Chapter 171:
Makenna’s POV:
“Good for you, Jessica! You really are my dear sister, aren’t you?”
I spat the words with venom that had been festering inside me for far too long. My glare bored into her, fueled by years of pent-up hatred.
The others stood frozen, too shocked by my sudden outburst to react. It took them a few seconds to break free from their stupor before they rushed over, dragging me away from Jessica.
But by then, it was too late. Jessica’s face was already red and swollen, her hair a wild, tangled mess. She looked deranged as she screamed and cried, “How dare you slap me! How dare you!”
I shook my hand as if to rid it of the filth, a cold smile tugging at the corners of my lips.
“How could you hit your own sister?” Irene shrieked, placing herself in front of Jessica as if to shield her from further harm.
Frank stood there, dumbstruck, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Makenna, have you lost your mind?”
My father stormed over, shoving me hard as he roared, “What’s wrong with you? How could you do this?”
“Connolly,” I said, fixing him with a cold, unyielding stare. My voice was a low growl as I asked slowly, “Did you know that she gave my mother’s necklace to Kristina?”
Guilt flashed in his eyes for a fleeting moment, but he quickly straightened up and retorted, “It’s just a necklace! Kristina, being the daughter of the Beta, liking that necklace should be an honor for you and your mother. And yet, here you are, making a fuss over nothing!”
As he continued, his voice grew louder, more self-righteous, even dragging up past incidents to lecture me further.
“Now that you’ve caught the princes’ favor at the palace, you should be doing more for this family. But what have you done? You’ve been nothing but selfish!”
𝖀𝖕𝖉𝖆𝖙𝖊𝖘 𝖍𝖔𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖉 𝖎𝖓 g⍺𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝗲𝗅𝘀․𝗰𝗈𝗺
He jabbed a finger in my face, his voice dripping with disdain. “You should take a lesson from your sister. By giving that necklace to Kristina, we’ve secured the Harrison family’s support. That’s what being a real member of this family looks like!”
His shamelessness made my stomach churn.
It felt like the ground was crumbling beneath me. This was revolting! I wished I had never been born into this wretched family!
A bitter laugh escaped my lips, tinged with the pain and despair I could no longer contain. My eyes burned with unshed tears, my voice quivering with rage as I shot back, “What gives you the right to say that to me? You’re heartless, selfish, and completely hypocritical. When have you ever acted like a father to me?”
My father’s face turned red, his anger warring with shame. “I…”
“Makenna, what are you saying? He’s still your father!” Irene chimed in with her usual false concern. “How could you be so disrespectful?”
I shot her a withering glance, sneering, “You’re even less qualified to speak. You’re just my stepmother.”
“You!” Irene’s face drained of color, rendered speechless by my words.
Jessica, her fury rekindled, stepped forward and spat, “Makenna, who do you think you are? I gave away that necklace, so what are you going to do about it? I knew Kristina didn’t like you, and I gave it to her on purpose!”
My anger flared like a wildfire, and before I knew it, my hand had struck her again.
This time, I didn’t hold back. Her cheek swelled even more, the imprint of my hand clear as day.
She let out a piercing scream, clutching her face as she wailed, “Frank! Do something! She’s gone mad!”
“Makenna, you’ve crossed the line!” Frank’s face twisted with fury as he shoved me hard, his voice as cold as ice. “Are you determined to destroy this family?”
The force of his shove sent me stumbling back several steps. Just as I was about to lose my balance and fall, a large hand suddenly reached out, steadying me by the waist with a firm grip.
