The news? The words snapped me back to my senses and I immediately thought of what my father said to Aunt Natalie. I instantly ran out of the office and went to the newsstand nearby. I was about to get myself a newspaper but my gaze landed on the billboard on the opposite side of the street—Nathan, Aunt Natalie, and the others were on it.
“Crystal and Lyle have always been in love with each other. If it weren’t for Yvonne, who insisted on marrying Lyle, Crystal wouldn’t have backed down and left home. Please stop hating on her. She has been living a tough life all these years, staying away from the person she loves. Although Yvonne is my sister, I couldn’t watch as she continues to go down the wrong path,” Yvette said pitifully.
The camera focused on Nathan and he said with a heartbroken look, “They say that one shouldn’t air their dirty laundry in public, but my eldest daughter… Sigh, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have spoilt her and allowed her to become the person she is today. It’s all because of my doing that something like this happened and it has almost cost my niece’s life. As her father, I apologize to Crystal’s fans and ask that you don’t blame my niece anymore. She’s a good kid.”
Then, Scarlett, Aunt Natalie, and even the housekeeper proceeded to chastise me. I thought that what they were doing was already ruthless enough but they provided the news with a video clip. It was a video taken at the hospital the previous night and they had edited it to make me look like I was snobbish and unreasonable.
I heard myself say, “Yes, I want to make Crystal the vixen. I did indeed steal her man. Let’s see how she’ll show her face in Avenport again.”
Chills ran down my spine upon hearing that. I didn’t even know when I had said something like that. Yet, they had managed to make that video full of fake information. That elegant man on the screen…
He was my father. How could he do this to me? How could he treat me as though I was an insignificant speck of dust? It was just like what happened back then when he wanted me to get married. I kneeled in the living room and begged him but it didn’t work. I had no choice but to look for the man I was supposed to get married to and tell him that I was just the unloved daughter of the Tanner family. I told him that there weren’t any benefits in marrying me.
That man didn’t have that in mind but seeing that I was so persistent, he gave up eventually. I was thrown out of the family after that.
I stared at the billboard for a long time and only stopped when an advertisement showed up. It was no wonder Lyle had called me earlier and said such harsh words. Of course, I didn’t think that things would be different if I went. At most, he would do what he normally did and pretend to console me, hoping that I wouldn’t be so calculative and make a bigger mess of things, tarnishing Crystal’s reputation in the process.
I had been living as though I was the weeds by the roadside all these years. Anyone could just step all over me. If it were an outsider who bullied me, the most I would feel was angry and wanting to fight back. Yet, it was the ones who were the closest to me who treated me like crap every time.
It’s cold. Why is it so cold? The sun was shining above me but I felt as though I was submerged in ice-cold water. I was only wearing a thin coat and I didn’t even have the energy to stand up. Luckily, I had someone I could count on.
I thought of Christopher. He was the only one who could bring me comfort at that moment. Before he left earlier, he reminded me seriously that no matter what had happened, I shouldn’t feel sad as I had him. The sadness I was feeling slowly dissipated at the thought of his words.
I pulled out my phone and dialed his number. Soon enough, the call connected and I didn’t even manage to get a word out when Christopher asked, “You saw the news?”
“Yes,” I sniffled, trying hard not to cry. Thankfully, I managed to hold the tears in. I had been hurt too many times and I didn’t want to cry for these so-called family members who didn’t even treat me like a human being.
“Did you find out about it long before? Is that why you comforted me beforehand?” I asked.
“Eve, I’ve already comforted you beforehand. Are you still going to cry? Am I not any better than those people?” Christopher’s tone was a little indignant as he whined. I always had a special feeling whenever he called me Eve.
