Pustaka
Cari
Beranda / My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left / Chapter 3

Share

Chapter 3

Penulis: Angel's City
Tonight was the night I was leaving.

The estate was hosting a huge Christmas Eve party.

Crystal chandeliers lit up the ballroom as bright as day, and the air was thick with the scent of champagne and truffles.

It was the most important night of the year for my family. Every relative and every old family friend would be there.

My father stood in the middle of the ballroom holding a glass, with my mother on his arm. Camilla stood beside them in a champagne-colored couture gown, like a proud little princess.

"Thank you all for coming." My father's voice boomed with pride. "Tonight, I have some wonderful news to share. My younger daughter, Camilla, has been accepted into Oxford's architecture program. She'll be heading off to study in Europe with our family's recommendation letter!"

The crowd broke into enthusiastic applause.

Camilla lowered her head shyly, soaking up everyone's praise.

"Camilla is amazing. She's making the whole Prescott family proud."

"I heard that program is incredibly hard to get into. Richard, you're so lucky."

I sat in a shadowy corner, watching it all with an untouched glass of club soda in my hand.

My mother scanned the crowd. When she spotted me, she hurried over.

"Selena, what are you doing hiding over here?" she whispered accusingly. "This is such a big night for your sister. You're her big sister. Why aren't you out saying hello to the guests?"

I looked her in the eye.

"Mom, have you forgotten I spent six months earning that recommendation letter?"

My mother looked away for a second, then went right back to acting as though she'd done nothing wrong.

"Selena, how can you be so selfish? Your sister finally got over her breakup, and this letter is her chance at a fresh start. You're so smart. Does it really matter where you go to school?"

As she talked, she reached over and straightened Camilla's necklace.

That was when I noticed the rare emerald necklace around Camilla's neck.

My mother had promised it to me when I turned 18. "Selena, the year you start college, this necklace is yours. It'll be your coming-of-age gift. It suits you best."

Now it was around Camilla's neck.

"Selena." Camilla stepped closer and slipped her arm affectionately through my mother's. "You're not still mad at me, are you? If you really want the spotlight that badly, I'll go tell Daddy right now to make this party about you instead."

Her eyes reddened again as she spoke.

The relatives around us saw this and started whispering.

"What's wrong with Selena? Her sister's about to go abroad, and she's still sulking."

"She's just immature. Way too jealous."

I stood up and set down my glass.

I didn't get hysterical, and I didn't get angry.

I looked at them calmly, as if they were strangers I had no connection to.

"No need. Good luck with everything, Camilla."

I walked past them and went straight upstairs.

I opened my bedroom door and took out an envelope I'd prepared earlier.

I pulled the silver card Evan had given me out of my wallet and put it in the envelope, along with the key card for the estate gates and the keys to my sports car.

Then I got out my suitcase and changed into a plain coat.

Not much in this house had ever really been mine. I'd already shipped all my art supplies and drawings to Boston. All that was left of me here was an empty shell.

The sweet sound of violins drifted up from downstairs, where the guests were dancing. The celebration belonged to them.

I set the envelope right in the middle of the vanity.

Then I picked up my suitcase, went down the spiral staircase by the back door, and slipped out of the estate.

The cold wind hit my face and swept away the scent of the house still clinging to me.

I flagged down a cab.

"The airport, please."

As the car pulled away, I watched the brightly lit estate grow smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror.

I muted our family group chat, leaned back in my seat, and closed my eyes.

I was finally free.
Lanjutkan membaca buku ini secara gratis
Pindai kode untuk mengunduh Aplikasi
Bab sebelumnya Bab selanjutnya

Bab terbaru

  • My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left   Chapter 10

    That was the last time I ever saw my father.Later, I heard bits and pieces about them from old classmates.After my father got home from Boston, he had a sudden stroke that left him completely paralyzed and bedridden.They lived in that cramped, leaky apartment. Evan got wasted every day, and whenever anything went wrong, he screamed at our paralyzed father and our mother, who had lost her mind.Every day, my mother sat by the window, clutching a paintbrush I'd used when I was little.Sometimes she waved at the empty street and called out with a smile, "Selena, come home for dinner. I baked your favorite cookies."But her Selena was never coming home.Camilla, the one they'd spoiled rotten, was later arrested on suspicion of credit card fraud and ended up in a local jail.She called home from jail more times than anyone could count, begging for help. But the home that had once sheltered her from everything had crumbled to dust, and there was no one left who could save her.Their unche

