"You know I can never do that to Cecilia." Veronica frowned and folded her hands.
"She's just angry. And I don't know why she's taking it out on everyone. It's not my fault she's in this mess."
"Of course, she is angry. But she brought all this on herself," Tatiana mused.
"I need to go talk to Terry. That video must never be leaked," she said firmly, picking up her phone.
"And what about the person who sent the video to Terry?" Veronica unclasped her hands, sitting on a nearby cushion. "It's not like Terry created it himself." She shrugged, squinting her eyes.
"Right, right," Tatiana nodded, dropping her phone. "That's absolutely true," she said calmly.
Tatiana walked to the window, staring outside. Her baggy trousers flipped from side to side.
"The board of directors will not like this when it comes out, and it will eventually come out," she muttered to herself, though loud enough for V

"Cecilia, open the door!" Tatiana's voice was sharp, edged with frustration, though she tried to soften it.
She rubbed her temples, pushing back the headache that had been building all morning. "Come on, sweetheart. We need to talk."
Tatiana stood outside Cecilia's bedroom door, her knuckles red from pounding on the wood for the past few minutes. She paused, breathing heavily, and knocked again—this time with less force but more persistence.
There was a muffled sound inside the room, but there was no response. Tatiana narrowed her eyes, tapping her foot impatiently. Her fist clenched at her side. She could sense Cecilia's stubbornness, the same unyielding spirit she had inherited from her father.
"Cecilia!" she snapped, her voice rising. "I am not leaving until you open this door."
A long pause followed. Then, faintly, Cecilia's voice replied, hoarse with emotion. "Go away, Grandma. Plea

