It was my fifth year after being dumped in Pine Creek. My family finally remembered I existed. When they found me,I was sitting outside the old grocery store,playing bridge with two elderly ladies. My father,Robert Bennett,looked at me with open disgust. "Ava,you really are hopeless now.You're actually spending your time with two old women from a small town." "Emily is in trouble.Come back to Boston with us and take responsibility for the car accident for her." My mother,Caroline Bennett,stood behind him.There was no warmth in the way she looked at me. "As long as you're willing to help Emily,we'll let you return to the Bennett family and enjoy your old life again." My former fiance,Caleb Shaw,came over and took my hand. "Ava,how can you mix with ignorant old women like this?Hurry up and send them away,then come back with us to help Emily." What a joke. I could send anyone away,but not them. The two elderly ladies in front of me. One was Grace Lin,who had taught me investing. The other was Mrs.Hart,the true power behind the Hart family. She controlled the largest private bank and charitable foundation on the East Coast. And she was also the mother of my current fiance. ... I pulled my hand back and kept playing my cards. "Pair of aces." My father's face darkened at once. "We sent you here so you could reflect on yourself." "And look at you,wasting your days playing cards with old women in this miserable place.Do you have any ambition left at all?" My mother spoke too,her voice full of contempt. "Picking up the bad habits of poor small-town people.You have completely embarrassed the Bennett family." I felt nothing. Because five years ago,I had already heard words a hundred times uglier than these. I slowly looked up and smiled. "So playing cards is an embarrassment." "Then should Emily get a medal for killing someone while driving drunk?" All three of them fell silent for a moment. My father was so furious that the veins at his temples stood out. Caleb quickly warned them with his eyes not to lose control,then came to my side and said gently, "Ava,don't be so harsh." "Emily is in poor health.She can't survive prison." "As long as you're willing to come back and help Emily,I can honor our engagement again and marry you." I had heard that line too many times. Emily didn't mean it. Emily is weak,so you have to give way to her. Emily was just too scared. Five years ago,Emily falsely accused me of pushing her down the stairs. Caleb had been standing at the end of the hall. He saw the whole thing with his own eyes. But he did not say a single word for me. Instead,he held Emily in his arms and encouraged my parents to send me to this remote town. In five years,not one of them had come to see me. No money,no emails,not even a single greeting. They left me here to live or die on my own. Thinking of that,I gave a cold laugh. "Five years ago,weren't you the one who called me vicious,said I wasn't worthy of you,and broke off our engagement?" "Now that you see I still have some use to Emily,you've come running back to talk about marriage?" "Caleb,don't you think you're fake?Don't you think you're disgusting?" Caleb's face flushed instantly. "I came here in good faith to discuss this with you,and this is your attitude?" "Spend long enough in the country,and I guess people really do become poor,crude,and unreasonable." My face went cold. "Are you done?If you are,leave.I'm not going back." My father was so angry that he stepped forward and suddenly slapped me across the face. He pointed at my nose and cursed, "How can you be so unfilial?You've held on to one small thing for five years?" "Your mother and I gave you your life." "You are part of this family.You should sacrifice for this family." My mother looked at me as if her heart were breaking. "Emily is in trouble now,and instead of helping your sister,you're mocking her here.Ava,do you have a conscience at all?" I held my burning cheek and froze for a second. Then I laughed. "When you dumped me here and ignored me,did you ever think I was part of the family?" "Now you remember me?" "Am I your daughter,or am I Emily's scapegoat?" My father flew into a rage from humiliation and raised his hand to hit me again. But someone caught his wrist in midair. "Enough."
