Chapter 192 David’s Secret Grudge Revealed
Fusched
Everything David transferred had only included assets under his name or the company’s. He hadn’t been able to touch Alice’s holdings.
But Alice still had shares in Bennett Corp. She had a sizable bank account. And most importantly, the Bennett family estate–still under her name–was worth a fortune. Coming up with 5 to 7 million wouldn’t be hard for her.
Better to use this Willow mess as leverage and bleed Alice dry while I still can, he thought. No point letting all that value go to waste.
This plan would kill two birds with one stone–get Willow out of jail and make Alice suffer. And suffer hard.
David couldn’t help thinking about what his life could’ve been. He had been a star student at Hoverdale Tech University, sharp and full of ambition. He was meant to thrive in Hoverdale, to make a name for himself, to live out the future he deserved.
But instead, that old coot from the Pierce family had strong–armed him into marrying in. And just like that, he became a live–in son–in–law. The kind people whispered about. The kind nobody respected.
It was the one thing he could never let go of. A lifetime of humiliation stuck in his chest.
If Alice ever really loved me, he thought darkly, she would’ve brought the Pierce Corporation with her and married me like someone with pride. Instead, she made me the one who had to marry into her family–like I was beneath her. I had to put up with that shame like a damn joke.
If he hadn’t had the foresight to take out Alice’s father, he’d still be choking on that shame, forced to keep his head down while everyone trampled all over him.
His anger built the more he thought about it. Rage and bitterness fanned the flames until they were roaring inside him.
All these years, he’d kept Alice in comfort, given her the best of everything, treated her better than she ever deserved.
Now that Willow was behind bars, it was Alice’s turn to step up. She owed him that much.
The thought settled in his mind, and with practiced ease, he put on his next act. His face tightened with fake pain, his muscles twitching just right as he slipped into a look of deep sorrow. He turned to Alice and said, “Babe, thank God you’re here.”
The tone was perfect–tired and full of grief. Back in the day, Alice would’ve fallen for it in a heartbeat. With how much she used to love him, one look at his face and she would’ve begged to know what was
wrong.
And that was all he needed to bring up Willow. Right on cue.
But this time, Alice wasn’t the same woman he was used to. She held a few sheets of paper in a death grip, and her eyes–cold and sharp–locked on him with an intensity that could cut through steel.
David blinked in surprise. He assumed she was still too shaken up from her broken leg, too distraught to notice the sad, burdened expression he’d carefully crafted.
So he gave up trying to ease into it.
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15:31 Sun, 30 Mar
Chapter 192 David’s Secret Grudge Revested
Finished
He sighed heavily, looked down, and said, “Willow’s been taken in by the cops, Babe, we’ve got to get her out. She’s never gone through anything hard in her life. A place like jail–dark, miverable, cruel–the won’t last. She’s not built for that.”
He rubbed his forehead dramatically, leaning into the look of a man who was totally worn down,
But the second those words hit the air, something snapped in Alice. Her eyes filled with a flush of red.
Willow can’t handle jail? And my daughter, Laurie could?
The fury rushed over her like a wave crashing over a seawall. Her voice dropped to a chilling calm as she stared him down.
“And how exactly do you plan to get Willow Bennett out?”
David’s brow tightened. Something about Alice was… off. She sounded too cold.
And seriously? She was calling Willow by her full name?
So her leg is broken and now she thinks she can act like a queen? he sneered internally,
Just wait till I’ve squeezed every last cent out of her. Then she’s worthless. Twenty–plus years playing the good little housewife and what’s she got? No property. No savings. A son behind bars. A daughter who can’t stand her. She’ll be nothing.
She’ll end up on the streets. No man to protect her. Just some broke, worn–down woman waiting to be used. That’s all female drifters are good for in this world anyway. Pathetic.
His thoughts churned with venom, but on the outside, he kept his face composed, calm, almost gentle.
And yet, just picturing Alice–once so privileged and untouchable–reduced to that made something ugly flicker inside him. The fantasy brought a hint of smugness to his lips that he couldn’t quite hide.
In a better mood now, he brushed off her frosty look.
He cleared his throat and put on the performance of a worried, helpless husband. “Babe, the Brooker Corporation crushed the company. We’re bankrupt. All my assets are frozen. You’re the only one who can help Willow now. You’ve still got shares in your name, right? I was thinking, if we sell those, and your high- end bags, and maybe the house your dad left you, we could make it work. That should be enough to get Willow out. We can always earn more money. But being together, staying close as a family–that’s what really matters.”
He said it like he meant every word. But deep in his eyes, no matter how carefully he masked it, the greed was still there–sharp and calculating.
In an instant, everything clicked for Alice. David’s game plan wasn’t just about money–it was about wiping her out completely.
He’s trying to drain me of everything I have, she realized. He wants to corner me until there’s nothing left. No escape. No mercy.
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