Chapter 3
Monica's face darkened completely when she saw Brian get kicked by me.
She crossed her arms and looked down at me like I was nothing but an ant.
"Shameless, and you even dare to lay hands on someone," she sneered.
Then she turned to the guests around us. Her voice was not loud, but everyone could hear her clearly.
Monica said, "Sorry for the scene, everyone. I thought we'd found our long-lost family, but turns out she's just an ungrateful brat.
"The Carter family might not be some top-tier clan, but we won't tolerate someone who can't keep their hands to themselves, causing trouble here."
With those words, Monica had already labeled me in front of everyone.
[Monica really knows how to deal with things. She's so classy and reasonable.]
[Compared to her, that girl is just a total shrew.]
[Just call the cops already. No point wasting words on her.]
With Monica backing him up, Brian got even more arrogant. He grabbed me roughly, trying to haul me away.
"Didn't you hear? Give it back already," Brian barked.
I staggered from his pull, finally losing my patience. I broke free with all my strength and shoved him hard.
"Don't touch me," I snapped.
Brian was caught off guard by how strong I was. He stumbled back several steps, bumping into the table behind him.
With a bang, the champagne tower on the table teetered dangerously.
Emily saw her chance, let out a dramatic shriek, and acted all frail as she fell backward.
Instead of hitting the ground, she ended up falling perfectly into Brian's arms.
"You seriously hit someone," Brian yelled at me, his face stormy with anger while holding Emily.
Monica was so furious that she was shaking, pointing right at my face as she yelled, "You've got some nerve. What an uncivilized brat. We took you in out of kindness, and this is how you repay us?
"Not only did you steal, but you even dared to hit someone. You're a thief through and through."
I looked at this family, all of them turning everything upside down like actors on stage. Honestly, it was just laughable.
"Me? Hit someone?" I shot back, pointing at Brian. "He was the one getting handsy with me first. I was defending myself.
"I pushed him because he tried to grab my personal belongings.
"And as for this girl," I glanced at Emily, "she fell all by herself. Her performance was embarrassingly bad. Anyone could see she was faking it."
"You." Emily's face turned pale with anger. "You're making things up. You really scared me."
She hid in Brian's arms, tears streaming down her face.
"Brian, I'm so scared... She's so scary... Will she kill me?" Emily whimpered.
Brian hugged Emily close, glaring at me as if he was about to explode.
"Enough," he snapped, then yelled toward the security guards across the room. "Security? Where the hell are you?
"We've got a thief here, and she just assaulted someone. Grab her and drag her to the cops."
Two security guards in uniform rushed over as soon as they heard the commotion.
Monica kept her face cold as she barked, "Hold her down. Don't let her escape.
"When her father finishes his meeting and comes down, he can see for himself what kind of daughter he's been longing for all this time."
The guests all stepped back, clearing a path, their faces lit up, eager to watch the spectacle unfold.
[Finally, someone's calling the cops. Feels good.]
[Lock her up and teach her a lesson.]
[Lock her up. Make her pay for it.]
The security guards moved in from both sides, shooting hostile glares.
I instinctively backed up, but my back slammed into an icy pillar. There was nowhere left to run.
I felt my heart drop.
My dad was still upstairs, clueless about everything going on down here.
Downstairs, his daughter was being mercilessly pushed around by these people.
"Grab her," Brian urged.
A rough hand lunged for my shoulder.
Bracing myself, I reached into my backpack and pulled out my phone.
Since no one here would listen to reason, I had no choice but to reach out to the only person I could count on.
Guess it was time to call my billionaire dad for backup.