Chapter 3

Sylvia's POV

Feeling absolutely miserable, I quickly took the antihistamine.

Julian took out a necklace and presented it to Chloe.

"Sylvia asked me to prepare this for you as a welcome-home gift."

Chloe opened the box, her eyes lighting up.

"It's beautiful! Thank you, Julian!"

Holding the necklace, she leaned in close to Julian and brushed her hair aside, revealing her neck.

"Julian, could you help me put it on?"

Julian reflexively glanced at me.

I was looking down, sipping my water, showing no reaction.

He withdrew his gaze, took the necklace, and fastened it around Chloe's neck.

"I'm glad you like it."

Chloe spun around and asked with a beaming smile, "Does it look good?"

"It looks beautiful." The corners of Julian's lips turned up slightly, his gaze gentle.

Charles Hayes nodded repeatedly from the side.

"Stunning. Chloe has grown up, and she's still as sweet and sensible as ever."

He took Chloe's hand, his face full of fatherly affection.

Regina Cole chimed in at the right moment.

"Chloe has always been so thoughtful. Even during her years abroad, she never forgot to send me gifts for holidays."

Charles glanced at me as I sat in the corner rubbing my nose, his face instantly souring.

"Sylvia, look at your sister, then look at yourself. You weren't like this when you were little. How did you become so unreasonable as you grew up?"

I didn't answer.

Julian was gazing intently at Chloe, paying absolutely no attention to our side.

Regina offered a smooth, placating smile to diffuse the tension.

"Chloe just got back. Let's keep things happy for the family and not talk about this."

She warmly pulled Chloe over, peeling fruit for her while asking how her life had been abroad.

Charles immediately followed up, asking where she wanted to go for fun over the next few days and telling her the driver was on standby.

Chloe chattered happily about her experiences abroad, leaning affectionately against Regina's shoulder like a spoiled child.

Every now and then, she would look up and flash a sweet smile at Julian.

Julian's doting gaze remained fixed on Chloe the entire time.

"Julian, I want to go to that new amusement park that opened this year! I saw so many people posting about it while I was abroad, and I've been dying to go! Can you take me?"

Julian didn't hesitate.

"Sure, I'll set it up this weekend."

My hands tightened.

I had once begged Julian to take me to an amusement park.

Julian had said he disliked crowded, noisy places and told me to just go with my friends.

But when Chloe asked, he agreed without a second thought.

I lowered my eyes.

It turned out it wasn't that he couldn't go; I simply didn't hold enough weight in his heart.

A wave of bitterness rushed over me, but I suppressed it.

Whatever. I would go to these places on my own in the future.

I didn't need anyone to accompany me.

When dinner was served, the table was loaded with dishes that were incredibly greasy, salty, and spicy.

There wasn't a single dish I could eat.

I couldn't handle spicy food.

I had always preferred light, bland food. Julian knew this, and Charles used to know it too.

I pulled out my phone and ordered takeout.

Charles put down his utensils, his expression turning sour.

"With a whole table of food here, what are you doing ordering takeout? Your mother specially had the kitchen busy all afternoon. What is the meaning of this? Are you trying to humiliate her?"

"I can't eat spicy food. Didn't you know?"

I said without looking up, continuing to place my order.

Charles choked on his words, and then grew even more displeased.

"What's wrong with having a few bites of spicy food? Everyone else can eat it, so why can't you?"

Chloe put down her utensils, looking guilt-ridden.

"It's all my fault for loving spicy food..."

"It's not your fault."

Julian looked at Chloe with concern.

He turned to look at me, a trace of blame in his eyes.

Regina smiled and tried to keep the peace.

"Now, now, let's not dwell on this. Eat up, the steaks are getting cold."

The others picked up their utensils again, and soon the dining room was filled with lively chatter.

Julian ladled a bowl of corn chowder for Chloe, then pulled out a napkin to wipe her mouth.

When Chloe said she wanted crab, he meticulously cracked open the shells, flaking the crabmeat out and placing it in her bowl.

Watching this, a dull ache throbbed in my chest.

Julian had never deshelled a crab for me.

On the contrary, every time we had seafood, I was the one peeling his shrimp and cracking his crabs.

He would take them and eat them, taking it entirely for granted.

And I, too, had never thought anything was wrong with that.

Tears threatened to spill over, but I forced them back.

I lowered my head and drank some water, not letting anyone see my expression.

My takeout arrived.

I opened the container, but after just two bites, a sudden wave of intense nausea surged in my stomach.

Covering my mouth, I stood up and bolted to the bathroom.

Then it hit me—I was pregnant. This was morning sickness.

Julian had originally put down his utensils and was about to go check on me.

"Ouch!"

Chloe let out a soft cry, pulling back her hand.

"What's wrong?"

Julian's attention was instantly pulled back to her.

"I accidentally poked myself on a crab shell... It hurts so much."

Chloe held up her hand, a tiny bead of blood welling on her fingertip.

She bit her lip and looked at Julian with a pitiful expression.

"Let me see."

Julian sat back down, taking her hand to carefully inspect it.

By the time I returned to the dining table, my takeout was gone.

Charles spoke coldly.

"Refusing to eat a perfectly good home-cooked meal, insisting on ordering takeout, only to throw up after two bites—what kind of behavior is this? I had someone clear it away and throw it out."

"I'm not eating anymore."

I turned and walked toward the stairs.

"Stop right there!"

Charles slammed his utensils onto the table.

"Can't you just have a proper meal? What kind of attitude is this? The whole family is sitting here, and you're the only one causing a fuss. Being this selfish, you really take after your mother!"

My steps paused, but I ignored him and continued upstairs.

Behind me, there was the muffled thud of Charles slamming the table again, accompanied by Regina's timely, soothing words.

My room was at the very end of the second-floor hallway.

Although it was called my room, it was actually more like a hotel suite.

The bedding was top-tier, the lighting was great, the space was spacious, and it was fully furnished.

But there wasn't a single personal item of mine inside.

After I got married, Regina had only set aside this room for us as a couple out of respect for Julian's status.

Back in my teenage years, all of my belongings had been systematically ruined, claimed, or discarded by Chloe and Regina.

The day I left for college, I walked out with my last suitcase of belongings and never intended to return.

This villa had originally belonged to my mother.

But now, almost none of her traces remained.

There was only one room left—my mother's former bedroom.

On the day Charles brought Regina and Chloe into this house, he had promised me that he would preserve that room.

From that day forward, the room had remained locked, and the key had been in my possession.

It was my last remaining solace in this house.

I walked up to the door of my mother's room and unlocked it.

The moment I pushed the door open, I froze in my tracks.

The room was completely unrecognizable.

My mother's vanity was gone.

The oil paintings that used to hang on the wall were gone.

The bedding on the bed, the curtains at the window—all gone.

In their place were piles of old clothes, shoes, and cardboard boxes.

Everything was strewn about in a complete mess.

Jars and bottles cluttered the tables, some rolling onto the floor.

Half-eaten snack bags lay discarded in the corners.