Chapter 5

Lily POV

Rachel lifted her hand and pulled down her sweater collar, revealing the necklace around her neck.

That necklace was the same style and color as the bracelet on my wrist.

Rachel smiled smugly. "Your bracelet was actually the free gift that came with my necklace. But Sebastian was afraid you wouldn't accept it if you knew, so he told me not to wear this necklace in front of you."

A free gift?

Enormous humiliation washed over me. The bracelet on my wrist suddenly felt like it was burning my skin.

But more than that, the hickeys covering Rachel's neck were even more jarring to my eyes.

Rachel acted as if she'd only just realized, pulling her sweater back up in feigned panic. "Sorry, Lily. I forgot Sebastian was too rough last night and left a lot of marks. I didn't mean to show them to upset you."

I didn't expose her little act. As I turned to go downstairs, I yanked off the bracelet and threw it in the trash.

I couldn't help but recall how years ago, Sebastian had used his first earnings to buy me an expensive gemstone necklace.

I thought the necklace was too expensive and felt bad about him spending so much money on me.

But Sebastian told me I deserved all the best things, that no matter how expensive something was, I was worth it.

Yet now, he'd given me Rachel's free gift?

I gulped down cold water in the kitchen, struggling for a long time to suppress the irony and absurdity spreading through my body and mind.

Just then, a loud crash came from upstairs.

Like porcelain shattering on the floor.

My heart jumped with an inexplicably bad feeling.

I quickly followed the sound upstairs to find a ceramic urn shattered into countless pieces on the floor, its ashes scattered everywhere.

"What did you do?!"

My pupils contracted violently. I rushed forward and shoved Rachel aside.

Rachel stumbled back several steps, indignant. "It's just a broken jar. Why are you making such a big deal out of it?"

"A broken jar?"

I wanted to kill her right then.

My eyes turned red as I advanced on Rachel, step by step. "Do you know what was in that jar? My parents' ashes!"

Rachel snorted coldly. "So what? It's not like I knew."

My hands clenched tight, my breathing rapid.

Rachel continued disdainfully, "Besides, the people are already dead. Keeping their ashes in the house is really unlucky."

Slap.

Before she finished speaking, I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

Rachel's face turned to the side. She covered her reddening cheek in disbelief. "You dare hit me?"

I said word by word, "Apologize to my parents."

Rachel was about to open her mouth contemptuously when she caught sight of a car pulling up outside the villa.

A cunning glint flashed in her eyes. She smiled coldly at me. "You believe me or not, Sebastian will make you pay for this slap?"

Before I could react, Rachel suddenly grabbed both my hands.

Then she yanked hard. The sensation of weightlessness instantly hit me.

Completely unprepared, Rachel pulled me down the stairs. At the same time, Rachel tumbled down too.

Sebastian's terrified voice suddenly came from the doorway. "Lily... Rachel!"

Falling from upstairs and rolling several times, after the world spun dizzyingly, my head slammed hard into the wall, my temple hitting the sharp corner.

Pain made stars burst before my eyes. Blood immediately gushed from my forehead, staining half my face red.

Seeing me injured and bleeding, Sebastian rushed over in a panic, wanting to pick me up.

But from nearby came Rachel's weak call, "Sebastian, my stomach..."

Sebastian gasped, his pupils contracting in alarm.

Immediately, he stopped caring about me and turned to go to Rachel instead.

Through my dazed, blood-blurred vision, I saw his anxious back as he carried Rachel away.

And Rachel, lying in his arms, gave me a provocative smile.