Chapter 170
When it was time to complete the discharge paperwork, they ran into the expected resistance.
The attending physician was firmly against it, and Richard's face turned dark with anger.
"This is insane!" He blocked the doorway, his tall frame casting a shadow over most of the room. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Mr. Neville, this is my decision." Margaret had already changed into her own clothes.
Though still gaunt, she stood with that commanding presence back.
"Your decision?" Richard laughed bitterly, stepping forward and staring down at her, his eyes blazing. "Margaret, you almost died here a few days ago, remember?"
"I remember." Margaret met his gaze calmly. "That's why I need to leave. I'm scared of dying, but I'm more scared of dying without understanding why, unable to protect what my mom left me."
Richard was taken aback.
He knew all about the Kennedy family's messy affairs.
To him, it was just a bunch of minor annoyances, easily dealt with.
"I'll handle the Kennedy family's issues." He almost blurted out, his tone leaving no room for argument. "You stay in the hospital, and don't go anywhere."
This was his familiar way of solving problems.
Simple, forceful, effective.
However, Margaret's eyes showed no gratitude, only a hint of mockery.
"Richard, have you forgotten? We're divorced." She spoke each word clearly. "My issues are none of your concern. They weren't before, and now... they're even less so."
With that, she walked past him towards the door.
Richard stood frozen, as if struck in the face.
Watching her determined back, his fists clenched and then relaxed.
In the end, he didn't stop her, but said in a deep voice to her retreating figure, "I'll have Rex follow you, with a team of doctors and nurses on standby at your home 24/7."
Margaret paused but didn't look back or refuse.
There was an insurmountable chasm between them.
He tried to bridge it with money, power, and his self-assumed deep affection.
She, on the other hand, stood on her side, watching coldly.
Occasionally, she would pick a useful stone from those he threw and place it under her feet.
That was all.
Moments later, Margaret returned to her spacious apartment.
Rex and his medical team swiftly converted a guest room into a fully equipped temporary medical room without disturbing her.
Only one nurse remained in the living room on standby.
"Ms. Kennedy, Mr. Neville instructed that you can tell me if you need anything." Rex stood at the entrance, respectful.
Margaret didn't even lift her eyelids. "My need is for Mr. Neville's people to stay out of my sight."
Rex's expression turned awkward.
"Of course," Margaret added, setting down her water glass, "doctors and nurses are an exception since Mr. Neville is paying the medical bills. I'll keep track of that expense."
Rex fell silent.
He felt like he understood, yet didn't.
Margaret meant that the people could stay, but they must be seen as services bought with Richard's money, not as his concern?
For the first time, his top-tier business school degree felt useless when facing a woman's logic.
Margaret ignored the bewildered Rex and turned to her confidant. "Notify all shareholders with more than five percent stake in the Kennedy Group that there will be an emergency board meeting at 10 AM tomorrow."
---
In the Kennedy Group's conference room, the atmosphere was tense.
Led by Bentley, a group of older shareholders gathered in small clusters, whispering among themselves.
Their gazes towards the head of the table were filled with contempt and greedy calculation.
To them, Margaret was just a young girl relying on her parents' inheritance, divorced and severely ill.
She used to have the Neville family's protection, so they didn't dare act out.
Now, she could barely take care of herself, yet she wanted to come back and take charge?
What a joke.
"Margaret, if you're not well, you should rest. We can handle the company's matters." Bentley spoke first, with the patronizing tone of an elder. "I heard you just got out of the hospital? Why bother?"
"Exactly, it's too much for a young girl to manage a company." Another shareholder chimed in, glancing at Bentley, clearly in cahoots.
Margaret sat quietly at the head of the table, her face pale, her frame so thin she looked like she could be blown over by the wind.
She listened to their hypocritical concern without a word, waiting until they finished their performance.
Then, she raised her hand and pressed the remote for the projector.
"Uncle Bentley, you're right. I'm not well, so let's get to the point." Her voice was soft but carried to every ear. "This is the 'South City Land Development Proposal' you planned to submit, correct?"
A meticulously made PPT appeared on the screen.
Bentley's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. "Yes, it's to revitalize the company's assets. I stayed up several nights working on this proposal..."
"The proposal is well-made," Margaret interrupted, "so well that Uncle Bentley forgot to mention that 'Grandview Technologies,' the partner in this deal, is a shell company fully owned by you."
The room fell silent.
Bentley's face turned beet red. "What... what nonsense are you talking about!"
"Nonsense?"
Margaret pressed the remote again, revealing a detailed ownership chart, clearly showing the ultimate beneficiary of 'Grandview Technologies' was Bentley's wife.
"This company, with a registered capital of only $100,000 and established less than a month ago, is planning to 'co-develop' our Kennedy Group's $500 million land for $30 million. Uncle Bentley, you didn't just stay up making a proposal, you stayed up to make yourself rich."
Her voice remained calm, exposing Bentley's hypocrisy.
"And the shares you used to force your way in were obtained by tricking my aunt into signing an authorization, right?" Margaret's gaze shifted to a fidgety middle-aged man in the corner. "Uncle Jim, you were there too."
Margaret's fifth uncle, Jim, broke into a cold sweat.
Margaret's lips curled into a smile. "Misappropriating company assets, deceiving shareholders, embezzling family property. According to the bylaws, I propose to remove all your positions and have the legal department pursue charges. Any objections?"
She looked around. No one responded.
"Good." Margaret stood up. "Meeting adjourned."
She turned and left, her steps unsteady from weakness, but her back straight.
Her assistant stepped forward to support her.
Back at her apartment, Margaret collapsed onto the sofa, physically exhausted but mentally clear.
She had reclaimed what was hers, protected her mother's legacy, and put those who underestimated her in their place.