I smiled faintly and handed over the bracelet without hesitation.

“All right, let Amanda have it. It suits her more.”

My stepmother’s voice dripped with feigned concern as she chimed in, “This doesn’t seem appropriate. That bracelet was William’s birthday gift to Avery. How could Amanda possibly take it?”

Amanda, clinging sweetly to my father’s arm, cast a sly glance my way and replied, “Yes, Dad, Sister might feel hurt. I’d better not accept it.”

Her words were sugar-coated, but the triumphant glint in her eyes betrayed her true intentions.

I placed the bracelet into Amanda’s outstretched hand with a serene expression.

“Take it,” I said coolly. “It looks better on you anyway.”

“Thank you, Sister!” Amanda exclaimed with exaggerated delight, her tone sickly sweet.

My father gave me an approving nod, seemingly pleased with what he believed was my gracious nature before he and my stepmother walked out of the room.

Once they were gone, Amanda turned to William with a coy smile, holding out the bracelet.

“William, won’t you help me put it on?” she asked, her tone laced with charm.

“Of course,” William replied as if forgetting I was still in the room. He took the bracelet with his long, graceful fingers and carefully fastened it around her wrist, his full attention on her.

The scene played out like something from a romantic film, a stark contrast to the reality of my place in this charade.

It reminded me all too vividly of the photos Amanda had sent me the night before, images meant to sting. In a candlelit Western restaurant beneath a canopy of glittering stars, she had leaned against William with an intimacy that left no doubt about their bond.

The picture had been perfect, too perfect, and it now replayed in my mind like a bitter memory.

In all the years I had spent with William, we had never taken a photo like that, one that radiated effortless intimacy.

The irony of it twisted in my chest, almost laughable in its cruelty.

After fastening the bracelet on her wrist, Amanda sauntered over to me, her smile dripping with insincerity.

“Sister, thank you for the bracelet. William and I will stay to celebrate your birthday with you,” she chirped sweetly.

“There’s no need,” I replied coolly, brushing past her.

A flicker of malice glinted in her eyes before she suddenly stumbled into me, clutching my arm and pulling me down with her.

The crash echoed through the room as the tea set and cake shattered against the floor. Amanda let out a wail, clutching her arm, where a faint scratch marked her porcelain skin.

“Sister, why did you push me? My hand hurts so much!” she cried, her voice trembling with well-practiced anguish.

William froze for a moment, his eyes darting between us before bypassing me entirely. He swept Amanda into his arms as though she were the victim of some grave injustice.

“Amanda, are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft with concern.

“William, my hand hurts so badly!” she sobbed, holding up her arm to showcase the tiny scratch. Her tears streamed down her cheeks, painting a pitiful picture that seemed to stab at William’s heart.

His gaze snapped to me, cold and cutting, his tone sharper than I had ever heard.

“Avery, how could you? You’ve gone too far this time. Hurting your sister? Unforgivable.”

Without sparing me a second glance, he carried Amanda toward the door, leaving me amidst the shattered remnants of what had once been my birthday celebration.

My father and stepmother, drawn by the commotion, stormed into the room with anger etched on their faces.

Their scornful gazes bore into me before they hurried after Amanda, their concern pouring over her like a protective shield.

The living room, once filled with chaos, descended into a suffocating silence.

I wiped the blood trickling down my forehead, a bitter chuckle rising in my throat.

This was the man I had cherished through the years, someone I thought I knew inside and out.

Yet it only took one Amanda to tip his heart away.

And my father? The man who had once showered me with love and pride?

They say a stepmother often turns a father into a stranger, and I was living proof of this truth.

“Hold still; this might sting a bit.”

My best friend prepared to stitch the gash on my forehead, her hands steady but her voice tinged with worry.

The needle broke through my skin, a sharp sting that made me clench my fists.

But I gritted my teeth and bore it.

After all, what was this pain compared to the storm raging in my chest?

She sighed, her tone edged with frustration.

“Since you’ve already agreed to Mr. Spencer’s proposal, why not leave now? Why stay and endure these miserable people until the 9th?”

I replied, my voice laden with bitterness.

“Because next week marks my mother’s death anniversary.”

I need to use this last month to tie up loose ends and leave with a clear conscience.

Most importantly, the 9th of next month was meant to mark my engagement to William. But I had a special surprise planned for him, one he would never forget.

After my best friend left, the throbbing in my head grew unbearable, pulling me into the clutches of a restless sleep.

When I finally opened my eyes, the world outside had plunged into darkness.

Faintly, Amanda's sobs drifted from downstairs, breaking the quiet of the night.

I stepped out of my bedroom, my gaze immediately landing on Amanda, sprawled on the living room sofa below. Her hand, barely scratched, was wrapped in thick bandages as she sobbed softly in my father’s arms.

Across from her, William’s face was a mask of irritation, his brows furrowed with displeasure.

My father gently patted Amanda’s shoulder, his voice laced with false comfort.

“Alright, enough with the tears. I’ll have your sister apologize.”

Beside him, my stepmother wore a look of righteous indignation, her eyes shining with fake sympathy as she accused me.

“Your daughter just can’t stand us. She’s trying to force us out of this house.”

“That won’t happen,” my father shot back, his tone heavy with authority. “This house isn’t hers to control.”

With a quick glance at William, he added, “William, why don’t you talk to Avery and get her to come down and apologize to her sister?”

William nodded stiffly, turning toward the stairs.

When William noticed the wound on my forehead, a flicker of discomfort briefly crossed his face. His hand reached for mine, his voice laced with feigned concern.

