Page 53 of Grumpy Bossy Billionaire Enemy

“Are you also here to ask me about Camille’s father’s contribution to the growth of the company?” she asked without breaking her gaze from the magazine. “Or you are here to tell me how ruthless I am.”

I was not there to judge my mother. She knew better than to think I would judge her for what she’d done a few decades ago. I wouldn’t call her ruthless either. Ever since I took control of the administrative side of the family business, I’d come to understand that one needs a bit of ruthlessness to succeed.

“Why did you lie to us?”

“I never lied to you,” Mother replied. “You just never fully understood the hospital’s history.”

“Camille’s parents have the right to a seat on the board. You took that away from them.”

“Why do you blame me for what your father did? My only crime was being his wife.” Mother tried to justify herself, but I was smart enough to know that my father did nothing without her knowledge.

“You make ninety-nine point nine percent of the decisions in the hospital and the business, so don’t lie to me that Dad made that decision on his own.”

Mom closed the book she was reading. She motioned me to sit near her, and she poured herself one more cup. I did as she said. I invested my parent’s money in the hospital. I didn’t want to share glory with George Howards. I was sure that Troy was here earlier to ask her side of the story, so I did the same, I begged her to tell me what had happened to Camille’s father.

“What did you do,” I asked, "to Camille's father?"

Mother looked at me. “Your father didn’t have the balls to tell him to leave the hospital, so we offered to pay him off, but he declined the money.”

She continued, “Then George threatened to involve the court; a lawsuit would expose the company’s plans to the world; and if he got a good lawyer, he’ll win the case.”

“So, you threatened George Howard with his wife and child,” I completed Mother’s sentence.

I’d picked my mother’s brains a long time ago. We were alike when it came to being ruthless in business.

“Yes, that’s what I did,” Mother responded.

While Mom’s ruthlessness was similar to mine, I could always spot a few differences. She did ferocious things because of her ego. I did mine because it was necessary for profit. Mother was unremorseful for what she did to Camille’s family. She made Camille’s father flee Richmond without his family and made Camille grow up thinking her father was dead.

“I made George leave town forever. I made him drop the court case and never step foot in the hospital again.”

I stood to leave. Knowing all this about my parents made my throat run dry. All this revelation was a lot to take in.

“I have to go,”

“You are not going anywhere, Henry,” Mother insisted. “Not until you tell me why you let Julia back into your life.”

My eyes widened. “How do you know about Julia?”

“I’m your mother,” she replied. “I know everything going on in your life?”

I seemed to always forget how much influence Mother had on us and how she could get her hand on anything she wanted. She was also a control freak who wanted to know what was going on with us at every given moment. I suspected that she had access to our personal lives through our domestic workers.

She’d sometimes bribed them or threatened to sack them if they didn’t comply with her treacherous acts.

When I noticed her constant accuracy about my personal life, I made sure my personal staff didn't stay around for long.

Mother continued, “And you look like you’ve not slept for days because Julia is carrying your child.”

“It’s not certainly my child until I have DNA confirmation.”

Mother nodded. “Of course, I know you are smarter than to accept a bastard in the house.”

“That bastard is still a fetus, Mom,” I snapped. “Show some sympathy.”

“Exactly why you should get it removed,” she responded with a smirk, “before it costs you the most precious gift in your life.”

Now Mother mentioned my marriage, I was done talking to her. “I’ll see you later, Mom.”

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