Chapter 1

Foreword:

On the day of my birthday party, my sister brought me a gift.

"Sis, ever since you came back to the family, you've taken such good care of me. Thank you."

Looking at that bowl of clear, glistening tonic, my eyes went a little warm.

"We're real sisters. I don't need it. You drink it yourself."

Right there in front of everyone, my sister rolled her eyes and said something that left me stunned.

"Sis, you're the one who just had a miscarriage. I didn't have an abortion. Why would I need a tonic?"

The lively party went dead silent in an instant.

1

Antonia Farley's words left me frozen where I stood, cut clean through.

I'd been single since the day I was born, twenty years of it, and even my blind date was someone my parents had just set me up with. How could I possibly have had an abortion?

My mouth twitched a few times. I forced a light tone and asked, "Antonia, this isn't the place for that kind of joke, is it?"

But Antonia said coldly, "Sis, if you'd just cleaned up your own mess, none of this would be happening, would it?"

My parents jumped in the moment they heard her. "Enough, both of you, keep it down. And Sabina, how could you keep something this serious from us?"

I wanted to cry and couldn't. Looking at the smug expression on Antonia's face, I understood that only the person who wrongs you knows exactly how wronged you are.

Seeing my silence, Antonia put on a wounded look. "Sis, I made you a tonic out of the goodness of my heart, and here you are blaming me for it!"

My head was buzzing. I never imagined Antonia could lie so brazenly, staring me straight in the eye.

But I'd spent years clawing my way up from the bottom, and even though I'd only just been reunited with the Farleys, the instincts carved into my bones hadn't faded.

The mockery in her eyes told me everything.

My parents had arranged a blind date for me with the Head family's eldest son, which meant the Farley family would one day be mine to inherit.

Antonia, the adopted daughter, wanted to protect her place in this house and her claim to the Farley fortune. That was why she'd chosen this moment to come after me.

Before I could get a word out in my own defense, the blind date my parents had set me up with rounded on me. "Sabina Farley! I never imagined you were this kind of woman!"

"You put on such an act of being pure, wouldn't even let me hold your hand. You disgust me!"

I looked at this so-called eldest son of the Head family, and my gaze turned to ice.

I hadn't wanted the blind date in the first place. I'd only agreed because I'd just come home to the family and didn't want to embarrass my parents.

But now these two rotten fools were attacking me without even asking what had happened, and I saw right through these so-called great families.

And Antonia's whole little performance slammed shut the heart I'd finally started to open.

I couldn't be bothered with the Head family's eldest son and his barking, so I turned to Antonia. "Antonia, you accuse me of an abortion with nothing but your word. All you've got is one bowl of tonic?"

Antonia let out a cold laugh. "What else? Do you want me to scoop the thing they took out of your belly and throw it in your face before you'll admit it?"

"Stop making a scene, all right? Hurry up and eat it, it'll be cold soon."

I'd seen this kind of mudslinging trick far too many times.

At that, I gave a faint nod. "Dear sister, you really have given me a surprise."

Antonia thought I'd given up resisting for good, and laughed with real satisfaction. "It's only because you went and did something so filthy, Sis. I was worried about your health."

I looked calmly at the Head family's eldest son shouting about calling off the engagement, at my parents' faces gone dark, and at the ring of high-society onlookers around us.

I'd already made my decision.

So the so-called great families were nothing but scum wearing a coat of noble skin.

How was the way they behaved any different from us, the people who scraped along in the streets?

"Mom, Dad, do you think I'm dirty too?"

I looked at my parents, asking their position one last time.

My father's face was livid. "Sabina Farley! I truly regret ever taking you back! You've dragged the Farley name through the mud!"

My mother's brows were knotted tight as well. "Sabina, how could you do something so shameful?"

Fine.

I had my answer. So then, are you all ready to face my revenge?

It's only the Farley family, and yet they'd let their adopted daughter sling filth at me like this. Do they really not know how I earned the name Reckless Sabina?

"Fine! You're the ones who started playing this game!"

"Then let's see who plays it better!"

With that, I walked out of my own birthday party without looking back.

"Sis, what's the matter? You're not going to drink the tonic?"

Antonia was still holding that bowl of tonic, her voice dripping with mockery.

The Head family's eldest son pointed at me and roared, "Sabina Farley! Today, on behalf of the Head family, I officially declare it: I'm calling off the engagement!"

Watching the scene fall into total chaos, my father bellowed in fury, "You dare walk out that door, and from this day on you don't get to carry the Farley name!"

But I didn't care about any of those voices.

I turned back to look at them all, so angry I laughed. "Heh. You're all something. We'll settle this when it counts."