Chapter 100: Taking the Fall
Fiona used to be timid, always hiding when trouble arose, relying on Meredith or Justin to defend her. She longed for wealth, aiming high without the skills for high-paying jobs. Unwilling to endure hardships and lacking a decent education, Fiona found herself in a dilemma. Despite her unrealistic dreams of getting rich, Justin was surprised by her substantial investment this time.
Fiona’s reaction left him bewildered and disappointed. She began to blame him and Meredith. “Meredith is two-faced,” Fiona cried, tears streaming down her face. “She badmouthed me to you, I know. In your eyes, I’m useless, a burden. Is that what you wanted?”
“Fiona,” Justin sighed. “We never saw you as a burden. We grew up together, why would you think like this? We only want what’s best for you.”
“What’s best? Then help me get my money back,” Fiona pleaded, grasping Justin’s arm. “You’re a lawyer, you’re capable. Find Kate and the others, I want to sue them for cheating me.”
Justin helplessly replied, “Fiona, they’re gone. Even the police can’t find them. Where do you expect me to look?”
“You just don’t want to help me,” Fiona snapped, pushing away from Justin. “I just want to earn money, to get rich. What’s wrong with that? There are plenty of rich people in this world, why can’t I be one of them?”
“Fiona, earning money requires hard work. Stay focused, and things will get better,” Justin advised.
“Hard work? Look at the street cleaners, they work diligently, have they become wealthy? You’ve been working for years, have you struck gold?” Fiona’s thoughts were extreme. “I used to work honestly, earning a few thousand a month. I could work my entire life and still not afford a house.”
Justin frowned. “Fiona, with that mindset, I can’t help you.”
“I can’t wait…” Fiona’s voice cracked. “I can’t pay off those loans next month. Kate promised to cover the interest for a while until we make profits. But now, everything is gone.” Fiona had borrowed nearly five hundred thousand, with monthly interest alone amounting to ten thousand.
Angry, Justin confronted her. “Fiona, you took a huge risk. How could you borrow such a sum without thinking about the consequences?”Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.
“I didn’t know they were frauds, Justin. Please help me, or I might as well end it all,” Fiona cried and pleaded.
She was genuinely fearful, desperate. With so much at stake, even Justin was at a loss. Seeing his dilemma, Fiona said, “If you can’t help, I’ll turn to Meredith. She won’t abandon me.”
Justin was stunned. Despite everything that had happened, Fiona still sought Meredith’s help. Justin didn’t want to burden Meredith with such a large sum. “I’ll figure something out. Don’t ask Meredith for money. She just joined Falconer Holdings, she doesn’t have money.”
Fiona felt a mix of satisfaction and jealousy. Just because Justin didn’t want her to ask Meredith for help. Nevertheless, as long as Justin was willing to assist, Fiona felt a glimmer of hope.
“Thank you, Justin. I knew you wouldn’t leave me hanging,” Fiona’s gratitude wasn’t entirely genuine. She had no one else to turn to, so she clung to Justin as a lifeline.
“I’ve always seen you as a sister, we grew up together. I’ve never left you alone. How could I abandon you?” Justin assured her. “When it comes to the money issue, let me handle it. As for what happened before, I hope you can talk to Meredith about it.”
Fiona hesitated. “If I tell her, Meredith will be upset. She might resent me. I don’t want to hurt her.”