“Hey there, everyone!
Rise and shine!”
Everly’s voice rang out through the dining room, as cheerful as a morning bird.
She paid no mind to the bewildered glances from her newly-acquired family, nor to the lack of any return greetings.
With a final, knowing grin, she removed her arm from Sylas’s shoulder, then gave him a hearty thump on the back before strutting over to the long, elaborate dining table.
As she approached the table, Alan immediately sprang to his feet, pushing his chair out with a flourish.
“Morning, Everly.
Come sit here,” he said, his voice filled with a warmth that was palpable.
He gestured to the chair he had just vacated, which was conveniently located next to Magnus.
Everly smiled gratefully at Alan and took her seat.
Alan then sat down in the chair next to her, recreating the same seating arrangement as yesterday when she had been seated between Magnus and Alan.
At the same time, Sylas stormed over to his seat next to Nathan, plopping down with a sulky huff that made his perfectly styled hair bounce.
“Hey, what’s the deal?
I thought you couldn’t stand her guts?”
Nathan whispered, shooting a confused glance at Everly, who was busy devouring her congee with gusto.
“Of course I still can’t stand her!
What kind of stupid question is that, brother?”
Before Nathan could respond to Sylas’ outburst, Sylas’ arm was suddenly seized by Sylvia’s hand, who was sitting beside him.
“Huh?
Sylvia, what’s the matter?”
“Sylas, has your relationship with Everly improved?
If so, that’s…
wonderful.
Otherwise…
I’d feel so guilty if your relationship fell apart because of me…
I was so self-centered and spoiled before, making you all focus on my feelings instead of welcoming Everly, who’s just come back to us…”
Sylvia spoke with a look of profound sadness, her eyes downcast, brimming with a sorrow that could rival the most tragic of Shakespearean heroines.
“I promise to do my utmost not to let my depression show anymore…
even if you end up liking Everly more than me, I’ll be okay…
the most important thing is that Everly feels at ease and cherished here…”
Everly, who had already polished off a bowl of congee while thoroughly relishing the drama, silently gave Sylvia an approving thumbs-up.
Yesterday, Sylvia’s performance, while decent, had been riddled with plot holes, making her intentions to alienate Everly painfully obvious.
But today, it seemed Sylvia had learned from her past mistakes.
Her acting was far more refined, portraying a mature and understanding demeanor, without resorting to the melodramatic theatrics of “I’m going to kil myself” and “I’m running away from home” acts.
Of course, it all seemed rather comical to Everly, who could see right through the charade.
It was obvious that jealous Sylvia was putting on this act to gauge whether Sylas had softened towards Everly.
“What on earth are you going on about, Sylvia?
Since when has my relationship with this uncivilized girl improved?”
Sylas seized both of Sylvia’s hands in a vice-like grip, his desperation palpable as he tried to prove his undying devotion.
Witnessing the unfolding drama, Alan was determined not to let Everly get entangled in Sylas and Sylvia’s dramatic antics.
With a swift and strategic move, he began piling various side dishes into Everly’s bowl, hoping to divert her attention from the spectacle.
Despite knowing that his newly discovered sister actually relished in this family drama, he couldn’t help but try to shield her from the onslaught of negativity.
“Eat up, Everly.
If this isn’t enough, you can have twenty bowls more.”
“Mmm, congee doesn’t really do the trick for me.
Can the chef in this house whip up something more substantial?”
Everly mumbled through a mouthful of congee, her eyes fixed on the remaining dumplings on the table.
Alan nodded in understanding and gestured for one of the servants to relay the message to the chef.
As the servant scurried off, Nathan, still unable to accept Alan’s attention and attentiveness towards Everly, couldn’t resist adding his two cents.
“Alan, are you absolutely certain you haven’t been bewitched or something by this witch?” Nathan sneered, his voice dripping with venom.
Before Alan could even open his mouth to respond, Everly—with a mischievous glint in her eyes, stuffed a dumpling into her mouth and spoke with her mouth full.
“Alan is simply behaving like a proper brother should towards his long-lost sister.
Isn’t it far more peculiar to reject and insult your sister rather than show kindness and welcoming her with open arms?”
Nathan’s face turned crimson with rage.
He abruptly stood up from his seat, his chair scraping against the floor.
“Do you honestly believe we can simply accept you with open arms after discovering that the sister we’ve grown up with isn’t our real sibling, and that a brash and arrogant stranger like you is our true sister?
It would be completely abnormal for us to welcome an outsider into this family with open hearts and minds!”
“You haven’t even given Everly a fair shot, to truly get to know her.
Naturally, you’ll continue to view her as an outsider.
Although…
to be honest, I can think of a few reasons why you might be so dead set against her.” Alan stated calmly, his tone measured as he took another spoonful of congee.
