Chapter 2 Break with the Wilson Family

"Since you all think I'm blocking Claire's way, then starting today, I'm giving up my position as the eldest daughter of the Wilson family to her."

She pulled out a bank card from her pocket and placed it on the shoe cabinet in the entryway.

"This card contains every penny you've spent on me since I came to the Wilson family. Not a cent less. From now on, I have nothing to do with the Wilson family anymore."

"As for the principal cellist position, I won't give that up. If she wants it, she can earn it through her own abilities in the audition."

After saying this, she pulled open the door, and cold wind from outside rushed in.

The room fell into dead silence. No one in the Wilson family had expected her to be so firm, actually ready to leave just like that. They all stood there stunned.

A gleam flashed in Claire's eyes. She immediately broke free from Steven's embrace and stumbled after Elizabeth.

She reached out and grabbed Elizabeth's wrist, her voice choked with tears. "Elizabeth, don't go! It's all my fault. I shouldn't have competed with you for the principal position. You're the real daughter of this family, I'm just an outsider. I should be the one leaving, not you..."

She wasn't sincere about making Elizabeth stay—she just wanted to use this retreat-to-advance tactic to make the family feel more sorry for her and hate Elizabeth more.

With this thought, a trace of malice crossed Claire's eyes, and her fingertips dug hard into the wound on Elizabeth's palm.

The old wound split open, and blood seeped out again.

Elizabeth gasped in pain and instinctively shook off her hand. "Don't touch me!"

A triumphant smile flashed in Claire's eyes, then she let out a scream and fell backward.

The back of her head hit the corner of the shoe cabinet, and her temple quickly turned red and swelled up.

"Claire!"

Aurora screamed and rushed over. The three brothers' faces also changed dramatically, and they immediately gathered around Claire.

Steven stepped forward and shoved Elizabeth aside, demanding angrily, "Elizabeth, you've gone too far! Claire was trying to make you stay out of kindness, and you pushed her? How can you be so vicious?"

Elizabeth staggered back two steps from the push and barely managed to steady herself.

She looked at the blood continuously seeping from her palm, her eyes filled only with coldness and mockery.

The same old trick again. Claire never tired of it, and these people always fell for it.

The next second, Claire grabbed Steven's hand, her breathing weak. "Don't blame Elizabeth, I just didn't stand steady myself. It has nothing to do with her..."

Elizabeth was amused by her fake act, her laugh cold and devoid of warmth. "Claire, you should quit playing the cello. With your acting skills, you'd definitely become a superstar."

Claire's face turned pale, and she bit her lip, looking even more wronged. "Elizabeth, I'm not acting, I'm really not."

Aaron was so angry his veins were bulging. "Elizabeth, Claire's forehead is injured, and you're still making sarcastic remarks?"

Elizabeth sneered, her tone mocking. "She just bumped it and it's a bit red, she didn't die from it."

"If she hadn't come to provoke me first, I wouldn't have bothered with her. I was just defending myself. If you're not blind, you should have seen her digging her nails into my hand."

Jeffrey said coldly, "We only saw you push her."

"Because you only ever want to believe what you want to see." Elizabeth didn't bother arguing and turned to leave.

Claire immediately cried louder, so weak she seemed about to faint. "Elizabeth, I never wanted to compete with you. If I'd known this would make things so bad between you and the family, I should have disappeared when you first came back, so I wouldn't be an eyesore to you."

As she spoke, her legs went weak, and she was about to kneel down.

Steven quickly supported her, his eyes red with distress. He turned to glare at Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, Claire developed depression because of you. Do you have to push her to death before you're satisfied?"

Watching the whole family treat her as the villain, Elizabeth laughed in anger.

"People who really want to die don't talk about it every day. They find a quiet place where no one's around and end their lives peacefully."

She looked directly at Claire, saying word by word, "The fact that you're standing here perfectly fine proves you don't want to die at all."

"You keep saying you have depression, but can you show me a doctor's diagnosis? All this time, I've never seen you take any antidepressants."

Claire looked flustered.

Today's Elizabeth was completely different from before. She was no longer carefully trying to please the family, but instead was sharp-tongued and unyielding.

She gritted her teeth, pushed away the people around her, and made as if to hit her head against the wall. "Elizabeth, I'm not lying to you. I shouldn't be alive to be an eyesore to you!"

Steven's face changed drastically, and he immediately held her tightly, stopping her from hurting herself.

The living room instantly descended into chaos, with everyone gathering around Claire to comfort her.

Elizabeth had no interest in watching this drama and turned to leave.

Aurora was so angry her face turned ashen, and she shouted sternly, "Elizabeth, stop right there!"

She pointed at Elizabeth, her voice trembling. "If I'd known you'd be this rebellious and selfish, I never would have brought you back. Since you came home this past year, there hasn't been a moment of peace in this house. Now that things have come to this, are you satisfied?"

Elizabeth turned to look at this woman who had given her life but never given her any warmth, and smiled faintly.

"That works out perfectly. Once I'm gone, you can all live peacefully as a family."

Aurora was momentarily speechless, not expecting her to be so stubborn.

Seeing Elizabeth already stepping out of the entryway, she was both angry and anxious, still making threats. "If you walk out that door today, don't ever come back!"

In her mind, Elizabeth was just putting on a tough front. A girl who had lived through hard times and enjoyed a year of comfortable life with the Wilson family couldn't possibly bear to give up everything she had now.

The others came to their senses and chimed in.

Steven's tone was icy. "You're talking tough now, but when you can't survive out there, don't come crawling back begging us to take you in."

Aaron sneered. "I hope you stick to your word. When that time comes, we won't be soft-hearted enough to open the door."

They were all certain that Elizabeth, alone in the outside world, wouldn't be able to make it.

Elizabeth looked at them like they were idiots and shot back calmly, "Don't worry. Even if I starve to death on the streets, I'll never step through the Wilson family's door to beg."