THE ACCIDENT THAT SHOOK THE WILLIAMS FAMILY

Veronica had finally received the fortune her late father had left behind, the fortune Mr. Alex had carefully kept in his possession before his death. For years, Veronica had known that her father had built something valuable, but she had never imagined that the inheritance would be enough to completely change her life. Now that everything had been transferred into her name, she was determined to rebuild her life from the ground up.

She had already started putting plans into motion. She was establishing new businesses, meeting with investors, purchasing properties, and quietly building an empire that would soon make her name known far beyond the Williams family.

She no longer wanted to depend on anyone.

She had spent too many years being treated as though she had no value, and she had finally decided that the best revenge was to become someone nobody could ever look down on again.

Meanwhile, preparations for the Williams Charity Gala were already underway. The event was scheduled to take place in a week's time, and the entire Williams family was expected to attend.

But while the Williams family was busy preparing for the grand occasion, another secret was growing inside Lynn's stomach.

Her stomach had begun to protrude, making everyone believe that she was pregnant. But the truth was completely different.

The pregnancy was artificial.

Lynn had arranged everything through a hospital, using a procedure that would make her body appear pregnant. She had gone to great lengths to make sure nobody discovered the truth before she received what she wanted from the Williams family.

She was determined to secure her position.

On the other hand, Veronica had just visited her doctor for a medical examination. She sat quietly on the examination bed while Doctor Norah carefully examined the results of her scan.

After a few moments, the doctor looked up at her with surprise.

“The scan shows that you are carrying four babies,” Doctor Norah announced.

Veronica's eyes widened.

“Four?” she exclaimed.

“Yes,” Doctor Norah replied with a smile. “You are carrying quadruplets.”

Veronica placed her hand over her stomach, staring at the scan results in disbelief.

“So I am carrying his four children,” she whispered.

Her mind immediately went to Richard.

For a moment, she imagined Richard's reaction if he ever discovered that she was carrying four of his children.

But the thought quickly disappeared.

“This is not something their father will ever know,” Veronica said quietly.

Doctor Norah looked at her.

“You mean you do not plan to tell him?”

Veronica shook her head.

“I lost him in a car accident,” she replied without hesitation. “The children do not have a father.”

Doctor Norah's expression changed.

“Oh, I am sorry to hear that.”

“Thank you.”

Veronica stepped down from the examination bed and collected the scan results. She held the paper tightly in her hand as she walked out of the hospital.

Once she entered her car, she looked at the results again.

A faint smile appeared on her face.

“The Williams family will never see their grandchildren,” she whispered. “Not in their entire lives. And Richard will never set his eyes on my babies.”

She started the engine and drove away.

But Veronica did not know that someone had already decided that she would never reach her destination.

As the hours passed, she noticed a black car following her.

At first, she ignored it.

Then she changed lanes.

The black car changed lanes too.

She slowed down.

The black car slowed down.

Veronica's hands tightened around the steering wheel.

“Why is this car following me?” she asked herself. “Maybe I should drive faster.”

Fear slowly began to creep into her heart.

She pressed down on the accelerator.

The car behind her immediately increased its speed.

Veronica's breathing became heavier.

“Why are they still following me?”

Inside the black car were three men dressed completely in black. Their faces were hidden, and their eyes remained fixed on Veronica's vehicle.

They had only one instruction.

Destroy Veronica.

Lynn had sent them.

“Don't let her escape,” one of the men ordered.

Veronica continued speeding, desperately trying to lose them.

Suddenly, the black car moved beside her.

“What are you doing?” Veronica screamed.

The men slammed their vehicle against hers.

Her car swerved violently.

“No!”

She tried to regain control, but the vehicle was already moving toward the edge of the road.

The black car struck her again.

With one final push, Veronica's car went off the road and plunged into a deep pit.

“Nooooo!”

Her scream echoed through the air.

The vehicle crashed heavily at the bottom.

Within moments, flames erupted from the car.

The men stopped their vehicle and watched from a distance.

One of them pulled out his phone.

“Finally,” he said coldly. “We have achieved our aim.”

He immediately called Lynn.

“The job is done. We need our balance.”

Lynn was still speaking to him when Richard suddenly rushed into the room.

“Lynn!”

She turned around.

“What happened?”

Richard's face was pale, and panic was written all over him.

“I just heard that Veronica has been involved in an accident.”

Lynn's heart skipped for a completely different reason.

“What?”

“The media captured everything. The victim is Veronica.”

Lynn stared at him.

Richard continued speaking rapidly.

