Chapter 3

I was about to tell Dad not to bother when a bodyguard hurried in. "Mr. Smith's here with wine from his own vineyard, Mr. Sterling. He said he'd like to have a few drinks with you."

Dad immediately broke into a smile as he rose to his feet to greet him. Then, as if a thought suddenly crossed his mind, he whipped around to look at me.

"I have an important friend over, so you'll have lunch in your room. The housekeeper will bring your meal up shortly. When you're done, just leave your tray at the door.

"Don't come downstairs unless you have to. We'd rather not have to explain how we ended up with such a genetically mutated, ugly daughter."

Vivian, twirling in her gorgeous dress, looked up at me like a proud swan. "Don't take it personally, Blob. Mom and Dad are an award-winning actor and a famous singer, after all. They need to protect their privacy and can't afford even the slightest scandal.

"Please enjoy your lunch and rest up in your room in the afternoon. If no one calls for you in the evening, please have dinner in your room, too."

Mom and Dad didn't utter a word, tacitly endorsing everything Vivian had just said.

Everyone in this family was glamorous, dazzling, and constantly in the spotlight. I was the only stain that needed to be kept hidden.

Meeting Mom's and Dad's non-negotiable stares, I responded apathetically, "For the rest of my stay here, I'll have all my meals in my room."

Mom and Dad nodded in satisfaction. "You might be hideous, but at least you know your place."

I kept my end of the bargain right up until the housekeeper came knocking on my door the next day. "The birthday party is almost at the cake-cutting segment. Ms. Sterling invited you downstairs to have a slice."

However, by the time I went downstairs, the cake had already been completely divided up. Not only had the housekeepers and bodyguards gotten a slice, but even the family's guard dogs and companion dogs had been given pet-friendly cream. I was the only one without a slice.

Mom and Dad exchanged a look and immediately put me down to defend Vivian. "You're ugly to begin with. Your figure is the only thing you have going for you. So you're better off not eating all that sugary, high-calorie cream. Vivian's doing this for your own good, too."

I was about to head back upstairs when Vivian enthusiastically dragged me up to a distinguished, handsome man.

"Sylvan, let me introduce you! This is my older sister, your fiancee."

Sylvan Grayson narrowed his eyes when he looked at me. "Why are you wearing a mask and a baseball cap this late at night? If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're paparazzi here to sneak photos."

Vivian wrapped her arm around Sylvan possessively before doubling over with laughter. "You're so mean, Sylvan! My sister is already ugly to begin with, and she's insecure about her looks. If you keep picking on her, she'll be too ashamed to ever leave her room again."

Sylvan jeered. "My fiancee? Even if our families really were to forge a marriage alliance, I wouldn't take in any piece of trash. My future wife has to be a lady with both beauty and talent—someone like Vivian, at the very least."