Chapter 3

Photos rained down, covering the floor in a messy heap.

I lowered my gaze. With one look, my blood froze right then and there.

There I was in those photos, caught changing clothes, caught in the shower... Every angle, every moment, nothing was off limits. All of them had been taken without me knowing.

My fingers turned ice-cold in a heartbeat.

A wave of nausea and terror surged up from deep inside, threatening to swallow me whole.

Those days I thought I'd buried, living in constant fear in that filthy house, came rushing back like a flood, gripping me tight.

I remembered Joseph's chilling stare, the way he'd brush against me and leave a sickening, sticky feeling, and the footsteps lingering outside my bedroom door late at night.

I tried to run so many times, but every single time, I was stuck. I was trapped in that hell, unable to break free.

It took me twenty-eight years to finally claw my way out of that house with everything I had.

And at that moment, these photos, my deepest nightmares, were scattered in front of everyone. They were used as so-called evidence against me.

It was the final straw, shattering what little dignity I had left.

Juliana let out a shrill scream, nearly fainting. "How indecent. Have you no shame?"

Joe was so angry that he nearly passed out.

Ryan carefully blocked Lauren's view, speaking to her in a gentle, soothing tone, "Lauren, don't look. It's too filthy for your eyes.

"You've really been wronged. Thank goodness you caught it in time, or the Rivers family's reputation would've been destroyed by trash like that."

The other guests jumped in, each one jeering louder and nastier than the last.

"Shameless. How could someone like her ever be a proper heiress?"

"If she were my daughter, I would've slapped her senseless ages ago."

"Thank God the Rivers family never claimed her. Otherwise, how could the family ever hold their heads up in society?"

Joseph licked his lips, his gaze never leaving me. "Well, Mr. Rivers, do you believe it now?

"This girl's been a shameless slut ever since she was little. Her name's been mud in our town for years. Only you would ever think she's worth anything."

At my feet, photos exposing my most humiliating memories littered the floor.

All around me, their eyes burned with disgust, contempt, and morbid curiosity.

In my ears, Joseph and Monica's accusations, the Rivers family's harsh words, and the guests' gossip and murmurs all blended.

And over it all, Lauren's melodramatic crying filled the air.

That fragile hope for real family bonds that had slowly grown in me ever since I was reunited with my birth family and that faint warmth I'd felt after becoming part of the Rivers family were all crushed in that instant.

Maybe it was for the best. I shut my eyes and drew in a deep breath. When I opened them again, my face was wiped clean of emotion. There was nothing but coldness in my eyes.

I stepped forward and kicked Joseph hard right in the crotch, putting everything I had into it.

Joseph let out a blood-curdling scream, clutching his groin as he collapsed to the floor, his face drained of all color.

Before anyone in the room could process what was happening, I spun around and, without hesitation, backhanded Monica three times across the face.

Monica screamed, the sound shrill and piercing. "You... you dare hit me?. You bitch."

I stared down at her, cold and contemptuous. "For money, you married off your own daughter to a rich family and left me behind as the scapegoat.

"You knew exactly what he did to me, but you still sided with him. You even helped him secretly take those photos of me.

"And now you're waving those pictures in my face, trying to squeeze more money out of me. You know what? I've got a question for you..."

I crouched down, my gaze cold and unflinching as I stared her down. "How does your whole family sleep at night, living with all your sins?

"You want to leech off me and chase your twisted dreams of getting rich, don't you?"

Monica's face changed, and she screeched, "What are you talking about?. You heartless brat—"

Before Monica could get another word out, I whipped around and landed a sharp slap right across Lauren's face.

Lauren grabbed her cheek, staring at me in utter shock, her eyes wide as tears burst out and spilled down her face.

Her whole body trembled, and she was crying so hard she could barely breathe.

Ryan rushed over, yelling, "Are you crazy? You actually hit Lauren." He lunged for my arm, trying to grab me.

I dodged, brushed his hand aside, and he nearly lost his balance, almost falling over.

Then I turned to Lauren, smirking at her. "Lauren, are you done pretending? You went through all this trouble to destroy me, so you could keep being the Rivers family's princess, right?"

Lauren threw herself into Ryan's arms, her voice cracking with sobs. "I didn't. I swear I didn't. She hates me. She'll make up any lie about me.

"I shouldn't be here. I'm not really one of the Rivers family. I don't deserve to be here."

She staggered out, barely able to keep her balance as she went.

Juliana hurried over and pulled Lauren back, clearly distressed. "Lauren, you've been part of the Rivers family for twenty-eight years. You're our daughter."

Ryan spoke softly to her, "Lauren, you'll always mean the world to me."

Charles's face was grim. "We've watched Lauren grow up in the Rivers family. No one knows her better than we do. You're really willing to use such dirty tricks to get your hands on the inheritance?"

The guests all started piling on, their voices getting louder and nastier.

"So shameless. She screwed up herself, and now she still has the nerve to hit someone?"

"Looks like she's lost it. She doesn't care about anything anymore."

"Poor Ms. Rivers, she didn't deserve to be humiliated like this."

Joe said in a deep, commanding tone, "This welcome party ends here.

"Until everything is thoroughly investigated, the transfer of shares and all matters concerning her return to the Rivers family are suspended."