Filed to story: The CEO’s Wife Is a Secret Boss Novel (Allison & Jeremy) Free Online
“Well, I have to thank you for your help in securing the search and arrest warrants in no time,” Silas remarked, sounding both amazed and jealous. “You certainly have a lot of connections, don’t you? I can’t believe that you’re friends with the mayor’s secretary. When did you get acquainted with him?”
“It’s been a while. Silas, he’s just an unwilling accomplice who takes orders on a salary basis. I hope you cut him some slack, considering that he turned himself in.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
After ending the call with Silas, Jeremy received a call from Xavier.
Xavier exclaimed, “I have bad news, Mr. Walsh! Your dad has hired legal representation for Ms. Betty, hoping to bail her out on medical grounds!”
Jeremy clenched his fist so hard that his veins bulged when he received the update. He jeered. “Javier is a great father, isn’t he? He wouldn’t give up on his terrible daughter no matter what.”
“This isn’t about Betty. He is trying to save his face as the family patriarch.” Xavier was furious. “I saw him busy taking care of Mr. Newton at the hospital while keeping tabs on Ms. Lauren’s condition. I thought he had finally come around, but I was being naive!
“From the very beginning, he has been an egoistic person who only cares about himself. You can’t expect him to self-reflect and change.”
Jeremy turned around to stare at the gray sky. “Well, since he’s all about saving face, I’ll make him lose face.”
As public opinion continued to brew, there were increasing calls to prosecute the six bullies. Betty was implicated as well, especially because she was a Walsh and Lauren’s sister. In some way, her behavior was more despicable than that of Zoe and the rest.
“Betty Walsh harms even her own sister; she is a vicious animal! She should be heavily punished!”
“How brazen of her to bully her autistic sister!”
“Betty Walsh, don’t you ever dream of escaping the legal consequences with your dad’s support! You have no way out!”
Javier would never allow the Walsh Group to suffer a reputational crisis. Therefore, he would protect Betty despite knowing her evil ways. To resolve the problem, he immediately ordered Neil to host an emergency press conference at one of the halls of the Berenike Hotel.
The cameras’ lights at the press conference blinded Javier. The harsh lights illuminated his pale face. He began with anger and sadness in his tone. “Three days ago, my daughter, Lauren Walsh, experienced a horrific abduction and torture. Until today, she remained unconscious in the ICU.
“As her father, I was tormented and in pain. I have not slept in three days, battling the pain at every waking moment.”
The usually sharp-tongued reporters sank into silence out of consideration for the gut-wrenching circumstances that Lauren was in.
“I decided on a last-minute press conference because firstly, I understood the public concern over Lauren’s wellbeing and would like to keep everyone updated here. Secondly, as Lauren’s father, I will not give up on holding the culprits accountable.”
“Mr. Javier, your oldest daughter, Betty Walsh, was present at Ms. Lauren’s abduction,” one of the reporters finally blurted out. “Besides, we heard from the bullies that Betty was one of the bullies in middle school, subjecting her autistic sister to long-term physical and emotional torture.
“Since you vow to hold the culprits accountable, what about Betty Walsh? How do you plan to deal with her? She kicked Ms. Lauren during the abduction¡ªit was captured on livestream.
“Don’t you think it’s unfair to Ms. Lauren if you go easy on Betty because she’s your daughter?”
The chatter grew louder. The reporters gossiped about the situation disgruntledly. This had evolved beyond airing the dirty laundry of an esteemed family. Everyone could tell by now that Betty was Zoe’s accomplice. It would be unfair for Betty to walk away unscathed while the others were punished.
Ashen-faced, Javier gritted his teeth and admitted, “Betty is wrong for hanging out with the wrong crowd, but she’s my daughter at the end of the day. She grew up before my eyes. Yes, she made a mistake, but she wasn’t a bad character. Zoe and the others have been a bad influence on her, leading her onto the wrong path.”
The reporters lamented Javier’s blatant favoritism. In an effort to protect the image of the Walsh family, he tried to whitewash the actions of the morally depraved Betty.
All of a sudden, the doors to the hall flung open. A tall and strong figure marched into the venue, instantly becoming the center of attention.
“It’s Jeremy Walsh!”
Looking intimidating and focused, Jeremy proceeded toward Javier. Javier’s expression hardened when he saw Jeremy.
The rivalry between the father and son was captured by the cameras around them.
“I have no words for the absurdity of Mr. Javier’s statement.” Jeremy chuckled dangerously. “Betty, Zoe, and the gang are responsible for abducting, imprisoning, and beating my sister, Lauren, to the point she suffered severe injuries. Lauren has yet to be discharged from the ICU, but you can’t wait to speak up for the perpetrator.”
Jeremy’s remark was earth-shattering. Javier tried to keep calm while tightening his grip on the table.
“If you don’t hold Betty accountable for beating up Lauren, what will you do if she commits murder the next time? Are you going to give her a slap on the wrist as well?”
“That was a hypothetical situation. Betty did not commit murder, did she? She has just been taken advantage of by those with ulterior motives!” Once again, Javier tried to hint at Jeremy in front of the media that he’d much prefer to de-escalate the criminal case, turning it into a private family affair. “Betty and Lauren are your sisters and my daughters. I am merely being rational here. There is no favoritism at play, and I’m not trying to get anyone off the hook.”
