Chapter 42: Nothing but Cruel Monsters
Russell had reacted so strongly because the one who had hurt Wade was Tilda.
Russell had already lost his real daughter for 19 years. When she cut ties and walked out on the Jensons, it had been the biggest humiliation of his life. So deep down, Russell held endless anger and resentment toward Tilda. And when he heard Wade was hurt because of her, he snapped and lost control, charging in. But by doing that, he had already handed her the upper hand.
“True or not, you can ask Wade when he wakes up. Right now, you’ve got no proof, no facts. Yet you come here blaming me and flipping my tray, even burning Una’s foot! Mr. Russell, I’m giving you three seconds to apologize!”
The cafeteria went dead silent. This whole scene felt backwards. Isn’t Russell Tilda’s father? Isn’t he the powerful chairman of the Jenson Group? Yet Tilda is speaking to him in that tone, calling him “Mr. Russell” instead of “Dad.” Is she out of her mind?
Russell’s eyes bulged, veins popping. “Apologize? You dare tell me to apologize to you? Tilda, who the hell do you think you are?” Since the day he was born, not a single person except Blair had ever dared talk to him like that.
“Don’t twist it, Mr. Russell. I already cut ties with the Jensons. We mean nothing to each other now. You hurt someone and blamed me without proof. Now you’re still asking me why you should apologize? So this is the great chairman of the Jenson Group, huh? Turns out you’re just a bully hiding behind power.”
Damn. What a bombshell! This is too juicy to miss! Gasps swept through the crowd. Not long ago, the news had been everywhere – Tilda, the real daughter of the Jensons, lost for 19 years, finally returned. Everyone thought she’d gone from a nobody to a somebody, finally back home where she belonged. But what Tilda said shocked them. Tilda herself had given it all up. She had cut ties with the Jensons and wasn’t their daughter anymore.
Una’s worried eyes searched Tilda’s face. She’d stayed quiet before, too afraid of opening Tilda’s scars, too afraid of making her cry. But now, Tilda had said it in front of everyone, loud and clear. She had cut the last thread to the Jensons. Una was worried about what Tilda was feeling.
“It has to be this way. He hurt you, Una. Whether on purpose or not, he has to apologize.” Tilda’s eyes narrowed, her whole aura sharp and dangerous. She didn’t care about the Jensons anymore. In her eyes now, that so-called “family” was nothing compared to the mark on Una’s skin. And honestly, Una had only been dragged into this because of Tilda’s ties with the Jensons. Una was innocent. She was hurt because of Tilda. This apology wasn’t optional. Tilda would get it for her.
“Me? Apologize? Keep dreaming! When Wade wakes up, if I find out you touched him, Tilda, you’ll pay.” Being told to apologize by the daughter he despised in front of all these people–Russell’s pride as a man and a father couldn’t take it. If he apologized, he’d be the laughingstock of the entire Slosa business world. So, raging, Russell spun around and stormed off.
“You’ll regret this, Russell.”
Tilda already knew – men like him never admitted fault or apologized, even when they were completely wrong.
The Jensons are all the same – they’re vile and disgusting. They hurt others, throw baseless blame, and still act as if they were showing mercy. It’s as if I should feel honored for being wronged by them, as if I was supposed to take it and not resist. Her stomach twisted with a dull ache. She remembered the bullet she had taken for that man, her so-called father. She had dragged herself to the edge of death for him. The regret made her want to scream at herself. I was so damn stupid!
“Tilda, are you okay?”
Seeing her face pale, Una quickly rushed forward and grabbed her arm. “I’m fine, Una, don’t worry. Russell will apologize – he will. I’ll make sure you get the justice you deserve.” Tilda’s fists clenched, her eyes sharp like steel, a faint killing intent flickering in them.
“Tilda, no… you don’t have to. Really, I just want you to be happy. That’s all. Let’s just leave the Jensons behind.” Looking at Tilda like this, Una’s heart ached painfully. Her own injury didn’t matter. But every time the Jensons were brought up, Tilda would act like a completely different person – as if an old wound of hers had torn open again, with raw pain bleeding out, choking her from the inside. Who would’ve thought the Jensons – the family everyone saw as one of Slosa’s richest, most powerful empires – were nothing but cruel monsters in disguise?