The Heiress Revived from the Ashes Free Preview

The cold iron gates of the prison in Hoverdale creaked open.

Sunlight fell on Lauren Bennett's gaunt, sallow face.

The clothes she had worn when she was incarcerated now hung loosely on her frail frame.

She had endured five dark, endless years in prison. Today, she was finally free.

Dragging her legs, Lauren hobbled out of the prison, step by slow step.

She moved sluggishly, not because she didn't want to walk faster, but because she simply couldn't.

A black Bentley was parked by the roadside. The window rolled down, revealing a man's deep-set, brooding face.

His gaze swept over her injured leg. He let out a cold scoff, the mockery in his eyes blatant. "After five years in prison, you're still putting on an act."

Lauren's heart clenched unexpectedly, and a sour sting rose in her eyes.

Elliot Bennett was her biological brother.

Ever since she had been brought back to the Bennett family from the orphanage at fifteen, she had done everything she could to please him.

Yet for the sake of an adopted sister who wasn't even related to him by blood, he had personally falsified evidence to convict her of attempted murder.

Five years had passed, and he was still as sharp-tongued and as disgusted with her as ever.

Lauren swallowed the bitterness, pretending not to see Elliot as she limped forward.

Elliot's face stiffened.

She had ignored him.

In his memory, Lauren had always clung to him, eager to please.

When he came home, she would bring him his slippers.

When he was tired, she would massage his shoulders.

When he had trouble sleeping, she would bring him chamomile tea every night.

When work kept him too busy to come home for dinner, she would wait outside his office with a thermos, undeterred by rain or shine.

During the three years she had been in their home, his chronic stomach issues had eased. But ever since she went to prison, he had often woken up in the middle of the night from the pain.

Today, he had actually felt a hint of joy when he heard she was being released. He had even postponed an international meeting to pick her up.

He had expected her to be overjoyed at seeing him, had even prepared himself for her to break down and complain about the suffering she had endured.

He had never imagined she would greet him with nothing but silence and indifference.

The admiration in her eyes was long gone. All that remained was distance.

A strange, hollow feeling rose in his chest, irritating him. His grip on the steering wheel tightened, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

His voice came out harsher than he intended. "Get in the car."

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them. With a frown, he forced himself to soften his tone. "Dad and Mom know you're out today. They've prepared a welcome-home dinner for you."

Dad and Mom. Such familiar yet foreign words.

In the orphanage, she had dreamed of having parents who would love her, who would spoil her like a princess.

She had waited and longed for it for fifteen years.

Fifteen years later, her wish had finally come true.

She had parents now, even a tall, handsome, and capable brother.

But the beloved daughter of the family wasn't her. It was the adopted daughter they had raised since childhood, Willow Bennett.

Those people weren't her parents. They were Elliot and Willow's parents.

Lauren scoffed at herself.

During those three years in that family, she had endured endless cold shoulders and humiliation. She had always known she was unwanted. There was no reason to go back and subject herself to it again.

Though she walked slowly, she never stopped.

Her indifference, her stubborn retreat, stung Elliot's eyes and ignited a nameless fury in his chest.

He pushed open the car door and strode after her, his long legs easily closing the distance. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her back. "Have you had enough of this act?"

Thrown off balance, Lauren crashed to the ground. Pain shot through her injured leg, her face turning deathly pale.

Elliot's anger flared. "Still playing weak? Is this your new trick?"

"Don't forget, you were the one who pushed Elaine down the stairs five years ago and left her in a coma. You even tried to frame Willow for it. Five years in prison, and you still haven't learned your lesson? Looks like it wasn't enough to reform you."

With that, he grabbed her and hauled her up without an ounce of care. His voice was laced with disgust. "Don't think your sentence erases your sins. As long as Elaine remains unconscious, your crime will never be absolved. And you still owe Willow an apology. Get in the car. Don't make me say it again."

Lauren only found it laughable.

She had explained before. Elaine Gray wasn't pushed by her. It was Willow.

But no one had believed her. They had all chosen Willow's side.

She was the biological daughter of the Bennett family, yet everyone had placed their trust in Willow's words instead.

