The Wrong Woman, The Wrong Move

My brother brings home a scheming girlfriend. He wants to kick me out of the house for her sake and claims that everything at home belongs to him. I hand the company over with both hands and leave without hesitation. Less than a month later, my brother, who can't manage the company, grovels at my feet and begs me to return. Chapter 1 The Woman's Provocation I was meeting a client at a café when a server splashed coffee on me. Before I could say anything, the server began sobbing. "I didn't do it on purpose!" Yet the defiance in her eyes was palpable. I frowned. "Get some tissues for me." The server begrudgingly handed some tissues over to me and said, "I'm just a student working part-time here. Please don't report me to our boss, okay?" I was wiping the stain off my clothes, though I figured my effort was in vain. My clothes were already ruined. "Are you trying to avoid punishment after causing trouble?" I snapped. "I told you it was an accident," she retorted. "Besides, I already apologized. Why are you making things difficult for me?" Had the server been upfront about it, I wouldn't have pressed further. "Just because it's an accident doesn't mean you don't have to compensate me," I reminded sarcastically. "It's just a shirt! How much is it? I'll pay you," she spat out the words. Whisking out a few hundred-dollar bills from her wallet, she slammed the money on the table and jerked her chin at me. "Is this enough?" I shook my head. Her smug expression froze. Reluctantly pulling out a few more bills, she snarled. "Is it enough now?" "My clothes are from the latest season," I drawled out. "You can check how much it's worth on the official website." Some eager onlookers had already checked the price of my clothes and gasped. "Ten thousand dollars?" The server immediately turned grim. "Are you trying to scam me? How can a shirt possibly cost ten thousand dollars? Come on, I could get plenty of shirts like yours anywhere." I couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Just as I was about to call the manager, the server's expression changed. "Miss, I'm sorry," she blurted out. My client also happened to call at that time. As I stopped in my tracks, the server quickly added, "Miss, you should answer your phone now. With all your money, surely, this small amount isn't worth fussing over." … Since my meeting with my client was suddenly canceled, I headed home instead. Sean said he was going to bring his girlfriend over today. Hearing his voice outside, I was about to go downstairs when I heard a familiar voice. "That old woman was an absolute lunatic today! I already apologized to her, yet she refused to let me off the hook. You have no idea how arrogant she was. She was just trying to bully poor people like me. Sean, your sister's nothing like that, right?" Sean patted his chest and assured her, saying, "Don't worry. Sasha isn't that kind of person! "Sasha?" As I descended the stairs, I flashed a smile at the server from the café, who was still gawking at me. Unaware of the awkwardness between us, Sean led his girlfriend toward me and said, "Sasha, this is my girlfriend, Isobel Lane. Izzie, meet my sister." Isobel froze. "Hi, Sasha…" "Don't bother," I said indifferently and sat down. "You just called me an old woman earlier." Sean finally caught up. "Izzie, so the woman you met at the café earlier was my sister? What a coincidence!" Looking wronged, Isobel hung her head low and murmured, "Sasha, does that mean you're still mad at me?" I was rendered speechless. "Sasha has plenty of clothes. Losing one isn't a big deal," Sean said, rushing to comfort her. "Hush, don't cry." "I know." Isobel sobbed, leaning into Sean. "I might come from a poor background, but I've never thought of taking advantage of you guys. I'll compensate Sasha for her shirt." "Forget it. We're family, after all," Sean said. He then turned to me and shook my arms, pleading, "Sasha, have some pity on Izzie, will you? You're the bigger person, so just let this go, okay?" Slightly uneasy from his rough grip, I chided, "You're not a child anymore, but you're still acting like one." Sean beamed. "Sasha, is that a yes?" He turned toward Isobel and quickly urged, "Izzie, say thanks to Sasha now!" Isobel reluctantly complied. After all, she was Sean's girlfriend. My expression softened as I said, "You're still young, so be more mindful of your actions. I don't expect much from you two. Sean's my only brother, and I genuinely wish the best for both of you." "Sasha, don't