Chapter 5 Just a Stray Dog

Judith and Leona hadn't expected me to wake up. The floor lamp cast a dim glow, yet I could clearly see their faces had turned ashen. Judith was the first to slip on her hypocritical smile. "Lydia, how are you feeling? Do you need to go to the hospital?" Had this happened before, I might have been moved. But now, my heart was colder than winter. Leona saw my cold, indifferent expression and knew I'd heard every word. She cut Judith off sharply. "Mom, stop the act. It's obvious—this stray dog already knows the truth." Stray dog. Hearing Leona use the term so casually, I realized I must've been called that behind my back for a long time. "Stray dog?" I said, enduring the pain as I walked to the empty sofa and sat down. I added with deliberate calm, "But even a stray dog holds four percent of the shares." Judith instantly understood. She snapped, "Lydia Fairchild! We've supported you for three years. Those shares should've been ours by filial duty!" Sitting there, I thought about how far they'd gone—just for a few shares—and found it absurd. A bitter laugh escaped me. "What are you laughing at?" Judith demanded. Oh, right. I shouldn't call her "mother" anymore. Her real name was Judith Fairchild. My father's was Sterling Fairchild. I looked at Judith, silenced my laughter, and said, "To be honest, before tonight, I cherished this family bond above everything. If you'd asked, I'd have handed over the shares without hesitation. But now that this has happened, everything's changed." They valued profit above all and assumed I was just like them. They didn't know that, to me, family was everything. Now, though, it was all gone. "You—" Judith was completely taken aback. Leona tugged at Judith's sleeve. "Mom, go upstairs. I'll talk to my sister properly." I could guess what Leona wanted to say. But it wouldn't matter. After Judith left, Leona sat close beside me, smiling sweetly. "Sis, this whole thing was Mom and Dad's idea. At first, I didn't agree…" Tonight I woke from a long dream; I won't let her deceive me anymore. Later, Leona pulled me aside and, reluctantly, said her piece. I just listened. After a while, I stood and walked toward the door. Seeing I was set on leaving, she lost her patience, grabbed me, and snarled, "Lydia, you're just a dog our family raised. We feed you and keep you—don't be ungrateful!" There it was—her true face. I turned, took in her twisted features, and said lightly, "I really want Dominic to see you like this." "Ha! You'll never get that chance. Dominic is my husband, and you are nothing!" she shot back. I looked at her and suddenly felt sorry for Dominic. Such an exceptional man—marrying Leona was a loss. Maybe I was reckless, but I said, "There's something you should know. At the wedding, I pressed my thumbprint on the marriage agreement. With a word from me, that contract becomes nothing but scrap paper." Leona froze. Before she could speak, I added, "So you and Dominic aren't married yet. That means fair competition." As she faltered and loosened her grip, I turned and left. Gritting through the pain, I ran outside, letting her hurl "bitch" and "shameless" at my back. I didn't look back.