Margot couldn’t understand Joey’s intentions.

He had just declared that Maisie was the most important person to him, yet now he was showing such jealousy about her actions.

She was about to speak when Maisie suddenly tripped and fell to the ground.

Joey and Charles rushed forward without a second thought, ready to help her up.

Tears filled Maisie’s eyes as she refused their support. “You’re sore from the hike up here. Please don’t worry about me.”

She then looked up at Margot. “Gigi, could you help me to a seat so I can rest for a while?”

Before Margot could respond, Maisie walked over and leaned against her.

Margot instinctively tried to push her away but lacked the strength, so she passively allowed Maisie to rest against her.

Just as they passed a few seats, Maisie grabbed Margot’s arm.

The once-soft, delicate expression on her face turned into one of challenge.

“Do you think you can capture their attention with such petty tricks, Gigi? In your dreams!”

Margot was confused by Maisie’s sudden change and was about to speak when she saw Maisie raise her hand and slap her own face a few times.

As she struck herself, she began to cry loudly.

“I was wrong, Gigi! I’m sorry! Please don’t hit me!

“I promise I won’t fight you for Charles and Joey’s attention anymore. Please, have mercy on me!”

The loud sound quickly caught the attention of Charles and Joey, who were just a few steps away.

The two men rushed over and saw Maisie’s face, covered in slap marks, tears streaming down her face.

Enraged, Charles immediately stormed over and shoved Margot away.

Too weak to resist, Margot crashed into a light stand before hitting one of the church benches.

Her forehead instantly started bleeding.

Joey looked at her, his eyes filled with fury.

“What the hell, Gigi! Maisie has suffered for over ten years without any parents. Even when she came to the Johansons, she was just an adopted daughter!

“You’ve always had everything, why do you have to target her? I’ve found out they’re already preparing for the wedding, and in just a few days, she’ll be married off. Do you really want to fight her for this?”

“Don’t be so gentle with her, Joey. She’s becoming more and more unreasonable! This isn’t the first time you’ve caused trouble for Maisie, Gigi.

“A few years ago, we could say you were immature, but now that she’s about to get married, you still won’t let it go. How can you be so malicious as a sister!”

Margot thought the pain would be over, but their cruel words cut her deeply.

Hurt, sadness, despair, and pain welled up inside her, so overwhelming it nearly suffocated her.

“It wasn’t me! She staged it herself. There are surveillance cameras all over the place. You can check for yourselves—”

Before she could finish, Maisie covered her face with both hands and cried, “Guys, my face hurts so much. Will I be disfigured...?

“And what wedding are you talking about? Who is married?”

The two men’s expressions instantly changed.

Joey was the first to react, immediately gathering Maisie into his arms.

“It’s nothing. I’ll take you to the hospital right now.”

“You misheard us, Maisie. I’ll find the best doctor for you. You won’t have any scars.”

As their footsteps grew fainter, Margot could no longer hold back her tears, tightly clutching the charm in her hand.

They were all wrong.

The one marrying into the Stewarts was her!

Margot was finally sent to the hospital by a kind-hearted stranger.

As it was her second injury, the doctor berated her, questioning how she had gotten hurt again and asking if she didn’t care about herself.

She couldn’t bring herself to speak the truth—the wounds were a gift from the two most important men in her life.

In the meantime, Maisie sent her a video.

As soon as she opened it, Maisie’s voice, full of feigned sympathy, filled the room.

“Gigi also got hurt. She’s being treated in the room next door. You guys should go see her. She must be so lonely all by herself.”

Charles, who was cutting fruit for her, casually said, “You’re too kind, May. She’s done this to you, and now a little pain will teach her a lesson.”

Joey handed her a cup of warm water. “And I can’t deal with her right now.”

Such a convenient excuse.

Margot smiled bitterly, tears welling in her eyes.

After being discharged from the hospital, Margot locked herself in her room, refusing to leave.

It wasn’t until her birthday, when her parents returned from their business trip, that she finally came downstairs.

In the living room, they were busy preparing for the birthday banquet.

Fred and Martha smiled and handed each daughter a dress.

They gave Maisie a newly released haute couture gown adorned with countless small diamonds.

I was worth millions of dollars.

The dress given to Margot was a starry gown from a few years ago, long past its runway days.

Anyone with a keen eye could see the favoritism, but they made excuses, claiming that the dress suited Margot’s complexion better.

The maids who were cleaning nearby couldn’t help but whisper among themselves.

“Is Miss Margot really their biological daughter? Today is clearly her birthday, yet Mr. and Mrs. Johanson gave the expensive dress to the adopted daughter?”

“They’re just making excuses. They’re afraid Miss Margot will outshine Miss Maisie with a more extravagant gown. After all, Miss Margot is far more beautiful than Miss Maisie…”

“Not only is she beautiful, but Miss Margot is gentle and kind to us. She treats the maids so courteously.

“Miss Maisie, though, walks around with her nose in the air and punishes us for the smallest thing. I really can’t stand her. When will she leave for marriage?”

“I heard it’s soon. The Stewarts are already preparing for the wedding.”

Margot silently listened to the maids’ gossip. She didn’t say a word, gathered her things, and returned to her room.

