Tangled Hearts

Chapter 4: The Shattered World

Twelve Years Ago

Twelve years ago, Cathy Chan’s nightmare started. It was the year her father, Henny Chan, was found dead in his office—a death that shocked everyone who knew him. The once bustling real estate contractor’s office was now a crime scene, and the man who had been Cathy’s anchor was suddenly gone. The official story was suicide, but the investigation was still ongoing, leaving a cloud of uncertainty and suspicion hanging over the family.

Henny Chan had built his real estate construction company from the ground up. While it wasn’t a massive empire, it was enough to support his family and give them a comfortable life. He was respected in the industry for his integrity and dedication. But all that came to an abrupt and tragic end one cold January morning.

The News

Cathy was at home when she received the phone call. It was Alodia, her stepmother. There was something cold and controlled in Alodia’s voice that made Cathy’s heart skip a beat.

“Cathy,” Alodia’s voice was tight, almost businesslike. “You need to come to the office. Now.”

Cathy’s stomach twisted with dread. “What happened? Is something wrong with Dad?”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Alodia spoke again, her tone clipped. “It’s your father. He… he’s gone, Cathy. They found him in his office this morning. It looks like suicide.”

Cathy’s world tilted, and she felt the blood drain from her face. “No… no, that can’t be true,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her legs gave out beneath her, sending her crashing to the floor. “He wouldn’t… he wouldn’t do that.”

But even as she said the words, Cathy felt a cold certainty settle in her chest. Something was terribly wrong, and her father was dead.

The Office

Cathy didn’t remember how she got to the office, but suddenly she was there, standing in the middle of what had once been her father’s sanctuary. Everything looked the same—the desk, the chairs, the files neatly stacked on the shelves. But the air was thick with the scent of death and despair.

Alodia was already there, standing near Henny’s office door with her twins, Eloise and Trevor. They were dressed immaculately, as if nothing unusual had happened, but their faces were set in hard lines. Cathy barely noticed them as she moved toward her father’s office, her feet dragging as if weighed down by lead.

“Cathy, don’t go in there, yet” Alodia said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argument. “It’s already a crime scene. The police are investigating.”

Cathy stopped in her tracks, her heart hammering in her chest. “What do you mean, suicide?” she demanded, her voice trembling. “Dad wouldn’t do that. He wouldn’t leave me like this!”

Alodia’s expression was cold, her eyes hard. “People do things we don’t expect, Cathy. He was under a lot of pressure. Maybe he couldn’t handle it anymore.”

“Pressure?” Cathy repeated, her voice rising with disbelief. “What kind of pressure? The company was doing fine! He was fine!”

“Clearly, he wasn’t,” Alodia snapped, her patience wearing thin. “The business was struggling, Cathy. There were things your father didn’t tell you. It’s all coming out now. And now, we’re left to pick up the pieces.”

Cathy’s head spun, and she felt her knees start to give way. “No… this can’t be happening.”

Trevor, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up. “We need to be practical about this, Cathy. Dad’s gone, and the company’s in trouble. We have to think about what’s next.”

Cathy looked at him, her eyes wide with shock. “Practical? Dad just died, and all you can think about is the company?”

Alodia stepped forward, her voice firm. “This isn’t the time for hysterics, Cathy. We have to be realistic. The company is our livelihood, and without your father, we’re in a very difficult position. We need to take control of the situation.”

“Take control?” Cathy repeated, her voice shaking with anger. “You mean you want to take over, don’t you? That’s all you care about, isn’t it?”

Eloise, who had been quietly standing by, finally spoke, her tone matter-of-fact. “Someone has to. You’re in no condition to handle this, Cathy. You’re too emotional.”

Cathy felt like she had been slapped. The coldness in their voices, the indifference in their eyes—it was too much to bear. Her father was dead, and all they could think about was how to secure their future.

“I can’t believe this,” Cathy whispered, her vision blurring as tears welled up in her eyes. “He is my father. He is everything to me, and you’re treating this like it’s just another business problem to solve.”

Alodia’s gaze hardened even further. “And what would you have us do, Cathy? Fall apart? We can’t afford that. We have to be strong and think clearly. Your father left us with a mess, and we’re the ones who have to clean it up.”

Cathy’s legs finally gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, her body wracked with sobs. The room spun around her, the walls closing in. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think. Her father was gone, and with him, everything she had ever known.

Alodia sighed, but there was no sympathy in her voice. “Get her up,” she ordered Eloise and Trevor. “We don’t have time for this.”

The twins exchanged a glance before reluctantly moving forward to help Cathy to her feet. But as soon as they touched her, Cathy’s world went black, and she passed out again.

The Aftermath

When Cathy regained consciousness, she was lying on a couch in the small infirmary, the sterile smell of antiseptic filling her senses. Alodia was standing nearby, speaking with someone on the phone in hushed tones. Eloise and Trevor were nowhere to be seen.

“Cathy, you’re awake,” Alodia said when she noticed Cathy stirring. Her tone was brisk, devoid of warmth. “You need to pull yourself together. There’s a lot to be done.”

Cathy struggled to sit up, her head pounding. “What… what happened?”

“You fainted,” Alodia said dismissively. “The doctor checked you out. You’re fine, just… overwhelmed.”

“Overwhelmed?” Cathy echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “My father is dead. Of course, I’m overwhelmed.”

Alodia’s eyes narrowed slightly. “And while you’re lying here, there’s an investigation going on. We need to figure out what really happened to Henny. If there’s anything more to this than meets the eye, we need to know.”

Cathy looked at her stepmother, feeling a wave of coldness wash over her. There was something in Alodia’s tone that made Cathy uneasy, something that suggested that Alodia was already thinking several steps ahead.

“What do you mean?” Cathy asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

“I mean we need to know what he was hiding,” Alodia replied, her voice sharp. “There were things your father kept from us, Cathy. Things about the business, about his finances. We can’t afford to be in the dark now.”

Cathy felt a shiver run down her spine. “You think he… you think he was hiding something?”

Alodia’s expression didn’t change. “People do strange things when they’re under pressure, Cathy. We need to be prepared for anything.”

Cathy’s hands trembled as she tried to process everything that was happening. Her father was gone, possibly by his own hand, and now the people who were supposed to be her family were more concerned with taking control than with grieving. The future looked bleak, and Cathy had no idea how she was going to survive it.

As she lay back down, her mind racing, Cathy made a silent promise to herself. She would find out the truth about her father’s death, no matter what it took. She wouldn’t let Alodia or anyone else manipulate the situation to their advantage. She owed that much to her father’s memory.

But as she drifted back into unconsciousness, Cathy knew that her world had been shattered beyond repair. And nothing would ever be the same again.