Bloody Revenge, Perfect Counterattack

I leaned back on the sofa, waiting for what felt like forever before they finally came home. Liam looked a bit tipsy, so I called Lorraine to help him to his room.

"Miss Dunn," I said calmly, turning to her, "do you have a minute? I'd like to talk."

Now that it was just the two of us, her whole demeanor changed. She dropped the sweet act and sat down with an air of confidence. "Mrs. Smith, it’s clear Liam cares about me. If you try to keep us apart, it’ll only strain your relationship with him. And the more you push, the closer he’ll be to me," she said, her voice smug.

Her boldness irritated me, but I kept my cool. She wasn’t entirely wrong and for the sake of my son, I had to tread carefully. I took a deep breath and forced a smile.

"Fine, as long as he’s happy," I replied. "How’s the job search going? If you’re struggling, you can try working at our family company. But you’d have to start from the bottom. I’m sure you wouldn’t want people thinking you got in through any favors."

She frowned, clearly not thrilled, but after a pause, she agreed.

Later, in the privacy of my room, I pulled out my phone and texted my most trusted contact at the company, [The fish has bitten the hook.]

I might have been out of the business world for a while, but I wasn’t naive. I had helped build that company from the ground up alongside my husband and I still had a few loyal people there. Keeping an eye on Josie? That would be the easy part.

The next morning, Josie was dressed to the nines, looking like she was headed for a fancy date. Liam, completely smitten, couldn't stop praising her and saw her off to work like a lovesick puppy.

It was clear she barely hid her contempt for my son’s obvious infatuation.

Around noon, I received a message from my confidant.

[Liam’s taste is terrible! Josie’s just a pretty face with no brain. She spent the morning goofing off and nearly messed up a big order from one of our longtime clients. We had to move her to the front desk.]

[Got it. Keep an eye on her and make sure things don’t go wrong,] I replied.

I hoped my message was clear. Josie needed to face the real world and learn a lesson.

Later, at dinner, my husband raised his glass with a big smile. "First, let’s give a warm welcome to Miss Dunn! Make yourself at home and don’t be shy. And of course, welcome back to our daughter, who’s been missing her dad!"

I watched Yasmine happily cuddle up to my husband, asking for gifts with that familiar spoiled charm. Meanwhile, Josie sat there, glaring at the father-daughter scene with barely concealed annoyance. I cleared my throat and addressed my husband with a serious tone, "Honey, Ms. Willow mentioned that we nearly lost a significant order from one of our longtime clients today. Apparently, Miss Dunn was involved. Is that correct?"

Josie began to apologize, “Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I’m really sorry for the mistake. I’m new to this and I promise next time I—”

Before she could finish, my husband interrupted her. “You’ll be working at the front desk for now. We can discuss this later.”

Josie’s face went from pale to red and she managed to croak out an “okay.”

Liam then jumped in, “Why don’t you come work at my company? It’s small, but I’m sure you’ll be treated well.”

I sighed quietly. His company was just getting started, barely more than a small studio. It wasn’t exactly something to brag about.

As expected, Josie quickly turned him down, saying with a sincere smile, “Thanks, Liam, but I’d prefer to stay at your dad’s company and build my experience first.”

I raised an eyebrow. It seemed like Josie was determined to stick around.

I decided to make a statement. “I’m planning to transfer half of my shares to Yasmine.”

Unexpectedly, Josie seemed unfazed, but Liam’s reaction was immediate. “Mom! Yasmine’s going to get married eventually and my shares will be less than hers.”

Yasmine, still recovering from the shock, quickly said, “Mom, you don’t need to give me so much. I’m going to get married someday.”

I gently patted her head and said, “This is for your future, to give you confidence when you join a new family. It’s the best support I can offer.”

Yasmine hugged me tightly and I held her close while casting a sharp glance at the other three.

My husband looked unsettled, Liam was increasingly anxious, but Josie’s face remained neutral.

Josie was proving to be more than just an ordinary girl. She seemed to have some depth and skills. Clearly, we couldn’t afford to underestimate her.