Chapter 3

Jonas worded it with great delicacy. "Babe, I've been talking with your parents these days. It's gonna be Evelyn's Memorial Day in a couple of days. We wanna go and pay our respects. I know she did you wrong before, but she's gone now. Mark and Tess raised her for so many years, and she and I grew up together, you know. We're worried that it might upset you. So we thought it'd be better if just the three of us go. You..."

I interrupted, "Go ahead. I'm not going."

Upon catching sight of my surprisingly accommodating manner, he couldn't hold back the smile on his face. He inched closer and murmured affectionately, "I just knew you were the most understanding person. You just stay home and have a rest, okay?"

Without betraying a single emotion, I deftly evaded his attempt to placate me with a kiss and tossed out a perfunctory response, "We're outside. Let's head home now."

I averted my face, pretending to be shy. However, in my tightly clenched palm, I had pinched myself so forcefully that the skin was already a blurred mess of blood.

It hurt so much... My hand was in pain, and so was my heart.

Upon arriving home, I nonchalantly fabricated an excuse to get rid of Jonas before slipping into his study.

My trust, given without reservation, has led him to have no defenses against me.

The moment I clicked, the computer screen sprang to life, revealing a photograph of Jonas, Evelyn, and Finn, a perfect family of three. The sight of it was like a stab to my eyes, making them ache with a bitterness that seeped into my bones.

The computer was password-protected. I cast my eyes downward and tapped out several numbers on the keyboard. Just as I had expected, it was the birthday of Finn.

Inside the photo album were page after page of photos, all showing the family beaming with joy as they faced the camera.

Jonas had even recorded every single detail of this small family meticulously.

The one-month-old celebration that he and Evelyn hosted, the parents' meetings they attended together, and countless photos of their family activities were displayed on the screen.

The more I scrolled downwards, the weaker my legs felt, as if they could no longer bear my weight and were on the verge of giving way. My lips trembled uncontrollably. Shock and grief engulfed me, leaving me gasping for air.

It was not merely on account of Jonas. Rather, it was also due to the other two principal figures in these pictures, my parents.

Everyone had been trifling with my life and emotions just to keep Evelyn out of harm.

All of a sudden, it dawned on me that each time Jonas was interviewed, he would invariably wrap up the session by saying, "I love my family."

I had mistaken it for his reserved yet genuine affection for me. Looking back now, I just found myself ridiculously wrong. The recipients of those words were never limited to me alone. Evelyn and Finn were also part of it. It turned out that this love was never one of a kind.

I forced a wry smile, feeling that my heart, which was already broken into pieces, could no longer hold on. I practically stumbled my way out of the study.

A slight vibration came from my phone. In the split second when I caught sight of the message, I jerked to a halt. It was from Evelyn.

Evelyn: [Hey, you saw it today, right? The happy scene of our family. Jonas and your parents shelled out the cash and put in the effort to set me up with a jewelry design studio. And now I'm living it up, all comfortable and fancy. Renata, what's the big deal that you're the biological kid? So what if I nearly screwed you over? Anyway, you're the one nobody loves. Tomorrow morning's the anniversary celebration of my studio. Wanna come and see for yourself just how happy Jonas and I are?]

Right at this very moment, I heard Jonas' voice coming from behind. He said, "Renata, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. Go to bed early and don't stay up waiting for me."

I didn't show up at the studio. And I simply ignored Evelyn's sly little digs. Instead, I bribed the servants in her house. Since they were all out today, I seized the opportunity, dressed up as a newly recruited cleaner, and managed to slip into the villa where she was currently living.

This was the cream of the crop among the luxury housing developments under Hawkins Group. Every inch of it screamed opulence.

In the very center of the living room, a gigantic family photo was blatantly on display. There was Jonas, Evelyn, Finn, and, unbelievably, my parents, all standing in a neat row, gazing straight at the camera with beaming, blissful smiles.

I barely had time to rest my eyes on it for a moment before the maid Georgia grabbed me and yanked me away. She stated. "This is the calligraphy piece Finn's grandpa Mr. Mark Anderson himself penned when Mr. Finn Hawkins was born. And that thing over yonder, I know it looks a bit all over the place, but it was Mr. Mark Anderson, holding Mr. Finn Hawkins' hand, patiently guiding him to write each stroke. You be extra careful when you wipe them, got it? Mr. Mark Anderson just adores these. Every single time he drops by, he'll gaze at this for ages. Keeps going on and on about how talented Mr. Finn Hawkins is."