With a hint of mockery, I taunted her, “If your husband is that rich, why would he borrow someone else’s villa for the wedding?”
My words cut through the air, drawing the attention of Haley and her clique. Their smiles vanished and were replaced by sour expressions. With their arms crossed, they sneered back at me.
“Emma Larkin, can’t believe you actually had the audacity to show up. Have you no shame?”
“Besides, the villa belongs to the family of Haley’s husband. Why are you being snarky? Jealous much?”
“Hey, Ms. Vain, where did you get your hands on that counterfeit Hermès bag? That logo looks damn fake! When are you going to change that vain habit of yours?”
They jeered at me, just like they once did in school.
I snickered quietly. Back when I was in school, Dad made donations for a few academic buildings. Those contributions, along with my stellar grades, had secured me a guaranteed spot at a top university before I even took the SATs.
However, Haley suddenly struck and slandered me. She accused me of impersonating her. Crying, she pitifully showed photos of my villa, including the pool, the private theater, and my dad’s collection of sports cars in the garage. She even produced a photo of herself standing next to my dad to make her lies more convincing.
The school turned on me when the photos were released. I became the “poor girl” who pretended to be a tycoon’s daughter, and my guaranteed university admission was revoked.
At first, I had wanted to call Dad to clear my name, but he had to undergo urgent surgery for a heart attack. To avoid further stressing him out, I kept the happenings at school a secret.
Thankfully, Dad’s surgery was a success. At the same time, I had received an offer from a prestigious school abroad, where I met my now husband, Thomas Siegel.
After Thomas and I were married, we went back to the country, only for me to discover that Haley hadn’t stopped her charade. In my absence, she had not only continued pretending to be me but had also taken over my house—this very villa!
I had wanted to reveal the real owner of the villa—the Siegel family—but Haley had already lunged at me and slapped me in the face. “Emma Larkin, you owed me this from 10 years ago! I’m settling the score now!”
