Chapter 3

The next morning, it wasn't even light out yet.

The servants were already bustling all over the estate.

The noise kept me from sleeping, so I gave up and got out of bed.

When I opened my door, I found Adrian, my mother, and at least a dozen stylists and makeup artists crowded around Jennifer.

She wore an elegant ivory velvet gown, her long chestnut hair cascading over her shoulders in soft waves. She looked like she'd stepped straight out of a fairy tale.

"Jennifer, you look so beautiful today. I'm so proud of you."

My mother slid a diamond hair clip into her hair.

"You're the star of the party today, so relax. Just enjoy yourself for once. You don't always have to put everyone else first."

Jennifer gave a shy smile. Then she looked up and saw me stepping out of my room.

I was still in my pajamas. I hadn't even washed my face.

"Eloise!"

Jennifer gasped, gathered up her skirt, and hurried over.

"Why aren't you dressed yet? Today's our debutante ball!"

"Everyone who matters will be there tonight. You can't show up in your pajamas. You'll embarrass Mom and Adrian."

My mother turned around, and the second she saw me, she frowned.

"Eloise, are you doing this on purpose? Do you know what today is? Do you want everyone to think we abuse you?"

I tilted my head and pointed at myself.

"A debutante ball? Nobody told me."

For a second, my mother had no answer, and her expression darkened even more.

"It's your own debut! Even if no one told you, couldn't you have figured it out from everything going on around here?"

"Can't you see everyone in this house is busy? We can't look after you every second of the day!"

Apparently, that was all the excuse she needed to start scolding me again. "Hurry up and go change. The guests will be here any minute."

As she spoke, she spotted a servant pushing a cart full of old gowns. "Lisa, stop."

Lisa, one of the maids, stopped and asked politely, "Yes, ma'am. What can I do for you?"

My mother looked at me impatiently. "Those are some of Jennifer's old gowns. They're a little dated, but they're still perfectly good. Pick one."

I looked over.

All I could see was a sea of white. I couldn't even make out the different styles.

Then I looked at Jennifer's scrawny, stick-straight figure. Yeah, no. If I tried squeezing into one of her dresses, I'd probably burst the seams.

I shook my head.

"No, thanks. I brought my own gown."

With that, I turned and went back into my room.

My mother gritted her teeth in fury.

"Ungrateful brat!"

Just then, she saw Adrian coming back from a phone call.

"Adrian, I can't handle that sister of yours anymore. She's dead set on humiliating us!"

Adrian pinched the bridge of his nose, looking tired.

"Maybe we should just let it go and explain things to everyone. She—"

"Mom, Adrian, she must still be upset with me. Let me go in and talk to her."

Jennifer cut Adrian off, grabbed a gown at random from the cart, and walked into my room.

I heard the door open behind me and turned around, frowning instinctively.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you to knock before walking into someone's room?"

Jennifer's eyes welled up.

"Eloise, I just wanted to..."

Before she could finish, her gaze locked on the gown hanging from my clothes rack.

It was a custom-made burgundy gown cut from heavy silk that draped beautifully, and the diamonds scattered across the skirt were priceless.

She pulled herself together. Then she noticed the full set of pearl jewelry laid out on a tray beside it, and her breath caught.

Jennifer recognized the pearls at once. Three years ago, a mystery buyer had paid 80 million dollars for them at auction. Now those same pearls had been made into a necklace, earrings, and a bracelet.

Something vicious flashed in Jennifer's eyes. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth. "Eloise!"

"How could you do something like this!"

Her scream reached my mother and Adrian outside.

They burst in right away.

Adrian planted himself in front of Jennifer.

My mother anxiously checked her over from head to toe.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Is Eloise picking on you?"

Jennifer grabbed my mother's hand and bit her lip. "It's Eloise. There's no way she could afford that gown and jewelry on her own."

"Mom, Adrian, I can't hide this from you anymore. Last night, I overheard Eloise talking to some much older man on the phone. She was flirting with him."

"She must have gotten all this from him... in exchange for sleeping with him."

Adrian stepped closer to examine them, his expression grim. "Even with all our money and connections, getting our hands on something like this wouldn't be easy."

"Eloise, no matter how hard things got, you never should have stooped this low."

Jennifer shook her head helplessly.

"No, please don't blame her. This is all my fault. If I hadn't taken her place, maybe she never would've had to do something like this."

"Eloise chose to stoop that low. None of this is your fault."

My mother held her close, looking at me with nothing but disgust.

"I'm giving you one day. That's it. End things with that old man immediately."

I thought of my two adoptive fathers trying to look pitiful, and I refused flat out.

"Can't do that."

"Do you want the whole family humiliated right along with you?"

My mother charged at me and raised her hand.

Just before the slap could land, I dodged out of the way.

My mother's face went red with rage. She ordered the servants to restrain me.

Jennifer stepped in and caught her hand.

"Mom, don't. The party's about to start. If you do this now, all the guests will find out. Let me try to talk to her again after the party."

Adrian's expression softened a little.

My mother patted her hand.

"You're always the sensible one."

Jennifer let out a helpless little sigh. "Getting rid of the gown and jewelry would draw too much attention. Why don't I wear them instead? Everyone knows how much you all spoil me. No one will question where they came from."

I couldn't help laughing out loud.

So that was it. All this drama, just because she wanted my gown and jewelry.

After a few seconds of silence, Adrian said, "That works. Then it's settled."

The look my mother gave me was full of disgust.

"Who knows where you got those things? For all I know, you've already..."

She didn't finish. She just glared at me hard.

"Your sister is cleaning up your mess for you. You should be grateful to her!"

I looked at the three people facing me.

My birth mother looked at me like I was something dirty. My own brother wouldn't even spare me a glance. And my fake little sister was acting like she was doing me a huge favor by getting me out of trouble.

I smiled and stepped aside.

"Fine. If you want them, go ahead."

Jennifer couldn't quite hide her greed as she hurried over to the gown.

As she turned to leave, I called after her. "But remember this."

"You were the one who asked to wear my gown and jewelry."