Chapter 2

The black car blocked the road ahead. The window rolled down, revealing half of the man’s face. To Abigail, that face was all too familiar.

Ralph’s voice was indifferent. “You won’t get to Gibson Villa going this way. Are you planning to walk all the way there?”

Abigail looked at him, unsure how to respond. What she wanted was just to get far enough from the prison to find a ride home.

Ralph said, “Cobridge has changed a lot in the past three years. You won’t make it on foot. I’m heading to Gibson Villa.”

Abigail didn’t understand. She thought, ‘Is he offering me a ride?’

She stood there for a moment in a daze. Ralph looked more mature and composed now, no longer as unruly and arrogant as he had been three years ago. For a second, Abigail drifted into old memories and didn’t know how to answer.

Ralph, however, had run out of patience. He got out of the car with a cold expression and stepped in front of her. “Get in. I’ll take you back. How much longer are you planning to stand here?”

His words made Abigail fall silent. She didn’t know why Ralph was here, and she didn’t get into the car. Thinking of her grandfather Wyatt, she turned and…

Inside, there was an unfamiliar, floral scent that made Abigail feel disoriented. She had sat in Ralph’s car before. Back then, he’d always kept candy in the car, and it always had a sweet smell. The candy had been for her.

Because of that candy, Abigail had once believed she was special to Ralph. She had once been happy, thinking the feelings between them were mutual.

But the truth was, she had once heard him with her own ears, speaking about her to his friends with nothing but disdain.

Ralph had said, “It’s just some cheap candy. That’s all it took to get her wrapped around my finger. I only gave it to her because I felt bad for her.

“That engagement? It was just some joke between our grandfathers. Besides, the Gibson family has more than one heiress.”

The people around him had all agreed. In their eyes, Daniella, who had grown up with a wealthy upbringing, was a much better match for Ralph than Abigail. And Abigail, to them, was nothing more than someone Ralph humored because he happened to pity her.

Abigail thought about how the gifts Ralph gave Daniella were nothing like the candy he used to give her. Now that Abigail looked back, it was clear how much–or how little–Ralph ever cared about her.

Abigail never liked to force anything, not even an engagement that had originally belonged to her.

She had brought up ending it with Wyatt. Wyatt loved her and thought she’d been wronged, and wanted to go confront Ralph about it. She stopped him and asked for his agreement instead.

Wyatt agreed, but before the engagement could be called off, she ended up taking Daniella’s place and going to prison.

It was only then that Abigail realized she was never that important to them. To be honest, aside from Wyatt, everyone else in the Gibson family–and Ralph–never truly welcomed her. She was like an intruder who had disturbed their perfect little family.

They never said it outright, but everything they did made it clear they wanted her gone. And yet it wasn’t like she had done anything wrong.

Abigail had grown up struggling to survive in an orphanage. Even after being adopted, she lived cautiously.

She once thought her birth parents must have really loved her to go through all that effort to find her. But reality hit her hard.

They already had an adopted daughter they adored, showered her with affection. Abigail wasn’t like that–she’d grown up scraping by with nothing.

They looked down on Abigail, treated her like she didn’t belong. If it hadn’t been for the blood tie, they wouldn’t have wanted her at all.

Back then, only Ralph had paid attention to Abigail’s mood when she was feeling down. He’d offer her candy to cheer her up. To her, Ralph was like the light of her life. But that light only touched her for a brief moment.

Three years in prison was enough to repay whatever debt she owed the Gibsons for bringing her into this world. As for that so-called family, she didn’t want it anymore. She didn’t want Ralph either.

The car pulled into Gibson Villa. As it came to a stop, a girl in a white dress walked over with a bright smile on her pretty face. “Ralphic, what took you so long? Stevie and I have been waiting for you forever.”

Stephen followed right behind, draping a coat over her shoulders.

Daniella’s smile froze the moment she saw Abigail. Her eyes turned slightly red, like she had been wronged.

“Abigail? Why are you in Ralph’s car?” Stephen questioned, his brows furrowed in what looked like obvious displeasure.

“I ran into her on my way here. Didn’t you send someone to pick her up?” Ralph asked. His words made Stephen fall silent.

Stephen thought, ‘What am I supposed to say? That I did go but left because I was pissed off by her attitude?’

“Stevie must’ve forgotten,” Daniella said lightly. “Abby, why didn’t you call us? Good thing Ralphie ran into you.”

To anyone listening, Daniella sounded kind and considerate. Abigail had thought the same when she first returned to the Gibson family.

But after being falsely accused by Daniella again and again, she finally saw it clearly. Some people were just good at pretending to be nice, always appearing soft and understanding.

And the Gibson family fell for it every time. To them, Daniella was exactly the kind of daughter and sister they wanted.

“Abby, it’s so good to have you back. I’m really happy, and so are Mom, Dad, and all our brothers,” Daniella said with a radiant smile. Stephen looked at her with obvious affection in his eyes.

Abigail didn’t know and didn’t care whether the Gibson family was happy. The only person she cared about was Wyatt. She knew Wyatt would be thrilled to see her. A hint of urgency started to build in Abigail’s chest.

“Abigail, Dani’s talking to you. Didn’t you hear her?” Stephen snapped, glaring at her like she was his enemy.

Daniella bit her lip and tugged on Stephen’s sleeve. “Stevie, don’t be like that. Abby never liked me. It’s normal for her to ignore me. I’m used to it.”

Stephen got even angrier and shouted at Abigail, “Dani doesn’t owe you anything.”

Abigail just found it ridiculous. “She doesn’t owe me anything, so you think I owe her instead?”