Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend?
People gathered around them, drawn by the commotion.
A heavy silence fell over the crowd as the phone call’s revelations sank in.
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The Elvador family might not have been the wealthiest in Orley, but they were undoubtedly one of the top–tier families.
Families like that typically gave their children hundreds of thousands, even millions, in monthly allowances. Yet, Aurora received nothing–a shocking first.
Now, everyone understood why she dressed poorly and lacked a gown for the banquet. As their biological daughter, she was denied a single cent while her adopted sister received a million. dollars monthly.
Whispers spread, all agreeing such treatment was deeply neglectful.
Hearing the murmurs, Barnett felt uneasy. His face turned a deep shade of red, burning with shame and anger.
He couldn’t believe something so humiliating could happen in his family.
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend?
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The Elvadors had a massive fortune. Surely they weren’t so stingy as to withhold a mere allowance from their own family.
Barnett immediately turned to Aurora, his voice cold and questioning. “Even if the finance department didn’t transfer you any money, surely Mom and Dad gave you some, right?”
Aurora’s mocking smile cut through the crowd as her eyes found Joshua and Celeste Elvador. “Why don’t you ask them yourself about my allowance?” Her voice was cerily calm. “You won’t believe me anyway, but I’m sure you’ll take their word for it.”
Joshua and Celeste stiffened, their faces full of shame. They couldn’t meet her eyes.
“Dad, Mom, you must have given her allowance, right?” Barnett looked at them seriously.
Joshua averted his gaze, mumbling, “I thought you would handle it, so I…”
“I thought you’d handle it too…” Celeste’s voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. “Aurora, why didn’t you say something? I would have given you the money if I’d known…”
She dabbed at her eyes. “This is all my fault. I should have noticed. I should have seen you were struggling. But you have to believe me–I love you and Bertha the same.”
Aurora watched her with a faint, sardonic smile. Under her
eyes. detached gaze, Celeste awkwardly lowered her ey
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend?
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Today Aurora discovered the bitter truth: it was her own mother who had blocked her allowance from the finance department. And to add salt to the wound, she’d raised Bertha’s monthly allowance to a million dollars–all to protect her precious adopted daughter’s feelings.
Yet Celeste had the nerve to claim she loved them both “the
same.”
Celeste, ever the picture of wealth, draped herself in designer labels from head to toe–the kind of woman whose socks alone cost hundreds. She couldn’t have missed that Aurora’s entire wardrobe wouldn’t buy a single pair of those socks.
She saw it. She just didn’t care.
Aurora knew Celeste’s apology now was nothing more than a performance for the onlookers.
She had seen through this family’s true nature long ago. Now, with a heart of stone and no expectations left, they couldn’t hurt her anymore.
When Barnett saw Aurora brush off their mother’s apology, he took it as a slap in the face to the Elvador family. Whatever sliver of guilt he’d felt moments ago disappeared entirely.
His voice turned sharp, cutting through the air like ice. “If you needed money, why didn’t you just ask? How were we supposed to know what was going on in your head? If you’d said something sooner, do you really think we would’ve refused?”
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend? Aurora’s tone was quiet, but it carried a cold edge. “I did tell you. You just didn’t listen.”
Barnett frowned, about to deny it, when suddenly a memory flashed in his mind.
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It was a quiet afternoon. The four of them were lounging on the sofa, chatting and laughing, enjoying the easy warmth of the
moment.
Aurora hesitated before stepping forward, her fingers nervously clutching the hem of her school uniform. Her face was already flushed red, even before she managed to speak. After a long. awkward pause, she finally gathered the courage to say in a timid voice, “Dad, Mom… could I have five thousand dollars? I need it for tuition…
He had slammed his newspaper onto the coffee table with a smack, glaring at her as he scolded, “How dare you! Is money all you care about? Is that the only reason you came back–because we’re rich? Would you have stayed away if we were poor?” His voice rose with each question. “I don’t even know why Mom and Dad wanted you back.”
He sneered, “If you’re so bored, try picking up a book. Bertha ranked tenth in her first high school exam. And you? What have you accomplished?”
“I… I got first place…”
“Oh please. First from the bottom, you mean? And you’ve got the nerve to brag about it?”
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend?
Back then, he’d thought that the finance department was transferring 500 thousand dollars to her bank account every month. And yet, she had the audacity to ask for more.
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Compared to Bertha, who never asked for more money, he felt Aurora didn’t deserve it.
Her tears had fallen instantly as if she’d been dealt a crushing
blow.
He had only felt irritated, too annoyed to even continue reading. the finance reports.
Sensing the tension, Bertha snuggled up to his arm with a pout. “Barnett, I got tenth place. Don’t I deserve something special?”
His face softened instantly at her playful charm, Aurora’s presence forgotten. “What’s my princess got in mind?” he asked, affectionately pinching her cheek.
“Well… there’s this gorgeous bag I’ve been eyeing. It’s only a hundred thousand…”
“Say no more! If my girl wants it, it’s yours. Even if it cost a million.”
Then his face hardened as he turned back to Aurora. “Why are you still here? Get to your room and study.”
Aurora fled, tears streaming down her face.
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend?
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Joshua and Celeste watched her go, sighing. “If only she had half
of Bertha’s sense.”
“Mr. Elvador, do you remember now?”
Aurora’s voice pulled him back to the present. Her cold, mocking tone pierced him like a blade. The way she addressed him “Mr. Elvador” felt like a deliberate twist of the knife.
He was her older brother. She shouldn’t be calling him that.
But ever since she’d been released from prison, she had been distant, treating him like a stranger.
His face darkened as he growled, “It’s not my fault. You were a terrible student. Coming in last, and you still had the nerve to ask for money. I couldn’t possibly reward you.”
Aurora’s eyes grew colder. Those icy eyes made Barnett feel a sudden flicker of guilt. He clenched his teeth and barked, “What? You can’t even take a little criticism?”
“For three years in high school, I was always ranked first in my grade. So tell me, how am I the worst student?” Aurora sneered.
Seeing Barnett’s stunned expression filled her with a rare sense of satisfaction. “Then again, it’s not surprising. You didn’t even know which school I attended. How could you possibly know how I performed?”
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend? Barnett stood frozen as if struck by lightning.
Her words hit him like a bolt of lightning. “You… weren’t at Herren High?”
Herren High School was the best private high school in Orley. Bertha had graduated from there. Children from affluent and influential families all studied at Herren.
Barnett had always assumed Aurora had attended the same school.
His gaze shot toward Joshua and Celeste, his voice shaking. “Dad, Mom… when Aurora came back, did you transfer her school records here?”
A suffocating silence followed.
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Joshua’s face turned crimson. His lips moved, but the sounds he made were incoherent. His usual commanding presence was nowhere to be found.
Celeste’s lips trembled slightly. Her wide eyes betrayed her panic, and even her meticulously applied makeup couldn’t hide her embarrassment.
The two stood there, motionless, as the air around them grew heavy with tension.
Barnett’s face grew paler by the second. His perception of Aurora shattered into pieces. The disdain and arrogance he had once held onto so tightly now turned into sharp blades cutting
Chapter 4 Which School Did She Attend? into his heart.
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“Aurora…” he choked out, barely above a whisper, “which school did you attend?”
