Lilith’s POV
The crystal chandelier swayed gently overhead, refracting shattered light that felt like countless tiny knives stabbing my eyes. I stood in a corner of the White Tower salon, my fingertips ice-cold. My nails had long since dug into my palms, leaving a series of crescent-shaped red marks. But that small pain was nothing compared to the churning, burning sensation in my heart.
Zoe had her arm linked with Lila’s, the two of them walking side-by-side like a pair of sisters who had grown up together. Zoe was smiling as she spoke to Lila, her voice light and her eyes astonishingly bright. At every painting they passed, Zoe would stop to ask for her opinion. And if Lila lingered on a piece for even a mont longer, Zoe would turn to the manager and say, "This one. Wrap it up."
Every ti she said "Lila," it sounded so natural, so intimate.
And I, Lilith Thorne, was nothing more than a piece of the scenery in their eyes.
"Where do you live? Is it safe enough?" Zoe’s question felt like a slap across my face.
’Even though our family isn’t so prestigious dynasty, we’ve just barely squeezed into the middle class, living in a townhouse with a garden and able to afford a vacation to Europe once a year.’
’But Lila? She’s even more pathetic! She’s just an ill-oned outcast kicked out by the Thorne Family! A sniveling nobody without even a ho to her na!’
’And yet, Zoe was so good to her!’
"Lilith, why are you spacing out? Co on, let’s go check out that side." Zoe finally turned back to call for , her voice still laced with a smile.
I quickly forced a smile and hurried to catch up.
————
By the ti I got ho, the sky was already pitch-black. The living room lights were off. I stood in the darkness like a forgotten statue. Then, I exploded.
My handbag smashed onto the sofa, and a crystal vase shattered on impact. Shards of glass scattered across the floor, just like my shattered pride. I viciously threw my brand-new Hermès bag, too. It slamd against the wall, leaving an ugly mark.
"Bitch! Lila, you cursed woman!" I shrieked at the empty living room. "Stop pretending to be so pure! Stop acting so innocent! On what grounds? On what grounds do you deserve to be liked by Zoe? What do you have? You have nothing!"
"Lilith! Are you out of your mind?"
My mother’s voice ca from the top of the stairs. She was wearing that dark green silk nightgown, descending step by step with a grim expression. She surveyed the utter ss on the floor, her brow tightly furrowed, but I knew she understood better than anyone what I was so angry about.
"Mom!" I cried out as if grabbing a lifeline, my eyes instantly turning red. "It’s all Lila’s fault! Today at the White Tower club, in front of everyone, Zoe doted on her like she was so kind of treasure and even bought her several paintings! But she didn’t get a single one for !"
My mother listened quietly, not imdiately comforting as she usually would. Instead, she walked over to , picked up the dust-covered Hermès bag from the floor, gently brushed it off, and placed it back on the sofa.
She didn’t speak, rely sighing before pulling down to sit on the sofa and taking my hand.
"Lilith, listen to ." Her tone grew serious. "You need to be more proactive with Zoe. Ask her out for afternoon tea, invite her to exhibitions, make so handmade gifts for her. Make her feel that your feelings are genuine. You have to understand her better than Lila, be more thoughtful, and make it so she can’t be without you."
I bit my lip, the resentnt in my heart growing wild like weeds.
"But Zoe obviously likes Lila more..." I couldn’t help but retort.
"That’s only for now." My mother sneered, her eyes revealing a precise calculation of human nature. "People’s hearts change. Today, she might find Lila gentle and docile, but tomorrow, she’ll find her boring. You just have to keep working on winning her over. Given enough ti, Zoe will naturally realize who her true ’best friend’ is."
She turned and walked toward the kitchen, her back looking exceptionally composed under the warm yellow light. Her voice drifted over with the faint aroma of coffee. "How about this: next weekend, you invite Zoe over. We’ll throw a cozy little family party. She’s a child from a rich family, after all, and especially since she doesn’t have a mother, she’s bound to be envious of a harmonious and loving family atmosphere. Let her see what a real ho is."
I sat on the sofa, my fingertips unconsciously tracing the carved patterns on the armrest. My mother’s words were like a key, unlocking a tightly shut door in my heart.
’Yes, harmonious and loving.’
’A rich girl like Zoe, who grew up in the world of fa and fortune, surrounded by countless luxury goods—she doesn’t lack anything. So what is it she lacks? It’s that warm, bustling, everyday family life you only see in movies, the kind that slls of ho cooking. It’s a father awkwardly handing you a glass of warm water, a mother laughingly complaining that he’s stained the tablecloth, and the three of them squeezing onto the sofa after dinner to watch an old movie, bursting into laughter over a single joke.’
’Lila can’t give her any of that.’
’Lila is an orphan herself; she doesn’t even have a "ho." She will only make Zoe feel sad, weighed down, and aware of an unfillable emptiness.’
’But I can give Zoe all of that. As long as I’m willing to "act."’
’I’ll make her see that only with can she experience the warmth of being enveloped by a family, the security of being cherished by both parents. Lila, on the other hand, will only remind her of her lost mother and her lonely childhood.’
I took a deep breath, feeling the blood start to flow through my veins again, carrying with it an almost cruel excitent. ’This won’t just be a party. It’s a ticulously choreographed "family show," an imrsive performance designed specifically for Zoe to display my "perfect life." I’ll make her beco so imrsed in it that she can never pull herself away. And Lila will only make her feel desolate, like she’s an out-of-place misfit.’
"But... will Dad be ho this weekend...?"
"Of course!" Mom whipped her head around, her fierce gaze startling . "This family party is to help you get closer to Zoe. I will explain the stakes to him. He must be here with us."
"Fine," I shrugged. "I don’t really care if he’s here or not. I’m actually looking forward to seeing that little bitch Lila’s face when she cos over and realizes she’s a complete outsider, her eyes welling up with angry tears!"
"You must rember: do not let Lila show up at the house, and especially do not even ntion her in front of your father!" Mom suddenly said through gritted teeth.
"Why? Dad doesn’t even like Lila, so what does it matter if I tell him?"
"You’re too naive," Mom patiently lectured. "If Lila ca, would Zoe even have eyes for you anymore? Besides, your father... Hmph!"
She glanced around the house and lowered her voice. "Back then, your father wanted to bring Lila ho and raise her like his own daughter! If I hadn’t convinced him, told him about Lila’s unlucky aura, you wouldn’t be the only child in this house who can ask for money today!"
I gasped and shrieked, "How could that be?!"
’Bring Lila ho?’
’Raise her like his own daughter?’
’No! Absolutely not!’
"So, from now on, the first thing you need to do is control the information." Mom’s tone turned cold and hard. "You can’t let your father hear anything about Lila, and you can’t let him find out she’s connected to Zoe. Understand?"
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