: A Family of Ruthless People

My boyfriend's old flame returned with a child in tow, her face a tear-stained mess.

"I'm truly in love with him. I'm begging you, please give my son and me a chance."

My boyfriend berated me for being so heartless.

I laughed. If I wasn't ruthless,

do you think the company could have gone public with his indecisive personality?

Oh, right. It's not just me who's ruthless.

My whole family is ruthless!

1

Sylvie Sloan's move was quite a play.

She showed up at my boyfriend Ryan Kendrick's office in broad daylight with a three- or four-year-old boy in tow, staging what was essentially a palace coup.

I looked at the child's timid little face and pretty much pieced it together. I'd seen photos of Ryan Kendrick as a child, and this boy bore a striking resemblance.

I didn't need to hear another word; the plot was obvious. The ex-girlfriend gets pregnant and runs off, only to return years later with her child as leverage to take everything back. What a fucking cliché.

"Vera, I know my returning now puts you in a very difficult position, but I'm suffering, too. I love Ryan. We were together in college, and if it weren't for you... we'd probably be married by now."

Watching Sylvie Sloan's saccharine, manipulative act, I couldn't stop myself from scoffing. "What is it you're really trying to say?"

Sylvie Sloan suddenly lunged forward and grabbed my arm. The instant tears and her red-rimmed eyes only made her look more pitifully fragile.

"I don't want to break you two up, but every single moment I was away, I couldn't stop thinking about Ryan. I thought about him so much my heart felt like it would shatter. Our son asks for his daddy every single day. He shouldn't have to suffer for the mistakes I made. Can you... can you give Ryan back to me?"

'So this is what a real bitch acts like.'

"The truth is, you saw that Ryan is successful now and you regret leaving, don't you?" I shoved her hand away and brushed disgustedly at the spot on my arm she had touched.

The expression on Sylvie Sloan's face froze for a second. She probably didn't expect me to call her out so calmly.

What she didn't know was that in all the years I'd spent helping Ryan build his company, I'd almost never walked away from a negotiation empty-handed. The moment someone opens their mouth, I can read their true intentions and cut right to the heart of the matter.

"How could you say that about me? How could you..." Sylvie Sloan's tears started flowing even faster as she lunged at me again.

I dodged out of instinct. Beneath the vulnerability in her eyes, I could see a flash of malice.

'She's finally about to drop the act.'

This farcical display needed to end, and quickly. This was a company, after all, and not the place to air dirty laundry.

Suddenly, a child's shriek came from behind me, and a little body latched onto my leg. "Don't hit my mommy, you big meanie!"

I... cursed internally.

I'd forgotten this was a team effort. This little one was the real weapon.

At least I couldn't just kick him away like I could have with Sylvie Sloan.

"Let go," I commanded, my face stern, hoping to scare the boy off.

"BOO HOO HOO! Why are you hitting my mommy, you big meanie!"

The boy started pummeling me with his tiny fists. It didn't hurt, but it was deeply unsettling.

Sylvie Sloan threw herself forward again, wailing for me to leave her child alone.

I let out an exasperated laugh. "Save it. I'd advise you to get a grip and watch yourself."

I flung her hand aside, and she collapsed limply against a low cabinet.

And, what a coincidence, her forehead struck a hard corner and started to bleed.

And in another stroke of perfect timing, Ryan Kendrick returned.

"Someone call 911! Call an ambulance!" Ryan Kendrick yelled, sweeping Sylvie Sloan into his arms with a look of pained concern. Right on cue, the boy rushed over to them, his face a mess of tears and snot.

"Vera, you've really done it now. You're unbelievable!" Ryan Kendrick glared at me, his eyes like daggers. Then, cradling his precious old flame and taking the child's hand, he walked out without a backward glance.

Meanwhile, Sylvie Sloan, nestled in Ryan Kendrick's arms, shot me a triumphant, mocking smirk. There wasn't a hint of weakness about her.

And as for the boy, he was puffed up with pride, as if he'd just been crowned the heir apparent.

Fine. Just fine.

A family of three, presenting a united front. And I was the outsider.

As the gossiping crowd of onlookers dispersed, a profound sense of helplessness washed over me. It was obvious I had walked right into a trap.

'How stupid.' I can read an opponent's bottom line across a negotiating table, but I can't read the intentions of the human heart.

2

Ryan Kendrick didn't contact me all night. Things were heading in the direction I dreaded most.

After a sleepless night, I emerged from my bedroom with dark circles under my eyes. My phone rang. It was Ryan Kendrick.

Over the phone, his voice was utterly cold, like a boss speaking to a subordinate.

"Come to my place after work today. My mom wants to see you."

"Okay." In the past, I would always ask his mom if she needed anything before visiting. But not today.

