Chapter 3 The Secret

Clara looked absolutely miserable in the end, and she was forced to apologize.

Her mother's face turned ashen. She clearly hadn't expected me to have someone backing me up.

She shot me a resentful look, then dug her fingers into Clara's arm and called her useless.

I said nothing and went back to class.

Fiona patted me on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it. Your sister has had a hard time, but she's not a bad person."

I didn't respond. When I went back to class, my classmates were looking at me differently.

I didn't care.

When Clara came back, she glared at me. I glared right back and said loudly, "Clara, if I hear you spreading any rumors about me in class again, I'll call the police and report you for spreading lies."

She buried her face in her arms and started crying.

I couldn't have felt better.

Everyone said my sister was a mistress, but where was the proof? As long as there was no proof, who had the right to make those accusations?

My fierce attitude, along with Clara's crying, seemed to reassure my classmates. However, Clara was branded a thief, and she could never shake the label.

…

When school let out for the weekend, I went home and found Giselle there too.

There were some baby clothes in the house, along with a cradle. Giselle's belly had also gotten noticeably bigger.

The moment she saw me, she waved me over. "Come here and say hello to your nephew!"

I clenched my fists.

For two years, I had kept that secret at school, yet Giselle shattered it herself.

I'd even threatened Clara, telling her that if she wanted to call my sister a mistress, she'd better have proof.

Yet, the moment I saw Giselle's pregnant belly, I suddenly felt like a complete fool.

My legs felt as heavy as lead. I forced myself over to her and stared at her. "Why did you become a mistress? Why are you having an illegitimate child?"

The moment the words left my mouth, Giselle's lips quivered. She couldn't say a word for a long time.

I couldn't take it anymore, so I turned and ran.

Behind me, Giselle shouted, "Iris! Come back!"

I screamed at the top of my lungs, "I'm never coming back! I don't have a sister like you!"

I missed my parents.

When they were still alive, they often told me how well Giselle did in school. They also said they could never satisfy her, and that was why they had driven her away.

But why had she come back?

And even if she had come back, why did she have to bring me along and make me witness her fall and everything she'd done wrong?

I felt disgusted.

I went back to school and never returned home.

Giselle learned through my homeroom teacher that I had gone back to school. She said nothing. She only asked my teacher to pass along my allowance.

At first, I wanted to refuse out of pride. But I couldn't.

When the semester ended, I stood outside the school with my luggage, only to find Fiona waiting for me again.

She pulled me into the car. Several times, she seemed like she wanted to say something, but kept stopping herself.

I could tell we weren't headed home.

By then, Giselle should have been close to giving birth.

Fiona sighed. "Iris, I'm taking you to visit your sister."

I looked up at her and finally asked the question I'd been holding back. "Don't you hate her? She destroyed your family. She's a mistress."

Fiona patted me on the shoulder. "Oh, sweetheart. Your sister is not a mistress. She's such a sensible girl. You'll understand when you see her."

I didn't want to see her, but Fiona drove me straight to the hospital anyway.

My heart sank.

Had Giselle already given birth?

But Victor and Fiona were married. I couldn't make sense of the situation.

It wasn't until I followed Fiona into the hospital room that I saw Giselle lying in bed, her belly prominent, her face pale and sallow.

Something clicked in my head.

Suddenly, it all seemed to make sense.