She Accepted Divorce, He Panicked

Ava's POV

I can't believe it worked so smoothly. I always knew how to get to her, from luring her to escape home to making her push me into the water. She writes all her thoughts on her face. I knew mentioning the necklace would rile her up, and she thought I would physically hurt her. I'm not as stupid as she is! She did exactly what I thought she would: she pushed me into a lake in front of Sebastion.

Mom sent me to a hot shower when Dad went to deal with the parasite who pushed me into the lake.

Ever since she told Sebastian about the misunderstanding ten years ago, he has been putting a distance between us. He wouldn't come to hang out even if I begged, he wouldn't return my texts, and he even asked his secretary to answer my phone calls! I never even said I was the girl he saved, I simply confirmed that it was mine when he asked about the yellow skirt.

He hates bullies, and this will definitely drive a wedge between them.

I know he is mad at me, but he is not ghosting me and that means there is still room to turn this around. He spent the following ten years loving me! How could all that come from only one afternoon from ten years ago?

Even with a slight hint of her bullying me, he would turn against her. This time he watched her pushing me into a lake. All it takes is a phone call and he would come to me.

"Ava?" Dad knocks on my door, "Are you done showering?"

Ughhhh! Did he know that I was calling Sebastian??

Put down my phone, I open my door with a plaintive look: "Dad, I'm in the middle of something--"

"Don't you have a valuable guest downstairs?" I hang myself on the door, reluctant to let go. I don't want to close the door for a dull talk. I want to call Sebastian. I need to call him. I need to know that he still loves me like always. I don't want to wait a second longer.

He glances at my room and ignores my protest as he comes in: "Shut the door."

"I thought you didn't know that we have a guest at home," Dad glares at me, "We all waited for you and you hid in your room, doing what? Don't tell me you are still harassing the Knight boy--"

"Dad!" How could he say that?! I stare at him in disbelief. He never had any problem when I asked Sebastian to invest in his business!

"I thought we talked about this," Dad comes and rubs my hand, leading me to sit on my bed as he strokes my hair to soothe me, "You said you were over him--"

He sighs heavily.

"That was before YOU asked me to play the Vanderbilt's princess!" I grab my hair, getting more upset at his explanation. Why is it so hard to understand?! "I wanted to be with Damian Vanderbilt, but you have to barge in and make me his sister!"

"You can't be with him!" Dad says with a strict look, "I told you--"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you watched his Mom die and you didn't help," I roll my eyes impatiently, "What does that have anything to do with me? Maybe he will forgive you if I could get him to fall in love with me"

Dad stares at me as if I said I wanted to murder someone. Isn't that why he has always supported me in being with Sebastian over Scarlett? So that he can keep getting help from the Knight Corp?

"We are keeping a distance from the Vanderbilt. They are not a power that we can trifle with," Dad stands up, announcing in his monarchal tone as if everyone has to obey him, "In two days at your birthday party, I'm going to announce that the DNA test result was mixed, and Scarlett is the real lost daughter of the Vanderbilt."

What?! I stare at him in disbelief.

"We will apologize for the mixup and everything," Dad continues, ignoring my shock, "It would be the best outcome if they can leave us in peace--"

"Dad!" I can't hold my shout in anymore, "Are you serious? Apologize???! For what?! And just let her get everything like this?! She doesn't deserve--"

"And yet she is a Vanderbilt. Life is not fair, but you have to accept it," Dad cuts me off sternly, "She saved you several times, and she cured you, Ava. Just be grateful about that." "Grateful?!" I gasp in shock, not recognizing him.