Chapter 54 What Were You Doing on the Day She Passed
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Chapter 54 What Were You Doing on the Day She Passed
With a sharp bang, Abigail slammed her ivory cutlery down on the table. Her usual gentle expression was gone, replaced by icy frost and reddened eyes.
“William, my daughter is the best! No one could ever compare to her!” she said through tears.
Then, she fixed her gaze on him, her voice cutting like ice. “You don’t even deserve to be Rosa’s father.”
Hearing that, William’s face darkened in embarrassment and anger. He shot to his feet and snapped, “You women are all the same with your lack of long-term thinking! All you see are trivial things right in front of you. Do you even understand what business strategy means, or what it is to think long term?”
Irritated, he yanked at his tie. “There’s no point in talking to you! This dinner is ruined anyway, I’ve got clients to meet tonight.”
Grabbing his blazer, he stormed out and slammed the door without looking back.
The dining room fell into suffocating silence. Abigail pressed a hand to her forehead, clearly unable to eat another bite.
“Clear the table, Hilda,” Rosalie instructed softly. Then, she guided Abigail out into the back garden, where the cool night air carried the fragrance of flowers.
She didn’t ask questions and simply stayed by Abigail’s side in quiet companionship. She knew Abigail needed space to think.
It was a long while before Abigail finally spoke. “I discovered that he transferred a large sum of money into an overseas account. I only tested him with a single question, but he lashed out and accused me of
overthinking. He claimed it was for expanding business abroad.
“He told me that a woman like me shouldn’t meddle in things I don’t understand, and that if anything went wrong, I couldn’t possibly take responsibility…”
Her eyes lifted with a final flicker of hope. “Rosa, has Vertex Tech really expanded overseas?”
Looking into Abigail’s bloodshot eyes, Rosalie felt her heart twist with pain. Vertex Tech had never once expanded abroad.
She shook her head gently, and in that instant, the light in Abigail’s eyes shattered into lifeless gray despair.
“Mom,” Rosalie quietly asked, holding Abigail’s cold hand tightly, “If he’s really betrayed you, what will you
do?”
Abigail stared vacantly at the blooming roses in the garden. They were radiant yet fragile in the night breeze.
She stayed silent for a long time, because she had never once imagined such a question. All her life, she
Chapter 54 What Were You Doing on the Day She Passed
had been cherished by her parents, and even her marriage was her choice.
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Abigail had fallen for William, who had worked part-time to support himself through college, and whose eyes shone with determination. She had brought him home without another thought.
Out of love for her, her parents had quietly supported him. They lifted a penniless young man onto a path
of success.
After marriage, she gave birth to Rosalie. And when her health weakened, she decided not to have another child and devoted herself entirely to being Mrs. Ashford.
Abigail’s life had flowed as smoothly as a fairytale, with the only real setback being when Lucian had ruined Rosalie’s engagement. Yet now, even the one thing she thought was her strongest pillar had
crumbled beneath her.
“I don’t know…” she murmured, her voice drifting like smoke impossible to catch.
A moment later, she clutched Rosalie’s hand tightly. “Rosa, isn’t Vertex Tech short on money right now? I heard its funding chain is close to breaking, but don’t worry. I listened to you and have been taking money from William these past few weeks. It’s enough to help you through for a while.”
Rosalie squeezed her hand in return. “Mom, keep that money for yourself. I can handle Vertex Tech.”
They sat together in the garden for a long time before Rosalie finally hesitated and asked, “Mom, can I ask you something? On the day Ms. Bourbon passed away… What were you doing?”
At those words, a flicker of panic crossed Abigail’s eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to meet Rosalie’s gaze. “Why would you ask something like that out of nowhere?”
