David cradled the older woman gently, pushing soft grey hair away from her pale forehead. His voice cracked with deep emotion as he held her close against his expensive suit jacket.
David: Mom... Mom, please open your eyes! Can you hear me?
Sarah sat up on the floor, her eyes widening in pure horror. Her jaw dropped open as she heard the word David had just spoken so softly to the old woman in cotton clothes.
Sarah: What... what did you just call her, David?
David: This is my mother! Clara Miller! The woman who built this entire family business from nothing!
Sarah felt as if the room were spinning around her head. Her mind raced back to the story David had told her months ago when they first started dating. He had told her that his mother lived a quiet life away from public eyes after battling a long illness.
Clara Miller was not just David's mother. She was the sole owner of the Miller Oil Trust, the vast family estate worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The very estate Sarah was planning to gain access to through her upcoming marriage prenup.
Clara had come to the Dallas mansion early that morning dressed in simple clothes because she hated fancy luxury items. She wanted to surprise her son and spend a quiet day resting in the warm Texas sun. Sarah had assumed she was a poor housekeeper or an unwanted visitor.
Sarah: David, I... I did not know! She did not tell me who she was!
David: She did not have to tell you anything! You treated a human being like garbage because you thought she was weak!
Sarah: Please, David! It was an honest mistake! I was just stressed about the wedding preparations!
David: An honest mistake? You beat an innocent old woman with a wooden handle!
Clara slowly opened her eyes, looking up at her son's tear-filled face. She reached out a soft, weak hand and gently touched David's cheek to calm his raging temper.
Clara: David... my sweet boy... do not cry. I am okay.
David: I am so sorry, Mom. I should have been here to protect you from this monster.
Clara: Elena protected me. That brave girl threw her body over mine when no one else would help.
David looked up at Elena with deep gratitude in his eyes. Elena stood nearby, her arm bruised and sore, but her gaze remained firm and honest. She had not cared about money or titles; she had simply protected a person in need.
Sarah scrambled to her knees, crawling toward David on her hands and knees. Her dress was wrinkled, and her tears were smearing her heavy makeup, revealing her true desesperation.
Sarah: David, please forgive me! We are getting married next month! Think about our life together! Think about the estate contract!
David: There is no marriage, Sarah. There will never be a wedding.