As Yvonne left, Jerome''s eyes turned dark and cruel. He waited a moment, then called his mother.


    Half an hourter, Wendy arrived. Seeing her son''s haggard face, her heart ached. No matter how foolish he was, he was still the child she had borne, her firstborn. She couldn''t bear to watch him remain so blind.


    "What do you want?" she asked, her own face weary.


    "Mom, I''m sorry," Jerome said, his voice full of remorse. "I was aplete fool before. I''ll be good from now on. I won''t ever make you sad again. Please, don''t send me abroad. I''ll hide somewhere, and I''ll study. I''ll learn how to run thepany, how to be a better person. You''re all alone now, Mom. I want to stay and help you." He looked at her, his eyes pleading.


    Wendy let out a coldugh. "It''s toote. Do you have any idea what it cost me to cover that five percent of shares you gave away? Your grandfather had to sell an apartment just to fill the gap." She had, however, found a solution. She ced a share transfer agreement in front of him. "I''ve thought of another way. If you sign this, I can get those shares back. If you agree to give them to me, I won''t send you abroad. You can get treatment here." This was why she hade. "But I already gave the other transfer agreement to Dad."


    "Jerome!" Wendy''s voice was sharp, a sharp pain stabbing at her heart. "I showed you the recording, and you didn''t believe me. Now your legs are crippled, and you still don''t trust your own mother?" Her voice trembled "Don''t you understand? Your father Tet you run wild on purpose. He wanted to ruin you. Do you know why I didn''t want you? Because you''re just as selfish as he is."


    Her eyes red, Wendy bit her lip to suppress her anger. "And that woman, Yvonne. She''s been partying and clubbing since middle school. Your sister told you, but you wouldn''t listen. Three years ago, when you had that car ident, it was your sister who pulled you from the wreck. Why do you insist on trusting Joanna over your own flesh and blood?"


    "While you were out ying with Yvonne and her friends, Joanna was studying hard, bing the star of our family while you four brothers became nothing but background noise. Look at the other heirs your age! Take Marshall, for example. He worked hard, raced cars, and still managed to get a dual degree from a top university abroad. He can walk into hispany as CEO because he''s earned it. But you? What do you have? You''re impulsive and incredibly selfish. All you can do is race cars. What else do you have to offer?"


    P.n


    "I told you to focus on your studies, and you said was controlling you. So I let you be. I thought, we have enough family money that you''ll never starve. I was manipted by your father too. Every time I tried to discipline you, he would say We have plenty of money, let the boy live freely.'' And Joanna would chime in, ''Mom, Jerome has his own dreams. Let him pursue them.'' And you did, Jerome. You''ve had your freedom these past few years. You yed with your precious race cars. But do you really think you were free?"