I almost laughed.
He didn't know. The baby was already gone.
Lost the moment he chose Brenda. Again.
I had no desire to argue with Richard anymore. If he had no shame, I had no reason to show mercy.
I held his gaze for a long, steady moment. Then I smiled and nodded.
This time, I was going to give Richard a gift he'd never forget.
The day of the press conference, reporters packed the venue.
My father and Richard sat side by side on the stage. I watched from below, waiting.
Not far away, Brenda's eyes found mine, burning with venom.
She began walking toward me.
"Vera, why are you so pathetically desperate?"
"Can't you see Richard has already moved on?"
"He stopped loving you a long time ago! If it weren't for the baby, he would've divorced you ages ago!"
I didn't even bother sparing Brenda a glance.
But she took my silence as an invitation to push further.
"Vera, do you have any idea how wild we were that night?"
"He knew I was leaving. He couldn't get enough of me. Lost count of how many times he took me in that bed."
"He hasn't been that passionate with you in a long time, has he?"
Brenda's voice slithered like a viper's whisper.
My fists clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms. Every fiber of me screamed to slap her across the face.
But the real show hadn't started yet. I swallowed the urge whole.
When Brenda saw I wasn't reacting, she sat down beside me with a huff of frustration.
The press conference began on schedule.
Richard was still onstage, speaking with easy confidence, painting a grand picture of the partnership with Sullivan Corp.
My father sat nearby, his smile polished and restrained.
After the latest collaboration details had been laid out and the signing was about to begin, my father stood up.
"Just a moment, Mr. Weiss."
Richard's expression shifted to confusion.
I rose from my seat and walked onto the stage.
"Today, Sullivan Corp also has an announcement to make."
I cast a brief glance at Richard.
A flicker of unease passed through him, sudden and sourceless.
He moved to stop me, but my father stepped into his path.
I let out a quiet laugh and continued.
"Sullivan Corp has sold its shares to the Farley Group."
"Going forward, the Sullivan-Weiss partnership will be managed by Farley."
The Farley Group and Weiss Corp were bitter rivals. Farley had been eyeing this project for a long time, waiting for an opening, but Weiss had kept an iron grip on it, leaving no room for anyone else to get a foot in the door.
Now, I was handing them that opening on a silver platter.
Richard lunged for the microphone, but I sidestepped him with ease.
Without a change in expression, I produced a document and cast it onto the large screen behind me.
The entire room went dead silent.
