Melody Summers was so surprised by what she heard that she choked on her tea and couldn’t stop coughing.

"COUGH, COUGH... COUGH, COUGH..."

Seeing Melody Summers’s shocked expression, Sophie Thorne patted her back to help her catch her breath while recounting the events of that evening’s banquet.

The Nimbus Hotel was hosting a charity gala tonight to raise funds and supplies for victims of a natural disaster, and many of Anworth’s most prominent families were in attendance.

At this gala, Hector Hayes and his eldest son, Raymond Hayes, arrived with Sylvia Lancaster.

Hector Hayes took the opportunity to grandly introduce Sylvia Lancaster to everyone, announcing that she was his second daughter, Sylvia Hayes—the second young miss of the Hayes Family.

The guests were stunned. Many of them knew Sylvia Lancaster as the fake heiress who had been mistakenly raised by the Lancaster Family. They never imagined she was the Hayes Family’s biological daughter!

Instantly, everyone’s minds began to spin, imagining the sordid, dramatic backstory.

It was a pity the Lancaster Family no longer had the standing to attend such high-society gatherings; otherwise, the scene would have been even more spectacular.

But just as Hector Hayes finished his introduction, Clara Hayes suddenly burst into the banquet hall.

Without a word, she ran up to Sylvia Lancaster and raised her hand to slap her.

Just as the slap was about to land, Raymond Hayes, who was standing nearby, quickly intervened and stopped her.

Ignoring Clara Hayes’s furious struggles and her hysterical, shrieking questions, Raymond Hayes simply had her dragged out of the banquet hall.

After Clara Hayes was hauled away, Raymond Hayes continually comforted Sylvia Lancaster in a soft voice, afraid she had been frightened.

Raymond Hayes had always been sullen and cold toward others. Such a scene—him doting on a woman so tenderly—was practically unheard of. He was usually distant and indifferent even to his own siblings, Clara Hayes and Hugh Hayes.

This left the crowd even more astounded—

Everyone in their circle had heard rumors about how Raymond Hayes had spent years guarding against Hector Hayes’s illegitimate children.

Yet here he was, accepting this illegitimate sister!

Not only that, but he was also so gentle and doting toward her...

Now everyone knew that this newly acknowledged second miss of the Hayes Family was deeply favored, having even earned Raymond Hayes’s approval.

Sophie Thorne clicked her tongue twice after finishing her story. "Sylvia Lancaster was the absolute center of attention tonight," she lamented. "All those rich kids who had stopped talking to her started flocking around her again, laughing and chatting."

After hearing the whole story, Melody Summers felt a strange sense of solemn respect welling up from the bottom of her heart. "This Sylvia Lancaster... is she a Succubus or something?! She’s only been with the Hayes Family for a few days, and she’s already won them over so easily?"

You really had to hand it to her. Sylvia Lancaster was doted on in the Lancaster Family, and now, not even two days into her life with the Hayes Family, she had effortlessly defeated Clara Hayes. Her ability to win people over was truly admirable...

Melody Summers sighed and shook her head. For a moment, she couldn’t tell who had it worse: herself in her past life, or Clara Hayes in this one.

Thinking of Clara Hayes, Melody mused, ’I guess Clara is finally walking a mile in my shoes now.’

In her past life, Clara Hayes had been a tool in Sylvia Lancaster’s hands. Many of the schemes that had caused her trouble were Clara’s own ideas.

In this life, too, Clara had tried to stand up for Sylvia on multiple occasions.

Now, Clara had taken her place, standing in opposition to Sylvia Lancaster. She had become Sylvia’s enemy. ’I wonder how she feels about that...’

******

「Meanwhile, at the Hayes family villa.」

"Who do you think you are! What gives you the right to lock me up!"

In the main hall, Clara Hayes broke free from the housekeepers holding her on either side and shrieked at Lily Adler, "Who the hell do you think you are! You’re just a slut who slept her way up! Take your bastard daughter and get out of my house! Get out of my mother’s house!"

Faced with Clara Hayes’s loud roars and curses, Lily Adler remained unperturbed.

She spoke to Clara Hayes in a gentle, placating tone. "Claire, this was your father’s order. He’s very angry that you caused a scene at the Nimbus Hotel banquet today... He called and said you are to kneel in the Buddhist hall and reflect on your actions."

