Chapter 4

The bodyguard came over and looped a thick hemp rope around my neck.

Then he kicked me in the back of the knee.

Thud.

I dropped to the floor, my knees crushing a wine glass that lay there.

Shards of glass drove deep into my flesh, and blood soaked the fluorescent green hem of my skirt.

The pain made my whole body convulse, but I was still muttering on instinct.

"I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry, I'll crawl, I'll crawl right now."

I dragged my bleeding knees, crawling with effort between countless pairs of gleaming leather shoes and high heels.

Above me came an endless stream of jeers and whistles.

I saw Penelope's gaze land on something outside the banquet hall.

A deep, bottomless outdoor landscape pool.

"Drag her outside."

Penelope pointed at the outdoor landscape pool, the malice in her eyes no longer hidden at all.

"Since she's a jinx, she ought to wash all that bad luck off her with water."

Two burly bodyguards stepped forward and seized me by the hair.

My scalp burned with the tearing pain of strands snapping.

I was hauled up off the floor and dragged all the way to the outdoor landscape pool.

"Let me go… please…"

I struggled with everything I had, my knees smearing a long trail of blood across the marble floor.

The cold wind outside hit me, and I shivered violently.

A few socialites trailed out after them, laughing and giggling, ice buckets in their hands.

Splash—

A whole bucket of ice mixed with cold water was dumped straight over my head.

"Bark like a dog for us, country bumpkin."

The socialite nudged my face with the tip of her heel, laughing so hard she was trembling.

In my despair, I saw my biological father, Sebastian Henson, standing inside the glass door.

I clung to the doorframe and screamed at him through my tears.

"Dad! Save me! I'm going to die, please, I'm your own daughter!"

Sebastian frowned, picked up his wine glass, and walked out.

I thought he was coming to save me.

Instead, he lifted his gleaming leather shoe and kicked me square in the chest.

"Don't spoil everyone's fun."

His voice was ice cold, and he scraped the sole of his shoe against the threshold in disgust.

"No sense of manners at all. What's the harm in playing along with your sister and her friends?"

That kick shattered the very last sliver of light in my heart.

The bodyguard grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my head into the freezing landscape pool.

Gurgle…

Ice water surged into my mouth and nose in an instant.

The bone-deep cold was like countless knives slicing into my lungs.

"Ten, nine, eight…"

Sitting in her wheelchair, Penelope clapped her hands in excitement and counted down at the top of her voice.

I thrashed in the water, hands clawing wildly at the walls of the pool.

Through the rippling surface, my vision went blurry.

But I could still see them clearly, all those mocking, condescending eyes around me.

I saw Stephanie clinking glasses with the wealthy wives, and I saw Sebastian straightening his designer cuffs.

So in their eyes I wasn't a daughter at all—I was worth less than a dog.

Not one of them cared whether I lived or died.

That heart of mine that had longed for a home froze to death, completely, in that moment.

To hell with family. To hell with trying to please them!

The bodyguard yanked me out of the water just as Penelope reached "one."

"Why'd you stop screaming? Weren't you begging so nicely a moment ago?"

Penelope looked down at me, her face full of smug triumph.

I slowly lifted my head.

I reached up and wiped the blood and ice water from my face.

Then I split my lips into a smile, beaming at her, radiant and sweet.

"Sister, Dad, Mom, and all you young masters and ladies here tonight…"

I smiled and looked right at them, offering my most sincere blessing.

"I wish every last one of you—"

"a night of fortune crowning your heads, flowers blooming right over your heads, blazing bright and dazzling for all to see!"