All eyes turned to Camden as he arrived. After understanding the situation, Camden pulled me aside and lowered his voice to say, "Magnolia, what are you trying to do here? Don't you realize how embarrassing this is for Nev?"
Seeing the disdain in his expression, I couldn't help but laugh. In my past life, Nevaeh's ability to effortlessly replace me in everyone's eyes couldn't have happened without Camden's help.
Years ago, Camden's grandfather, Jeremiah Scott, had done my grandfather a favor. The Scott family then used that to pressure the Saccone family into arranging my engagement to Camden.
While Camden was my fiancé in name, he secretly brought Nevaeh to every social event in the capital, openly declaring his love for her. As a result, most people believed Nevaeh was his real fiancée.
In my previous life, he indulged Nevaeh as she slandered me endlessly. And now, here he was, eager to intervene once again.
I yanked my hand out of his grasp and demanded, "Why did you repeatedly let her pretend to be the Saccone family's heiress?
"Without your tacit approval, how could she have dared to call me the adopted daughter in front of all these people? You're worried about her getting embarrassed, but did you ever care about me being the subject of such slander?
"Camden Scott, I suggest you think this over carefully. Either you clarify both my identity and Nevaeh's right now, or our engagement is over!"
Seeing Camden hesitate to respond, Mrs. Scott Senior impatiently urged, "Cam, why are you still talking to her?
"You two have been engaged since childhood. How can you not recognize your own fiancée?"
Just then, Nevaeh stepped forward. She gently took Camden's arm, and spoke in a considerate tone, "It's fine, Cam.
"Maybe Mag is causing a scene today because she's just upset about her father being released from prison. Let her have her way. A few insults directed at me don't matter."
A flicker of distress appeared in Camden's eyes. He held Nevaeh's hand tightly without hesitation, and said, "Nev, what are you talking about? You're the one I care about. How could I ever help anyone else over you?"
Then he turned to me, his voice laced with frustration as he said, "Magnolia, I know you're afraid of your birth father finding you and selling you off for some cash.
"But if you just tell us the truth, Nev and I will help you. What you shouldn't do is make a scene at my grandmother's birthday banquet and falsely accuse Nev.
"Nev is gracious enough not to hold it against you. I suggest you stop while you can."
Hearing this, the crowd's gazes toward me turned even harsher.
"An adopted daughter is just an adopted daughter. Even after being loved for so many years, she's still so petty."
"With a father who'd sell his own daughter for cash, how decent could she be?"
"If you ask me, she deserves to be sold off to some old man. At least they'd get rid of this troublemaker."
Mrs. Scott Senior slammed her cane heavily on the ground and scoffed in contempt. "Now that Cam himself has said you're not the Saccone heiress, what more do you have to explain?
"Cam visited the Saccone family estate even before you were adopted. All these years, he's only ever brought Nev to the Scott family events.
"Do you think being adopted and taking the Saccone name makes you a real Saccone?"
I almost laughed out loud at Camden's shamelessness and Mrs. Scott Senior's ignorance.
"Now you're saying having the Saccone name doesn't make me a Saccone? Then how does having the Lacey name make Nevaeh a Saccone heiress?" I retorted without hesitation.
"If any of you had even a shred of sense, you'd know that my father was nothing more than a man who joined the Saccone family through marriage. A man in his position could never dictate the last name of the Saccone family's sole heiress.
"You keep claiming my father was so magnanimous in letting me take the Saccone name, but do you honestly believe the Saccone surname is something an outsider like him could decide?"
It had long been an unspoken rule in the capital: men who married into a more influential family—no matter what happened later—had no right to pass on their surname to their children. They would always follow the mother's family name.
This fact had been deliberately concealed for years, but the crowd began to recall it as soon as I brought it up.
Sensing the tide turning, Nevaeh spoke up in a soft, trembling voice, "Mag, I know you're upset that Cam and I exposed the truth.
"But Mom went against the family's wishes to marry Dad back then. It's just a last name—what does it matter?
"Even if I don't have the Saccone name, I still carry the Saccone bloodline. You can't deny my identity over something so trivial, can you?"
As she spoke, Nevaeh began to cry, looking as though she was utterly wronged.
As I thought about this, my palms involuntarily clenched into fists. All that supposed deep love between husband and wife—it was nothing but a joke!
