Chapter 188 A Family’s Facade
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Finished
From that moment, everything unfolded as planned. Sharon received the kidney transplant and survived. Her daughter with George, Willow, was brought into the Bennett family by David.
George, yearning to be near his daughter, changed his surname to Swift and posed as Sharon’s brother. She introduced him to David as Willow’s “uncle,” and he became her driver, allowing him to be close to his child.
David, none the wiser, saw their closeness as natural sibling affection. Little did he know, Sharon, George, and Willow were a family, reveling in their secret bond.
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Later, Sharon bore another child, a son, with George. Now twenty, the boy studied abroad, lavished with 700 thousand dollars monthly by David, who believed him to be his own.
But David was a fool, raising another man’s children while his true son rotted in prison. His wealth, siphoned over the years, now sat in Sharon’s hands.
And his pitiful five–minute “performances” were a joke to her.
The documents laid bare their tangled web, and Lauren relished every word.
She thought to herself, This is karma. David, you never imagined you’d end up with nothing. Your only son is in jail because of you. Your stolen wealth is in another woman’s hands. And you’re left a crippled, despised wreck. You deserve it.
Lauren laughed, then wept, for herself, for Alice, for all they’d lost. Her emotions surged, and dizziness overtook her. She swayed, but Felix caught her.
Looking up, she saw his concern. “Mr. Brooker, I’m fine,” she said, forcing a smile. Then, with resolve, “I need to go to the hospital. I have to see Madam Alice.”
Felix understood. She was going to confront her mother, to make her face the truth.
He wanted to drive her, but his phone rang, Hoverdale’s leaders needed him for a meeting about the Eastgate project. It was too important to miss. Reluctantly, he turned to Gael. “From now on, you’re Ms. Bennett’s bodyguard. Protect her at all costs.”
On the way to the hospital, Lauren’s mind raced. She imagined Alice’s face when she learned the truth, a lifetime of privilege, only to be duped by a gold–digging schemer.
Lauren would make sure she saw David for what he was, and felt the sting of betrayal.
At the hospital, she steeled herself and strode to Alice’s room.
Pushing open the door, she saw a broken woman, no longer the elegant socialite, but a wilted flower, drained of life.
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