Just then, the Hospital called.
“Mr. Johnson, when is your father coming back for treatment? He’s missed his window, and he’s not answering his phone.”
Richard froze, then seemed to realize something.
“What do you mean? Hasn’t my father been inpatient this whole time?”
When the nurse said George had left with me, Richard hurled his phone at the wall.
“Well played, Olivia—so calculating! I’m warning you: once my father sees your true colors, he won’t be fooled by a woman like you!”
He reached for his phone to call George.
But the fire had already burned the phone dead.
Unable to get through, Richard looked ready to strangle me.
“Where did you take my father? He’s ill—why are you doing this to him?”
In his mind, because my own father had died, I must have “kidnapped” his father to extort him.
“Olivia, what will it take for you to let my dad go?”
Watching this “devoted son” grit his teeth, I answered coolly:
“The divorce papers. You leave with nothing.”
Richard blinked, then roared:
“I knew it! You want me stripped bare? Won’t you choke on that?”
I didn’t ask for his precious company shares—only the real estate and liquid assets that should already be mine.
Seeing I wasn’t taking equity, he hurried to sign.
“You can have what you want. Now where is my father?”
I nodded.
He pressed, “Where is he?”
I tucked the divorce papers away and slowly pointed to George’s body.
“Right there.”
Veins jumped in Richard’s forehead; he lunged at me with fists and feet.
As I coughed blood again under the blows, the receptionist, Lucy, rushed in and pulled him off me.
“Mr. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson’s father never incited those families. They came to help you, sincerely. I—and the cleaning staff—saw with our own eyes that it was Assistant Bella who spoke to the families…”
Richard’s face changed instantly. Afraid I’d learn the truth, he jabbed a finger at Lucy and shouted:
“How much did Olivia pay you to spew nonsense here? Believe it or not, I’ll make sure you can’t find work in New York again!”
Startled, Lucy stepped back and flashed me a quick, apologetic gesture—
then security, summoned by Bella, led her away.
Rattled and guilty, Richard didn’t dare keep me there; he kicked me out of the Company and told security never to let me in again without his approval.
By then, he had conveniently forgotten his claim that I’d “kidnapped” his dad.