worry," Sean chimed in happily. "Izzie's the best. When the time comes, we'll both help you out at the company so that you won't tire yourself." I nodded in relief. "You two have fun at home. I still have some work to handle at the company." "Sure. You've worked hard, Sasha." As I was about to reach the garage, I suddenly realized I had forgotten something and turned back. "Sean, is your sister in charge of the company?" "Yeah. I'm still young, so it doesn't matter if I have fun for a few more years. I'll also have more time to be with you." "But I've seen news about siblings fighting over a company. You and your sister get along well, but you should still be cautious." I didn't hear Sean's response, nor did I plan to go back inside. I simply turned around and left. Chapter 2 For Sean's Sake On the weekend, Sean brought Isobel back home to meet Grandma. "Sasha." Sean came downstairs. "Izzie wants to try some of your homemade bread. Can you bake some for her?" "Sure," I said, setting aside my work. As I rolled up my sleeves and headed to the kitchen, Sean beamed at me. "Sasha, you're the best." "Of course." I flashed him an indulgent smile. Since our parents passed away, it had always been the two of us. We were the closest family we had, and I had always pampered him. I took some eggs from the fridge while Sean lingered beside me instead of leaving right away. After a while, he suddenly asked, "Sasha, will you give me anything I want?" The kitchen fell silent. He went back to his bubbly demeanor again after a few seconds. "I heard a car outside. It must be Grandma. I'll go greet her!" He left. After what felt like ages had passed, I sighed. By the time the bread was ready, dinner had already been prepared. Isobel came downstairs and linked arms with Grandma, saying, "Agnes, I have good news for you." Grandma, who had been quite unhappy with Sean's choice of girlfriend, suddenly burst into laughter after hearing Isobel whisper in her ear. "That's wonderful! That's some great news, indeed. Hurry up and sit down—don't tire yourself out." "Agnes, I'm fine," Isobel replied gently. Placing the freshly baked bread in front of her, I said, "It's still quite hot. Let it cool before eating it." Yet she didn't seem to hear me. She continued chatting with Grandma instead. "Agnes, can I come visit you whenever I'm free?" "Of course! I'd be happier than anyone to have you here." Feeling somewhat awkward, I simply withdrew my hand and sat down. Now that Isobel had Grandma wrapped around her finger, she finally turned toward the bread in front of her. Disgust filled her expression as she screeched, "This is way too greasy! Who put this here? Don't they know that pregnant women can't indulge in sweet stuff?" Since Grandma's future great-grandchild was involved, she immediately got all worked up and slammed her hand on the table. "Who put it here? Do they want to get fired?" Just then, Sean walked in and caught only the tail end of the conversation. "Sasha baked it for Izzie. What's wrong, Grandma?" Grandma swerved toward me with a distant look in her eyes. "Sasha, Izzie is pregnant now, and she can't stand sweet or greasy food. Don't serve this kind of food from now on." Sean tried to interject, saying, "Grandma, I was the one who—" "Sean, I feel like going for a walk," Isobel suddenly said. "Will you come with me?" "Sure." He turned toward Grandma and me. "I'll take Izzie outside for a bit." He gave me an apologetic look, and I returned it with a smile to reassure him I was fine. As I turned around, I caught the triumphant glint in Isobel's eyes. I frowned, fully aware that she had framed me on purpose. But for Sean's sake, I held back. It had been ages since Grandma last received wonderful news, and she couldn't stop smiling. "Sasha, please don't ever do this again," she chided. "A woman has to be extra careful during the early stages of pregnancy. You're Sean's sister, so you have to take care of them. Won't you have to rely on them too when you get old?" What she said didn't sit well with me, but considering her old age, I said nothing. "Let's go, Grandma. I'll take you back." … I had been so busy that the next time I saw Sean was in my office. "What a rare guest," I remarked with a chuckle. Scratching his head, Sean said, "I happened to pass by with Izzie, so I figured I'd drop in. I didn't expect the new building to be this luxurious… Sasha, does the whole building belong to us?" Chapter 3 Once My Brother "We also have other companies," I replied. "That's great," Sean