Chapter 3
My mom stood over me, her hand still in the air, glaring down with fury.
"Are you out of your mind? Emily told me everything this afternoon. You're the real heiress of the Grant Family, and you went out to work at a bubble tea shop? What kind of joke is that? If anyone in our circle finds out, I'll never live it down!" she snapped.
"Are you trying to embarrass us? You just want to make me and your dad look like fools!"
I clutched my face, the taste of blood filling my mouth.
"Mom, didn't you say I had to earn my own way? You wouldn't pay for my college, so I had to work to save up for tuition," I said, my voice trembling.
My dad, standing right behind my mom, suddenly kicked me hard in the shoulder.
"You dare talk back?" he barked.
"Sophie, do you really think I can't see through your little act? You're just putting on a show for outsiders, trying to get sympathy so we'll give you some shares, right? Well, forget it!"
"Get out! Go back to your room! Just looking at you brings bad luck!"
The kick made me curl up in pain, and I didn't even bother trying to explain anymore.
I staggered to my feet, groping for the railing as I made my way upstairs.
When I looked up. Emily was standing in the shadows at the top of the stairs.
She stared at my swollen cheek, a smug, satisfied grin on her face.
Her smile was full of gloating.
She mouthed the words to me, slowly and deliberately.
"Bitch."
Then she threw herself into my parents' arms, whining for some bird's nest soup.
My parents, of course, doted on her.
I glanced back at them, then closed the door behind me.
Sitting at my desk, I opened my notebook and crossed out the second item.
Guess I gotta find a new summer gig now.
Big fat tears dropped onto the page, blurring the ink with fresh stains.
I just set my pen aside, lay back on my bed, and dozed off in a haze.
The next morning, when I woke up, my pillowcase was still damp.
I just stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.
Still couldn't remember why I'd cried last night.
Then, a hurried knock came from outside my door—it was the maid.
"Miss. Mrs. Grant wants you to come downstairs right now," she called.
When I went downstairs, a strange man at the dining table kept staring at me.
I kept my head down, pretending to focus on my food, not daring to meet his gaze.
Suddenly, he let out a cold laugh and said to me,
"You didn't even bother to put anything on your face? Still trying to look pitiful for someone? Sophie, just stop already."
"I'm breaking off the engagement today, no matter what."
I looked up, but honestly, I didn't remember him at all.
I just stared at him, completely confused.
"Who are you?" I asked, my voice blank.
He froze for a second, then his face turned stormy.
One of the maids whispered behind me,
"That's Mr. Lucas West, your fiancé."
Lucas looked like he was about to explode.
He didn't even care if I'd finished eating—he just yanked me up, shoved me into the car, and sped off toward the West Family.
"Still putting on an act? Do you have any idea how much I hate that phony attitude of yours?" he snapped.
I tried to explain to Lucas, keeping my voice as calm as I could.
"I'm really not pretending," I said.
"I'm just sick, and I honestly can't remember who you are right now."
Lucas let out a cold snort.
"Sick?" he sneered.
"What is it this time—a cold, a fever, a broken bone? Go on, what are you pretending to have now?"
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
I couldn't even remember what illness I had—my notebook didn't say.
But the way I hesitated just made me look even more suspicious in Lucas's eyes.
He didn't want to talk to me anymore.
When we got to the West Family estate, he dragged me straight to the family shrine.
He broke off the engagement right in front of Mrs. West.
Mrs. West looked at me, trying to convince me to reconsider.
"Sophie, if you don't want to break off the engagement, I can" she said softly.
I shook my head.
I just repeated what I'd written in my journal.
"I'm done falling for Lucas," I said.
"So let's break off the engagement."
Mrs. West couldn't say anything else—she just nodded.
I thought maybe after ending things, Lucas would finally treat me better. But he was still scowling the whole way as he drove me back to the Grant Family.
Lucas clearly didn't like me, and honestly, I just wanted to stay as far away from him as possible.
I rushed upstairs to my room.
But when I pushed the door open, my room was a total mess—everything had been turned upside down.
The closet doors were flung wide open, my blanket was tossed on the floor, and books were scattered everywhere.
My favorite little piggy bank was smashed to pieces, and Emily stood there, clutching a wad of cash she'd pulled out, flashing me a smug smile.
"Mom and Dad never give you any money, so where'd you get this?" Emily taunted.
"So you really went and stole money, huh? Sophie?"