- 5.
Stella’s father was one of the wealthiest entrepreneurs in the country, and his company had significant trade dealings with Julian’s. In my previous life, my brothers had also been invited to the birthday gala.
When Chloe appeared at the event with my brothers, everyone’s attention immediately turned to her. She savored every moment. Especially when Julian introduced her to the crowd as the Sterling family’s true heiress, she couldn’t help but puff out her chest, practically floating with
pride.
I quietly slipped away to find Stella and give her a birthday gift. She was chatting with her cousin in a corner. Stella had many people to entertain, so after she left, her cousin and I talked for a bit. To my surprise, we hit it off wonderfully and even made plans for tea sometime.
In the banquet hall’s side room, Chloe flitted around like a social butterfly, flaunting her new identity, basking in the envy and flattery of others. A blonde, blue–eyed foreign woman enthusiastically greeted her. Chloe instantly stiffened, her face flushing as she awkwardly mumbled a
“hello.”
I walked over to Chloe with a glass of juice. She frantically grabbed my arm. “I don’t understand a word she’s saying! Get rid of her, fast!”
I gave the foreign woman a slight nod, then turned and walked away without another word, leaving Chloe standing there awkwardly.
This scene was caught by Dominic, my third brother, and others also noticed, beginning to whisper about how the Sterling family’s ‘true heiress‘ lacked basic manners. Dominic, who valued reputation above all else, as a university professor, naturally couldn’t accept his own sister being an empty–headed fool.
He pulled Chloe and me into a private room.
“Chloe, if you don’t score above a 7 on the IELTS, you are not allowed to show your face at any more events. You’re an embarrassment.”
“And you, Blair! You should have handled that situation with ease. Chloe isn’t just embarrassing herself; she’s embarrassing the entire Sterling Group!”
I didn’t say another word, only nodded in apology. I wasn’t particularly talented at languages. Growing up, Dominic forced me to learn six languages. If I mispronounced a word, I’d get a smack from his ruler on my arm. If I made a grammatical error, I’d get one on my calf. Back then, there was hardly a spot on my body that wasn’t bruised. But i couldn’t cry out in pain. Weakness was never an option in this house.
He ordered two sets of IELTS materials and personally watched us memorize them. Again, one wrong sentence meant one smack with the ruler. This continued until dawn. My arms were numb with pain, but my heart felt lighter than ever.
Last night, Sterling Villa didn’t catch fire. Was it because I wasn’t there, or because the arsonist wasn’t?
