Camilla's voice trembled with rage as she confronted her father. "This is outrageous! You can't seriously expect me to give up something I've worked tirelessly to achieve. I won't back down, no matter the cost!"
She couldn't fathom why her father and brothers would gang up on her, demanding she surrender something she had earned through her own blood, sweat, and tears. The very idea was an affront to her dignity.
Anthony Garrison, her father, responded with a self-righteous tone, "Camilla, don't be impulsive. You're only a D-list actress, whereas your sister is a B-list actress. Can't you make a small sacrifice for her? If she gains popularity, it will benefit our company."
Camilla was taken aback by her father's words, finding them laughable. How could he come up with such a flimsy excuse? He was really always on her sister's side.
Before she could respond, her older brother, Cora Garrison, chimed in, "Camilla, be reasonable, this script is better suited for Annie. Besides, you're not even popular so why the ranting?"
Camilla's anger boiled over at her brother's harsh words. How could her own flesh and blood support the daughter of the woman who had destroyed their family, leading to their mother's tragic demise?
"Cora, you have no right to dictate what I do! I earned this contract and script on my own merit. Why should I hand it over to that manipulative woman?" Camilla shouted, her fury palpable.
Just as Cora was about to reprimand her, the office door swung open, revealing the two people Camilla had hoped to never see again.
Her ex-boyfriend, Eric Bennett, stood holding her younger sister's hand, a sight that filled Camilla with disgust.
"Sis, why are you here?" Anne asked, her voice trembling, as she tried to free her hand from Eric's grasp.
"Why can't I be here? If a shameless woman like you can be here, why can't I?" Camilla spat, her disdain evident.
Camilla had to admit that her younger sister was a natural-born actress, but it still baffled her how Anne could put on such a convincing show in front of their family and friends, yet falter on stage or in front of the camera.
"Camilla, watch your mouth!" Eric snarled, his cold gaze piercing.
"Eric Bennett, you have no right to shout at me! I don't blame your family for your lack of manners. A pig like you wouldn't understand the concept of decency even if it was explained to you painstakingly."
Camilla's words dripped with venom and sarcasm as she lashed out at Eric. "You're not even capable of grasping the concept of manners, no matter how many experts they hire to teach you!" Her fury was palpable.
Eric's face darkened, his anger and humiliation simmering just below the surface. He longed to put an end to the condescending girl's tirade once and for all.
Anne, tears streaming down her face, intervened with a feeble apology. "Sis, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday. It's just that... I love Eric, and he loves me too. We've been in love since before I left for my studies abroad. He only dated you to pass the time, but when I returned, we decided to start anew."
Camilla couldn't help but laugh at the pitiful display, convinced that only naive fools like her father, brothers, and Eric would fall for such an act.
The men in the room, however, were taken in by Anne's tears and rushed to comfort her. Anthony, Camilla's father, was the first to react, slapping Camilla hard across the face.
The unexpected blow left Camilla stunned, her eyes wide with shock. The corner of her mouth began to bleed, and she gazed at her father in disbelief. Though he often scolded and insulted her, he had never physically harmed her before.
"Dad, you hit me?" Camilla exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears.
Anthony, though wracked with guilt, steeled himself and retorted, "I'll do it again if you don't stop your nonsense!"
Camilla's exasperation boiled over. "Nonsense? You're blaming me? She's the one who betrayed my trust! I saw her with my boyfriend, and you're saying I'm the one at fault?"
Her anger and frustration poured out in a torrent of words. "If they loved each other, they could have told me. I would have understood. But no, they deceived me, and now you're taking her side?"
Camilla's anger boiled over, and the tears she had been struggling to hold back burst forth, streaming down her face. Her pained eyes seemed to accuse everyone in the room, filling them with a fleeting sense of guilt for their treatment of her. But their momentary remorse was quickly replaced by anger.
Cora's hushed tone was laced with urgency as she cautioned Camilla, "Keep your voice down, the employees might overhear!" But Camilla was beyond restraint. "Let them hear!" she retorted, her voice cold and furious. "If she's as talented as you claim, why not let her go for an audition and earn her own script instead of stealing from others?"
Camilla's rage and grief were palpable, and she felt an overwhelming urge to lash out physically. Cora's attempt to intervene only fueled her anger.
"You're going too far, Camilla! If you don't comply—" Anthony, her father's threat was met with defiance.
"Or what? Will you kick me out of the company? Because there is nothing you can do. Don't forget, this company was left to me by my grandparents and mother. I've only allowed you to remain in charge because you're my father. Don't try to bully me into submission!"
Camilla's eyes blazed with unshed tears, making her appear menacing. But Anthony remained unfazed, sneering at her with a mocking expression. "You think you can bring me down? Ha! You have no idea what's going on. You signed the handover contract, Camilla. This company belongs to me now."
Camilla's puzzled expression turned to her father, her voice trembling as she asked, "W-what do you mean? When did I sign over the company to you?"