Chapter 3

Things like that happened all the time. My grandparents always favored Aunt Bethany.

So when my mother got into college, she felt like she had finally broken free and barely went back home.

In college, she met my father, and they went from college sweethearts to the couple everyone wished they could be.

My father knew how much my mother disliked Aunt Bethany, so right after they married, he hated it when Aunt Bethany visited. I didn't know when those two had ended up so close.

I looked around at all the people who were supposed to be my mother's closest family, but somehow, Aunt Bethany was the one they all cared about most.

It didn't matter. My mother still had me.

My father said, "Don't waste your energy. In the end, we're all going to sign that settlement agreement anyway."

I had never hated myself more for not having any claim to inheritance. I could only watch as Aunt Bethany took my mother's place.

But if the law couldn't punish them, then I'd make sure the court of public opinion destroyed them.

Aunt Bethany was an actress—a real superstar—and her reputation meant everything to her. I used a burner account to post their wedding invitation online, and the internet went wild.

Her fans couldn't believe she was getting married in secret, especially to her sister's husband, right after her sister's death.

It was insane. Rumors started flying—did Bethany get between her sister and her sister's husband? Was she the reason her sister died?

The hate comments started rolling in:

[I always knew she's shameless, but stealing her sister's husband?]

[Her poor sister just died, and she can't wait to move in and take over.]

[I heard her sister was always sick in bed. Wasn't it this trashy couple that made her sick?]

I loved every second of Aunt Bethany's reputation crashing and burning, but then an account started calling out all the haters, shutting them down one by one.

He posted: [Don't you dare talk trash about my Auntie Bethany. She's literally the best person ever.]

The internet quickly figured out this was the son of Bethany's sister.

Then Aunt Bethany went live, admitting she was about to marry my father. She broke down in tears, her voice trembling as she spoke.

She said, "I never thought I'd ever be with Maurice. My sister, Lilah, passed away so suddenly, and the kids were still so young.

"Everyone was worried that bringing someone new into the family would be hard on the kids.

"Lilah was always sick, and Archie always needed me. I just couldn't stand to see him hurt.

"So we decided I'd marry Maurice, and that way I could keep taking care of the kids."

"I never imagined people would misunderstand me so badly," Aunt Bethany said, her voice trembling.

On the livestream, my father and my grandparents stood behind Aunt Bethany, visible on camera.

My grandparents comforted her, saying, "You've really had it tough."

My father stepped up to the camera and said, "Lilah's health has been poor for years, and Bethany would always drop by whenever she could to help me look after her and the kids.

"Even when she'd just finished filming and hadn't slept for days, she'd still come over to see Lilah. I'm truly grateful to her."

The comments section exploded:

[This is so moving.]

[She's such an angel, so good to her sister and the kids.]

[Their sisterly bond is incredible. Anyone saying she drove her sister to death is just messed up.]

Bethany was suddenly seen as the perfect sister.

My eyes were burning with rage as I posted a message in her livestream.

I commented: [You're the one who pushed your sister down the stairs. You killed her! And now you have the nerve to pretend you cared about her? You really are a great actress.]

The chat went from praise to shock in a heartbeat.

Someone commented: [Hold up, is that true? Did Bethany push her? If that's true, this is next-level drama.]