Chapter 4

"Enough already. The whole family is walking on eggshells around you. What more do you want?" Andrew snapped.

"Don't think you can just come back and start making demands. You got kidnapped? Bad luck, you deserved it. Don't try to guilt-trip us," he sneered.

"You don't belong here anyway. If you want to stay, fine. If not, get out," he added.

Just like in my previous life, Andrew was still as clueless as ever. The moment I started pressing them, he immediately lashed out at me.

Andrew grabbed my wrist, twisting it hard until I had no choice but to let go of Charlotte.

I shot him a cold look. "You never even cared about me as family, and now you want to blame me for this?

"The whole family is walking on eggshells around me? You really have the nerve to act like you're all so considerate of my feelings?

"Even the maid can treat me like dirt right in front of you, and you still shamelessly claim the whole family is walking on eggshells around me? Is this how you usually treat people?"

I continued, "The first thing you do when I come back is blame me. Do you have any idea what I've been through these past twenty years?"

I pointed at my parents sitting on the couch. "It's not like I made them come back so late; they're the ones who wanted to follow me. So what's the point of you throwing all this useless crap at me?"

As soon as Andrew and I started arguing, Charlotte immediately launched into her drama routine.

She clung to Andrew's arm, giving it a gentle shake, playing the innocent little sister despite being twenty already. "Come on, Andrew. Emily's been through a lot these years. Don't be so hard on her."

"Guess I'm the one to blame. I'm just the adopted daughter who took Emily's place. Now that she's back, maybe I should just leave now," she said, her voice trembling.

"I know you've always cared about me, Andrew, and Mom and Dad treated me like their own.

"No matter if I'm still part of the Carter family or not, you'll always be my one and only family in this world," she added, her eyes shining with fake tears.

As soon as Charlotte started her teary speech about leaving, Mom, Dad, and Andrew all rushed over, surrounding her with concern.

"Don't be ridiculous. Who said you have to leave? We've raised you for twenty years; you'll always be our most beloved daughter. There's no way we'd ever let you go," Richard said.

"Don't worry. Charlotte, you'll always be my daughter. I promise I'll make sure you get married off in style as the Carter family's heiress," Helen said, her tone full of affection.

Charlotte immediately threw herself into Helen's arms, sobbing. "Mom, I really don't want to leave, but now that Emily's back, if I keep being so immature, I'll just end up making her angry."

Richard and Helen shot me a hesitant look. There was pleading and hope in their eyes, but none of that high-and-mighty, ordering-me-around vibe from my previous life.

They had finally seen how savage I could get in this life, so now they didn't dare lay down the law with me.

I wasn't about to indulge them. I folded my arms and looked straight at Charlotte, who was peeking at me from Helen's embrace. "Since you say you're leaving, I won't stop you. Works out for me. I'll take your room."

"It's about time you gave up the room that was supposed to be mine," I added coldly.

Helen looked at me, disappointment written all over her face. "Emily, how can you treat Charlotte this way? She's your own sister,"

"My sister?" I scoffed. "We're not even related by blood."

I fired back without mercy. "And if you're leaving, then hurry up and get lost. Drop the innocent act. I know exactly what you really are.

"Everything you own was paid for by the Carter family. You're not taking a single thing with you, not even a pair of earrings or your underwear. You walk out with nothing but the clothes on your back."

Seeing me kick her out without a shred of mercy, Charlotte finally snapped and dropped the act. "Emily, shut the fuck up. You think I won't get someone to rape you?

"I'm the real heiress of the Carter family. Why should I take orders from a piece of trash who used to eat out of dumpsters? You're just a bastard. You should've just stayed dead out there."

The whole villa went dead silent. Everyone just stood there, totally stunned.

I shot my parents a mocking look. "So this is your idea of a sweet, thoughtful daughter?"