I spent the rest of my time alone in my room, my mind in constant turmoil.
Isabella Villarreal.
I never imagined that the middle-aged woman I had always regarded as my own mother wouldn’t trust me, not even a little.
I sat slumped at the edge of the bed.
Now I truly understood who I really was in this house.
Compared to Adriana, I was nothing.
Adriana was the daughter of an incredibly wealthy family, someone whose presence was surely a dream come true to welcome into theirs.
And me?
I rose to my feet and walked unsteadily toward the large mirror, staring at my own reflection.
In an instant, the dark shadows of my past came rushing back, spinning through my mind like a broken cassette tape.
How, at just ten years old, I had lost everything in a single night.
Both my parents, the home that had once sheltered me—all of it burned to nothing, leaving no trace behind.
“Poor child. All alone in this world. Come with us—we’ll raise you and love you as if you were our very own.”
Those were the sweet words Mama Isabella had once spoken when she took me in.
For years, they truly had treated me with kindness, spoiling me, never once speaking a harsh word to me.
But today, she had grown furious over nothing but Adriana’s words—even though I hadn’t yet explained anything at all.
“I need to know my place,” I murmured softly to myself, mourning the truth of my real status—nothing more than someone taken in out of pity.
Knock!
Knock!
Knock!
I walked over and opened the door to find a house servant standing there.
“Yes? What is it?” I asked.
“Miss Camila, the Lady of the house requests that you join her in the living room right away,” the servant replied politely.
I simply nodded and made my way toward the living room, uneasy with worry.
Usually, whenever Mama suddenly gathered the whole family like this, it meant something important and serious was about to be discussed.
My instincts proved right.
The moment I stepped into the living room, I saw Adriana and Javier already seated side by side on the main sofa.
I clenched my own fingers tightly at the sight of Adriana acting so clingy, hanging on tightly to Javier’s arm in front of everyone.
“Camila, come sit here beside Mama,” Mama called out the moment she noticed me.
I nodded, forcing a faint smile onto my lips, and took my seat right beside her.
“Next month, your brother is getting married,” Mama announced without any preamble, the words striking straight through my chest.
My heart lurched.
I immediately shifted my gaze, staring straight at Javier.
He said very little.
He simply sat in silence, his strong jaw clenched tight, his hawk-like eyes as cold as ice.
“You’ll help prepare everything for their wedding, won’t you? Adriana herself asked for you to be involved,” Mama continued, looking at me with hopeful eyes.
“Me?” Naturally, I was startled by such a sudden request.
“Yes, Camila. Since you’re Javier’s little sister, I want you to help me choose the gown and the decorations. I want the two of us to grow closer, like true sisters. Isn’t that right, darling?” Adriana chimed in with a saccharine, put-on sweetness, gazing coquettishly at Javier.
But there were no words of defense from the man.
I clenched the hem of my dress so tightly the fabric wrinkled beneath my grip.
My mind screamed with questions.
Why was this wedding suddenly being rushed?
Hadn’t it been reported not long ago that Adriana was still tied up with a demanding modeling contract?
And most suspicious of all—why did I have to be involved?
Was this simply another one of Adriana’s cunning schemes to torment me up close?
The next day, Mama wouldn’t even let me go in to work.
From early morning, Adriana had already dragged me off to a luxury shopping mall, insisting that I accompany her the entire day.
And to make matters worse, both Javier and Mama approved of her one-sided demand without sparing a single thought for my feelings.
“Camila, carry all my shopping bags,” Adriana snapped curtly, pointing at several designer shopping bags she had just purchased.
And yet, standing right behind her, was her own personal assistant, doing absolutely nothing.
So why did it have to be me, turned into nothing more than a pack mule?
Seeing that I still hadn’t moved, a flash of anger sparked in the woman’s eyes.
“Why are you just standing there? And here—hurry up and clean this stain off my shoe!” she ordered again, thrusting the tip of her high heel toward me.
I remained silent, staring at her beautiful face, now stripped of its friendly mask and filled with pure, unrestrained cunning.
I never imagined Adriana would dare act this shamelessly behind Javier and Mama’s backs.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Don’t you get it? I already got permission from Javier and Aunt Isabella for you to accompany me throughout the wedding preparations. So your status now is nothing more than my servant, Camila! You have to do everything I say!” Adriana hissed with pointed emphasis, smiling triumphantly over my suffering.