This whole thing was Ryan Kendrick's fault. I had no reason to be subservient.

After work, I bought some fruit and went to Ryan Kendrick's place. It was a townhouse, and his car was parked in the driveway.

The click of my heels on the marble floor couldn't drown out the sounds of cheerful laughter coming from inside.

My vision went dark for a moment when I heard a child's voice.

I steadied myself and pushed open the front door.

The scene inside—a happy family moment spanning three generations—was a dagger to my heart.

My entrance shattered the joyful atmosphere. The entire Kendrick family turned to look at me in unison, their gazes distant, as if I were a complete stranger.

"Vera, you're here. Come, have a seat." Mrs. Kendrick's expression darkened as she pulled the little boy into her arms.

'It was Sylvie Sloan's child. So he's already been officially accepted into the family. That was fast.'

Ryan Kendrick didn't say a word to me. He just sat down across from me with a grim expression.

"Hello, Mrs. Kendrick. Am I interrupting something?" I asked, my voice laced with self-mockery. It was a pointless question; the unwelcoming looks on their faces were proof enough that I was utterly out of place.

Maisie Kendrick, sitting beside her mother, said cuttingly, "At least you have some self-awareness. He's here with his wife and child, all cozy. If I were you, I'd be too embarrassed to stick around."

I didn't stoop to her level. Maisie Kendrick had never liked me, not from the very beginning. For years, I had swallowed my pride and tried to win her over for Ryan's sake. Hearing her say that now, I realized all those designer bags and clothes I'd given her had been a complete waste.

"Ryan, don't you have any explanation for this?" His attitude was what mattered most to me, yet he just sat there, silent as a stone.

Since I had called him out, Ryan Kendrick finally spoke. I never expected that after something like this, he wouldn't offer a single word of explanation. Instead, his first words were full of blame.

"Explain what? Sylvie told me everything. The whole company saw you go after a little kid! I know it wasn't right for her to bring the child to my office today, but have you ever considered her side of things? She raised him all by herself. She wouldn't have come back like this unless she was in serious trouble! I could almost overlook you getting physical with her, but with a child... That's my son!"

: The True Motive

3

I was stunned by his shameless claims.

"Ugh, how could you be like this! I knew from the very beginning you were only after our family's money. Now that Sylvie's back with my little nephew, you're getting desperate. Let me tell you, Sylvie is far more innocent than you are. My brother never should have fallen for your act."

Maisie added fuel to the fire, hugging the child without letting go.

"Don't you know how your brother made his money?" I retorted. 'These people are utterly shameless.'

'Ryan started from nothing. I was right there with him, building our business. We worked around the clock for months on end, barely ever going home. And all that time, Maisie was at school, squandering the money we earned with our blood and sweat, pretending to be some wealthy heiress. Funny how she never mentions that!'

"You..." Maisie's face flushed with anger, but she didn't dare continue. She knew she had nothing to gain if the truth came out.

"And I never laid a hand on the child. If you don't believe me, ask him." My gaze fell to the boy. 'I'll admit to the things I've done, but no one is going to frame me for something I didn't.'

But who would have known? The child whimpered "Grandma" in a tiny voice and shrank into Mrs. Kendrick's arms in terror.

"The child is innocent. Even if Ryan has wronged you, you shouldn't have taken it out on him. There, there, sweetie, let Grandma see if you're hurt." Mrs. Kendrick held the child, her face filled with pity, looking as if she were about to cry.

Ryan stepped forward as well, crouching on the ground and gently stroking the boy's head. "It's okay, don't be afraid. Daddy's here. No one can bully you."

'I was speechless. I honestly wanted to laugh in that moment.'

'This whole family, young and old, were such drama queens.'

"So, the reason you all called me over today is...?" I had seen right through them, but some things had to be said plainly.

Ryan stood up, his eyes cold as ice. He took a deep breath, looking as if he were deeply disappointed in me. "Vera, I wanted to talk to you about this calmly, but there's no point now. Sylvie is my ex-girlfriend. We were together in college. Later, she went abroad because she was afraid of getting in the way of my career. Now she's back, and she's given me a son. By all rights, I should be with her. So, let's break up. You'll find someone more suitable."

"By all rights? Then what were the years I spent with you? Just something to keep you company when you were lonely?" 'And to think I chose to believe him so firmly at first. To think I still held out hope for this family. In the end, it was all just a joke.'

"Vera..." Ryan's expression softened for a moment. He started to say something else, but I cut him off.

"You had to do this in front of your family? You didn't call me all the way over here just to break up, did you?" I wanted to know just how shameless he could get.

"I'll compensate you. The house, the car—just ask. What I want is for you to give up your shares." Ambition flashed in Ryan's eyes. 'So that was his real objective.'