Sure enough, after the family gathering, Violet calmed down for two days. But it didn’t take long for her to find a new way to attack.
She started to drop subtle hints to Ethan that it might be ‘awkward‘ for me to continue living
here.
“Ethan, you see, Amelia has grown up.”
“Isn’t it a bit awkward for her to keep living with you guys?”
“Girls need their own space.”
“And when we get married, having an adopted sister around… I mean, it just doesn’t look right to outsiders, does it?”
Ethan didn’t go along with her that time. Instead, he got a little angry.
“Amelia may not be my real sister, but she’s more than that! This is her home. Where do you expect her to go? Don’t bring this up again.”
It was said that they had a fight over it.
Violet didn’t dare bring it up directly to my brother anymore, but she took her frustration out on
me with double the intensity.
She started to “care” about my social life.
“Amelia, who was that guy who dropped you off yesterday?”
“The one with the sports car, right? Girls should have self–respect; don’t get fooled by those playboys.”
That guy was a good friend of mine, who gave me a ride after a gathering. But I didn’t feel like explaining it to her.
She even suggested to Carol, “Carol, Amelia’s about to graduate college, don’t you think it’s time to teach her some manners?”
“For example, it might be a good idea to have an earlier curfew, so that people won’t gossip and say the Collins family doesn’t teach their daughter properly.”
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Carol was arranging flowers at the time. She cut off a perfect lily, then said softly, “No outsider has the right to gossip about a daughter of the Collins family.”
“Amelia has been sensible since she was little. She knows where the boundaries are.”
Violet hit another dead end.
She seemed to be trapped in a vicious circle. The more desperate she tried to prove herself as the “future lady of the house,” the more she had to belittle me.
And the more she belittled me, the more Martin and Carol defended me, even Ethan started to think she was going too far.
This made Violet even more anxious, and her behavior became increasingly outrageous.
Finally, after she “accidentally” broke the diamond necklace my mother had left me, I couldn’t hold back the anger that had built up inside me.
The necklace wasn’t worth much, but it was the only tangible connection my biological mother had left me.
I stared at the broken diamond necklace on the floor, my body shaking.
Violet covered her mouth, looking panicked.
“Oh no! I’m sorry, Amelia! I didn’t mean to, it just slipped right out of my hands!”
“I’ll pay you for it, okay? How much is it? I’ll pay for it!”
But there was no trace of apology in her eyes, only a twisted sense of pleasure.
I raised my head, glaring at her. With each word, I said, “Violet, enough.”
“Amelia, why are you looking at me like that? It’s just a diamond necklace! I’m your future sister–in–law, come on-
Violet’s eyes welled up with tears. She looked utterly defeated, as though the world had betrayed
her.
“Future sister–in–law?”
I sneered. “Did you ask my brother? Did he agree to marry you? Even if he did, has the Collins family agreed?”
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Violet’s face turned pale. “You-!”
“Since the first day you entered this house, you’ve been targeting me at every turn.”
“You’ve been trying every way to push me out.
“Child bride? Outsider? Someone to marry off? Violet, is there anything else in your mind other than these outdated and twisted thoughts?”
I pressed closer, my voice as cold as ice.
“I’ll tell you this, my name is Amelia Collins! My last name is Collins. I’m the legitimate daughter of the Collins family! I live here because I belong here!”
“You broke my mother’s keepsake! You’ll pay? With what? Can you even afford it?”
“Keep talking about being the future lady of the house, but you have no basic manners
whatsoever.”
“You’re nothing but a person who breaks things, gossips, and stirs up
trouble!”
I had never spoken so harshly before.
The pent–up anger and aggrievance inside me exploded, and I couldn’t control myself anymore.
Violet was left stunned, staring at me. She pointed at me, saying “you” over and over again, before bursting into tears.
She turned and ran straight into Ethan’s arms, who had rushed over at the sound of the
commotion.
“Ethan! I didn’t mean it, Amelia, she… she’s so scary!”
She cried with tears streaming down her face, trembling all over.
Ethan looked at the shattered diamond on the floor, then at me, who was shaking with emotion. His brows furrowed deeply,
“Amelia, what’s going on? Can’t you two just talk things through?”
“Talk things through?”
I pointed at the broken diamond on the floor, my voice trembling. “Ethan, she broke the diamond
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necklace my mom left me! How am I supposed to just talk things through?”
Ethan froze for a moment, then looked at Violet. “Violet, is that true?”
Violet choked out, “I really didn’t mean it. I just picked it up and it slipped. I said I’d pay for it.”
“She did it on purpose!”
I repeated sharply, “She did it on purpose!”
“I didn’t! Amelia, you can’t just frame me because you don’t like me!” Violet cried even harder.
“Enough! Both of you, stop!” Ethan raised his voice, clearly annoyed. “If it’s shattered, then so be
- it. Violet didn’t mean it, and she’ll pay for it. We’re all family, is it really necessary to make a scene
like this?”
“Family?”
My heart sank completely.
“Ethan, she’s destroyed the last memory I have of my mom, and you’re telling me we’re family? Do you still consider me part of your family?”
“Amelia! Stop being unreasonable!” Ethan’s voice now carried impatience.
Just then, Martin and Carol came back.
Seeing the situation in the living room, both of their faces turned dark with anger.
After hearing the full story, Carol walked over to me, put her arm around my shoulder, and gently patted me.
Then, she turned to Violet, her gaze more severe than I had ever seen before.
“Violet, I think you know very well what that diamond necklace means to Amelia.”
“Whether it was intentional or not, you know it yourself. You’ve gone too far.”
Martin turned to Ethan, his voice firm. “Take Violet outside and calm down. Don’t come back until she’s apologized to Amelia.”
Ethan stood there stunned. “Dad!”
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Violet stopped crying, her face full of disbelief as she looked up.
