The next day, the maids dragged me out of bed and began giving me a makeover before I could even wake up properly. As I looked around hazily, William walked into the room.

He looked dashing in his custom-fitted black tux. His hair was swept back, and his eyes held a magnetic charm that could put me under his spell.

Perhaps his looks were the reason I had fallen in love with him in the first place.

William patted me on the head out of habit.

"I want you to attend a banquet with me."

I stared at him, completely flabbergasted. Our relationship was secretive in nature. Not to mention, William had told me that his social status was very special, which meant he couldn't make our relationship public.

What was he up to?

But when we arrived at the banquet hall, I found out that it was actually Elaine's birthday banquet. William was worried that others might find out about our relationship, so he chose to maintain his distance from me. We even entered the banquet hall separately.

I turned on my heel, ready to leave. Yet, Elaine was quick to stop me.

"Yay! I'm so happy that you came to my birthday banquet, Daphne!"

I frowned. But in the end, I didn't say anything mean to her, seeing as there were other guests around us.

But Elaine didn't plan on stopping there. Instead, she decided to piss me off even more.

"By the way, Dad misses you a lot. You shouldn't have run away from home, you know? He's getting on with the years, so he needs his daughter to take care of him. What you did was really inappropriate."

I couldn't resist talking back to her.

"My business has nothing to do with you. You're not my sister either—you meddling in my business won't make you look like a good daughter to him, too!" I said.

After that, I shook Elaine's hand off me and entered the banquet hall.

Elaine turned to look at William, obviously upset. She looked so pitiful, like she was about to cry.

Although I had my back on the couple, I could still feel William glaring at me in displeasure. When I turned around, I happened to catch sight of him comforting Elaine gently. I didn't know what he said, but Elaine giggled happily in return.

The discomfort of having to suppress my sadness was starting to get to me. I took a deep breath before opting to sit in a corner. I didn't want to get noticed at all.

Meanwhile, William introduced Elaine to all of his friends. They accepted gifts from everyone they met.

Whenever Elaine was thirsty, William would pass her a glass of water. If she were to step on the hem of her dress, he'd lift the hem for her. When she was done eating a slice of cake, he'd even wipe the corner of her mouth carefully for her.

The thing was, William had never shown me such gentle care before.

As I watched the couple being lovey-dovey in front of everyone, I could feel my heart getting cut over and over again by their actions. It hurt so much that I had a feeling my heart could never recover.

Once the birthday banquet started, Elaine walked up to the stage under everyone's gazes. She gave a polite speech that was met with a round of applause by the guests.

Since Elaine and William's relationship was more or less public by now, someone began inquiring about their future plans curiously.

"Elaine, when are you going to marry William?"

With flaming cheeks, Elaine turned to look at William. Then, she bowed her head quietly without responding to the question.

"Look at how bashful she's become!"

William soon got onto the stage as well. He looked at the guests before saying, "Don't make fun of her. She's still young."

Someone else quickly asked, "Does that mean you're planning to marry her?"

William shot a glance at me subconsciously, only to see my eyes firmly glued to his face.

I'd like to know the answer as well.

The next thing everyone knew, William declared his affection for Elaine on the spot.

"If I were to get married, I'd choose her."

As soon as everyone heard the answer, they began cheering loudly. Elaine's embarrassment deepened even more, but she also smiled happily at the same time. Clearly, she was immersed in the happiness William's confession had brought her.

On the other hand, the final trace of hope that I had been clinging to all this time dissipated the moment I heard William's words.

My heart pounded erratically behind my chest. While pain seized my senses, I could feel flames of rage burning me alive as well. In a way, I was being tormented by my feelings, making me feel as though I was about to fall apart.

So, I fled from the banquet hall with my tail between my legs.

Upon reaching a corner, I ended up tripping over my feet and falling to the floor because I wasn't able to keep my balance. By then, I was already in a state of helpless panic, making me seem like an absolute fool.

A man approached me and helped me up to my feet.

"Miss, what are you doing lying on the floor?"

Instead of letting me go, he trailed his hand upward in an attempt to cop a feel of my chest. Instinctively, I backed away from him before slapping him in the face.

"Get lost!"

Now that he got slapped, the man reached out to grab me furiously.

