Chapter 3 The Necklace

Natalie's face twisted with rage. "Who do you think you are?!"

She quickly caught herself and forced a polite smile. "After spending all those years in the mines, I'm sure you've at least heard of my fiance—the famous oil prince."

"Of course I have," I said calmly.

At that, Natalie's pride shone through like a peacock spreading its feathers, but I continued, "Not only have I heard of him, but we practically grew up together, inseparable."

A wave of gasps swept through the hall.

Her eyes darted to the necklace around my neck, and her eyes widened with incredulity. "Where did you get that necklace?"

She lunged forward and yanked it off me. The chain cut into my skin, making me cry out in pain. "Give it back!" I shouted, my voice trembling.

She compared the necklace in her hand to the diamond ring she wore. They were part of the same jewelry set—the set my adoptive mother had treasured most before she died.

I could still remember the day my adoptive father brought me home. I had hidden timidly behind him, staring in awe at the lavish mansion. My adoptive mother had smiled gently as she wiped the dirt from my face with a warm towel.

From the moment I was born, no one had ever treated me with that kind of kindness. I had thrown myself into her arms, desperate to hold on to that fleeting warmth.

Now, Natalie glared at me with pure venom. "You filthy bitch! How dare you seduce my fiance?!"

"What are you talking about? Give me back the necklace!" I reached out to grab it—it was the only thing left of my adoptive mother.

Natalie's face contorted, and she screamed, "You bought it with my money!"

Ansel looked taken aback by her outburst. "It's just a cheap piece of plastic, isn't it?" he muttered.

She turned toward him, her eyes welling with tears. "Ansel, I saw this exact necklace on Reid before, and now it's on her. She's doing this on purpose—she's trying to steal my man!"

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the guests.

"So, she's a mistress? I knew she looked the part—cheap and shameless."

"And she's a Gervais? What a disgrace to their name."

Ansel's expression darkened with disappointment. He slapped me hard across the face. "And to think I'd considered talking to Dad about letting you work as our housemaid! I can't believe you'd stoop this low. Just because Natalie took your place, you want to ruin her happiness?"

My cheek burned red from the blow.

"Do you have any idea what those eight years in the junkyard were like for me? That was her life, not mine!" My eyes stung, and I pulled out my phone, intending to call Reid and tell him to call off this ridiculous engagement. But before I could dial, Natalie snatched the phone from my hand.

"Ansel, look at her wallpaper—it's a photo of her with Reid! And she still claims she's not a mistress! No wonder she's acting all high and mighty despite being a beggar!"

I gave a cold, humorless laugh. "So this is what passes for class in the Gervais family? Making baseless accusations because it suits your narrative?"

Ansel froze, looking at me in disbelief, his eyes wide.

Natalie, on the other hand, paled. "That's impossible…"

I yanked the phone back and quickly dialed Reid's number.

"Hey, Alice—where are you?"

"Reid, I'm—"

Before I could finish, Natalie grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked hard. I screamed as the phone crashed to the floor, shattering into pieces.

She clamped her hands around my throat. "You even slept with him?! You're quite the sl*t, huh? Reid? You two on a first-name basis?"

My lungs burned; I could barely breathe. I clawed at her hands, gasping for air. "I'm not a mistress! Reid is my brother! I'm the daughter of the oil tycoon!"

The crowd erupted in laughter.

"The oil tycoon's daughter? And she's buying cheap ice cream?"

"That's the funniest thing I've heard all year! Why not claim to be the president's daughter instead?"

Natalie stomped her foot, tears glistening. "Ansel, look at her! She's turned our family into a joke!"

The surrounding whispers made Ansel's face flush crimson, and he kicked me hard in the stomach. "Shameless trash!"

The blow sent me flying six feet across the floor. Blood filled my mouth as I coughed and spat it onto the marble tiles.

No one moved to help me. Not one. I curled my fingers into fists and silently prayed that my father and brother would arrive soon.

"Disgracing the Gervais name," Ansel growled. "I'll deal with you myself."

Security guards began closing in from all sides. My heart clenched in fear as I pressed a trembling hand to my ribs. 'Please,' I begged silently, 'Dad, Reid—come quickly…'

…

A furious voice suddenly boomed from behind me. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

The sound of tires screeching filled the air as a fleet of luxury cars came to a halt at the entrance behind me.