remarked. "I heard this area is really expensive. By the way, Sasha, I'm planning to work at the company once Izzie's pregnancy is stable. What position can you offer me?" I called Ellis Wood, my secretary, through the intercom and asked her about the available vacancies. As soon as Sean heard the positions Ellis mentioned, his expression hardened. "Sasha, I'm your brother, aren't I? It'd be embarrassing if people find out I'm holding such a minor position," he said, his amused tone belying his embarrassed expression. After signaling Ellis to leave, I replied, "You've never been involved in company matters, so it's best to start with the basics. That way, it'll also be easier for me to promote you later." "But you immediately became the head of the company back then," Sean blurted out. "Since you're doing so well, why can't I?" "Sean, things are different now," I replied. "I had no choice but to take that position back then. But now, there are so many employees relying on their salaries to survive. If the people in charge make one wrong move, those employees will be the ones to suffer." Worried that I was being too harsh, I softened my tone and continued, "I'll arrange for someone to mentor you. Once you've learned and gained experience, no one will doubt you when I promote you in the future." "Fine," Sean reluctantly agreed. "I'll leave you to your work, then." Watching him leave, I pressed my forehead and sat down. "Ms. Carrington, you're having a headache again," Eliis remarked as she entered and poured me a glass of water. "Mr. Carrington is really awful… You're already struggling to hold things together at the company, yet he's still trying to make things worse for you." I took a sip of water and said nothing. Ellis stepped aside and said, "Ms. Carrington, Mr. Yeager just called. He wants to have lunch with you." "Cancel it." … Perhaps out of his dissatisfaction with the position I arranged for him, Sean spent five million dollars in just a few days. Karl Yeager told me that Sean had custom-ordered a five-carat diamond ring at his store. The next day, Isobel and Sean came to me. Carefully supporting Isobel, Sean announced, "Sasha, we're getting married." "That's great! When's the date?" "We don't want to wait until Izzie is showing, so we're planning to have the wedding next month." "Alright. I'll be sure to give you both a big wedding gift." "Thanks, Sasha." As Sean faltered and fumbled with his next words, Isobel urged, "Say it. Hurry up!" I smiled. "Is there anything else?" Taking a deep breath, Sean asked, "Sasha, can you give me Beaugor Villa?" I looked up in surprise, wondering if I had misheard. "Izzie is still studying, so it'd be more convenient for her if we had that house as our marital home," Sean explained. I was so infuriated that I barked out a laugh. "Have you forgotten why I bought that house in the first place?" I wanted to stay somewhere near the company. After tiring myself out the whole day at the office, it was always almost midnight when I was finally done with my work. I just wanted to have somewhere near to rest. Honestly, seeing my own brother side with someone else made me really upset. We were both orphans and only had each other as family. After our parents passed, I worked so hard to secure our family business. To save time commuting, I bought a house near my company, and Sean was well aware of that. "Sasha, can't you just buy another house? Izzie's in love with Beaugor Villa," Sean continued, his voice tinged with irritation. His patience was clearly running thin as he bellowed, "Or you just can't bear to give it to me at all? You said you'd do anything for me. Was that a lie, after all?" Chapter 4 Demanding My House I gaped at him. "Sean, is that really what you think of me?" Tugging Sean's arm, Isobel looked particularly defiant as she stated, "Since Sasha disagrees, forget it. Never mind that she dislikes me, but to think that she's even reluctant to give you a house as your marriage gift! If it were me, I'd rather be without a sister like her." Sean pressed his lips together, doubt flickering in his eyes. My office door suddenly swung open. Grandma marched in and chided, "I can literally hear you quarreling from miles away." "Grandma, what brings you here?" Sean sidled up to her, eager to please her. Grandma rolled her eyes. "Of course, I have to be here for the discussion of your big day!" As soon as she settled on the couch, she began patronizingly, "Sasha, Sean is the only son of our family. We have to take his wedding seriously. I