The Stolen Life

Countless scornful looks fell upon me, and my body stiffened. The words I had strung together were lodged fast in my throat.

All I wanted was to retrieve my belongings. All I wanted was to say goodbye.

"What are you doing here?"

Before I had time to recover, Ivor emerged from the villa holding a stuffed toy.

It was our token of love from when we were 18. On the day of our engagement, it went missing. I thought it was gone forever.

"Ives."

A glimmer of hope surged in my heart as I reached out my hand. But in the next moment, the stuffed toy flew from his hand, drawing a beautiful arc in the air before landing precisely in the trash bin.

"Can I help?"

Ivor's face was stern. Hastily, I withdrew my outstretched hand, feeling hard to breathe.

When we were 18, he had said, "Even if I lost my life, I'd never lose this toy."

Now, he was throwing it away with his own hands. Did that mean his life no longer included me?

"Eleanor, we've already discussed this. The person I got engaged to was the real Ms. Shaw. You merely took her place in life. Did you think I was marrying you? Do I need to spell it out? The person I'm marrying is her. Don't you get it? How do you still have the nerve to come here and cause trouble?"

His deep voice seemed to confirm my worst fears. His words tore through me; it was as though the man who once promised to love me forever had never existed.

"I've only come to collect my belongings," I murmured, forcing down the lump in my throat.

It was then that a chorus of sneers escaped the Shaw residence. "Have you finally made up your mind to come back? You threw a tantrum just because of a little something we said. Eleanor, what right do you have to be upset? Over the years, it was Rhianne who bore all the hardships for you."

Jeffrey stormed out of the villa, his anger palpable. I immediately lowered my head. "I'm sorry," I squeaked.

I truly felt sorry. I hadn't orchestrated the baby-switching incident, but I did reap the benefits.

Rhianne appeared last and immediately spoke up. "That's okay, as long as you're back. I've been so worried these past few days! It's Ives and Jeff's fault; I even told them to look for you."

Over the past few days, she had been scrambling to learn how to play the role of a proper heiress.

Anyhow, years of malnutrition had left her looking out of place.

That burden should have been mine to bear.

"It was my own fault. They were right not to look for me."

Out of guilt, I lowered my head even more.

Rhianne grabbed my arm, flustered. She began to explain, "El, don't listen to them. This will always be your home. I'm the one who disrupted your life."

Tears started streaming down her face, leaving me momentarily stunned.

Without warning, Ivor shoved me aside. "How many times do I have to tell you? Your presence only reminds Rhianne of painful memories. Did we not give you enough money? Can't you just stay away forever?"

There was once a time when he worried about me like this.

There was once a time when he disliked Rhianne just as much.

Back then, I was the cherished daughter of the Shaw family. On the other hand, Rhianne was merely Ivor's intern assistant.

Jeffrey hated her, fearing her proximity to Ivor would damage our relationship.

Meanwhile, Ivor thought she was incompetent and clumsy.

When did things start to change? Perhaps it was the day Ivor first teased her lightheartedly after she made a mistake.

Later, to improve relations between Rhianne and Jeffrey, Ivor often brought her to Shaw family dinners. Ultimately, Jeffrey was completely won over by her kindness.

These were only minor things, ones I never noticed. I had never targeted Rhianne, for I thought I was their treasure. I thought no one could overshadow me.

But then came the engagement, and I fell from grace. In contrast, she rose to take my place as the esteemed Ms. Shaw.

Fate certainly had a cruel sense of humor.

Just then, Jeffrey spoke. "Eleanor, unlike Ivor, I'm not that heartless. I only have one request—you can come back, but don't you dare bully Rhianne. Do you copy?"