He Chose Her Ten Times, I Left Once Chapter 03

He Chose Her Ten Times, I Left Once Chapter 03

The next day, at Sienna’s birthday gala, the walls were covered with photographs of her late mother, framing the three of them as a perfect, untainted family unit.

Sienna wore a monstrosity of tulle and diamonds and tucked her hand naturally through Elliot’s arm.

She looked, for all the world, like the true Sterling heiress and the future Mrs. Whitmore.

The moment I entered, whispers rose behind me.

“Ten years of being the runner-up. Was she ever really in the running, or just a placeholder?”

“In love? Please. Mr. Whitmore only proposed because he felt sorry for her. She’s the one who went on a smear campaign against Sienna yesterday.”

“Mr. Whitmore and Sienna are obviously the real match. Getting picked ten years in a row? That kind of luck doesn’t just happen.”

…

Elliot walked over and handed me a prepared statement.

“Go onstage and read it.”

[I attacked Sienna online yesterday out of jealousy because she was chosen. I maliciously called her the other woman. In truth, she is not the daughter of an affair…]

I stared at the page in disbelief.

Was he asking me to admit that my mother had been the mistress?

That I was the illegitimate one?

I laughed coldly, tore the statement into pieces, and threw them at him.

“Sienna’s mother was the other woman. And so is Sienna.”

A shudder of shock. swept through the room.

Sienna’s face stiffened. Then she gathered her skirt and sank to the floor in front of me as if she had been wronged beyond words.

“Avery, I know you’re still upset about the bride-selection ceremony, but you shouldn’t smear me and my mother like this.”

Her voice trembled.

“It was your mother’s madness that caused the crash that killed mine! You bullied me into silence! I stayed quiet all this time only because I wanted us to be family again…”

As she spoke, she “accidentally” revealed both of her arms.

They were covered in dark, frightening bruises.

The room erupted.

Elliot only glanced at them once before looking back at me, his eyes filled with disappointment.

“So you and your mother have been abusing Sienna and her mother all this time?”

“Your mother killed hers, and then the two of you kept hurting Sienna?”

I shook my head, my mind reeling and denied it at once. “My mother never did anything like that!”

The next second, my father backhanded me into silence.

“How did I raise a daughter like you? Sienna is family!”

The vitriol of the crowd surged, their faces blurring into a mask of righteous fury.

“So her mother was insane and killed someone?”

“Like mother, like daughter. No wonder she bullied Sienna. She’s probably crazy too.”

My legs gave out, and I fell hard to the floor.

Elliot’s expression darkened with embarrassment.

His pride had clearly taken a hit. He turned to Graham and ordered, “Send Vivian to a psychiatric facility. Consider it justice for Sienna.”

My father hesitated, but he did not stop him.

I scrambled up from the floor, shaking with disbelief.

“There is nothing wrong with my mother! Sienna is lying!”

“Enough!” Elliot’s voice rose sharply.

“Stop this pathetic display. Apologize to Sienna. Now.”

He pressed down on my shoulders without holding back, forcing me down in front of everyone.

Pain flared in my joints as if the bones had split open.

“Avery, are you okay?” Sienna fluttered to my side, her touch a mockery.

Then she leaned close to my ear.

“Elliot gave me control over your mother’s kidney donation paperwork. But donors can be so… fickle. Looks like Vivian will have to keep waiting.”

Her voice dropped lower, sweeter, crueler.

“Of course, accidents happen so easily in the psych ward. I wonder if she’ll last the week.”

The threat in her eyes expanded in front of me until it filled my entire world.

I could not hold back anymore.

Like a woman driven past sanity, I grabbed her hair and was about to demand the truth.

Then the medical alert smartwatch linked to my mother’s device began shrieking against my wrist.