like Izzie, and since she's now pregnant, I figured it'd be nice to just get the wedding done properly next month. "The fortune of the entire Carrington family belongs to Sean anyway. He's only asking for a house from you as his marital home, yet you're being so reluctant. That's quite inappropriate of you, isn't it?" Isobel beamed. "Agnes, you're really sensible!" "In that case, I have nothing else to say either," I said. "Just proceed with the wedding." Sean began, "Sasha, about Beaugor Villa—" "No way," I interrupted. "I'm used to staying at Beaugor Villa and don't feel like moving. But I have a few vacant properties just as good as this one. Pick one as my wedding gift to you." While Sean seemed to falter, Isobel was unyielding. "I want Beaugor Villa," she insisted. "The baby likes it too. Sasha, if you truly care about us, you wouldn't be keeping the best for yourself." "Sasha." Grandma pressed her lips together, looking disappointed as she chided me, "You've really let me down." Clinging to Grandma's arm, Isobel made a deliberate effort to appear compliant and chimed in, "Grandma, if Sasha doesn't want to, don't force her. I don't really mind where I live, but I just didn't expect her to be this heartless toward family." She eyed my office, a hint of jealousy flickering in her eyes as she continued, "Asking for a house from her is already this hard… I can't imagine how impossible it'll be for Sean to take over the company from her in the future." Thanks to her adding fuel to the fire, Grandma's expression immediately darkened. Sean parted his lips, staring at me as if I had stolen something from him. A wave of disappointment crashed over me. "Get out!" "Sasha—" I couldn't stand the sight of them any longer. Without hesitation, I had Ellis escort them out. … "You look miserable," Karl remarked, leaning against the counter with an emerald bracelet in hand. He held it over my wrist, his voice teasing. "Even going out with me doesn't cheer you up?" "Just spit it out," I grumbled, already worn down by days of mounting frustration. Karl clicked his tongue. "You women… When I was taking care of you, you weren't this impatient." The shop assistant's eyes gleamed with curiosity, practically burning with gossip. Seemingly satisfied with the bracelet, Karl said, "I'll take this. Please wrap it up." "Of course, sir," the shop assistant said. "Please come this way to pay." "She's paying." He pointed at me. Seeing the shop assistant's bewildered expression, he explained with a charming smile, "Married men can barely afford a drink, let alone this. You know how it is." The shop assistant's expression instantly turned to pure shock as if she couldn't believe how low my morals were. Chapter 5 Enough Is Enough I shot a glare at Karl as I paid. He simply took the bag from the shop assistant and thanked her, then he turned to me. "Let's go upstairs, shall we?" Just as I was about to refuse, he wrapped his arm around my waist and urged, "Come on. We don't get to do this every day. Consider this a chance to unwind." By the time we finished browsing, we had bought quite a few things. Karl did most of the picking while I paid. He seemed to be having way too much fun with it. "Babe, do you think my wife would like this dress?" Though our close proximity made my heart race, I rolled my eyes and momentarily pushed thoughts of Sean aside. The sales assistant had been showering me with praise about how great the dress would look on me, but Karl's comment immediately left her blushing and at a loss for words. I flashed her a helpless smile. Just as I was about to dismiss her, Karl caught my hand and began caressing it. "That's enough." "Don't be mad," he replied. "Just help me pick out a few more outfits for my wife, and tonight, my time is all yours." Thankfully, his phone rang just in time. I let out a breath of relief. "Who is it?" "At least wait till I leave before you start gloating," he quipped, ruffling my hair before answering the call. "Dad? What's up?" As I had the sales assistant wrap up the clothes Karl had picked, I heard his father bellow over the phone, "You haven't been to the office all day! What could be so important that you'd skip an entire day of work?" "Does spending time with your daughter-in-law count?" Karl responded indolently. "Spending time with you—" His father's voice trailed off before he recollected himself and continued, "In that case, enjoy yourself. But when will you bring her home? Your mom and I can't wait to meet her!" "We'll see. Oh, I gotta go