“And the doctor who examined her said she had just left the hospital after a scan. He said she was carrying four babies.”

Lynn's eyes widened.

“Four babies?”

Richard nodded.

“You mean quadruplets?”

“Yes.”

Lynn slowly sat down.

Richard's voice trembled.

“She told the doctor that their father was dead.”

Within three hours, the news had spread everywhere.

Social media exploded with rumors.

Some anonymous accounts accused Richard of treating Veronica badly during their marriage, claiming that she had been pushed to the point of declaring him dead.

Others said Veronica had simply wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

But the majority of people condemned Richard.

They called him heartless and cruel, especially because Lynn had appeared in his life so quickly after Veronica left the Williams household.

“You sound as if those children were heaven to you,” Lynn said bitterly, her jealousy becoming impossible to hide.

“Lynn, this is not the time to be jealous,” Richard snapped.

“A time to mourn a dead pregnant woman?” Lynn asked sarcastically. “Or a time to celebrate the fact that she told everyone you were dead?”

Richard stared at her.

“At least I have you,” Lynn continued. “One child from you will be better than ten thousand children the Williams family could ever have with Veronica.”

Richard grabbed his car keys.

“I am going to the accident scene.”

Lynn immediately stood up.

“And where do you think you are going?”

“I am going to find her body.”

“Her body?” Lynn laughed coldly. “What makes you think there will be anything left? Did you not see the media reports? The car was completely burned.”

Richard's jaw tightened.

“No matter what happened, I must find something. A piece of her, anything I can bury properly. She was my wife, and those were my children.”

“Your wife?” Lynn repeated, her voice filled with bitterness.

Richard looked at her.

“Do not try to stop me this time.”

Lynn picked up a glass of wine from the table.

“You are such a funny man, Richard. You love making a fool of yourself.”

She took a slow sip.

“You did not regard her as anything when she was alive. Now that she is dead, you suddenly want to make everything right. What do you think the world will call you?”

Richard ignored her and walked toward the door.

Lynn watched him.

“Go,” she said calmly. “Go search for the dead while I prepare to welcome my mother-in-law.”

Richard left without another word.

The moment the door closed behind him, Lynn's expression completely changed.

A wide smile spread across her face.

“Finally,” she whispered.

She walked toward the window and watched Richard drive away.

“My plan has finally succeeded. Veronica cannot come back to fight me for the inheritance.”

She laughed softly.

“Once my adopted baby is handed over to me, Richard will have no choice but to forget Veronica forever.”

Lynn raised her glass toward the window.

“You will come back and meet me here, Richard.”

She smiled confidently, completely convinced that Veronica was dead.

But somewhere beneath the burning wreckage, the truth was waiting to be discovered.

THE WOMAN WHO REFUSED TO DIE

Three hours later, the search around the accident scene had become more intense than anyone had expected. Police officers moved through the area, checking every corner of the wreckage and searching through the ashes for any sign of Veronica. They searched beneath the damaged vehicle, around the rocks, and even down the slope where parts of the car had fallen.

But there was nothing.

Nobody.

No clear trace of her.

One of the police officers finally stepped away from the wreckage and removed his gloves. He stared at the burnt remains of the vehicle before slowly shaking his head.

“I think everything got burnt,” he said.

The words spread quickly.

Everyone had already feared the worst, but hearing it from an officer made the situation feel real.

Williams took the next available flight and joined the search, refusing to believe that Veronica could simply disappear without a trace. But after hours of searching, there was still nothing.

Jessica, however, pretended to be devastated.

She cried whenever people looked at her. She lowered her head, covered her face with her hands, and acted as though she had lost someone she loved deeply.

“She must have been inside when the car caught fire,” someone said.

“She probably could not escape.”

Soon, everyone accepted the terrible conclusion.

Veronica was dead.

The family eventually arranged her burial without a body. All they had was the small amount of sand and remains collected from the accident scene.

But while the Williams family mourned a woman they believed was dead, Veronica was very much alive.

Far away from the accident scene, in another country, she lay on a hospital bed with bandages wrapped around several parts of her body.

Her body was weak, but her eyes were open.

She remembered everything.

The crash.

The fire.

The pain.

And the stranger who had pulled her from the wreckage.

The man was a geologist who had been studying the rocks in the area when the accident happened. He had witnessed the crash and immediately rushed toward the vehicle. When Veronica pleaded for help, he risked his own safety and dragged her away before the flames completely consumed the car.

Later, with the help of Doctor Norah, Veronica had been secretly moved out of the country.

