Chapter 5

The allergic reaction bothered me for most of the night; Daisy had to give me an anti-allergy shot to stabilize me.

The next day, I woke up at six as usual, pretending nothing had happened.

At three in the afternoon, I was reading in the private courtyard.

Skylar pushed the door open, followed by two distant Hayes relatives.

The same two who had been gossiping the loudest in the corner at last night's dinner party.

"Elara Sterling, the elders were very displeased about yesterday's incident."

Skylar sat opposite me, crossing her legs.

"Aunt Carol said that if you have a weak constitution, you should know your place and not embarrass the Hayes family."

I closed my book. "I'm very sorry about yesterday."

My tone was calm.

I had no patience for Skylar anymore, but I didn't want to escalate things.

It wouldn't benefit anyone.

"What good is 'sorry'?"

Brenda, the nosy relative, chimed in.

"Your father came from nothing, a total nobody, and he actually thought he could marry you into the Hayes family?"

I put down my book and looked at her.

"I suggest you watch your mouth."

My voice was soft, but the smile was gone.

Brenda stared at me, startled, then grew indignant.

"What's with that attitude? Am I wrong? Everyone knows about your mother, how she basically threw herself at your dad back in the day."

"I said." I cut her off, enunciating each word. "Watch your mouth."

"That's twice."

The air went silent for a moment.

Skylar smiled and patted Brenda's shoulder, signaling her to back off.

Then she stood up, slowly walked over to me, and leaned down.

"Elara, don't get upset. They're just chatterboxes."

Her voice was very soft, as if soothing a child.

"But I am curious, what exactly happened with your mother when she was young?"

My body tensed.

Skylar straightened up, her expression meaningful.

"I heard Aunt Carol talking about it yesterday. Something about an unclear relationship with someone?"

"That's why everyone said your dad was practically begging your mom to marry him. After all, what respectable girl would throw herself at a man like that?"

My fingers began to tremble.

Not from fear.

But from restraint.

"Shut up."

"Oh, I'm not saying anything bad." Skylar smiled, spreading her hands. "That's just what everyone says—"

"I said shut up."

I stood up.

My chair slid back sharply, nearly a meter, hitting the wall with a loud thud.

Skylar paused, but quickly recovered her smile.

She thought I was just bluffing.

After all, in her eyes, I was just a sickly girl who could be blown over by a gust of wind; what threat could I possibly pose?

The two women behind her also laughed.

"Oh, she's getting defensive."

"Why are you so upset? Guilty conscience?"

Skylar looked down at me, her eyes filled with knowing malice.

She knew I wouldn't dare to do anything.

This marriage held the Sterling Group's lifeline, and I couldn't jeopardize it.

So her next sentence was spoken exceptionally slowly, exceptionally clearly.

"Look at you, so frail, always in the ER. Exactly like your mother when she was young."

"Just like your mother, a cheap little gold digger, born to leech off men."

"Snap."

It wasn't the sound of a slap.

It was the sound of the spine of the hardcover book in my hands being crushed between my two fingers.

Splinters of wood clattered to the floor.

The living room fell silent.

Skylar looked down at the deformed book in my hand, her smile finally freezing on her face.

I looked up.

Tears still clung to my eyelashes, my voice still soft, still carrying my naturally soft, almost whiny tone.

But every word was like a razor blade.

"Skylar."

"You insult me, I can let it go."

"You bully me, I can pretend it didn't happen."

"But if you dare to say one more word to insult my mother—"

I let go of the fragments in my hand, slowly taking a step towards her.

Skylar instinctively took half a step back.