Cutting My Losses

I slapped Abel with almost all my strength, and his cheeks instantly turned red and swollen. His face was full of disbelief as he said, "Aspen Larkins, are you crazy? How dare you hit me!"

I glanced at my own reddened hand and let out a cold chuckle. "You were the one who raised your hand first. Now, you're upset with me?

"I am the eldest daughter of the Larkin family. Do you think you can humiliate me however you like?"

Hearing the commotion, Vivian hurried over to mediate. "Aspen, Abel acted out of impulse. Don't hold it against him."

Seeing my expression remain icy, she quickly tugged on Abel's sleeve, signaling him with repeated blinks.

This was the first time Abel had ever raised a hand against me, and I could see he was nervous. Perhaps it was because Cora was there, or maybe it was his male pride, but Abel turned his face away.

He was unwilling to admit he was wrong.

"Abel Brooks!" Vivian shouted. She knew very well that if the standoff continued, Abel would come out of this worse off.

Abel finally spoke, though his tone was far from apologetic, "I admit I acted on impulse earlier. But if you'd just come down and had dinner with Cora like you were asked, none of this would've happened."

His words didn't sound like an apology at all. Every sentence was laced with blame, accusing me of being unreasonable.

My heart sank once more. I skipped dinner entirely and stayed in my room.

I didn't see or speak to anyone in Abel's family again that night. Only Eve felt sorry for me, and she brought my dinner up to my room.

…

The next day, I stayed in bed until noon. When I finally got up, I saw the family gathering for lunch and left the house without a word.

When I reached the office, my assistant, Lyla Jacques, informed me that rumors had begun circulating. People had somehow learned that Abel had returned from his six-month business trip with a pregnant woman, and whispers about my situation had spread throughout the company.

Barely half an hour after leaving the house, I received a message from Abel. He told me to bring back two boxes of gourmet honey for Cora when I returned and suggested I also buy her some jewelry as an apology for upsetting her the previous day.

The commanding tone of his message was so absurd that it almost made me laugh. I replied indifferently, "If she wants it, you can arrange it yourself."

Just after I sent the message, Eve informed me that Cora had taken all the health supplements my mother had sent over for me, claiming they were beneficial for her unborn child.

I asked casually, "What did they say about it?"

Eve was clearly irritated when she replied, "The whole family couldn't be happier. They said that whatever she wants to eat, she should just ask for it."

My mom would arrange for someone to deliver health supplements to me every three months as she wanted me to take better care of myself. And now, my mom's thoughtful gesture had become their gain.

Even Vivian, who usually knew where to draw the line, had allowed it. I saw no reason to give them any more courtesy.

If this was how they treated me, why should I protect their dignity?

I went straight to the office and convened a meeting with the senior executives. After reviewing the company's recent developments, I reorganized the work structure and issued new directives.

"I am returning to the office, effective immediately. As of today, Abel Brooks is no longer permitted to step foot in Larkin Nation."