Chapter 3

“Are you planning to use Grandma’s birthday banquet to announce to everyone that you’re Dad’s real daughter?” Isabella snapped.

I let out a small laugh. “But I am his real daughter. Aren’t I?”

Isabella froze for a moment. Then, her face twisted with anger. She lunged forward and grabbed my collar, yanking hard.

“Emma, you’re nothing but a filthy slut! Today, I’ll make sure you understand who actually runs this house!”

She clapped her hands sharply, and the servants nearby immediately walked over.

“Strip her!” Isabella ordered. “I want her kneeling here naked for the entire day. I’d like to see if she’ll ever take my clothes again!”

The servants in the house always followed whoever held the most power. They all knew that I, the so-called real daughter of the Deens, had no status here at all. So, they surrounded me and reached for my dress.

I stepped back. “Today is Grandma’s birthday banquet. Aren’t you afraid she’ll find out about this?”

Isabella only sneered, looking pleased with herself. “You’re still counting on that old hag to protect you? She’s practically in the grave already. You think she scares me?”

She waved her hand and added, “Do it. Strip her clothes off and throw her outside. Make her kneel at the gate!”

I struggled desperately, but there were too many of them. My evening gown was torn apart piece by piece. Then, they grabbed my hair and dragged me out of the estate, forcing me down onto my knees on the ground outside.

Guests attending the birthday banquet came and went past the gate. Many pointed at me and whispered among themselves.

“Isn’t that Mr. Deen’s daughter who just came back? Why is she out here?”

“Everyone knows she was picked up from the streets. Who knows what she’s been through… Serves her right.”

I knelt there on the street, teeth clenched, and lips pressed tightly together. Just then, a servant carrying the kitchen trash passed by me. As he walked past, he suddenly slipped. The bucket tipped over, and filthy kitchen slop splashed all over me, from head to toe.

People nearby covered their noses and quickly stepped away, while I remained kneeling there. At that moment, I couldn’t help but think that maybe I should never have come back.

I took a shaky breath. The tears I had been holding back for so long finally fell. My body was starting to give out, but just as I was about to collapse, I saw George walking quickly toward me.

Clinging to the last shred of hope, I reached out to him.

“George, I don’t feel well… Please…”

However, he immediately covered his nose in disgust and stepped aside to avoid me.

“Move, move,” he said. “Bella isn’t feeling well. I need to check on her. You’re covered in germs. I don’t want you to infect her.”

My heart turned cold.

When I had first returned home, and he learned that I was supposed to marry him, George had once treated me gently. He had taken me to the beach and the amusement parks. Those had been the most carefree days of my life. Back then, I thought he was someone I could trust for the rest of my life, but somewhere along the way, everything changed.

Time passed, second by second. Just as I was about to lose consciousness, a powerful kick struck my back and knocked me to the ground. When I saw Liam standing there with a cold expression, my eyes widened.

“Why?” I asked.

“Do you have to ask?” he sneered. “I thought you were just morally corrupt. I didn’t expect you to be so disgusting.”

He grabbed a garden hose from a nearby servant and sprayed me off briefly. Then, he dragged me straight into the banquet hall.

Grandma wasn’t there. Instead, Dad was sitting in the main seat. His eyes were burning with anger as he stared at me.

“Speak, whose b*st*rd child are you?” he barked.

I lifted my head, shock and confusion written all over my face.

“Whose daughter am I? Don’t you know that better than anyone?”

Dad’s face remained cold as he gestured to the servants, who dragged in a ragged old man with messy hair.

“You, tell her.”

The old man trembled slightly before stammering out his words. “Mr. Deen, this really isn’t my fault. Back then, Mrs. Deen got drunk and climbed into my bed herself. Afterward, she even paid me hush money…”

The room instantly erupted in shocked whispers, but the old man kept talking.

“Mrs. Deen was afraid the truth would come out, so she staged that kidnapping herself. She told me to keep the girl with me first, and when she grew up, she’d marry my son. But this girl had ideas of her own. When she was ten, she ran away! I never thought she’d run all the way back here to claim her family…”