Chapter 22
Emily sat curled up on her bed and hugged her knees, her head down, her face pale and lifeless. She looked like she’d been dealt a huge blow
Heather’s heart broke at the sight of her little princess–once so full of life–now reduced to this. She wrapped her arms around Emily and softly whispered words of comfort, “Honey, I swear, I’ll find out who did this to you. They’ll pay for what they did. But first, eat something, please? Let me feed you.”
Find out who did this? Yeah, right. You’re all talk and no action, Emily thought bitterly.
Heather called for the maid to bring some porridge and carefully brought a spoonful to Emily’s lips. But Emily turned her head away and kept her mouth tightly shut. She refused to take a single bite
Heather pleaded with her in tears, Owen, unable to stand watching any longer, dismissed Heather with a few stern words and took the bowl from her. “Emily, is this how you carry yourself as my daughter! You can’t even handle a little setback? Owen
said in a serious tone
Emily’s emotions flared as she heard her father’s words. She had been pampered her entire life and had never faced such humiliation
“It must be Ophelia, that bitch! She’s jealous of everything I have, so she’s trying to destroy me. Dad, why couldn’t I be your only daughter?” Emily’s eyes burned red as she stared at Owen. She couldn’t figure out why she had to share what was hers with someone else, and why Ophelia had to compete with her. She wanted Ophelia gone for good.
for yourself Seeing his daughter so distraught softened Owen’s heart. He sat beside her on the bed and said, “To me, Emily, you are my only daughter. Everything I have will be yours. But first, you gotta win back your dignity. Sitting here feeling sorry isn’t going to fix anything. I know you want to get close to the Sinclair family, and I support that.”
Emily’s eyes instantly lit up as she asked, “Really, Dad?”
“Of course. But first, you need to keep things steady with the Lewis family. Let’s take one step at a time, alright? Come one, cat something, and I’ll tell you what to do next,” Owen said with a gentle smile.
Emily obediently took the bowl and began eating the porridge, her movements robotic. But there was something else- something she was too scared to admit to Owen
For the next two days, Emily did as her father said, going to work at Sungate Entertainment and learning how to manage the company. Everything was fine until she got a phone call.
“Ms. Hastings, the rental period ended a few days ago. We haven’t bothered you about it, but when do you plan on returning
of sarcasm.
the gown? Chloe’s voice on the other end was strictly respectful and professional, but there was a clear under turning
The unspoken message was loud and clear: Emily didn’t have any sense of responsibility.
Emily caught on to Chloe’s implication, but she held back her anger and replied, “I’ve been busy lately. I’ll return it in a couple of days.”
“A kind reminder, before Paralet Shopping Center closes tonight, if you still can’t return it, you’ll be hearing from our lawyer,”
Chloe said in a serious tone.
Emily stammered, “You-”
But the call ended abruptly, leaving Emily gripping her phone tightly. Ever since her birthday party, it felt like the whole world had lost respect for her.
She quickly dialed another number and asked, “Hello? Is my gown fixed yet? You call yourselves professional, but how can it take so long to mend a gown? I’m coming to pick it up this afternoon, so hurry up please.”
Later that evening, Emily arrived at La Reverie just as most shops were closing. As she stepped into the store, she noticed familiar figure sitting at the front desk and was sketching on a drawing board. The sound of the pencil scratching across the paper filled the store.
“Ophelia Emily exclaimed as she had a clear look at the person’s face. She hadn’t expected to see Ophelia here, and her grip on the shopping hag tightened.
Chapter 77
Ophelia paused her action and looked up at Emily, her gaze indifferent. “Are you returning the gown?”
“What are you doing here?” Emily asked, her tone guarded, her eyes filled with barely concealed hatred.
“I work here,” Ophelia replied curtly
Having been burned by Ophelia before. Emily wasn’t so quick to believe her. She glanced around the store, her skepticism clear “What, that old man isn’t treating you well? He’s making you work now?”
“In your
world, is relying on a man the only thing that exists?” Ophelia retorted with a cold glance at Emily.
Emily was left speechless, the sharp retort hitting her like a slap in the face.
Her mind instantly flashed back to the humiliating scene at her birthday party. All she’d wanted was to cozy up to Kenneth, only to be thrown into the fountain and publicly humiliated. And just the other day, she went out of her way to fawn over Miles, desperate for his attention. Ophelia’s words cut deep, striking right at her sore spots.
“Well, Ophelia. I want to know–were you behind what happened at my birthday party?” Emily snapped, her voice harsher
Ophelia was so used to Emily’s sarcastic sweet talk that this sudden directness almost felt refreshing. Wow, you finally dropped the act, huh? Ophelia thought with a smirk. I guess you can’t keep it up any longer. Well, your turn’s over. Now it’s
mine
“Oh. Emily, what are you talking about? Birthday party? I’ve been at Rosewood Manor the whole time. I didn’t even know it was your birthday. Are you mad at me because I didn’t get you a gift!” Ophelia said with an innocent look.
Emily’s expression darkened, and she thought, What is she playing at? Her hand clenched in her pocket as she retorted, “Stop pretending. Who else could it be but you?” Emily couldn’t figure out who else would go out of their way to make her life difficult.
“I really don’t know what you’re talking about” Ophelia’s innocent look was made even more convincing with her naturally sweet face. Compared to her, Emily–despite all her years in the entertainment world–couldn’t even compete when it came to playing innocent.
Emily took a deep breath, thinking her phone’s recording app was still running. She had to get a confession out of Ophelia. If she could prove to Heather that Ophelia was behind what had happened at the birthday party. Heather would turn on Ophelia. She’d finally get her revenge by watching their family tear itself apart.
With that thought, Emily softened her tone, trying to coax the truth out of Ophelia. “Elia, I know you hate me. You probably think I took your place, but I never meant to. I know you’ve had a hard time before Mom and Dad found you, and I have even tried convincing them to treat you better.
“But look, you’ve been out of touch for twenty years, and it can’t be made up for overnight. I’ve tried my best. We’re sisters, aren’t we? Why would you do that to me and embarrass me like that at my own birthday party?”
“Sisters? Oh, please. Owen and Heather only have one daughter, right? Weren’t you the one who got mixed up and adopted by mistake! You don’t even know who your real parents are, and you’re calling us sisters?” Ophelia corrected her with a sneer.
Emily’s hands tightened even more. She was a Hastings too, but as the illegitimate child, she was forced to live in the shadows. She could hardly accept that. However, she couldn’t blow the whole thing open–not without risking her position as the beloved Hastings’s heiress.
“Elia. Emily put on a vulnerable look and stared at Ophelia.
“Enough with the act. Save it for when you find your real parents, alright? Now, aren’t you here to return the gown? Let me see
Ophelia impatiently cut her off.
Emily’s initial embarrassment turned into nervousness. Her gaze darted away from Ophelia as she swallowed hard. She placed the shopping bag she’d been holding onto the counter, her mind racing. Suddenly, a clever idea popped into her head.
