Chapter 5

The next morning, the basement door opened. The butler kicked a plate of cold, leftover eggs onto the floor and ordered Adeline to go prune the rose bushes in the backyard.

Adeline ate a few bites, playing the obedient fool, and walked out into the bright sunlight.

She was clipping the thorny branches when Damaris walked out. Damaris was wearing a designer silk dress, holding her phone on a selfie stick. She was live on Instagram, broadcasting to tens of thousands of followers, bragging about her upcoming life as the Herring matriarch.

Damaris spotted Adeline. A wicked idea lit up her eyes. She wanted to publicly humiliate the "real" fiancé to show everyone how superior she was.

Damaris picked up a bowl of premium, foul-smelling wet dog food from the patio. She walked over, shoving the camera into Adeline's dirty face.

"Hey guys," Damaris cooed, her voice sickeningly sweet. "This is my poor, mentally challenged sister. I'm just feeding her a special nutritional breakfast."

Damaris scooped up a spoonful of the brown sludge and shoved it toward Adeline's mouth. The live chat exploded with laughing emojis and cruel comments.

Adeline's eyes lowered, hiding a flash of pure ice.

Instead of pulling away, Adeline lunged forward like a starving animal.

Her foot "clumsily" caught on the thick rubber garden hose. Her body weight slammed directly into Damaris.

Damaris screamed as she lost her balance. She fell backward onto the grass. The bowl of dog food flipped in the air, landing perfectly upside down on Damaris's perfectly styled hair and face.

Adeline tumbled into the edge of the rose bush. She intentionally dragged her bare forearm across the sharpest thorns, slicing deep, bloody scratches into her skin.

The Instagram live chat went absolutely insane. The mockery shifted instantly. Thousands of screenshots were taken of Damaris covered in foul-smelling meat paste.

Damaris gagged at the smell. She threw her phone onto the grass, her face contorted in pure rage. She raised her hand to slap Adeline.

Adeline let out a blood-curdling, terrified scream. "Don't hit me! Sister, please don't hit me!"

The scream echoed across the entire estate.

On the second-floor balcony, Ewell Martinez had been pacing relentlessly for the last twenty minutes, his expensive dress shoes wearing a path into the rug. He was nervously waiting for the Herring family representative, his phone pressed to his ear as he placated a vital investor. His eyes constantly darted toward the long, winding driveway. Finally, the heavy iron gates parted, and he saw a pristine black town car bearing the Herring family crest pulling up to the front steps. A cold sweat broke out on his neck. The timing couldn't be worse.

Ewell sprinted down the stairs and burst into the backyard. He saw Damaris raising her hand, and Adeline cowering on the ground, her arms covered in fresh blood.

"Stop!" Ewell roared.

He grabbed Damaris by the shoulder, spun her around, and delivered a brutal, ringing slap across her face.

Damaris fell to the grass, stunned. She held her red cheek, crying. "Dad! She pushed me!"

Adeline curled into a ball, her voice trembling. "The dog food tasted bad... Sister forced me... I'm scared..."

Society believed that the mentally disabled couldn't lie. Adeline's words instantly convicted Damaris of abusing her disabled sister.

Ewell looked down and saw the phone on the grass. The live stream was still running. The comments were tearing his family apart.

His face turned purple. He stomped his expensive leather shoe directly onto the phone screen, shattering it and killing the feed.

Katrina ran out, screaming as she saw her daughter crying. She tried to grab Ewell's arm.

Ewell pointed a shaking finger at Katrina. "If this scandal ruins the Herring deal, you and your brat are out on the street!"

Katrina froze, terrified. She glared at Adeline with pure, unfiltered hatred.

Adeline kept her face buried in her knees, pretending to sob. But in the dark space between her arms, her lips curved into a triumphant, chilling smile.

The butler ran out, breathless. "Sir, the Herring family assistant is in the living room."

Ewell forced a fake, sweaty smile and ran inside. Katrina and Damaris were left in the yard, humiliated and furious, while Adeline quietly watched them burn.