Chapter 5
Normally, I wouldn’t show up to an occasion like today.
Back then, my situation caused quite a stir. Everyone heard about the Sullivan family’s real daughter being assaulted by thugs, while the fake one vanished without a trace.
So, when Lillian Anderson–my birth mother–saw me walk in, her face nearly twisted.
People around us started whispering.
“Isn’t that Naomi? The real Sullivan daughter? She’s got some nerve coming here.”
“Come on, she’s Mrs. Fernandez now. Guess she’s just pretending none of it ever happened.”
“I wonder what she pulled to make Colin marry her and even make Selena disappear. She’s something else.”
Their voices weren’t exactly hushed, but I wasn’t bothered. Colin, however, looked pissed.
He stepped toward the group and said coldly, “Didn’t you all want to partner with the Fernandez Group? If you’ve got a problem, feel free to say.
it.”
“N–no, of course not.”
None of them expected him to defend me in front of everyone. They panicked, apologized, and quickly backed off.
Lillian’s expression turned stiff, but she didn’t argue since Colin was
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Chapter 5
there. She tugged at his arm and smiled.
“Colin, come in! Benjamin’s been waiting for you.“.
While enthusiastically guiding him upstairs, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the quiet back garden.
She looked at me with disgust.
“What are you doing here? Do you know what kind of event this is? Are you trying to humiliate me?
“And this outfit–do you want people to think the Fernandez family can’t
afford decent clothes?
“You can’t even have kids, and you show up dressed like that. How do you expect to keep Colin’s love?”
Lillian looked angry, criticizing me nonstop.
I didn’t talk back and just listened in silence.
After she talked for a long time, she finally noticed something was off.
She looked at me suspiciously. “You
I cut her off.
“Mom, this will be the last time I call you like this. I only came today to say that even though you gave me life, you betrayed me.
“We never had anything to do with each other, so there’s no point in forcing us together.
“I’ve thought it through. I don’t hold it against you anymore.
“From now on, we’re even.”
With that, I turned around and walked away.
Back on the second floor, I went to the room I once stayed in.
At that time, I had just returned to the Sullivan’s residence. My birth father, Benjamin Sullivan, and Lillian treated me well then.
But things changed. Selena kept setting me up, and eventually, they were disappointed in me.
Even after I was assaulted by thugs, they believed I was shameless and falsely accused Selena. They thought I had brought that upon myself.
They signed a letter of understanding behind my back, leaving me with no way out.
After I married Colin, I completely cut ties with them.
I finished packing the last of my things and got ready to go.
But just as I reached the door, I saw Selena sneaking upstairs, wearing a mask and sunglasses.
