Chapter 17

In a crystal-clear surveillance video, Tamara dropped the drug into the mocktail and personally handed it to Arthur. He had only taken a few sips before collapsing to the floor. Margaret was furious. She grabbed the cup before her and smashed it against the floor. The glass shattered into pieces, and Tamara trembled all over in fear. How could this be possible? She had made all the arrangements! Why was there still surveillance footage? "Mrs. Luzon Senior, here's the toxicology report for that mocktail. Our boutique has absolutely nothing to do with this matter." Margaret took the report with trembling hands, her voice shaking. "Wow—just wow! Is this the kind of daughter you raised, Julian? Poisoning my grandson in broad daylight just to get information about the miracle doctor and avoid marrying Arthur?" She threw the toxicology report at Julian. "Look at it yourself!" His eyes went wide in disbelief as he stared at Tamara. "You… I was only gone for a few days, and you actually did this? Is this how we raised you?" Tears brimmed in Tamara's eyes. "It's not like that, Dad. Why would I want to poison him? I didn't do it, I swear…" Margaret had had enough of her tears and excuses. She snapped, "Fine. Let's call the police, then. We'll let them investigate, while I'll send the footage to all major news outlets in Riverdale. "By then, let's see if you're still as innocent as you claim." At that moment, the Ginger siblings spoke up in unison. "No!" "You think I can't do it just because you said 'no'?" Margaret scoffed, continuing, "Or will you poison me to keep my lips sealed as well?" Nox was the first to step forward. "Dad, this has nothing to do with Tammy. I was the one who gave her the idea." "Careful about what you say, Nox," Mildred said calmly. "This is attempted murder, we're talking about." He barked, "What murder? That was only a drug to make someone pass out!" Arthur weakly said, "But the toxicology report states it was poison. Just how many drugs did you prepare to harm me with?" Nox was taken aback. It finally occurred to him to read the report. "Poison… How could that be?" Adrian similarly defended Tamara. "Dad, I was the one who took the drug from the lab. It's really just to make him pass out. I can assure you that the report is fabricated!" Tamara sobbed, "Dad, I swear I didn't mean to harm anyone. It wasn't me, alright? Please—you have to trust me…" Meanwhile, only Kieran sat silently in his wheelchair. He knew for a fact that they had lost this time. "You bunch of sly foxes are defending each other, huh?" Margaret scolded. "Fine, I won't say another word. The police can do their job instead." "Hold on, Mrs. Luzon Senior!" Julian piped up. "It was my failure as a parent that led them to do something so atrocious. I'm glad Arthur is stable now. "For the sake of the long friendship between our families, show me some mercy. Let's settle this quietly between us." "And how are we gonna do that?" Julian ordered, "Get down on your knees!" Nox, Adrian, and Tamara obediently knelt before Margaret and apologized. Arthur weakly cleared his throat. "Mr. Ginger, breaking the contract is one thing, but poisoning me is another. Let's be practical instead. I heard you just finalized a machinery export deal overseas. "How about giving the Luzons half of it?" Julian choked on his saliva. The profits from machinery exports had been shrinking over the years, and he had worked hard to close this deal. Just as things were heating up, he had to give half away? Still, what choice did he have? He had these ungrateful kids to deal with. "Fine. Consider that compensation for Arthur. What do you think, Mrs. Luzon Senior?" Margaret naturally understood this was a huge sacrifice on Julian's part, so her anger eased a little as she let out a heavy sigh. "Your kids are truly disappointing, Julian. They switch up promised marriages on a whim, stop at nothing to extract information, and that adopted daughter of yours acts so brazenly. "Meanwhile, your own blood has no place to stand. If you keep getting your priorities wrong, what future does the Ginger family even have?" The clueless Julian had no idea about everything that had transpired over the days he was abroad. He wiped the sweat on his forehead and affirmed, "You're right to point that out. I'll definitely give them a lesson today." … After the Luzons left, Julian's expression immediately darkened. He ordered the maids to leave the living room, and soon, sharp cracks of a paddle striking against a palm echoed through the vast hall. Nox and Adrian had gone pale from the pain, but they gritted their teeth in silence. Tamara, on the other hand, stood off to the side, sobbing softly. After striking the two, Julian barked, "Hold out your hand, Tamara!" Before she could move, Nox spoke up. "Dad, punish me instead. It was all my idea; I was the one who pushed Tammy into it. She didn't even know what the drug was for! "I just didn't want her marrying someone as sickly as Arthur, and I couldn't bear to see Kieran spend his life in a wheelchair just because we couldn't find that doctor. This was all my fault!" Adrian parroted, "Dad, punish me instead! I was the one who supplied the drug. This was all my fault!" At last, Kieran also piped up. "It's my fault, Dad. I didn't stop them from committing such wrongdoings. I shouldn't have let them do it for my sake. Please, just punish me instead." As he spoke, he suddenly slid from his wheelchair and planted his knees to the floor. "Kieran!" "Kieran, are you okay?" The three quickly went up to hold him up. Tamara wailed, "Go on, Dad—hit me. I did something bad and deserved the punishment, but I don't regret it one bit! I'll do it all over again or even sacrifice myself if it means saving Kieran from misery!" "That's right! I don't regret it either!" Nox added. "If you're gonna hit Tammy, I'll take another one as well!" Adrian chimed in. "Me too! Hit me, Dad!" Kieran was responsible for stopping them. "No, no, no. It should be me! Everything started because of me, a cripple!" Julian had already begun to soften, seeing how the siblings stood up for one another. But Kieran's words pierced straight through his heart. How could he not feel for his son? "Alright… Enough, all of you…" Seeing Julian's soft-heartedness about to let them off the hook again, Midred finally spoke her mind. "I see. As long as someone has her big brothers to shield her, she doesn't have to face the consequences when she messes up. "And here I thought you all meant it when you kept talking about the house rules. Funny—because on my very first day home, you guys had no problem pulling out the family paddle to punish me." Julian's face darkened immediately. "What?" Nox shrieked, "What nonsense are you talking about? We were just scaring you; we didn't actually hit you!" Mildred opened her mouth as if enlightened. "I see. Were you only scaring me when you forced me to take Tamara's place and marry Arthur? What was it when you decided to recall that decision upon learning he's recovered? "Were you also scaring me when you forced me into agreeing to the engagement because Tamara refused to do it? Oh—there's another thing…" She pulled out her phone and hit play. Tamara's taunting and contemptuous voice came through loud and clear. "You'd better get along with me if you want to stay in this house. Otherwise, it's back to your slum, eating scraps out of chipped bowls. Don't think being the biological daughter makes you special. "Rich families have rules—and someone like you, raised in a slum, might not even be allowed to show her face in public… Cat got your tongue? You're just like that mute twin brother of yours. "What, did the two of you eat each other's brains in the womb?" Tamara's face was drained of color. She turned to Julian in a panic and stuttered, "Dad…" What a bitch Mildred was, secretly recording their conversations on her first day home! And she had to wait till Julian was home before showing her trump card! What a cunning bitch! Mildred glanced at her siblings, whose faces were a mess of color like a painter's palette. She gave a faint smile. "It's funny because I've only been back a few days, and you all have done quite a job trying to scare me off. Dad, if this house really can't stand me, maybe I should just head back to my little slum after all." Julian's visage darkened. "So, you all like covering for each other, huh? Fine. Then stay right here and kneel until Mildred and I are no longer mad at you! "If I don't teach you a proper lesson now, you'll be out committing crimes next!"