She was guilty, indeed. Guilty of ever returning. Guilty of ever hoping for a love that was never hers.

She had learned her lesson. She would change.

She would leave, far away, and never again fight for the affection of a family that didn't want her.

Why is Elliot so displeased?

She calmly pulled her hand from his grip and took a step back, putting distance between them.

Her deliberate withdrawal made Elliot's chest tighten with frustration. His mind flashed with images of the old Lauren, the girl who had once followed him around, desperately trying to win his favor.

Suppressing his anger, he tried to soften his voice. "Come home with me."

Lauren lowered her eyes, her expression blank, as if she couldn't even be bothered to look at him.

Her lifeless demeanor made Elliot's rage boil over.

Five years in prison, and if she had learned anything, it was how to grow a temper.

Just as he was about to snap, a warm, gentle voice interrupted.

"Laurie."

Lauren's body tensed. Her heart, which had been numb for so long, clenched in an instant.

Even after five years, she recognized that voice immediately.

It was Lucas Reed, her childhood friend.

She saw a pair of polished leather shoes enter her line of sight. A deep, magnetic voice spoke above her.

"Laurie, congratulations on your freedom."

If anyone else had said that, she would have politely replied, "Thank you."

But coming from Lucas, the words grated on her ears.

Her most trusted childhood friend, Lucas, had taken on his first case after graduation as Willow's defense attorney, the one who had put her behind bars.

Before the trial, he had said to her, "Laurie, Willow has never suffered before. She wouldn't survive in prison. Can you take the blame for her?"

Willow couldn't suffer, but I could?

Just because she was used to hardship, she deserved to take the fall for a crime she didn't commit.

Sending the real Bennett daughter to prison had made Lucas famous overnight in Hoverdale.

Five years ago, he had still been a fresh graduate, a little green around the edges.

Five years later, he had become one of the city's most renowned attorneys, exuding power and confidence.

They had grown up together in the orphanage, closer than real siblings.

When other kids bullied her, he had always defended her, swearing, "As long as I'm here, no one will ever hurt you."

He had promised that when he became a lawyer, he would put anyone who hurt her behind bars.

But later, when Willow had hurt her time and time again, he had dismissed her pain with a casual, "Laurie, you're too sensitive. Willow isn't like that."

In the end, it was he, of all people, who had protected the one who hurt her and personally sent her to prison.

...

The air grew heavy with silence.

Lucas' smile slowly stiffened, but he forced himself to extend a hand toward her. "Laurie, I came to pick you up..."

Before he could finish, Lauren suddenly turned to Elliot. "You said we're going home, right? Let's go."

Lauren knew she couldn't escape.

Lucas had once been the person she trusted and relied on the most. Now, he was the one she loathed and least wanted to face.

Rather than confronting Lucas, she chose the next best option—going with Elliot.

At least, from beginning to end, Elliot had always despised her.

The first day she went back to the Bennett Residence, Elliot had warned her, "Even if we share the same blood, in my heart, I only have one sister, and that's Willow. You'd better behave yourself. If I ever catch you bullying Willow, I won't let you off."

He never gave her hope, so she never had too much disappointment. In front of Elliot, the psychological wounds she suffered could at least be minimized.

It was better than being utterly destroyed by the one closest to her.

Prison had taught her a lesson.

When lacking power, status, or support, survival depended on minimizing harm by any means possible.

So, when her cellmates toyed with her and made her choose between disfigurement and a slap, she chose the slap.

When they made her choose between being beaten and kneeling, she chose to kneel.

When they made her choose between drinking toilet water and barking like a dog, she chose to bark.

She had fought back desperately before, but the more she resisted, the worse the beatings became. To stay alive, she threw away her dignity and let herself be used.

Even when thrown among the most vicious criminals, she had still managed to survive, barely hanging on, by knowing when to avoid harm.

Lauren walked toward Elliot's black Bentley.

As she brushed past Lucas, her expression remained indifferent. She didn't even spare him a glance.

The loose T-shirt skimmed past Lucas's fingertips. The emptiness of the touch didn't feel like fabric draping over a person. It was more like cloth hanging on a lifeless mannequin.