"What is it that you are watching, Grandma?" Veronica asked as she walked in brisk steps into the Anderson's mansion.
Cecilia followed behind her; her head hung low.
She'd argued with Veronica throughout the ride, and her face was already puffy from tears.
"Where are you going, Cecilia?" Tatiana barked, looking up from the phone in her hands.
A video was playing on the phone. The audio sounded familiar.
Cecilia turned slowly to her grandmother. Her eyes darted to her hands.
"Come here.". Tatiana's voice was raised. So also was her hands.
The spectacle she was wearing fell to her nose. She reached out and set it correctly.
"What is this I'm watching?" She pointed the phone to Cecilia.
Cecilia's eyes widened when she saw herself in the video.
"Who sent that to you." She asked acidly. Her face frowned as she looked up at Veronica.
"Is that the right question to ask?" Tatiana glared.
"Maybe you should try to explain to me why you are in bed with another man in this video, " she said.
"Terry sent this by the way." She thundered
"Terry." Cecilia's voice choked.
"Why will Terry do that?" Her voice broke, and hot tears dripped from her eyes.
"Why will Terry do what Cecilia?" Tatiana strolled towards her.
"You've embarrassed this family beyond repair, " she shook her head. She was turning to drop the phone on the nearest voicemail, but the video was still playing.
"He sent it to me saying you he's no longer interested in the marriage."
"What?" Cecilia exclaimed.
"He can't do that. This is all a mistake. I have to explain it to him."
"Yes," Tatiana yelled at Cecilia.
"This is all a mistake. After three years of engagement and only one night of mistakes, it destroys it all.
"Veronica!!" Cecilia turned to Veronica and yelled. Her voice cracking.
"What?" Veronica flushed. She was stepping back a little.
"Why… why are you calling my name?" She stammered.
"She did it, Grandma." Cecilia pointed accusingly at Veronica. Tears poured nonstop from her eyes.
"What?" Tatiana stepped back a little. Her eyes darted from a crying Cecilia to a perplexed Veronica.
"She drugged me in Germany and made me sleep with someone I don't even know." Cecilia stomped her feet angrily on the floor.
"I don't even know that man in the video."
Tatiana was speechless for a while; then, she shook her head.
"This is ridiculous, Cecilia." Her voice was now low.
"Blaming your sister?" She whispered.
"Yes, grandma." Cecilia shook her head, sniffing.
"She told me herself in the car." She snorted. She was fishing a handkerchief from her bag and dabbing at her nose.
"She was even laughing at me when they were embarrassing me at Terry's place." She shook her head sadly.
She was turning to glare at Veronica, who looked less concerned about everything.
Tatiana darted her eyes towards Veronica. "Veronica, is that true?"
She was looking incredulous.
"Grandma, why would you ask me such a thing?" Veronica sounded offended.
"Probably, she's only saying something she could do to me."
"How do you think I will even dream of doing that to my Sister?" She frowned. I was folding her hands.
"Stop calling me that. You devil." Cecilia blurted out. Her voice is evil.
"She told me herself in the car!" Cecilia shouted in frustration.
"Cecilia!" Tatiana's voice was raised, and her face frowned.
"Why will your sister do such a thing?" she asked incredulously, her face coated in unbelievability.
"Isn't it obvious?" Cecilia turned to Veronica. I was eating her acidly.
"she wants Terry to herself."
"Oh my God. Cecilia. Stop this already. Tatiana suddenly walked towards Cecilia.
She stood in front of her, studying her intently.
"Are you sure you are okay, Cecilia?"
"Why will you think I will ever do such a thing to you?" Veronica's voice rang out.
She walked towards the cushion where Tatiana had dropped her phone.
The video was still playing. She stared at it for a while before turning to Tatiana.
"Grandma, I was shocked when Terry slapped her across the face." She watched as Tatiana's face went wild
"He slapped you?" Tatiana asked in shock. She was staring at A, crying at Cecilia's face.
"Look at her face, grandma." Veronica got up from her seat quickly. She got beside Cecilia and reached out to show Tatiana.
"Don't touch me, you Bastard." Cecilia swatted Veronica's hands angrily.
"Cecilia!" Tatiana yelled.
"I said stop with this nonsense right now." She was breathing heavily.
"You will stop blaming your sister this instant."
"Grandma!" Cecilia stomped her feet on the floor.
"Why can't you believe me? Veronica is behind all of this. And she…
"Stop it, Cecilia." Tatiana cut her off mid-sentence.
"Actions have consequences. And this." She pointed at the phone on the couch beside Veronica.
"Sadly, it is yours."
"So, stop blaming your sister for what happened, okay."
"You went to Germany to enjoy yourself." Veronica shrugged nonchalantly.
"You probably enjoyed yourself more than you were supposed to." She chuckled brightly.
"Veronica, shut up and show some respect." Tatiana fired at Veronica
"Your sister was wrong, but…" She paused. I was looking around. Her eyes were sad.
"Grandma, just stop it. Stop it, okay." Cecilia thundered.
"Believe it or not." She stretched her words.
"Veronica drugged me and an unknown man, then made us lie together." She was pointing at Veronica, and her eyes were blazing.
"She did it because she wanted Terry."
"Cecilia!! I don't…." Tatiana was beginning to say when Cecilia turned and walked towards the staircase.
"You don't want to hear it?" She raised her hands.
"Good."
"Come back here, Cecilia," Tatiana growled, but Cecilia kept clumping the steps in quick strides.
"I fucking hate all of you." She shouted when she got to the end of the stairs.
After a while, they heard the loud banging of a door.
"She's not coming out of that room today again," Veronica shook her head dramatically. She turned to stare at her grandmother.
Her grandmother was staring at her, too.
"Cecilia might be everything, but not stupid. What did you do to your sister?" Tatiana asked.

"You know I can never do that to Cecilia." Veronica frowned and folded her hands.
"She's just angry. And I don't know why she's taking it out on everyone. It's not my fault she's in this mess."
"Of course, she is angry. But she brought all this on herself," Tatiana mused.
"I need to go talk to Terry. That video must never be leaked," she said firmly, picking up her phone.
"And what about the person who sent the video to Terry?" Veronica unclasped her hands, sitting on a nearby cushion. "It's not like Terry created it himself." She shrugged, squinting her eyes.
"Right, right," Tatiana nodded, dropping her phone. "That's absolutely true," she said calmly.
Tatiana walked to the window, staring outside. Her baggy trousers flipped from side to side.
"The board of directors will not like this when it comes out, and it will eventually come out," she muttered to herself, though loud enough for Veronica to hear.
"It will surely come out," Veronica whispered back.
"Come to think of it,"

CHAPTER 5: SCHEMING TO USURP MY SISTER