Chapter 29 Victim of toxic parenting
Veronica's POV:
My dad would have actually listened to Theo—I could see it in the way his shoulders loosened, in the way his eyes flicked with pure interest as Theo spoke.
But then Chase slithered like a snake into the conversation and twisted everything. "On what grounds do you even say all this, Ashford? Are you really complimenting Isla just to manipulate her? Because she was my fiancée, you think it's right to use her heartbreak like this?"
I blinked at him, stunned.
Theo's brows tightened, but he remained calm.
Chase wasn't done. He turned dramatically toward my father, continuing his fake act. "I know the Ashfords have a problem with me—they always have. But why drag my fiancée into it? Why target her when she's vulnerable?"
My fiancée. I almost laughed at the audacity.
"Just leave my Veronica alone," Chase continued, placing a hand over his chest as though exhausted from emotional turmoil. "She has substance problems. And these two Ashford brothers? They're taking advantage of her."
My father's head snapped toward me so fast I heard his neck crack.
"What?!" he thundered. "Substance problem? Veronica, what is he talking about?"
I stared at Chase, speechless. The way he was acting and lying was beyond everything I've ever seen.
Chase let out a deep, dramatic sigh and shook his head in disappointment. "What can I do, sir? For three years, I tried to help her. She was going to be my wife. I kept her away from bad influences. That's why she won't come back to me." He looked straight at Theo. "And now my rivals are taking advantage of her confusion." He even pinched the bridge of his nose like some tragic hero.
I felt sick. Sick that I'd once trusted this man, and spent three years dotting on him.
Now my father's gaze felt like a death sentence.
I thought everything was slipping away from my hands. But then Theo stood. "Trust me, Mr. Whitmore," he said, drawing my father's attention away from Chase. "We Ashfords run a billion-dollar industry. I personally manage two tech startups alongside my father's empire. We do not have the time, energy, or interest in drugging a twenty-five-year-old woman."
Chase flinched... but Theo wasn't done.
"And I am not someone who pursues another man's fiancée," he continued, his green eyes locked on Chase with calm and fierce intensity that was too alluring. "Veronica broke up with him, so technically she isn't his fiancée. And… all I'm doing is supporting her while she rebuilds her life—something you should have done, Mr. Whitmore."
I wanted to clap my hands... that was what I wanted to say... but Theo said it only behalf.
My father's nostrils flared.
"But instead, you've added more pain to her life. With your expectations. With your coldness. With your... toxic parenting."
Hearing that, my father's pride literally snapped like glass. His face turned red with humiliation, wounded ego, and fury barely contained.
"What do you even mean by toxic parenting?" he scoffed, his voice rising defensively. "Do you know how much money I've allowed her to spend? How I spoiled her with everything I earned? Since childhood, she's lived like a princess."
And I realized, with a sting that burned through my chest—he really thought love meant luxury, not kindness. Money, not support. Gifts, not belief.
"I gave her the world to enjoy... Even though she was just a female, not a real heir to my company."
My fingers trembled on the table, as Chase smirked at me wickedly.
While Theo stiffened.
My father continued, "The only thing I ever asked of her was to marry Chase—a man capable enough to run my empire. Someone who would be a good heir for our business. And instead, she's acting like a lunatic, running away and creating scandals." His said with disgust. "This is not how a daughter repays her father."
Lunatic. Not a real heir. Just a female. Each word sliced into me like a blade, precise and merciless. I wanted to scream. To cry. To vanish entirely.
But Theo still seemed calm and neutral as he said in a low, controlled voice:, "This mentality... this belief that 'Veronica, being a woman, can't be an heir'—that is exactly what I meant by toxic, Mr. Whitmore." His words were measured, deliberate. "You don't believe in her strength. You don't even try to see it."
My father shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. "How can I believe in a strength she's never shown me? All she has done so far is disappoint me."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. It hurt. God, it hurt so much I wanted to disappear into the floor.
My father leaned forward, voice like ice scraping across stone. "If she wants to prove she's capable, then fine. I'll give her three months."
The room went silent. Even Chase looked surprised.
"Three months," my father repeated, his gaze boring into me. "Within that time, the startup she's partnering on must become highly profitable. If she fails, she will follow my plan. Not hers. Not yours. Mine. However, no more scandals should happen!"
Before I could even process what he'd said, before I could breathe or think or panic, Theo spoke. "She will do it. She absolutely will." His green eyes hardened with conviction as he looked directly at my father. "Because I am co-partner with her. And I will make sure this becomes a success."
Chase's jaw dropped. The shock on his face was priceless—his manipulative narrative crumbling in real time.
For once, he had nothing to say.
I couldn't help the small, victorious smile I gave him as Theo gently guided me toward the door. Chase's stunned expression was almost worth the humiliation I'd just endured.
Almost. But the moment I sat inside Theo's car, the smile faded. The reality of what had just happened crashed over me like a tidal wave.
"Veronica." Theo called me out sweetly, glaring at me with concern like that of an angel.