Chapter
On the morning of Celia’s birthday, Matthew called to issue a warning. “If you don’t come and apologize to Celia today, don’t bother ever coming back to Sinclair residence.”
He seemed to forget that I hadn’t set foot in that so–called home in three years.
Still, I went,
When he saw I was out, Samuel was the first to reach for my wheelchair’s armrest again.
But this time, I didn’t move. I just looked at him, quiet and calm.
Meeting my eyes, he slowly withdrew his hand..
The new bodyguard took over. Not a single word passed between us,
Even as the car pulled away, he just stood there, watching me leave.
Matthew wasn’t surprised to see me. His lips curled in a mocking sneer before he turned to greet the other guests, never sparing me another glance.
My father, Charles Sinclair, and his mistress, Grace Bennett, stood flanking Celia, all smiles as they received guests like one big, happy family.
Samuel showed up too, just moments before his gift arrived.
He looked sharp today–well–groomed, charming. From across the crowd, I saw him watching Celia open his present, eyes soft, indulgent
1 looked away almost instantly.
Receiving a gift from the heir of the Hartley family clearly thrilled Celia.
Wearing the designer outfit inside, she strutted over with barely–contained glee after sending away my bodyguard and caregiver. “Did you see it, Vivian? That’s from Mr. Hartley
Back then, she had nothing. So she made it her mission to take everything I had. Now, she had him all to herself, and of course, she couldn’t help flaunting it
I replied coolly, “Once a bitch, always a bitch. No matter how well you dress it up.”
Celia’s expression twisted with rage.
But then her eyes fell on the silverware nearby. She smiled.
The moment her hand moved, I already knew what she was about to pull.
I didn’t stop her and didn’t flinch. I just sat back and let her perform.
“Ah, Vivian, what are you doing?” she screamed. “Even if you’re jealous of me, you can’t just grab a knife”
The dining knife clattered to the floor by my feet. A faint cut ran across her palm.
All heads turned toward us, including my father, Matthew, and Samuel.
Grace rushed forward, tears falling instantly, carefully cradling Celia’s hand.
She looked at me with a mixture of fear and helplessness, as if I were some terrifying villain she dared not provoke.
The crowd began to murmur, pity for Celia and sympathy for Grace. They thought Grace and Celia were poor, living under the same roof as the monstrous legitimate heiress.
I almost laughed.
It was always the same script, and the same act. However, people fell for it every single time.
1/483
Chapter 7
“Vivian, I know you don’t like me,” Grace said tearfully. “But Celia’s innocent. How could you hurt her again and again? Aren’t you afraid of what Mr. Hartley will do if this continues? Celia murmured.
My father’s eyes blazed, looking helpless. “I can’t believe I raised something like you. Apologize right now, or I’ll cut all ties with you.”
Matthew’s fists were shaking. “Vivian, did you forget what I warned you about? Someone get the family whip.”
The crowd turned hostile, all eyes on me.
And my bodyguard, Samuel? He just stood there, watching me in trouble as always.
“What? Are you all that desperate to kill me?” I looked slowly, deliberately, from Celia to my stepmother, then my father and Matthew, before finally fixing my eyes on Samuel.
With a cold chuckle, I reached for the bloodstained steak knife on the table–but even something as simple as that, my hand was too weak to manage. I couldn’t even lift it.
It was only then that the guests around us began to catch on. “Everyone’s been saying Mr. Hartley shattered Vivian’s arms and severed her tendons. She’s supposed to be a cripple now, totally dependent on others. How would she even be able to grab a knife, let alone use it to hurt someone?”
Celia’s face turned pale.
But Grace, ever experienced in moments like this, was quick to cover for her. “Vivian, drop the act. There’s nothing wrong with your hands, is there?”
That was all it took for my father and Matthew to jump in, united in their accusation.
One after another, they all started claiming I was faking it, and the guests began to waver too, unsure of what to believe.
Just then, the caregiver and bodyguard returned.
“Sure, let’s say I’m not injured. What do you want me to do to pay Celia back?” I asked calmly.
They clearly hadn’t expected me to admit to anything so easily. For a moment, not one of them said a word.
I turned to the caregiver and told her to strap the knife to my right hand, placing it in my palm.
Then, without hesitation, I drove the blade straight through my left hand. Blood shot out instantly, splashing across the table.
At the same time, the pressure on my right hand made the wound there burst open again.
In the blink of an eye, both my hands were torn and covered in blood and gore. “Is this enough for you?”
That alone was enough to prove I had long since lost the ability to hurt anyone.
The entire hall fell silent. One could hear a pin drop.
My father and brother’s pupils contracted sharply.
Samuel tried to approach me, but I shot him a single glance, cold, detached, and just like that, he froze in place, unable to take a single step closer.
“How could Vivian attack someone when her hands are like that? If she really wanted to hurt Celia, she could’ve done a lot worse than just leave a little cut
“She’s lost it Ms. Sinclair’s completely lost her mind.”
“Wouldn’t you? Her father and brother took the mistress’s side and stood by her stepsister. Anyone would snap.”
“You don’t get it. She did all this because she’s scared Mr. Hartley will come after her later.”
I turned to Samuel and suddenly asked, “Are you satisfied now?”
His face was ashen.
Chapter 7
It felt like thousands of tiny needles were stabbing him in the chest, numbing him with pain.
His lips trembled, but no words came out.
3/3
