Chapter 1

It was my fifth year after being dumped in Pine Creek.

My family finally remembered I existed.

When they found me,I was sitting outside the old grocery store,playing bridge with two elderly ladies.

My father,Robert Bennett,looked at me with open disgust.

"Ava,you really are hopeless now.You're actually spending your time with two old women from a small town."

"Emily is in trouble.Come back to Boston with us and take responsibility for the car accident for her."

My mother,Caroline Bennett,stood behind him.There was no warmth in the way she looked at me.

"As long as you're willing to help Emily,we'll let you return to the Bennett family and enjoy your old life again."

My former fiance,Caleb Shaw,came over and took my hand.

"Ava,how can you mix with ignorant old women like this?Hurry up and send them away,then come back with us to help Emily."

What a joke.

I could send anyone away,but not them.

The two elderly ladies in front of me.

One was Grace Lin,who had taught me investing.

The other was Mrs.Hart,the true power behind the Hart family.

She controlled the largest private bank and charitable foundation on the East Coast.

And she was also the mother of my current fiance.

...

I pulled my hand back and kept playing my cards.

"Pair of aces."

My father's face darkened at once.

"We sent you here so you could reflect on yourself."

"And look at you,wasting your days playing cards with old women in this miserable place.Do you have any ambition left at all?"

My mother spoke too,her voice full of contempt.

"Picking up the bad habits of poor small-town people.You have completely embarrassed the Bennett family."

I felt nothing.

Because five years ago,I had already heard words a hundred times uglier than these.

I slowly looked up and smiled.

"So playing cards is an embarrassment."

"Then should Emily get a medal for killing someone while driving drunk?"

All three of them fell silent for a moment.

My father was so furious that the veins at his temples stood out.

Caleb quickly warned them with his eyes not to lose control,then came to my side and said gently,

"Ava,don't be so harsh."

"Emily is in poor health.She can't survive prison."

"As long as you're willing to come back and help Emily,I can honor our engagement again and marry you."

I had heard that line too many times.

Emily didn't mean it.

Emily is weak,so you have to give way to her.

Emily was just too scared.

Five years ago,Emily falsely accused me of pushing her down the stairs.

Caleb had been standing at the end of the hall.

He saw the whole thing with his own eyes.

But he did not say a single word for me.

Instead,he held Emily in his arms and encouraged my parents to send me to this remote town.

In five years,not one of them had come to see me.

No money,no emails,not even a single greeting.

They left me here to live or die on my own.

Thinking of that,I gave a cold laugh.

"Five years ago,weren't you the one who called me vicious,said I wasn't worthy of you,and broke off our engagement?"

"Now that you see I still have some use to Emily,you've come running back to talk about marriage?"

"Caleb,don't you think you're fake?Don't you think you're disgusting?"

Caleb's face flushed instantly.

"I came here in good faith to discuss this with you,and this is your attitude?"

"Spend long enough in the country,and I guess people really do become poor,crude,and unreasonable."

My face went cold.

"Are you done?If you are,leave.I'm not going back."

My father was so angry that he stepped forward and suddenly slapped me across the face.

He pointed at my nose and cursed,

"How can you be so unfilial?You've held on to one small thing for five years?"

"Your mother and I gave you your life."

"You are part of this family.You should sacrifice for this family."

My mother looked at me as if her heart were breaking.

"Emily is in trouble now,and instead of helping your sister,you're mocking her here.Ava,do you have a conscience at all?"

I held my burning cheek and froze for a second.

Then I laughed.

"When you dumped me here and ignored me,did you ever think I was part of the family?"

"Now you remember me?"

"Am I your daughter,or am I Emily's scapegoat?"

My father flew into a rage from humiliation and raised his hand to hit me again.

But someone caught his wrist in midair.

"Enough."