  • My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left   Chapter 9

    A year later, another heavy snow fell over Boston.I stood at the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor of our house, holding a mug of warm milk. My belly was starting to round. I was four months pregnant and moved a little more slowly these days.Adrian wrapped his arms around my waist from behind and rested his chin against my neck."Watching the snow?" he asked softly."Yes." I smiled.Over the past year, I'd become a rising star in North American architecture.Adrian and I had started a family of our own, and our life together was peaceful, fulfilling, and happy."Someone's been standing down there for a long time." Adrian followed my gaze, and his expression sharpened.Through the swirling snow, I saw a figure by the iron fence outside the house.It was an old man in a worn-out coat, his hair gone gray and his face gaunt and haggard. He was badly hunched over. He clutched a hat and shivered in the snow.It was my father.In just one year, the Prescott family had declared ban

  • My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left   Chapter 8

    Three months later, the Prescott family's real estate company, their pride and joy, faced the worst crisis in its history.After the gala in Boston, Hartwell Holdings, the conglomerate Adrian's family ran, pulled out of every possible deal with the Prescott family. Then it spread the word across the industry that it wouldn't finance any project connected to them.It was like the first domino falling.Their cash flow dried up, partners pulled out, and banks called in their loans. In just three months, Richard's empire was teetering on the edge of collapse.And Camilla's scandal was the straw that broke the camel's back.Oxford formally expelled her and sent a notice of her academic fraud to every top university.Camilla's reputation was ruined. The socialite friends who used to flock to her now avoided her like the plague.In the middle of a heavy snowstorm, Camilla got kicked out of her apartment in Oxford and slunk back to the Prescott estate, which was falling apart."I told you I di

  • My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left   Chapter 7

    Our corner of the ballroom went dead silent.My father stared at me, wide-eyed and breathing hard. He'd never seen me confront him so ruthlessly.For the past 20 years, all he'd had to do was raise his voice a little, and I'd lower my head and take whatever they put me through. He'd grown so used to my obedience that he'd forgotten I only obeyed because I still had hope for them."You... you've lost your mind!" My father jabbed a finger at me, his hand trembling slightly. "You think you can defy me just because you've got Adrian? Don't forget, ten percent of the Prescott family trust is still in your name! One word from me, and you won't see a single cent. You think the Hartwell family is going to accept some penniless Cinderella?"He'd pulled out what he thought was his deadliest weapon. In his warped way of thinking, money and self-interest were the best ways to keep someone under control.My mother quickly backed him up, coaxing me as if I were a child. "That's right, Selena. Stop b

  • My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left   Chapter 6

    The gala was held in the grand ballroom of the Four Seasons in Boston.Adrian and I walked in side by side.I wore a simple deep blue velvet gown. My hair was pinned up, and I wore no elaborate jewelry. Even so, I drew the attention of countless reporters and investors."Is that Professor Hartwell's date? Isn't that Selena, the rising star who designed the new art museum?""I heard she won two industry gold awards in just four months. She's going places."I held my glass of champagne and smiled in response to the friendly greetings. Adrian stayed at my side, half a step away, his hand hovering near the small of my back in silent support.Just then, the ballroom doors swung open again.My father, my mother, and Evan appeared in the doorway, looking worn out from the trip.My father had pulled every string to find out I'd be at this gala tonight, then flown straight to Boston with my mother and Evan.My mother scanned the room. When she spotted me looking radiant at the center of the roo

  • My Parents Gave My Oxford Spot to My Sister, So I Left   Chapter 5

    Richard stared at the tablet screen, breathing hard.His shock gave way to rage. He felt betrayed."Ungrateful brat! She's nothing but an ungrateful brat!" He slammed his fist down on the table. "She applied to Harvard behind our backs? Does she think we're a bunch of fools? She used this family's resources to apply, didn't say a word when she got in, and then ran away right in the middle of Camilla's celebration. She's trying to humiliate us on purpose!"Alice had paled a little, too. She remembered how unnervingly calm Selena had looked the night before, and unease crept over her. Even so, she instinctively sided with Richard."Richard, don't get so worked up. Selena's just too stubborn. She ran off to Boston on her own, with no money from us. How is she going to survive? Is she going to pay her tuition and living expenses by waiting tables?"Evan was already dialing Selena's number."We're sorry. The number you have dialed is not in service." A cold, robotic female voice came throug

Bab Lainnya

Anda juga akan menyukai

Jelajahi dan baca novel bagus secara gratis
Akses gratis ke berbagai novel bagus di aplikasi GoodNovel. Unduh buku yang kamu suka dan baca di mana saja & kapan saja.
Baca buku gratis di Aplikasi
Pindai kode untuk membaca di Aplikasi
DMCA.com Protection Status