The next day, Alivia received a phone call from the Houston family.
Lynn Houston, her adoptive mother, beat around the bush at first, asking probing questions about her marriage with Adler, trying to gauge if the three-year exile had broken her spirit.
Alivia didn't bother hiding anything from the Houston family. She laid her cards on the table directly, her voice devoid of any familial warmth. "Aunt Lynn, Adler gave me the divorce agreement last night, and I've already signed it."
Shortly after Kendal had returned to the family, Alivia had been harshly reprimanded by the Houston parents and ordered to change how she addressed them. She was to call them "Uncle" and "Aunt" instead of "Mom" and "Dad." If it hadn't been for the impending marriage with Adler, and their concern for the reputations of both the Rivera and Houston families, she probably would have been kicked out of the house right then and there.
But even though she hadn't been thrown out immediately, the years she spent there afterward were far from pleasant, filled with constant reminders of her "fake" status.
Hearing that she had already signed the divorce papers, the tone on the other end of the line-which had previously been somewhat cautious and placating-instantly changed. It became arrogant, contemptuous, and sounded as if she were bestowing a great charity.
"Today is Kendal's birthday. You should come over tonight and see the world a bit," Lynn commanded, her voice dripping with condescension.
Alivia lowered her eyes, hiding the coldness in them. "Alright."
Normally, after issuing an order, Lynn would just hang up.
But today, she paused, adding a supplementary warning laced with sarcasm. "Back then, Old Mr. Rivera was senile and played matchmaker where he shouldn't have. Now, hasn't everything returned to its rightful track? Alivia, don't you dare feel resentful. You are of low birth; you were never worthy of the Rivera family. If you hadn't been lucky enough to be taken in by the Houston family for a few years, you wouldn't have ever had the chance to step over the threshold of high society. You might have ended up dead in a ditch somewhere. Furthermore, if it weren't for you, Kendal wouldn't have been left wandering outside for so many years, and she wouldn't have gotten sick. You must remember to be grateful. Although her condition is stable now, she can't handle being provoked. As the older sister, and considering how much you owe her, it's only right that you yield to her."
Her words trampled Alivia into the dirt, threatening her life and using the "debt of upbringing" to morally blackmail her. But Alivia had only been an infant back then. If it hadn't been for the earthquake and the hospital nurse mixing up the babies, she would have grown up as the deeply cherished jewel of the top-tier Avery family, far above the Houstons' petty wealth.
"I understand," Alivia replied flatly, casually packing her suitcase as she spoke.
There was nothing else of hers in this villa. She had brought one suitcase in, and she would leave with one suitcase.
Lynn snorted coldly and hung up the phone.
Later that afternoon, the sound of a car horn blared from outside the villa.
Adler didn't get out of the car. He simply called Alivia's phone, delivering two clean, cold words: "Come down."
Alivia deliberately took her time, checking her makeup and ensuring her expression was perfectly neutral.
Only when Adler's second call came through did she finally emerge from the villa.
Seeing the figure jogging over, the man inside the car slightly relaxed his furrowed brow. He leaned over and adjusted a gift box resting on the passenger seat.
"Sorry, I took a nap this afternoon. Kept you waiting," Alivia said formally as she opened the rear door and sat down stiffly.
Adler glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his hands tightening on the steering wheel. "You're going to a banquet dressed like that?"
Alivia let out a confused "Huh?" and looked down at her casual clothes. "Is this not okay? It's just a family dinner, shouldn't it be fine?"
Adler picked up the gift box from the passenger seat and tossed it into the back. "Go change."
The white box bore the logo of Sprince, and the packaging was meticulously crafted. Alivia immediately recognized it as a dress from Sprince's latest unreleased spring/summer collection.
She looked hesitant and pushed the box back. "This is the gift you prepared for Kendal. It wouldn't be right for me to wear it."
Adler tapped his fingers against the steering wheel, pausing at her words. "The news of our divorce hasn't been made public yet. Are you planning to embarrass the Rivera family by showing up looking like that?"
"But..."
"I have a different gift prepared for Kendal. This was sent by the brand, and I just happened to leave it in the car," Adler cut her off coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Go change."
"Fine."
Left with no choice, Alivia carried the box back inside, changed into the dress, and returned.
It was a stunning gradient blue evening gown that made her fair skin look even more radiant. The skirt shimmered like flowing water with every step she took. It was a masterpiece of design.
