Chapter 4

The gift box got knocked over, and inside was an exquisitely designed glass bottle.

It was a luxury-brand skincare product, definitely expensive stuff.

"If someone gives you something, you should just take it," Henry's voice cut in from the side. "Don't be ungrateful."

Ginger smacked Henry's arm and let out a little huff. "Don't talk to your sister like that."

They looked every bit the picture of a devoted brother and sister.

I took the pricey skincare gift without a second thought and handed it straight to Camilla.

She was over the moon, practically beaming as she showed off the present I gave her to everyone.

But that very night, things went south.

Camilla's hand was corroded by the skincare product. The chemicals ate away half her palm, and her screams of agony filled every corner of the villa.

Everyone was stunned.

That was the same bottle I had given her.

Everyone saw with their own eyes that Ginger had handed me that bottle.

*****

At the hospital, after treatment, Camilla's hand wasn't completely ruined, but it was pretty much half-useless.

Luckily, she always poured the skincare product onto a cotton pad before applying it to her face. If she'd poured it straight into her palm, her hand would've been destroyed, just like what happened to me in my previous life.

Ginger was bawling her eyes out, kept saying she had nothing to do with it, and tried to explain herself.

Henry tried to defend her, but he'd seen for himself that Ginger was the one who handed me that skincare product.

Maybe because Ginger was sobbing so hard, Henry hesitated a little, but still turned to me and asked, "Did you put something harmful in that skincare product?"

I was quietly brooding alone, but the moment I heard that, my blood boiled. Rage flared up inside me.

When Earl and Camilla Larson walked in, they saw me attacking Henry like a wild beast, going all out. His mouth was almost shredded from my desperate scratching.

I might be small and thin, but years of hard labor had made me stronger than I looked.

Earl rushed over and pulled us apart.

"Henry, you can defend her all you want, but don't you dare frame me!" I snarled.

Earl and Camilla Larson clearly knew what we were fighting about. Camilla tried to comfort me, saying, "Evelyn, I know this wasn't your fault."

"I've already called the cops," I said. I'd made the call before I even snapped and went after Henry.

The bigger the scandal, the better.

Earl looked annoyed. "You called the cops over something this trivial?"

I didn't even look at him. I turned straight to Camilla. "So, having your hand almost destroyed is just a trivial thing now? Guess your position as a wife doesn't matter much. You don't even rank above an adopted daughter here."

Camilla's face instantly darkened.

"Stop trying to stir up trouble. Mom's hand is seriously hurt. Of course, Dad's worried," Henry snapped.

Maybe because I'd never tried to please Henry, not even once in this life, and after going head-to-head with him just now, I saw something change in his eyes. No more contempt, but a trace of fear.

After the police arrived, both Ginger and I were taken away.

What really floored me was that Ginger was let go the very first day, right after giving her statement.

The charges of intentional harm didn't hold up.

Camilla didn't press charges.

As soon as I got home, I started packing and sent my luggage straight to my school dorm, determined not to stick around the Larson house any longer.

I was all set to head out early, but Camilla pleaded with me to wait until after the school opening dinner. She wanted to parade me around in front of her friends and relatives.

I pressed her, "Did Ginger actually plan to hurt me with that bottle of acid?"

Camilla said the skincare product was a gift from one of Ginger's friends. Apparently, Ginger and that friend had some drama, so maybe it was that friend who tampered with the bottle and put acid in it.

I shot back, "Do you really believe that?"

Camilla looked away, not saying a word.

She was clearly torn, but Ginger meant too much to her. She just couldn't bring herself to believe Ginger would ever do something like that.

After all that drama, things were totally different between me and the rest of the Larson family.

Henry, in particular. He used to barely acknowledge me or even hate me. But now he'd ask if I wanted something to eat, or quietly leave a gift by my bed when he thought I wouldn't notice.

I had zero interest. Never even bothered to open it.