Mr. Alex sat beside her bed like a worried father. His face was filled with concern as he looked at the injuries covering her body.

“This was not an accident,” he finally said. “Someone wanted you dead.”

Veronica slowly turned her head toward him.

“I know.”

Alex frowned.

“You know?”

Veronica took a painful breath before answering.

“I know who did it.”

Alex leaned closer.

“Who?”

“It was Lynn.”

The room became silent.

Alex stared at her for several seconds before his expression hardened.

“Then we should have her arrested immediately.”

Veronica slowly shook her head.

“No, Mr. Alex. Not yet.”

“Not yet?” Alex asked, clearly surprised. “She tried to kill you.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you protecting her?”

“I am not protecting her.”

Veronica's fingers tightened around the blanket.

“If I deal with Lynn now, Richard will escape. I don't want only Lynn to suffer for what she has done. I want both of them to face the consequences together.”

Alex watched her carefully.

“You want them both in prison?”

“Yes.”

Her voice was weak, but there was determination behind every word.

“If I expose them now, they will find a way to defend themselves. They will hire lawyers, create stories, and pretend they are innocent. I want to gather enough evidence that neither of them can escape.”

Alex nodded slowly.

“Then you need protection. You cannot continue this alone.”

“I know.”

“I also heard that the Williams charity gala is happening soon,” Alex added. “I have been invited.”

Veronica's eyes narrowed.

“I wanted to attend that gala.”

“You still can.”

“No.”

She slowly looked toward the window.

“Lynn wants everything that belongs to the Williams family. She wants the wealth, the position, the respect, and Richard. She believes she has already won.”

A faint smile appeared on Veronica's lips.

“Let her believe it.”

Alex raised an eyebrow.

“I want to watch them celebrate while they think I am dead. And when the time comes, I will make sure they understand exactly what they have done.”

Meanwhile, the Williams family continued with the charity gala.

The hall was beautifully decorated. Cameras were everywhere, and journalists crowded around the entrance. Guests arrived in expensive clothes, while the media captured every important moment.

Then Lynn entered with Richard.

She walked beside him majestically, smiling at the cameras like a woman who had already secured her place in the Williams family.

“She looks beautiful,” one guest whispered.

“She does,” another replied. “But honestly, she is not as beautiful as Veronica.”

The comment made the woman beside her quickly place a finger against her lips.

“Keep your voice down.”

Inside the hall, the guests settled into their seats.

Mrs. Jessica eventually walked onto the podium. She looked perfectly dressed, smiling as the cameras focused on her.

“Quiet, please,” she announced.

The hall gradually became silent.

“Today is a very special day for the Williams family. We are not only celebrating our charity work and continuing a tradition that has existed for years. Today, we are also celebrating something even more precious.”

Lynn smiled.

Jessica looked toward her.

“We are celebrating the unborn heir of the Williams family.”

Applause filled the hall.

Lynn lowered her head modestly, pretending to be shy.

“Yes,” Jessica continued. “And although Veronica is no longer with us, may her soul rest in peace.”

Williams remained silent.

Suddenly, before Jessica could continue, a woman entered the hall.

She was dressed like an ordinary guest, but Lynn immediately recognized her.

It was Amanda.

The nurse.

Lynn's smile disappeared.

She immediately left Richard and hurried toward her.

“Lynn, what is wrong?” Richard asked.

“I need to speak with her,” Lynn replied quickly. “She is an old friend.”

She pulled Amanda away from the crowd.

“What are you doing here?” Lynn whispered angrily. “You were not invited.”

Amanda stared directly into her eyes.

“You are afraid because I know your secret.”

Lynn's breathing became heavier.

“You almost gave me a heart attack.”

“I could have done much worse,” Amanda replied coldly.

Lynn quickly changed her expression and forced a smile.

“Come. Sit with us.”

She led Amanda toward a VIP seat, hoping that keeping her close would prevent her from causing trouble.

Richard approached them.

“You almost distracted the entire gathering.”

Lynn smiled innocently.

“I was only welcoming an old friend.”

The celebration continued.

But Amanda had not come to celebrate.

She had come for revenge.

When the main event began, Amanda suddenly stood up.

Her voice cut through the hall.

“She is faking her pregnancy!”

The room fell silent.

Lynn's face went pale.

Amanda pointed directly at her.

“She is not pregnant. What she is carrying is not a baby.”

Williams immediately stood.

“What are you saying?”

Lynn stared at Amanda.

“Do you know what you are doing?”

