Chapter 5: Trouble at the Door
Lily didn’t know when she’d fallen asleep; the dropped photo album jolted her awake. Dawn was breaking.
She walked out of the study, her eyes not on the ground, almost tripping over someone. It was John, still guarding the doorway.
Before they could speak, the butler approached, holding a phone.
“Sir, Miss Amy’s calling.”
Lily’s eyes were glued to the phone.
It was her daughter, Amy, one of the twins.
John took the phone, thoughtfully putting it
thoughtfully putting it on
speaker so Lily could hear.
on
speaker so
“Dad, can you give Assistant Aiden more authority? Next time, anything under ten million, don’t bother you, okay? It’s such a hassle. I need eight million. Send it to my bank account. Don’t screw it up. Bye.”
Without waiting for a response, Amy hung up.
Their primary mode of communication was phone calls, typically involving Amy requesting money, and John providing it.
“Butler, contact Assistant Aiden and-
“Wait!”
Lily interrupted, pinching the bridge of her nose, a headache looming.“You just give her money whenever she asks? Amy is only seventeen. What does she need eight million for? Did ask?”
After having children, Lily
Before even meeting her
you even
swore she’d never let them become
become spoiled brats.
swore
daughter, she’d already realized John had failed.
Seeing Lily’s anger rising, John softly explained, “Lily, you said… to spoil our daughter.” His lapse.
as a father had made him excessively generous.
“So, don’t send the money?” John asked cautiously.
Lily remained silent.
John continued, “I’ll ask her what she needs it for.”
Amy was surprised to see a return call.
This was a first.
“What do you need the money for?”
She froze.
It was also the first time her father asked.
“Um… for stuff. Clothes, bags… it’ll be gone quickly.”
Her answer
was vague.
John looked at Lily.
Was that sufficient reason to send the money? Lily frowned.
Her daughter was clearly lying.
John understood.
His voice hardened.“Amy, don’t lie to me.”
‘Amy’s grip tightened on the phone.
Her father never cared about her life.
Realizing he could easily find out anyway even she didn’t tell him, she confessed.
“One of my classmates was being mocked for being poor, and I’m buying him a car to shut those bullies up.”
This time, John didn’t need Lily’s signal.
He asked, “A male classmate?”
A pause. A soft “uh–huh” came from the other end.“It’s a secret. I’m just giving it to him.” “Request denied,”
Amy tried to explain, but the call ended.
She was speechless.
Eight million was nothing, why was her father suddenly so stingy?
That evening, Amy received a call from her aunt, Vivian, asking about the woman she’d seen with Her father.
Amy understood. She seemed to know why!
. That darn woman!
She would get revenge!
This was a later story.
For now, John anxiously waited for Lily’s reaction to the call.
“You’re incredibly negligent toward your children.”
Lily ground her teeth.
John was intelligent.
If he’d paid even a fraction of that attention to them, things wouldn’t have gotten this far.
I’m sorry. I was wrong.
He didn’t try to defend himself.
The butler stood frozen.
The new wife was extraordinary!
He’d expected her to be the compromising party, but Andy had stormed off, and John was completely under her thumb!!
The head of J&J Corporation had given his daughter eight million, yet he still needed his new
Chapter 5 Trouble at the Dopr
wife’s approval.
It was unbelievable.
The old saying about step–parents held true:if there is a stepmother, there will be a stepfather.
The butler mentally grumbled.
His demeanor grew even more respectful. J
‘ohn would even clash with his children to appease her, so why would he hesitate to get rid of
him?
He couldn’t offend the new Mrs. Janson!
So, when Vivian called to probe, he kept silent about Lily.
Vivian was Lily’s cousin, Amy and Ben’s aunt.
After the accident, she often visited them.
Andy, knowing his mother’s dislike for Vivian, had ignored her, but the twins didn’t know and kept in contact with her.
John knew about this and let it slide.
It was good for the kids to have a female figure in their lives.
Vivian was greedy for money, and he could afford it.
Now, Vivian had somehow heard about the woman and frantically called the butler.
The butler, still reeling from the revelation of John’s subservience, picked up Vivian’s call. She always acted superior when with Amy, acting like she was the head of the household! Her intentions were obvious!
He dismissed her briefly and hung up.
He looked out the window, sighing.
He had feeling his work was about to
Upstairs, John was trying to redeem himself.
“Amy is on exchange in Europe, she’ll be back next week.
become extremely interesting.
Ben is at a marathon with friends out of town. He won’t be home this week either.”
He detailed the children’s whereabouts, demonstrating that he wasn’t entirely neglectful. He rested his head on Lily’s shoulder, his arms tightly around her waist, his voice softer than ever.
If the butler saw John now, he’d probably be shocked.
Lily ignored him.
The situation was worse than she thought.
Andy was a prickly hedgehog, Amy seemed to be hopelessly romantic, and Ben… probably wasn’t
much better.
She needed rest.
She would tackle the problems one by one.
Andy might return tomorrow; she wanted to be at her best, to be the mother he remembered.
Chapter 5 Trouble at the Door
However, instead of Andy, another unexpected guest arrived. Butler, the tea is excellent. Very fragrant.”
Vivian spoke to the butler, her gaze fixated on the stairs.
She was here to confront the woman.
John had no interest in other women these years, Lily’s sudden relationship had her on edge. Yes, Vivian harbored romantic feelings for John.
The butler was torn.
He wanted Vivian to leave, but his duty prevented him from doing so, especially with her convenient excuse of bringing a gift for Amy.
This art
set is for Amy. She’s so forgetful, she left it. Oh, Butler, I heard…” She’d failed to get information over the phone, so she’d come in person, determined to see this
Woman.
“Butler, who’s at the door? It’s noisy.”
Vivian’s words. trailed off as 1 Woman gracefully descended the stairs.
Her expression froze.
Even with the face mask, her features were striking.
A slender waist, glowing skin, full breasts, a flawless neck…
Vivian’s grip tightened on her teacup.
Youth fades; even with her best efforts, she couldn’t compete with a young woman’s collagen.
Lily had woken up and planned to relax on the balcony.
Hearing noise downstairs, she investigated.
Recognizing Vivian’s hostile and jealous glare, Lily understood.
Her cousin remained the same; always coveting what wasn’t hers..
A mischievous glint sparkled in Lily’s eyes.
She giggled. Oh, we have a visitor.”
“I just put honey back to sleep. He’s been exhausted. This madam, please tell me what you need, and I’ll pass it on.
Realizing Vivian hadn’t recognized her, Lily began her
Seeing
rformance.
Vivian’s face darken, the butler silently gave Lily a thumbs–up. The new wife was formidable; a single sentence had completely disarmed her opponent.
