Chapter 5

I wiped my hands and walked out of the kitchen.

Shattered porcelain lay scattered all over the living room rug.

It was the vintage Tiffany & Co. cup set I had prepared as a Christmas gift for Ethan's grandmother.

I had spent half a month's salary and used several connections to get it.

Now, it was just a pile of worthless trash.

Bianca stood nearby, holding the lid of the packaging box, looking terrified and lost.

"Chloe, I'm so sorry! I didn't know this box had something so expensive in it... I just wanted to help you clean up the table, and my hand slipped..."

She covered her mouth as tears instantly streamed down her face.

Eleanor rushed out of the bedroom when she heard the noise.

Seeing the shattered pieces and Bianca crying like a victim, she immediately understood what had happened.

But she didn't blame Bianca.

Instead, she turned to me, her eyebrows knitted closely.

"Why did you leave something so expensive lying around? You know your sister is clumsy! Now that it's broken, who are you going to blame?"

The same old excuse.

The same twisted logic.

I didn't say a word. I just stared at the broken porcelain on the floor.

That was the exact vintage set Ethan's Nana loved.

I had planned to present it to her during my Christmas visit.

"Chloe, how much was it? I'll pay you back, okay?"

Bianca walked over, gently tugging at my sleeve.

"Please don't be mad at me. I really didn't mean to. I'll use my savings to pay you back."

"Pay me back? With what?" I pulled my arm away and looked at her coldly.

"This is a rare vintage set. You couldn't find another one even if you had the money."

"It's just a stupid cup set!"

Richard walked out of the study. He couldn't stand seeing me give his favorite daughter a hard time.

"Chloe, that's enough! Your sister already apologized. What more do you want? Ruining a family gathering over a cup set—where are your manners?!"

Manners. Generosity.

Yes, those were the words I had heard the most growing up.

Because I was the younger sister, because I was smart, and because I was rational.

So I had to be the bigger person. I had to tolerate all of Bianca's stupidity and destruction.

"I'm not making a big deal out of it," I said, taking a deep breath as I picked up the pieces one by one and put them into a trash bag.

"But this was meant for my boyfriend's family. Since you all think it's not a big deal, you can explain it to Ethan yourselves."

Hearing Ethan's name, a flash of smugness crossed Bianca's eyes.

She thought that since the gift was ruined, I wouldn't be able to go to the Vance family's Christmas party.

She thought Ethan would think I was classless and lose interest in me.

That was her plan.

Unfortunately, she got one thing wrong.

I tied the trash bag and held it in my hand.

"Mother, what time are Uncle Robert and Aunt Margaret arriving for Christmas dinner tomorrow?"

Eleanor was taken aback, then said crossly, "We eat at noon. Why? Are you planning to show everyone your attitude?"

"No," I smiled slightly.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to make sure everyone has a great time."

The next day, 11:00 AM.

The relatives started arriving.

Robert, Margaret, and several cousins we were close with.

The living room was filled with laughter and "Merry Christmas" wishes.

Bianca was wearing a gorgeous red knit dress with a full face of perfect makeup, floating around like a social butterfly.

"Try these nuts. I bought them specifically for you."

"You look so beautiful today. That coat really suits you."

The relatives were charmed.

"Bianca is getting more mature and sensible by the day. Whoever marries her will be the luckiest man alive," Margaret praised with a laugh.

"I know, right? Bianca is not only gorgeous but has such a sweet personality," another aunt agreed, then turned her eyes to me as I sat quietly in the corner, sipping water.

"Unlike Chloe. She's been a quiet, cold girl since she was a kid. Not very sweet. Chloe, why isn't your boyfriend here with you? Didn't you say he was loaded?"

The spotlight was finally on me.

Bianca's eyes lit up.

She immediately wiped the smile off her face, replacing it with a worried, hesitant expression.

"Please don't bring him up."

Bianca sighed, sitting down next to Margaret.

"That man... has a really weird temper. When he came over last time, he was not only rude, but he also... he yelled at me. Chloe is so obsessed with him she won't even listen to Mother and Father anymore."

The relatives gasped.

"Are you serious?" Robert frowned, looking at Richard.

Richard let out a cold grunt, which was as good as confirming it.

"Chloe, I have to say something here," Robert said, instantly taking on his self-righteous Robert persona.

"For a girl, a man's character is the most important thing. A man who doesn't respect your parents and bullies your sister should be dumped immediately!"

"Exactly," Margaret chimed in. "Your sister is so sweet, and he still yelled at her? He probably has anger issues. Don't let his money blind you."

The entire living room turned into an intervention against me.

Eleanor sat on the sofa, looking pleased.

She seemed to think that the pressure from the relatives would finally make me bow my head and apologize.

I set my water glass down.

"Father, Mother."

"You guys have always believed Bianca is just a sweet, naive girl who makes silly mistakes."

I pulled a black voice recorder from my pocket and held it up.

"Since everyone thinks she's so innocent..."

"Why don't we listen to what she says when no one is watching?"