now." Twirling his phone in his fingers, Karl turned toward me. "You heard him. When are you going to say yes?" My cheeks burned as I shoved him away. "Just go back already." "You heartless woman," he muttered, standing up. "Let's get you home first." … As if Isobel had indoctrinated him, Sean was relentless this time. He refused to give up on the villa. He bombarded me with messages, acting like it was rightfully his. Even Grandma started showing up every few days, ruining the good mood I had after spending a day out with Karl. "It's just a house. Why not give it to him and be done with it?" Grandma coaxed, trying to reason with me. "Sean is the only heir of our family. Sooner or later, you'll still have to rely on him. Why make things difficult now?" "Grandma, that's not quite right," I responded with a stiff smile. Deliberately ignoring my implication, Grandma continued, "You're going to get married eventually… Only Sean will remain in the family." She was such a traditionalist that she saw a married daughter as an outsider and considered a woman running a business almost disgraceful, as if defying the natural order. After contemplating for a while, I decided it was time to clear things up. "But that house is mine," I said. "Whether I marry or not, it's still my personal property." As though I had hit a sore spot, Grandma scowled and chided, "Sasha, you're a woman. Aren't you afraid that people will laugh at you for being in charge of the company? "It's unheard of to have a woman running a company forever. Sean's a man, so he's naturally better suited for it. He was young and clueless before, but now that he has grown up and is about to get married soon, you should hand over the company to him. Only then can the business truly flourish. "Don't worry. We've seen how much effort you've put into running the company all these years. We'll make sure you get what you deserve." Chapter 6 Adoption Certificate Realization dawned on me—this was probably Grandma's true intention. Figuring that it was already so hard to demand a house from me, she thought it also wouldn't be easy to take the company away from me in the future. Too anxious to just sit idle, she rushed over, masking her concern with probing questions. But I was never someone to be easily manipulated. Displeased, I reminded her, saying, "Grandma, have you forgotten our identities?" Grandma fell silent. She shot me a complicated look, her gentle demeanor taking a 180 degree shift as she snarled. "Sasha, are you saying that you have no intention of returning the company to Sean?" I flashed her an indifferent smile and replied, "Grandma, perhaps age is catching up to you, after all. Your memory is deteriorating. I was never obligated to return the company to Sean in the first place. Besides, no matter who runs the company, you'll always be our grandmother. So, why go through all the trouble to take it over?"" Grandma's expression hardened. Slamming the table, she shrieked, "Only a man should run a company! Are you trying to make others laugh at us for not having capable men in our family? Listen, Sasha, you have to return the company to Sean. A woman like you should just get married instead of meddling in men's affairs. What kind of attitude is this?" She was a misogynist through and through. Though I had long known about her outdated beliefs, it was my first time hearing her speak about them so bluntly. To Grandma, a woman's capabilities meant nothing. No matter how well I managed the company or how outsiders praised me—with some even envying my family for having me—it was all meaningless. What truly mattered to her was marrying me off to someone and turning me into a stay-at-home mom. To her, her grandson would always be superior, and my efforts were simply dismissed. But I had long given up expecting anything different. So, hearing those words didn't affect me at all. … Later that afternoon, Sean showed up with Isobel again, likely having found out that even Grandma couldn't convince me to hand over my house. "Sasha, I understand your concerns," Isobel began gently. "But I'm not after the Carrington family's money… I truly love Sean. No matter how much you try to stop us, it won't change anything." I nearly laughed out loud at her words. "It doesn't matter. It's not like he's loaded anyway." Isobel froze. "Sasha, what are you playing at?" Sean hissed, clearly agitated at the mention of his wealth. I had struck a nerve. "Sean, I understand now," Isobel said in an attempt to comfort him. "She's probably implying