Chapter 3

That weekend, Mom and Dad, to announce the true heiress's return to the outside world, took Chloe and me to an extremely lavish high-end charity gala.

As soon as we entered the ballroom, Chloe was like a fish returned to water.

She linked arms with Mom, smiling sweetly, addressing the socialites with such sweet, syrupy tones.

She charmed a group of wealthy ladies, making them beam with delight, praising her as sensible and well-mannered.

I stood alone in a corner, coldly observing the hypocritical world of fame and fortune.

A flabby, balding businessman, Mr. Henderson, stood at the microphone, ranting passionately about how many charity schools he'd funded and how deeply he cared for impoverished children.

I walked over with my glass of wine, speaking softly the moment he finished his speech.

"Mr. Henderson, when you said the children's smiles were your greatest motivation, your pupils instantly constricted. That's a sign of disgust and avoidance."

"It proves you don't actually like children."

"And your factory workers, didn't one of them jump from a building yesterday because they were demanding unpaid wages?"

"Using the blood, sweat, and tears of your workers to seek cheap praise? You truly are a hypocrite!"

Mr. Henderson's smile instantly froze, and cold sweat broke out on his brow.

A socialite, Mrs. Albright, adorned in jewels, was giggling as she boasted to her companions about how much her husband loved her, buying her such a huge diamond.

As I passed her, I spoke softly.

"Mrs. Albright, when you mentioned your husband, your voice involuntarily rose an octave, and your body stiffened like a board."

"You're scared. Does that mean your methods for becoming his wife after being his mistress weren't so honorable? Wasn't his ex-wife still resting in a mental institution?"

Mrs. Albright's face instantly turned ashen, and the wine glass in her hand almost slipped.

I looked at the room full of well-dressed but scheming individuals, and my disgust reached its peak.

I picked up a microphone, making sure my voice would carry clearly across the entire hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, a moment please."

"Look around you. The bosses who squeeze every drop from their workers. The cheaters playing house with three different people. The deadbeats clinging to stolen wealth. The socialites who built their status on being someone's dirty secret..."

With each word, another face in the crowd drained of color.

"And you wear your millions on your bodies to stand here and call this charity."

"Honestly, do you really want to do good?"

"It's all a sham! You're using charity as a front to launder money, evade taxes, and seek cheap praise! Aren't you all disgusting?"

The entire hall fell silent, as if the air itself had frozen.

Dad was the first to rush over, his face livid as he roared.

"Rose Sterling! Shut your mouth! Are you trying to offend everyone and ruin the Sterling family?"

Chloe also ran over, feigning concern as she softly advised.

"Rose, please stop talking! These are the unspoken rules of high society, everyone understands. You're making it so hard for Mom and Dad..."

I shook her hand off, my voice carrying even further through the microphone.

"Rules? What kind of bullshit rules?"

"Fake rules will never trump honest principles!"

"And you people, you call yourselves high society?"

"I'd call it low society! A cesspool of depravity, rotten to the core!"

Mom and Dad's faces flushed, and they stormed off.

I ignored them. The moment I put down the microphone, I noticed a quiet man sitting in the far corner of the ballroom.

He was wearing a black suit, his demeanor cool and detached, completely out of place amidst the surrounding extravagance.