“Look carefully!” my eldest brother sneered, shoving the document into my face. “See the signature and the seal? Dad’s handwriting was plain as day. If you’re the true daughter of the Ashford Family, why isn’t your name on this paper?”
He hurled the file at me, letting it smack against my chest before it fell to the floor. He didn’t care that I might rip it to shreds in a fit of rage; in front of all these people, doing so would only make me look guiltier.
I bent down to pick it up, my hands trembling. The signature was unmistakable—my father’s. The seal, too, was his, the same one kept securely in his safe. My heart raced as a terrifying thought struck me, ‘Had my two heartless brothers done something to my father?’
But no, the thought was immediately rejected, that couldn’t be. Just yesterday, I had spoken to my parents on the phone. They were supposed to be home tomorrow.
Before I could think further, Elissa stepped forward, her face a mask of false concern. “Sister,” she said sweetly, her voice dripping with insincerity, “I know you’ve tried everything to take my place, but the truth can’t be faked. Reality is reality. You can’t blame anyone else, born in a mountain village, for your bad fate.”
She paused, letting her words hang in the air before adding with a saccharine smile, “But don’t worry. Since you’re my spare blood bank and I’ve been your older sister for so many years, I won’t treat you badly.”
She raised her hand, waving someone over. A squat, overweight man shuffled forward, his hands rubbing together in excitement.
Disgusted, I sidestepped quickly to avoid his touch.
I recognized him immediately—he was the housekeeper’s son, the one with the IQ of a five-year-old. He came toward me, drooling, his grin wide and unsettling.
Seeing the saliva bared open around his mouth, I had a vicious chill.
“Why are you dodging?” my eldest brother barked. “He’s going to be your husband soon. A hug won’t kill you.”
The housekeeper’s son lit up with glee, his eyes sparkling like a child offered a new toy.
I, however, stared in shock. Are my ears broken, or is his mouth pumping?
My second brother chimed in, giving me a rough shove. “What’s with the attitude? You’re just a raggedy thing that came out of a mountain pass that had already been used by an old man in his sixties. You’re lucky this idiot is willing to take you. Stop being so picky. Elissa is kind-hearted. And for the sake of your life’s events, she purposely gave up her birthday banquet for you to use as a wedding banquet. And today, several of our older siblings are here, so we’ll help you decide to get married right now. And when you get married, just be obedient and we can still treat you as a sister.”
Elissa covered her mouth, laughing lightly. “Sister, you slapped Auntie Margareth earlier, but she didn’t even hold it against you. How about this? Kneel down, serve her a cup of tea and apologize. Once you’ve shown proper respect, we’ll forget the whole thing. Then you can work on giving Auntie Margareth a plump grandson soon. Auntie Margareth’s so kind—she’ll treat you well.”
“That’s right!” Auntie Margareth chimed in, her voice grating with excitement. “Serve the tea and you’ll be my daughter-in-law. Tonight, you can sleep with my son.”
My vision went red with rage. Without thinking, I lashed out, kicking Auntie Margareth squarely in the chest. She stumbled backward, falling to the floor in a dramatic heap, wailing and screaming.
I straightened my voice ice cold. “Touch me again and when my parents come back, they’ll strip you of everything.”
Her sobs faltered, fear flickering across her face.
I turned to my brothers, my fury uncontained. “And you two—Theodore Ashford, Gregory Ashford—if you dare to pull this stunt, our parents will never forgive you.”
The room buzzed with whispers, but no one stepped forward to intervene.
“What’s the big deal?” someone muttered. “She’s just Elissa’s spare blood bank. The Ashford Family won’t really mistreat her.”
“Exactly,” another sneered. “She’s already been used by a sixty-year-old. Marrying a younger man is a step up for her. What’s she complaining about?”
Before I could react, my second brother grabbed my wrists in a crushing grip.
“Which leg did you use to kick Auntie Margareth?” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “This one, right?”
He slammed his foot into the back of my knee. The first blow sent a jolt of pain through my leg, but I gritted my teeth, refusing to cry out. The second kick, however, was too much. My legs buckled and I fell to the floor, kneeling against my will.
I struggled to rise, my voice shaking with anger. “Let me go! I’m the real daughter of the Ashford Family! Elissa is the fraud!”
No one listened. Instead, people laughed at me for being paranoid again.
My eldest brother pressed a heavy hand on my shoulder, forcing me back down.
“You’ve already stolen enough from Elissa,” he spat. “But now, you dare to lay a hand on your future mother-in-law? As the eldest son of the Ashford Family, it’s my responsibility to teach you a lesson about respect.”
Both of my brothers held me down, one pressing my shoulders while the other forced my head toward the ground. I fought against them, but the dull-witted man pinned me with his weight, drooling as he chanted, “Wedding night! Wedding night!”
Humiliation and despair welled up inside me, spilling over as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.
Then, cutting through the chaos, came a furious, familiar voice from the doorway.
“Stop it! What do you think you’re doing to my precious daughter?”
