Chapter 4 - The Aftermath of Deceit
Days later, the hospital room was quiet, filled only with the rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor. Richard lay in the bed, his frame looking smaller, more fragile. The scandal had dominated the news cycle for forty-eight hours before the Weston corporation’s PR team managed to put a lid on it. But the damage to Victoria’s psyche was irrevocable. She sat in the chair beside him, watching him sleep.
She had spent the last two days in a blur of rage and grief. She had gone through every memory, every childhood milestone, every corporate achievement, trying to reframe them through the lens of this new reality. Was her father proud of her because of her talent, or was he overcompensating for the secret? Did he love her, or was she just a project he had adopted to maintain the Weston facade?
Richard stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He saw Victoria and tried to sit up, but she gently pushed him back.
"Don't," she said, her voice void of the fire it usually carried.
"Victoria," he rasped. "I know how this looks. I know the betrayal you feel."
"I don't even know who I am, Dad. For thirty years, I thought I was the heir to this throne because I was your daughter. Now I know I’m just an employee you raised."
Richard reached out, his hand trembling. "You were never an employee. You were my life. Do you think I would have worked that hard, built that company, if I didn't have you to pass it to? Biology is a chemical accident, Victoria. Family is a choice. Every morning, I chose to be your father. Every time I taught you a negotiation tactic, every time I sat at your graduation, I was choosing you. That is more real than any DNA string."
Victoria looked at him, searching for the lie. She found none. She realized that while the secret was a betrayal, the life he had built around it was an act of profound devotion. He hadn't treated her like an outsider; he had treated her like the center of his universe.
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"Why the lawyer?" she asked, her voice softening. "Why the spectacle at the party?"
Richard looked away. "I was getting older. My health was failing. I knew I couldn't keep the secret buried forever. I had Amelia prepare the truth because I wanted it to be legally ironclad. I wanted to ensure that when I was gone, no one could challenge your right to the company. I was going to announce it myself, but my body... it didn't hold up."
