?Chapter 1642:
The officers stood resolute, issuing a stark ultimatum. “Leave the premises immediately, or we’ll escort you to the police station.”
Wesley and his wife were gripped by profound anxiety over the potential damage to their professional reputations. As a civil employee in district administration, Wesley knew that any arrest could derail his career irreparably. His wife was a high school teacher. He feared the gossip that might spread among her students and the risk of administrative bacsh from school officials, who could suspend her from teaching if word of a police arrest leaked out. The professional and social fallout loomed disastrouslyrge.AdChoicesADVERTISING
Without requiring additional persuasion from Jalen, Wesley relented, saying, “Officers, we’ll leave right away.” Then, he and his family reluctantly departed.
Inside the residence, Darrell hurried back to announce breathlessly, “They’ve left.”
Giselle’s expression remained grim. She was haunted by long-buried family secrets from years past that refused to fade.
Brenna had been offering quiet reassurance to her mother for a while. “Mom, Jalen said that Uncle Wesley genuinely loved Aunt Tonya, iming it was my grandmother who shoved her, sending her crashing into the hard stone surface, which injured her badly and triggered severe bleeding. But I caught Conor whispering a different tale—that Uncle Wesley identally knocked her over himself. Mom, can you tell me what actually happened that day?”
“He was lying to me? How could he stoop so low? Wasn’t he afraid that I might ask you about it and that the truth would be exposed?” Brenna’s voice trembled with disbelief before turning cold. “Jalen isn’t just deceitful—he’s a hypocrite with no depth. That show of grief he put on was nothing more than a trick to sway me.”
Resolute now, she made up her mind to ask Darwin the moment she had the opportunity—to learn what her uncle’s family was truly like beneath their polished exterior.
Giselle let out a weary sigh, her toneced with anger. “Your grandmother took out loans back then, all to push your uncle’s career forward—not to save your grandfather. Wesley admitted everything to us himself. He said your grandfather’s case was hopeless, the evidence overwhelming, and no amount of bribery could change it. He wanted to use that money to secure his own promotion, iming that once he had power, he could clear your grandfather’s name.”
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As she continued, sorrow clouded her expression. “He’s always been selfish. Your grandmother sacrificed her dignity, begged and borrowed money for him, yet when she was hit by a car, he didn’t even hesitate—he chose to save his wife instead of her. That man has no conscience at all.”
Brenna’s heart sank. Her uncle’s greed seemed endless. Now, she finally understood why her mother had always kept her distance from Wesley’s family, refusing to let her father or siblings get close to them.
“Mom, whatever you decide, we’ll stand with you,” Brenna said firmly.
Giselle gave a slow nod. “Your uncle pestered your father many times before, asking for help with another promotion. I’ve told your father not to give in, but I can sense your uncle wille begging him again soon.”
“Then I’ll call Dad right now,” Brenna replied, already reaching for her phone.
Wesley’s wifey fast asleep in her hospital bed, the IV drip humming softly beside her.
With his money run dry, he had no choice but to keep her in a cramped ward shared with three other patients, each battling liver disease of their own. The treatment alone cost hundreds a day, and what little savings the Bentley family had were nearly gone. They managed to stay afloat only because Conor had arranged for the day’s earnings from thew firm to be transferred to the hospital.
In the dim hospital corridor, Wesley spoke with his sons, his face heavy with worry and defeat. If there had been any other choice, he would never have swallowed his pride or risked his position by causing a scene at the Harper family’s residence.
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