After the video in which the imposter daughter, Evelyn Anderson, framed me was exposed, my parents and my fiancé, Jonas Hawkins, stood up for me and gave me love and support. With an assured mind, I handed over the evidence to them, authorizing them to manage the matter in its entirety without any reservation on my part. They told me that Evelyn had met with a fatal car accident all of a sudden right when she was being driven out of the house. And I, without a shadow of a doubt, bought the story. It wasn’t until the fifth year of my marriage that I accidentally caught sight of her, who was presumed to have perished in that car accident. She was holding a little boy in her arms while tightly clutching Jonas’ hand, saying, “Jonas, if it weren’t for my parents and you, I’m afraid I would really have been tossed in jail by that ruthless woman, Renata. Lucky for me, Mom and Dad got rid of the evidence, and they even set up a jewelry studio for me. To keep her from getting suspicious, you even sacrificed your own marriage. I really appreciate you for what you’ve done for the past five years.” With a tender gaze fixed on the little boy, Jonas softly murmured, “Just think of it as me making up for Renata’s mistakes for you. As long as you and the little one are doing okay, I can set my mind at ease.” It turned out that the family I once thought was filled with happiness was, in fact, merely an elaborate hoax jointly fabricated by my parents and Jonas. My parents, my husband, and Evelyn were the real happy family, leaving me out completely. And I was nothing more than a fool who had been deceived for five years. Be it family love or romantic love, if it was not the one and only, true kind of love that I was longing for, then I would rather let them go.
At the hospital, with his eyes filled with tenderness, Jonas took the little boy by the hand and said softly, “All these years, you’ve been living a life way more decent and easygoing than that so-called real daughter, Renata. But you gotta be careful. Don’t let her catch on.” Evelyn snuggled coyly into his embrace, murmuring with a delicate giggle, “Jonas, if it weren’t for you, I’m afraid I would really have been tossed in jail by that ruthless woman, Renata.” Jonas knitted his brows a bit, yet he didn’t shove her aside. Merely, he swiveled his head to the little lad next to him. Then he reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair and spoke up, “Forget about this. It’s all that matters that Finn is alright. In a couple of days, it’ll be his birthday party. Mark, Tess, and I will be there on time, using the excuse of coming to pay our respects to you.” Finn Hawkins had no clue what the grown-ups were chatting about. All he did was fling himself into Jonas’ arms, whining and cuddling up to him. The sweet and harmonious vibe of the family attracted numerous envious looks from passersby, including me. I was on the verge of a breakdown. Leaning helplessly against the wall at the corner, my body gradually slid down until I finally collapsed on the ground, drained of all my strength. Evelyn was never driven out of the family home, or punished, nor did she die in a car accident. In the past five years, she had been living it up, far more content and triumphant than I, the actual victim. To add insult to injury, she even bore my husband’s child. My biological parents, my husband, and every single person close to me had all been toying with my life, all because of her. The happiness I had always believed in turned out to be nothing more than a colossal deception. Consumed by a sense of utter despair, I dropped to the floor, limp and defeated. Before I knew it, I picked up the ringing cell phone. The voice of my mom, Tess Miller, came from the other end of the phone, and she said, “Renata, I heard from Bree that you went to the hospital today. You haven’t had a break in days. Hurry back and get some rest. You look awful, and it makes me worried.” Just like on ordinary days, her tone was brimming with gentleness and concern. But now that I had learned the truth, every word from her made me feel as if I was plunging into an icy abyss, and a chill ran down my spine. She didn’t actually care about my feelings. All she was worried about was that I might run into Evelyn and uncover the truth. I uttered a few words in response, letting her know that I was at the Children’s Disease Exchange Conference on the first floor. Just as I expected, she was seized with sudden panic. She quickly urged me not to move around and instructed Jonas to come to me without delay. Five minutes later, he showed up, gasping for air. His voice was laced with urgency and, far from sounding concerned, it carried an undertone of reproach as he blurted out, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? You’ve been doing surgeries these days. It’s wearing you out. Look at you. You don’t look so good today. Don’t hang around the hospital anymore. Let me take you home and get some rest.” His eyes flitted about, and his countenance betrayed a rather conspicuous air of guilt. He grilled me and said, “There are quite a lot of acquaintances here, right? Have you bumped into any of your old classmates or friends?” I tightened my grip until my fingernails cut into my palms, the sharp pain bolstering me to muster a smile and say, “No. I just miss you. Let’s go home. Mom said she cooked up the mushroom soup.” As he heard my denial, the deep frown on his forehead instantly smoothed out. Along the way, he talked and laughed with me. His gestures were thoughtful, and his tone was tender, making it seem as if the moment when I had witnessed him cheating just now was merely an illusion. However, not a shred of love could I perceive in his eyes any longer. The seemingly perfect love I had once believed in turned out to be nothing but his means of atoning. Just how deeply must he have loved that family to be willing to stake his marriage on it?
