Chapter 16 Bullying My Daughter!
Selena's POV
Disgusting, but at least it's over.
The atmosphere at home was pretty heavy when I got back.
Uncle Jonathan glanced at me, looking like he wanted to say something but held back.
My parents sat across from me, their faces so dark they could wring out water.
"Selena," my dad finally spoke, his voice suppressing anger, "why didn't you tell us earlier? Is this how they treated you? Kicking you out and having that fake sister of yours humiliate you?"
"Exactly, sweetheart!" My mom's eyes were getting red too. "How dare they! What does the Kateson family think they are? I'll make their company disappear from the Empire tomorrow!"
I looked at them, feeling a bit warm inside.
I knew they really felt bad for me.
But in their eyes, problems were solved with money, power, and brute force—crush the opposition until there was nothing left.
Too simple, and too boring.
That's not punishment, that's mercy.
"Dad, Mom," I leaned back on the soft sofa, my voice calm, "making them go bankrupt is too easy on them. That's just a moment of pain, and they won't even know how they died."
They froze, looking at me confused.
"I want them to walk toward hell clearly, painfully, step by step. I want them to watch everything they have slip through their fingers like sand, completely helpless. I want them to bow and scrape for every penny, to tear at each other just to survive."
"I want Taisia to realize that the love and marriage alliance she's so proud of is just a bubble that'll pop with one poke. I want Myrdal to understand what he gave up for a stupid woman. I want the Katesons to know that the person they kicked out with their own hands was their only savior."
The room fell silent.
I could feel my parents and Uncle Jonathan looking at me differently.
They probably didn't expect that their good daughter who studied soil and plants on the farm had such a devil hiding inside.
"What do you want to do?" Uncle Jonathan's voice carried a hint of excitement.
"Simple."
I pulled out my phone and brought up a few numbers.
"The only reason Kateson Corporation has survived this long is because of the big clients I brought in back then. Now, it's time to let them see the truth."
I didn't need to badmouth the Kateson family. I just needed to call those company CEOs as "Astraea" and casually mention something.
I heard Kateson Corporation's financial situation has been pretty unstable lately, and the management seems to have... serious problems. My personal suggestion is to be careful with any future investments.
These old-timers who'd been in the game for decades could smell blood in the water immediately.
They wouldn't pull out their investments right away—that wouldn't serve their interests.
But they would watch, hesitate, and pause all new funding.
And for Kateson Corporation, already a hollow shell eaten from the inside, once the funding chain broke—even just paused—it would be fatal.
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant." My dad slapped his thigh. "Let them die slowly, that's a great idea! That's my daughter!"
Mom also broke into a smile through her tears. She touched my hair lovingly. "You've been through so much, sweetheart. Play however you want, we're all behind you."
I smiled and said nothing more.
The next few days on the farm were peaceful.
My daily life was very regular. Mornings I handled Kingston Mining Area and Astraea Studio business, afternoons I spent in my greenhouse, playing with my flowers and plants.
Every day Anna would put the latest financial newspapers on my desk.
I didn't even need to deliberately look through them—news about Kateson Corporation would jump right into my view.
[Kateson Corporation stock drops for third consecutive day, market confidence severely lacking]
[Rumor has it Kateson Corporation projects halted due to funding issues, company spokesperson refuses to comment]
[Inside sources reveal Kateson Corporation's largest investor has paused further funding, may face broken funding chain risk]
I looked at these headlines like I was admiring a painting slowly being completed.
Anna stood to the side, respectfully reporting. "Miss, according to our sources, Mr. Kateson has been frantic these past few days. He's tried to contact those investors, but they've all refused him with excuses like 'in a meeting.' Mrs. Kateson has reportedly been crying every day and hasn't left the house in days."
"What about Taisia?" I asked with interest.
"She..." Anna's tone carried a barely noticeable contempt, "she seems to think this is her chance to shine. She promised the Katesons that she can convince Myrdal to help and get the Kateson family through this crisis."
I almost laughed out loud.
What a naive fool.
What does she think Myrdal is?
She's probably still lost in her fantasy of being the "chosen one" who can save her family from disaster.
Fine.
The bigger the hope, the harder the fall when disappointed.
The Katesons must be treating her as their only lifeline now, pinning all their hopes on her marriage to Myrdal.
The more they do this, the more spectacular their expressions will be when that lifeline sinks into the water.
"Miss, Miss Taisia went toMyrdal's company this afternoon."
Anna's voice was as steady as a weather report. I was sitting in the greenhouse, trimming a newly cultivated black tulip, the crisp "snip" of the scissors the only music I wanted to hear right now.
"Oh?" I didn't look up. "And?"
"As you predicted, she was thrown out."
I put down the scissors, finally a bit interested.
I leaned back in the wicker chair, took the iced lemon water Anna handed me, and gestured for her to continue.
Anna's narrative ability rivaled the most professional detective.
She said Taisia had obviously dressed up carefully today.
She was decked out in the latest Dior suit and carrying a limited-edition Hermès bag, her makeup flawless—she looked like she was heading to some high-society gala.
She probably thought that as long as she put on the airs of the future lady of the corporation, Myrdal would be as enchanted as before, then obediently fork over money to fill the holes in her crumbling family.
What a naive fool.
Myrdal's POV
"Myrdal, immediately use your family's private funds to invest in the corporation, and also, contact your friends and have them provide loan guarantees for my family's corporation!"
Taisia burst into my office, ordering me around.
I looked up at her, my brow furrowing involuntarily.
Her face was full of arrogance, her eyes full of certainty, as if I would definitely listen to her.
She probably still thinks she's that princess who can decide everything, and I'm forever the servant who revolves around her.
I took a deep breath and stood up abruptly from my chair. "No way, I won't give a single penny."