained. “I’m fine without it, but you have to take care of Ricky. He has a criminal record, and there’s every chance he won’t get a good career. You have to think of him!”
Lionel was not bothered with her rant, and simply lay down in bed!
Was he that stupid that he would not look after his own son?
Meanwhile, Abigail had left quietly, and Ricky followed her out of the building.
“Sis,” he called out to her.
Turning to look at him with an impassive expression, she asked, “What?”
“I heard that you’re the one who got a specialist to help Dad,” Ricky said earnestly, his .hostility toward her before nowhere to be seen. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me. He’s my father too,” Abigail replied, and left.
They had nothing else to talk about anyway.
Back at Light Group’s offices, Diarmuid released the girl beside him the instant Abigail turned around.
Her name was Kathy Young, and she was a secretary that Stan had hired for Diarmuid!
Naturally, Diarmuid had another secretary and did not need Kathy-in fact, Kathy was incompetent and inexperienced, and had nothing going for her aside from a certification from a famous university.
Stan kept her just for her looks, and she was a good choice to make Abigail jealous.
“Mr. Althoff…”
She had felt despondent when Diarmuid removed his hand.
“Tell Stan Hill to come downstairs,” Diarmuid coolly told her, and strode away.
Kathy was puzzled – he was being intimate one moment, and icily distant the next. What was he thinking?
Still, she was new here and should not ask too many questions, and did as she was told. When Stan arrived downstairs, he walked up to Diarmuid’s car. “Yes, Mr. Althoff?”
“She saw us, but she’s not upset. Does that mean he really doesn’t care about me?” Diarmuid asked him
Diarmuid was smart, but tended to fumble when it came to Abigail perhaps he was having tunnel vision, or because he was just too impatient to conquer her
It was also why he bought Stan’s advice.
Naturally, he was despondent to see that Abigail could smile even when she saw him with Kathy
He was hence irritated and convinced that Stan’s idea was a dud Abigail was not jealous at all!
“Are you sure she’s not pretending?” Stan asked
“Just send that woman away,” Diarmuid snapped, and drove off
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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