The light in Jeremy’s eyes dimmed. He started reaching for something in the pocket of his jacket¡ª something that would deal a blow to Javier.
To his surprise, the screen in the hall suddenly lit up.
“Look! What is that?” All eyes were on the screen, including Javier and Jeremy.
It was the result of a paternity test by an accredited institution. The writing couldn’t have been more clear and devastating. “Based on the available data and the outcome of the DNA test, Javier Walsh is excluded as the biological father of Betty Walsh.”
The press conference descended into chaos. The air was filled with the attendees’ gasps and discussions about the surprise reveal.
“Is that the paternity test result for Javier and Betty Walsh? Is she not his daughter? This is straight out of a telenovela! I didn’t see this coming.”
“Not long ago, Javier Walsh was defending Betty. Now, it’s revealed that she is not his daughter. It feels so surreal!”
“Look at his face. He looks like he has just eaten poop. I bet he has just found out about the truth.”
“I would have killed myself if I found out the daughter I raised for 20 years was not mine.”
“He was in the dark when Sophia Kirkman killed his beloved wife. He remained clueless when he was cuckolded for years. What’s wrong with him?”
“Probably blinded by love, eh? I’m surprised he could keep that crazy woman, Sophia Kirkman, around for years. He most certainly has… unusual patience.”
The mocking and disdainful remarks attacked Javier. He stared vacantly at the result on the screen as all color drained from his previously smug face.
He rubbed his eyes hard, but the writing remained the same. The fact that he was excluded as Betty’s biological father plagued him. He replayed it over and over in his mind.
“Mr. Javier!” Neil ran over in panic. “I tried turning off the screen, but it wouldn’t work! I’m sure someone is behind this. We need to stop the conference as soon as possible. From what I’ve heard, the entrance and exit of the hotel were swarmed by other media who caught wind of the news.
“I’ve dispatched security to handle the media. You must leave now!”
“Is Betty not my daughter? Is the paternity test result genuine?” Javier fixed his bloodshot eyes on the screen. No matter how Neil tugged at him, he would not move, as he was numbed and in shock.
“The authenticity doesn’t matter. You cannot publicly admit that Ms. Betty isn’t your daughter, or the statement will leave a stain on your name. You need to keep this to yourself, even if it’s unpalatable. It’s still better than becoming a laughingstock forever!”
Javier acknowledged Neil’s solution as his best option for the time being. Feigning indignation, Javier turned around to address the media. “Someone is trying to slander the Walsh family. The paternity test result is fake. I urge everyone not to fall for it!” “Is that so?” Jeremy squinted at his dad. “Javier, how could you choose to defend Betty at this moment? She is not even related to us. Are you really going to tolerate being cheated on by Sophia, just to protect your pride?”
With that, Jeremy raised the test result in the air, displaying it to the watching eyes. He stated, “So, the paternity test result on the screen is fake, huh? Well, the result in my hand is authentic! Betty is definitely not your daughter. She is not a Walsh!”
In the next moment, he tossed the papers onto Javier’s pale face. What Jeremy had done was parade him naked in front of the world, turning him into a joke.
In the middle of his messy thoughts, he recalled the moment from years ago, when Sophia showed up at his place heavily pregnant and crying pitifully as she confessed how much she had missed him. She also lamented all the difficulties she had faced during the pregnancy.
“Javier, I’m pregnant with your child. You can dump me if you want, but how could you abandon your flesh and blood?”
“Javier, listen! Your child is kicking my belly. She took after your strength!”
“Javier, look! Betty’s eyes and mouth resembled yours. She’s a carbon copy of you!”
A carbon copy of his? Javier’s lips twitched uncontrollably in an ugly manner.
Javier had always prided himself on his wits and the elite education he had received. He couldn’t believe that he had been fooled by Sophia, an actress who had hailed from the slums.
However, there was nothing he could do about it¡ªSophia was long dead.
Surrounded by the merciless media, the forlorn Javier escaped the press conference with the help of Neil and the other bodyguards.
At first, he had planned to save the situation as the family patriarch, but he hadn’t expected it to backfire. The Walsh family, riddled with scandals, now had one more stain on its history.
He had become a clown.
He finally got into the car, looking disheveled in his wrinkled suit and messy hair. The reporters pressed their lenses against the car window to take photos of his stiff and pale expression. They continued directing pointed questions on Betty’s paternity to him.
“What are you doing? Go!” Javier angrily kicked the driver’s seat as he neared a meltdown.
The fearful driver immediately accelerated and sped away from the Berenike Hotel’s parking lot.
At the same time, Neil continued scrolling through Twitter. Upon seeing Betty’s paternity scandal top the trending topics, outshining Zoe, he felt worried. However, he dared not tell Javier about it. He feared that the news might deal a final blow to the latter.
“Why did this happen? Why?”
“Mr. Javier, I’ve inspected the paternity test result from Mr. Jeremy.” Taking a deep breath, Neil confessed, “It’s genuine.”
“Sophia Kirkman, how dare you lie to me?” Javier punched the car window and growled in madness.
