Scarlett was there, looking radiant in a custom-made pink gown. She was surrounded by admirers, her face a perfect mask of sweet innocence. Liam was right beside her, his hand resting possessively on the small of her back.
He looked at her with an adoration that was almost painful to watch. He laughed at something she said, a genuine, warm laugh that I had never heard directed at me. They looked like the perfect couple, the king and queen of the ball.
I was the ghost at the feast.
I found a quiet corner and simply watched. I didn't feel the familiar sting of jealousy or the ache of loneliness. I felt like an anthropologist observing a strange, foreign tribe.
After a while, Mr. Hayes stood on a small stage and tapped a glass for attention. The music died down.
"Thank you all for coming tonight to celebrate our dear Scarlett," he began, his voice booming with pride. "As you all know, she had quite a scare, but she's a strong girl." He beamed at Scarlett, who blushed prettily. "To show our love and to secure her future, Helen and I have decided to transfer thirty percent of the Hayes Corporation shares to her name."
A wave of murmurs and applause went through the crowd. It was a fortune. Scarlett's eyes widened in feigned surprise, and she hugged her father. "Oh, Daddy, you shouldn't have!"
Liam stepped forward, a proud smile on his face. "She deserves it, David. Scarlett has the best heart of anyone I know."
My adoptive parents were giving away a massive part of their legacy to the daughter they adored, while I, their other daughter, stood in the shadows, forgotten. It was the ultimate statement of their preference, made public for everyone to see.
But the humiliation wasn't over.
Liam took Scarlett's hand and led her to the center of the room. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. The room fell silent with anticipation.
He opened it. Inside, nestled on the satin, was a stunning emerald bracelet. It was intricate and old, clearly a family heirloom. I recognized it immediately. It was the Sterling family matriarch's bracelet, passed down for generations. Liam's grandfather, the only person in the family who had ever shown me kindness, had told me it would one day be mine. He had given it to Liam to give to me on our fifth anniversary.
Liam took the bracelet out of the box. He looked at Scarlett, his eyes shining with emotion.
"Scarlett," he said, his voice thick with feeling. "This has been in my family for over a hundred years. It belongs to the most important woman in the Sterling family." He paused, and his eyes briefly flickered to me in the corner, a flicker of cold contempt. Then he turned back to Scarlett. "It was always meant for you."
He fastened the emerald bracelet around her delicate wrist. It glittered under the chandeliers, a symbol of everything I was not, everything I could never be. Scarlett held up her hand, admiring it. "Oh, Liam," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "It's beautiful. I love it."
The crowd erupted in applause. People were looking at me. I could see the pity in some eyes, the mockery in others, the sheer, undisguised pleasure on the faces of those who had always disliked me. They were all waiting for my reaction. They were waiting for me to break down, to cry, to make a scene. That' s what the old Olivia would have done.
But I felt nothing.
The pain they expected, the heartbreak, it just wasn't there. It was like watching a movie. A very sad, very pathetic movie, but a movie nonetheless. The characters were delivering their lines, the plot was unfolding, but I was no longer a part of it. I was just in the audience.
Quietly, I turned and walked out of the room. I headed towards the back garden, needing some fresh air. I heard someone whisper behind me, "Look, she's going off to cry."
I stepped out into the cool night air. The moon was bright. I touched my cheeks. They were dry. There were no tears. The well of sorrow I had carried inside me for years had finally run dry.
I took a deep breath. The air smelled of roses and freedom. I looked up at the stars. I wasn't that desperate, heartbroken girl anymore. They had taken everything from me-my husband's love, my family's affection, my rightful inheritance, my dignity.
And in doing so, they had set me free.
I wasn't crying. I was finally, truly, getting ready to live.