Chapter 13

“You’re questioning me?” Alex’s brows furrowed, his eyes darkening with resentment. “You don’t go home either. Why is that? Your mother has been worried sick.”

I was taken aback; the answer seemed obvious. “I don’t go back to the Hastings residence because I’m not a Hastings. That isn’t my home.”

An uncomfortable silence filled the car.

As we reached the university gate, I unbuckled my seatbelt and was about to exit when Alex called out, “If you’re worried about your surname, you can always change it to Serena Hastings,” he said in a firm voice that brooked no argument.

I glanced back but said nothing. Grabbing my things, I stepped out of the car. Alex was getting dumber by the day. Was this really about a surname? He only saw things superficially. The Hastings Group was bound to falter with that kind of thinking.

I spent the entire walk back grumbling about Alex before finally pushing open the door to my dorm room.

“Serena, you’re finally back!” Lila exclaimed, leaping at me as I entered.

“What’s up?” I tossed my coat onto the bed and collapsed onto it. After a day like that, I was too exhausted to say much.

“Get up,” Lila demanded, pulling me to my feet. “Get up and explain.”

“Explain what?” I asked, feeling anxious.

“You’re from the Hastings family,” Lila said, stressing each word.

I wanted to avoid the question, but since Alex had already exposed me, there was no way out. Besides, after everything that had happened, I realized Lila was on my side. As my only true friend, I didn’t want to hide anything from her.

“My mother is Alex’s stepmother,” I said hesitantly. I didn’t want to hide anything from Lila, but it wasn’t something I was proud of, and I was afraid she might see me differently.

“I’m not actually a daughter of the Hastings family. My mother married into the Hastings family, and I lived with them for a few years. After I went to university, I never went back.”

“Why?” Lila asked, surprised. “But that’s the Hastings family!”

The Hastings family. What a prestigious name. They were the largest business empire in Grandview and even all of Alderland. Their wealth was something many people dreamed of their whole lives.

As if my soul had been ripped out, I collapsed onto the bed. Remembering the cold treatment I received from the Hastings family, my eyes welled up. “Lila, I hate feeling like a guest in my own home.”

Lila, sensing the tremor in my voice, seemed to understand. She lay down beside me and faced me.

“I’m not really a daughter of the Hastings family, Lila. If I could, I’d just be Serena.”

“But you are Serena,” Lila said, gently wiping away my tears. “Serena, you’re an adult now. You have the right to choose how you want to live. If you don’t want to go home, the dorm is always a good option.”

I nodded, smiling softly. “Yeah, and I have you here with me.”

Lila smiled back, nodding. We cried for a while before she suddenly asked, “Serena, based on everything you’ve told me, it sounds like your relationship with the Hastings family isn’t great. So, why did Alex announce to everyone that you’re a daughter of the Hastings family?”