Chapter 1 Chapter 1

Steven Lambert claimed my mother almost killed his wife and daughter, branding me as a sinner from birth. For twenty years, he and his family tormented me in the name of atonement. I was forced into a cruel marriage with the vile Caleb Carpenter in Cindy's place, only to suffer a tragic end. Only then did the Lamberts realize I was their daughter. Yet all this time, the very existence they believed to be a sinner enjoyed their bottomless affection and adoration. - With every vicious punch Caleb threw at me, my vision grew blurry. Eventually, my body grew numb. Apart from his twisted expression, the only other thing I could see was the electronic clock on the table not far away. A round yellow electronic mouse held up the rectangular display. 'March 27, 2024, 19:37.' That day turned out to be my twenty-first birthday. 'Oh, Rachel… It's the perfect ending.' Unable to help myself, I let out a sarcastic laugh. A strange lightness enveloped my body, such that I felt as I was floating in the air. By the time I came back to my senses, I was already standing in the center of the living room. I could see Caleb still raining down punches upon me like a madman, devoid of rationale. That wasn't all—I could also see my corpse underneath him, blood spattering all over my face. Caleb didn't seem to notice that I was already dead. It was quite strange to watch myself getting beaten up from a third point of view. Oddly enough, I didn't feel an ounce of anger or sadness. Perhaps, ever since I agreed to marry Caleb in Cindy's place, I had been waiting for this day. Speaking of, Cindy and I shared the same birthday. By now, the entire family had probably gathered together to celebrate her turning a year older. With that thought in mind, my vision suddenly turned blurry once more as I floated around in the living room. When I could see again, I found myself in a crowded and brightly lit living room. The crowd stood around a large, three-layered cake covered in buttercream. Cindy, who stood directly in front of the cake, was at the center of attention. She looked stunning. Her face was beautiful: round, bright eyes, small lips, and a prominent nose. Her light yellow dress made her look like a noble, dignified princess. One could hardly tell she was born a sickly baby in her early years. The rest of the Lamberts—Steven, Sophia, and Mark—surrounded her in the center, just as I thought they would. Everything seemed to be in perfect harmony. Steven, standing at Cindy's side, took a document from the butler and handed it to her solemnly. Then, he turned to the guests and some of the specially invited journalists for a grand announcement. "Effectively immediately," he said, "my daughter Cindy will receive ten percent of Lambert Group's shares." An uproar followed his words. Although Lambert Group was not as big as Carpenter Group, which had been growing rapidly over the years, it was still one of the pioneering companies in Arkam City. Steven's declaration was equivalent to announcing Cindy's right of inheritance. Amidst thunderous applause and flashing cameras, Steven whispered to Cindy, "Happy birthday, Cindy. Go ahead and make a wish." It was expected that tomorrow's news headlines would either be 'The Lamberts throw a grand birthday party for their daughter' or 'Shocking! This was his birthday gift to his daughter!' As I watched it all happen, I found everything absurd. 'Hahaha! This is ridiculous.' While I was being beaten to death, Cindy was on her way to the top.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Sophia watched as Cindy blew the candles and closed her eyes to make a wish. She couldn't help but turn to look at my father, Steven, as she wiped her tears away. Steven quickly hugged Sophia. "Sophia, what's the matter?" Sophia shook her head. "It's nothing. I just suddenly recalled how tiny Cindy looked when she was born. In the blink of an eye, she's grown to be healthy and so beautiful." Steven chuckled in relief. "Oh, you…" However, he was interrupted before he could say anything further. "Look at that! Dad and Mom are whispering." Cindy's crisp, clear voice was heard. Although she interrupted their conversation, nobody was upset with her. Mark moved closer. "That's right. Cindy's cutting her cake right now. Dad, Mom, you'll have all the time in the world to show your affection to each other." Steven pointed helplessly at his children. Suddenly, Cindy looked down and murmured, "I wonder how Rachel is doing. It's her birthday, too." When Steven heard this, he frowned. "Why did you bring her up?""She's my sister. If it hadn't been for me, she wouldn't have had to…" Cindy frowned in an uneasy manner. "That's enough." Steven waved his hand. "Rachel was destined to end up that way. Consider it her way of atoning her evil mother's sins." When I heard that, I got so furious that I laughed. This place had always made me uncomfortable, and I wanted nothing but to