"You fucking bitch! How dare you slap me?"

The man grabbed me by my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh. It hurt so much that I hissed in pain.

Just as I was about to scream for help, I found myself making eye contact with William. He was standing with Elaine at that time, and he was looking at me with mixed feelings written all over his face.

I was about to ask him for help when I noticed Elaine's eyes glinting slyly. Suddenly, she slapped a hand to her forehead and feigned discomfort.

"William, I feel very weak… and my head hurts a lot… I want to rest…"

William quickly steadied Elaine on her feet, worry already etched on his face.

"I'll take you to the hospital right now."

But Elaine shook her head. "I'm fine. You should go save Daphne."

Despite her response, she still collapsed in William's direction abruptly, looking as though she was about to pass out.

William instantly picked Elaine up and whisked her into a nearby lounge. Just like that, he chose to ignore my plight.

I remained rooted to the spot because of what happened. Only when pain flared from my cheek, where the man had slapped me earlier, did I snap out of my trance.

"Hey, bitch! You're still pretending to act all pure and innocent, huh? Weren't you trying to seduce me by lying on the floor just now?"

As he spoke, he tried to rip my dress off me.

Enraged, I grabbed a flower pot and bashed it at the man. He managed to evade it, so the pot crashed into countless shards on the floor. I quickly picked up a shard and aimed it at the man.

"If you touch me again, I'll fucking kill you!"

Needless to say, the man was stunned upon noticing how much anger and hatred I was harboring.

I turned to leave, though I kept clutching the shard tightly, allowing it to pierce through my skin. Even if pain kept flaring from my fresh wound, it was nothing compared to the pain attacking my heart.

Both my body and my heart were in so much pain that I had no idea what to do. I could only stand on the pavement, not knowing where to go for the time being.

A short while later, a familiar luxury car slowed down to a halt before me. Elaine got out of the car, a radiant smile on her face.

"Let me drive you home, sister dearest."

When she noticed me staring at the car, her smile became even more meaningful.

"Oh, right. William had given me this car as my birthday present. He even gave me a silver necklace."

As Elaine spoke, she even took out the necklace just to show it to me.

I glanced at it. Although the pain still remained, I was starting to feel numb toward it. I had seen the exact same necklace around William's neck before. He had claimed that it was an heirloom left behind by his mother, and that he'd give it to his future wife.

That meant he had already chosen Elaine as his wife.

I took a deep breath before saying coldly, "I don't like you at all. Don't ever address me as your sister ever again. I don't want to be related to you at all."

I was about to leave when Elaine grabbed me by the arm. She said in an aggrieved manner, "You're still my older sister no matter how much you hate me."

Irked, I was about to push her away when I noticed a dark shadow plunging down at us. At the same time, a chorus of screams rang out from the nearby passersby.

Both of us looked up simultaneously, only to see a sign falling onto us. At that critical juncture, I spotted William rushing over and pulling Elaine out of the way.

As for me, I ended up getting crushed by the sign.

While I lay in the puddle of my own blood, I saw the way William held Elaine protectively in his arms. That was when despair finally engulfed me.

When Elaine and I were in danger, William didn't choose me, just like before.

For the first time ever, I felt regret. I regretted falling in love with him in the first place. He didn't deserve my love as well.

…

The moment I woke up in the hospital, I heard someone crying softly.

"I'm sorry… Had I realized that we were in danger, Daphne wouldn't have gotten hurt in the first place…"

Elaine paused momentarily. This time, she chose to blame William.

"You should've saved Daphne!"

Then, I saw William wiping Elaine's tears away.

"It was a dangerous situation. I could only save one person back then. Daphne wouldn't get mad at me for saving you first."

I jolted at his words. Once again, William left a fresh gash onto my broken and battered heart.

I… wouldn't get mad, huh?

Right… What right did I have to get mad at him in the first place?

William just sighed as he took Elaine's hand and continued comforting her. "Stop crying already. Watching you cry pains me as well."

Elaine nodded in response. Then, she melted into William's arms. He continued holding her while comforting her in soft tones.

As I watched the couple being lovey-dovey with each other, I felt my heart going numb from the intense pain. I closed my eyes while suppressing my sorrow and rage.

