Bell Family
After returning home, Mina Bell consoled her parents, "Dad, Mom, don't be angry with sister, everything is my fault. If I had controlled my emotions, none of this would have happened today."
"This has nothing to do with you," Kevin suppressed his anger.
Vivi Lange patted her daughter's shoulder, "Okay, go and rest in your room."
Mina told her parents not to be too angry, but inside, she was thrilled.
As the bedroom door closed, she laughed aloud.
No wonder the servants disliked her; she couldn't even seize opportunities handed to her. That Zoe Bell...
Really was useless!
——
Zoe Bell was summoned to the study by Kevin, greeted with a barrage of accusations!
"Zoe Bell, what do you want? So many people were there, ignoring the reputation of both families. Never mind that, you dared to hit someone? It's outrageous!"
"You said you wanted me to break off the engagement, and I've done as you wished," Zoe replied coolly.
"Are you daring to talk back?" Kevin sneered. "Relying on someone to support you? Or thinking the Stone Family wants you, so I won't do anything?"
"You said Mina likes him, let her marry then."
"You..."
Kevin's head was buzzing.
He thought Zoe was doing this deliberately, knowing the current situation, the Stone Family wouldn't want Mina, yet she said something so sarcastic to provoke him.
"Ungrateful wretch!"
"Zoe Bell, don't think just because William Hale said a few words for you, you can do whatever you want."
"The Stone Family, whether you want to marry or not, you must marry!"
Zoe faced his fury with a calm expression, "I said, I'm not marrying."
"You brat, did you eat bear heart and leopard guts today, daring to speak to me like that?" Zoe had a bit of pride, sometimes arguing back, but never as confrontational as today.
"Zoe, what's wrong with you?" Vivi, standing to the side, also felt something was off with Zoe.
Usually...
She was easy to handle!
Zoe clenched her teeth, striving to control her emotions. After taking several deep breaths, she tried to steady her trembling voice:
"Back then, my leg, it could have been healed, right?"
The couple didn't expect her to suddenly bring up this topic and were stunned.
"Brandon Stone said you masterminded everything, why on earth? All these years, whatever you asked me to do, I've done; wasn't I obedient enough?"
Zoe's eyes were red as she angrily questioned them!
"Ruining my life, destroying everything I have, is that what you wanted?"
Kevin suddenly picked up an agate incense burner beside him and threw it at her.
It didn't hit her but shattered against the hallway wall behind her, shards scattering.
The incense inside scattered on the floor, the scent of sandalwood spreading.
"You brat, it's not your place to question what we do!"
Vivi was so frightened she screamed, afraid her husband would do something even more extreme, hurriedly blocking him, but not out of concern for Zoe, rather saying, "Mina went to her room to rest; she hasn't been sleeping well lately. Don't disturb her."
Zoe looked at the incense burner, sneering.
That smile, scornful yet fearless.
Kevin trembled with anger, she actually dared to mock him?
"Get out!"
"Eating my food, wearing my clothes, using my things; I spent money for you to learn ballet, and you really believe you're some white swan? I want to know what's left for you once you leave this home!"
"Without me, would you have what you have today? Ruined your life? If it weren't for you, our Bell Family wouldn't have..."
"Kevin!" Vivi stopped him from saying more.
Kevin changed his tone, sneering coldly:
"Your life, it was given by me!"
"I can take it back whenever I want!"
"It's just a sacrifice of a leg, not like you're crippled or unable to walk."
Zoe clenched her fists tightly, staring at Kevin, unafraid and undaunted, "In your eyes, it's just... a leg?"
"Are you questioning me?"
Kevin felt his authority as the patriarch was being challenged!
"I shouldn't have adopted you; someone like William Hale thinks you're pitiful and helped you a bit, and you really think you're something, daring to talk back to me?"
"What do you think your status is, get out of the Bell Family!"
"Kevin," Vivi tried to stop him, "it's so late, it's raining outside, what are you saying?"
"Let her leave!"
Kevin had the final say at home.
And Zoe knew long ago that once things were torn apart, there was no staying in this home.
This...
Place never really belonged to her!
Before leaving, Kevin instructed the servants to check her luggage.
"Anything that's ours, don't let her take!"
"Dad, Mom, what's going on?"
Mina hadn't slept at all, hearing the commotion, she stepped out of the bedroom to see parents and servants gathering at Zoe's bedroom door. Seeing various clothes scattered on the floor, she naturally understood what had happened.
"Mina, this has nothing to do with you. Don't interfere," Kevin sneered.
"Search her room thoroughly, see if anything's missing!"
Zoe was not favored, her bedroom was simple. The jewelry she wore to events would be taken back by Vivi afterward. Her jewelry box only contained some cheap accessories, the cupboards contained books and some sealed bottles and jars.
Mina heard she liked to make her own scents at home during her free time.
When she first rejoined the Bell Family, Zoe had given her an incense card; it smelled nice, but Vivi had secretly thrown it away.
Kevin glanced at the things in several bottles, sneering, "Really worthless, just picking up trash, throw them all out!"
Trash?
Zoe's hands clenched tightly.
Thinking of the sandalwood she personally crafted, the incense burner she chose, broken by him at a whim.
Now, the collection of scents she kept were thrown outside, the sound of glass breaking swallowed by the rain.
Her belongings were all tossed to the ground by servants, even her personal clothing, trampled like trash.
Just like her, in this home, she could be discarded at any moment.
"It's so late, let's get sister to bed quickly. Besides… I never really wanted to marry Brandon Stone that much. The person engaged to him was originally sister, not me."
Mina said this, but her expression looked as if she was about to cry.
Even a fool could see she liked Brandon Stone.
In her previous social circles, she wouldn't have encountered someone so wealthy, handsome, and considerate, how could she not be moved?
Besides...
This was originally supposed to be hers!
A foster child like Zoe Bell had the privilege of marrying into the Stone Family, why couldn't she?
Kevin's expression was cold: "Originally hers? What does she have?"
"It was me who gave her everything, who gave her the guts to shout and scream at me."
"All of it was given by me; she originally had nothing!"
It's the truth,
But very hurtful!
Under the urging of two servants, Zoe finally stepped out of the Bell family mansion.
"Dad, it's raining hard outside..."
Mina stood by the window, watching her figure gradually swallowed by the rain.
"I want her to know who gave her everything she has now. If I hadn't brought her out from the orphanage back then, would she have today? Without giving her a lesson, she'll only walk over you in the future."
Kevin watched Zoe in the rain, without a hint of pity.
Vivi caressed her daughter, "Come, Mom will take you to bed."
In the end, besides the clothes on her back and her ID documents, Kevin didn't allow Zoe Bell to take anything.
Except...
For William Hale's coat!
It became her sole luggage.