leave. Despite that, there was an unknown force binding me to the Lamberts. What was going on? I couldn't escape while I was alive, and now that I had died, I was still being forced to listen to their horrible comments about me. Did I have to watch while they lived a happy life? Soon enough, I stopped struggling. After all these years, I had gotten used to all this. Growing up, the Lamberts had said such things countless times. Because of my biological mother, I was branded a sinner from birth. Although I was also Steven's biological daughter, he and everyone in the Lamberts family perceived me as a sinner. I was a constant reminder of Steven's mistake. My name was Rachel Lambert. I was an unwanted child. I was Steven's illegitimate daughter. To be more specific, I was a stain in his otherwise picture-perfect life. In his youth, Steven was handsome and dashing. To add, he was wealthy and generous. As the head of the Lamberts, he was surrounded by all sorts of women. My mother, Lucy Smith, was one of them. Her family did everything they could to raise her well. She came from a wealthy family, and she was incredibly smart. Unfortunately, she lost her senses after meeting Steven. Having fallen head over heels in love with him, she did everything to make him hers—despite knowing how he already had feelings for Sophia, who later became his wife. Seeing how Steven would soon marry Sophia because she was pregnant, Lucy drugged him and slept with him. Towards the later stage of Sophia's pregnancy, Lucy plotted a mess in Steven's company. While Steven rushed to fix it, she showed up at their house with her visibly protruding belly. It irritated Sophia so much that she gave birth prematurely to the frail and sickly Cindy. By the time Steven heard about the news and rushed to the hospital, he only saw the weakened Sophia. She held onto an incubator with Cindy inside, pale and wan. Meanwhile, I was wrapped up in a blanket and left in the ward on my own. Lucy disappeared. Nobody knew where she had gone. Steven was forced to raise me as part of the family. However, that was all he did. My existence was a constant reminder that he was tricked by a woman he looked down upon, one that nearly took the lives of his wife and his daughter.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Sophia was a kind person. However, I was the daughter of an enemy who almost got her and her daughter killed. She could only do her best not to shift her anger towards me. On top of that, her daughter, Cindy, had been in poor health since she was born, requiring her to put in even more effort to look after Cindy. Sophia was naturally too occupied to pay attention to me. Back then, there was a big fuss over this. Nearly everyone in our social circle knew where I came from. Naturally, the Lamberts' maids were no exception. They could see that my parents didn't treat me well. Although they wouldn't do anything obvious to a kid like me, they gossiped about me behind my back. Once I was old enough to understand, some of them began to bring up my sinful origin. "She's a sinner's daughter!""A nasty child.""Her mother was evil. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!" I could hardly count how many times I had heard such things. I didn't understand why I had to be blamed for my mother's wrongdoings. "Cindy, stop worrying about Rachel. She's probably happy about being married to Caleb," Mark said, his voice instantly pulling me back to reality. "Mark!" Sophia said sternly. "Even if you haven't realized your mistake, you shouldn't say something like that as a joke." Mark seemed a little sorry, but he quickly stuck his chest out again. "I didn't say anything wrong! If I hadn't lost the bet with Caleb, Rachel wouldn't have married into the Carpenters with her status.""Stop talking back!" Sophia placed her hands over her chest. "I've spoiled you too much over the years. You had the audacity to place a bet over your sister's marriage! Have you thought about what Cindy would have to do if Rachel refused?""Mom, don't get mad. Mark was only kidding," Cindy said. With that, she quickly rushed to hold Sophia. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have brought this up," Cindy added softly. Cindy had always been good at this. As long as she showed a hint of unhappiness, everyone around her would drop what they were doing to console her. As expected, after hearing what Cindy said, Sophia stopped being angry and quickly rushed to console Cindy. Steven placed one hand on Cindy's shoulder, then glared at his misbehaving son. Mark, worried Sophia might actually get angry and wary that Cindy might take the blame, quickly admitted his mistake. