Chapter 197
Austin’s well reasoned words hit the Bennett family like a ton of bricks. They were so quick to suspect Emily, but never even bothered to check any of
thal
“We didn’t even think about it, someone thought, a wave of self–doubt washing over them.
The Bennett family had earned their place in Cloudridge. They weren’t the kind of people to be this careless. And yet, that was exactly what they’d done. It was so out of character.
Austin’s words landed on Emily like a slap to the face. Suddenly, she realized that ever since her eighteenth birthday, the Bennett family had been judging her guilty without a shred of proof, over and over again.
At first, she’d scrambled to explain herself, then just fell silent in disappointment. Till then, when the same thing happened, she didn’t even want to bother saying anything at all.
It was like she’d gotten numb to all the Bennett family’s brainwashing and gaslighting. But she had never done anything wrong. She thought, “Why do i have to jump through hoops to prove my innocence just because they decided to point fingers at me
“Why should I have to take the blame for everything when put all the evidence on the table and they just refused to believe me?”
They were the ones with all the suspicions, the ones who ignored her explanations. So, if they really wanted to pin it on her, they should be the ones to
prove it, not her.
In that moment, it was like Emily broke free from some invisible shackles. A deep, soul–level clarity hit her.
Meanwhile, Lydia’s face went pale. She glanced around at the guests, noticing the looks of clear disdain they were throwing at the Bennett family.
The Bennett family, meanwhile, stared at Emily, a hint of guilt in their eyes
A wave of panic washed over Lydia, like something she was desperately trying to hold onto was slipping night out of her grasp.
She immediately stood up and said, “I believe Emily didn’t do this. There must be some kind of misunderstanding, Please, everyone, let’s not get upset.”
Her voice instantly drew everyone’s attention. If one listened closely, there was a faint tremor in her voice.
But nobody picked upon that All they saw were her red–rimmed eyes, looking like she was on the verge of tears, and it tugged at their heartstrings a
Tittle
Lydia walked over and took Gale’s hand, giving it a gentle, almost childlike shake. “Dad, I believe Emily. If she says she was always on camera after she got to the hotel, then I trust she was.
“Maybe, like Emily said, the camera outside the gift room just didn’t catch her. If we really pull up the footage, it just shows we don’t trust her. Wouldn’t that make us a laughingstock?”
For Gale, being made a laughingstock was absolutely intolerable. Sure enough, he pulled himself together, looked around at the guests, and his brows furrowed a little
He’d invited the media to this birthday party to celebrate his own daughter, and what happened was bound to get out. There was no stopping it, he wanted to. The only thing he could do was try to minimize the damage.
Gale turned to Emily. “Since you were my daughter, I’ll let this go for today. I won’t hold you responsible, just leave. He made it sound like he was being generous, but his eyes on Emily were cold and dark.
Emma, who had been silent, stepped forward and echoed Gale’s words. “Emily, even though you’re not our biological daughter, we’ve raised you all these years. We’ve long seen you as our own.
“To me, you’re just as important as Lydia, Be good, don’t make a luss” She looked torn and heartbroken, like a mother deeply wounded by her child, but
1/2
FM, 1 Aug
Chapter 197
still, with that boundless motherly love, she was ready to forgive and welcome her wayward child back.
If it had been two years ago, maybe Emily would have been moved by that motherly love. But at that moment, all the fatt was a sense of distance an discomfort. She didn’t feel even the slightest urge to get close anymore.
AD
