Yours, Until Needed
Chapter 134: Helping Hand

Chapter 134: Helping Hand

INGRID

This was his fault.

All his fault.

He forced me to do this!

Ingrid was pacing around the private study of her Father-in-law. Her heels clicked against the marble floors as she tried to reason with herself.

As if pacing around wasn’t enough, Ingrid even started to bite off her nails in sheer stress.

Who wouldn’t be stressed when the clan’s patriarch lay slumped by the bottom of the stairs?

Again, it wasn’t her fault.

This wouldn’t have happened if he hadn’t come barrelling at her.

In fact, none of this would’ve happened if that bastard Bernard kept his mouth shut as agreed upon.

If Alexa hadn’t been so stupid, maybe, just maybe...

Ingrid’s mind raced to blame everyone but herself. In her opinion, it was them who bought this onto themselves.

What just happened was a necessary accident, and it was God’s way of protecting her and her children.

If anything, this was the best way for them to survive.

She could’ve left long ago, just like her cowardly husband, but Ingrid knew she couldn’t just run off. She’s got debts from underground casinos that would haunt her even if she tried hiding in hell.

They were that tenacious.

Ideally, her gambling problem wouldn’t have been a problem if not for this sudden bankruptcy that they were facing.

Her original plan was to use the inheritance from her mother-in-law, but how was she supposed to guess that even that dead hag would do them dirty like this?!

A dollar.

They were all left a dollar save for the old man who at least got something worth anything.

But no, he was more concerned about the personal effects and that letter that was just a piece of paper. So, what if the dead wrote it? The person would still remain dead whether or not he read that letter.

Ingrid hated her—hated all of them.

They’ve always made life difficult for her when she’s been trying so hard just to have a good and comfortable life.

Now look at this old man, who was just slumped there like a doll.

Ingrid tried to calm herself down, but her thoughts kept jumping to things that were less crucial than the present situation.

She had to call the paramedics so that they could fix this accident. Though she definitely had to wait a while. The fewer chances he had at survival, the greater Ingrid’s chances were at getting a good slice of the Chairman’s personal assets.

And she needed that to successfully escape this wretched hell hole that had made her suffer for nearly half her life.

Unfortunately for the Chairman, he discovered something he shouldn’t have known, and now he must sacrifice his own life for the safety of her secret.

Ingrid called the emergency hotline using her most frantic voice. She consistently pleaded for help while crying in panic about the state of a loved family member.

She was the perfect doting daughter-in-law. And she was confident no one would guess what actually happened with her being this good.

Then came the act of looking disheveled. Ingrid made sure to look like a rattled elite, a look that one would never see unless something hair-raising happened like the Patriarch passing out from falling down the stairs.

Ingrid prepared her story, confident about making anything up since there were no surveillance cameras on this particular side of the house. The Chairman hated the idea of being watched and had always been adamant about his privacy.

This made Ingrid chuckle.

Wasn’t it obvious that even fate was helping her?

When the paramedics arrived, Ingrid put on the act of her life. And a first responder even had to check her for any signs of going into shock.

That was perfect for her cover as someone who just got here, only to see her Father-in-law in that condition.

Then, Ingrid made sure to gather her kids around the Chairman. It was important for everyone to see that when he was in dire need of help, only the three of them stayed by his side.

She may need to prove this claim, so she made sure to send both Matthew and Alexander a message about their father’s current state.

Obviously, she was blocked by these people, and this only served to her advantage.

It wouldn’t be difficult to act as the abandoned wife to an uncaring husband.

Ingrid actually prayed that Alexander went off to find that ugly first love of his. Maybe she could even sue him for adultery, negligence, and lack of child support.

All that has to happen is for none of them to show up while the old man is at death’s door.

But if Ingrid were being honest, she wanted to milk the situation better. In particular, she needed money to pay for the staggering medical bills.

She had no access to the Old man’s estate and could not touch his private funds.

She contemplated asking his assistant to settle the matter, but with nearly everyone retrenched because of the bankruptcy, there was really no one to attend to the old fart.

If she used a single dollar from his trust, it would be like taking money from her future funds, especially as she was now the only heir to inherit whatever was left after the Patriarch passed.

Alexa came as soon as she was called, and there was no need to explain anything else to this kid whose only saving grace was her ability to act—because she acted like her life depended on it.

And for a time, it really did. It was one of the reasons why, even when she could’ve run off, she at least wanted to drag Alexa with her. They have been through so much that she knows the kid was useful for whatever the future would throw at them.

It was just that she now had such an expensive taste that it would be a burden unless they found someone to cling to.

Maybe it would be easier once Alexa reinvents her image as the filial Granddaughter, unlike that bitch Eliana that would remain heartless until the very end.

Ingrid still remembered her frantic screams earlier, but now it seems that this whole thing was orchestrated to help her succeed in life.

"Make sure to get your brother to come here. There is nothing more important than this right now."

Alexa gave her a nod before going out to drag Aldrin to the hospital.