I took the place of my wife in prison, she got together with my younger brother.
Angela · Completed · 8.6k Words
Introduction
Five years later, when I was released from prison, my mansion was confiscated, my company fell into the hands of my younger brother, and the woman I loved with all my heart was nestled in my brother's arms, mocking my misfortune.
They had been having an affair for a long time, and even my imprisonment was a conspiracy meticulously planned by this despicable couple! What makes me even more furious is that my precious daughter was abandoned on the street like a stray dog, and subjected to beatings and bullying by their illegitimate son .
They thought that by draining my blood, they could forever condemn me to oblivion.
But they forgot that I was once an unparalleled genius in the business world.
Chapter 1
Five years have passed.
When I stood in front of this luxurious villa halfway up the mountain again, the brass plaque that once bore my name on the marble pillar was gone, replaced by a completely unfamiliar surname.
I peered through the fence. The rose bushes that my wife Sarah had tended had been leveled and replaced with lifeless, cold sculptures; the lush green lawn that my daughter Lily used to love running on was now a cold parking lot.
"Hey! You beggar, get out of here! This isn't a place for you." A security guard walked over with a baton, looking me up and down with disgust at my haggard face and rough hands.
I asked, "Excuse me, where is Sarah, the lady of this house? Where did she move to?"
"What Sarah? This house was sold three years ago . Get out of here, or I'll call the police!"
My heart sank, as if I had fallen into an abyss of ice. Years ago, to protect Sarah, I hadn't hesitated to take the blame for that business fraud on her behalf. Before leaving, I transferred all my personal assets, this villa, and the tech company I had founded to Sarah's name. I thought I had enough trump cards up my sleeve to ensure that this mother and daughter would be well-off while I was in prison.
I turned around and walked quickly towards the bustling city center. The villa had been sold; perhaps Sarah didn't want to be reminded of those times. I knew I could find them at the company.
However, when I stood beneath that familiar skyscraper, the sight that greeted me shattered my expectations once again. The company logo I had personally designed at the top of the lobby had been completely redesigned, its vibrant tech blue replaced by a jarring gold-red.
me even more was that the front desk staff were all unfamiliar faces, the access control was strict, and no one recognized me, the former founder.
Sarah has vanished without a trace, and Lily has disappeared as well. It's as if they've evaporated from the face of the earth.
I walked to the outdoor coffee lounge on the side of the office building, trying to borrow a phone from a passerby. Just as I was being coldly refused by a third person, a middle-aged man carrying a coffee hurried past and accidentally bumped into my shoulder.
"Sorry, I'm in a hurry..." The middle-aged man looked up, and the instant his gaze fell on my face, he was struck dumb. The coffee cup in his hand crashed to the ground, the brown liquid splashing onto his leather shoes.
"Boss...? Mr. Ethan?"
I was taken aback for a moment, and only after looking closely did I recognize him: "Mark? You're still at the company?"
"You...you're out of prison?" Mark swallowed nervously, quickly glancing around as if afraid of being seen standing with me . He pulled me to a dark corner of the smoking area on the side of the building, his eyes filled with evasiveness and unease.
I grabbed Mark's arm , suppressing the turmoil in my heart, and asked urgently, "Mark, tell me the truth. What happened at the company? Where is Sarah? Where did she take my daughter?"
Mark's face was bitter as he lowered his voice and said, "Mr. Ethan, do you really know nothing? The company is now... being completely taken over by your brother Derek."
My pupils contracted sharply upon hearing that name .
How could it be Derek? That idiot brother of his, who was extremely jealous since childhood, had high aspirations but low abilities, and couldn't even write a proper business plan?
“Before I went to jail, I clearly signed a power of attorney, transferring the company to Sarah.” My mind raced, and the sharp intuition I’d honed in the business world was instantly activated. A terrifying suspicion surfaced: “Derek may not be very capable, but he’s ruthless. Did he take advantage of my absence, using some dirty tricks, to force Sarah to relinquish control of the company through the board of directors?”
The thought of my delicate wife and young daughter possibly being kicked out of the house and left to wander the streets by that arrogant and domineering younger brother made me feel like a huge rock was pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe .
“This…this is complicated.” Mark’s eyes darted around, avoiding my gaze. He hurriedly pulled a few hundred dollars from his wallet and stuffed it into my hand. “Mr. Ethan, you’d better not mess with Mr. Derek. He’s in a terrible temper right now, and he’s ruthless. I have to go back to work. If the security cameras catch me with you, I’ll lose my job.”
Watching Mark's retreating figure, I gripped the banknotes tightly in my hand. I took a deep breath, a chilling sensation spreading through my veins to every part of my body.
If Derek forcibly took everything away, I will not stand idly by. I must see my brother and force him to reveal the whereabouts of my wife and daughter!
I turned around and followed the back passage of the office building, intending to take the internal elevator in the underground parking lot directly to the CEO's office.
Just as I reached the ventilation area at the entrance to the underground parking garage, a burst of arrogant cursing and sharp, mocking laughter from a dead-end alley to the side came out.
"Beat him! That'll teach you a lesson for daring to pick up the bread I threw away!"
"You stinking beggar, you stink! Strip her filthy clothes off and throw them in the trash!"
I frowned and stopped, looking into the shadowy distance. In the corner where discarded cardboard boxes were piled up, four very well-dressed children, around seven or eight years old, were huddled in a circle. The one leading them was a chubby boy in a custom-made suit and shorts, who was kicking and stomping on something viciously.
On the ground between them, a tiny, emaciated girl lay curled up. She looked like a homeless vagrant, wearing a dirty sweater that was several sizes too big and torn in several places. She desperately protected her head, enduring the kicks and beatings of the children who were taller than her, not daring to utter a single cry for help, only letting out low whimpers like a wounded young animal.
For some reason, when I saw that thin and frail figure from behind, my heart suddenly ached.
This child looks about the same age as my daughter, Lily. If Sarah and Lily were indeed bullied and driven out of their home by Derek, did my Lily also suffer such cruel bullying in some unknown corner?
"stop!"
I shouted and strode forward, grabbing the fat boy by the shoulder and pulling him backward.
The fat boy stumbled, but after regaining his balance, he arrogantly pointed at my nose and yelled, "You filthy beggar, how dare you touch me?! Do you know who I am? My dad is Derek, the big boss of this company! I'll have my dad grab you and feed you to the dogs!"
Derek's son?
my eyes. Five years had passed, and Derek had even had a son, who was being raised to be so arrogant and domineering.
But at that moment, I didn't have time to deal with this spoiled brat. I turned around, slowly squatted down, and tried to soften my voice as I reached out my hand to the trembling little girl.
"Don't be afraid, child. They won't hit you anymore."
Upon hearing this, the little girl flinched violently. She slowly lowered her bruised and muddy little hands, which were covering her head, and raised her dirty face.
The moment their eyes met, time seemed to stand still in this dark alley.
On that sunken face, devoid of any flesh, stood a pair of eyes I could never mistake. But those eyes, once bright as stars, always sparkling with carefree light, were now filled with extreme fear, numbness, and despair.
my breath was abruptly taken away at that moment. His hand froze in mid-air, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
“Lily…?” I heard my own distorted, broken voice echoing in the alley.
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