Can’t Win Me Back by Ginger Sue

Jasper clenched his fist so hard that his veins bulged when he received the update. He jeered. "Javier is a great father, isn't he? He wouldn't give up on his terrible daughter no matter what."
"This isn't about Betty. He is trying to save his face as the family patriarch." Xavier was furious. "I saw him busy taking care of Mr. Newton at the hospital while keeping tabs on Ms. Lauren's condition. I thought he had finally come around, but I was being naive!
"From the very beginning, he has been an egoistic person who only cares about himself. You can't expect him to self-reflect and change."
Jasper turned around to stare at the gray sky. "Well, since he's all about saving face, I'll make him lose face."
As public opinion continued to brew, there were increasing calls to prosecute the six bullies. Betty was implicated as well, especially because she was a Beckett and Lauren's sister. In some way, her behavior was more despicable than that of Zoe and the rest.
"Betty Beckett harms even her own sister; she is a vicious animal! She should be heavily punished!"
"How brazen of her to bully her autistic sister!"
"Betty Beckett, don't you ever dream of escaping the legal consequences with your dad's support! You have no way out!"
Javier would never allow the Beckett Group to suffer a reputational crisis. Therefore, he would protect Betty despite knowing her evil ways. To resolve the problem, he immediately ordered Neil to host an emergency press conference at one of the halls of the Berenike Hotel.
The cameras' lights at the press conference blinded Javier. The harsh lights illuminated his pale face. He began with anger and sadness in his tone. "Three days ago, my daughter, Lauren Beckett, experienced a horrific abduction and torture. Until today, she remained unconscious in the ICU.
"As her father, I was tormented and in pain. I have not slept in three days, battling the pain at every waking moment."
The usually sharp-tongued reporters sank into silence out of consideration for the gut-wrenching circumstances that Lauren was in.
"I decided on a last-minute press conference because firstly, I understood the public concern over Lauren's wellbeing and would like to keep everyone updated here. Secondly, as Lauren's father, I will not give up on holding the culprits accountable."
"Mr. Javier, your oldest daughter, Betty Beckett, was present at Ms. Lauren's abduction," one of the reporters finally blurted out. "Besides, we heard from the bullies that Betty was one of the bullies in middle school, subjecting her autistic sister to long-term physical and emotional torture.
"Since you vow to hold the culprits accountable, what about Betty Beckett? How do you plan to deal with her? She kicked Ms. Lauren during the abduction-it was captured on livestream.
"Don't you think it's unfair to Ms. Lauren if you go easy on Betty because she's your daughter?"
The chatter grew louder. The reporters gossiped about the situation disgruntledly. This had evolved beyond airing the dirty laundry of an esteemed family. Everyone could tell by now that Betty was Zoe's accomplice. It would be unfair for Betty to walk away unscathed while the others were punished.
Ashen-faced, Javier gritted his teeth and admitted, "Betty is wrong for hanging out with the wrong crowd, but she's my daughter at the end of the day. She grew up before my eyes. Yes, she made a mistake, but she wasn't a bad character. Zoe and the others have been a bad influence on her, leading her onto the wrong path."
The reporters lamented Javier's blatant favoritism. In an effort to protect the image of the Beckett family, he tried to whitewash the actions of the morally depraved Betty.
All of a sudden, the doors to the hall flung open. A tall and strong figure marched into the venue, instantly becoming the center of attention.
"It's Jasper Beckett!"
Looking intimidating and focused, Jasper proceeded toward Javier. Javier's expression hardened when he saw Jasper.
The rivalry between the father and son was captured by the cameras around them.
"I have no words for the absurdity of Mr. Javier's statement." Jasper chuckled dangerously. "Betty, Zoe, and the gang are responsible for abducting, imprisoning, and beating my sister, Lauren, to the point she suffered severe injuries. Lauren has yet to be discharged from the ICU, but you can't wait to speak up for the perpetrator."
Jasper's remark was earth-shattering. Javier tried to keep calm while tightening his grip on the table.
"If you don't hold Betty accountable for beating up Lauren, what will you do if she commits murder the next time? Are you going to give her a slap on the wrist as well?"
"That was a hypothetical situation. Betty did not commit murder, did she? She has just been taken advantage of by those with ulterior motives!" Once again, Javier tried to hint at Jasper in front of the media that he'd much prefer to de- escalate the criminal case, turning it into a private family affair. "Betty and Lauren are your sisters and my daughters. I am merely being rational here. There is no favoritism at play, and I'm not trying to get anyone off the hook."
The light in Jasper's eyes dimmed. He started reaching for something in the pocket of his jacket- something that would deal a blow to Javier.
To his surprise, the screen in the hall suddenly lit up.
"Look! What is that?" All eyes were on the screen, including Javier and Jasper.
It was the result of a paternity test by an accredited institution. The writing couldn't have been more clear and devastating. "Based on the available data and the outcome of the DNA test, Javier Beckett is excluded as the biological father of Betty Beckett."