When we were kids, I once saw you walking down the street. Dad was holding you, and you were laughing together. I wanted to rush over, but Gilbert pulled me back and told me that I must never let anyone know that Atticus is my father. He said that he had only one daughter, and that was you, Lucinda.
Both Dad and Graham did give me a lot of things, but they never gave me the one thing that I truly wanted. I was left with no choice. I knew I had to act, even if I had to resort to underhanded means. I just wanted to get what was rightfully mine, that’s all.
I don’t hate you, Lucinda, not really. I just think it’s unfair, the way our circumstances were decided. And since Dad could only have one daughter in this family, I had to replace you. I wanted something, and you were in my way. That’s all there is to it.”
A long silence followed Valerie’s speech.
Braden had tampered with the paternity test, and Lucinda was led to believe that she was the
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daughter of a criminal. Her world almost fell apart that day.
And that matter with Kyson…
It was indeed difficult to be an illegitimate child, especially within high society.
Valerie was mistaken, because in a way, Lucinda did understand her struggles. However, no amount of her suffering could justify murdering other people.
Valerie had committed various crimes, so she had to be punished.
Hilliard and Cyrus remained stoic. They had no sympathy for their half-sister at all.
She was a thorn in their side, a major factor that destroyed their family. If anything, they loathed her.
“You’ve already lived a better life than most people,” Cyrus finally said to Valerie.
“It is your own greed that brought you to where you are now. As an illegitimate daughter, you can never be truly accepted into the family. Did you honestly think otherwise? It’s foolish thinking on your part. You can never replace Lucinda, even if you drive her away.”
His words riled Valerie up. Getting compared to Lucinda was always a sore spot to her, especially since everyone around her seemed to be doing it.
She shook her head and smirked at Lucinda.
“Now you know everything.
I planned everything all by myself, and whenever I couldn’t pull it off, Graham helped me. I have nothing left to say to you. I won’t ask you to spare me. You can take me to the National Security Bureau and have me executed for all I care.”
Lucinda raised her eyebrows.
“Oh, but it would be much less fun just to kill you like that.”
She stood and sauntered over to loom before Valerie.
“Like I said, you are still a member of the Simmons family. I won’t kill you. Death is just the easy way out for you, anyway. No, I want to torture you and make you live each day in pain for the rest of your life!”
Her eyes flashed with menace, and her expression grew more fierce with every word she spoke.
“Well? Aren’t you curious about what I’m planning to do with you?”
When Valerie looked at Lucinda again, she was taken aback by the ferocity in the latter’s eyes. She could almost taste the danger on the tip of her tongue, and she trembled despite herself.