Lucas' hand froze midair. In that instant, it felt like the air around him had solidified, leaving only that cold, hollow sensation at his fingertips.

Pain and desolation flashed through his eyes, and his heart felt as if an invisible hand had clenched it tight, every beat throbbing with dull agony.

Once, her gaze had always followed him, full of trust and dependence.

They had grown up together in the orphanage, supporting each other. Whenever he called her name, she would always smile and answer, "Luca, I'm here."

But now, time had changed everything.

She looked right through him, as if he didn't exist, unwilling to even meet his eyes.

Lucas' lips trembled slightly. He wanted to speak, but his throat felt blocked, unable to make a sound.

Lauren got into the car and sat in the back seat. Everything in sight bore traces of another woman.

The passenger seat had a fluffy pink cushion. The dashboard was lined with an entire row of adorable bear figurines. In the rearview mirror, the woman's reflection looked more mature than five years ago, more alluring.

She was beaming, the kind of smile that only someone raised in comfort and luxury could have.

That happiness on her face was like a silent taunt, mocking Lauren as the fake heiress.

She had thought she could face all this indifferently. But seeing it with her own eyes still left a bitter sting in her chest.

Lauren withdrew her gaze, but her eyes inadvertently landed on the handbag beside her.

Inside was a pristine white gown. Even without seeing the whole dress, the intricate feather embellishments hinted at its elegance.

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed against the rough denim of her jeans.

Every detail inside the car reminded her that she didn't belong here.

From head to toe, she wasn't even worth as much as the gown in that handbag.

She turned to look out the window. The scenery blurred past in a rapid retreat.

Elliot, still driving, didn't forget to warn her, "Mom and Dad have missed you so much these past five years. They cried over you every day, their hair turning gray with worry. When you get home, keep your temper in check. I don't want to see you scheming against Willow again, making things difficult for them. As long as you behave, the Bennett family won't treat you unfairly."

Silence followed his words.

Hearing no response, Elliot frowned in displeasure and glanced at her through the rearview mirror.

"Lauren, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?"

Lauren finally looked up at him and spoke the longest sentence she had since leaving prison.

"According to Article 48 of the Prison Law, inmates are allowed visits from family or guardians once a month, for thirty minutes to an hour. I was imprisoned for five years; that will be sixty months. If I had one visit per month, I could have seen them sixty times. But I never saw them once. You say your parents missed me. Then why didn't they come? Were they so busy that they couldn't spare even thirty minutes a month?"

Her voice was calm, but every word was a blade, slicing through his lie without mercy.

Guilt and panic flickered across Elliot's eyes. The reprimand he had prepared was caught in his throat, unable to come out.

Avoiding her steady yet piercing gaze, his fingers instinctively tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white from the pressure.

"It... It's because you were too hard to discipline. Mom and Dad didn't visit you because they wanted you to focus on correcting your bad behavior. They did it for your own good."

For my own good? Letting me take the fall for Willow, making me suffer in prison... So, that's their idea for my own good. What a joke.

Lauren felt drained, utterly uninterested in arguing anymore. She turned her gaze back to the window.

Before long, the car pulled into the Bennett Residence garage.

Elliot seemed pleased. He grabbed the handbag from the back seat and hurried off.

A few steps away, he suddenly remembered Lauren. His body stiffened, and when he turned back, there was still a trace of awkwardness on his face.

"Go change into a proper gown and head to the banquet hall."

With that, he left without looking back.

After five years, this house was still as unfamiliar to Lauren as ever.

She had never felt an ounce of warmth here.

This place wasn't even as good as the orphanage.

At the orphanage, she hadn't had a private room, but at least she had shared a sunlit dorm.

When the sun rose, light would pour through the windows, filling the room with warmth.

Back then, she loved the scent of blankets basked in sunlight. It made her feel like she had a home.

But after returning here, she realized that her so-called home wasn't the scent of sun-warmed blankets.

It was the damp, musty stench of a place the sun never reached.

She pushed open the door.

The room was small, windowless, and packed with clutter.

The only two pieces of furniture were a single folding cot and an old desk.

This was the storage room that served as her bedroom for three years.

