Chapter 4

Chloe pitifully lifted her head, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Liam, please stop. I'm so scared."

"What if Sister gets angry and sends a bunch of thugs to... to hurt me again?"

Liam immediately looked at Chloe with a serious expression.

"What did you say? Hurt you? What happened? Why didn't you tell me about something so serious?"

Chloe looked at me, then back at Liam.

Finally, she stammered,

"It's my fault, Sister. It's normal for her to send people to beat me up to vent her anger."

"I don't blame her, I really don't."

"Liam, let's go home. I don't want to recall those terrible things anymore."

The more Chloe said this, the more Liam pressed for details.

Finally, Chloe was forced to tell everyone.

She claimed that I had constantly bullied her at home, and Liam had been her only salvation.

One time, after they'd both had too much to drink, they accidentally slept together.

She had consequently become pregnant with Liam's child.

And when I found out, fueled by resentment, I allegedly hired a dozen thugs to assault Chloe.

"I lost my baby, and I can't have children anymore."

"I was afraid you'd despise me, so I kept this secret locked away."

"But I don't regret it, Liam, I don't regret it. As long as I can be with you, anything is worth it."

With that, Chloe suddenly knelt and kowtowed to me.

"Sister, I know you hate me, but I beg you, please spare me. I really won't contend with you for anything."

"I just want a home, a place where I can find shelter from the storm."

"Sister, please, please give me a chance to live!"

Her tragic appearance broke everyone's hearts.

My adoptive mother hugged Chloe tightly, her eyes full of pity.

My adoptive father, however, outright slapped me.

"You animal! We raised you, fed you, housed you for so many years."

"And you repay our kindness with hatred, bullying my biological daughter like this!"

"Now you still want to come back and live as the rich young lady? In your dreams!"

"Liam is now a manager at Sterling Enterprises. We have connections to bring you to justice."

"I'll send you to the police station right now and make sure you rot in jail!"

The clamor around me brought back distant memories, and my lingering doubts vanished.

Seven years ago, it was a similar scene.

Chloe had stubbornly claimed I put nails in her dance shoes, causing her to lose a competition opportunity.

Dad had slapped me, just like today.

Mom, tears in her eyes, said she didn't have a daughter like me.

And Liam had stood behind Chloe, unhesitatingly defending his beloved.

Now, history was repeating itself. Everything felt exactly as it had seven years ago.

All those years after my supposed death, these people spoke of love and regret.

But given a second chance, they still unhesitatingly chose Chloe.

My pent-up frustration and resentment reached a boiling point.

I violently shook off Liam's hand, trying to call Julian.

Liam, thinking I was going to hurt Chloe, kicked me.

My prosthetic limb snapped, and my head slammed against a rock on the roadside, bleeding profusely.

Liam, as if blind to my condition, dragged me towards the police station.

"Aria, I gave you a chance, but you're just too foolish."

"Today, I will make you pay for everything you've done!"

If reporters caught sight of me like this, who knew what kind of scandal it would cause?

On the verge of breaking down, I couldn't think of anything else and shouted.

"Let go of me! I didn't do anything!"

"I'm Julian Sterling's wife! If he finds out you're treating me like this, he won't let you get away with it!"

Liam froze for a moment, then let out a scoffing laugh.

"Aria, your lying hasn't changed a bit."

"You say you didn't do anything, so what about that video? You claim to be Julian Sterling's wife, but what proof do you have?"

"I don't believe Chloe would jeopardize her own reputation to frame you."

"And I certainly don't believe Julian Sterling, the CEO of a major corporation, would ever look twice at a cripple like you!"

As his words fell, a light bulb went off in my head.

Suddenly, I understood the problem with that video.