Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything
Barnett never saw that Bertha’s elegance came from a life of privilege and wealth. Aurora had nothing–not love, not money -yet they still blamed her for lacking their precious grace and poise.
Even now, she couldn’t fathom why they’d brought her back. Her role in the Elvador family seemed clear enough: a dark backdrop to make Bertha, their cherished adopted daughter, shine even brighter.
People say love triangles have a third wheel. Families, Aurora had learned, were no different.
Years ago, she would have been heartbroken by their injustice. But now, she couldn’t care less.
She scanned the storage room and found that her only change of clothes was a blue–and–white high school uniform.
Five years ago, she had been accepted to Peloland’s most prestigious university, Vertar University.
But her parents had only thrown a grand graduation party for Bertha.
That banquet was extravagant, and the entire elite of Orley had been invited to the event.
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything
There stood Bertha, eighteen and radiant, nestled between the Elvadors in her million–dollar princess gown, diamonds. glittering in her hair like a true royal.
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And then there was Aurora, in her worn–out, secondhand clothes, being dragged away by police as party guests looked on in horror. While Bertha went off to college, Aurora spent the next five years behind bars.
Five minutes later, Aurora, now dressed, walked toward the Elvador family’s banquet hall.
Servants passing by gave her curious glances.
“Who is she? Why is she wearing a high school uniform?”
“Probably a server from the Grand Hotel. She looks like a high school kid working a summer job.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Elvador sure spoil Ms. Bertha Elvador. They even brought in the Grand Hotel’s head chef for her celebration.”
“Of course. Everyone knows Ms. Bertha Elvador is the favorite.”
“Hey, the banquet’s starting soon. Better get changed into your uniform,” the servant said, pausing briefly beside Aurora. “And be extra careful tonight – we’ve got Orley’s finest in attendance.”
With that, the servant walked off. Aurora stood still, suddenly reluctant to go to the banquet hall.
Barnett had only told her that her parents were hosting a
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything
welcome dinner but didn’t mention that there would be some
outsiders.
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Coming out of prison wasn’t exactly a matter of pride. She didn’t think it warranted a celebration.
Years ago, she’d been handcuffed in front of all of Orley’s elite.
And now, they wanted her to face the same crowd again, under the guise of a grand welcome, to flaunt her disgrace.
To her, it didn’t feel like a welcome ceremony. It felt more like a public shaming, an attempt to strip away any remaining dignity she had left.
Bitterness mixed with anger surged within her. She no longer wanted to stay.
She turned to leave.
Barnett’s face darkened the moment he spotted her. He stormed over, lips curled in disgust.
“Didn’t I tell you to wear a formal dress?” he snapped. “What the hell are you thinking, showing up like this? Do you have any idea what kind of event this is?”
Aurora opened her mouth to explain, but Barnett cut her off mercilessly.
“Oh, you came out of prison acting all high and mighty, and now what? Playing victim in front of everyone?” He sneered. “You
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything
just love this whole ‘you owe me‘ routine, don’t you, Aurora? Same old cheap tricks. You really haven’t changed a bit.”
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He lunged forward, still muttering curses. “Get back upstairs and change! Stop making us look bad-”
Aurora slipped away from his reaching hand.
“You little-” His face darkened. “Did you just dodge me?”
Aurora met his gaze. His eyes glared at her with the same. disdain and irritation as if she were some loathsome enemy.
This look, this cold, dismissive stare, was something she had endured from the Elvador family for three years.
Every time she saw it, her heart felt like it was being torn apart by invisible hands. When she used to cry from the injustice, Barnett would only double down, accusing her of feigning victimhood.
Maybe she had grown accustomed to his glare, or maybe those five years in prison had ground her pride to dust.
Now, as she met his gaze, heavy with scorn, she felt nothing–no anger, no hurt, no regret. His opinions, his feelings toward her… they no longer held the power to stir even the faintest ripple in her heart.
