Chapter 381

Chapter 381:

Jada’s head buzzed with a jolt. She had thought a lot about her future. She had envisioned herself and her mother taking over the Riggs family, with her at the helm of the Riggs Group, admired by thousands. But she never anticipated being fired shortly after joining the company. What about her dreams?

Jada’s vision blurred, and she lost consciousness. When she regained her senses, she could hear Mara’s sobs.

“Please, give Jada another chance,” Mara pleaded through her tears. “You’ve watched her grow up. She adores being with you and is terrified that you no longer care for her. You’ve been so wrapped up in work, and she just wants you to come home and spend time with her.”

Jada was awake, but she kept her eyes shut, eager to hear Esteban’s response.

Esteban’s voice then cut through the room. “What if Susan were in her place?”

Jada’s hands clenched tightly under the quilt. Did he really care that much about Susan?

“Even if it were Susan, I’d give her another chance. Please, honey, forgive Jada,” Mara begged through her tears.

Esteban’s patience wore thin. He dialed Susan, asking, “Susan, is there any other solution you can suggest?”

“Then have Mara return all the money she has been withholding from me over the years and give me back my bedroom,” Susan replied flatly.

Esteban was taken aback. “Your bedroom? Didn’t you give it to Jada?”

Susan’s voice was unwavering. “I never agreed to that.” Esteban’s face darkened as he fixed a steely gaze on Mara.

Suddenly, Mara looked guilty. Why was Susan bringing this up after all these years?

After hanging up, Esteban stared at Mara with icy anger. “You said Susan gave her bedroom to Jada.”

“It’s been so long; she might have forgotten. Of course, she gave it to Jada. I could never have possibly forced her,” Mara replied quickly.

“And the money?” Esteban demanded. “Have you actually been withholding it from her? Did you not give Susan the money I gave you?”

Mara felt overwhelmed. She had hidden so many secrets, never expecting them to come to light.

“I gave it to her. She refused to take it,” Mara’s voice faltered.

“Figure out how much money you owe. Return it all to her,” Esteban snapped, seething with anger. He never expected that these things would happen right in his own home.

Mara, trembling with fear, began tallying the amounts. The total was staggering: seventeen million dollars. Esteban had given Susan one million dollars a year as pocket money, but Mara had kept every penny for herself.

Mara’s lavish spending had left her with nothing to cover the debt. But she was too afraid to cross Susan again, fearing that further conflict might escalate things. So, she quickly sought loans from her relatives and even resorted to usury to gather the seventeen million dollars.

Meanwhile, Susan was working.

With Jada gone and Susan back at work, it became clear who the victim was in this situation. The atmosphere was heavy with guilt, and some even went as far as ordering coffee as a gesture of apology to Susan.

Susan didn’t hold it against them too much; their behavior was typical in the workplace, after all. When Mara sent the money, Susan was stunned.

Seventeen million dollars!

She had seen such an enormous sum before. Mara said, “I’ve given you all the money. Are you satisfied? Please don’t make things harder for Jada.” She even fainted.

Susan replied, “Her fainting was just a consequence of her own vanity and selfishness. She collapsed when she realized she wouldn’t be taking over the Riggs Group. What does that have to do with me?” Mara nearly lost her composure.

How could Susan be so blunt?

“Honey, I sent Susan the money. Is it now okay?” Mara asked, glancing at Esteban and lowering her gaze.

“How much did you withhold from her?” Esteban demanded.

“She didn’t want it, honey,” Mara insisted.

Esteban, shrewd and perceptive, could see Mara’s guilt. He picked up her phone and checked the transfer, nearly collapsing when he saw the sum.

“So you’ve never given Susan the money I’ve been providing all these years?” Esteban roared.

Mara, trembling, defended herself. “She refused to take it.”

“I’ll ask her myself!” Esteban’s gaze was icy.

Mara’s heart raced, and she burst into tears. “After all these years of marriage, don’t you trust me at all? Or do you still have feelings for her? If that’s the case, I’d rather leave with Jada. I’ve sacrificed so much for the Riggs family, and yet you don’t trust me.”

Esteban’s expression remained cold.

At that moment, Jada finally decided to wake up, saw her mother crying, and embraced her. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

Jada’s face was pale as she turned to Esteban, asking, “Dad, do you no longer care about us?”

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