Jonas worded it with great delicacy. “Babe, I’ve been talking with your parents these days. It’s gonna be Evelyn’s Memorial Day in a couple of days. We wanna go and pay our respects. I know she did you wrong before, but she’s gone now. Mark and Tess raised her for so many years, and she and I grew up together, you know. We’re worried that it might upset you. So we thought it’d be better if just the three of us go. You…” I interrupted, “Go ahead. I’m not going.” Upon catching sight of my surprisingly accommodating manner, he couldn’t hold back the smile on his face. He inched closer and murmured affectionately, “I just knew you were the most understanding person. You just stay home and have a rest, okay?” Without betraying a single emotion, I deftly evaded his attempt to placate me with a kiss and tossed out a perfunctory response, “We’re outside. Let’s head home now.” I averted my face, pretending to be shy. However, in my tightly clenched palm, I had pinched myself so forcefully that the skin was already a blurred mess of blood. It hurt so much… My hand was in pain, and so was my heart. Upon arriving home, I nonchalantly fabricated an excuse to get rid of Jonas before slipping into his study. My trust, given without reservation, has led him to have no defenses against me. The moment I clicked, the computer screen sprang to life, revealing a photograph of Jonas, Evelyn, and Finn, a perfect family of three. The sight of it was like a stab to my eyes, making them ache with a bitterness that seeped into my bones. The computer was password-protected. I cast my eyes downward and tapped out several numbers on the keyboard. Just as I had expected, it was the birthday of Finn. Inside the photo album were page after page of photos, all showing the family beaming with joy as they faced the camera. Jonas had even recorded every single detail of this small family meticulously. The one-month-old celebration that he and Evelyn hosted, the parents’ meetings they attended together, and countless photos of their family activities were displayed on the screen. The more I scrolled downwards, the weaker my legs felt, as if they could no longer bear my weight and were on the verge of giving way. My lips trembled uncontrollably. Shock and grief engulfed me, leaving me gasping for air. It was not merely on account of Jonas. Rather, it was also due to the other two principal figures in these pictures, my parents. Everyone had been trifling with my life and emotions just to keep Evelyn out of harm. All of a sudden, it dawned on me that each time Jonas was interviewed, he would invariably wrap up the session by saying, “I love my family.” I had mistaken it for his reserved yet genuine affection for me. Looking back now, I just found myself ridiculously wrong. The recipients of those words were never limited to me alone. Evelyn and Finn were also part of it. It turned out that this love was never one of a kind. I forced a wry smile, feeling that my heart, which was already broken into pieces, could no longer hold on. I practically stumbled my way out of the study. A slight vibration came from my phone. In the split second when I caught sight of the message, I jerked to a halt. It was from Evelyn. Evelyn: [Hey, you saw it today, right? The happy scene of our family. Jonas and your parents shelled out the cash and put in the effort to set me up with a jewelry design studio. And now I’m living it up, all comfortable and fancy. Renata, what’s the big deal that you’re the biological kid? So what if I nearly screwed you over? Anyway, you’re the one nobody loves. Tomorrow morning’s the anniversary celebration of my studio. Wanna come and see for yourself just how happy Jonas and I are?] Right at this very moment, I heard Jonas’ voice coming from behind. He said, “Renata, I have to go on a business trip tomorrow. Go to bed early and don’t stay up waiting for me.” I didn’t show up at the studio. And I simply ignored Evelyn’s sly little digs. Instead, I bribed the servants in her house. Since they were all out today, I seized the opportunity, dressed up as a newly recruited cleaner, and managed to slip into the villa where she was currently living. This was the cream of the crop among the luxury housing developments under Hawkins Group. Every inch of it screamed opulence. In the very center of the living room, a gigantic family photo was blatantly on display. There was Jonas, Evelyn, Finn, and, unbelievably, my parents, all standing in a neat row, gazing straight at the camera with beaming, blissful smiles. I barely had time to rest my eyes on it for a moment before the maid Georgia grabbed me and yanked me away. She stated. “This is the calligraphy piece Finn’s grandpa Mr. Mark Anderson himself penned when Mr. Finn Hawkins was born. And that thing over yonder, I know it looks a bit all over the place, but it was Mr. Mark Anderson, holding Mr. Finn Hawkins’ hand, patiently guiding him to write each stroke. You be extra careful when you wipe them, got it? Mr. Mark Anderson just adores these. Every single time he drops by, he’ll gaze at this for ages. Keeps going on and on about how talented Mr. Finn Hawkins is.”
