Chapter 2

“Take this, Zinnia. You haven’t had breakfast,” Lucy whispered, sliding a jelly-filled doughnut into Zinnia’s hand while Howard wasn’t looking.

After the drama from last night, Howard had summoned Zinnia downstairs. Lucy was worried–with Howard so fired up, he’d probably drag Zinnia out without letting her grab a bite.

“Thanks, Lucy,” Zinnia murmured, feeling a rush of gratitude. She smiled sweetly–though her family treated her like an outcast, Lucy and the other servants had always shown her genuine kindness.

Howard’s jaw tightened when he caught Zinnia’s sweet smile from the corner of his eye–she’d never smiled like that at any of their family members. “Hurry up!” he barked, his tone impatient.

Zinnia’s smile faded. Clutching the filled doughnut, she shuffled after him with shaky steps. She knew Howard would never let it go if she refused to follow.

Her headache pulsed harder, and a dull ache squeezed her chest. She thought, ‘Master said my family would take care of me, but he was wrong. They never believed me. To them, I’m just a pathetic nobody–totally unwanted.

‘Master is a bad guy. He dumped me here and walked away. I won’t trust his words anymore!’

“Move it! And don’t even think about stalling,” Howard barked. His expression darkened as Zinnia’s smile vanished–why would she beam at the servants but turn ice-cold with him?

Lucy watched Zinnia leave, feeling her heart ache. Even from a distance, she could see Howard lashing out at the quiet girl. Zinnia just took it, not fighting back. Lucy couldn’t understand how the Shaw family could be so cruel to someone so gentle.

The driver was already waiting when Zinnia and Howard stepped out.

“Get in,” Howard said coldly, positioning himself to block any chance of her escaping.

Zinnia reached for the passenger seat door. Howard frowned, snapping, “Sit in the back!”

“You told me not to sit with you,” Zinnia said, freezing in place. The Shaw family had made that clear on the day of the DNA test–even if it was just that one time—and their cold stares still lingered in her mind.

Howard paused, a flicker of awkwardness crossing his face. Catching her steady gaze, he yanked open the back door and snapped, “Just get in the back!”

Zinnia pursed her lips and slid into the back seat. She pressed herself against the door to make sure she didn’t get in Howard’s way–or risk getting kicked out of the car halfway.

Howard glanced at Zinnia, who seemed to want to be as far away from him as possible. His brow twitched, and a surge of irritation washed over him.

‘What’s her problem? I haven’t pushed her away–why is she acting like she couldn’t stand me?’ Howard wanted to call her out, but her blank face just left him speechless.

The car’s air conditioning hummed at a comfortable temperature. Exhausted from the rough night before, Zinnia pressed her head against the cool window and quickly drifted off to sleep.

Howard glared at her reflection in the window, his frustration rising. ‘She’s gonna take a nap again just minutes after I dragged her out of bed. After all the trouble she caused, she’s snoozing away while we’re stuck with the worries.’

Though angry, Howard couldn’t help noticing her flushed cheek. He gritted his teeth but didn’t disturb her. Remembering how cold her hands had been, he grabbed a blanket and threw it over her.

Still asleep, Zinnia unconsciously reached for the blanket and pulled it over her arms.

Howard stared at her. ‘How could she look so innocent but be such a troublemaker? We told her the mix-up with Betty was an accident and having Betty at home wouldn’t take anything from her. Yet she kept trying to drive Betty away–so petty!’

Zinnia squirmed under his gaze. Howard instantly looked away, pretending to look out the window. Zinnia pressed herself tighter against the door, creating as much space as possible between them.

The drive was quiet, and before long, they pulled up to the hospital.

Zinnia woke up right as the car stopped, rubbing her swollen eyelids. Howard looked at her and bit back his words.

They entered the hospital and headed straight to the elevator, riding up to the 17th floor where the SVIP ward was located.

Betty had only been underwater for a minute–her hair wasn’t even completely damp–when she was pulled out. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors ran a full battery of tests.

After Betty had been in hospital for a day, the entire Shaw family dropped everything to be by her side. Every conversation quickly turned to Zinnia -how jealous she was and how she couldn’t stand Betty being around.

Just as Zinnia and Howard reached the hospital room door, they overheard the family’s talks.

“Betty, we just brought Zinnia back from that poor town,” said Maelis, the Shaw siblings’ mother, her voice heavy with exhaustion. “She’s still rough around the edges. Just try to be patient with her, alright?”

Her mind raced. ‘Zinnia grew up without me, and now she’s this jealous, out-of-control mess. I need to get her etiquette tutors, and fast.

‘Family might cut her some slack, but outsiders won’t. In high society, one little mistake can ruin one’s reputation. And we can’t watch her every second.

‘She can’t embarrass us in public. One scandal, and all our kids‘ futures could be ruined. Good matches need spotless reputations.

‘Now we’re the hot gossip of high society. Everyone’s whispering about Zinnia, the country girl who doesn’t fit in.

‘I was just so relieved to have her back that I felt like I owed her everything. All I wanted was to make it up to her. I never thought about getting tutors–I figured I’d teach her myself.

‘Who knew Zinnia could be so jealous? If word gets out about how she’s treating her sister, no decent family would want anything to do with her.’

Maelis felt both guilty and tired thinking about her daughter switched due to her own carelessness. She’d hoped to guide Zinnia slowly, but now it seemed those years in the village had baked in habits that wouldn’t be easy to shake.

“Mom, I understand. Zinnia didn’t mean to push me. She was just upset.” Betty smiled gently at Maelis, her pale face showing fragility. “I’m okay.”

“Understand?” Timothy scoffed, frowning. “Mom, Zinnia’s been back two months and still acts like a problem child. She actually pushed Betty into the pool. If Betty couldn’t swim, this could’ve been a total disaster.”

He shook his head. “Let’s be real–our home’s been a mess since she showed up. Maybe it’s time she moves out.”