Countless scornful looks fell upon me, and my body stiffened. The words I had strung together were lodged fast in my throat.

All I wanted was to retrieve my belongings. All I wanted was to say goodbye.

"What are you doing here?"

Before I had time to recover, Ivor emerged from the villa holding a stuffed toy.

It was our token of love from when we were 18. On the day of our engagement, it went missing. I thought it was gone forever.

"Ives."

A glimmer of hope surged in my heart as I reached out my hand. But in the next moment, the stuffed toy flew from his hand, drawing a beautiful arc in the air before landing precisely in the trash bin.

"Can I help?"

Ivor's face was stern. Hastily, I withdrew my outstretched hand, feeling hard to breathe.

When we were 18, he had said, "Even if I lost my life, I'd never lose this toy."

Now, he was throwing it away with his own hands. Did that mean his life no longer included me?

"Eleanor, we've already discussed this. The person I got engaged to was the real Ms. Shaw. You merely took her place in life. Did you think I was marrying you? Do I need to spell it out? The person I'm marrying is her. Don't you get it? How do you still have the nerve to come here and cause trouble?"

His deep voice seemed to confirm my worst fears. His words tore through me; it was as though the man who once promised to love me forever had never existed.

"I've only come to collect my belongings," I murmured, forcing down the lump in my throat.

It was then that a chorus of sneers escaped the Shaw residence. "Have you finally made up your mind to come back? You threw a tantrum just because of a little something we said. Eleanor, what right do you have to be upset? Over the years, it was Rhianne who bore all the hardships for you."

Jeffrey stormed out of the villa, his anger palpable. I immediately lowered my head. "I'm sorry," I squeaked.

I truly felt sorry. I hadn't orchestrated the baby-switching incident, but I did reap the benefits.

Rhianne appeared last and immediately spoke up. "That's okay, as long as you're back. I've been so worried these past few days! It's Ives and Jeff's fault; I even told them to look for you."

Over the past few days, she had been scrambling to learn how to play the role of a proper heiress.

Anyhow, years of malnutrition had left her looking out of place.

That burden should have been mine to bear.

"It was my own fault. They were right not to look for me."

Out of guilt, I lowered my head even more.

Rhianne grabbed my arm, flustered. She began to explain, "El, don't listen to them. This will always be your home. I'm the one who disrupted your life."

Tears started streaming down her face, leaving me momentarily stunned.

Without warning, Ivor shoved me aside. "How many times do I have to tell you? Your presence only reminds Rhianne of painful memories. Did we not give you enough money? Can't you just stay away forever?"

There was once a time when he worried about me like this.

There was once a time when he disliked Rhianne just as much.

Back then, I was the cherished daughter of the Shaw family. On the other hand, Rhianne was merely Ivor's intern assistant.

Jeffrey hated her, fearing her proximity to Ivor would damage our relationship.

Meanwhile, Ivor thought she was incompetent and clumsy.

When did things start to change? Perhaps it was the day Ivor first teased her lightheartedly after she made a mistake.

Later, to improve relations between Rhianne and Jeffrey, Ivor often brought her to Shaw family dinners. Ultimately, Jeffrey was completely won over by her kindness.

These were only minor things, ones I never noticed. I had never targeted Rhianne, for I thought I was their treasure. I thought no one could overshadow me.

But then came the engagement, and I fell from grace. In contrast, she rose to take my place as the esteemed Ms. Shaw.

Fate certainly had a cruel sense of humor.

Just then, Jeffrey spoke. "Eleanor, unlike Ivor, I'm not that heartless. I only have one request—you can come back, but don't you dare bully Rhianne. Do you copy?"

When my collar was furiously yanked, I met Jeffrey's eyes and nodded solemnly. "I understand."

I had no intention of competing with Rhianne in the first place. And even if I wanted to, could I possibly win?

I was but an imposter. Who would stand by me?

"Alright, you both are being too harsh. How could you be so authoritarian with El? I'm not made of paper—I'll be fine," Rhianne chipped in.

The situation was about to settle down when she stepped in again, affectionately wrapping her arms around me. "El, let's go have fun together. Just ignore these annoying men!"

She was acting rather spoiled. Jeffrey ruffled her hair dotingly. Even Ivor, who was usually expressionless, had a warm smile.

They were the epitome of a happily ever after.

"It's okay. It's only what I deserve."

I subtly distanced myself from Rhianne, but she didn't seem to catch on. Every time I pulled away, she pulled me back.

"Eleanor."

All of a sudden, Jeffrey growled at me. Perhaps my actions were upsetting his precious darling.

He shot me a glare before unceremoniously dragging me into the study. Knowingly, Ivor followed close behind.

They dismissed Rhianne. It was evident that they were going to warn me to behave.

This time, I didn't cause a scene like I did during the engagement fiasco. Even my aching, bitter heart had grown numb.

"Mr. Shaw, Mr. Rhett, please rest assured. I only returned to retrieve my belongings. I won't compete with Rhianne for anything."

