Chapter 7
The crowd gathered around, drawn in by the voice emanating from the phone receiver. Everyone was stunned.
While the Linwood family might not have been the wealthiest in Cresthaven, they were certainly one of the most prominent. It was common knowledge that children from such families received generous monthly allowances, sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands.X
But they’d never heard of a wealthy heiress who didn’t receive a single dime in allowance each month. The Linwood family was a unique case.&
No wonder Claire was dressed so modestly, without even a decent gown to wear to the party. Though she wasn’t mised in the family home, she was still the Linwood’s true heiress. Yet, she received nothing while their adopted daughter enjoyed a lavish monthly allowance of a hundred thousand, It was a scandalous situation the Linwood family was allowing to happen, showing they were quite out of touch.
As the guests whispered among themselves, Ethan felt a prickly sensation of embarrassment crawl up his spine, his face flushing with shame. He couldn’t believe such a disgraceful thing was happening in the Linwood family. They had wealth and stature, certainly enough to spare a paltry allowance for their own flesh and blood.
Ethan coldly confronted Claire, “Even if the finance department didn’t transfer the funds, surely Mom and Dad would have given you some spending money?”
Claire’s expression was sardonic as she glanced towards the crowd where Nathan and Adah stood. “If Mr. Linwood and Mrs. Linwood have given me an allowance, perhaps Mr. Ethan should ask them directly. After all, if you don’t believe me, you’d surely trust your parents‘ words.”
Nathan stiffened, avoiding eye contact with Claire, his face wrought with shame.X
“Dad, Mom, you must have given her some allowance, right?” Ethan asked seriously, looking at them.
Nathan’s eyes darted, “I thought you would give it to her, so I just
Adah’s eyes filled with guilt, tears welling up as she spoke, “I thought you would. Claire, why didn’t you tell me you had no money? If you’d told me earlier, I would have given you some, surely.”
“It’s all my fault, I didn’t notice earlier and let you suffer. But you have to belleve, I treat you and Vanessa equally.“8
Claire gave a wry smile, her gaze meeting Adah’s, causing the latter to look down awkwardly.
Only today did Claire leam that her own mother had instructed the finance department not to give her any money. Not only that, but she had also increased Vanessa’s allowance to a hundred thousand, all to pamper her precious adopted daughter
To favor one so heavily over the other, and still claim to treat them equally–it was absurd. A high–society matron, accustomed to luxury, would surely notice that her own daughter’s clothes were all cheap fabric, totaling less than a hundred dollars. She wasn’t blind; she just didn’t care.
Her apology was nothing but a performance for the guests.8
Fortunately, Claire had long seen through the Linwood family’s facade. Her heart, having endured so much, was
as now immune to their
venom. With no expectations from them, she remained unbreakable.
Seeing Claire ignore her mother’s apology, publicly shaming the Linwood family, any trace of guilt Ethan felt evaporated
He barked, “You’ve got a mouth, don’t you? You could’ve said something. We’re not mind readers. How were we supposed to know what you needed? If you’d spoken up, did you think we wouldn’t have given you money?“}}
“I did speak up,” Claire replied, her voice soft but icy. “You just didn’t listen.”
Ethan frowned, ready to deny it, but a memory suddenly surfaced.”
It was an aftemoon when the family was gathered on the couch, chatting happily. Claire had approached them hesitantly, clutching the hem of her school uniform, her face flushed.
She had struggled to find her voice, finally whispering, “Dad, Mom, could I have five thousand for school foes.”
“Bang” Ethan had slammed the newspaper onto the coffee table, glaring at Claire. “Money, money, money. Is that all you care about? Did you come back to this family just for the money? If the Linwood family had no money, would you have not returned? I can’t understand why Mom and Dad insisted on bringing you back.”
