When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 405

“Nelly, it doesn’t matter what’s true right now. What matters is you kept your marriage a secret and made the Watsons a joke to the whole world.”

Britney was the first to break the silence, her voice tinged with sarcasm that instantly set everyone on edge. People started piling on.

“Right, if you were married, why keep it a secret?”

“A divorce? If you were in the middle of all that, you shouldn’t have taken over the family business…”

“With everything going on in your private life, how could you ever be trusted with this responsibility?”

The shareholders were clearly worked up. Nobody held back, not even in front of Michael. The room only quieted when he slammed his cane against the floor. The sharp sound cut through the chaos.

“Nelly, given everything that’s happened, do you have anything else to say?” Michael fixed her with a cold stare, disappointment written all over his face.

Nelly kept her eyes on the ground. “I’ll take responsibility for the mess I caused…”

“Oh, really? And how exactly do you plan to do that?” Britney pressed, not letting up. “Can you fix the damage to the Watson family’s name? Can you cover the losses you’ve brought us?”

Britney shook her head, voice dripping with disdain. “Nelly, you should consider yourself lucky you haven’t inherited anything yet. If the Watson fortune ever ended up in your hands, you’d destroy a hundred years of hard work overnight.”

Michael stared at her, taken aback. No one in the Watson family had ever dared to talk back to him in front of everyone.

“Never is my brand. I built it from the ground up. The Watson family may have invested, but even if you all pull out, even if you tank the company’s value, I’m not handing over control. I’m not walking away from the market, either.”

Her words hung in the air. For a few seconds, the room was completely still. Everyone stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. Then the murmurs started, mixed with laughter and disbelief, all eyes flicking over to Michael.

Britney didn’t even bother to hide her scorn. “Nelly, you really think you can make it on your own? Without the Watson family, you’re nothing here. Never would vanish in a second. And you still think you have a shot at the inheritance? Wake up. You lost that chance a long time ago…”

Nelly met her gaze, voice steady. “You don’t get to decide whether I’m qualified or not.”