As I was lost in thought about Emily, the butler soon returned with news.
"Two years ago, Richard Carter’s wife passed away. Not long after, he married his mistress and brought her daughter into the house. That girl then stole Emily’s engagement."
"Recently, the Carters arranged a new match for Emily, but it’s just some low-level employee with an ordinary family background."
My gaze darkened. I immediately told the driver,
"Don’t take me home. Go to Silverlake."
When I arrived at the Carter estate in Silverlake, I only brought a single bodyguard with me.
"I’m here to see Emily Carter. I’m her friend."
At first, the housekeeper didn’t want to let me in. So I left a message for them instead:
"If the stepmother runs the house and even the real daughter’s friends aren’t allowed to visit, this kind of wealthy family scandal will be quite the talk of the town."
It wasn’t long before the housekeeper returned to invite me inside.
In the living room, Emily was nowhere to be seen. Instead, a woman wearing glittering jewelry sat there with her daughter, Olivia Carter.
Emily and Olivia. Even their names seemed designed to mock Emily and her late mother.
"What do you do for a living?" Olivia’s mother asked.
I casually replied, “I run social media accounts.”
Emily had once told me that outside the home, identities were whatever you chose for yourself.
Now I saw she had been right.
"I didn’t expect Emily to have such capable friends. Sit for a while, she’s still getting ready. Young ladies always take their time with appearances."
Her smile was sharp-edged, belittling Emily right in front of her guest, making it clear how little respect she had for her stepdaughter.
It was easy to imagine how hard Emily’s life had been in this household over the past two years.
I felt a pang of pity. My voice grew colder as I said, “It’s fine, ma’am, I understand. After all, I was also left waiting at the door for a long time just now. If someone has a poor reputation, it’s only natural for them to be hesitant about showing their face.”
The stepmother’s face stiffened, but she held back her anger. Olivia, however, wasn’t so restrained.
"What did you just say?" she snapped.
I remained seated, smiling pleasantly. “Ah, so this must be the Carter family’s second young lady. Among wealthy heiresses, even the ill-tempered ones know not to shout in public. You should really learn some manners.”
Of course, heiresses come in all temperaments. I said it only to spite her.
Furious, Olivia was about to order me out when Emily appeared.
The moment I saw her, my heart ached. She was much thinner than two years ago. Once so full of life, she now looked even weaker than I had when I was ill.
I couldn’t hold back. I stood up and went straight to her.
Her eyes reddened as soon as she saw me. “Claire.”
She threw herself into my arms, trembling uncontrollably.
I patted her back, soothing her emotions, though my gaze flicked toward Olivia and her mother with a chill of ice.
"Emily, it’s good that your friend is here. It’ll be nice to have someone to talk to. But don’t go out tonight—it’s late, and I’d worry something might happen to you."
When Emily heard her stepmother call herself “Mom,” her body stiffened noticeably.
I turned to look at the woman, my eyes full of naked contempt.
But instead of replying to her, I said to Emily, “Come on, let’s go out for dinner.”
Olivia immediately blocked our way, shouting, “Didn’t you hear what my mom just said?”
"You said it yourself—it was your mom speaking. Emily’s real mother is in her grave. What’s the matter, did you hear her calling for you from there?"
I gripped Emily’s hand tighter, casting a sharp warning glance at the stepmother.