Mrs.Hart released my father's hand. "Making your biological daughter take the blame for your adopted daughter." "The Bennett family's upbringing is truly eye-opening." Mrs.Grace laid her cards face down on the table. "Isn't it?If their brains aren't being used,they might as well donate them to a hospital." My father's neck turned red with anger. "I'm disciplining my own daughter.Since when do two old hags get to interfere?" My mother looked just as disdainful. "The Bennett family has status in Boston.And two small-town old women dare lecture us?You really don't know your place." Caleb glared fiercely at the two elderly ladies,then looked at me with disgust. "Ava,look at the low-class people you know now." "In manners and in perspective,Emily is miles ahead of you." "It looks like sending you away back then was the right decision.Someone like you should be grateful for the chance to shoulder responsibility for her once." At those words,the two elderly ladies burst out laughing. Mrs.Hart looked at Caleb,obvious mockery at the corner of her mouth. "You're the Shaw boy,aren't you?" Caleb immediately frowned,wary. Mrs.Hart went on. "You were engaged to Ava,yet from beginning to end,you stood on Emily's side.Back then,you watched Ava get driven out and said nothing.Now Emily has committed a crime,and you've come to force Ava into prison for her." "How cruel and stupid." Caleb exploded at once. "What nonsense are you saying?" He stepped forward and shoved the two elderly ladies hard. Seeing that they were about to fall,I rushed over and grabbed Caleb's wrist. "Enough!" "If you want to do something,come at me.Don't touch them." Caleb twisted his hand around and clamped down on my arm. "You're coming back to Boston with me right now and taking responsibility for Emily's car accident." With that,he dragged me hard toward the SUV parked by the road. Just then,a familiar voice came from not far away. "Caleb." Everyone turned around. Emily was standing there. A white cashmere coat,a pale face,tears shining in her eyes. The moment Caleb saw her,he shoved me aside and ran over. I fell straight onto the gravel,and blood seeped from my palm at once. Caleb did not even look back. "Why did you get out of the car?" "The doctor said you need to rest properly.You can't be out in the wind." Caleb looked heartbroken as he spoke,taking out a handkerchief to wipe Emily's sweat. My so-called family did not notice me either. My father and mother hurried to Emily's side. "Emily,this place is cold and filthy,and it's full of low-class people.Get back in the car." My mother's eyes reddened with worry. My father also coaxed her in a low voice. "Yes.Don't worry.We'll make Ava take the blame for you and send her to prison." Emily shook her head,her voice choked. "Dad,Mom,Caleb,I'm fine.Please don't fight with Ava." She looked at me with tears in her eyes,wronged yet strong. "Ava,I was the one who made the mistake.I'll go to the police station myself." "Only,if I can't come back,I hope you'll take good care of Mom,Dad,and Caleb for me." After saying that,she turned as if to leave. My mother immediately stopped her. "No,Emily.You can't go." My father's eyes reddened with panic too. "You're too weak.Your sister grew up outside the family.She can endure hardship.Let her go." Caleb protected Emily in his arms. "I will never let you go to prison." "Today,we will take Ava to the victim's family and make her confess and face the law." Each of them spoke as if I were the one who had killed someone today. I thought that after so many chilling disappointments,I had long since gone numb. But watching the scene in front of me, my heart still hurt so badly I could hardly breathe.
Mrs.Grace looked at Emily and suddenly smiled. "Beautiful speech.If you truly wanted to go to the police station,you wouldn't have come here." "I've seen shameless people,but I've never seen anyone put on an act as well as you." Mrs.Hart shook her head. "It is a clever trick.She gets to play the good person and get rid of the thorn in her side." "Too bad the performance is overdone.Even an old woman like me isn't fooled.But it can't stop a pack of fools from being taken in together." Emily's face stiffened,and she immediately lowered her head,looking as though she had been wronged. My father shook with anger and turned back to roar, "Drag those two old hags over here and teach them a lesson for spouting nonsense." Four bodyguards rushed forward at once. "Stop!" I threw myself in front of them. The next second,a heavy punch slammed into my face. Right after that,a kick landed hard in my stomach. Pain folded me over,and my knees struck the ground.Blood dripped from the corner of my mouth and soon gathered into a small red puddle. "You dare defy me?"my father roared."Beat her until she gets into the car and goes back to take the blame for Emily." Fists and leather shoes rained down on me. I curled up on the ground,protecting my head with everything I had. My mother not only failed to stop them,she said coldly from the side, "She's been like this since she was little.She never listens unless she's beaten." A flicker of hesitation crossed Caleb's face,but it vanished quickly. And Emily stood behind him,the corners of her mouth slightly raised,her eyes full of triumph. Mrs.Grace and Mrs.Hart tried to rush over. "Stop!" "She is your biological daughter." But before they could take two steps,two other bodyguards pinned them to the ground. Mrs.Grace's face was pressed into the mud. Mrs.Hart's arms were wrenched behind her back. I heard a dull thud from over there. In panic,I struggled to get up,only to be kicked back down. I forced myself to lift my head and shouted with red eyes, "Let them go!This has nothing to do with them." Emily walked over and crouched in front of me,her face arranged into a look of difficulty. "Ava,look.They're being hurt because of you." She sighed softly. "As long as you apologize to Mom,Dad,and Caleb,I'll have them released." I reached for my phone. I was going to call 911. Caleb snatched the phone away and smashed it on the ground. He lifted his leather shoe and stamped hard on the back of my hand. "You still want to call the police?" "Ava,if you dare bring the police here," he pressed down on the back of my head and forced my face toward the ground, "I could have these two old women beaten to death today,and no one would dare collect their bodies.Do you believe me?"
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