Legitime

03 - On Your Own

Beatrice was a brat, but she wasn't a murderer. She would never hurt someone that would cost them their life. This being said, she immediately got out of her car to check on the assistant she had just hit with her car.

"A-Are you okay?" Beatrice's question was downright stupid. Of course, the assistant was not okay. She was in pain.

"Call 911! Argh!" The assistant whined in pain; tears kept streaming down her cheeks. She couldn't stand up. Her whole body hurt, especially the lower part.

Beatrice trembled in fear. She immediately grabbed her phone, but she couldn't even dial 911. She was shaking so badly. Fortunately, the security guards of the mall finally appeared, doing things Beatrice couldn't do.

They were the ones who called for help. Moments later, the ambulance arrived. Beatrice was disoriented. It was like her brain wasn't working. She was just doing things without thinking.

She hopped into the ambulance car, not minding the questions of the paramedics. They didn't focus much on her, though. It was because they were busy giving the first aid treatment to the assistant. The latter seemed fine other than her constant whining.

But at least she was conscious, right?

The hospital wasn't far from the mall, so they arrived quickly. Beatrice's lawyer was already waiting in the hospital. It was like Attorney Jarvis knew that the Deveraux heir would be there. Anyway, it was not that surprising considering that Beatrice asked one of the guards of the mall to call her lawyer right after the call with the 911 dispatcher.

The police also arrived a few moments later. Attorney Jarvis advised Beatrice not to over-explain since she had a lawyer to do the explaining for her.

Beatrice didn't have a hard time following this because the store assistant kept talking the whole time. She was conscious, and she looked fine now.

However, the doctors said that she might not be able to walk for some time. She needed to do physical therapy for her life to go back to normal again.

The assistant lost it after hearing such terrible news. She kept blaming Beatrice, screaming that this wasn't an accident and so she would never settle, no matter how much money the Deverauxs offered for indemnification.

"Fine! See you in court then!" Beatrice was pissed off, no longer concerned for the store assistant. After saying this, she walked out, ignoring the call of her attorney.

Beatrice's bodyguards were already waiting at the hospital's entrance. They arrived here with the lawyer, but they would leave now without the lawyer.

"Deveraux Law Firm. Now." Beatrice hissed at her driver, crossing her arms.

The driver didn't hesitate. He drove fast, too scared to defy his boss' wish. The drive didn't take long. Beatrice almost ran inside their company's building.

She barged into the conference room, knowing all too well that their whole family was there already. Attorney Jarvis probably told them about what happened.

"She won't accept an out-of-court settlement!" Beatrice whimpered as soon as she stepped foot inside the room.

She found her whole family there: her parents, her father's siblings: Aunt Gianna Clarise, and Alexa. All of them were quietly looking at Beatrice.

It was Beatrice's mother who spoke.

"Serves you right, don't you think? You hit that poor assistant after all."

Beatrice's eyes widened. She couldn't believe her mother was saying this to her. She should be defending her daughter, especially in front of her aunties, also known as her competitors. Beatrice knew that her aunties were looking forward to her downfall. They wanted her to fail so that they could get a bigger share of the Deveraux assets.

"But s-she suddenly blocked my way out! I wasn't able to stop the car!" Beatrice tried to defend herself.

"So you hit her?" Anton Deveraux, Beatrice's father, simply raised his brow, clearly unamused by his daughter's claim.

Beatrice gritted her teeth when she heard her aunties stifle their chuckle. They were mocking her.

"I didn't hit her! I told you, she blocked my way!" Beatrice still didn't want to admit her fault.

"Mom!" She turned to her mother because she felt like her father would not listen to what she was saying.

"Please tell dad that this is an accident! I need help!"

Unfortunately, Miranda, Beatrice's mother, wasn't having any of it. She was tired of her daughter's games too.

"Enough, Beatrice." Miranda let out a deep sigh. "You have reached our limit. I can't believe you would hurt someone because of your brattiness."

"Mom! You are not listening! I said I didn't hit that stupid girl—"

"Beatrice Deveraux, enough!" Anton's voice was like a clap of thunder. "I don't care if it's intentional or not! The point is that you hurt someone, and don't think for a second that we don't know what happened!"

The father revealed that he had already watched the security cameras in the parking lot of the mall. He also got to know that the store assistant tried to attack Beatrice because his daughter sabotaged that girl's career. Now that assistant was jobless and caught up in an accident.

"And if you keep insisting that it's not your fault, then fine! It's mine! I can't believe I tolerated your bratty attitude, young woman." Anton shook his head, still shaking in anger.

"But it has to stop now. We are not going to help you. Figure this out on your own. Bribing someone won't work. Go to court. Face that store assistant's wrath. She said she is going to file frustrated murder against you, right?"

"No!" Beatrice's blood ran cold. "No, father, please! I-I can't go to court! I can't do this alone! Please! You have to help me!"

Beatrice was so frightened. She never once stepped foot inside the court. This can't be happening!

"This is all on you, Bea. All help from us won't be available. Say goodbye to your car and cards as well. We're going to freeze your account and confiscate your car until you settle this case on your own."

"Ha!" Auntie Gianna smirked. "Good luck solving your problem when you don't have the right resources, my dear niece."

"Shut up!" Beatrice roared. She didn't want to cry. No. Definitely not in front of these losers.

"Daddy, please! Help me! I swear I'll do anything you want!" Beatrice was desperate.

Luckily, her parents seemed to show a little mercy to her.

Her father raised a brow.

"Are you sure you're willing to do anything your mother and I want?"

"Yes!" Beatrice did not have the luxury of hesitating.

"Good," Anton smirked. "I will only help you if you turn your life around. Find a good man, a lawyer, preferably, and then marry him. It's the only way for us to clear your record, return your stuff, and oh..."

Anton's smirk grew bigger.

"It was the only way not to lose your inheritance. If you don't marry and clear this scandal of yours, then say goodbye to your share of the money."

Beatrice gasped, and she swore--she swore she tried to stop her tears from falling down. However, after hearing what her father said, fat tears cascaded down her cheeks.

She cried and cried until her world collapsed.

No. This could not be happening...