Elliot had told her to wear a proper gown.

But she had never owned one.

For years, she had only had one set of her high school uniform. The T-shirt and jeans she was wearing now had been bought with money she earned from a holiday job on Amazon, for five bucks total.

She still remembered the day she had happily put them on and asked Elliot how she looked.

His brows had furrowed in disgust.

"What the hell are you wearing? Can't you learn to dress elegantly and properly like Willow? Take it off and get rid of it! Don't embarrass our family."

Willow's poise and elegance had been built with money and resources.

In contrast, Lauren had nothing.

The Bennett family neither gave her much love nor much money, yet they still blamed her for not being poised and elegant enough.

Even now, she didn't understand why they had brought her back.

Her only purpose in this family was to make Willow, the adopted daughter, seem more beloved.

There was a saying, "Those who are unloved are the outsiders." It fit her unexpectedly well.

Back then, their unfairness had made her sad. Now, she no longer cared.

She scanned the storage room. The only clothing she had to change into was her old blue-and-white high school uniform.

Five years ago, she had received an acceptance letter from Northcrest University, the top institution in Corwynale.

Yet, the Bennett family had only thrown a grand celebration for Willow's college entrance.

That banquet had gathered every elite figure in Hoverdale.

Eighteen-year-old Willow had stood in the center of it all, draped in a custom-made gown worth millions, wearing a diamond-studded crown, basking in the spotlight like a princess between her adoptive parents.

Meanwhile, Lauren had looked shabby and out of place, an ugly duckling among swans. Under the gaze of the entire crowd, she had been taken away by the police, spending the next five years in prison, losing the college life that should have been hers.

...

Five minutes later, dressed in her uniform, Lauren headed toward the banquet hall of the Bennett Residence.

On the way, passing servants cast curious glances at her.

"Who's that? Why is she here in a high school uniform?"

"She's probably one of the hotel staff brought in for the event. Looks like a student working a summer job."

"Mr. David and Madam Alice treat Ms. Willow so well. They even invited the top chef from Lavette Grand Hotel just for her celebration."

"Exactly."

As one servant walked past Lauren, they didn't forget to remind her, "The banquet is about to begin. Go change into the standard uniform. You must be careful while serving. Tonight's guests are all important figures in Hoverdale."

With that, the servant left.

Lauren stood there, suddenly losing the desire to go to the banquet hall.

Elliot had told her that her parents had prepared a welcome banquet for her. But he hadn't mentioned that they had invited outsiders.

Being released from prison was nothing to celebrate.

Did they really need to make such a spectacle out of it?

Five years ago, she had been taken away in handcuffs in front of all of Hoverdale's elites.

Now, they wanted to gather those same people and publicly celebrate the return of a convict.

To her, this wasn't a welcome. It was a public humiliation, stripping away every last shred of dignity she had left.

A mix of bitterness and anger surged within her. She didn't want to stay here any longer.

She turned to leave.

But just then, Elliot appeared, his expression darkening the moment he saw what she was wearing.

He strode toward her, his voice sharp with irritation. "Didn't I tell you to change into a gown? Why did you come dressed like this? Do you have any idea what kind of occasion this is?"

Lauren opened her mouth to explain, but Elliot cut her off mercilessly.

"You looked like a mess when you got out of prison, and now that you're back, you want to put on a pitiful act in front of everyone? Do you want people to think the Bennett family has mistreated you? Lauren, your manipulative tricks are just as disgusting as ever. You're beyond saving."

As he spoke, he reached out to grab her, still cursing under his breath. "Go change. Stop embarrassing yourself!"

Lauren sidestepped him.

Elliot's hand caught nothing but air. His anger flared. "How dare you dodge me?"

Lauren lifted her gaze to meet his. He looked at her as if she were his worst enemy.

That look—disgusted, impatient, filled with contempt—she had endured it for three years in the Bennett family.

Every time their eyes met, it felt like invisible hands were tearing her heart apart. The tears she had once held back had only ever earned her a sneer of "stop acting."

Maybe she had gotten used to it.

Or maybe five years in prison had crushed her self-worth.

Now, even as she faced his deep-seated hatred, she felt nothing.

