Chapter 3

Later, I was admitted to college through a special channel. The teachers at the school recognized my talent and helped me apply through a talent program.

When the offer letter arrived, which was written in a foreign language, I realized I had been accepted into a famous university in Whland.

Byron was more thrilled than if he had won the lottery.

He spread the news with great fanfare and proclaimed that a star had risen from his family.

The people in the town were full of praise for me and commended him for his foresight in recognizing my potential as a promising girl and gaining an outstanding daughter so easily.

However, there were always people who gossiped in the village and town.

A few women who usually didn't get along with my mom seized that opportunity to mock her.

"Oh, isn't this Emmalyn? Is your boy still in school?"

"Oh, come on. You know that she is blessed, as she gave birth to a son and a daughter. Her son isn't cut out for studying, but her daughter is really outstanding."

"That's right. She got into a good college in Whland. It is indeed one of the most prestigious colleges in the world. It is even better than all the colleges in our country."

"Emmalyn, bring out your outstanding daughter, and let us see her."

My mom was furious, and her face turned livid. She swept dust with a broom wildly and aimed it at the faces of those women. "Puff! You can't even give birth to a son. How can you have the nerve to come here to cause trouble? I have a son, and you're jealous of me. You childless woman, get lost!"

The women fled while covering their heads. But they taunted back. "Oh, Emmalyn, you're something. You treat your useless son like a treasure and gave away your smart daughter to your brother for free. You really know how to make a deal."

My mother trembled with rage. After she chased those women for a while, that wasn't enough. She dragged my younger brother, who was still in middle school, and barged into the place of Byron and me. "Byron, get out here." She stood with her hands on her hips. Her feet were planted like a compass while she was shouting angrily.

By the time Byron and I reached the living room, the neighbors had already gathered outside to watch us for fun.

As soon as my mother saw me, her eyes lit up. Then she suddenly collapsed to the floor and began wailing. "Oh, my poor daughter. You are tricked by my heartless brother. My daughter is so smart and so good at academic learning. I didn't even have time to take good care of her, and he tricked her away. He stole my daughter from me. My daughter, my poor daughter!"

My brother joined in the crying and made it seem like we were mourning a death in the family.

Byron was shaking with anger. He shouted, "You wanted to kill Kendra when she was born. I took her in and brought her up. Now that she's grown and successful, do you want a piece of the pie? How shameless you are! Get out of my home!"

I took a deep breath and stood in front of Byron.

All these years, he had protected me. Now that I had grown up, I could protect him.

I pointed to the scar on my forehead, which was still clear to see. I sneered at my shameless mother and brother, "Do you remember this scar?"

Their faces were blank with confusion. Seeing this, my voice grew colder. "Of course, you don't remember it. It is from when I was seven and my brother snatched my cake and pushed me down by the cowshed. My head was bumped on the bricks, and the bleeding wouldn't stop. If Byron hadn't rushed me to the clinic, I wouldn't be alive today. You don't even remember this scar. Do you have the nerve to ask me to go back with you?"

The scar was deep and unmistakable.

The clinic back then wasn't well-equipped. They only stitched it up without concern for how it looked. The scar sprawled across my forehead like a centipede, threatening to ruin my face if it had been any deeper.

The onlookers saw the scar and refrained from joining in the mockery. They started criticizing my mother. "Are you indeed her mother? You almost cost your daughter her life for the sake of your useless son?"

"Emmalyn, you don't care for your daughter, but Byron does. Now that she recognizes him as her father, what can you say?"

My mother panicked. She clutched Stefan and shouted, "You can't abandon your brother. He's still so young, and you have to help in the future."

Her schemes were written all over her face, and she made no attempt to hide them.

I picked up a broom to chase them away.

But I never expected someone to be so eager to ruin me.

The daughter of the school principal, Aylin Lloyd, who didn't get along well with me, pushed through the crowd and pointed at me, yelling, "Kendra, you have no shame! Your mother is trying to save you from misery. But you treat the bad guy as your father. You willingly fall into disgrace and betray those who care for you."

Her words drew everyone's attention to her.

I frowned and asked, "What do you mean by that? You failed to compete with me academically, so you resort to slandering me?"

Aylin's eyes flashed with jealousy, but she quickly put on a righteous facade and even supported my mother like she was acting in a show. "Don't bother with Kendra, who is so ungrateful. She's blinded by greed and insists on being with some bad guy. She will only bring you trouble if she goes back with you."

My mother was focused on bringing me, the potential breadwinner, back home to support her son.

So she was instantly unhappy to hear that. "What nonsense are you spouting? My daughter is just fine."

Aylin rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone to play a video.

It showed a scantily clad man, posing provocatively for the camera. His essentials were barely covered.

It was none other than Byron.