I made a point to use my most courteous tone, but Jeffrey still scanned me with distrust. "Your room has the best lighting in the house, so I let Rhianne move in. Your belongings have been relocated to a guest room."

His words were a direct order. I responded with a muted "Okay".

"And my home as well," Ivor added coldly. "I hope you know your place. Since you're back, go make some soup. Rhianne likes what you cook. She treated you well all those years—you're not going to refuse, are you?"

Making soup was the only skill I had mastered over the past 20-odd years, all thanks to the two men standing before me.

Now, they wanted me to make it for someone else. Had this happened in the past, I would have put up a fight.

But now, I merely nodded calmly.

"I'm on it."

I wasn't sure how I made it to the kitchen, but the act of staying busy helped me forget many things. Things like unhappiness and exhaustion.

Having received wind, Rhianne showed up in the kitchen shortly after. "El, thank you for cooking for me."

"It's nothing." I didn't look up at her but rather remained focused on my work.

"What are you making? Can I help?"

Like a curious child, Rhianne wandered around, her movements full of naïve energy. She tried to touch the pot lid, which was unquestionably scalding hot. I panicked and tried to stop her.

But she was faster. She burned herself and instinctively flung the lid aside, spilling hot soup onto me.

The lid, as if it had a will of its own, landed directly on my leg.

A loud crash echoed as I collided with the ground, unable to utter a sound from the pain.

"What happened?"

Jeffrey was the first to rush in, visibly anxious. In his haste, he stepped on my hand while dashing straight to Rhianne's side.

"Eleanor, I warned you already. What kind of tantrum are you throwing now? Don't forget your place," he berated through gritted teeth.

Before I could pull back my red and swollen hand, Ivor trod right over the same spot.

"Eleanor, is this the upbringing you received?"

Three pairs of eyes bore into me as I blew gently on my throbbing hand and staggered to my feet.

"Jeff, Ives, this has nothing to do with El. I wanted to help, but I didn't realize the lid would be so hot. Don't blame her. She didn't do it on purpose."

They always said that children from poor families had no choice but to grow up quickly. Whenever they scolded me, they would talk about how Rhianne endured countless hardships in my place.

But now that something actually happened, they seemed to have forgotten something. Surely, someone who had supposedly suffered so much would know better than to touch a scalding lid!

"Stop trying to deny it, Eleanor. I know exactly what you're thinking. You must be jealous of Rhianne. I never thought you'd become so cunning! You say everything's fine, but your actions clearly show you wish nothing but harm upon her. I feel ashamed to have ever called you my sister."

After Jeffrey spat out those nasty words, he raised a hand over his mouth. A hint of unease flashed across his face. He knew his words would hurt me, knew I wouldn't be able to handle them. Yet, he said them anyway.

"Jeff, don't say that about her. It's all my fault. It's been a long time since I've done any chores—I must have just forgotten."

Rhianne tried to smooth things over, but Ivor only glanced at me with dissatisfaction.

"Rhianne, you're too kind. That's why this woman keeps bullying you over and over again. Look at your hand! It's so red. Come on, let's get some ointment on it."

Though Jeffrey didn't criticize me further, his expression made it clear he blamed me too.

"Clean up the kitchen."

Before he walked out the door, Ivor tossed me a glance.

This time, I had no expectations and, therefore, no disappointment. Still, the pain was unbearable. It felt like my knees were about to give out.

"Miss, do you need any help?"

The enormous kitchen was in a state of chaos. The passing household staff only whispered among themselves, unwilling to lend a hand. Only one young girl stood behind me, cautiously offering her support.

"It's okay. I'll manage."

I gritted my teeth, enduring the pain in my calf. The girl blinked apologetically and pointed at the blisters forming on my skin.

"I think you should do something about those burns, miss. Scars won't look good on a girl."

Her voice was soft, and her hands were quick. Within minutes, the kitchen was spotless.

"Thank you."

I hadn't realized until just now how much I was hurting. If it weren't for the girl, I might have collapsed unnoticed.

"You don't need to thank me, miss. Don't feel bad; I believe in you. You have such a kind heart, and that's why others bully you. Let me help you get some ointment."

For the first time since returning to this house, I felt a shred of kindness.

It was a strange sensation, like my years of effort had finally yielded a small reward.

Later that evening, I lay in bed researching after tending to my wounds. My thoughts were interrupted by laughter that came from outside the door.

They were about to head out. Following Rhianne's minor burn earlier that day, they had planned a trip abroad to cheer her up.

"Are we not inviting El?"

Before they left, I overheard Rhianne's concerned question.

Ivor, in his typical dismissive tone, paid her a few compliments and casually replied, "There's no need. She's old enough. Besides, she's traveled to so many places since she was a kid. It's not like she needs to fight you for one reward. Let's just go ourselves. She'd probably just cause you trouble if she did come."

His tone carried the same arrogant confidence it always had. Whenever I got bullied when I was younger, he would pull me close and tell others, "She's mine. No one gets to mess with her."

As the light from my laptop faded and reignited, the darkness hid my tears.

As it turned out, love could never disappear—it just found someone else to hold onto.