“Yes,” Amanda replied. “And I am ready to tell everyone the truth.”

Mr. Williams stepped forward.

“Young lady, do you understand the consequences of accusing a member of this family? If you are lying, you will be arrested.”

Amanda did not move.

“I am not lying.”

Richard turned toward Lynn.

“Is it true?”

Lynn's eyes filled with tears.

“Truth about what? Are you really going to listen to this woman? She hates me. She is an enemy of this family.”

Amanda shook her head.

“I was the nurse who helped you obtain the artificial pregnancy. I know exactly what you are carrying.”

The hall erupted into whispers.

Jessica's eyes narrowed.

“Lynn,” she said, “take off the pregnancy padding.”

Richard looked shocked.

“Mother!”

Jessica did not look away from Lynn.

“If she is telling the truth, we need to know now.”

Lynn stepped backward.

“What kind of embarrassment is this? You want me to undress in front of everyone?”

“No,” Jessica replied firmly. “Then come with me and Richard to the bathroom.”

Lynn froze.

“If Amanda is lying, she will face the consequences. But if she is telling the truth, your judgment begins tonight.”

For five long seconds, Lynn stared at Amanda.

She had never expected the nurse to betray her.

But Amanda had her own reason.

Lynn had once unknowingly destroyed Amanda's relationship, causing Amanda's boyfriend to leave her.

Now Amanda had finally found a way to make Lynn pay.

And tonight, Lynn's carefully constructed lie was beginning to collapse.

The secret opened

Lynn reluctantly agreed to walk toward the bathroom with Jessica and Richard, but before they could get very far, she suddenly stopped and turned to face them. She looked around to make sure nobody else had followed them, then lowered her voice as she tried to come up with another way to save herself from the humiliation waiting outside.

“Hold on,” Lynn said quickly. “There is something you both need to hear before we go back there.”

Jessica folded her arms across her chest and stared at her suspiciously. Richard remained silent, his eyes fixed on Lynn.

“My late father left me a company worth millions of dollars,” Lynn continued, forcing a nervous smile onto her face. “I am willing to hand the entire company over to you if you help me take this shame away from me.”

Jessica's expression immediately hardened.

“Are you saying that you faked the entire pregnancy?” she asked.

Lynn's lips parted, but no words came out immediately.

Outside the bathroom, the guests were still waiting impatiently. Whispers had begun spreading throughout the hall as everyone wondered what was happening and why Jessica, Richard, and Lynn had disappeared together.

“I am not interested in your worthless company, young lady,” Jessica finally said coldly. “Do you really think you can buy your way out of this situation?”

Lynn swallowed hard.

Jessica then turned toward Richard.

“Look here, Richard. If we walk out there and announce that Lynn fabricated her pregnancy, your father will take everything away from you. Your position, your inheritance, your future in the company—everything. You know your father well enough to understand that he will not forgive you for bringing this kind of disgrace to the family.”

Richard's face changed immediately.

He had been thinking about Lynn and the scandal, but Jessica's words made him think about his inheritance.

“Mother…” he whispered.

“You cannot afford to lose a multibillion-dollar company over this,” Jessica continued. “So I suggest we make Amanda suffer for this instead. She has already placed herself in the middle of this matter. If we need someone to carry the blame, she has volunteered herself.”

Richard slowly lowered his head, thinking carefully about what Jessica had said.

“You know my thoughts, Mother,” he finally said. “I cannot afford to lose everything because of this. I have worked too hard to inherit the company, and I will not allow Amanda to destroy my future.”

Lynn breathed quietly in relief.

Jessica turned her attention back to Lynn.

“And you,” she said sharply. “Do not ever try to play smart with me again. You are not from some wealthy family, and you have no inheritance waiting for you. You were simply fortunate enough to gain favor with my son. Do not confuse that favor with power.”

Lynn's face tightened.

“The next time you decide to manipulate people, make sure you understand who you are dealing with. I am doing this because I want to protect my son. If Veronica were still here, I would have exposed the truth to the entire world and made it clear that you were never pregnant.”

Lynn remained silent.

Jessica's voice softened, but the warning in it became even stronger.

“Now, wipe that expression from your face. We are going back inside.”

Lynn slowly forced a smile onto her face.

The three of them returned to the main hall together.

Every eye immediately turned toward them.

Mr. Williams stood anxiously near the center of the hall, his face filled with expectation.

“Jessica, what is the result?” he asked.

The entire room became silent.

Guests leaned forward, waiting for her answer. Amanda stood among them, her heart pounding as she watched Lynn walk beside Richard.

