Chapter 26
“She suffered?”
Adora let out a loud, scornful laugh, sweeping her hand toward the grand estate around her.
“She’s been living in this luxury, sleeping in my bedroom, wearing my jewelry, throwing out my clothes, and taking my allowance, all while parading around as the esteemed daughter of the Matthews family, basking in the spotlight.
“Oh yes, she must be so miserable. I bet she laughs herself to sleep every night from all the suffering.”
“Adora Matthews!” Theodore roared, his anger boiling over once again.
“You’re completely unreasonable! You will leave this house today. Think whatever you want. We only recognize Ruby as our daughter from now on!”
Adora’s laughter cut off abruptly.
Her eyes burned red with rage, and her chest heaved as fury consumed her.
“You’re all idiots! Every single one of you!” she shouted, her voice trembling with the weight of her buried truth.
“The traffickers who took me didn’t just happen to find me. Ruby contacted them herself!
“Otherwise, how would they have known exactly where we were that night?
“She played you all for fools, and yet you still coddle her like she’s some treasure, while treating your own real daughter like a
disease!”
The words had been festering inside her for years, and now, they finally erupted.
The pain of that revelation crashed over her like a tidal wave, suffocating and relentless.
“No! No, that’s a lie! You’re making this up!” Ruby shrieked in desperation, her face twisting with panic.
She turned to their parents, sobbing hysterically.
“Mom! She’s slandering me! I would never… I love my sister, and you, and Dad–why would I ever do something like that? I
swear I didn’t!”
Tears poured down her face as she clung to Lilian, who immediately wrapped her in a protective embrace.
“I know you didn’t, sweetheart,” Lilian whispered, stroking her hair, her voice soothing.
“She’s just confused, saying crazy things. No one will believe her…”
Peter, his expression dark with disapproval, stepped in to defend his sister.
“Adora, you’re just jealous because we love Ruby more. Now you’re making up some ridiculous lie, hoping we’ll kick her out
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Ohapter 28
instead and keep only you. Is that it?”
Adora scoffed at his absurd accusation and turned away in disgust.
She forced herself to take a slow breath, letting the fire in her chest settle just enough before turning back to face them.
“The traffickers themselves told me,” Adora said, her voice eerily calm now.
“While they were transferring me, they admitted that someone contacted them, offered to sell their own sister.
“The person told them to take her sister as far as possible, so she’d never come back. Even if the buyer beat her to death, it
wouldn’t matter.
“They said they’d seen plenty of siblings who didn’t get along, but it was the first time they’d ever met someone willing to hand their own sister over to traffickers.”
Her words echoed through the room, pressing down like an unbearable weight.
Ruby’s entire body trembled as she shook her head violently, fresh tears spilling over.
“No, no, no… I went to school and came home every day! I was with Adora all the time! How would I have even met traffickers?”
she cried, her voice breaking.
Lilían, eyes filled with pity, held her even tighter, whispering reassurances.
“I know, darling, I know you wouldn’t. She’s sick, she’s lost her mind. Don’t listen to her…”
“Adora, there’s no need to slander Ruby just to stay in this house. If you really want to stay, it’s not impossible.
“From now on, be obedient, stop going against us, and we’ll still be willing to keep you here.”
To everyone’s surprise, Theodore suddenly softened, as if he had discovered a last–minute sense of conscience.
Adora was slightly taken aback.
Her gaze flickered toward Ruby.
Sure enough, Ruby’s sobs faltered, her expression visibly shifting.
She was caught off guard, completely unprepared for their father’s sudden change of stance.
But in front of their parents, she couldn’t react too obviously.
If she did, it would raise suspicions.
However, Peter had no such concerns.
He immediately blurted out, “Dad, why are you changing your mind now? Julianne explicitly said if Adora doesn’t leave, she’s
calling off the wedding.”
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Theodore waved off his concern.
“Talk to her again. Besides, Adora doesn’t have much time left anyway. You can delay the wedding, or I’ll buy you two a separate estate–once you’re married, you can move out.”
He spoke about his own daughter’s impending death as casually as if he were discussing dinner plans.
There was not even a single trace of grief or sorrow.
Peter clenched his jaw, his fury barely contained as he turned toward the second floor.
“And you still have the nerve to say we’ve treated you unfairly? We’re bending over backwards for you, and now my entire future is being put on hold just to accommodate you!”
Adora let out a soft laugh, utterly unmoved by his outrage.
“This is my home. I have every right to live here. Since when does not being thrown out onto the street count as an act of
kindness? Isn’t that just the bare
minimum?”
