جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 9

As I walked down the road, the same men who used to praise me now looked at me with mockery and contempt. "Look! That's Arthur's grandson, the one who went to university," someone began. "But I heard he can't even give a proper toast. He's not even as good as his cousin, who only went to community college."Another replied, "Exactly. What's the point of all that education then? He'll get eaten alive out in the real world without social skills.""Calvin's the sharp one. He'll go a lot further than this bookworm ever will."Their words stung, each one landing harder than the last. However, what hurt even more was how my own family treated me.My mom had always cared deeply about appearances. Ever since I embarrassed myself in front of Alice, she had looked at me like I was nothing but a disappointment. At dinner, Mom slammed her fork down, jabbed a finger at me, and yelled, "We put you through all those years of school, and you can't even say a proper thing in front of people?"

Calvin's expression tightened, but the words kept spilling out before he could stop himself. "Uncle Roger, haven't you noticed? Oliver looks nothing like you. "He has a low nose bridge, and the mole on his chin… The longer you look, the more he looks like Mark Weber, the driver you fired eight years ago. "Oliver's illegitimate! Aunt Sierra had him with the driver! She even bribed a doctor to pass him off as yours. Damn! You really got played."In an instant, the bustling birthday celebration fell deathly silent. Every guest froze, mouths agape as they stared at Calvin in shock. And yet, the smile remained plastered across his face, stiff and unnatural. It was as if he hadn't even realized what he had just said. He was so used to parroting whatever he heard that he had long since stopped thinking before he spoke. It wasn't until the wineglass slipped from Aunt Sierra's hand and shattered against the floor with a sharp crack that Calvin finally snapped back to his senses. He

Aunt Sierra tried to stop Uncle Roger. However, the courtyard was packed with onlookers, and she didn't dare make a scene. If this had happened behind closed doors, she could've paid to make it go away. But now, it was happening in front of half the town, along with city officials and her business partners. She was completely humiliated. And the one responsible for it all was Calvin. Aunt Sierra turned and fixed him with a vicious glare. "Well done, Gary. You really did raise a fine son. I came back to celebrate Dad's birthday, and I even thought about helping you all out. But this is how you repay me?"Uncle Gary dropped to his knees at once, wailing. "Sierra, please! It's all a misunderstanding! That brat must be possessed or something. We'd never dare cross you! Our whole family is depending on you!""Depending on me?" Aunt Sierra kicked over a chair. "From today on, don't expect a single cent from me! "Also, that bastard slandered me in public and ruined my reputation! Yo

A week later, Aunt Sierra's PR team stepped in. A letter from her lawyer and a psychiatric evaluation request were delivered to Uncle Gary's home. In an instant, public opinion shifted. The narrative quickly turned into one where Calvin was said to be suffering from severe delusional disorder and histrionic personality disorder. It was framed as the result of jealousy toward me and an obsessive need to climb the social ladder. The revelations at the birthday celebration were dismissed as nothing more than the delusions of a mental breakdown. Although gossip about Aunt Sierra's family affairs continued, the "deranged rumor" story became an official shield, and the stock price finally stabilized. As for Uncle Roger, he received substantial compensation and backed off for the time being. Although Oliver wasn't his biological son, he had raised him for eight years, and they were deeply attached. Besides, Oliver was a well-behaved child. After learning what had happened, he ev