gold-digger, calling it “loans.”
My dad pulled out his phone, his voice icy. “If she really took your car, I’ll call the police for you.”
Tim, who had been shaking the whole time, looked at my dad with panic in his eyes. “Mr. Jon– Maybe we could just let this go?”
Esther’s head snapped up, disbelief written all over her face as she turned to Tim. “Dad! What are you saying? Why should we let it go?”
She pointed a trembling finger at me, her voice shrill. “Isn’t she just the kid whose scholarship we’ve been funding for years? We’ve done more than enough for her! Besides, I seriously doubt she bought that diamond ring herself. Where would a poor girl get that kind of money?”
“Shut your mouth!” Tim turned and glared at Esther, his voice low but furious.
The clueless executives, though, started pointing at me, their voices harsh. “You’re Shirley Levitt, right? Don’t bother coming to work tomorrow!”
I smirked and shot a challenging look at them. “Really? You’re firing me?”
Tim was now completely flustered, scrambling to fix things. “No, no! She’s not fired! Shirley is one of the most capable employees we have!”
Joel laughed at the whole thing, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Capable? I’ve known her for six years, and I’ve never seen it. The only thing she’s good at is pretending to be something she’s not.”
By now, my dad’s expression was downright terrifying. He looked like he was about to explode.
However, Esther wasn’t done. She clung to Tim’s arm, pouting as she whined, “Dad! Don’t tell me Shirley’s been trying to seduce you at work! Why else are you defending her?”
Before she could say another word, a loud slap echoed through the room. Tim had struck Esther hard across the face.
“I told you to shut up!” he bellowed.
The entire room fell into stunned silence.
Esther clutched her cheek, tears streaming down her face. “Dad!”
Joel rushed to her side, pulling her into his arms as if to protect her. He looked at Tim, utterly shocked.
“Mr. Jones! Even if Esther said something wrong, you didn’t have to hit her! She’s your daughter! The only heir to the Jones family!”
Tim pointed a shaking finger at Joel, his voice trembling with anger. “You can get out too! This has nothing to do with you!”
Joel gripped Esther’s hand tightly, his voice resolute. “Mr. Jones, I’ve proposed to Esther. We’re serious about each other!”
How funny. Last night he told me it was just an act, and today, he claimed it was real.
My dad’s glare was fixed on Tim, and Tim suddenly dropped to his knees with a thud, leaving everyone in the room speechless.
He couldn’t even lift his head as he stammered, “Mr. Jones… Please… Have mercy on me…”
