Chapter 135
“I used to give her orders and she wouldn’t dare disobey. If she didn’t listen, I’d hit her! My mom always said, ‘A woman needs to be kept in line!‘ Back in the day, Miranda used to wash my socks. In fact, my mom was even planning to trade her for a new wife for me!
So what if someone’s rich? My sister’s got money too, and the Hawke family’s fortune? That’s hers, which means it’s mine too, get it? What does a woman need money for anyway? My parents always said that my sister’s money should be mine!”
As their words spilled out, more and more people in the livestream chat were hurling insults at them. Their expressions turned increasingly sour. Eventually, they even started fighting with the viewers online.
In the end, the stream was reported for being inappropriate, promoting child abuse, and having skewed values. It didn’t take long for it to get shut down, and they were blacklisted from all major platforms, banned from ever streaming again. Ethan and his family were seething with anger.
Miranda smirked. The Zade family, with their blatantly sexist views, wouldn’t feel ashamed of any of this. They’d only use what they did to Miranda as something to brag about.
Their recent burst of online fame had gone to their heads. They thought that with their newfound notoriety, they’d be as wealthy as the Hawke family, which let them act so recklessly.
Back in the Zade family house, Miranda hadn’t lived a single day like a daughter.
Especially after their precious son, Adam, was born, she was reduced to being his nanny. She was treated like a servant, subjected to their whims and abuse.
She didn’t even have her own bed, sleeping instead in the hallway where she’d get a kick whenever someone passed by. Sometimes, if Adam was in a bad mood, they’d make her sleep in the barn with the pigs.
They refused to let her go to school until the local community council offered free education, and even then, she had to cook and do chores for them every day.
So when she finally returned to the Hawke family for the first time, every member of the family looked at her with a mix of doubt and disdain. They seemed to question if she was truly their daughter.
But the DNA test results in front of them left no room for doubt. Arabella tugged at Mrs. Hawke’s hand and asked on purpose with an innocent tone. “Mom, there’s some stinky smell on her.”
Feigning innocence, she left the Hawke family with a lasting first impression of Miranda – stinky.
They perfunctorily asked about her past. The Zades, fearing that admitting to abuse might cost them financially, lied and claimed they treated her like their own daughter.
The Hawke family believed them. They never considered how, if Miranda had truly been treated well, she’d end ‘up in such a sorry state. Nor did they examine the countless scars on her body. To them, she was merely an
additional place setting at the table.
Miranda set her phone down and headed towards the lab. A new batch of herbs was ready to hit the shelves. She needed to capitalize on the moment and prepare the next batch.
When the folks on the black market grew impatient, she’d put it up again. Hunger marketing tactics could be applied anywhere with great effect.
Scarcity makes things valuable.
Too much supply; and the value dropped. So she only released a limited amount of each type of herbs at infrequent intervals. Besides, her capacity was indeed limited.
After all, she was just one person, not a pharmaceutical company capable of mass production. And crafting these herbs was incredibly demanding.
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Chapter 135
The Zade family’s live stream also caught the Hawke family’s attention. Hearing the insults and the recounting of past abuses directed at Miranda made their faces grow grim.
Grace’s expression darkened. “Didn’t they say they treated Miranda well? How could they have been abusing her all along?”
Alden’s face was equally stern.
“I always thought she was well cared for with the Zades. Despite their character flaws, they were supposed to have treated Miranda like their own daughter. How could this happen?”
The four brothers exchanged glances, each harboring a hint of guilt.
They remained silent. Because deep down, they’d known everything for a long time, yet chose to keep quiet.
To them, back then, Miranda was just a stranger. What happened to her seemed irrelevant to their lives. Thus, even though they were aware of the ordeal Miranda had suffered when she was with the Zades, they didn’t feel emotionally attached.
Their only wish was for their sister Arabella to stay with the Hawkes forever, not wanting Miranda to take her place. But now, hearing what that family had said, a flicker of regret flashed in their eyes.
Chapter 136
Chapter 136
