Chapter 3

I nodded before passing the letter of disownment to Dad. He didn't seem to expect that I'd be ready to sever our relationship once and for all, judging from how disappointed he looked when he gazed at me.

"You really are cruel."

I raised an eyebrow in return before glancing at Valerie, who looked rather smug.

"Oh, I'm not as cruel as you, that's for sure. After all, a normal man wouldn't have brought his mistress home the day after his wife died," I retorted.

Dad was rendered speechless. After he took the letter, he signed it without hesitation.

Even though I was already mentally prepared for this moment, I still felt my heart throbbing in pain. After all, my own father had abandoned me.

I turned on my heel and ascended the stairs. Every step exuded unwavering resolve and defiance.

Only when I returned to my room did I sink to the floor as though I had lost my soul. Sorrow and agony engulfed me in an instant.

The next day, I was still asleep when I was awakened by the noises outside my room.

I could hear Valerie saying nervously, "Ellie, this is Daphne's room. You can't stay in this room."

I opened the door to see Valerie stopping a woman from entering my room. When I made out Elaine's face, I felt as though my blood had just turned to ice in my veins.

Never in a million years would I expect Valerie's daughter to actually be Elaine, William's beloved lover.

God sure knew how to make me look like the biggest clown ever.

The men whom my mother and I loved the most ended up getting stolen by the mother-daughter duo!

Elaine approached me happily and took my hand. "Daphne, can I stay with you? I like your room!"

I yanked her hand away before closing the door in Elaine's and Valerie's faces.I wanted to shut them out of my life.

Dad—no, Charles yelled angrily from outside my room, "Where are your manners, Daphne Thorn? Elaine's your younger sister, and yet you never greeted her properly!"

I snapped, "I don't have any sisters!"

Charles began chastising me loudly, his voice coming out in a rumbling roar. Then, he issued an order.

"Elaine loves your room. Besides, you're about to get married soon. You might as well give your room to Elaine and move to the attic. She's going to be living in your room from now on."

What little familial love I had for Charles ultimately dissipated. The heart-wrenching pain was back to haunt me.

I just smiled bitterly. As I smiled, I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks. I no longer cared about the wisps of conversation that took place outside my room. But somehow, I just knew that the scene outside my room painted an amicable picture of a family comforting and soothing each other.

I didn't want to see Elaine at all, so I left with my suitcase in tow. Even when Charles saw me leaving, he didn't bother stopping me. Instead, he reminded me to carry out my side of the promise.

"I'll let you know when the wedding date is set. If you dare disappear on me, I won't hesitate to dig up your mother's ashes."

As I watched the family of three eating happily at the dining table, I retorted, "Unlike you, I'm a woman of my word. If you dare lay a finger on my mom's ashes, I'll make sure that you won't receive your money!"

When I was about to leave, I spotted the delight in Valerie's and Elaine's eyes. Now that I was gone, they'd be able to really exert controll.

Charles didn't have a single cent under his name. The fact that Valerie was still willing to marry him meant that she had her eye on the one-million-dollar check that he'd be receiving after selling me.

Even if Charles were to get his hands on the money, I would never let him enjoy it. Once the time came, I'd like to see if Valerie was still willing to stay with an old codger who didn't have any money at all.

At that moment, my phone buzzed once. It was a text from William.

"Where did you go?" it read.

I just stared at the text in a daze. For a moment, I didn't know how to answer that question.

William's concern for me just made my heart throb even more in pain. I raised my head to force my tears back into my eyes so that I didn't cry.

After that, I just wandered around aimlessly with my luggage in hand. Since I didn't know where else to go, I decided to sit on a bench in the park and stare at the scenery, spacing out.

I didn't know how much time had passed before I sensed a figure looming over me. When I lifted my head, I saw a familiar face that made my heart wrench in pain once again. Tears began streaming down my cheeks.

William wiped my tears away for me with his fingers. In a helpless tone, he said, "If you're done with your tantrum, let's go home together."

I fell silent at his words.

Clearly, William was starting to get mad at me. His tone became lower and gruffer.

"Now now, Daphne, don't be wilful."