Chapter 4

The car gradually headed toward a club.

Only then did Dad say, “Aurora was thoughtful and was worried you’d be in a bad mood, so she specially threw you a welcome-back party after your discharge.”

“She invited a lot of your friends and the Sterling family, planning to give you a surprise.”

I struggled endlessly. The moment I heard that, I knew Aurora had bad intentions.

But Harry pressed down on my arm and said in a tone that left no room for argument, “Aurora kindly threw this party for you. If you don’t show up, wouldn’t you be wasting her good intentions?”

“Besides, with your condition, going out and joining some activities is just a way to relax!”

I resigned myself and let them take me to the banquet.

They said it was a welcome party for me, but Aurora was wearing a white dress with layers of tulle and exquisite makeup on her face.

My face was disfigured, and the ugly knife wound looked like a centipede, making her look even more like a princess.

Aurora said something I didn’t hear, and somehow got Marcus’s mother, Caroline, laughing until the wrinkles on her face smoothed out.

But the moment she saw me, her expression fell.

“Why bring this unlucky jinx here?”

“With something like this happening, if she really married into our family, wouldn’t we be laughed to death?”

As she spoke, she held Aurora’s hand and looked more satisfied the more she looked.

“Aurora is so sensible and well-behaved, unlike some people who still have the nerve to show up after something like this.”

“Make sure you don’t bring any bad luck with you.”

The Harry and Dad who always said they loved and cherished me stood there only focusing on being affectionate with Aurora, not saying a single word for me.

Harry said quietly, “Caroline has a blunt personality. Don’t think too much about it.”

The other guests at the party pointed at me even more.

“That’s her, Marcus’s original fiancée. She was supposed to be the Christopher family’s only daughter, but she’s not even as good as an illegitimate daughter!”

“So she’s the Christopher family’s daughter? I think she’s just a ruined woman. Did you see the news?”

“After something like this, she still has the nerve to come out? She should just go die!”

I held back the sourness in my eyes.

Then I looked toward Aurora’s side, where she was embracing and kissing my original fiancé, Marcus, all lovey-dovey.

Harry and Dad were also extremely satisfied.

Aurora may have been an illegitimate daughter, but she got everything.

Looking at my ruined body, the difference between her and me was like heaven and earth.

Was this what you wanted to see?

I said I wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go rest.

Aurora walked over gracefully and said hypocritically, “It was all my oversight, Charlotte.”

“Your body hasn’t recovered yet. You must be tired, right? I’ll take you to rest.”

She pushed my wheelchair and took me into a room.

But behind me, her smile changed from the one she had just had, and was replaced by a venomous look.

“How does it feel? Being hated by everyone?”

“Did you think you were still the Christopher family’s only daughter who once shone brightest in the whole city?”

“You’re nothing now but a worn-out woman everyone despises!”

“Marcus and I are deeply in love, and Caroline likes me more too.”

I glared at her fiercely. “So what? That’s still better than being an illegitimate daughter who can’t even be seen in public!”

She froze for a moment, then smiled smugly and said, “You didn’t know, did you?”

“Dad is going to announce my identity in a couple of days so I can marry Marcus, and he’ll let me inherit his and Harry’s assets in a legitimate way.”

“As long as Dad and Harry acknowledge me, do you think the outside world will keep talking about me being an illegitimate daughter?”

Her smile was wild and unrestrained.

I couldn’t believe it. Before Mom died, Dad promised her that he would never marry another woman in this lifetime and would only ever have one daughter.

But now, he was going to legitimize Aurora, this illegitimate daughter. How was that fair to my mother? How was that fair to me?

Aurora leaned close to my ear and said, “Charlotte, I’ve got another surprise for you too!”

A man walked in holding a glass of water.

The second I saw him, my pupils widened, my whole body trembled, and my chest felt sealed shut so I couldn’t breathe.