Chapter 8
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Knowing I got full marks on the SAT, top universities across the country extended their olive branches to me, even launching an intense battle to recruit me.
Many renowned professors also encouraged me to study abroad, suggesting I could seek greater opportunities in a broader
world.
But in the end, I chose the Mechanical Engineering and Automation program at Berverlyn University, the nation’s top- ranked institution.
The reason was simple: Thea had once sketched her dream on paper–when she grew up, the place she most wanted to go was the campus of Berverlyn University. She said the ginkgo–lined road there would be breathtakingly beautiful in autumn.
So I chose Berverlyn University. I was just scouting the path ahead for her.
Once Bryce found out I’d chosen Berverlyn University, he texted me again.
I’d long since blocked every way they could reach me, but with all his money and connections, he always managed to get my new number.
Bryce: [Berverlyn University is the nation’s top institution, with a long history and rigorous academic standards. It’s truly an excellent choice. Mom and Dad want to throw a grand celebration party for. It’s time… for you to come home.]
I let out a scoff, but this time, I didn’t reject the offer right away.
It was high time I delivered my “surprise“.
I sent my reply: [Fine. I’ll be there on time.]
Bryce texted back almost instantly, excitedly telling me the time and place. Then he rambled on, scolding me for staying mad at my parents for so long and making them so upset.
I didn’t bother replying again. He must have sensed my impatience and didn’t send any more messages.
On the party day, it was sunny with a gentle breeze. The Hermans had exclusively reserved the sky party hall at the city’s most luxurious seven–star hotel for my celebration.
I arrived right on the dot, walking casually into the opulent party hall under the anxious and anticipated eyes of the Hermans. I was dressed in a cool dress I designed myself, featuring bold mechanical details.
The moment I appeared, the Hermans visibly heaved a sigh of relief.
It was obvious the Hermans were bursting with pride over my achievement on the SAT and my admission to Berverlyn University. The entire party hall was decorated with over–the–top luxury, every detail screaming their so–called sincerity.
Relatives, old acquaintances, and business partners of the Herman family kept coming over to offer their congratulations. My parents, beaming with shared pride, pulled me along as they exchanged pleasantries with everyone, their faces glowing
with honor.
I couldn’t help but wonder–where did those people go? The ones who cut me off without a second thought and screamed at the top of their lungs “You’re not my daughter” that day.
Carly sat in her wheelchair throughout with a pale face and was surrounded by her so–called best friends. She looked like a white rose on the verge of wilting.
They all stared daggers at me, their jaws clenched in anger. Not a single one came forward to congratulate me–it felt more like they were here for revenge.
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The first to lose his composure was Vincent–the same man I once ordered around to serve me a cocktail. Glass in hand, he sidled up to me with a forced smile.
He said, “Wow, if it isn’t the Herman family’s golden girl, Miss Elena, the full–mark achiever. You’re really hogging the limelight today, aren’t you? Carly is such a poor girl.
“This honor should’ve been shared between you two, but now she can only watch you steal the spotlight–while she, thanks to that… unfortunate accident, missed the SAT entirely.”
The Hermans’s smiles froze, and a subtle tension instantly filled the party hall.
Instead, I flashed a confident smile and clinked glasses with him.
“Oh, so that’s what you’re regretting? Actually, I was just planning to use today’s occasion to formally apologize to Carly and present her with a long–overdue blessing.”
Hearing this, the Hermans’s eyes instantly lit up with a glimmer of hope and relief.
A sense of foreboding crept over Vincent. Instinctively, he glanced back at Carly, who sat in her wheelchair with a forced smile.
I walked over, meeting Carly’s terrified gaze as I took the handles of her wheelchair from her best friends behind her. With her in tow, I slowly wheeled her onto the central platform of the party hall.
Carly’s face was deathly pale, her body trembling uncontrollably.
With unshaken composure, I picked up the microphone and cleared my throat.
