Chapter 9
“I said—Dad’s not home!” Yelena smirked, savoring the moment.
“Dad forgot all about your visit today. I mean, considering the kind of man you married, is it really necessary for Dad to welcome you back? It’s embarrassing enough as it is.”
“I don’t need a welcoming!” Cordelia snapped, standing up quickly. “I came here for my wedding gift!”
“Wedding gift?” Yelena raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a malicious smile. “What wedding gift? Never heard of it.”
Cordelia’s heart pounded. Her thoughts became a whirlwind of frustration and resentment. She had never had a high starting point. From the moment she entered this world, she had been branded as an illegitimate daughter. But that wasn’t her fault. Despite everything, she had worked hard to move forward and chase after a brighter future.
No girl in her right mind would agree to marry a man in place of someone else! She had done it to save her mother. Why was her family now trying to strip away that last sliver of hope?
Yelena turned to walk upstairs, but Cordelia grabbed her arm.
“Don’t leave yet. Explain this!” she demanded.
“Explain what?” Yelena snapped, pinching Cordelia’s arm harshly.
The sharp pain made Cordelia stumble back, hitting her head against the wall. A loud ringing echoed in her ears. When she looked up, she saw Yelena’s cruel smirk growing wider.
“Cordelia, you’re married now. You live in some remote part of the countryside. Don’t even think about associating yourself with the Jenners!” Yelena taunted.
“But… Dad promised!” Cordelia gritted her teeth, trying to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to overtake her. “He said he’d give me a good amount of money as a wedding gift to help my mom… to help her stay in a better hospital, with imported medicine!”
Yelena let out a mocking laugh. “Oh, my silly sister. Do you even remember why Dad kicked you and your mother out of the house?”
Cordelia fell silent, the air around her turning cold.
“Your mother got pregnant with some bastard and made Dad angry!” Yelena sneered, her voice dripping with venom. “Cordelia, sluts like her go to hell! Do you really think Dad’s going to save her? He’d rather see her die out there.”
“No…” Cordelia’s eyes welled up with tears as she tried to hold them back. “My mom isn’t like that. Someone framed her…”
“Someone framed her?” Yelena scoffed loudly. “Do you mean my mom framed her?”
Cordelia held Yelena’s glare, her own expression cool despite the rising anger within her. She remembered what her mother had told her: the guiltier a person’s conscience, the more aggressive they became.
“I didn’t say that,” Cordelia said quietly, wiping her tears away. “You and I don’t know what happened between them. Watch your words. If you ever disrespect my mother like that again, I won’t let it slide.”
Yelena’s face twisted with disbelief. “Hah, as if you could do anything about it!”
With that, Yelena flicked her hair back and flashed her newly purchased diamond necklace, a smug look on her face. “What do you think? Pretty, right?” she asked, deliberately flaunting it in front of Cordelia. “It cost me $40,000.”
Cordelia froze.
Yelena’s smile grew crueler. “It was bought with the money for your wedding gift.”
Cordelia’s breath caught in her throat. The shock of it hit her like a wave.
Yelena leaned in closer, her voice dripping with malice. “Let me be honest with you. Dad never planned on giving you a wedding gift. You’re lucky to have replaced me. Be thankful!”
Cordelia bit her lip, shaking with fury, but she knew there was nothing she could do. She could only watch as Yelena’s triumphant expression lingered, knowing that her sister had won again.
As Cordelia left, a heavy sense of defeat settled over her. The sky above was a dull gray, the air thick with moisture. The weather was unpredictable this time of year, and the clouds seemed to echo the turmoil within her. She quickened her pace toward the bus station.
Meanwhile, Marcus was finishing his training. He discarded his boxing gloves and unwrapped the gauze around his hands, his focus sharp.
“How’s she doing?” he asked, his voice low.
“She doesn’t look very happy,” his assistant replied. “She probably got upset with her family. I overheard the servants saying she didn’t get her wedding gift and that Yelena insulted her.”
Marcus’s jaw tightened, a cold gleam appearing in his eyes. “How much was her wedding gift supposed to be?”
“About $40,000.”
Marcus’s thoughts raced, calculating. “And how much is that plot of land the Jenners are bidding on worth?”
“$150,000,000.”
Marcus snorted, his voice dark with intent. “Perfect. Use that land to teach them a lesson they won’t forget.”