My Cousin Could See Through Every Lie We Told Chapter 06

My Cousin Could See Through Every Lie We Told Chapter 06

My father’s hand was still shaking. 

He and my mother glared at me with pure, unadulterated hatred. 

The joy of their “vacation” vanished, replaced by the crushing weight of their disappointment. 

“Emma, seriously? You’re too old to be falling for something this obvious.” 

“How long are you going to keep being so naive?” 

Tessa hovered behind them, playing the perfect peacemaker. 

“Aunt Laura, Uncle Richard, don’t be too hard on Emma. She 

was just worried about you, that’s why she made such an impulsive choice.” 

“It’s my fault, too. If I’d tried harder to talk her out of it, she 

wouldn’t have sold the company or taken out those predatory 

loans.” 

My parents‘ faces softened instantly, their eyes filled with pity 

as they looked at Tessa. 

They patted her hand gently. 

“It’s not your fault, Tessa. You know how stubborn Emma is.” 

“Once her mind is set, she’s stubborn as a mule.” 

My mother panted, her eyes spitting fire at me. 

“We told you Bryce Sterling was bad news, but you wouldn’t listen. Look at what happened! If not for Tessa, you would’ve 

ended up in that isolated compound!” 

“And you didn’t even believe Tessa when she tried to warn you!” 

“She has the gift! She sees the truth, and you, with that brain of yours, still doubted her. Look at the mess you’ve made!” 

Their shouting echoed through the empty living room. 

They were all united against me, making it clear who the real 

outsider was. 

Thinking back to my earlier suspicion, I let out a jagged, 

hollow laugh. 

“You’ve been wanting to get rid of me for a long time, haven’t you?” 

“Since you love Tessa so much, why don’t you just adopt her and be done with it!” 

Just like in my previous life–adopt her, kick me out. Wasn’t that exactly what Tessa Thompson wanted? 

Their faces went blank with shock, then they looked down, 

acting like I’d just broken their hearts. 

“Emma, do you have any idea what you’re saying?” 

I tilted my head, wondering who they were performing for. 

Hadn’t they treated Tessa like their own flesh and blood for years? 

Aside from not legally changing her last name, what was the 

difference? 

Tessa lived in the brightest, largest room in the house. 

Every time they went to a high–end dinner, they only took 

Tessa. Her talent made them look good in front of their social 

circle. 

I stayed with Bryce because I thought his “Sterling heir” status would help the family business. 

I killed myself trying to climb the corporate ladder at Apex 

Global just to earn their approval. 

I risked everything to save them from a kidnapping that 

wasn’t even real, and all I got was abuse. 

The only times they’d ever praised me were in my past life. 

Back then, I’d listened to Tessa, dumped Bryce, and skipped 

the job interview. 

They’d looked at me with pride. 

“You did well this time. Your sister is capable. From now on, just listen to her.” 

I laughed at the absurdity of it. 

“I said, if you love Tessa so much, why don’t you just adopt her!” 

My father pointed at me, his finger trembling violently. My mother looked like she was about to have a stroke. 

I took a deep breath and started walking toward the door. 

My father’s roar followed me out. 

“If you walk out that door, don’t you ever come back!” 

As I pulled the door shut, I glanced back one last time. 

I caught it, just for a millisecond. The smug, victorious gleam in Tessa’s eyes.