Trapped By Tainted Love

Chapter 16: The Bennet Group’s Fall

The Bennet Group had been falling apart even when the Sullivan Group had bought a considering amount of shares for a larger than expected sum of money. Of course, this wasn’t because they saw great potential for development in the Bennet Group. It was all because of Rachel. The original Rachel. Her mother, Elisa, had once saved the life of Victor’s grandma and the old lady had been grateful to Elisa and adored her daughter ever since. When she found out that the Bennet Group was in trouble, Victor’s grandma figured out a way to help out, without even waiting for Rachel to ask. She had asked her grandson to do anything in his power to save the Bennet Group. Back then, Rachel and Victor were engaged to be married, not that the match was one full of love. Normally, he wouldn’t have agreed to lose money over a crumbling company, but he couldn’t deny his grandma anything. Everyone thought that once the Bennet Group had been bought by a larger company, it would start flourishing and growing. But the fact remained: the Bennet Group was now under Victor’s control.

The Bennet family had worked tirelessly for three generations for their group, so it really meant a lot to Rachel. And that gave Victor the upper hand. He had manipulated Rachel and forced her to sign a prenuptial agreement he had put together, even if it was more than a little unfair towards her. After the original Rachel had caught on to what had happened, she was inconsolable. In the present, Rachel pursed her lips and shook her head to get rid of the memory that didn’t even belong to her. She felt a twinge at her heart, the ghost of the pain that the other Rachel had once endured.

The original Rachel had truly loved Victor, more than life itself. But the new Rachel didn’t.

She didn’t really care about the Bennet Group either. It could burn to ashes for all she cared. Only one thing mattered to her. This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

She had to avenge herself. Shelia’s fiance and best friend would have to pay dearly for what they had done to her.

She put the documents back onto the pile and sighed. “I see.”

Andy seemed genuinely shocked by her calm response. “Miss Bennet, you… Perhaps if you talked to Mr. Sullivan…” “No,” Rachel cut in, her voice broking no argument. Talking to Victor? She valued her second chance in life too much for it! She was sure that Victor would send her straight to hell as soon as he laid eyes on her.

Andy decided that trying to persuade her would be futile. “Miss Bennet, there is one more thing.”

“What is it?” Rachel looked up at him with raised eyebrows.

“The Bennet Group has not been profitable for a long time, so Mr. Sullivan declared that it will be liquidated the same day your divorce becomes official,” Andy said slowly. Liquidated?

The same day as the divorce becomes official?

Rachel snorted. “So be it.”

The Bennet Group’s Fall — “But, Miss Benner, the Bennet Group was passed on to you by your mother. Three generations of the Bennet family…” “Andy,” Rachel interrupted him, “I really tried to save the Group, but it is no use. Victor won’t see me, nor will he stop the liquidation for my sake. And turning my one percent shares back to fifteen is impossible. All I want now is a normal life; I want to stop wasting my time and live my life to the fullest.” Andy was stunned by her answer. When he came back to his senses, Rachel had already left the study. The Bennet Group was falling apart, so Rachel didn’t have to go through that huge pile of documents. She had prepared for a really busy day, but now she found herself with absolutely nothing to do. It was oddly exhilarating

After she left the study, she went straight to Abby. She had just decided to learn how to bake bread.

As Alice walked out of the police station, Caroline, who had been waiting for her at the car, hurried over calling her name. “Alice.”

When Alice saw her, her eyes started to brim with tears. Caroline gently patted her back. “Oh, Alice, don’t cry. Let’s get home first. Your father is waiting for you.” “Mom, it was awful! That place was so dirty that I didn’t even want to sit down! Why did it take you so long to pay my bail?” Alice whined.

She was supposed to spend ten days in her detention cell, but Caroline lined all the right pockets to get her out sooner. “It’s that bitch’s fault!” Caroline spat as they got in the car. “Her lawyer was on to something. I asked several people-powerful ones to help bail you out sooner, but no one had the right connections. In the end, I had no choice but to have your father ask for Mr. Sullivan’s help.”

Alice held her mother’s hand nervously and asked, “What did Victor say? Did he think that I…” Alice had always done her best to appear as a reserved, sweet girl in front of Victor. If he found out why she had been arrested, then all her efforts would be in vain. Alice turned pale at that thought. Caroline patted the back of her daughter’s hand. “Don’t worry, sweetie. Mr. Sullivan just thinks that Rachel set you up. Would he help bail you out if he didn’t?”

“Good.” Alice breathed a sigh of relief. She started to smile, but then she suddenly froze as something just occurred to her. She turned to Caroline anxiously. “Mom… Who did Victor take to the dinner party the other night?”

Caroline’s eyes darkened. She motioned to the driver to start the ride back home, but still didn’t answer the question. Alice’s heart sank. Her mother’s expression said it all. “Mom, please don’t tell me Victor took that bitch!”

Caroline cast a sideways glance at Alice and said nothing, but the truth was written in her eyes.

Alice tightened her grip on her mother’s hand and started weeping. “But Victor… How could he go out with Rachel? Mom, she did it on purpose. I am sure of it. She trapped me so that I wouldn’t be able to accompany Victor to that party and she swooped in and took my place!”

The words were barely discernable as Alice was talking through gritted teeth. “Don’t worry. That bitch is no match for you. Has she done anything other than annoy Victor for the past two years? Now that they got divorced, she is just pathetic, pestering Victor when he obviously hates her guts,” Caroline spat, looking disgusted.

The Bennet Group’s Fall Alice raised her chin arrogantly. “You are right. Rachel is nothing but a loser, everyone knows it. If that cranky old woman hadn’t insisted she was the one Victor should marry, he would have been mine long ago!”

Caroline smiled as she looked at her daughter. “Oh, honey! Now Victor is single and you two meet a lot in the Sullivan Group! You should double your efforts to catch his eye. If you marry him and become the lady of the Sullivan family, your father and I will also benefit from it. A lot of people will want to butter us up.”

Just thinking about it, Caroline couldn’t control her enthusiasm. She and Elisa had been college friends. Caroline had been the queen of her high-school. She had been popular and everywhere she went, all eyes were on her. But when she had gone to college, things were much different. Everyone’s attention was always on Elisa, making Caroline feel invisible for the first time in her life. She hadn’t been able to accept that she would always be second-best to that new girl. As time went by, her jealousy grew, as did the desire to crush Elisa under her heel. Caroline had even tried to cop a, see if that got her back the attention she had lost, but still, Elisa was always better than her at anything! And then, on Elisa’s wedding day, Caroline had seen Jack and things had started to change in a dangerous way.