Upon discovering the truth, Agnes was thrown into turmoil, for she was the one who had aided Andrew in ruining her father’s career. Even now, her mother, Mrs. Frank, was oblivious to this truth, and Agnes, overwhelmed with shame, could not face her mother. Mrs. Frank thought her daughter was resentful and hesitant to reconcile, so she moved closer, tightly grasping her hand.
“Come back to me,” she implored. “I’ll make up for the years of deprivation. From now on, I’ll do everything I can to make you happy.”
Choked with emotion, Agnes didn’t know what to say, as she knew all too well why she was unhappy. She had deliberately sought to destroy another’s family, only to realize it was her own. If one day Mrs. Frank was to learn the whole truth. Would she still love her?
Like a lost soul, Agnes slumped in her seat, her mother’s words echoing in her ears, amplifying her regret and self-reproach. Her selfishness had led her to destroy what should have been hers.
After years of wandering, Agnes had found her kin, but it was not a day of joy but the most painful day of her life. She realized her father was no more, and the man who had done this was the one she loved the most. These tragedies should have been Mary’s, but instead, she had forced herself into this dead-end.
Ms. Evelyn was also there, trying to console her, but Agnes’s behavior was hard to comprehend. Despite Ms. Evelyn’s advice, Agnes remained silent, tears welling in her eyes, unable to utter a word.
At night, alone in her room, she gazed out the window at the pitch-black sky. Dark clouds rolled in, blotting out the moon and the stars. The city lights were dim and ethereal, making everything look dull before her eyes.
How was she to live from now on? She had a mother, but she couldn’t admit it. She had a lover, but he was her enemy. She had a best friend, but they had long since become strangers. Why was she the one who had lost everything?
That night, Agnes called to meet Andrew to reclaim what belonged to her. She would not let Andrew possess everything that should have been hers.
…
The following day, Andrew returned to the apartment where they once lived, displaying his annoyance at Agnes for wasting his precious time. He sat down on the sofa, crossed his legs, and asked with a cold tone.
“What was so important that you had to call me late last night? You know I’m swamped these days. Those people are…”
Before he could finish, Agnes interrupted him.
“You must transfer fifty percent of the shares you hold in The Young World Publishing House to my name.”
Andrew laughed heartily, taken aback. He put his hand on Agnes’s forehead, gently rubbing it.
“It’s early morning. You can’t be overheated already. You didn’t ask me here to discuss this, did you? You’re quite bold.”
Agnes responded resolutely.
“I am the biological daughter of Mr. Frank, the rightful heir to The Young World, not Mary. If you do not agree to transfer the shares, I will accuse you of murder. I have all the evidence of your crimes.”
At first, Andrew felt uneasy, but he quickly calmed down. He moved closer to Agnes, held her neck steady with one hand, and pushed her against the wall, his eyes blazing as if ready to devour her alive.
“Repeat who you claim to be?”
Breathing laboriously, Agnes clung tightly to his hands, struggling to break free but to no avail.
“Mary stole my identity the moment she was born, forcing me into suffering. She is a criminal. And you, you’re the wicked man who set the trap that made me your unwitting pawn, working day and night for my father’s killer.”
Suddenly, he released her and tilted his head skyward, laughing uproariously.
“Well said, you’ve been aiding the enemy. This is the deserved end for Mr. Frank.”
Coughing and spluttering, Agnes managed to shout reproachfully.
“Why am I unfortunate enough to encounter a poisonous snake like you? Why is the universe so unjust to me?”
Andrew gripped Agnes’s chin, pulled her close, and stared deeply into her eyes.
“None of you, Frank’s family members, are decent. The heavens indeed have eyes.”
Despite her state, Agnes retorted.
“I know you’ve loved Mary for a long time, but now you’re her father’s murderer, a betrayer. Your love in this life has been wasted.”
Her words awake Andrew, echoing his internal struggles for a long time. He often spoke bitter words, making life difficult for Mary, out of jealousy when he saw her happy with others. Suddenly, a wave of heat surged up his throat, choking his words. He resented Agnes for exposing his heart’s turmoil.
He had caused Mary immense pain, even allowing others to disrespect her. He could not now step back into her life begging for forgiveness or brazenly attempt to start over. He despised himself for being blinded by hatred, incapable of discerning right from wrong, reality from illusion. There were moments in the past when he wanted to let go of his disdain for her, but Agnes was always there, fanning the flames of vengeance, causing his rage to burn fiercely. He sank deeper into a quagmire from which there was no escape.