Chapter 5 Under Special Circumstances

At the Bennett family residence...

Returning from a fruitless endeavor, Jennifer slipped back into the Bennett family home without a sound.

But before she even reached the door, the lively chatter from inside floated out, only to die down the moment she stepped into the living room.

Jennifer found the entire Bennett family seated and assembled in picture-perfect harmony.

Her parents, Clint Bennett and Sherrie Bennett, were on the sofa, with Leyla cozied up between them, sharing some story that had everyone grinning.

Carson and Edmund sat in single chairs nearby, chuckling at whatever Leyla had said.

Jennifer met their stares with a calm gaze, saying indifferently, "Go on, pretend I'm not here."

Without a second glance, she tossed the car keys toward Carson and made her way to the stairs.

"Stop right there!" Sherrie's voice rang out, slicing through the silence as she shot up from the sofa, glaring at Jennifer's retreating figure.

Jennifer paused mid-step and turned, looking down at Sherrie from the stairs. "Is there a problem?"

"You'd better watch your tone, young lady! I am your mother, and I expect to be treated with respect. Were you raised without any courtesy?"

Jennifer's gaze hardened, a flicker of a smirk playing at her lips. "Courtesy, you say? Mrs. Bennett, perhaps you've forgotten-I was raised outside, wandering through life alone. No one taught me; no one raised me. Tell me, where would I have learned any courtesy without guidance or care?"

"You..."

Sherrie's face flushed in anger, her expression shifting through a kaleidoscope of emotions.

"Jennifer, Mom's only worried about you. Can't you see that? Must you be so cutting?" Edmund interjected, his voice placating.

"Cutting? I'm merely stating the facts," Jennifer replied smoothly.

Then, with a faint, bitter smile, she turned her gaze to Edmund. "After all, dear Edmund, you're the one responsible for everything."

Edmund blinked, stunned. "You..."

"Let's not pretend otherwise," Jennifer interrupted sharply. "It was you who lost me back then."

Edmund was rendered speechless. His face drained of color as if he'd been slapped.

Yes, it was true. Jennifer had vanished at the age of three because Edmund, barely more than a child himself, had snuck her out to play without anyone knowing.

He took her out... but never brought her back.

Over the years, the Bennett family had neatly swept this fact under the rug, and Edmund had all but forgotten it.

Now, hearing it again, delivered by Jennifer herself, the guilt felt raw and blinding.

"Jennifer, Edmund was just a child back then. It wasn't done on purpose, you can't-" Leyla cut in, hoping to smooth things over.

Slap! Slap!

No one saw Jennifer move, but Leyla's face now bore two bright red marks.

"This is family business, Leyla. Who are you to interrupt? You're an imposter. What right do you have to speak here?" Jennifer asked with a cold smile, watching Leyla's eyes fill with angry tears.

The frustration from her fruitless trip to the hospital vanished, and Jennifer felt a surge of satisfaction.

"Get out... get out of here, right now!" Sherrie couldn't contain her fury, her voice trembling as she looked at Leyla's tear-streaked face.

"Me? Get out?" Jennifer arched a brow. "You seem to forget-the deed to this house is in my name. If anyone should leave, it's all of you."

"You-" Sherrie's hand shook as she pointed at Jennifer, who remained entirely unruffled.

"Stress won't do you any favors, Mrs. Bennett. It'll only bring on the wrinkles faster. Best to stay calm."

Watching Sherrie teetering on the edge of collapse, Jennifer added, "Don't worry, I won't be here long. I'll leave in a few days."

"Does that mean... you're going abroad again?" Clint, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his gaze resting carefully on Jennifer.

Despite knowing she was his biological daughter, Clint struggled to accept her defiant nature.

Still, he knew his mother's attachment to Jennifer and was aware of the valuable shares Jennifer held in the company. So, he pretended to be concerned.

Everyone in the living room appeared to calm down when Jennifer said that she would be leaving in a few days.

Jennifer glanced around at the barely hidden relief on their faces before focusing on her father. "I said I'd leave; I never mentioned going abroad."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Clint asked.

Jennifer's lips curled into a smirk. "Hate to burst your bubble, but I won't be leaving the country anytime soon. I'm officially announcing that I'm going to be attending Jalster University."

"You're going to Jalster University?" Leyla exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Catching her tone, she took a breath before adding with forced calmness, "Jennifer, Jalster University has strict admissions, and this year's enrollment is closed. If you're thinking of using connections to get in, it probably won't work."

"Connections? Do you really think I'm as useless as you, Leyla-unable to gain admission through actual merit?"

Leyla was left speechless.

"Who are you calling useless?" Sherrie snapped, eyes blazing. "Leyla was accepted under special circumstances, and don't you dare insult her!"

Jennifer let out a low chuckle, eyes narrowing on Sherrie. "Oh yes, under special circumstances, and those circumstances happened to cost the Bennetts a school building, if I'm not mistaken."

"You act as if you're so capable," Edmund scoffed. "In the end, you'll still need our influence."

Jennifer's response was simple. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a piece of crumpled paper and tossed it in their direction.

"Take a good look at this!" she said.

Leyla unfolded the sheet, revealing the official stamp of Jalster University. She bit her lip, a look of sheer disbelief twisting her features.

Her anger forgotten, she turned toward Jennifer, her expression panicked.

Everyone at Jalster University knew her as the real daughter of the Bennett family. If Jennifer joined, wouldn't her secrets be laid bare?