Chapter 2
The next day, Emily was throwing a charity gala, and she'd invited everyone who was anyone.
She made a special trip to my room and handed me a gold-embossed invitation. "Charlotte, this is our foundation's annual party, and you absolutely have to come."
Her smile was soft and expectant. "I'll introduce you to all my friends. They're really wonderful people."
I took the invitation and nodded. "Okay."
When she saw how cooperative I was being, a flash of triumph sparked in her eyes.
She probably thought I'd given up.
On the night of the gala, I wore a plain black dress and arrived without any makeup.
Emily was the star of the evening in her dazzling starlight gown, gliding through the crowd like she owned the place.
The moment she spotted me, she walked over and linked her arm through mine with that familiar intimacy. "Charlotte, why are you dressed so plainly? Didn't I have a gown prepared for you?"
Her voice carried just enough to make sure everyone nearby could hear.
In an instant, curious and dismissive looks landed on me from all directions.
A woman in a pink dress laughed and teased, "Emily, so this is your sister—the one you just brought back from the countryside? She looks, well, very simple."
Emily immediately shot her a reproachful look. "Don't talk about my sister like that. She's just not used to these kinds of events."
I ignored their little act and scanned the room. It didn't take long before I spotted several reporters carrying cameras.
Halfway through the gala, Emily took the stage as the foundation's director to give her speech.
She spoke with passion about the underprivileged children and struggling families the foundation had helped, and the audience erupted in thunderous applause.
She stood under the spotlight and soaked up all the praise.
Just as she was about to announce tonight's total donation amount, the screen in the banquet hall suddenly flickered.
The promotional video that had been playing vanished, and in its place, row after row of financial spreadsheets appeared.
These were the foundation's raw financial records.
Every donation that came in and every expense that went out was listed there in black and white.
The incoming donations were massive, but most of the outgoing funds had been transferred to shell company accounts, and less than ten percent had actually gone to charity.
The crowd went silent for a moment, and then the murmurs started—loud and unstoppable.
"What the hell is going on? Where did our donations go?"
"I knew something was off. They never published any project reports."
All the color drained from Emily's face, and she stared at the screen in panic, her voice shaking. "No, this isn't real. Someone's messing with us. Turn it off. Turn it off now."
The staff scrambled to cut the power, but the data on the screen wouldn't shut off no matter what they tried.
Then a video started playing.
In the footage, Emily sat in a luxury club with several men, raising glasses and making toasts.
One of the men slid a bank card across the table toward her. "Ms. Carter, excellent work on those accounts. Here's your cut."
Emily smiled and pocketed the card. "You're too kind. Pleasure doing business with you."
The entire ballroom erupted.
The same elites who'd been singing her praises moments ago now stared at her with contempt and rage burning in their eyes. "She's a fraud! She took our donations and spent them on herself!"
"Call the police! She needs to go to prison!"
Reporters swarmed forward and shoved microphones and cameras in Emily's face as she swayed on her feet.
I stood outside the crowd and watched coldly as furious donors tore at her expensive gown. The flashing cameras trapped her with nowhere to hide.
That was when Helena and Oscar arrived, having heard the commotion.
Helena's face paled when she saw the chaos before her. She rushed forward and shoved aside everyone surrounding Emily, then pulled her daughter into her arms. "All of you, back off!"