His opinions no longer had the power to affect her.

Lauren's expression remained calm, distant, unyielding. "I don't have a gown."

Elliot's fury grew. "If you don't have one, then buy one!"

Lauren took a deep breath. Elliot was too biased against her. No matter what she said, he wouldn't believe her.

She had tried explaining in the past.

But the more she explained, the more he accused her of lying. He had slandered her without restraint.

It was exhausting. She didn't want to explain anymore.

So she simply said, "I have no money."

Elliot's brows knitted together, his rage burning hotter. "For three years, you lived here without worrying about food or clothing. The company transfers 70,000 dollars to your account every month. Over three years, that totaled 2.5 million dollars. And you're telling me you couldn't afford a decent dress? You're doing this on purpose, trying to make people think our family mistreated you! Lauren, you can't be this selfish. We've already compensated you. Enough is enough. If you keep acting like this, it's just pathetic!"

Lauren had expected this. No matter what she said, she would never be believed.

She stared at him, unblinking.

For some reason, under her steady gaze, Elliot felt a brief pang of unease.

"What are you looking at me like that for? I didn't say anything wrong."

He isn't wrong?

Lauren let out a cold, silent laugh.

She hadn't wanted to make a scene.

But Elliot's aggressive accusations stirred something dark in her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed people approaching.

Since they wanted a commotion, she would give them one.

She had already lost her dignity. She had nothing left to lose.

But Elliot, who cared so much about his reputation, couldn't handle being humiliated in public.

"I never received a single cent from your company. Not 70,000 dollars. Not even seven bucks. Mr. Elliot, if you want to accuse me, at least come up with a more believable lie."

Elliot's eyes darkened with even more disgust.

"You just won't give up, will you? Fine. Don't blame me for exposing you."

He pulled out his phone and called the company's finance department, putting the call on speaker.

"Check how much money the finance department has transferred to Lauren's account every month."

The person on the other end hesitated. "Lauren? You mean Ms. Bennett?"

"Yes."

"Mr. Elliot, if you're referring to Ms. Bennett, there's no need to check."

Elliot frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we never transferred any money to Ms. Bennett's account."

Elliot froze.

"That's impossible," he said sharply.

Lauren may not be well-liked, but she's still the daughter of the Bennett family. How could she not have an allowance?

The night she was brought home, he had discussed it with his parents. To be fair, they had decided to give Lauren the same monthly allowance as Willow.

There was no way he had remembered it wrong.

"I personally gave the order."

"Mr. Elliot, you might not know this, but Madam Alice said that Ms. Bennett came from an orphanage and had poor judgment. She was afraid Ms. Bennett would fall in with the wrong crowd if she suddenly had that much money. Since Ms. Bennett was a high school student back then and had no major expenses, Madam Alice canceled her allowance."

Elliot's mind buzzed.

No allowance... That means Lauren hasn't received a single penny in the entire three years she's lived with us.

"Oh, and Madam Alice doubled Ms. Willow's allowance to 140,000 dollars a month. She was worried Ms. Willow would feel neglected, so the extra 70,000 dollars was meant to comfort her. You knew about that, right, Mr. Elliot?"

Elliot felt like someone had strangled him.

He had not known.

As the crowd grew, more and more people gathered around, all having heard the voice coming from the telephone receiver.

Everyone present was stunned.

The Bennett family wasn't the richest in Hoverdale, but it was still a prominent aristocratic household.

For children of wealthy families, having a monthly allowance of 14,000 dollars was perfectly normal.

They had never heard of a wealthy heiress who didn't even get a single cent in allowance.

The Bennett family was the first.

No wonder Lauren dressed so poorly, without even a decent gown to wear to a banquet.

Even if she hadn't been raised by their side, she was still the real daughter of the Bennett family. Yet they gave her nothing while showering their adopted daughter with 140,000 dollars a month.

For the Bennett family to allow such an outrageous situation to happen, they must have been utterly blind.

The guests whispered among themselves. Elliot felt a chill down his spine, his face flushing with shame and anger.

He refused to believe something so humiliating could happen to the Bennett family.

