Chapter 21: Tensions Unveiled
It seemed that Theodore had made a mistake.
Terrence hung up the phone and quickly sent a reply to Theodore:
“Valerie is in Foliage Villa.”
Theodore blinked at his phone in disbelief. He had been so sure of what he had seen.
“No way,” he muttered to himself, confused. “The sight of that girl’s back really resembled Ms. Schwartz.”
A thought crossed his mind, and he typed furiously:
“Does Ms. Schwartz have a twin sister?”
Terrence’s second message arrived almost immediately, this time with a more serious tone:
“Did you finish the meeting with Ricky? What did he say?”
Theodore quickly snapped back into his professional mindset, focusing on the work at hand. He typed a response:
“Mr. Murray is very happy, and he said no problem. We can sign the contract this Thursday.”
Terrence’s eyes softened for a moment as he read Theodore’s message. A faint smile appeared on his face, the first sign of emotion in what had been a rather intense morning.
He knew that Ricky’s situation was complex. Once the successor of the Murray Group in Washington D.C., Ricky’s life had drastically changed after the car accident three years ago that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Many had written him off as a “good-for-nothing,” avoiding him because of his condition. But Terrence, having observed the changes in Ricky over the past years, knew better.
Ricky’s recovery and his swift return to the core management of the Murray Group was a testament to his resilience and capabilities. Terrence believed Ricky would be successful in the future, far more than the skeptics thought.
Most importantly, with this partnership finalized, Terrence would finally be able to take a much-needed vacation and spend some quality time with Valerie.
“I’m going to Washington D.C. on Wednesday,” Terrence sent, feeling a sense of calm take over him as he planned his next steps.
In the Schwartz Family Home
Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., things were far from calm.
At the Schwartz family home, Jazlynn finally felt a sense of relief after hearing that Valerie and Ricky were set to sign the marriage certificate on Friday.
“Valerie, you are getting married, so the abundant antiques your father left for you…” Jazlynn began, eager to discuss the family wealth.
Valerie, who had been peeling an apple, froze at her mother’s words. With an irritated swipe, she punctured the apple with the sharp tip of her knife and responded, her voice sharp and clear:
“That is the marriage gift my father left for me.”
Jazlynn felt a sudden wave of embarrassment. She had been so eager to claim those valuables as part of the family’s inheritance, but Valerie’s response made it clear that her intentions were not welcome.
Sitting nearby, Abbigail scoffed loudly, her irritation showing.
“Even so, that is marital property,” she grumbled. “And according to the law, half of which should belong to my mother. Since you are getting married, you should return my mother’s property to our family!”
The words stung, cutting through the fragile calm that had settled over the room. Valerie’s grip tightened on the apple, the tension in her chest rising with each passing second. Her eyes narrowed as she met Abbigail’s gaze, but she said nothing, biting back the response that threatened to spill from her lips.
Jazlynn awkwardly cleared her throat, the room now heavy with unspoken words and unresolved tensions. The conversation had shifted from something that should have been celebratory to a battle for ownership of the past, and Valerie felt every ounce of it.
In the midst of this, the uncertainty and simmering resentment that had been building up for years continued to grow, and Valerie found herself trapped in a place where her decisions—whether about the marriage, her family’s expectations, or her feelings for Terrence—were only becoming more complicated by the day.
The impending marriage to Ricky felt more like a transaction than a union, and the pull of the past and present threatened to overwhelm her.