Jessica looked around the room before finally speaking.

“She is carrying the true heir of the Williams family.”

A loud murmur immediately swept through the hall.

“No!”

Amanda suddenly stepped forward.

Everyone turned toward her.

“No, that is not true!” Amanda shouted. “She is lying!”

Richard's face darkened.

“Are you saying my mother is a liar?”

For the first time, his voice thundered across the room.

Amanda stared at him.

“I did not call her a liar,” she answered, trying to remain calm. “But what she is saying right now is a lie.”

Before Amanda could say anything else, Richard raised his hand and slapped her across the face.

The sound echoed through the hall.

“Richard!” Mr. Williams shouted.

Richard immediately turned toward his father.

“Father, I am sorry for acting that way,” he said, although his anger was still obvious. “But she has gone too far. She is trying to destroy Lynn's reputation in front of everyone, even after being warned about the consequences. Someone has to stop her.”

Amanda held her cheek, tears filling her eyes.

“You are all making a terrible mistake,” she whispered.

Mr. Williams stepped forward.

“Young lady, I warned you earlier. I told you that there would be consequences if you continued spreading false accusations against Lynn.”

“Mr. Williams, I swear to you, she has manipulated all of you!” Amanda cried. “There is something wrong with this story. Lynn is not—”

“Security!” Mr. Williams suddenly shouted.

Two security officers rushed into the hall and stood before him.

“Take her away,” he ordered. “She will answer for what she has done.”

Amanda stared at him in disbelief.

“No! Please, Mr. Williams, listen to me!”

The security officers took hold of her arms.

“Wait,” Lynn suddenly called.

The guards stopped.

Lynn walked toward Amanda slowly, a satisfied smile appearing on her face.

“You see?” Lynn whispered. “In your next life, perhaps you will learn to be smarter. You have brought this trouble upon yourself by involving yourself in matters that had nothing to do with you.”

Amanda looked directly into her eyes.

“You may think you have won,” Amanda said quietly, “but this will not end here.”

Lynn smiled.

“You should be more worried about yourself. You jumped into a situation at the wrong time, and now you are paying the price. You allowed yourself to suffer for a man who does not even love you.”

Amanda's eyes hardened.

“I have no more words for you, Lynn. But I promise you one thing. You will suffer for everything you have done.”

Lynn's smile disappeared for a moment.

Then she turned toward the security officers.

“Take her out.”

Amanda was immediately dragged from the hall as the guests watched in stunned silence.

Far away from the Williams family, however, another story was beginning.

Veronica had just been discharged from the hospital.

Although she had survived everything that had happened to her, the doctor had ordered her to remain on strict bed rest for three months.

Dr. Norah stood beside her bed with a serious expression.

“Must you work, Veronica?” she asked. “You have been placed under my care, and I will not allow you to put yourself or the babies at risk.”

Veronica stared at the ceiling.

“It is only three months,” she replied.

“Three months can make a huge difference,” Norah warned.

Veronica slowly turned her head.

“Three months of rest will give me enough time to plan.”

“Plan what?”

Veronica's eyes became cold.

“My revenge.”

Norah sighed.

“Veronica…”

“I sacrificed everything for that family,” Veronica continued. “I gave Richard my trust, my loyalty, my love, and everything I had. And what did I receive in return? Betrayal.”

She placed a hand gently over her stomach.

“I will not forget what they did to me. I want to become the woman they never expected me to become. I want the Williams family to remember my name for the rest of their lives.”

Norah stared at her carefully.

“You are carrying lives inside you. You cannot allow anger to control you.”

Veronica's jaw tightened.

“If you were in my position, Norah, how would you feel? Imagine giving everything to the man you love, only for him to break your heart because of an heir.”

Norah sat beside her.

“I know this hurts,” she said softly. “But you do not owe Richard your destruction. He owes you an explanation, and perhaps an apology.”

Veronica shook her head.

“No. He does not owe me anything anymore because he has already given me the worst thing a person can give another—betrayal. And I will give him the other side of me.”

Norah remained silent.

Veronica looked toward the window.

“I will not rush anything. I will wait. I will become stronger. And when the right time comes, they will understand exactly what they lost.”

After a moment, Veronica turned toward Norah.

“When Mikel calls, please give the phone to me. I want to speak with him.”

Norah nodded reluctantly.

Veronica closed her eyes and rested her hand over her stomach.

Three months.

She could wait three months.

But when those three months were over, Veronica knew she would no longer be the woman the Williams family had betrayed.