Aurora held his stare, her expression calm and detached, her voice steady yet unyielding. “I don’t have a formal dress,” she said, her words carrying a quiet finality.
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything
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Her words only fueled Barnell’s anger. “You don’t have a dress? Then why don’t you buy one?”
Aurora took a deep breath. Barnett’s prejudice against her ran so deep that nothing she said would convince him otherwise.
In the past, she had tried explaining, but the more she explained, the more he believed she was lying, and the more viciously he attacked her.
Now, she was simply tired–tired of the endless cycle, tired of trying to defend herself. Her response came cold and detached, a reflection of her indifference. “I don’t have any money,” she said, her tone as unyielding as ice.
Barnett’s brow furrowed into a tight knot. His anger was boiling over, impossible to suppress.
“For three years, you’ve had everything handed to you. Five hundred grand in your account every month–that’s eighteen. million dollars. You’re telling me that wasn’t enough for some decent clothes?” His voice rose. “You’re wearing this trash on purpose, aren’t you? Trying to make us look bad?”
He jabbed a finger at her. “Stop being so damn selfish, Aurora. We’ve given you what you’re owed. Don’t push it.”
His eyes narrowed. “Keep this up, and you’ll regret it.”
Aurora had anticipated this. She knew that no matter what she said, no one would believe her.
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything
She stared at him without blinking.
For some reason, her unwavering gaze made Barnett feel a twinge of guilt.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say anything untrue?”
Aurora found it laughable.
She had no idea where Barnett’s confidence came from.
Aurora sneered inwardly.
She hadn’t planned to cause a scene, but Barnett’s relentless accusations ignited a spark of malice in her heart.
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From the corner of her eye, she noticed someone approaching.
She thought to herself, “Since you think I’m making trouble, why not make it big?”
Her reputation was already in tatters, and she had nothing to lose.
She wanted to see if Barnett, a man so obsessed with reputation, could handle the public humiliation.
“I’ve never received any money from the company. Not 500 thousand dollars. Not even 50 dollars. Mr. Elvador, if you’re going to accuse me, at least come up with a believable lie.”
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything Barnett’s eyes grew even more hateful.
“You’re such a liar, Aurora. You brought this on yourself, so don’t blame me for exposing your true nature.”
He pulled out his phone and dialed the company’s finance. department, putting it on speaker.
“Check how much money the company has deposited into Aurora’s account each month.”
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The voice on the other end hesitated. “Aurora? You mean Ms. Aurora Elvador?”
“Yes.”
“Mr. Elvador, if it’s Ms. Aurora Elvador, there’s no need to check.”
Barnett frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, the company has never transferred any money to Ms. Aurora Elvador’s account.”
“What?” Barnett couldn’t believe his ears.
Aurora might not be favored, but she was still part of the Elvador family. He never expected that she hadn’t received any allowance.
The night Aurora was brought back, he had discussed her
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything allowance with his parents in the study.
To avoid appearing biased, Aurora’s pocket money was set at 500 thousand dollars per month, the same as Bertha’s.
There was no way he could have remembered wrong.
“I gave specific instructions! How could you not follow my words?”
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“Mr. Elvador, didn’t you know? Mrs. Celeste Elvador said Ms. Aurora Elvador came from an orphanage and had shallow tastes and unsavory friends. She was worried that giving her 500 thousand dollars all at once would lead her astray. Since Ms. Aurora Elvador was still in high school, with no expenses to worry about while living under the Elvador roof, she decided to cancel the allowance…”
Barnett’s head buzzed.
He was completely stunned.
He realized that during those three years, Aurora hadn’t received a single cent.
“Oh, and Mrs. Celeste Elvador raised Ms. Bertha Elvador’s allowance to one million dollars per month. She said it was to make up for any hurt feelings she might have had because Ms. Aurora Elvador had returned. Surely you knew about that, Mr. Elvador?”
Barnett felt like he was being strangled. His chest tightened with
Chapter 3 Never Short of Anything suffocating disbelief.
He… didn’t know anything about that.
