Chapter 16
Chapter 16
On the day of her adoptive father’s birthday,
Rebekah waited, but no call came from Benjamin or Shawn.
When she finally called them, the call was immediately disconnected.
After a moment of stunned silence, Rebekah grabbed her gift and hailed a cab to the Fletcher
mansion.
The moment she stepped inside, her adoptive mother, Georgiana’s, sarcastic voice cut through the air. “Well, look who it is. Too important for your own parents now? Making us wait all day, saving your grand entrance for last p>
When Georgiana saw the braces on her hand and leg, her
expression soured. “Candice told me you were almost fully recovered. Who are you
putting on this pathetic show for p>
Rebekah’s lips tightened, a familiar ache in her
heart. Georgiana had been kind to her once, but everything had changed the day Candice came home. She resented Rebekah for stealing her biological daughter’s life, but for the sake of the family’s reputation stay. Life in the Fletcher household had been a constant struggle
until Benjamin came along. At the time, she had thought he was her salvation. He had
only led her into a deeper pit.
“There are lasting effects. I’ll never be able to hold a scalpel or dance again,” Rebekah said, her
voice trembling as she watched Georgiana’s reaction.
A flicker of guilt crossed Georgiana’s face, but she quickly
masked it. “Well, you were never as good as Candice anyway. One dancer in the family is enough p>
Seeing that flicker of guilt, Rebekah’s heart grew colder. She began to wonder just how much her adoptive parents knew about her taking the fall
for Candice. How involved were they?
She remained silent, her face pale and fragile.
“What, has the cat got your tongue?” Georgiana snapped, her guilt flaring into
rage. “After all the years I spent raising you, this is the thanks I get That’s enough p>
Her adoptive father’s authoritative voice boomed from the top of the stairs. He descended, his brow furrowed. “What is all this shouting? This is a disgrace.” He sat on the sofa, glanced at Rebekah, and when he saw she was alone, his face hardened. “Where are Benjamin and Shawn?
The change in his attitude was so stark it was almost comical. A cold smile touched Rebekah’s lips. “They
had something come up. They couldn’t make it p>
Her adoptive father’s eyes filled with impatience as he
sized her up. “What good are you? You can’t even keep a man in line. After all these years of marriage, you’ve done nothing to benefit the Fletcher family p>
“That’s what you get for raising a thankless child,” Georgiana added spitefully.
They went
on
one after the other, tearing her down until she felt like
nothing. She sat on the sofa, head bowed listening in silence, her fingers clenched into tight fists. She had once foolishly craved their affection. But in the end, the
Fletchers had only ever
seen her as a tool.
“Mom! Dad! I’m here!” A cheerful voice announced.
Rebekah turned to see Candice flutter into the room and throw her arms around
Georgiana.
Georgiana’s face immediately lit up. She stroked Candice’s hair, her expression soft. “My
sweet girl, did you miss me? What took you so long p>
Watching their Noving reunion,
ta
Rebekah felt a pang of bitterness. Georgiana used to call her that, in
that same gentle tone. After Candice returned, everything changed. She didn’t know what she had done wrong, but she had tried so hard to please them. Once, she had sold almost all of her jewelry to buy Georgiana a set of emeralds. All she had gotten in return was a cold, dismissive remark. “No matter how expensive the gift, you’ll never be as good as Candice p>
Georgiana had smashed the emeralds right in front of her.