Their family was wealthy and powerful. There was no way they would be too stingy to give their own flesh and blood a mere allowance.

Elliot immediately questioned Lauren in a cold voice, "Even if the finance department didn't transfer the money, Mom and Dad must have given you an allowance, right?"

Lauren's lips curled in mockery. She glanced at David Bennett and Alice Pierce in the crowd and said lightly, "Why don't you ask Mr. David and Madam Alice whether they gave me an allowance or not, Mr. Elliot? After all, you don't believe me, but you'd believe your parents, wouldn't you?"

David and Alice stiffened instantly, too ashamed to meet her eyes.

"Dad, Mom, you must have given her an allowance, right?" Elliot looked at them seriously.

David avoided his gaze. "I thought you guys would give it to her, so I..."

Alice's face was filled with guilt, tears welling in her eyes. She said painfully, "I thought you guys would... Laurie, why didn't you say something sooner? If you had told me earlier, I would have given you money. It's my fault. I didn't realize it in time, and you suffered for it. But you have to believe that I treat you and Willow the same."

Lauren looked at her with a half-smile, her gaze indifferent. Under her cold stare, Alice lowered her eyes awkwardly.

Only today did Lauren find out that it was her own birth mother who had ordered the finance department not to send her money. Not only that, but she had also raised Willow's allowance to 140,000 dollars, afraid that her precious adopted daughter might feel slighted.

With such blatant favoritism, Alice still had the audacity to claim she treated them equally.

As the esteemed wife of a wealthy family, Alice wore only the finest clothes, with even her socks costing dozens of dollars. There was no way she couldn't tell that her own daughter was wearing an outfit that cost less than 14 bucks in total.

Of course, she knew. She just didn't care.

This apology was nothing more than an act for the public.

Fortunately, Lauren had long seen through the ugliness of this family. Her heart had been hardened, immune to their poison. Without expectations, she remained unshaken.

Seeing Lauren ignore her mother's apology, humiliating the Bennett family in front of everyone, Elliot's fleeting guilt instantly vanished.

He scolded coldly, "You have a mouth, don't you? Why didn't you just say something? We're not mind readers; how were we supposed to know what you were thinking? If you had spoken up earlier, do you think we wouldn't have given you money?"

"I did." Lauren's voice was soft but laced with coldness. "You just didn't take it seriously."

Elliot frowned, about to deny it, when a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

It was an afternoon long ago. Their family of four sat on the couch, chatting and laughing.

Lauren walked over hesitantly, clutching the hem of her school uniform. Before she even spoke, her face flushed bright red.

She struggled for a long time before finally whispering, "Dad, Mom, can you give me the tuition fee of 700..."

Bang!

Elliot slammed his newspaper onto the coffee table, glaring at Lauren. "Money, money, money! Is that all you care about? Did you come back to this family just to ask for money? If the Bennett family had no money, would you have even bothered to return? I don't know why Mom and Dad insisted on bringing you back. If you have nothing better to do, go study. Willow ranked tenth in the whole school in her first monthly exam. What about you?"

"I... I got first place...."

"Enough. You mean dead last, right? And you still have the nerve to bring it up?"

He had already arranged for the finance department to deposit 70,000 dollars into her card every month, yet she dared to open her mouth and ask for money.

Even Willow didn't receive that much, so she had no reason to think she deserved it.

Lauren's tears fell instantly, as if she had suffered a great injustice.

Elliot only felt irritated, even losing the mood to read his financial newspaper.

Luckily, Willow was understanding. She tugged on his arm and pouted. "Elliot, I ranked tenth this time. Do I get a reward?"

He couldn't resist his sweet little sister acting cute. Instantly, all his annoyance from Lauren disappeared. Pinching Willow's cheek, he doted on her. "Willow, what do you want?"

"I saw a handbag worth 14,000 dollars. Elliot, will you buy it for me?"

"Of course. If you like it, I'd even buy one for 140,000 dollars."

After spoiling Willow, he turned back to Lauren with a scowl. "Why are you still standing here? Go back to your room and study."

Lauren bit back her grievances and ran away.

David and Alice sighed at the same time. "If only Laurie were half as sensible as Willow."

...

