Chapter 3

My nose stung as I blinked, and tears soaked into my wounds, making my face burn with pain.

My phone wasn’t on the table, but Dad’s computer was left there.

I tremblingly opened the news, and when I saw the headline, my mind went blank.

News of what had happened to me was all over the place.

Even though I was already prepared, my heart still felt like it was being cut by a knife.

A message popped up on the computer:

“Mr. Chris, are you sure you want to transfer all the real estate and shares under your name to Miss Aurora?”

Dad replied, “These are all gifts for Aurora.”

“She’s not like Charlotte. Charlotte was born with everything. I’m giving her everything Charlotte has!”

Harry even gave Aurora several luxury cars and the estate under his name.

They always said they had shortchanged Aurora.

But when I opened Aurora’s Ins, everything I had, she had an identical copy of.

Even the things I didn’t have, she had too.

Her birthday was only one day apart from mine, and every year Dad and Harry gave me expensive gifts, claiming they were on business trips overseas.

It turned out they were staying by Aurora’s side and celebrating her birthday with her, never missing it once.

She posted photos of herself with Dad and Harry, captioned “A happy family.”

She posted a picture of a flower field and said Dad and Harry had planted it for her themselves.

So the happiness I thought I had was just an illusion.

I laughed coldly.

Then I picked up the phone and called my grandmother Melanie, who was overseas.

Not long after I hung up, I heard laughter at the door.

Aurora walked in, followed by Dad and Harry.

When they saw me, they put away their smiles and replaced them with looks of concern.

“Charlotte, you’re awake? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

But Aurora’s smile was still blinding.

“Charlotte, Dad told me what happened to you. Don’t be too upset.”

She casually comforted me for a few words, then pulled several dresses out of her bag and changed into them.

She said sweetly, “This morning I dragged Dad and Harry to pick out dresses with me.”

“Harry said this red one looks good, and Dad insisted white suits me better.”

“Charlotte, you have good taste. Help me pick one!”

She tugged at the hem of her dress and spun around innocently, yet she looked proud and smug no matter how you looked at her.

I let out a cold laugh and said, “Don’t call me. I’m not acknowledging the daughter of a homewrecker as my sister.”

Aurora’s little face went pale, and her eyes instantly turned red.

“I... I just wasn’t sure what style Marcus likes. I thought you’d know better, so I asked you.”

“I know I’m just an illegitimate daughter, and me marrying Marcus was already an accident.”

“If you’re unhappy, then I’ll leave!”

She ran out crying, but Dad and Harry both rushed to stand up for her.

“Aurora was just too happy and wanted someone to share it with. Charlotte, don’t go too far!”

Dad even snapped at me, “Charlotte, I really have spoiled you. You don’t have the slightest bit of manners!”

“She found out about your accident and didn’t sleep all night because she was so worried. And you? You actually said that to her!”

“Apologize to Aurora right now and say you didn’t mean it!”

Dad and Harry chased after her, and even though I already knew their choice, I still felt a little sad.

When I woke up the next day.

Harry took the bowl from the nurse thoughtfully, spooned the soup, blew it cool, and handed it to me to drink.

It was as if the person who had blamed me for Aurora yesterday wasn’t him.

“Charlotte, about yesterday, I already apologized to Aurora for you. She won’t blame you.”

Dad took a call and brought me back home.

“For your wounds, Dad found top doctors in the country to treat you.”

They busied themselves with arranging my discharge, not caring that I was weak and could only move around with a wheelchair.

I got into the car, only to realize this wasn’t the way home at all.