The Refused Heiress

Chapter 4 Family Bullying

"Mr. Smith, isn't this a bit too much?" Angelina's voice quivered as she barely held back tears.

Felix glanced at her coolly. "We're both single. What's so outrageous about it?"

Angelina's lips trembled as she bit them down, looking ready to fall apart. "But Elena is engaged to Edgar! Aren't you afraid of angering your father by doing this?"

She shot Elena a disapproving look as if she were chastising a misbehaving child. "Elena, there's a limit to throwing a tantrum. What if this ruins the relationship between Mr. Smith and Edgar? Don't you feel the slightest guilt?"

Angelina acted as if she had everyone's best interests at heart, but Elena caught a glint of jealousy in her eyes.

Jealousy?

Could it be... Angelina was interested in Felix?

Felix remained indifferent as he looked at her. "Aren't you afraid of damaging your relationship with Elena when saying things like that?"

He added, "She's your sister, yet you're taking Edgar's side, even though he brought his mistress here?"

Angelina faltered, thrown off by his words, but in this family, there was always someone eager to defend her.

Right on cue, Dylan stepped forward. "Mr. Smith, don't you think that's a bit harsh? Angelina is just concerned that this mess will hurt your bond. Is it wrong for her to care?"

Elena's heart twinged painfully as she looked at Dylan.

She was his real sister, yet he was always there to protect Angelina.

Felix turned to look at him, his face unreadable. "It's rather interesting, Mr. Hall—protecting your family's adopted daughter over your own sister."

Dylan's response was instant, his voice bitter. "If I had the choice, I'd prefer if she weren't my sister."

Elena had long since braced herself for the hurt, yet the words still cut deep.

Perhaps realizing he'd gone too far, Reela hastily intervened, "Mr. Smith, please don't misunderstand. Angelina and Elena are both my daughters, and our family treats them equally."

Her eyes grew cold. "But Elena's nature... she's made far too many mistakes and has been a huge disappointment."

Disappointment?

Was it Elena's fault... or their own blindness?

Angelina had once "fallen" down the stairs, claiming Elena had pushed her, and they'd believed her without checking the security footage.

If Angelina's dress tore, even if she hinted vaguely, they immediately assumed Elena was to blame.

Angelina's injuries, her tears—somehow, they were always Elena's fault.

It was as if she, the real daughter, was the extra and the outcast.

A chill crept through Elena as she turned to Reela. "If you hate me so much, why did you even have me? If you love Angelina so dearly, then make her the Hall family's real daughter!"

"Elena! With such a sharp tongue, it's no wonder no one likes you! If you weren't my daughter, you'd have been thrown out long ago," Reela hissed, visibly rattled by Elena's words.

It took her a moment to recover, then she added, "Why do you keep targeting your sister? Angelina has nothing, yet you have all of our love. Isn't that enough for you?"

Elena looked at Reela and smiled bitterly.

They poured all their love into Angelina yet claimed that Elena had their affection.

Who in this family actually loved her?

A warm hand slipped into hers, pulling her from her spiraling thoughts.

"Enough tears. Let me take you back upstairs," Felix murmured softly.

She hadn't even realized that she'd been crying.

Meanwhile, Reela continued doting on Angelina as if she were the only one that mattered.

Elena nodded, her throat too tight to respond.

Felix cast Reela a sharp look. "Sometimes, Mrs. Hall, you need to open your eyes to see the truth."

Without waiting for a response, he led Elena away.

*****

Once Felix had left her in her room, Elena lay soaking in the bath, memories of the past two decades floating up.

Until she was five, she had everyone's love.

Then Angelina came, and everything changed.

Only her grandfather had continued to love her, but he passed when she was twelve.

After that, Edgar had been her only solace.

In the years that followed, she'd become a ghost in her own home, invisible to everyone.

At eighteen, she and Edgar got engaged.

Within two years, he had an affair with Mia.

However, no one knew that Mia had been handpicked by Angelina to drive a wedge between them.

What a cruel joke.

Elena sank lower into the water, letting the waves cover her face as if hoping they might wash away her pain.

Suddenly, a loud knock on the door jolted her from her thoughts.

She sighed, already expecting the worst.

Slowly, she dried off, slipped on her robe, and opened the door.

Before she could brace herself, a hand flew out, slapping her hard across the face. Reela's furious, twisted expression was the first thing she saw.

"Mom..." Elena managed, voice shaky.

But before she could say more, Dylan grabbed her hair, yanking her out of the room.

The pain was blinding as he dragged her down the hallway, pulling her all the way to the grand staircase, then shoving her to the floor below.

Before she could speak, Dylan's disgusted voice filled the space above her.

"Elena, do you have no shame? Must you always compete with Angelina? You know full well she likes Felix, yet you still go after him?"

How could she possibly know that?

Her dear brother was piling on accusations she'd never heard before.

From the sofa, Angelina sat nestled beside her father, Bigail Hall, tears streaking down her face.

"Elena, why do you always have to take what I love?" she whimpered, eyes wide and innocent.

"First Edgar, now even Felix?"

Bigail's gaze turned icy as he looked at Elena. "Tomorrow, you're going to tell Felix you won't marry him. You'll marry Edgar."

The last slivers of hope Elena had left for her family slipped away.

"And why should I?" she demanded coldly. "If Angelina wants Mr. Smith so badly, let her tell him herself. Why is it my problem?"

The sharp slap that followed sent her reeling.

"Fool! You don't have to marry him. Why must you take everything your sister wants?" Bigail roared.