Chapter 2
I couldn’t be bothered to watch her act, so I turned and headed back to my room.
“Amelia.”
Ethan called after me, his voice heavy with unspoken tension.
“Violet… it’s her first time here today, so she might be a little nervous and spoke without thinking. Don’t take it to heart.”
I glanced at Violet, who was half–hidden behind him, her gaze full of smug satisfaction. The weight in my chest turned to ice.
“Ethan,” I said seriously, looking at him, “She called me your child bride and said that’s what many people have been saying outside.”
“Do you really think she just spoke without thinking?”
Ethan furrowed his brows, his expression darkening.
“People are just talking nonsense. Why would you take it seriously? Violet didn’t mean any
harm.”
No harm?
I took a deep breath and suddenly felt like there was nothing left to say.
If he wanted to believe his girlfriend was a pure and innocent angel, anything I said would be in
vain.
“Fine, I get it.”
I nodded, didn’t look at him again, and turned to head upstairs.
I lay in bed that night, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
My phone lit up with a message from my best friend, Zoe Miller:
[Amelia! I heard your brother brought his girlfriend home?]
[How is she? Pretty? Is she nice to you?]
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I forced a bitter smile and typed:
[She’s pretty, but she thinks I’m my brother’s child bride.]
Zoe flipped out and called me immediately.
“What the hell?! Is she crazy?! What century are we in? Child brides?”
“You’re the apple of your parents‘ eye. Who does she think she is? And your brother, isn’t he doing anything about it?”
“He thinks she didn’t mean any harm, that I’m overthinking it,” I said gloomily.
“No harm? Are you kidding me? That’s pure malice!”
Zoe raged on the other end, “She’s purposely trying to annoy you, making digs at you in front of your brother and parents. She’s telling you that as an adopted daughter, you shouldn’t even try to compete with her! What a manipulative bitch! A slut!”
Her rant made me feel a little better.
“Forget it, I won’t be seeing her much anyway.”
I tried to comfort her, and myself. “Maybe these two won’t last anyway.”
But Zoe was still furious. “Don’t back down! If she says anything stupid next time, just confront her! You’re Amelia Collins!”
I said this, but I didn’t want to make things difficult for Martin and Carol.
They had done so kind to me. I didn’t want to cause conflict with my brother’s girlfriend, who he brought home.
But clearly, I underestimated Violet’s ability to stir trouble.
She seemed determined to cement the idea of me being the so–called “child bride” and use that to highlight her own position as the future lady of the house.
She started coming to our house more often, adopting the role of the “lady of the house.” When Martin and Carol weren’t around, she’d cling to Ethan, and then “casually” care about my
life.
“Amelia, is this dress from Carol? It’s lovely.”
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“But this brand isn’t really suitable for young girls. It’s too luxurious and makes you look a bit
older.”
She barged into my walk–in closet, pointing to a dress Carol had bought for me. “Next time, I’ll take you to buy something more your age, something more youthful.”
At other times, she’d bring up my academic achievements on purpose.
“Amelia, your grades are impressive. I heard you’re a top student from the Ivy League? That’s amazing. But, honestly, it’s tough for a girl to focus so much on studying, isn’t it?”
“Anyway, the Collins family will never treat you unfairly, so just find an easy job in the future.”
The last straw for me came during a family gathering.
Some relatives from the Collins family were present. Someone complimented me on how much more beautiful I’d become. With Violet, we look like sisters.
Violet smiled sweetly back then, hugging me affectionately.
“Yes, Amelia and I really hit it off. Even though she’s Ethan’s adopted sister, I’ve always thought of her as my own sister.”
“After she graduates, we’ll find her a good family, and she’ll have a grand wedding. We’ll never let her suffer.”
The tables fell silent for a brief moment.
The expressions of some elders grew a little awkward.
“Adopted sister.” “Find her a good family.” “Grand wedding.”
Every word felt like it hit me where it hurt, pushing me from the position of a daughter in the Collins family to that of an adopted girl who needed Violet, the future lady of the house, to take care of her.
I put my fork down and looked up.
Carol’s face was no longer smiling. She coughed softly and looked at Ethan. “Ethan?”
Under the table, Ethan tugged at Violet’s hand, signaling her to stop talking.
But Violet seemed completely unaware, even smiling sweetly as she placed some food in my bowl.
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“Amelia, eat more. You’re still growing. Don’t worry. You’ll have me around from now on.”
I looked at the food in my plate, then lifted my gaze to meet her hypocritical and calculating smile
I took a deep breath, ready to speak up.
“Violet.”
Martin had already set his glass down. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried an undeniable authority.
“Amelia is our daughter. Her future is for her to decide.”
“The Collins family is her home. There’s no talk of marrying her off or anything like that. Don’t say that again.”
Violet’s smile froze completely, her face shifting between red and pale.
She mumbled, “I’m sorry, Martin, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Let’s eat,” Martin said calmly, cutting her off, and didn’t look at her again.
The atmosphere during the rest of the meal dropped to freezing point.
I knew Martin was standing up for me. But the more he defended me, the more venomous Violet’s gaze became.
I knew this wasn’t over.
Chapter 2