"Mr. Elliot, have you remembered?"

Lauren's voice pulled him back to the present. His heart twisted painfully at the way she addressed him—Mr. Elliot.

He was her biological brother, not some stranger.

But ever since she was released from prison, she hadn't called him by his name even once.

His expression darkened, his voice laced with frustration. "It was because you were terrible at studying. Coming in dead last, how did you have the nerve to ask for money? Even I was embarrassed for you."

Hearing this, Lauren's gaze turned even colder. Being stared at with such icy indifference, Elliot felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. He clenched his jaw and snapped, "You don't accept criticism?"

"For all three years of high school, I ranked first in my grade every year. How did I suddenly become in last place in your version of the story?"

Seeing Elliot's expression of utter disbelief, Lauren smirked coldly. A sense of vindictive satisfaction rose within her. "Then again, it's understandable. Mr. Elliot, you don't even know which school I attended. Naturally, you wouldn't know my grades."

Elliot felt like he had been struck by lightning, frozen in place.

It was as if he had just heard something absurd. His voice trembled slightly, betraying a hint of hoarseness. "You weren't attending Brightvale High School?"

Brightvale High School was the most prestigious school in Hoverdale. Willow had graduated from there, and all the wealthy and powerful families in the city sent their children there.

Elliot had simply assumed Lauren was studying there as well.

His gaze snapped to David and Alice, his voice shaking uncontrollably. "Dad, Mom, when Lauren came back, did you transfer her school records over?"

Silence.

David's face turned red, his lips moving soundlessly like a man who had lost his backbone. All his past authority vanished.

Alice's lips quivered. Panic and guilt filled her eyes, her perfectly applied makeup unable to conceal her embarrassment.

The two stood there, frozen, as if the air around them had solidified.

Elliot's face turned pale, inch by inch. His previous perception of Lauren crumbled like a collapsing tower. All the disdain and condescension he had once felt now twisted into sharp blades, cutting into his own heart.

His throat tightened painfully, his voice barely audible. "Laurie, where did you go to school for those three years?"

Lauren's life had already been ruined, and only then did Elliot remember to care about her academics. How ironic.

She had spent ten years studying desperately, hoping to change her fate. Just as her efforts were about to bear fruit, she found that they were ultimately no match for power.

With a single, offhand remark, the Bennett family sealed her fate, effortlessly casting her into the deepest depths of hell.

She could have had a bright future.

From childhood to adulthood, she never had the advantage of a powerful family background. The only thing she could rely on was her extraordinary dedication to her studies.

Her dream was to get into Northcrest University, then pursue a master's degree and a doctorate. She wanted to become a professor, to stand at the podium and use her knowledge to change the fate of those who, like her, worked tirelessly to succeed.

But reality had slapped her in the face.

She did not become the person she had wanted to be. Instead, she became a despised criminal, forever marked by a stain on her record.

A stain that would affect three generations.

Thinking of this, Lauren clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug deep into her palms, but she felt nothing.

"Hoverdale First High School." Lauren's voice was soft, almost gentle.

Yet the four words, "Hoverdale First High School," weighed like a thousand-pound boulder, making David, Alice, and Elliot feel as though they could hardly breathe.

Because Hoverdale First High School had the highest admission standards in all of Hoverdale.

Unlike Brightvale High School, a prestigious private school where admission was secured with money, Hoverdale First High School only recognized scores, not wealth.

Even among top students, she had consistently ranked first in her grade year after year. With her grades, getting into Northcrest University had been a certainty.

"That's impossible. You're lying." Elliot's emotions were on edge. "Hoverdale First High School is in the suburbs, more than 20 miles from home. Back then, you rode that old bike every day..."

Mid-sentence, Elliot suddenly realized something. The rest of his words got stuck in his throat.

Watching the color drain from Elliot's face, Lauren's lips curled in mockery. "I'd rather ride a bike than go to school with Willow. We never even attended the same school. I never ate breakfast with you because morning classes at Hoverdale First High School started at six. I had to wake up at four to bike for two hours just to get there. I never came home for lunch because there wasn't enough time to bike back. I didn't have money for food, so I just drank more water to hold on until evening. By the time I finally got home, you had already eaten. All that was left for me was cold leftovers, and even then, you mocked me, saying I had a lowly fate, that I preferred eating scraps over hot food, that I devoured leftovers like a starving ghost..."

