"Taking soone’s cash by force is called ’robbery,’ and ’compensating’ ans you’ve got to cough up so dough because you ssed sothing up." Rosemary coolly explained, eyeing her with disdain,
"Aren’t you old enough to know the difference, or are you just retarded?"
Katherine fud, her cheeks flushing red, "I can’t believe it, Carol, siding with others to gang up on . Just you wait."
"Think you can just leave without paying up? As if," Carol grabbed her arm to pull her back.
"What more do you want? You’re gonna rob in broad daylight? Help! Can’t anyone see this? Help ! Mom, Carol’s bullying , Mom!" Katherine’s voice was piercing, drawing the imdiate attention
of a couple of clerks who dashed over, with the fastest being a posh lady.
The lady stord in, shoving Carol aside with furious strength, "You little brat, you dare to bring trouble to us? Unbelievable!"
She whipped out her phone, trembling with rage, and made a phone call, "Your precious daughter is causing a scene in front of Katherine’s boutique, disrupting business! When she demanded cash and
Katherine refused, she grabbed Katherine by the collar, ready to throw punches! Her manners are atrocious! What, you don’t give her enough allowance? She’s so desperate she’s resorted to daylight
robbery?"
There was a request for Carol to take the call, but the lady barked, "Why should she? So she can spin more lies? I welcod her and her brother into our ho with open arms, treated them like my own,yet this is the thanks I get? She’s crossed the line today, and if I don’t teach her the lesson her late mom obviously didn’t, she’ll never learn respect!"
Maureen angrily ended the call, raising her hand to slap Carol.
Carol caught her wrist, her voice ice cold, "You’re not the one to discipline in this house!"
"You insolent girl, you dare defy ? Rember, I am your dad’s wife! The mont you set foot here,you should be calling ’Mom’ and obeying my rules!"
"I do have two moms, one who birthed and one who raised ." Carol appraised callously, "And what do you think you are?"
Maureen was shocked by Carol’s audacity, "Listen to this! Everyone here, rember her words and tell her dad exactly what she said! I refuse to believe I can’t put her in her place today! Grab her!"
The clerks moved forward, encircling Carol.
"People from LY are already on their way. You want a fight? Let’s clear up the matter of the knocking off designs first."
Rosemary’s interjection left everyone montarily stunned, and Katherine’s eyes darted around a bit guiltily, "And who might you be?"
"Your worst nightmare. All these designs could bankrupt you," Rosemary stated coldly. LY wasn’t known for playing nice. She knew exactly how long the shop had been profiting from their boutique in the mall, and the sum to settle might be more than they could afford, not to ntion the impending compensation.
"What’s this LY? And what about ’knocking off’ designs? These clothes are all my daughter’s original creations, so stop trying to confuse everyone!" Maureen was desperate to find an excuse to discipline
Carol. But then, the representatives from LY actually arrived!
They bowed respectfully to Rosemary, whispering sothing to her, and then approached Maureen and Katherine.
Upon Katherine realized these were indeed LY’s people, her bravado evaporated, replaced by a creeping fear.
At eighteen, Katherine was a college freshman, living the dream with a little business venture her dad had funded for her. The modest profits from the shop were her spending money, usually blown on life’s luxuries.
"Our law grants us the right to demand a cessation of infringent, rediation of its effects, and compensation for losses." The representatives from LY spoke with grave seriousness, "Preliminary
estimates put your compensation in the seven figures. Our lawyers will discuss the specifics with you."
Seven figures??? Who just casually drops seven figures???
Even if Maureen wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, she could tell that Rosemary ca from serious clout. She turned to Carol, "Aren’t you going to handle this? If we have to pay up, it’s coming out of
your dad’s pocket! Don’t let outsiders dip their hands in our cookie jar, get it?"
Carol bristled at her haughty tone and whipped out her phone, pulling up her paynt app, "19 bucks. Pay up, then we’ll talk."
Maureen was flabbergasted by her pettiness over the money. It just proved that Carol was not ready for the big leagues. She gestured for Katherine to settle the debt.
With a reluctant scowl, Katherine stepped forward, transferring twenty bucks to Carol’s account,
"Here’s a little extra for your troubles!"
Carol promptly sent the one-dollar surplus back. They had each other’s contacts on WhatsApp, and she replied coolly, "Keep the change. You might need it more than I do."
"How dare you!!" Katherine and Maureen shouted in unison, fuming with the urge to tear her apart.
"Make sure LY gets every penny they’re owed. I want a public apology from you!" Rosemary dropped this bombshell and strode out with Carol.
Perhaps they hadn’t expected things to spiral this far, both Maureen and Katherine were livid. That untrustworthy Carol, they’d see how to deal with her later!
Once Rosemary and Carol were alone, Rose inquired, "Is that your stepmom and stepsister?"
Carol nodded, "And there’s a twin brother born alongside Katherine. He’s a real piece of work too."
Rosemary had never expect that Carol had finally found her way back to her family, only to encounter such a household. It made her appreciate the Collins family even more. At least there she had loving parents, and five protective brothers.
"Dad really wants us to stay, but that ho is not the ho it used to be." Carol’s smile was tinged with bitterness, "The family na might suggest we’re kin, but I know better. Dad isn’t just mine anymore."
"Does your dad know they bully you?"
"At first, Dad thought we got along fine. But then Katherine and the rest couldn’t keep up the act for long and showed their true colors. Whenever they clashed with , Dad would scold them a bit much,
which only made them despise my brother and even more, especially the stepmom. She’s always whispering in Dad’s ear, trying to ensure my brother and I don’t co back to claim an inheritance."
Truth be told, Carol couldn’t care less about the inheritance, and her brother was equally indifferent.
But the antics of her stepmom, stepsister, and stepbrother were just too absurd for words.
"They keep thinking Dad’s given a lot of money. Indeed, on the day I ca back, he handed a bank card, but I never took it."
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