The Day I Chose Power

My father, Howard Chapman, stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You threw a fit when I suggested marrying you off to the Sullivans, insisting on breaking it off with Bruce. What's changed your mind now?"

I met Howard's gaze, the memory of his smile before his life took a turn for the worse in my previous life, making my heart ache.

"I was being childish at the time. You've been scaling back the family's activities and planning to go legitimate, pretending to be an ordinary wealthy businessman in public for my sake. I also thought I could live as happily as an ordinary person.

"But I was wrong. Without power, we'll be bullied. An alliance with another mafia family could be good for us. I see that now, Dad.

"And about those three–they've all got their own loves. I don't want to be the one who breaks hearts."

Howard let out a relieved breath and affectionately patted my shoulder. "I always said you were a visionary, my girl.

"I'll head over to the Sullivans right away to sort out your marriage. And if they don't see sense, I'll move heaven and earth to get you what you want!"

Watching him put on his act, I could not help but chuckle.

The same Howard who doted on me ended up in such a mess because of me in my previous life.

In this life, I was determined to rewrite our stars.

I clenched my fists, fighting back the tears.

Before I could speak again, the door flew open, and the three men stormed in, encircling me.

Yoel Henderson, right in front of me, gripped my shoulders with urgency, his fingers pressing so hard I winced.

"Shirley, you've got to tell me, who are you choosing?

"It's not me, is it?"

Yoel had been my right-hand man, the one I had banked on in my previous life, giving him nearly half of our resources to rise to the occasion.

However, the moment he became Underboss, he turned on us, stealing secrets that led to our ruin.

I gave him an icy stare, my lips curling into a sneer.

My reaction only served to enrage them further; their faces contorted with fury.

"Shirley, it doesn't matter who you pick. We're not sticking around," one spat out. "I'll see to it that you end up all alone!

"We're sticking with Amelia. She's not some pampered principessa like you. She needs us by her side!"

As they spoke with such conviction, I, who had been on the verge of announcing my engagement to Bruce Sullivan, could not help but smirk. "I've decided not to make any announcement today."

Their anger boiled over, and Yoel's grip on my hand tightened.

"You guys sure are hot-headed," Howard noted dryly.

At Howard's intervention, the three men instantly bowed, their demeanor shifting to that of well-behaved boys.

Yoel, begrudgingly, hung his head and spoke with a firm voice, "Don Chapman, we owe you a lot, but we can't repay you by marrying Shirley!"

"We'd give our lives for you, but you can't cage our hearts. We love Amelia, and she's the one we want to marry!"

"That's right, we want to call the shots in our own lives!" Ethan Lawrence and Nelson Smith chimed in together.

Howard's brow furrowed with a touch of anger as he grasped the situation: why I had reconsidered marrying Bruce.

"Have you guys even thought about what marrying Amelia would mean?"

Yoel scoffed. "Don Chapman, Amelia works ten thousand times harder than Shirley.

"She's about to get her acceptance from the prestigious St. Hartwell University. Once that happens, we'll all step back into the sunshine and rise to the top!"

The other two nodded in agreement.

"Amelia had always been the brainy, go-getter type. It was a no-brainer that she'd end up as one of St. Hartwell University's most distinguished grads. Then we can align ourselves with the powerhouses in the political and business worlds, becoming even stronger than the Chapman family."

Howard let out a sigh of resignation, catching the determined look in the eyes of the other two, clearly on board with Yoel's opinion.

"Shirley's betrothed has been set in stone."

Before the trio could even think of squirming their way out, Howard's announcement crushed any fantasies they harbored.

"In a month's time, Shirley's wedding bells will chime, and you three are expected to be there. That's when you'll find out who's won her hand."

Howard leaned in close, his voice a whisper, "The Sullivans just gave their blessing. I'm off to hammer out the details with them, and it might take me three weeks or so. Hang tight till your old man's back.

"By the time I return, my good girl will be walking down the aisle."