Chapter 4. You Are a Disgrace!

#Flashback On

Cordelia sat in the spacious living room, her heart pounding, her mind clouded with doubt. The call from one of the company’s board representatives still echoed clearly in her head.

“Miss Cordelia, you must attend the General Shareholders Meeting tomorrow. There’s an important decision that requires your approval as the main heir of Redford Group. We’ll be discussing who should act as the interim CEO,” Harland had said during the call.

Cordelia’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. Carter—her father—had died suddenly three months earlier, leaving a vacuum at the top of the company he had built from the ground up. No one knew who would permanently replace him, but rumors were already spreading.

“Who has been nominated?” Cordelia asked flatly.

“Alan. You know him,” Harland replied hesitantly. “Mr. Carter’s foster son.”

Cordelia was stunned to hear that name. Alan... The name brought back flashes of childhood memories—someone she rarely saw at home, but who was always in the background. Alan was the foster child Carter had secretly raised, far from the public eye and even the family itself. Cordelia had never been close with him, but her father had always placed immense trust in Alan.

“Dad has already decided this, hasn’t he?” Cordelia muttered, more to herself. “Alan, as interim CEO?”

“Yes, but he needs your approval. You’re the only one who can make it official.”

Cordelia bit her lip. How could her father prepare someone almost a stranger to the family to lead a corporation of this scale? Still, knowing Carter—ever calculated—there had to be a good reason if he’d chosen Alan.

The following evening, Cordelia walked into the Redford Group’s boardroom. The serious faces of the shareholders turned to her as she took her place at the long table. Harland sat at the head, nodding at her. In a corner, Alan stood tall, his face calm but his gaze sharp.

“Let’s begin,” Harland announced. “As you all know, the late Mr. Carter Redford nominated Alan as interim CEO, but for this decision to be official, we need approval from his sole heir, Miss Cordelia.”

A heavy atmosphere settled over the room. Every eye was on Cordelia. The weight on her shoulders grew heavier. Her father had entrusted this choice to her, yet she felt unprepared. Alan’s eyes met hers, and for a moment, Cordelia recognized a look she’d seen years ago—a gaze full of hope, recalling when Alan first came into their lives.

Cordelia took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. Firmly, she said, “If Dad has made his choice, then I will honor his wishes. I believe there’s a good reason behind all of this.”

Whispers rippled around the room; some shareholders looked shocked while others nodded in agreement. Cordelia signed the documents, sealing a major decision that would reshape the company’s future.

“Thank you, Cordelia,” Alan said in a calm voice, but with clear meaning. Their eyes met briefly, and Cordelia knew a new chapter in her life was about to begin.

“Of course. Don’t make me regret this, Alan.” With a professional smile, Cordelia left the meeting room.

After the shareholders’ meeting, Cordelia decided to walk to the parking lot. The night air was crisp, offering a bit of comfort to her racing mind after the weighty decision she’d made.

Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. Footsteps sounded behind her, sending shivers down her spine. She turned her head, but no one was there. Before she could react, a rough cloth was pressed over her mouth. A stinging smell invaded her senses. Cordelia tried to struggle, but her body grew weaker. Her vision blurred, and everything went dark.

#Flashback Off

***

The cold night air bit into Cordelia’s body as she ran, every step sending pain through her bare feet. Each second felt like another test, but she pressed on, aiming for the home she hoped would offer just a little comfort.

When she finally reached her house, Cordelia grabbed the door handle with trembling hands. She pushed inside, struggling to catch her breath. Waiting in the living room sat Brittany—her stepmother—alongside Veronica, her stepsister.

“Oh, you’re finally home? What, out learning to be wild?” Brittany’s lips curled in a mocking smile as she eyed Cordelia.

Cordelia swallowed hard. “M-mom… I—”

“Sit!” Brittany ordered sharply.

Cordelia dropped into a seat in the lavish living room, biting her trembling lower lip. Brittany’s eyes glared at her with pure hatred. Veronica, sitting beside her, folded her arms across her chest and looked at Cordelia with clear disgust. The atmosphere weighed heavy, the tension almost suffocating.

“Do you have no shame, Cordelia?” Brittany’s icy voice suddenly shattered the silence, her sharp stare piercing straight through Cordelia. “How dare you tarnish the Redford family’s name with such behavior!”

Cordelia looked back at her in utter confusion, tears brimming in her eyes. “I… I don’t understand, Mom. What do you mean?”

Veronica scoffed, leaning closer, her eyes burning with anger. “Someone saw you going into a hotel with an old man, Cordelia! Have you no decency at all? Dad isn’t even three months gone, and this is how you act?”

Cordelia was shocked, her heart pounding. “An old man? No, Veronica, that’s not true! I was kidnapped! I didn’t willingly go to any hotel with anyone! Please, you have to believe me!”

Brittany raised a hand, signaling Cordelia to be quiet. “Enough! No more excuses. Do you really think we’d buy such a ridiculous story? Everyone knows what they saw. You’ve disgraced our family. Do you realize how much you’ve destroyed our reputation?”

Cordelia sobbed, tears streaming down her face. “Mom, please listen! I didn’t do what you think—I don’t know how this happened, but I was attacked, and I—”

“You expect us to believe such lies?” Veronica cut in, her voice biting. “How naïve can you be, Cordelia? Do you think we’re idiots? No one cares about your excuses. The fact that people are already talking is enough to ruin us. You are a disgrace!”

Cordelia’s world collapsed at her stepsister’s cruel words. Desperately, she tried to reach for Brittany’s hand, but her stepmother quickly pulled away, recoiling at the thought of her touch.

“I didn’t do anything! I… I’m just a victim! For God’s sake, please believe me!” Cordelia sobbed, her body shaking as she tried to explain.

With her mother gone and her father having remarried his secretary, Cordelia had long felt like an outsider in her own home. Sadly, fate had been cruel: her father passed away, and now Cordelia lived with her stepmother and stepsister—Veronica was the daughter of Brittany and her previous husband. In other words, Veronica only shared the family name but, by blood, was not a true Redford.

Brittany’s expression hardened. “You’re nothing but a burden to us, Cordelia. Ever since your father died, you’ve brought nothing but trouble. Now you’ve destroyed our good name! The Redford family cannot continue to bear the shame you bring.”

“But I’m not guilty, Mom,” Cordelia pleaded, her whole body trembling with emotion and despair. “I haven’t done anything shameful. I don’t know who’s spreading these stories, but they’re not true. I just want you to believe me.”

“Enough, Cordelia! We don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense. Do you really think we’d believe any of this?” Veronica burst out, her voice raw with emotion.

Cordelia looked at them, her eyes full of despair. Deep down, she still hoped her stepmother and stepsister would give her a chance to explain. Naively, she thought this could all be cleared up. But the coldness on their faces was more than enough to shatter her hopes.

“I don’t want to see your face again,” Brittany said flatly, her voice piercing. “Veronica, take her to her room and make sure she doesn’t leave until we decide what to do about this disgrace.”

Veronica grinned coldly, stood up, and roughly grabbed Cordelia’s arm. Weak and overwhelmed, Cordelia could do nothing but follow, her tears flowing without end.

Veronica marched Cordelia to her bedroom, slammed the door behind her, and locked it without a shred of pity. Alone again, Cordelia collapsed to the floor, her body trembling. She buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Why is this happening to me?” Cordelia whispered brokenly.