Once again, Everly, who had finished her third bowl of congee, butted in.
“Hmm…
let me take a wild guess…
one of the reasons this brother of mine, who’s as prickly as a hedgehog, doesn’t like me is because you’re embarrassed that I grew up in a humble orphanage in a small town.
Am I right?
If that’s the case, aren’t you…
well…
Do you conveniently forget that the reason I ended up in an orphanage is thanks to your dear sister’s mother?”
“You!
How dare you blame Sylvia for your own misfortune again?!”
Nathan roared, his face contorted with fury.
In a fit of rage, he hurled a glass at Everly, which she deftly dodged with a nonchalant shrug, continuing to chew her food as if nothing had happened.
The sound of the glass shattering on the floor behind Everly sent a chill through the dining room.
Alan immediately shot up from his seat, his eyes ablaze with anger.
After ensuring that Everly was unharmed, he turned his wrathful gaze towards Nathan, who was sitting across from him.
“Have you lost your mind, Nathan?!
You threw a glass at Everly simply because she had the audacity to tell you the truth?!”
“The truth?!
So you’re blaming Sylvia as well?!!!” Nathan’s eyes widened in disbelief, a look of profound disappointment etched on his face as he stared at Alan.
Amidst the angry outbursts, a pitiful sob pierced through the air.
Everyone’s heads whipped around to see Sylvia, tears streaming down her face like a waterfall, looking at Everly with a wounded expression that could melt the coldest of hearts.
“So, the words you spoke yesterday, claiming you didn’t hold me accountable…
were they nothing but a lie, Everly?
Deep down, you do blame me, don’t you?”
She buried her face in her hands, but a sly smile played at the corners of her mouth, hidden from view.
Sylvia had not anticipated Everly to be this…
well, let’s just say, lacking in the intelligence department.
Sylvia didn’t even need to lift a finger, frame or manipulate, but Everly herself had already managed to make the family members dislike her.
Yesterday, Everly had bluntly offered Sylvia “advice” on how to end her life quickly, causing everyone to seethe with anger and brand Everly as cruel.
And now, she was at it again, provoking Nathan by bringing up Sylvia’s mother once more.
To their brothers, bringing up Sylvia’s mother was like poking a bear with a stick.
But still, Sylvia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity.
Why did Everly seem…
almost entertained, despite being rejected by everyone?
Was this some new, devious tactic?
Finally, Charles had had enough.
He slammed his hands down on the table, causing the dishes to rattle and everyone to jump in their seats.
“ENOUGH!!!” he roared, his voice booming like thunder.
“Do you all think this is a circus?
This is a family breakfast, not a battlefield!”
Charles’s disdain for his recently discovered daughter intensified with each passing moment.
All of his children were intelligent and talented, including the fake one.
But his real daughter?
She was not only academically challenged but also had a rather…
colorful reputation.
Ever since her return yesterday, she had managed to stir up trouble and cause multiple arguments.
And now, during their normally peaceful family breakfast, she had once again disrupted the harmony, further straining the already tenuous relationship between parents and daughter.
Although Charles had to admit that his daughter’s mental toughness was quite impressive.
Compared to Sylvia, who was undoubtedly talented but also incredibly emotionally fragile, Everly seemed to have a thick skin.
She didn’t let the constant criticism and hostility get to her.
In fact, she seemed to thrive on it.
That’s why, even though he knew his sons had gone too far with their insults and accusations, he decided to let it slide.
He was simply too intrigued by his daughter’s strange and unpredictable nature.
Her strength, combined with her mysterious supernatural ability, made her a fascinating enigma that he couldn’t resist exploring.
Charles fixed his gaze on Everly, his expression stern and unwavering.
“You’d better cut it out right now,” he said, his voice flat but firm.
“Because we have something important to discuss.
Your birthday is in a week, and we will be hosting a party to celebrate.
But that’s not all.
It will also be the day we announce your true identity to the world.”
…Birthday?
A week later…?
Everly’s eyes widened in disbelief at Charles’s words, her mouth falling open so wide that the congee she had been spooning into her mouth dribbled back onto her bowl.
Magnus recoiled in disgust, pushing his chair away from her as if she were a contagious disease.
Her birthday was usually a low-key affair at the orphanage, 23 days from now.
So, this revelation that her actual birthday was two weeks earlier came as quite the shock.
But then, Everly recalled what Mother June had told her.
When Sylvia’s mother had left her at the orphanage, there was a card with her name and date of birth tucked into the bundle.
A cold smile played on Everly’s lips as she realized the truth.
It was clear that Sylvia’s mother had gone to great lengths to ensure that Everly’s records were as different as possible from Sylvia’s, to avoid getting caught in her scheme of swapping the two babies.