“Avery, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were hurt, too.”

I couldn’t help but sneer inwardly at the man before me, a hypocrite through and through.

He wasn’t unaware of my injury; he simply thought Amanda’s tiny scratch deserved more sympathy than my actual pain.

“Avery, since you pushed Amanda, go downstairs and apologize to her. Let’s just put this whole thing behind us.”

I remained silent, the bitterness welling up inside me.

This man could be just as heartless as the trio downstairs.

I offered him a faint smile, then said, purposefully reminding him of the truth he wished to ignore.

“William, I had six stitches. Savannah said there’s a good chance it will scar.”

Only then did he take a proper look at the gash on my forehead?

But after a fleeting moment of pity, his scolding began.

“If you hadn’t pushed her on purpose, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Besides, Amanda’s hurt too.”

“It’s just a bracelet. Was it really worth pushing her over? You’ve had everything for so long, more than enough. There’s no need to compete with her over every little thing. You should learn to let her have her way.”

A bitter laugh escaped me, the taste of it better than the words I wanted to say.

What did he mean by saying I’d been a wealthy young lady for so many years?

The Kennedy family’s current wealth was built solely on my mother’s dowry.

While she worked tirelessly to support us, my father had been secretly tending to another family.

A year ago, my mother’s unexpected death left a gaping hole.

Her grave hadn’t even cooled when my father brought his mistress and her illegitimate daughter into our home, calling it a “reunion.”

Ever since they arrived, I no longer had a place in this house.

Amanda took everything, everything, including the man who was supposed to be my fiancé.

William knew all of this but still dared to speak to me in such a way.

It was clear where his heart now lay.

But then I remembered I had already agreed to another man’s proposal.

The anger that had burned in my chest evaporated as quickly as it had come.

I smiled at William.

“William, I’ll apologize to her, but there’s one condition.”

“What condition?”

“Next Saturday is my mother’s death anniversary. I want you to come with me to visit her.”

“Alright, no problem.”

To him, visiting a grave was just another task, no big deal.

With a pounding head, I rose and made my way downstairs.

Standing before the trio, I offered my apology to Amanda.

“I’m sorry.”

Amanda immediately curled into my father’s arms, acting like a frightened rabbit. Her voice was sweet, but it lacked sincerity.

“Sister, I forgive you. Let’s get along from now on, okay?”

Get along?

I didn’t need that.

William’s gaze flickered between the two of us, his expression softening just a touch.

“Avery, Amanda is still young. It’s natural for her to be a little spoiled and headstrong. Once we’re engaged on the 9th of next month, I’ll take you away from all of this.”

The 9th of next month.

It was a date I had been looking forward to, though I never let it show.

I gave him a soft smile.

“Alright.”

That evening, Amanda flaunted the bracelet in front of me.

She waved it around as though afraid I might miss it, circling me several times before speaking.

“Sister, you’re not mad at me, are you? I didn’t expect William to listen to me so well. Not only did he make you give me the bracelet, but he also had you bow and apologize in person.”

After showing off the bracelet, she leaned closer, her eyes scanning the wound on my forehead with a mocking smile.

“Sister, is that a scar? What will you do about the engagement ceremony next month? Will it have to be canceled like today’s birthday party?”

I ignored her.

Let her have her moment, it wouldn’t last much longer.

But she arrogantly blocked my path.

“Sister, I heard you want William to accompany you to visit your mom?”

I stopped in my tracks and fixed her with a cold stare.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m saying that William won’t go with you because he doesn’t love you.”

“He’ll go.”

I still trusted William despite everything. After all, my mother had been good to him for years. A visit to the cemetery wouldn’t take more than two hours.

Amanda kept pushing, pretending to be hurt as she drew closer to William.

He thought I didn’t know.

But what he failed to realize was that Amanda had been sending me photos of them together every time, each one designed to provoke me.

I never responded to her. I simply saved the photos quietly for the day I would need them.

On the day of my mother’s death anniversary, William finally acted like a decent man.

Not only did he show up, but he also brought lilies, my mother’s favorite flowers.

As we arrived at the cemetery, his phone buzzed with a message.

He glanced at it, and his face instantly hardened.

Taking my hand, he looked at me with an apologetic expression.

“Sorry, Avery. There’s an urgent issue at work. I need to leave.”

Even though I knew the message had come from Amanda, I still clung to a tiny thread of hope, pleading with him.

“William, today is my mother’s first death anniversary. Can’t you postpone work for just one hour?”

Before my mother passed away, he had been one of the few people she worried about besides me.

“Sorry, Avery. This is really important.”

His gentle tone hid a quiet firmness, and before I could say another word, he was already walking toward the gates, phone pressed to his ear.

Not long after, I received a message from Amanda. [I told you I won’t let William visit a dead woman.]

I turned off my phone, closed my eyes, and tried to suppress the anger threatening to overwhelm me.

Alone, I placed the lilies on my mother’s grave, my eyes fixated on the smile that seemed to forever rest on her face, etched into the tombstone.

Tears began to fall without warning.

I wiped them away and whispered softly, “Mom, on the 9th of next month, I’ll be leaving Franklin City.”

“I probably won’t come back. Please don’t blame me.”

My mother had loved me beyond words. I believed she would understand.

I stayed at the cemetery, lost in conversation with her for what seemed like hours before finally leaving.

Next, I headed to the bank, where I retrieved the diamond bracelet I had hidden away.

This bracelet, a precious heirloom passed down from my grandmother to my mother, was something my mother had entrusted to me before she left.