Chapter 3

The note was written in familiar handwriting. It read, "White camellia, the soup Josh makes, medium size, Queen of the Night…"

I stared at the note as a cold realization crept over me.

"Ms. Stroud, have you seen a note?" The host hurried over from the other end of the hallway, sweating heavily.

I clenched the paper in my palm and asked, "What note?"

"My backup note." The host wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Mrs. Fraser told me to follow that list in case anything went wrong on stage. I must have dropped it somewhere when I changed clothes."

I slowly revealed what was in my hand and asked, "Is this it?"

The host's eyes lit up. He reached for it, only to realize I wasn't letting go.

"Who gave you these questions and answers?" I asked again.

The host froze, not expecting that question.

He hesitated for a moment before answering honestly, "Ms. Fraser's assistant handed it over a week ago. Mrs. Fraser personally reviewed it afterward and said we should use this version."

"And the last question?" I pressed. "Was it decided beforehand who would get the brooch?"

An awkward look flashed across the host's face. He lowered his voice and said, "There wasn't a definite answer for the last question. Mrs. Fraser said there couldn't be any accident at the party. She wanted an outcome everyone could accept."

I looked down at the slip of paper in my hand and laughed.

So that was it.

No matter what, the last light would always turn on for Megan.

The host looked uneasy as he said, "Ms. Stroud, please don't make this difficult for me. I was just doing my job. Mrs. Fraser said—"

"I know." I cut him off. "She just didn't want Megan to lose."

I had thought it was an unfair contest.

But it was more than that. The whole thing had been staged from the very beginning, all to deny me my place in the family.

My mom wrote the questions herself, and Megan was given the answers in advance. The host followed their plan, and my mom made sure the final result went exactly the way she wanted.

Together, they had staged a game that robbed me of my rightful place in the family.

What would happen if I exposed them right now?

My mom would say it was just a game to liven up the party. Josh would accuse me of ruining the celebration, and Megan would burst into tears, saying she was just afraid of losing her family.

In the end, I would still be seen as the unreasonable one who didn't care about the bigger picture.

I took out my phone, snapped a photo of the note, then handed it back to the host. "Here you go."

Relieved, the host took the note and hurried away.

I didn't cause a scene in the ballroom because I felt disgusted.

I used to be so desperate for their acceptance. To earn their love, I had stood on that stage and answered every question seriously like a total fool.

But the harder I tried, the more devastating it was to realize that the game had been rigged against me all along.

I walked out of the hotel and sent the photo I had taken to Peter.

He replied almost immediately, "Ms. Stroud, should I send the Frasers the evidence that they rigged the game?"

"No need," I typed back. "They went through so much trouble to set that up. Let them enjoy their little victory for now."

When I reached the roadside, the car I had booked was already waiting. The driver stepped out and opened the door for me.

I sat in the back seat, watching the neon lights outside the window blur and disappear behind me.

A week ago, my mom had held my hand and asked if I was okay with going on stage with Megan.

I thought it was a moment when they would officially accept me as part of the family.

Megan had even taken my hand and said, "Don't worry, Kathy. I have your back."

Looking back, I realized my mom never intended to give me a choice. She was only making sure I'd walk right into the trap they had set.

The car glided toward Riverside Apartments.

It was the place the Frasers had arranged for me, but I knew that after that night, it would no longer be my home.