In my past life, my mom died from severe blood loss after giving birth to me. I had always thought Don blamed her death on me, which was why he adopted Nevaeh—to deliberately torment me.
I trod carefully for years, obeying Don's every word. When he told me not to publicize my identity, I silently endured it.
When he refused to take me to banquets, I dared not utter a word of complaint. Yet what did I get in return?
Nevaeh used the opportunity to impersonate me, flaunting her false status and lording it over me. She even orchestrated my death, stealing everything that rightfully belonged to the Saccone family.
As for Don, it wasn't my mother's death that made him despise me—there was another reason altogether.
Unfortunately, I only discovered the truth when I was on my deathbed. But now that fate had given me a second chance, I wasn't going to let any of them off the hook.
"In that case, let's just call Dad over," I said coldly while glaring at the performing Nevaeh as I held up my phone.
"I've already told him everything. He should be here any minute."
A flicker of unease crossed Nevaeh's face. She knew better than anyone how much Don favored her and loathed me.
She also knew how I respected Don, to the point where even sending him a message felt like walking on eggshells.
And yet now, here I was, daring to call Don to this banquet. I was practically forcing him to choose between me and her.
Nevaeh's smile faltered as she leaned in close to me and whispered, "Mag, this is just a trivial matter.
"Dad is so busy with work. Why bother him over something so insignificant? If you're still upset, can't we talk about this calmly after we get home?"
I stepped closer to her, grabbing her hand tightly. "You keep claiming I'm the fraud, but now that you have the chance to prove it, you're backing down instead?
"Or is it that you're afraid Dad will expose you in front of everyone when he arrives? And he'll throw you out of the house in his fury?"
Nevaeh's expression darkened. She raised her hand to strike me, but I was quicker. I slapped her first, sending her sprawling to the ground.
The next second, a furious voice rang out from the doorway. "Magnolia Saccone! What the hell are you doing?"
Don stormed into the room. His face was livid, and he immediately rushed to help Nevaeh to her feet. "Are you alright, Nev?"
I watched coldly as Don carefully helped Nevaeh to her feet. A faint smile curved my lips as I said, "Dad, you've finally decided to show up.
"Apparently, it takes your precious adopted daughter getting hurt for you to come running. I suppose your biological daughter is worth nothing in your eyes."
Mrs. Scott Senior quickly interjected upon hearing this, "Mr. Lacey, did you hear what she just said? Nev just wanted to retrieve the birthday gift, and this wild child had the audacity to throw her down!
"She even went as far as falsely claiming Nev is adopted and accusing Cam of lying. Now, she's openly proclaiming in front of you that she's your biological daughter!"
Don's face turned slightly pale at her words, but he quickly barked out in anger. "What nonsense! I only have one daughter, and that's Nev. Who does she think she is?
"She's nothing more than someone I took pity on and adopted all these years, yet she dares to act so shamelessly!"
His words immediately solidified Nevaeh's position in the eyes of everyone present. Those who had been quietly observing jumped in eagerly, presenting their "evidence" of my wrongdoing.
"Mr. Lacey, you finally made it! You wouldn't believe how Magnolia humiliated Ms. Nevaeh earlier."
"Exactly! She even dared to lay hands on her in front of everyone!"
"Honestly, someone like her has no place in the Saccone family. She should be thrown out and left to fend for herself!"
Nevaeh, now back on her feet, looked at me with an air of meekness and gently spoke, "Mag, please apologize to everyone. Don't make Dad any angrier.
Ignoring her, I picked up a nearby wine glass, swirling its contents as I asked, "Dad, I'll ask you one last time.
"Are you certain that your biological daughter, the sole heiress of the Saccone family, is Nevaeh and not me?"
My persistence drew mocking laughter from the crowd. Right then, Don puffed out his chest and replied firmly, "Of course! How could I possibly mistake my own daughter?"
Before his words even finished, I hurled the wine glass straight at his forehead, shattering it against him. I then turned and slapped Nevaeh across the face without hesitation.
No one had anticipated me lashing out so suddenly. The entire room froze in stunned silence.
"Magnolia, are you insane?" someone shouted.
"The Saccone family took care of you for so many years, and now you dare to hit your own father?"
At that moment, a cold, aged voice rang out from the doorway. "If he can mistake his own biological daughter for someone else, I'd say she didn't hit him hard enough!"
