Chapter 3

"Sorry to disappoint you… I’m Nora Hart."

The moment I finished speaking, Noman suddenly flung open the hospital room door.

The metal frame slammed against the wall, making my eardrums throb.

Dad swallowed several times before forcing out an explanation.

"I still have an… acquisition deal waiting for me to sign."

Nathan unlocked his phone and deliberately raised his voice, making it especially grating.

"All right, Mr. Johnson. I’ll see you in half an hour…"

I clenched the bedsheet and looked at Mom with the last bit of hope I had left.

"Could you stay and keep me company?"

She lowered her eyes to glance at her watch before answering evasively.

"Nora, I’ve already arranged to play golf with Mrs. Cook today. Her family’s support is very important to your father’s business…"

When I said nothing, she absentmindedly tucked in the already smooth edge of the blanket beside me and said casually, "Be a good girl. I’ll bring you your favorite strawberry cake tonight."

I stared at her flawlessly made-up profile. The words "Blueberry is my favorite" turned over on the tip of my tongue several times, but I ultimately swallowed them.

I suddenly remembered that strawberry cake was Suzy’s favorite.

All I could manage was a nearly inaudible, "Okay."

Yet twenty-four hours passed without a single person coming to see me.

During the doctor’s final rounds, his tone had already turned detached and businesslike.

"Your payment only covers today. If you don’t settle the balance by seven tonight, you’ll have to be discharged."

I looked at the empty bedside table and quietly completed the discharge process.

When I returned home alone, I found the entire mansion shrouded in darkness, like a hollow tomb. Even the most hardworking servants were nowhere to be seen.

I was still wondering what had happened when I suddenly noticed that the neighboring villa was brightly lit, with faint laughter drifting from inside.

I looked through the window, and my breath caught.

The man carrying a champagne glass who had just passed by was unmistakably Nathan!

Why hadn’t he come home? What was he doing in the neighboring villa?

I was still thinking about it when I felt something soft brush against my ankle.

I looked down and met a pair of amber eyes.

It was Mimi, the stray cat I used to feed, and the only living creature that was still willing to come near me after my return.

It rubbed against my ankle and purred softly.

I picked her up and, almost as if possessed, walked toward the brightly lit villa.

Through the ornate glass doors, I caught sight of a massive artistic portrait that covered an entire wall.

The girl wore my face, but she was dressed in the pink dress I hated most.

I could tell at a glance that she wasn’t me.

The gold lettering beneath it stabbed painfully at my eyes.

[Happy Birthday, Princess Suzy! January 25—A Day to Remember]

My birthday was in August.

The entire room was steeped in Suzy’s sickly-sweet taste.

Even the air carried the gardenia scent she loved. There was not the slightest trace of me.

At that moment, I heard Noman slam his fist against the wall.

"It failed again! Damn it, this is so annoying! When are we ever going to bring Suki back?"

Dad’s brows drew tightly together as the cigarette between his fingers glowed and dimmed.

"The doctor said her body is severely weakened. According to our agreement… we have only two days left."

Nathan thought for a long while before suggesting a new approach.

"I remember that when Suki first arrived, Nora suffered not only physical injuries but also severe emotional trauma. What if we try that?"

Noman suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his eyes blazing with near-manic excitement.

"Exactly! The moment Nora returned, she started rummaging through every cabinet and box for her worthless junk, trying to prove that she had once existed. She left us no choice but to hide all of Suki’s belongings here…"