When Elaine left the ward, I finally opened my eyes. William was elated to see me awake. He also made sure to show me the same amount of concern.

By then, I had already calmed down. I spent time with him as though nothing had happened. In fact, both of us chose to ignore the incident that had happened at Elaine's birthday banquet.

During the time I was hospitalized, William visited me every day. At first, I thought he really was here to visit me. That was, until I noticed that Elaine happened to be staying in the ward next to mine. That was when cold realization dawned on me.

William was never here for me. He was here for Elaine.

According to a nurse, Elaine got hospitalized because of pneumonia. She had to receive IV treatment for the time being. William would spend time with her every day. Then, he'd free up some time from his schedule just to visit me.

I even heard the nurses praising Elaine for having such a handsome and caring boyfriend. So, I couldn't resist visiting Elaine's ward.

Through the glass window, I saw William peeling an apple for Elaine before feeding her some fruit. Then, he'd wipe her mouth for her. Elaine held hands with him the whole time while smiling giddily.

Despite knowing that I'd be facing the brutal truth, I still watched the entire scene unfold before my eyes patiently. In the end, I just smiled bitterly. This time, I walked away quickly and steadily after turning my back on the couple.

It seemed that my decision to leave was the right one.

On the day I got discharged from the hospital, William dropped by to pick me up. When I returned to his home, I saw Elaine there.

Stunned, I could only stare at William, who refused to look at me at that moment. He only told me, "She's going to stay over at my place for a few days."

I just bit my bottom lip quietly. Then, I let out a scoff before returning to my room.

Since Elaine and William couldn't wait to live together, there was absolutely no reason why I should continue staying there.

While I was packing my stuff, Elaine approached me from behind.

"I never knew you've been dating him for so long."

I just chuckled softly. "Yeah. It's been a long time. And yet, I still can't capture his heart."

Elaine wore a smug expression.

"That's right. He loves me and only me."

After zipping up my suitcase, I got up to my feet and looked at Elaine seriously.

"That's why I'm backing off. I hope you two can live happily ever after," I said.

Just when I was about to leave, Elaine suddenly gripped my arm. Then, she pulled out a bangle from her purse.

My eyes went bloodshot instantly. I could only stare at her in disbelief.

"Why do you have this?"

Elaine merely raised an eyebrow in return. "Your dad gave it to me."

I instinctively reached out to snatch it away from her. After all, the bangle was left behind by my mother. In the past, I had looked for it for a long time, yet I could never locate it. It turned out that Charles had given it to Elaine.

Elaine kept dodging my attempts to snatch the bangle away. She quickly raised it above her head.

"Don't come any closer, or else I'll smash it!"

I stopped moving instantly. All I could do was glare at her angrily.

"Elaine Moore, don't you dare cross the line!"

But she just shrugged, wearing a menacing smile on her face.

"I can give the bangle to you… but you'll have to get down on your knees and beg me for it."

I could only stare at her in shock. I didn't want to do it at first, but when I saw her fingers loosening around the bangle, I panicked right away. With bloodshot eyes, I slowly sank down on my knees.

To my horror, Elaine laughed at the top of her lungs.

"Oh, Daphne! You're far too naive! Even if you were to grovel in front of me, I wouldn't give it back to you!"

Once Elaine was done speaking, she tossed the bangle out the window. I could hear it smashing into pieces from outside the house.

At that moment, my pupils shrank. My body began trembling violently, and my heart felt as though it was being slammed by a hammer repeatedly.

I missed my mother so much, but I couldn't even protect the only thing she had left for me. To make things worse, the culprit of the bangle's destruction still had the gall to act all arrogant in front of me.

"This is a warning for you to stop drooling after the man who doesn't belong to you in the first place. If you're leaving, you'd better not come back ever again," she warned.

I couldn't hold my rage back anymore, so I tackled Elaine to the floor. As I straddled her, I kept slapping her repeatedly. Then, I yanked her by the hair with all my might.

Some bitches deserved to be taught a lesson, that was for sure.

Elaine shrieked at the top of her lungs as I beat her up relentlessly. Upon hearing her screams, William came running over.

He yanked me off Elaine's body and threw me aside. Then, he delivered a harsh slap across my face.

"Have you gone insane?" he bellowed at me.