Chapter 76

Abigail had been locked in her room the entire morning. She hacked into Halden Group’s surveillance system and combed through every camera feed.

By noon, Stephen returned and went upstairs to unlock her door with Bianca, but Abigail remained planted in the doorway, blocking their entry.

“That video of you and Timothy has gone viral in the company. At this point, even he can’t save himself, let alone a low-level employee like you,” Stephen sneered, his eyes dripping with contempt as he leaned against the doorframe.

Abigail kept her expression icy, refusing to engage. Bianca, growing impatient, snapped, “Keep being stubborn, and we’ll keep you locked in here.”

From morning till now, Abigail hadn’t had a sip of water or a bite of food. Hungry and thirsty, she stayed silent. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen, staring at a woman she had never seen before. It was Claudia, Halden Group’s design director.

“Abby, just listen to me this once,” Bianca said. “After this, we’ll have your brother arrange a job for you at Gibson Corp. You can work as a secretary if you want. Just quit Halden Group.

“Do you want Dani to have a hard time at the company because of you? Is that what you want?”

At Bianca’s accusation, Stephen stiffened. “Mom, are you saying Abby planned this? To drag Dani down with her?”

Before Bianca could respond, Stephen lunged forward, grabbing Abigail by the collar and yanking her up from the bed. “You’re so vicious! Was this your game all along? Jealous that Dani is better than you in every way? How pathetic can you get?”

Abigail smirked. “If that’s what you want to believe, fine by me.” She didn’t bother to argue. No one had ever believed in her anyway.

Stephen raised a hand to slap Abigail, but Bianca pulled him back. “Forget it. If Abby doesn’t want to quit, we’ll keep her locked up. She’ll be fired within the week.”

Even knowing the Gibson family’s cruelty, hearing those words from her mother made Abigail’s chest tighten.

Abigail looked at Bianca and thought, ‘This woman is my own mother. She was so quick to brand me a mistress yesterday, and she swears I'm a scheming villain today!’

Faced with Bianca’s deep-rooted prejudice, all she could manage was a faint, bitter smile.

The door locked again. Starving, Abigail swallowed hard, her throat dry.

By nightfall, she still hadn’t eaten or drunk anything. Her stomach twisted in sharp, familiar pain. Lying on the bed, she clutched her aching abdomen, her vision swam with black spots.

Just like those first weeks in jail, she had always been stuck doing floor-cleaning duties, which meant she rarely got to the food line in time.

Within a month, her stomach had started acting up. Even after she no longer had to fight for meals, the damage had already been done. Her stomach never fully healed.

Frustrated by Abigail’s defiance, Bianca turned to Stephen. “Drive to The Hearth Table and get me the specialty soup.” The restaurant made excellent soup, but infuriatingly, it refused to offer delivery.

Stephen grabbed his keys and left. Within half an hour, he returned with the soup in hand.

Bianca took a sip, then paused. Frowning, she inspected the bowl. Last time, Daniella had brought it in a plain container, but this one was branded with The Hearth Table’s logo, and the spoon engraved with its signature mark.

“Where did you buy this?” Bianca asked.

Stephen, distracted by his phone conversation with Ralph, didn’t look up. “There’s only one The Hearth Table in Cobridge. Does it taste off?”

Bianca fell silent. Stephen had a temper, but he never lied. The soup Daniella had brought last time had been lackluster, but this one was exactly how Abigail used to get it for her.

Bianca couldn’t help thinking, ‘Could it be that Daniella had bought it somewhere else and lied about where it came from?’

The thought flickered, but Bianca quickly dismissed it. She thought, ‘Daniella is so sweet. It must’ve just been my own taste buds acting up.’

Trying to push the doubt away, Bianca found herself thinking about Abigail, who had discovered the shop for her. Abigail had promised that as long as Bianca craved it, The Hearth Table would stay open in Cobridge.

A pang of guilt twisted inside Bianca. “Stevie, Abby hasn’t eaten all day. Should we at least bring her some water?”

Stephen frowned, “But Dad said starving her a few meals would teach her a lesson, especially after what she did to Dani.” He bit his lower lip, hesitation flickering across his face.