Chapter 188
Three years ago, Evelyn Carter still clung to the fragile hope that her family might care.
When Vanessa Hart framed her and sent her to prison, she waited.
Day after day, she stared at the cold prison walls, expecting—praying—that someone would come for her.
No one ever did.
Not her mother, Margaret Hayes. Not her father, Richard Hayes. Not even her younger brother, Oliver Hayes.
She had spent years overestimating her worth in their eyes.
Never again.
Now, standing in the opulent dining room of Hawthorne Estate, Evelyn met each of their gazes with icy calm.
She reached into her pocket and withdrew a small velvet box.
"Mother," she said, her voice steady. "Happy birthday."
The box clicked open, revealing a simple string of wooden beads.
Working at Titan Capital Group paid well, but Evelyn refused to touch Alexander Whitmore’s money for this.
She had bought these beads with her own earnings—symbols of peace and fortune, carved by hand.
Margaret Hayes blinked, stunned.
Was it really her birthday today?
The realization flickered across her face, followed by something darker—something like shame.
Evelyn didn’t wait for a reaction.
She turned and walked away, her steps light, her heart finally free.
Of course, no one had remembered.
Now that Evelyn mentioned it, Margaret realized it was actually her birthday.
Vanessa froze. Evelyn had brought a gift, while she had come empty-handed—an oversight that made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.
Her eyes darted to the simple bracelet in Evelyn's hand, and she blurted, "Mom, I was in such a rush today that I left the diamond choker I bought for you at the office. I'll bring it next time. It cost nearly three million."
Margaret adored diamonds. Vanessa knew that would soften her.
But Margaret wasn’t fooled. She saw right through Vanessa’s hasty excuse—a transparent attempt not to be overshadowed by Evelyn.
In all these years, Vanessa had never once bothered with gifts.
As Margaret accepted the bracelet, Evelyn turned away.
She reached down, gripped the hem of her gown, and tore it clean off. The fabric fluttered to the floor like a fallen petal.
"From this moment on, I am no longer a Hayes." Her voice was steady, but her fingers trembled. "Mom, Dad… thank you for raising me all these years. If we meet again, let’s pretend we don’t know each other."
She swallowed hard.
"I’m sorry for all the trouble I caused. I won’t disappoint you anymore."
The air in the room was thick with tension.
"Take care of yourselves," Evelyn said, her voice steady but laced with quiet fury. "Pretend I never existed. If I'd known this was how you'd treat me, I would've stayed away forever."
Her fingers curled into fists at her sides.
"I don’t want anything from the Hayes family anymore. I’ll return every share Grandfather left me. Give them to Vanessa—she’s clearly the daughter you wanted."
The words hung heavy in the silence.
Evelyn’s gaze was unyielding, her decision final. This wasn’t just about walking away—it was about severing ties completely.
She had fought for those shares, not out of greed, but to prove a point. To force Richard and Margaret to see their own cruelty.
But she had been naive. Parents who favored one child would never admit their own injustice.
With a slow exhale, she reached for the cello resting on the table.
The room seemed to freeze.
When they had first brought their long-lost daughter home, Richard and Margaret had been overjoyed.
No one could have predicted that, after all these years, things would crumble like this.
Despite everything, she was still their blood. Even if they had never treated her right, cutting ties with their own flesh and blood would be a scandal.
Evelyn was still legally a Hayes. She was still the rightful—
But now she wanted to cut all ties and return the shares?
The elite circles would mock the Hayes family mercilessly.
Even Richard’s own brothers would never stand for this!
People would assume they had schemed to take Evelyn’s inheritance and then cast her out.
Richard’s chest burned with fury. His face turned ashen, his expression darkening like a storm.
"Cutting ties? Who put such ridiculous ideas in your head? Have you lost your mind? Are you abandoning your family now?" Richard snapped.
Today, he had been utterly humiliated in front of Ethan.
The weight of disgrace pressed down on him, suffocating.
His fingers clenched into fists, nails biting into his palms.
Evelyn’s defiance was a slap to his pride, a public spectacle he couldn’t endure.
The whispers would spread—how the Hayes patriarch couldn’t even control his own daughter.
Worse, they’d suspect greed had driven them to this.
Richard’s jaw tightened.
This wasn’t just about shares.
It was about reputation. Power.
And Evelyn had just threatened to shatter it all.