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have said those things. It has nothing to do with Cindy. I was wrong. I won't do it again." Although Mark said this, he still muttered something after turning around. "I only made the bet because I knew Rachel was around. How could I possibly place a bet over Cindy's marriage?" My hearing had always been good. Obviously, I heard what he said very clearly. Although I had long known the origin of the marriage arrangement between the Carpenters and the Lamberts, I couldn't suppress the anger in my heart after hearing Mark's unremorseful words. 'Mark Lambert!' Mark was born when Cindy was four. Before he was born, I craved familial affection, but never received any. Steven loathed me. When Sophia was pregnant again, she treated me kindly for once. It could have been due to progesterone interference. Cindy, having observed this, would also initiate contact with me. However, it seemed we couldn't get along naturally. Whenever she was with me, she would somehow bump into something or fall flat on her face. Cindy was physically weak, so the slightest bump would result in the most obvious bruises. Sophia frequently cried whenever she saw Cindy getting bruised. However, there was no proof that Cindy was injured because of me. Hence, Sophia could only tell Cindy to be more careful while she went about her day.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Steven hardly doubted as much. The moment he saw Cindy was hurt, he decided I was the one who hurt her. "You're just as evil as your mother!" As a result, I was moved to the small room closest to the maids' room. I was also ordered to follow the maids around daily. It was a fancy way of saying they would teach me to have better manners on behalf of my mother. I was powerless to resist. Fortunately, I was alert and clever. I was used to reading the room. Those who initially gossiped about me soon changed their attitude towards me. A few of the maids saw how hard I worked at such a young age, and began to sympathize with me. They secretly criticized my family for being inhumane. However, they only dared to take care of me in secret. That was the happiest time of my childhood. It was around then that Mark was born. He had a round face and dark eyes, his hands were soft and tender, and he was very healthy. Whenever he saw me, he would reach out to grab me with his fleshy fingers. His plump face looked ugly yet adorable whenever it scrunched into a smile. With Steven's busy schedule, Sophia's main focus was still on Cindy as she recuperated herself. Mark was left in Maggie's care most of the time. Maggie liked me, and always said her grandson was about my age. I ought to have addressed her as Grandma Maggie. I liked Maggie, too. I knew she never said anything bad about me. Not only that, but she also took it upon herself to stop people from getting angry at me because of my mother. She always said that I was innocent, and that what happened in the previous generation should not be blamed on a child. Mark was a little crybaby. He was a hard one to coax. However, he would miraculously calm down once he held my fingers. Perhaps it was because we both shared blood from Steven. We were connected by blood. He was family. Reality worked in miraculous ways. Mark made me feel a kinship I had never felt before, even if he was only a child who could barely speak. However, reality was also terribly cruel. It soon took away all the warmth I felt on the inside. Steven realized I was getting close to Mark. The moment he saw me in Mark's room, he would drag me out by the arm despite Mark's cries. There was a perpetual somberness and disgust in his eyes when he looked at me. It took only a moment for him to realize my life hadn't been as bad as he thought. I had never seen him this livid. "At such a young age, you already know how to forge an alliance. You cajoled Maggie into letting you get close to Mark! You're just as scheming as your mother!" I wanted to deny it by saying I simply liked Mark. Yet fear was like a hand that strangled me by the neck, making it impossible to even say a word. All I could do was tremble and shake my head. I watched as Steven ordered Maggie to pack her bags. He then kicked her out of the house in front of the other maids. "No, please don't kick Maggie out!" I cried. I dove in front of Maggie and grabbed her bags, tears falling down my cheeks. If word got out that Maggie had been kicked out by the Lamberts, she wouldn't be able to stay in the business. The next moment, I looked into Steven's eyes that were full of disgust. It felt as if someone had poured cold water over my head. I instantly realized… Steven was making an example of Maggie. He was telling everyone present that whoever was nice to me would become her next. As a result, I was left alone once again. Just then, the butler's arrival broke up the merry scene in the living room. He quickly approached Steven from behind. "Sir, the Carpenters sent news that Rachel was met with a car accident on her way to the birthday party. She's been taken to the hospital. It could be serious." Steven's facial expression turned gloomy, and his lips moved. "Bad luck," he uttered almost inaudibly.