Chapter 3
I was just about to tell him what happened at the ballroom when Emily had someone grab my phone.
She crushed it under her high heel, a sneer curling on her lips.
Emily sneered, "You actually got someone to impersonate my husband? Just because the voice sounds a little like his, you really thought you could fool everyone?"
The guests who'd been hesitating just moments ago now started giving me the once-over as soon as they heard her explanation.
They glanced at my mom and me, both of us looking completely disheveled, and smirked with obvious ridicule.
But my four brothers looked even more ashen than before.
Zack shouted, "Yvonne, your mom is nothing but a maid in the Smith family. Go ahead and keep living in your fantasy world, but don't come here and mess up the birthday party. Just get lost."
Seeing how anxious they were, I felt even more suspicious.
Were they really trying to make Lillian their sister, even if it meant deceiving my dad?
Just then, the old butler, Henry Davis, wheeled in the birthday cake.
My eyes lit up when I saw him, but my mom grabbed my sleeve, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Yvonne, let's go. We have to leave now!" she urged.
Henry's eyes darted away from mine the moment he saw me.
Lillian rushed over, grabbed his arm, and put on her cutest act.
She said, "Henry, you know the Smith family better than anyone. So, tell us. Who's the real imposter here?"
I looked at Henry, waiting for his answer, full of hope.
But to my disbelief, he pointed right at my mom and spoke without hesitation, "She's just the Smith family's maid. Three years ago, she had a mental breakdown and kept insisting she was Mrs. Smith.
"Mr. Smith just let her stay because he felt sorry for her."
Everyone suddenly acted like they finally got it.
Someone said, "Figures. Mrs. Smith never showed up before. She only started showing up at parties three years ago. Guess she was scared some lunatic would try to take her place."
Hearing everyone put my mom and me down, Lillian just tilted her chin up, looking all proud and superior.
She sneered, "Still pretending? Not just anyone can get close to the Smith family."
Emily nodded, and her staff grabbed us again.
Lillian strutted over with a smug grin and slapped both my mom and me across the face.
Her ring left a scratch on our faces as she hit us.
She sneered, "You still have the nerve to claim your mom is Mrs. Smith and you're the real Smith heiress?
"The only reason your mom even got to stay in our house is that my mom was feeling generous. All my mom ever made her do was lick her shoes, and your mom never complained.
"So what makes you think you have the right to lay a finger on my brother?"
As she spoke, Lillian suddenly let out a mocking laugh.
She added, "If my dad heard you dissed my mom like this, he'd feed you to the sharks without blinking.
"But I'm feeling merciful. Apologize, loud and clear, on your feet, and maybe I'll let it slide."
Right after that, Emily tossed the birthday cake onto the floor.
She said, "Lillian, didn't she just shove you? We Smiths repay evil with kindness. Let them have the first slice of birthday cake, then make them bow their heads and apologize."
They were acting like they owned the place, and even Henry was backing them up now.
I was sure of it. That jerk Victor totally cheated on my mom.
I wrenched free and flattened Lillian with one open-hand slap. She hit the deck before anyone could blink.
Ever since I was little, my grandpa had drilled me in combat skills.
These people were way out of their league.
I did everything I could to pull my mom up from where she'd been knocked down.
But her eyes were rimmed with tears as she pleaded with Emily, who'd stolen everything from her.
She begged, "Mrs. Smith, let me be the one to apologize, let me eat the cake. Just please, spare my daughter."
The whole room was laughing at us, but my heart ached so badly.
How did my mom, who used to be so kind and generous, become like this?
Lillian sprang up from the floor, her face twisted with fury. She snapped, "No way. This crazy bitch actually dared to hit me. I'm going to destroy you both today."
"You? You think you can do that?" I retorted, dripping with contempt.
The moment I lifted my hand, Lillian immediately hid behind my four brothers, scared out of her wits.
Zack and the other three brothers blocked my way, glaring at me.
Zack said, "You think you can bully our little sister? You crazy bitch, we'll make you pay!"
Before he could finish, I landed a punch on each of them, and they went dead silent.
When I made a move toward Emily, Lillian snatched up her phone in a panic.
The four brothers moved to block me, but a flurry of pressure-point strikes dropped them before they got within arm's reach.
Lillian screamed in fury.
She shrieked into the phone, "Dad! Some crazy bitch is making a scene at Mom's birthday party. You need to get here right now!"
While she was busy screaming into her phone, I knocked Emily to the ground.
Not a single person dared to make a sound after that.
I helped my mom up and sat her down in a chair.
Just then, the sound of an engine roared outside, and Lillian screamed at the top of her lungs, "Yvonne, you're finished. My dad's here. You and your mom are toast!"
Then, a man in a sharp black suit strode into the room.
Both of us stared at each other, stunned. The shock in his eyes was a perfect mirror of my own.