Never in a million years did he think that in their father’s heart, his younger brother was the most suitable successor.
"From the ti you both were in preschool until you graduated from college, all the tests were subtly integrated into your daily lives. The challenges I set for you were the sa, and every ti, George outperford you."
That’s why Phillip insisted on choosing George as his successor.
"Hold on a minute." Cathy interjected, confused, "What does this have to do with the Collins family? And what about that fire from years ago???"
She felt like she had been listening forever but was still clueless about the connection.
That’s when Donna started to speak, her voice tinged with self-deprecating humor, "I had the biggest crush on your father for six whole years in middle and high school. I worked my butt off to get into the sa college as him, just to spend more ti around him."
Everyone was stunned, Cathy included, who was gaping in disbelief.
"The day we started college, I finally mustered the courage to confess my feelings to him, only to be turned down."
Donna chuckled at the mory, "After that, I confessed year after year, and was rejected just as many tis, right up until graduation. I still couldn’t win his heart."
Now that even Jeffery, Luna, and Cathy were taken aback. They had never imagined their usually quiet and reserved mother had been so fervently pursuing their father in her youth.
"It was after I had received my degree that Tomas first ntioned the na Jennifer to . He told to stop wasting my ti on him, saying he only had room in his heart for Jennifer."
"Later, when George and Jennifer got married, he got drunk again, mistaking for her. Then, I got pregnant, and he offered a ho. But after our marriage, I discovered that whenever he was drunk, he’d call out her na. Even after I had our second and third child, sotis I could still hear him calling for Jennifer in his dreams."
Overco with emotion, Donna could no longer hold back her tears.
All these years, she had made so many sacrifices. for her husband—too much indeed—she transford from a pampered young girl to his staunchest ally, a formidable figure in the business world as if she had experienced a rebirth. But in the end, she was still not comparable to Jennifer!!
There was a place in her husband’s heart that, though they were married, though they had children, she still couldn’t enter.
The bitter irony that the love of her life, her husband, cherished her brother’s wife the most. How could she not feel resentnt?
Especially when George and Jennifer appeared together, the more love they showed for each other, the deeper the wound inflicted on Tomas’ heart, the colder Tomas beca towards her.
And so, Donna grew to hate Jennifer more and more.
Why should Jennifer effortlessly win the love of both brothers and live so happily, outshining her the mont she married into the family?
Why should she endure such hardship?
George and Jennifer’s love shone brightly.
While her own love was dim and shadowed.
Donna continued, "Then there was this old board mber who applied for resignation and went back to his hotown to live out his old age. He had been with George ever since he took over the group and was instruntal in helping him establish a foothold. George thought he wanted to retire due to old age, so he gave him a generous reward to ensure his comfortable retirent."
Donna paused before adding, "But later, George found out that he had actually returned ho for a surgery at rcy Hospital due to health problems. The old man didn’t want to worry them. When George learned of this, he wanted to visit him that very night."
Donna’s thoughts seed to drift back to that evening, "At that ti, Tomas’ loathing for George had peaked, and my resentnt towards Jennifer had burrowed deep into my bones. I was aware that Tomas had orchestrated an ambush at the clinic, planning to blow up the entire place upon George’s arrival, taking the old man along with it."
Because that "old man" had always been a staunch supporter of George, while showing nothing but disdain for Tomas and for her, the two of them had endured him for far too long.
And his sister-in-law Donna hated Jennifer so much and wouldn’t mind her death.
If it weren’t for Jennifer’s sudden period.
If it weren’t for his decision to return to the mansion.
He and Jennifer would have died together in that explosion with the old board mber.
Just as George was about to confront his brother about his cruel intentions, he saw his brother turn toward Donna, his face a mask of shock and fury, "You sent Jennifer there? I wondered why she suddenly went with us that night. You wanted her dead?! How could you even think of such a thing?"
"I did wish her dead!" Donna burst out, her voice trembling with emotion. "Don’t think I don’t see what you’re up to. You think that as the elder brother, it’s right that you take care of your little brother’s wife and children now that he’s been blown up? You want to divorce and then what? Slip into his shoes, playing house with her?"
Tomas fell silent.
And his silence was the last straw for Donna.
"So, this really is what you’re thinking." Donna’s voice cracked, tears streaming down her cheeks, "I got it right. Haven’t you thought about how old your three children are? You still like her even now."
In a fit of rage and disappointnt, Donna grabbed the mug from the table, along with the fruit bowl, and hurled them at Tomas with all her might.
This was the first ti anyone had seen Donna lose control like this.
"You’re heartless!" Donna looked at the man in front of her with desperate sorrow, and accused with intense indignation. "After all these years I’ve spent on you, in your heart, I’m still less than nothing compared to her!"
He could stand to see his own brother blown up, yet he can’t bear to part from his brother’s wife.
Suddenly, Donna felt that she had beco a joke all these years.
Marrying this man seed like the biggest mistake of her life!
"I hate you." Donna’s voice was a whisper, choked with sobs, her body shaking. "Tomas, I hate you, you’re the coldest, most heartless man alive. You don’t deserve a single ounce of the love I’ve poured out for you. You don’t deserve it!"
Tomas watched his wife breaking down, a torrent of emotions flooding him, but didn’t know how to comfort her.
"Why can you be so cruel. Why can’t you see everything I’ve done." Donna’s voice broke as she stumbled, nearly collapsing.
There was no more that had to be said. Tomas had married a woman but didn’t fulfill his duties and responsibilities as a husband; his mind is preoccupied with his brother’s woman—that deserved a slap!
Seeing Shirley stand up for her made Donna cry even harder.
She didn’t expect Shirley to be so understanding at this ti.
"Brother, you’ve gone too far!" George was utterly disappointed in his elder brother. Setting aside everything else, in matters of the heart, his brother had truly failed Donna!
Tomas, with tears welling in his eyes, looked at him and said, "When I told you to break up with her back then, you couldn’t do it. You should understand that matters of the heart can’t always be controlled."
His heart ached too. On one hand, he felt sorry for his wife, but on the other, he couldn’t control his feelings for Jennifer.
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