She’d even gone so far as to push her birth date back by two weeks.
As soon as Sylas heard Charles’ announcement, he whipped around to face his father.
“Dad, you can’t be serious!
We have to celebrate our birthday with this…
this… Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
barbarian?
Are you really going to announce to the world that she’s a member of the Tang family?
What about Sylvia then?”
Felix, who had been silent for what felt like an eternity, finally spoke up.
“If we do that, everyone will find out that Sylvia isn’t the Tang family’s biological daughter…
and they’ll probably start digging into the past 18 years…”
Sylvia’s complexion paled instantly upon hearing Charles’ words.
She’d completely forgotten that their birthday was just a week away.
But this…
this was beyond her wildest nightmares.
Charles actually intended to reveal Everly’s identity, despite his obvious disdain for his own flesh and blood.
If this went ahead, the whole world would know that she, Sylvia, was nothing more than fake!
Despite the turmoil raging within her, Sylvia still acted understanding in front of them.
“It..
it doesn’t matter to me…
even if everyone knows that I’m not really a Tang…
and even if they bully and belittle me…
it’s all worth it as long as everyone knows that Everly is the real daughter of the Tang family…”
Tears streamed down Sylvia’s face as she struggled to force a smile.
With concern in his eyes, Nathan stroked her head and shifted his gaze towards Charles.
“Dad, if we go through with this, people will start spreading all sorts of nasty rumors about Sylvia!”
Anna, her brow furrowed with worry, also turned to Charles.
“Is it possible that we…”
Though her words trailed off, the unspoken message was crystal clear.
Anna was suggesting that they keep Everly’s true identity under wraps.
However, Alan had reached his boiling point.
His family’s behavior was nothing short of bonkers.
He could sort of understand Charles – the man was all about the family’s bottom line and reputation, not exactly known for following his heart.
But Anna?
She was supposed to be the nurturing one, the mother who loved all her children equally.
Sure, Sylvia had always held a special place in her heart as the only girl in the family.
But now that they knew Everly was her biological daughter, how could her love for Sylvia still overshadow that for her own flesh and blood?
“Mom!!!” Alan’s voice rose in exasperation.
“How long are you going to keep treating Everly like she’s not even part of the family?”
“What are you talking about, Alan?” Anna replied, feigning innocence.
“Mom just wants to be fair to Sylvia.
We can’t let everyone know that she’s not my biological daughter.”
“By sacrificing Everly and keeping her true identity a secret?
Is that really what you want, Mom?”
A palpable tension filled the air as Alan’s words hung heavy.
Everyone at the table, except for Everly, shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
The sight of Alan standing up for Everly, challenging the status quo, made them all feel like the villains in this twisted family drama.
Suddenly, a feigned sorrowful voice shattered the silence like a well-timed shriek in a horror movie.
“Mom, what are you planning to do?
I can’t bear the thought of you lying about Everly not being your real daughter just for my sake!
Please don’t tell me you’re going to announce that she’s your adopted daughter or just some distant relative’s child…
please, don’t do this to her.”
Sylvia’s manipulative words were like a light bulb moment for Anna, who’d been floundering for a way to deal with Everly.
“That’s it!
Why don’t we make an announcement on their birthday that Everly is the daughter of a distant relative of mine, and we’ve graciously adopted her as our own!
This way, we can preserve Sylvia’s status as the Tang family’s legitimate heir while still letting the world know that we’ve welcomed another daughter into our fold, even if she is adopted!”
Anna’s suggestion was so preposterous that Everly felt as though her brain had suddenly crashed and needed an eternity to reboot.
She had never in a million years anticipated finding herself caught up in such a clichéd stupid scenario where the family would publicly confess that their true daughter was actually an adopted child, all to prevent the truth about their beloved fake daughter from coming to light.
And just as she was beginning to process this absurdity and formulate a response, Everly felt her head on the verge of exploding as yet another clichéd plot twist materialized out of thin air, courtesy of Alan’s unexpected outburst.
“What on earth are you thinking, Mom?
That’s an absolutely insane idea!
Remember, Mom, Everly is your real daughter!
She may have been missing for a dozen years, but she’s still flesh and blood!”
“And let’s not forget, the Chang family is also aware of Everly’s existence.
They’re a traditional bunch who place great importance on bloodlines.
But with your harebrained scheme, you’ll only succeed in infuriating them.
After all, Everly is supposed to be Mateo’s fiancée, the daughter-in-law they’ve already accepted because she’s a genuine Tang.
However now, you’re suggesting that we publicly acknowledge her as an adopted child?
Are you out of your mind, mom?”
Everly’s eyes bulged in disbelief as she struggled to process this latest bombshell.
What the actual hell?
I have a fiancé?!