Alicia instinctively nced toward the door. The car was still there, but she couldn’t see inside the car or tell if Charles had seen what happened. ‘Why hasn’t he gotten out? How else can I show him the brooch? Should I go over there myself?’


    Thinking this, she struggled to her feet. She also saw Adam had thoughtfully brought her backpack and ced it beside her. So she picked it up and turned to leave.


    Noticing Alicia was about to leave, Henry frowned, stepped forward, and blocked her way. “Where do you think you’re going?”


    “Leaving,” Alicia replied, her voice cold and distant, her gaze fixed somewhere beyond Henry. She showed no intention to exin or stay.


    “Leaving? You pushed Tiffany into the water. She’s freezing, and you won’t even stay to take care of her? Is that how a sister should act?” Henry’s voice was sharp with anger.


    Hearing his usation, Archie, Andrew, and Aaron all turned to re at Alicia, their faces full of agreement.


    Alicia was stunned. ‘Did I hear that right? Has Henry lost his mind? Tiffany pushed me in, but no one cares about me. And now I’m supposed to stay and take care of her?’


    Then she realized she should not be surprised at all. In her past life, her so-called boyfriend had always taken Tiffany’s side without question. She had argued with him about it, but he said Tiffany once saved his life. He even asked Alicia to help Tiffany more, so she could repay that debt for him.


    Every time she and Tiffany had a conflict, all Tiffany had to do was cry and act like the victim in front of Henry. Then he would immediately me Alicia for being ungrateful.


    He even used to say, “If Tiffany hadn’t saved me back then, you wouldn’t have such a good boyfriend like me now.” So Alicia ended up having to repay the debt he owed Tiffany.


    Alicia could never forget the most painful memory. In her past life, after the Lawrence family had locked her up, she managed to escape once. With nowhere else to turn, she ran to Henry, sure that he would help her. Instead, he called her vicious and handed her straight back to them.


    To this day, Alicia still remembered his words clearly. “Alicia, how can I have such a cruel girlfriend? Are you trying to ruin Tiffany? She’s an inte famous artist now. If you stop painting for her, what is she supposed to do? She’ll be torn apart online and face terrible cyberbullying. She’s your sister. How could you do that to her?”


    Hearing those words at the time, her heart felt as if it had been torn apart. She broke up with him and tried to leave, but he had his people stop her. In the end, he dragged her back to the Lawrence family himself.


    As the memories rushed back, Alicia lost all patience for being polite to Henry. She said coldly, “Tiffany and I both fell in the water, but all that water must have flooded your stupid brain, Henry.”


    It was the first time anyone had ever called Henry stupid. His face darkened. “You were jealous of Tiffany, so pushed her into the water. And now she might catch a cold. Don’t you think you should stay and look after her?”


    “Did you actually see me push her? And what is there to be jealous of? Her ugly face? Herck of talent?” Alicia shot back mockingly.


    Tiffany’s face twisted in anger at Alicia’s words. ‘Fine. The more angrily Alicia acts, the more Mom, Dad, my brothers, and even Henry will take my side. People always pity the weak one. And Alicia is too stupid to y the victim.


    She gently wiped the water from her face with a pitiful expression, her voice soft, “Alicia, I know you’re upset with me, but


    please don’t take it out on Henry. He just feels sorry for me.” Wrapped in Maria’s shawl and leaning into Aaron, she looked fragile and heartbreakingly vulnerable.


    Hearing Tiffany defend him even now, Henry looked at her with tenderness, and then turned sharply to Alicia. “You could learn a thing or two from Tiffany.”


    Alicia had had enough. She raised her hand and pped Henry across the face. “Learn from her? You want me to learn how to be a two-faced hypocrite? Get out of my way. Go be with your little faker. We’re done.” Henry never saw iting. The p left him stunned.


    Tiffany was startled by Alicia’s outburst, but secretly pleased. “This will only make Henry hate her even more. She probably doesn’t even realize who he is. Henry is from the Yates family, and he is Charles’s nephew.


    A sly gleam flickered in Tiffany’s eyes as she rushed to defend Henry. “Alicia, how could you hit him? If you’re mad at me, hit me instead. Don’t take it out on Henry.” Alicia ignored Tiffany and walked straight toward the door.


    Henry finally snapped out of it. He touched his stinging cheek, his jaw tight with anger. “Alicia, have you lost your mind? How dare you hit me? Listen. If you don’t stay and take care of Tiffany today, I will never forgive you.”


    Alicia sneered inwardly. ‘What a self-centered jerk.’ Without looking back, she reached the main gate and pushed open the wrought iron door.


    Adam came out with a nket just in time to see Alicia leaving. He grabbed an umbre, rushed after her, and wrapped the nket around her shoulders. <fn3b9c> ???s ??????? ?s ?????? ?? find~novel</fn3b9c>


    “What are you doing out here? You’re still soaked. Come back inside with me. You need to change and have some ginger tea, or you’ll catch a cold,” Adam said.


    Alicia looked quietly at Adam, digging through her memories of him from her past life. Back then, he rarely came home, but whenever he did, he always brought her a gift. Later, after Tiffany started pretending to be bullied every time he visited, the gifts slowly stopped.


    Alicia thought to herself, “Today is Adam’s first time back since Tiffany returned. She probably didn’t have time to put on her act before I left. That’s why he doesn’t hate me like the rest. We did grow up together. But so what? In the end, he still hurt me in my past life’


    “Go take care of your real sister,” Alicia said coldly. “I don’t need your concern. Keep your nket and your umbre. I don’t want anything from the Lawrence family.”


    When Adam saw her push the umbre and nket away, he said, “Alicia, I know you’re upset that Mom and Dad made you paint for Tiffany. They were wrong to do that. I’ll talk to them.”


    “There’s no need,” Alicia said, looking at him. “And you won’t change their minds anyway.” If it were that easy to persuade them, she wouldn’t have suffered so much in her past life. Besides, she was sure Adam would soon be swayed by his parents, his brothers, and Tiffany.


    At her words, Adam nced back. He saw his parents and brothers all crowded around Tiffany, fussing over her with worry.


    Then he looked at Alicia, who was also soaking wet but alone. A pang of guilt hit him. He knew convincing his parents to stop making Alicia paint for Tiffany would not be easy.


    “If you’re set on leaving, I won’t stop you. But take these and this card. He pressed the umbre and nket into Alicia’s arms, then took a bank card from his pocket and held it out to her.


    “There’s some money on it. Use this for now. I’ll send more each month. Don’t worry. I won’t let you suffer” As he spoke, he reached up to brush the wet hair from Alicia’s face.