Chapter 3

When I got home, they were having dinner.

The dining table was covered with seafood paella, pasta, and tiramisu.

All of them were Beth’s favorites.

The moment I sat down, Mom slammed her fork onto the table.

Beth’s eyes immediately turned red.

“Sis, I waited for you at the bridal shop for three hours. The staff kept asking why the bride hadn’t arrived. I didn’t even know what to tell them.”

My brother sneered.

“You took the wedding dress and refused to let Beth wear it, deliberately making her embarrass herself. Lilith, you’ve really outdone yourself this time.”

“It’s my wedding dress. I didn’t want to lend it to her.”

Mom’s voice trembled with anger.

“How did you become like this? When you were little, weren’t you the one who loved your sister the most?”

I really had loved her when we were children.

She was born prematurely and was always sick as a child. Whenever she coughed, the whole family panicked.

So did I.

When I was six, she wanted my room because it was warm and got plenty of sunlight.

Mom said, “Your sister is weak. Sunlight is good for her.”

So I moved into the storage room on the north side of the house.

When I was seventeen, I ranked first in my exams and received a scholarship. I wanted to buy a computer.

Dad said, “Beth needs a piano. Your grades are good, and you’ll have plenty of chances to get scholarships in the future. You can buy one then.”

So I gave her the money.

Later, she sat in front of the piano for a photo, and Mom posted it on Instagram:

“Our little princess deserves the very best.”

Meanwhile, I had no choice but to borrow my classmates’ computers at night, often working until the early hours of the morning.

They had probably forgotten all of those things.

Because the person who loses something is the one who remembers.

The person who takes it simply thinks they’re entitled to it.

Dad suddenly said,

“That’s enough. The new club is opening for a trial run next week. You’ll go oversee the site.”

“While Beth is overseas, the company can’t afford any problems.”

I put down my fork.

“I’ve submitted my resignation.”

The dining room fell silent.

David frowned.

“What did you say?”

“I sent the email to the company address. Didn’t you see it?”

He took out his phone, and his expression grew darker by the second.

Dad immediately opened his email, too.

A few seconds later, he slammed his palm against the table.

“This is ridiculous!”

Mom stared at me in disbelief.

“You’re leaving the company just because we postponed your wedding?”

I calmly corrected her.

“It wasn’t postponed. You canceled my wedding.”

Dad snapped,

“Do you have any sense of family responsibility? The Geller Club isn’t some outside company. This is your family’s business!”

“I’ve worked there for six years. My position has always been administrative, and I’ve only received a basic salary. I was never given a design or planning position.”

“The project bonuses, interviews, and credits for the proposals all went to Beth.”

“And now you’re talking to me about family responsibility?”

David said coldly,

“It’s the family business. Who would keep such a precise account with you?”

I looked at him.

“Beth does. Design director title, profit shares, interview fees, an independent studio budget. She gets every single one.”

“So why is it suddenly impossible to keep things separate when it comes to me?”

He was left speechless.

Tears slipped down Beth’s cheeks again.

“Sis, I didn’t know you cared this much. Mom arranged all those interviews. I only said what I was told to say…”

“You said my copy and took credit for my awards?”

Her face instantly went pale.

Mom immediately stepped in front of her.

“Your sister isn’t as good with words as you are. What’s wrong with letting her borrow a few of your lines? Do sisters really have to keep such a precise account between them?”

“From today onward, yes.”

Dad stood up in fury.

“You can leave if you want, but the company’s client information, proposals, and business connections all belong to the Geller family. Don’t even think about taking them with you.”

“I’m only taking the evidence that proves my original work belongs to me.”

I placed a lawyer’s letter on the table.

“And there are three other high-end projects where I’m listed as the lead creator under my personal name. I’ve already notified the clients that I’m terminating the partnerships.”

Dad’s expression changed drastically.

Our family ran entertainment clubs, and the Geller Club had gained some recognition in the industry because of my planning and creative work.

Those three projects were the company’s biggest sources of revenue for the next quarter.

One of them was even the flagship project for the new club’s opening.

David snatched up the lawyer’s letter, his eyes darkening.

“Lilith, do you really want to bring this family down?”

I looked at him.

“But weren’t you all always saying that Beth was a genius?”

No one said a word.

Beth ran upstairs crying.

Mom immediately chased after her.

Dad sank back into his chair, his chest heaving.

“If you withdraw that email now, I’ll pretend I never saw it.”

“It’s too late.”

I stood up and went back to my room.

Behind me, my brother said coldly,

“You think Edward’s family will really value you once you leave the Gellers? Without us, you wouldn’t even be able to have a respectable wedding.”