Everyone assumed that Maisie was the one marrying into the Stewart family. Only she knew the truth—that it was she, Margot, who would marry Dominic.

After all, who would’ve thought that her own parents would choose to forsake their biological daughter in favor of their adopted one?

At 6 PM, the banquet began on time.

The moment Maisie entered the room, all eyes naturally gravitated toward her. People marveled and rushed forward to congratulate her.

“You look stunning today, May! You’re truly the star of the party!”

“The dress must have taken forever to get, your parents really dote on you,” they all complimented her, forgetting that the real birthday star was Margot.

Margot said nothing as she quietly sat on the sofa, watching the large fruit cake and seafood spread on the table beside her.

They were all Maisie’s favorites, and as Margot was allergic to both mangoes and seafood, she ate nothing the entire evening.

By the time the birthday song was sung at 8 PM, everyone surrounded Maisie at the center. Even the gifts were all for her.

Fred and Martha waved their hands grandly and gifted Maisie a villa in the heart of the city where space was worth its weight in gold.

Charles transferred half of his shares in Johanson Group to her name.

And Joey handed over a diamond necklace he had won at an auction just days ago, worth several million dollars.

The necklace, sparkling brilliantly with its “true love” symbolism, immediately caused a stir.

“Is this necklace a sign of something coming? Joey always seemed ready to marry someone, so it’s Maisie after all!”

“They always say that the childhood sweetheart can’t beat what fate has decided. Now I truly believe it.”

Amid the uproar, Margot quietly stood in the corner.

She felt invisible as if the lively atmosphere around her had nothing to do with her at all.

After the cake was cut, cheerful piano music played, and handsome men and beautiful women gathered to enter the dance floor.

Maisie scanned the room and fixed her gaze on Margot. She walked over confidently, her face full of pride.

"How does it feel to have your spotlight stolen at your own birthday party, Gigi? You must feel frustrated, right?

“But there's nothing you can do, I suppose. Dad, Mom, Charles, and Joey all spoil me more than you.

“So what if you're the biological daughter? You're still beneath me. Look at you, so helpless and pitiful," she taunted.

Margot knew Maisie was deliberately provoking her, but her tears had long since dried up over the years.

She simply looked at Maisie with indifference.

Maisie continued for a while, but when she saw she wasn't getting any response, she stomped her foot and left.

After sitting for so long, Margot began to feel tired and just wanted to go rest. After all, the real guest of honor at the birthday party wasn’t her, was it?

Just as she was about to leave, Maisie, surrounded by the crowd, suddenly shouted, “Ah, the necklace Joey gave me is missing! There’s a thief here!”

Margot turned around and, sure enough, saw Maisie’s bare neck. For some reason, an uneasy feeling suddenly surged within her.

Sure enough, the next moment, she saw Maisie crying, her eyes filled with tears. “Just now, I was talking to Gigi, and my necklace disappeared.

“Gigi, if you really liked it, you could have just asked me for it. Why did you steal it?”

As soon as the words were spoken, all eyes in the room turned toward Margot.

Margot took a deep breath and calmly met the malicious gazes directed at her, her voice steady.

“It wasn’t me. I am the eldest daughter of the Johansons. A necklace like that is nothing to me. Do you think I’d need to steal it?”

Her calm and composed demeanor eased the suspicions of many in the room.

Joey frowned, still not believing her, but Maisie wasn’t about to let it go. She insisted on accusing Margot.

“If it wasn’t you, then who else could it be? A necklace might not mean much to you, but this one was a gift from Joey. You like him so much—how could you not want it? If you’re truly innocent, then let’s search you!”

Search her in front of everyone?

Margot clenched her fists tightly, her face cold as she rejected the suggestion. “I told you, I didn’t take it. Why should I let you search me?”

“Dad, Mom, Charles, I’m telling the truth! Please believe me!

“Joey, I know I’m just an adopted child. If it were something else, I’d let it go, but that necklace was from you. It’s the only thing you’ve given me, and I don’t want to part with it.”

Seeing her tear-streaked face, several people began to soften.

Then Charles nodded. He made a subtle gesture toward the bodyguards, who immediately stepped forward to restrain Margot.

Margot looked at him in disbelief.

She was his biological sister! Yet now, for Maisie’s sake, he was willing to strip her in front of a crowd.

She struggled desperately, shouting that it wasn’t her, but no one listened.

Margot’s luxurious gown was torn apart, and her neatly styled hair was yanked loose, large tufts of it being pulled out.

She desperately clutched at her chest, her eyes filled with pain.

No matter how much she explained or struggled, the people around her remained unmoved, watching the scene unfold with cold detachment.

Looking at her indifferent parents, and at Joey and Charles, who were too busy comforting Maisie, Margot felt as if she had fallen into a nightmare.

Her parents had once held her in their arms, terrified of her getting hurt, and her brother, who would stand up for her whenever she was wronged, then taught the perpetrators a lesson.

And Joey would always stand by her side, shielding her from the storms of the world.

But everything had changed.

As the last bit of her gown was about to be ripped off, the tears of agony blurred Margot's vision.

In a moment of despair, she suddenly remembered something.

With all the strength she could muster, her blood-stained hand—her broken nails dripping—shot up, and she shouted with all her might.

"It wasn’t me! I have the footage to prove it!"