that everything in the Carrington family has nothing to do with you. I can't believe she's trying to strip you of your inheritance just to keep us from getting married." "She wouldn't dare!" Sean fumed. "Sasha, you'll eventually get married. But I'll always be part of the Carrington family. I'm the rightful heir! Everything in our family is mine to decide. If you won't give me Beaugor Villa, then get out of the family!" So, this was what our sibling bond amounted to. Once the pretense faded, all that was left was something this horrible. My heart sank. Throwing a copy of an adoption certificate at him, I snapped, "Sean, take a good look at this! You're nothing more than an adopted son! You don't have a say in our family." Without even glancing at the paper, Isobel jutted a finger at me and hollered, "Sasha, I can't believe you went so far as to forge a fake document just to keep the money for yourself!" "If you don't believe me, go ask our relatives," I replied icily. Realizing that I wasn't lying, Sean spiraled into doubt. Chapter 7 Handing Over the Company Sean seemed to realize I wasn't pulling his leg, but he was still struggling to believe it. As Isobel shuffled closer to him, it took her a while to finally muster the courage to speak. "But Sean is still a Carrington. So what if he's adopted? Agnes said he has every right to be involved in the family business. Don't you dare think you can just throw these documents in his face and keep everything for yourself!" "Keep everything for myself? Now that's a new one." Isobel sneered, "Isn't that exactly what you've been doing? It's always been the men who inherit the business. Your family only adopted Sean because they didn't have an heir, did they? He was adopted to continue your family line, so, of course, the family's fortune belongs to him. "But now, you're refusing to hand it over. If that's not trying to take everything for yourself, then what is?" I hadn't expected to hear this from her at first. However, it was clear that this belief that women had to rely on men was deeply ingrained in her mind. Though Isobel was aggressive, I remained unfazed. I turned toward Sean—who I had raised tirelessly and tried my best to fulfill his every request. Not having my hopes up, I simply asked, "Sean, is that what you think as well?" He remained silent. But Isobel was far from done. She continued relentlessly, "Sasha, don't you try to deny it! Sean is your brother, yet you wouldn't even give him a house as a marital gift. You'd rather spend money on other men like it's nothing! "Sean, I saw it with my own eyes that day—your sister was shopping in a luxury store with a guy, spending at least hundreds of thousands of dollars without batting an eye. At this rate, she's going to spend every last penny of the family's wealth. "You care about her, but she clearly doesn't feel the same about you." Isobel kept fanning the flames. Even though Sean remained silent, I could tell that he believed every single word she said. His expression darkened, doubt clouding his gaze as he stared at me. "Sasha, is that true?" I smirked. "Even if I did spend money, it's money I earned myself." "But your earnings still come from the company, don't they?" Sean actually had the audacity to give me a look of dismay. "Sasha, Grandma said she trusted you to run the company for me because we're family, and she had nothing to worry about. But I guess she was wrong about you." Hearing this, I was suddenly at a loss for words. I took a deep breath and responded, "Sean, I think I've done my part well enough all these years. I cleaned up after your messes and negotiated to settle your gambling debts. My parents established this company, and it was left in my name." Disheartened, I pressed a hand to my aching head and continued, "But since you've asked for it so many times, I'll give it to you. Consider it my final gesture for the years we spent as siblings. I'll have the legal documents drawn up. Now, can you all leave?" Seeing that I had finally relented, they left, satisfied. I was exhausted. It felt more draining than fighting a war. … Once I made up my mind, I had a lawyer start preparing the transfer documents. But since our company still had an ongoing collaboration with Yeager Group, the process was temporarily delayed. Sean and Grandma no longer came and caused trouble again. But the peace they offered was merely a façade. Grandma soon came back with Sean. What I didn't expect, though, was that our company dispute had even made it to the media this time.