C151 It Should Have Been Me

The sound of the two luxury cars gradually faded into the distance. Kelvin stood quietly at the entrance of the Wood residence for a few seconds before turning back inside. Tracy followed him. The house suddenly felt much quieter without Sarah and Samantha.

Kelvin slowly loosened his tie and sat down on the living room sofa. He appeared to be thinking about something. Noticing the thoughtful look on his face, Tracy sat beside him. "What is it?" "Did everything go well after the meeting today?" Kelvin nodded. "Everything went well." He paused for a moment before continuing. "But..." "Today at the office..." "I saw something interesting."

Tracy looked at him curiously. "What did you see?" Kelvin leaned back against the sofa. "I saw Valeria's son..." "...Chris Chambers..." "...bringing lunch to Sarah's office." Tracy's eyes narrowed slightly. She remained silent for several seconds. Then something suddenly flashed through her mind. "Wait..." "I think I saw him before too." Kelvin turned towards her. "You did?"

She nodded slowly. "It was the day you were admitted to the hospital." "Chris visited Valeria at the hospital. "I didn't think much of it at the time." She paused. "But somehow..." "I kept remembering that graduation photograph." Kelvin smiled faintly."The one taken in England?" Tracy nodded. "The one where a young man stood beside Sarah." "Only his back was visible." Kelvin chuckled. "I thought exactly the same thing."

The couple looked at each other. Neither of them spoke for a while. Finally... Kelvin sighed. "But..." "The graduation ceremony was held in England." "How did Chris get there?" Tracy folded her arms. "Maybe we're overthinking." "Perhaps they simply became friends after returning." Kelvin slowly nodded. "Perhaps..." "But if we really are mistaken..." "...then that's good."

He smiled thoughtfully. "And if we're right..." "We'll find out sooner or later." Tracy smiled. "When Sarah comes back tonight..." "We'll ask her." Kelvin nodded in agreement. "For now..." "Let's prepare ourselves." "The engagement should already be starting soon."

At the Gomez residence... The atmosphere was completely different. Bright stood in front of the mirror adjusting his elegant grey suit. His nervous expression had disappeared. Instead... There was relief. Laura walked downstairs moments later. The flowing black evening dress she wore perfectly complemented her graceful figure. Tiny diamonds decorated the neckline, sparkling under the lights like stars in the night sky. Elegant gold earrings completed her appearance.

Bright couldn't help staring. "You..." "You look beautiful." Laura smiled softly. "Thank you." "You don't look bad yourself." Bright laughed awkwardly. "I've actually been looking forward to today." Laura looked at him. "Because you apologised?" Bright nodded honestly. "This morning..." "I finally apologised to Mike." "And Alicia." "They forgave me."

He let out a long breath. "It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders." Laura smiled. "I'm happy for you." She adjusted his tie slightly. "You're a good person." "You simply got caught in something bigger than yourself." Bright gently held her hand. "I hope..." "One day..." "You and Mike can also become ordinary friends again."

Laura looked down. A faint smile appeared on her lips. "I hope so too." "There are no more guilt in my heart." "I only wish him happiness." Just then... Bright's parents entered carrying several beautifully wrapped gift boxes. His father smiled proudly. "These are for the Mooney family." "Don't forget to congratulate them on behalf of the Gomez family."

Bright accepted the gifts respectfully. "We won't." His mother smiled warmly at Laura. "My daughter..." "You look stunning." Laura blushed slightly. "Thank you, Mom." A few moments later... Their vehicle slowly drove out of the Gomez residence... Heading towards the engagement venue.

Across the city... The Tryon residence felt unusually empty. Josh stood alone in front of the mirror. The once lively house had become painfully quiet. His daughter... Had married into another family. For the first time in years.. He truly understood what loneliness felt like. He carefully adjusted his dark suit before staring silently at his own reflection. "So much has changed..." He whispered.

Ever since Laura had called him yesterday... Everything inside his heart had changed. The resentment. The greed. The pride. All of it seemed meaningless now. Tonight... He wasn't attending the engagement as a businessman. Nor as someone seeking benefits. He simply wanted to see his daughter. To see whether she could smile again. To see whether she could forgive him.

He picked up the carefully prepared gift resting on the table. "I hope..." "...you'll still call me Dad." With that... Josh quietly left the house and drove towards the Mooney Estate.

Meanwhile... Inside the correctional facility... Evening training had finally ended. Ben returned to his prison cell exhausted. Sweat covered his face while his knuckles remained sore from another intense boxing session under Jack's supervision. He had barely sat down when footsteps echoed through the corridor.

A prison officer stopped outside his cell. "Mr. Wood." Ben looked up. "You have a visitor." He frowned. "Samantha?" The officer simply unlocked the door. "You'll find out." A few minutes later... Ben entered the visitors' room. The moment he looked up... His expression quickly changed. It wasn't Samantha. It was Natalie again. She smiled gently. "You look thinner."

Ben forced a smile before taking his seat. "It's prison." "What did you expect?" Natalie looked at him sympathetically. "I've missed you." Ben looked at her across the glass, "I'm glad you came." For several minutes... They spoke about ordinary things. Natalie comforted him, assuring him that everything would eventually return to normal.

Then... She hesitated. "There is something..." "...you should know." Ben frowned. "What is it?" Natalie lowered her voice. "Today..." "The company officially announced the new Director." Ben's heartbeat quickened. His eyes filled with anticipation. "They finally appointed me?" Natalie slowly shook her head. "It..." "It was Director Kelvin's decision." "He officially handed the position..." "...to Sarah Wood." Silence.

Ben's smile disappeared instantly. His fingers tightened around the edge of the table. "What?" Natalie nodded weakly. "The announcement was made in front of all the shareholders." Ben's breathing became heavier. "So..." "That old man survived..." "...and immediately chose his successor." His eyes slowly turned cold. "What about me?" "What about everything I've done?"

His fists clenched tightly. "The company..." "...belongs to me." "It has always belonged to me." "No..." "It should have belonged to me." Natalie looked at him worriedly. "Mr. Wood..." "Please calm down." Ben slowly stood up.nHis expression had become frighteningly calm. "They can celebrate today." "They can laugh." "They can enjoy themselves." "But this isn't over."

He slowly smiled. A smile that sent chills down Natalie's spine. "I'll take back everything that should have been mine." "The company." "The shares." "My position." "Everything." The prison officer signalled that visiting time was over. Natalie reluctantly stood. "I'll come again." Ben nodded without saying another word. He quietly watched her leave.

Then... He slowly walked back towards his prison cell. The moment the heavy metal door slammed shut behind him... He sat down on the edge of the bed. His mind no longer thought about prison. Nor about boxing. Only one thought remained. Sarah was now the Director. If he wanted Wood IT Company... His first obstacle... Would no longer be Kelvin Wood. It would be... His own younger sister.