Chapter 5

The artwork burned my eyes, making them sting with unshed tears. Their family had never included me. I returned home in a daze, lying on my bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. I had no idea how much time had passed when our butler, Allen Gott, announced their return. The bedroom door opened softly, and Bowen walked in. He bent down and hugged me. He said, "Darling, I'm sorry. I've been so busy with work lately and haven't had time to spend with you. Your birthday is in two days. I've talked to your parents, and we're planning something special for you." I stayed silent, refusing to respond. He kissed my forehead, tucked me in, and left. Suddenly, I remembered that five years ago, my parents had announced my engagement to Bowen on my birthday. That had been the trigger for Helena to crash her car into me, leaving me disabled. In the five years since I had been brought back to the family, I had always felt out of place, unable to act as naturally as Helena did around our parents. Helena had always been the star at our birthday parties, greeting people I didn't even know. She had once said, "Only I deserve this kind of celebration. You're raised in an orphanage, and you don't belong here!" She loved stealing the spotlight, and I knew this time would be no different. ... I knew Helena too well, so I was not surprised when I saw her at the birthday party. She had shown up dressed as a server, wearing a mask. The family's reactions were priceless—a mix of shock and panic. Dad scolded in a low voice, "What are you doing here? This is reckless! If she finds out, all our efforts over the years will be wasted!" Mom, however, tried to defend her. "Lena hasn't been home in so long. She just misses us. Why are you being so harsh? She's disguised anyway. Mae won't recognize her." She pouted and said, "Honey, today is my birthday too. I want to cut the cake later." "Fine. Since Maisie's in a wheelchair and it's inconvenient for her, you can do it," Bowen replied, seemingly swayed by her act. And just like that, Helena cut into the towering birthday cake that was supposed to be mine alone. She even split the chocolate figurine of me in half, a cruel smirk on her face. Then, with a sudden push, she toppled the cake toward me. Everyone was startled by the loud crash and turned to look. The metal stand inside the cake nearly hit my face. Bowen rushed to my side, pretending to be concerned as he asked, "Darling, are you okay?" Then, he turned to Helena and scolded her half-heartedly, "You're so clumsy! You can't even cut a cake properly. Get out of here!" I suppressed a bitter laugh. He had clearly seen Helena do it on purpose, yet he played the part so well. What a perfect son-in-law my parents had chosen—so quick-witted and clever. My parents sighed in relief before turning away to get the staff to clean up the mess. With the party still in full swing, Bowen got pulled aside by the endless stream of guests. Since I wanted some fresh air, I headed outside. As I wheeled myself toward the garden, I felt someone push my wheelchair from behind—it was Helena. She said smugly, "Maisie, long time no see. Did you notice that when they sang 'Happy Birthday' just now? After all these years, they still love me more than they love you." She continued, "You should've just stayed in the orphanage. Why did you have to come back and try to take everything from me? Now look at you—a cripple, and even your husband is mine. If I were you, I'd be so ashamed I'd want to die!" I looked up at her and replied calmly, "The one who should be ashamed is you. The man you loved was supposed to marry me, and you resorted to such extreme measures to stop it because you couldn't accept it. "You were almost thrown in prison for it. Now, you have to live under a fake name, hiding like a coward, and even here, you have to disguise yourself. Isn't that embarrassing?"