Chapter 4

On the day of Hale Living's thirteenth-anniversary gala, Phoebe posted another photo.

She stood between Conrad and Vera, all three of them dressed in the same color palette.

The caption was the same as before: My family is finally complete.

When I arrived, they were giving interviews in front of the media wall.

Vera wore a white gown with her hand tucked into the crook of Conrad's arm. When a reporter asked whether she planned to join Hale Living, she smiled and said she only wanted to be there for her daughter, and she would gladly support Conrad whenever he needed her.

It was the kind of answer that admitted nothing and denied nothing.

Phoebe saw me first.

Her smile vanished.

"Why are you here?"

"I was invited."

Conrad came over, his gaze sweeping across my black dress.

"I told you to calm down. I did not tell you to bring our family problems into my company."

"This is not a family gathering."

"Of course it isn't." He lowered his voice. "Which is exactly why you should not be here."

Vera moved to Phoebe's side as though she were protecting her.

"Talia, the college fund situation has already been very hard on her. Tonight matters to her father. Could you please stop forcing her to choose sides, just for one evening?"

I looked at the diamond bracelet on her wrist.

Conrad had given it to me on our tenth wedding anniversary.

Two months earlier, he told me he had sent it out to be serviced.

Apparently, he had only sent it to a different woman.

"Conrad," I asked, "what else are you planning to take out of our marriage and give to her?"

His expression tightened before impatience took over.

"It is one bracelet. Vera did not have anything suitable to wear, so I lent it to her for the evening. Stop making a scene."

Phoebe stepped in front of Vera.

"Mom didn't mean anything by it. You already canceled my college fund. What else do you want?"

Mom.

The word sounded more natural every time she said it.

"You spent every dollar in that fund."

"But you can put it back."

"Phoebe." I met her eyes calmly. "You have chosen your parents. Now you can let them carry a parent's responsibilities."

Her eyes turned red, not with regret, but with anger.

"You just want me to beg you."

Conrad called over the venue manager.

"She is not on the public guest list. Have her removed."

The manager looked at the invitation in my hand.

Conrad snatched it away. He glanced only at the gala name on the front and never opened it.

"You can buy these online. Escort her out."

The staff started toward me.

Before they could touch me, a stir went through the entrance.

Several board members rose at once.

An older man with silver hair entered, surrounded by his staff.

Conrad hurried forward and held out his hand.

"Mr. Bennett, welcome. This is only a small family dispute."

Arthur Bennett did not take his hand.

He walked past Conrad and stopped in front of me.

The last time I had seen him, thirteen years earlier, he told me that if I chose Conrad, I was never to return to the Bennett family.

Now he looked at the staff members preparing to remove me.

When he spoke, his voice was cold enough to carry through the entire ballroom.

"Who gave you permission to throw my daughter out?"