Clara Hayes stared furiously at Lily Adler, her gaze so intense it seemed she could burn holes right through her.

As if completely oblivious to Clara’s dagger-like stare, Lily Adler simply said with a sigh of resignation, "Claire, don’t blame me. I already pleaded on your behalf, but your father is truly furious this time... Just stay in the Buddhist hall for a little while. Once he’s calmed down, I’ll put in a good word for you."

This feigned sincerity from Lily Adler infuriated Clara Hayes so much her eyes turned red. Forgetting all decorum, she spat right in Lily Adler’s face.

She cursed viciously, "You homewrecker, don’t get cocky! My dad will never marry you in his life, and your daughter will always be nothing but a looked-down-upon bastard!"

At these words, the smile on Lily Adler’s face faded slightly.

She stopped paying Clara Hayes any mind and simply waved her hand. Four housekeepers immediately surrounded Clara and began dragging her toward the Buddhist hall.

Then, ignoring Clara Hayes’s screams and curses, the housekeepers shut the door and locked her inside.

Clara Hayes pounded on the locked door, crying and shouting.

But the door was solid. Before long, she was too tired to curse and too tired to cry.

She collapsed limply onto the floor, completely overwhelmed by a flood of grievance and rage.

Ever since Sylvia Lancaster and Hector Hayes had acknowledged each other, Sylvia and her mother, Lily Adler, had been bullying her, both openly and secretly...

Several sets of gemstone jewelry left by Clara Hayes’s mother were given away to Sylvia Lancaster by Hector Hayes, all because Sylvia had casually mentioned she was "envious." He’d justified it with the noble-sounding excuse—"Sisters must learn to share."

Her mother’s heirlooms, given by her father to his mistress’s daughter—how could Clara possibly endure that?

She confronted Hector Hayes about it, only to be furiously reprimanded, "Why are you so unreasonable? Your sister has suffered so much out in the world, can’t you give in to her for once? You’re so willful and shrewish, just like your domineering, irrational mother!"

To make matters worse, Sylvia Lancaster would be right there, fanning the flames while feigning innocence. "If Sister doesn’t want to give them to me, then I won’t take them. Dad, please don’t fight with Sister because of me. I don’t want to see you or Sister unhappy."

Seeing this, Hector Hayes would once again praise Sylvia Lancaster for being a gentle, sensible, and good child.

Clara Hayes would get so angry she’d run back to her room in tears and smash everything in sight!

Moreover, since Sylvia Lancaster’s return, Lily Adler’s status in the Hayes Family had risen.

She had moved from her room on the first floor into the one that the late Mrs. Hayes had occupied, and the villa’s housekeepers had all begun to treat Lily Adler as the lady of the house.

Clara Hayes had cried and thrown tantrums, but it was all useless. In fact, it had only earned her two slaps from Hector Hayes.

Clara Hayes closed her eyes in sorrow. After a long while, she picked herself up off the floor, walked silently to the Buddha statue, and sat down on the cushion in front of it.

The Hayes Family’s "Buddhist hall" was, in truth, just a small, empty room. The lighting was dim, containing only a single Buddha statue with a few prayer flags hanging before it.

Clara Hayes stared at the prayer flags, wondering if there was truly any such thing as cosmic justice in this world.

Thinking about how she had previously helped Sylvia Lancaster cause trouble for Melody Summers, Clara felt more and more like a joke.

Clara Hayes sighed. What hurt her the most right now was Raymond Hayes’s attitude.

After she had tearfully complained to him, Raymond had sworn to her that he would never allow any illegitimate children to come and take a share of the Hayes Family’s fortune.

Clara had been so happy at the time, waiting for Raymond to take revenge on Sylvia Lancaster.

But unexpectedly, after Raymond met Sylvia Lancaster, his attitude toward her did a complete one-eighty. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

The gentleness Raymond showed Sylvia was something Clara had never seen before.

Clara ran to Raymond and demanded to know what was going on.

But Raymond, with a complicated expression, only told Clara that Sylvia Lancaster was a pure and kind girl, and that Clara should accept her and live peacefully with her.

Clara Hayes was utterly shocked. She didn’t understand why even Raymond had been deceived by Sylvia. She truly suspected that Sylvia and her mother had put a curse on him or something!