I spoke up, “Good afternoon, distinguished guests. Thank you all for taking the time to attend my graduation party today. I believe most of you have heard some… unpleasant rumors about the recent misunderstandings between my sister, Carly, and me.”
I caught the crowd’s puzzled, probing gazes and let a sly smile spread across my face. Then, leaning down, I whispered in her ear, “Do you really think that you are the only one who knew how to play people and control the narrative?”
I tapped the play button on my phone, linking it to the massive LED display in the party hall. The congratulatory video that had been looping instantly vanished, replaced by a meticulously edited surveillance recording.
Carly turned pale as death, spinning to stare at me with disbelieving eyes.
Leaning in close, I let out a barely audible, chilling laugh and whispered in her ear, “Carly, you probably never realized that limited–edition music box in your room is actually my handiwork.
“It’s fitted with an HD pinhole camera–night vision, audio recording, everything synced straight to the cloud. Oh, and when your mother gave it to you, I helped her choose the pattern.”
From day one back at Herman Villa, I sensed an eerie atmosphere and Carly’s veiled hostility toward me. For self- protection, I discreetly installed a miniature surveillance device in the most hidden corner of her room.
At this moment, the party hall fell into stunned silence as every pair of eyes locked onto the surveillance footage playing on the massive screen.
The video was crystal clear, vividly capturing the argument between Carly and me in her room, and every word of our conversation was perfectly audible.
In the footage, Carly first pleaded with me desperately. When she saw I wouldn’t budge, a cold, calculating glint flashed in her eyes. Suddenly, she grabbed my hand and violently threw herself against the floor–to–ceiling window behind her with a triumphant smirk.
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The next instant, there was the sound of shattering glass, and then she plummeted from the window.
The truth was laid bare for all to see–everything was crystal clear.
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Unlike the last welcome party, when everyone stood there like statues, this time, the entire hall erupted in a wave of shocked gasps.
The Hermans looked as if they’d been struck by lightning. In utter disbelief, their heads whipped around, eyes locked onto Carly, who was teetering on the verge of collapse on the stage.
Carly trembled violently all over under the weight of the crowd’s contemptuous, mocking, furious, and disappointed gazes. The world spun, and her vision went black. She suddenly toppled sideways from her wheelchair and lost consciousness.
Without so much as a glance, I pressed play again, bringing up the second video on the screen.
The video showed Meagan, drunk and sobbing, pouring out her regrets. Clutching a bottle of cheap liquor, she curses at thin air and finally confessed: Years ago, driven by jealousy that Nora had married into wealth and finding herself pregnant at the same time, she secretly switched their newborn babies at the hospital.
“How could Nora get to live such a life of luxury? My daughter is the one who should’ve been the real princess. Stella should’ve suffered in Carly’s place. Samuel, you coward. You knew back then, didn’t you? You saw that red birthmark on Stella’s neck, but you kept your mouth shut, afraid your scandals would be exposed,” she muttered and then broke out laughing.
As the video ended, the party hall erupted into a complete mess.
With unshaken composure, I descended from the stage. As I passed the three members of the Herman family–their faces ashen, bodies frozen in shock–I paused just long enough to deliver my final parting gift.
I turned to Samuel with a radiant smile but an icy tone. “Oh, by the way, Mr. Herman, you’ve known all along, haven’t you? Carly is actually your biological daughter with your first love, Meagan. Back then, to protect your reputation and status, you didn’t dare acknowledge Meagan or her child.
“But you couldn’t bear to let your own child be left out in the cold, so you approved and even collaborated in Meagan’s baby–swapping scheme. Those hefty child support payments you secretly sent her were hush money for Meagan and compensation for your real daughter, Carly. Isn’t that right?
“What a pity, Mr. Herman. For all your meticulous scheming, you never expected Meagan would take out all her jealousy and resentment on an innocent like me. And you certainly never imagined your precious daughter, Carly, would inherit every last bit of selfish cruelty from both you and Meagan.”
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