Chapter 16 Her stuff
Precisely after 3 days, Bonnie returned home, unwilling to test her brother’s patience. His threats were always enacted so she dared not delay.
Surprised to see her daughter back suddenly with no notice, Michelle was nevertheless
delighted, fussing over Bonnie immediately while filling her in on recent incidents, including Sylvia daring to reclaim her gifted items.
At that, Bonnie grew agitated. “Where is Sylvia now? I need to settle accounts with her! If not for her tattling, my brother wouldn’t have summoned me back!”
Alarmed by her outburst, Michelle also flared up hearing Sylvia had caused more trouble.
“I’ve no idea where that shameless woman is now! But ever since the divorce, she’s been insufferably arrogant, acting above her station! As if we’ve all forgotten the deceitful means she used to marry into this family!” raged Michelle. Just thinking about it and Caroline and everything recently infuriated her.
That woman was no good either, causing her son endless headaches handling her online scandals which were surely authentic. Why else would they have emerged?
“What did Sylvia do?” whimpered Bonnie, already tearing up. “I don’t know what she told my brother but he insisted I return! And she even took my things worth millions!”
Hearing the value made Michelle gasp despite their wealth now. Still, such extravagance was
unacceptable.
“Outrageous! Call your brother back immediately! We must confront Sylvia! Divorced yet still clinging to our assets. I warned she was up to no good last time but your brother refused to see reason!” Michelle declared, already grabbing her phone despite urging Bonnie
to call.
Secretly thrilled to witness the imminent confrontation with her brother, Bonnie was about
to dissuade her when Cyril’s icy voice cut in.
“Sylvia had nothing to do with summoning you back. Yet here you are, slandering her instantly. If this is what you learned abroad, perhaps you shouldn’t have gone at all.”
Both women jerked in frightened surprise, unaware of Cyril’s silent arrival or how long he had overheard.
Squirming under her brother’s frigid gaze, Bonnie knew she was cornered. As Cyril settled into a solitary seat, his assistant handed over an investigation report.
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“Shall I summarize the findings or would you prefer to make your own confession?” Cyril asked, his domineering tone leaving Bonnie struggling to breathe. Given the options, she naturally feared the revelations in that report more.
Collapsing to her knees, Bonnie clung desperately to Cyril, weeping and insisting on her temporary lack of control abroad compared to Sylvia’s theft.
Disgusted by her shamelessness, Cyril shook free his hand and slapped her sharply.
Michelle screamed and rushed to embrace her daughter, casting furious looks at Cyril’s callousness especially when he always favored Sylvia. What misdeeds could her precious daughter have possibly committed?
Seeing Michelle coddle Bonnie protectively only aggravated Cyril further. He flung the file contemptuously between them.
“Then you both take a look at exactly what your daughter was up to overseas! And that necklace – don’t pretend otherwise! I know you sold it off for millions!”
A million-dollar piece sold for only hundreds of thousands and she dared accuse Sylvia of stealing and pawning it? The implication of what happened to the other lavish gifts over the years was obvious.
Hearing Cyril’s accusations, Bonnie knew denial was useless. “Nothing else, just that necklace!” she still insisted. “Who knows if Sylvia orchestrated this herself back when she married in. She never had good intentions…”
“Intentions?” Cyril interrupted derisively. “As if you have anything she would bother scheming for! Every gift she gave you and Mother are worth at least millions. Yet you vilify her for allegedly stealing and selling your tacky necklace?”
After handling Caroline’s scandal, Cyril had checked on the value of Sylvia’s gifts. Each one, ran over a million easily. Far exceeding what Bonnie had gotten for selling her chain. Yet his sister still dared make such accusations? Preposterous!
Wailing despairingly now before Cyril’s stony countenance, Bonnie knew she was doomed.
Seeing her daughter’s distress, Michelle didn’t dare confront Cyril anymore but began cursing Sylvia instead until Cyril interrupted in dismay.
“Is this how you’ve been treating her all these years, Mother?”
It had never occurred to Cyril that Sylvia might have suffered such awful treatment from his family. Remembering how she had remained stubbornly adamant about divorcing him, Cyril wondered if there were things he truly failed to understand.
Chapter 16 Her stuff
If even his own mother acted so atrociously, how would outsiders have behaved? But the root cause was his own attitude enabling such toxicity against Sylvia in the first place. If only he had been better to her. Unfortunately, Cyril still lacked that self-awareness even now.