Chapter 3

To protect Helena, Bowen had even sacrificed his own marriage, pretending to love me. He had gone as far as having a child with her. During dinner, Mom suddenly teared up as she stared at the dishes on the table, wiping her eyes. Bowen quickly put down his utensils and asked what was wrong while Dad gently patted her back and sighed. "She probably saw Lena's favorite dish and started thinking about her," Dad explained. "Even though Lena made mistakes, we raised her for over a decade. She didn't deserve to die..." I noticed them glancing at me, and a bitter feeling rose in my chest. I was baffled that Dad could say Helena did not deserve to die, and it sounded as if I deserved to be sacrificed instead. Bowen said, "Darling, it's been five years. Helena was only 20 back then. She might have just acted impulsively. We grew up together, and she's always been a bit extreme. She probably felt like you were trying to take everything from her." He hesitated before adding, "The anniversary of her passing is in five days. I know you don't want to go, but I'll take your parents to visit her grave, okay?" His eyes darted nervously as if bracing for me to lose my temper. "Sure, go ahead. She spent more time in this family than I did. It's natural you'd have feelings for her," I replied flatly. Bowen visibly relaxed, his tone softening even more. "Darling, I knew you'd understand. You've always been kind-hearted. You wouldn't hold a grudge against your late sister." Mom wiped her tears and added, "That's my girl. Blood really does run thicker than water." I buried my face in my food, letting my tears fall silently. So, they did remember I was their biological child. My stomach churned, and I excused myself, claiming I did not feel well. Bowen followed me to the room, bringing me stomach medicine and looking genuinely concerned. When I did not respond, he quietly brought warm water and gently wiped my face. For the ten years since I had been brought back to the family, his eyes had only ever been on me. Even when Helena confessed her feelings to him, he had coldly rejected her. But now, I finally understood. He did not love me—he just wanted to marry the future heir of Gardner Corporation. Love and marriage were two separate things. Late that night, after Bowen fell asleep, I got up and took his phone from the bedside table. The password was my birthday. I was the top-pinned contact on WhatsApp, and my parents were below that. Everything seemed normal until I checked his archived messages. That was when I discovered Bowen's secret—his chat with Helena. Helena: "Bowen, it's been five years. How much longer do I have to keep hiding?" Helena: "She doesn't even have evidence anymore, and she's a cripple now—what is there to be afraid of?" Helena: "Levi keeps crying for you. Do you really have the heart to keep him waiting?" Bowen reassured her. "I'm already discussing things with your parents. Just be patient." It turned out they had brought Helena back to the country days ago, changed her name, and even registered a real estate company under her. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was set for five days later—the same day as her supposed death anniversary. My hands trembled as I opened his social media app. I quickly found her account, and the photos made my heart grow colder with each scroll. For the past five years, Helena had been living lavishly abroad. She wore luxury brands from Gardner Corporation's lines and lived in a villa owned by the company overseas. Every time Bowen claimed he was traveling for work, he was actually flying out to be with her. Even my own parents were in the photos, smiling brightly. In that moment, I realized they were the real family. I fought back the tears stinging my eyes, took photos of the evidence, and exited the apps.