Chapter 3

Hearing him, Brittany shed her arrogant demeanor.

She sobbed loudly in Caleb’s embrace, occasionally looking up with feigned weakness, tears in her eyes.

“Caleb, you’re finally back.”

“Just now, your mom and dad said they were going to give your sister a villa at Ocean Crest Estates.”

“How can that be right? Who spends so much money on a villa for a girl?”

“Chloe will eventually take another man’s name. There are so many better things to do with tens of millions, but when I kindly tried to advise them, they just yelled at me.”

Brittany finished, crying even more aggrievedly, but despite all the dramatics, hardly a single tear fell.

My brother, Caleb Sterling, looked embarrassed upon hearing this, glancing between me and our parents.

“Brittany, you can’t say that. Chloe, no matter what, will always be an integral part of the Sterling family.”

“I think Mom and Dad were just a little impulsive, seeing Chloe back. As her sister-in-law, you shouldn’t fuss about it.”

Caleb tried to comfort her, all while shooting me meaningful glances.

I found Brittany’s pitiful act repulsive. I just grabbed my parents, ready to go out for dinner.

It was a rare family reunion, and I didn't want Brittany to spoil our evening.

As the three of us got into the car, we could still hear Brittany shouting from the villa’s doorway.

“Caleb, stop them! They might be going to buy that burden a villa under the pretense of dinner!”

My father’s previously gentle gaze towards me suddenly hardened.

He turned to the driver.

“To Ocean Crest Estates.”

“Dad, what about Caleb and Brittany?”

Father ignored me.

I looked at Brittany through the car window, feeling utterly speechless.

Originally, the three of us were just going out for dinner, and I’d planned to persuade Mom and Dad to hold off on the villa. But Brittany, once again, had done us a "big favor."

At the villa sales office, after a presentation from the sales representative, Father casually pulled out a black card and handed it to them.

“Chloe, what do you think of this one with the mountains and water?”

“This one looks excellent to me, the feng shui and location are superb.”

“If Chloe has no objections, this is the one.”

“Take the card, process the payment, and then send it to the Sterling family estate.”

Watching my parents’ doting eyes, my own eyes welled up.

Sure enough, no matter what, the ones who loved me most were always Mom and Dad.

After settling on the villa, the three of us headed straight for the city’s six-star oceanfront restaurant. No sooner had we settled into a private room than Father received a call confirming the full payment for the Ocean Crest Estates villa.

Immediately after, Caleb called me.

“Chloe, are Dad and Mom with you?”

“Tell them to come back quickly, something terrible has happened.”

The three of us exchanged confused glances, but Caleb wouldn’t say what was wrong.

Overwhelmed with worry, we rushed back.

But as we pushed open the door, we saw Brittany and Caleb sitting on the sofa, intimately giggling.

Brittany, seeing us, instantly put on a look of distress and difficulty.

“Dad, Mom, I called you back urgently because there’s something I need to tell you.”

“I’m actually pregnant with Caleb’s child, a blood relative of the Sterling family.”

“And it’s a boy.”

Father was the first to speak, unable to contain himself.

“What?”

His voice was laced with excitement. I knew he had long yearned for a male heir for the Sterling family, and he had hinted at it countless times before.

Brittany, seeing Father’s reaction, triumphantly placed an ultrasound report on the coffee table.

“But just now, Caleb received a notification about a large sum of money being transferred from the bank.”

“I’m making it clear today: either you cancel the property you just bought, or I won’t have this child!”

“I refuse to believe that the Sterling family heir I’m carrying is less important than some useless girl!”

My parents exchanged grave glances, looking at me, then at Caleb.

I also looked at Caleb, hoping he would put his crazy fiancée in her place.

But he just sat there nonchalantly, sipping tea and leisurely eating cake.

Just as I was about to confront Caleb, my father spoke first.

“Caleb, is what Brittany said also your opinion?”

Seeing Father speak, Caleb didn’t dare to delay. He put down his teacup and said.

“Dad, Brittany is pregnant now, and the doctor said we have to listen to her about everything, or it might affect the baby.”

“Besides, Brittany is actually doing this for the good of our Sterling family.”

“What if Chloe truly gets tricked by someone in the future? Those tens of millions for the villa would all go to someone else’s family.”

“How about this, you give me the money, and I’ll rent Chloe my villa at Ocean Crest Estates for a while.”

Just as my father was about to lunge at him, my mother grabbed his arm and said.

“Caleb, your father, your sister, and I are going upstairs to discuss something.”

Fearing my parents would be put in a difficult position, I spoke as soon as we closed the door to the upstairs drawing room.

“Mom, the villa is a small matter. No matter what, we need Brittany to have this child.”

“Let’s contact the sales representative and cancel the villa.”

Father looked at me with complex emotions, then turned and punched the chair, cursing.

“That bastard, Caleb!”

Mother looked at Father, then turned her gaze to me, firm and resolute. She took my hand and spoke.

“Caleb is not your biological brother, Chloe.”

“Chloe, your father and I don’t want you to keep suffering and sacrificing yourself like this.”

This news utterly shocked me.

My brother, who had been with me since childhood, wasn't my biological brother?

Mother saw my expression and smiled slightly.

Father then spoke.

“Caleb was adopted by your mother and me when he was very young. Over the years, we’ve come to see him as our own child.”

“We even had the division of the Sterling family fortune planned out, ensuring that you and your brother would receive absolutely fair shares.”

“But his behavior these past two days has truly disappointed your mother and me. He’s deluded himself into thinking he holds power over the Sterling Group, and his ambition has grown increasingly brazen.”

I looked at my father’s pained expression and comforted him.

“Dad, Caleb might just be temporarily blinded by power. Don’t be too sad.”

Tears welled in Father’s eyes as he pulled me into a hug.

“My silly child, do you think I’m sad for Caleb?”

“I’m heartbroken that for all these years, my concern for Caleb led me to neglect you, my own daughter!”

I numbly comforted Father, still not fully processing everything.

Could all those years of living together, Caleb’s constant care and affection for me, his obedience to Mom and Dad, have all been a lie?

I was even still thinking of trying to explain things for Caleb and Brittany, but the growing sounds of wailing from downstairs pierced my ears.

“Caleb, I’m so wronged!”

“If the Sterling family doesn’t care about this child, I might as well just get rid of him!”