10 Years a Stand-In, They Lost It After I Go

Chapter 3

"It's cold out. Don't catch a chill," I called back one last time before heading back to my room.

The next morning, as I was about to leave, my adoptive mother blocked my way, rushing in like she had something urgent to say.

She dropped to her knees, just like ten years ago, and her voice was full of desperation.

"Lily, Oliver is still so young. He needs you."

"Your dad and brother are depending on Alexander for money, and the Brooks kids need you, too. You can't just do whatever you want."

I couldn't take it anymore. I cut her off mid-sentence.

"You've said all this, but why don't you ever ask how I'm doing?"

Her words faltered, and she stared at me, caught off guard by my outburst.

Before she could start again, the sound of a car engine broke the silence. A woman walked in, all grace and charm, her smile wide and welcoming.

As soon as she stepped in, Oliver darted over, flinging himself into her arms. "Aunt Sophia! I've missed you so much!"

Hand in hand, they walked right past me without even a simple greeting.

The housemaids, standing in the background, couldn't help themselves.

"That Miss Evans is pitiful, just hanging on to the Grant family, doing everything she can to please Mr. Grant and Young Master Oliver. In the end, she can't even compare to an illegitimate daughter."

"She was all dramatic about leaving yesterday, but now look at her," someone sneered. "I bet she's panicking with Miss Sophia around, afraid of losing her meal ticket."

Oliver, with his sweet voice, nuzzled into Sophia's neck. "Daddy's been waiting for you forever. Let's go find him!"

"I love Aunt Sophia the most. She smells so nice and talks so sweetly, unlike some people who are as rough as country bumpkins."

I stood there, stunned. My heart felt like it was being twisted, the words sinking deep.

I had grown up in the South, and when I first came to the city, everything felt so unfamiliar. The cold Northern winds had cut at my skin, and I'd been sick for weeks, barely hanging on.

The servants, with their cruel gossip, had never been kind. They mocked me for being "uncouth" and wouldn't even bring me medicine when I was sick.

But Oliver, the boy who once stayed by my side when I was sick, the boy who had comforted me with his childish words, was now the one stabbing me in the heart.

Sophia greeted me with a warm smile, all sweetness and calm. But there was no hiding the edge in her voice.

"Miss Evans, don't take what the child says too seriously."

I ignored her and turned to help my adoptive mother to her feet. "As you can see, there's no shortage of people to take care of Alexander and Oliver."

Sophia, the second daughter of the Chapman Group, had a 70% resemblance to Emily, which meant she could waltz into the study, a place I was never allowed, and win the hearts of both father and son effortlessly.

My adoptive mother, now standing, no longer seemed sad, only cold. "So you've really made up your mind to leave?"

"I won't stay locked in this gilded cage, wasting my life on two men who don't care about me," I said, my voice unwavering.

Without warning, my adoptive mother slapped me hard across the face, the sting sharp and burning.

"You ungrateful little brat, you'll never be anything," she hissed. "If it weren't for me, you'd have drowned in that river. How could you be so heartless? You're worse than a dog raised by the Brooks family."

She raised her hand again to strike me, but this time, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her cold.

"The Brooks family raised me until I was eight, and I've repaid them for these ten years," I said, locking eyes with her. My words were slow, deliberate.

"We're even now."

For ten years, I had endured Alexander's cold indifference. I had kept the Grant house running, managing everything from big to small. I'd loved Oliver like he was my own son.

I had done everything I could, with a clear conscience.

The only person I had wronged was myself.

Unable to convince me, my adoptive mother stormed off in frustration.

I turned to leave, but stopped short when I saw Alexander standing there, his gaze dark and unreadable as ever.