"Laurie, I'm sorry." Alice's tears fell like broken pearls, her sobs heart-wrenching. "I didn't know you suffered so much. It's all my fault."

"There's nothing for you to apologize for." Lauren looked at Alice's tear-streaked face, her heart as calm as still water. "I wasn't raised by you. It's understandable that you feel nothing for me. I've long been used to this. A little more suffering wouldn't have made a difference. Don't you agree, Madam Alice?"

Alice's sobs hitched.

Laurie, I'm begging you. You're stronger than Willow; you can endure hardship. You took care of yourself just fine in the orphanage, so I believe you'll manage in prison too. Please, take the fall for Willow.

A five-year-old memory came surging back. Alice looked stricken, clutching her chest as if she were about to faint.

Lauren watched coldly as Alice swayed unsteadily. Her heart was full of contempt.

The place where Willow had pushed Elaine down the stairs had surveillance cameras.

But after the incident, Alice had immediately erased the footage that could have proven Lauren's innocence. That was why Lauren had been unable to defend herself in court.

"Enough!" Elliot snapped at Lauren, his voice cold. "Stop being so bitter. We neglected you and that was our oversight. But do you really bear no responsibility at all? You were jealous that Willow had a better life than you, so you bullied her and took revenge on us. Your heart is twisted, and no one likes you. Instead of reflecting on yourself, you blame us first."

"Elliot, don't speak to your sister that way." Alice sniffled.

"Mom, you're still defending her? She's just taking advantage of our guilt, pushing her limits. Otherwise, she wouldn't have framed Willow by shoving Elaine down the stairs and making her a vegetable. We already sent her to prison for five years, but she still holds a grudge, making a scene in front of all these guests."

Alice felt a pang of guilt. She quickly looked at Lauren, only to find Lauren staring back at her with a faint, knowing smile.

Her heart clenched. She looked away, ashamed.

"Enough, let's stop this." David frowned, his tone authoritative. "Laurie, why didn't you tell us you were coming home? If we had known, your mom and I would have prepared a dress for you."

Lauren froze. "You didn't know I was being released today?"

"Of course not. If we had, I would have sent a driver to pick you up. Laurie, how did you get home?"

Lauren turned to Elliot, her gaze piercingly cold. "I came in Mr. Elliot's car. He told me you had prepared a welcome-home party for me."

"A welcome-home party? Isn't today Ms. Willow's birthday party?"

"Yes, the invitation I received clearly says it's Ms. Willow's birthday. When did it turn into her welcome-home celebration?"

"Are they seriously throwing a party for a criminal? That's absurd."

Whispers spread through the crowd.

Elliot's face stiffened with embarrassment. He wanted to explain, but no words came out.

Lauren felt a wave of self-mockery. The joke was on her.

David and Alice had remembered Willow's birthday but had completely forgotten her release date.

As for the so-called welcome-home party Elliot mentioned, it was nothing more than a side note to Willow's grand celebration.

A bitter ache spread in her heart. What had I even been expecting?

Lauren no longer wished to play along with the Bennett family's pretense. She turned and left.

Suddenly, a figure in white rushed toward her. Lauren tried to dodge, but with her limp, she couldn't move fast enough.

Bang!

The impact sent her crashing to the ground. A sharp pain shot through her elbow and leg.

She furrowed her brows. Her already pale face turned even whiter.

By the time she managed to suppress the pain and looked up, she saw David, Alice, and Elliot gathered around a girl in a custom-made white feather gown, fussing over her with concern.

"Willow, are you okay? Does it hurt? Are you injured?"

The girl's eyes brimmed with tears, her nose and cheeks tinged red, looking pitiful. "Dad, Mom, Elliot... it hurts..."

Immediately, the Bennett family panicked and rushed to check on her.

"Willow, where does it hurt? Did Lauren hurt you?"

Without thinking, Elliot turned and shouted at Lauren, "Do you not watch where you're going?"