Chapter 2
During her days of recovery at the hospital, neither Robin nor Kane showed the slightest concern for her injuries. And yet, Elena saw new photos posted by Constance on her social media every day.
In the pictures, Robin stood tall in a sharp suit inside a restaurant. Kane nestled affectionately at his side, while Constance, dressed in a flowing white gown, stood gently beside Robin. The three of them smiled at the camera, and they were the very image of a perfect family.
The caption read, “Dinner with the ones who matter. Happiness is really that simple.”
Elena looked at it for only a moment before quietly exiting the app. She was leaving, so none of this would matter to her anymore.
On the day of her discharge, Elena checked herself out of the hospital alone. She limped her way back to the Marsh residence while dragging her still-healing leg.
The villa was silent and empty. Neither Robin nor Kane was home. She then returned to her room and began to pack without a word.
There wasn’t much to pack anyway. She owned very little—just a few changes of clothes and some basic daily necessities.
She opened a drawer and reached to the very bottom, pulling out a wooden box. Inside were the documents and the money she had quietly saved over the years.
It was almost time. Only half a month was left, and she would finally be free of this place.
Just as she was midway through organizing her things, the door suddenly opened. Kane stood in the doorway, staring at her coldly.
His voice carried its usual impatience. “What the hell are you doing?”
Elena paused for a moment, then answered calmly, “Packing up.”
Kane frowned slightly. He didn’t seem interested in what she was doing. He was only there to issue a command.
“The rainy season’s coming. Dad says to go through Mom’s stuff and make sure it doesn’t get moldy.”
Elena’s fingers curled slightly. She simply answered in a low voice, “Alright.”
Kane turned to leave, but just as he reached the door, he seemed to remember something and looked back to add, “Oh right—my birthday’s coming up. Prepare it like you always do.”
Elena lowered her gaze and replied softly, “Okay.”
Kane let out a mocking laugh, clearly finding her submissiveness dull and uninteresting. He then turned and walked away.
Elena spent the next three days preparing a grand birthday banquet. Half an hour before the party was set to begin, she went to change into her gown. But the moment she opened the wardrobe, she found all her dresses shredded beyond recognition.
Kane appeared in the doorway just as she was about to ask Betty what had happened. He was holding a pair of scissors, and a mocking smile played on his lips.
“Let’s see how embarrassed you’ll get without a gown to wear!”
He pulled a silly face and darted off down the stairs. Elena stared at the scattered scraps of fabric on the floor and sighed quietly.
It was too late to buy a new dress now. As she stood there, unsure of what to do, Constance suddenly showed up at the house.
When she learned that Kane had ruined all of Elena’s clothes, she offered kindly, “Ms. Larson, the banquet’s starting soon. I can lend you a gown for now. Just return it to me after the event.”
She smiled gently without a trace of malice. Elena studied her for a long while but sensed nothing suspicious. She reluctantly accepted since there was truly no time to find another outfit.
Constance sent over the dress not long after. It was a pale blue fishtail gown that shimmered under the sunlight, adorned with countless tiny rhinestones that sparkled brilliantly.
The ballroom was dazzling with light. When Elena stepped into the venue wearing the dress Constance had given her, the entire hall fell silent for a brief moment.
Every pair of eyes turned to her, filled with surprise, curiosity—and a strange, unspoken tension. Elena sensed something was off, but before she could fully register it, Kane came rushing over as his face twisted in rage.
“Elena Larson! Who said you could wear my mom’s dress?”
She froze. As she looked down at the gown on her body, she finally realized what Constance had given her wasn’t just any evening gown. It was the dress Evangeline had treasured most before her death.
She snapped her head up and looked toward Constance, who stood not far away. Constance gave her a gentle smile, but in her eyes flickered a glint of triumphant satisfaction.
The next second, Kane shoved her hard.
“Don’t think wearing my mom’s dress means you can take her place! I only have one mom! Just go to hell!”
Caught completely off guard, Elena stumbled backward and fell straight into the pool behind her.
Icy water instantly engulfed her nose and mouth. She didn’t know how to swim. Panic surged through her as she struggled to stay afloat, but the gown had soaked through.
It was turning unbearably heavy, dragging her down, deeper and deeper. Just as consciousness began to slip from her, a bodyguard finally pulled her from the water.
She collapsed at the pool’s edge, coughing violently while still gasping for air. That was when Kane’s cold voice pierced through the noise.
“Take off her dress! She’s not worthy of wearing my mom’s clothes!”
The bodyguard yanked at her gown without hesitation as soon as Kane said this.
Elena cried out in shock while instinctively curling in on herself, but it was already too late.
The pearl-white satin layer underneath tore apart in an instant, leaving her body exposed to the cold air. Soaked to the bone and stripped down to her undergarments, Elena was left in complete humiliation under the eyes of the entire crowd.
Kane stood nearby. He clenched his teeth as he spat, “You don’t deserve to wear my mother’s clothes!”
Meanwhile, all the guests had gathered tightly around the poolside. Elena trembled uncontrollably, curling up in a miserable ball.
Their stares cut into her like knives, each glance slicing deeper into her dignity. Just then, a tall figure pushed through the crowd.
Robin walked over, removing his suit jacket and draping it over her. He asked while frowning. “What’s going on?”
Kane immediately complained, “Dad! She stole Mom’s dress on purpose! She wants to replace Mom completely!”
