Chapter 354
Tiffany wore a faint smile, but her eyes were gloomy. Thalia was at a loss, knowing she’d said something wrong but unsure how to rectify the situation. Lucy, standing behind her, smiled and smoothly intervened. “Miss Tiffany, that’s not what Mrs. Kelley meant. Besides, the villa is so large; there are plenty of rooms. Let’s go, Miss Melody. There are many rooms on the right; just pick another one.”
As Lucy spoke, she guided Melody forward. From an outsider's perspective, Cedar Ridge Villa was immense, and Tiffany's room wasn't the only exquisite and luxurious one. Melody shouldn't have chosen the former servants' quarters. Whether this strategic retreat was intentional remained unknown.
Melody obediently agreed. Looking at Tiffany apologetically, she softly said, "I'm sorry, my dear sister. I have no intention of taking it from you. Please don’t take it to heart…"
Tiffany smiled insincerely. "You call your sister quite smoothly."
"Mom said I'm two months older than you, so…" Melody explained carefully, but her emphasis caused Lucy's expression to change. Lucy thought, The two daughters are nearly the same age; what does this mean? It means Melody is the biological daughter of the Kelley couple, while Tiffany is not.
Lucy frowned slightly. When Mrs. Kelley introduced Melody to the downstairs servants, she'd omitted this detail, indicating she didn't want to reveal Tiffany's background. But Melody had inadvertently mentioned it. Lucy, initially impressed with Melody, now felt differently. She simply said, "Miss Melody, come with me."
Melody followed. She ultimately chose a gorgeously decorated room, symmetrical to Tiffany's and the largest master bedroom on the second floor. The lighting and layout were excellent. Thalia personally redecorated the room for Melody, and that same day, had the mall deliver numerous dresses, all the season's newest styles, filling Melody's walk-in closet.
When dinnertime arrived, Melody, in a new outfit, descended. Her already stunning beauty was enhanced by her attire—the latest design from a famous brand. She looked outstanding, noble, and generous. Thalia and Charlie were pleased.
One servant remarked, “Miss Melody and Mrs. Kelley look so alike. Look at her eyebrows; she really resembles Mrs. Kelley when she was young.” Thalia, though no longer young, remained charming and gentle. Melody, however, was even more striking—gentle, beautiful, lively, playful, and likable. The mother and daughter truly resembled each other.
However, Charlie frowned and reprimanded the servant, "Don't say such things again!" He didn't want Tiffany to hear; it would embarrass her. The servant immediately fell silent, nodding respectfully. "Okay, Mr. Kelley."
Charlie called out again, “Lucy, call Tiffany down for dinner. Forget it, I'll go.” He rose from the dining table and strode towards the second floor. He knocked on Tiffany's door and laughed heartily. “My dear daughter, come and eat.” His voice was loud, echoing from the second to the first floor.
At the dining table, Melody resented this form of address. Charlie called her "Melody," but Tiffany, "My dear daughter." She was unhappy about his favoritism towards Tiffany. Charlie is clearly my biological father, she thought. Instead of protecting me, he’s protecting that bastard Tiffany. How can he do this?
At that moment, a car arrived. A servant smiled, “It must be Mr. Eric. He’s back from school.” As expected, Eric emerged from the car, schoolbag in hand, happily entering the villa, carrying freshly picked olive branches. A faint, sweet olive fragrance filled the air.
He called from afar, “Tiffany! I’m home!” and ran towards the house. However, seeing Melody at the dining table, he was stunned. “Why are you here again, you bad person? You’re not welcome here!” His young age showed in his blatant preference.
Melody smiled gently. “Eric, I’m your older sister.”
Eric was furious. “Who do you think you are? How dare you call yourself my sister? Let me tell you, my sister is a million times better than you! She’s a million times prettier than you!” He continued to scold until Thalia intervened. “Eric! Shut up!”
“No!” Eric retorted angrily. “Get her out. I don’t want her here!”
“She’s your sister! It’s not up to you to agree or disagree. Regardless of whether you acknowledge her or not, she’s still your sister!” Thalia shouted, adding, “She’s your biological sister.”
Eric wondered, My biological sister! He instantly recalled something. “Mom, didn’t you promise me before?”
Thalia looked away. Life was unpredictable. Though she’d previously rejected Melody, how could she abandon her sick biological daughter now? She'd made her decision and would see it through.
Thalia said, “Your dad and I have decided to hold a recognition banquet this weekend. At the banquet, I’ll announce this publicly.”
“So… so I’m the last to know?” Eric’s eyes were red. “Did you not consider my or Tiffany’s feelings when you made this decision?” He didn't understand. He’d been skipping grades and had recently been admitted to high school, resulting in late nights. He couldn’t comprehend the changes of the past few days.
Thalia caressed her son's face. “Eric, I know you can’t accept it right now. Trust me and give your sister some time. You’ll definitely accept her, okay?”
Eric, however, slammed his bag on the floor. “No!” he said firmly, pushing Thalia away and running upstairs to Tiffany’s room.
Tiffany sat by the window, reading. Charlie was urging her to dinner. “Dad, I’m really not hungry. You guys go ahead and eat.” Then Eric burst in, throwing himself into her arms, crying, “Tiffany… Boohoo.”
Tiffany was startled and hugged him. “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you at school? Don’t cry. I’ll beat the bully up!” Since childhood, Eric, due to his advanced studies, had been bullied by older classmates, but Tiffany always defended him.
Hearing this, Eric cried harder. “I don’t want that woman! Get her out of here!”