Tears welled up in my eyes uncontrollably. I quietly turned my head away, not wanting anyone to notice. My dad Mark was a celebrated calligrapher. Since being reunited with the family and officially recognized as his daughter, there were times when I, in private, pleaded with him for one of his calligraphic works or paintings. But he would always turn me down with a smile, saying gently, “I haven’t written for ages. I’m all out of practice. Just forget it.” It dawned on me that it wasn’t that his skills had grown rusty. The truth was, he just wasn’t willing to create anything for me. Georgia went on. “And these sweaters, make sure you wash them in cold water. Mrs. Tess Anderson knitted every single stitch for Mr. Finn Hawkins with so much care. I heard that even her own daughter didn’t get treated like this.” I chose to remain silent and didn’t pick up on that conversation. Presumably, the bitterness inside me was so overwhelming that I had lost the ability to speak. I felt like a thief, greedily longing for the affection that slipped out from Georgia’s idle chitchat, secretly peeking at the happiness that belongs to others. Actually, Evelyn was right. I was the one who was unloved. Georgia kept on speaking, “And these photos here, they’re all of Mr. Hawkins and his family at various times. He checks them out a lot. You gotta wipe them clean real carefully, frames and all, you know.” My gaze flitted across each and every one of those photos. In every single phase of their lives, Jonas had always been there, never once missing out on the important moments. As for me, I had nothing to show for our relationship but a solitary wedding photo. It was a stark contrast to their collection of memories. When I had tentatively brought up the subject of our lack of photos together, he had merely brushed it off with the excuse that he wasn’t fond of taking pictures. A pang of bitterness welled up inside me. I bowed my head and tugged my mask up more forcefully, desperately trying to hide the tears that had already welled up and dampened my face. Before I could even pull myself together, a sound came from the doorway. Georgia looked at me and said, “Looks like they are back from the amusement park. I’d better hurry over to the kitchen and check how it goes. Alright, pick up your stuff and go get busy.” In the foyer, Finn was snuggled up in Jonas’ arms. Whatever it was that he had murmured, it had both Jonas and Evelyn doubling over with laughter. Then the nanny took Finn away to change his clothes. Hiding in the shadow of the pillars, I listened intently to the conversation between them. Evelyn uttered, “Jonas, I know that Finn’s arrival was an accident. Back then, I just couldn’t hold myself back, and, well, we had him. And you’ve been so good to us, taking care of us and staying by our side all these years. But now, he’s growing up, and I don’t want him to always have to hide like this.” Jonas wavered for quite a while. In the end, he reached out, took her hand, and gently drew her into his embrace, murmuring soothingly, “No, he won’t. Just don’t go and make a fuss in front of Renata, okay? As for the rest, I’ll sort it out. Just relax and take Finn to his birthday party. We have already cooked up some excuses. Renata won’t find out.” I was shocked in a flash. In the past, Jonas had always been harsh and stern with Evelyn. Back then, he swore his love for me with unwavering determination. When it came to Evelyn’s underhanded act of drugging him, he was full of contempt, and he saw her with intense loathing, warning her harshly not to meddle in our relationship ever again and that he didn’t want to lay eyes on her anymore. I actually believed him and opted to forgive him, pretending to be oblivious. Never did I expect that it was all nothing but deceitful lies. I couldn’t stomach staying there a moment longer. Gripping the voice recorder and mini camera in my grasp, I spun on my heel and made my way to the backyard, intending to get out of there as quickly as possible. Little did I expect that, upon emerging, I would bump into Jonas. The moment my eyes met this familiar face, a throbbing pain, dull yet intense, coursed through me, yanking at my very core and nearly causing my knees to buckle. I instinctively grabbed onto the railing at my back to steady myself, then lowered my head in a show of respect, holding my breath as I waited for him to walk past. However, after just a couple of steps, he suddenly wheeled around and came back. His eyes fixed on me, burning with scrutiny as he asked, “Are you new here? I don’t recall seeing you. Why are you wearing a mask?”
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