chapter 2
At a banquet, Eden led Reneea to the center and personally got down on his knees to feed her small cakes.
The socialites glanced at them, then at me, their eyes full of mockery. I felt everyone's mocking gazes and lowered my head, swirling my wine glass without saying a word.
Suddenly, I heard the sharp sound of a slap.
"You bitch! How dare you spill wine on me?"
Looking up, I saw Reneea grabbing a young woman by the hair and kicking her in the waist and abdomen. At the end, she even picked up a glass and hurled it at her. The woman's face was instantly covered in blood as she wailed.
When I saw that woman's face, my pupils dilated in shock. It was Juliet, the precious heiress of the Fox family, the wealthiest family in the capital.
Reneea rarely went out these past few years, so she did not recognize prominent figures.
I was about to step forward to stop her, but it was already too late.
Reneea was instantly surrounded by bodyguards. When the head of the Fox family saw the blood on his granddaughter's face, he flew into a rage. He declared in front of all the socialites that cooperating with the Lawson family meant becoming enemies with the Fox family.
That day, Mom and Dad begged desperately, but Mr. Fox Senior remained unmoved. Instead, he threw us out directly.
Back home, Reneea sat on the couch, wailing. Though Mom and Dad were angry, their hearts still ached for her.
They humbly visited former business partners and were willing to cut profits in half just to secure cooperation.
Finally, the Fox family relented. The condition was that Reneea had to personally apologize and accept punishment.
Mom and Dad were not overjoyed when they heard this news. How could they bear to let their precious daughter be bullied like this?
I glanced at them indifferently and walked toward my room. However, Eden blocked me at the door.
"You should go accept the punishment in Reneea's place. You're twins who look almost identical. They won't notice the difference. It's just a small punishment. You won't refuse, will you?"
A small punishment? My heart turned bitter. Everyone knew Mr. Fox Senior was notoriously ruthless.
Anyone who offended him, even if they made it out alive, would end up with physical disabilities.
Eden had business dealings with him. He understood this better than I did and knew exactly what I would face, but he did not care. He only wanted to protect Reneea.
As for my life or death, it was unimportant. I kept my head down and said nothing, but Mom and Dad were thrilled, praising Eden for his cleverness.
"Vita, your sister's body is too weak to withstand punishment. Your body's strong, so go in her place. But you should still try to protect yourself. After all, you'll need to participate in the drug trials soon."
I looked at the four people before me wearily and forced a smile with a nod. "Alright, I understand."
As I turned away, I caught sight of Reneea's smug expression in my peripheral vision and could not help wondering. After I died, there would be no one left to bear everything for her. What would become of her then?
Behind me, Eden, Mom, and Dad surrounded Reneea with joyful laughter, as if they had finally solved a major problem.
I looked at my dark, oppressive room as a tear slid down my cheek. I hastily wiped it from the corner of my eye and decided to throw away everything in the room.
Since I was dying anyway, keeping these things would only be an eyesore to them. It was better to throw them all away.
There was not much in the room besides daily necessities and a few picture frames. There was a family photo of all four of us and my marriage certificate with Eden. I stared at them for a long time, then threw them into the trash without hesitation.
After cleaning up, I lay on the bed gasping for breath when suddenly, something metallic and sweet surged up my throat. I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood that splattered across the white sheets.
Just then, Eden pushed the door open. I instinctively grabbed a pillow to cover the red stain.
"The Fox family's driver has arrived."
The moment I stepped into the Fox residence, a bodyguard kicked me down to my knees. Mr. Fox Senior glanced at me indifferently, as if he were looking at a pile of garbage.
"Kneel outside for a day and night first."
In the dead of winter, I kneeled outside wearing nothing but thin clothes.
A camera was placed in front of me, and Mr. Fox Senior grabbed my chin as he warned, "You had the guts to hurt my granddaughter, so I'll let your parents see just how I'll torture their precious daughter!"
I looked at the small camera and smiled bitterly. Unfortunately, he was wrong. I was not their precious daughter. They would not feel anything for me.
That night passed very slowly. My vision gradually blurred, and I eventually lost consciousness.
A bucket of bone-chilling water splashed me awake, and a foot stomped hard on my back.
"You were so arrogant when hitting Juliet! How are you so weak now?"
I coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood that sprayed onto the pristine snow, blooming like a spider lily.
Mr. Fox Senior snorted coldly and had a bodyguard hand him a knife. He gently slid it along my cheek.
"My granddaughter has three scars on her face. You'll pay for that."
I trembled in terror and closed my eyes in despair as sharp pain shot through my cheek. I screamed and struggled desperately, clutching my blood-covered face.
Meanwhile, Mom, Dad, and Eden were in the dining room, celebrating Reneea's narrow escape.
Three days later, I appeared before Eden with a scarred face. He froze for a moment. Clearly, he did not recognize me. Two seconds later, he looked at me with heartache, tears glimmering in his eyes.
"Vita... you've been through so much... Don't worry, I'll definitely compensate you! I'll take care of you for the rest of my life!"
He held me tightly in his arms, but when he caught sight of my disfigured face, he averted his gaze.