She Said She Only Wanted Love – So I Cut Her Off

No sooner had Lexie left than Cameron's angry calls started blowing up my phone. I didn't answer a single one.

The next morning, the receptionist came rushing to my office, knocking frantically. "Ms. Cage, your mother just barged in with your brother. We couldn't stop them!"

Before she even finished, the office door was pushed open. Mom strode in like a storm, with Cameron and Lexie trailing behind.

Lexie's eyes were red and puffy, an obvious sign that she had been crying. She kept her head low, hiding behind Cameron, too afraid to meet my gaze.

"Cassidy, how could you drive out a woman as kind as Lexie after just three days of interning?" Mom snapped instantly. "Who are you trying to humiliate here? We're all family—how could you do this?"

I let out a cold laugh and swiveled my computer screen to show the surveillance footage.

"See for yourself, Mom. Everyone else is working seriously, finishing their tasks on time, but she's either playing games or gossiping with others during work hours. I told you from the start that I don't employ slackers for my company."

Mom glanced at the footage but didn't seem to care. "So what? She's family now. Does she really need to work like an outsider? How can you, as the eldest daughter, act so petty?"

I was speechless. I pulled up the recording from the break room yesterday.

I stared at Lexie. "And what about this? She spread vicious lies about me, ruining my reputation. Is that something the family should do, Mom?'

Cameron's face darkened, but he still proceeded to defend her. "She's just young and naive! What's the big deal if she said a few things? Did you really have to take it this far?"

I stood up, tired of arguing. "I've saved a copy of the footage. Your girlfriend is now legally responsible for defaming me. If you don't leave, I'll call the cops right now."

At that, the pitiful act Lexie had been putting on fell apart. She panicked, afraid that a tarnished reputation would hurt her graduation.

She tugged on Cameron's sleeve and whispered, "Cam, maybe we should just forget it… I don't want to blow things out of proportion… I didn't mean it anyway…"

Mom, seeing she couldn't get her way—and not wanting the police to intervene—glared at me hard. "That's what you want to do, Cassidy? To send your own family to the cops? You know what? Don't come to us for anything from now on!"

With that, they muttered and cursed as they stormed out.

Not long after, my assistant, Bonnie Racey, called. "Ms. Cage, your mother's premium medical insurance is up for renewal this afternoon. Should we continue to deduct the payment from your card as usual?"

That was when I remembered I had been covering such a huge expense all this time.

I said coldly into the phone, "No. Cancel all of it—the insurance, as well as all VIP services under my supplementary cards. From now on, do not renew anything."