Page 2 of After real sister came back, I was kicked out

Countless cold stares shot my way, and my whole body stiffened. The words I'd planned to say died in my throat.

I was only here to retrieve what belonged to me, to say a proper goodbye.

"What are you doing here?" Just as I stood there helplessly, Anton emerged from the villa, holding a doll in his hand.

It was our token of love from when we were eighteen, accidentally lost on our engagement day. I'd always thought it was gone forever.

"Anton." A flicker of hope stirred in my heart.

I instinctively reached out with my right hand, but the doll flew from his grasp and landed squarely in the trash can.

"Is there something you need?" Anton asked expressionlessly.

I quickly pulled back my suspended hand, a suffocating pain shooting through my chest.

That Christmas when we were eighteen, he'd sworn: "Even if I lose my life, I'll never lose this doll."

Now that he'd thrown it away with his own hands, did it mean I was no longer an irreplaceable part of his life?

As if to confirm my suspicions, Anton spoke coldly: "Evelyn, we've already said everything that needed to be said. The one who got engaged to me was the Snyder family's daughter, and you were just living her life. She's the one I'm going to marry. Don't you understand? How do you still have the nerve to come here and make a scene?"

His expression was nothing like the man who once promised to love me forever.

"I just wanted to come back and get some things," I explained in a low voice.

A scoff echoed from inside the Snyder villa: "So you finally decided to come back? I only said a few words to you, and you got upset? Evelyn, what right do you have to throw a tantrum? All these years, it's been Zoey who's suffered in your place."

Tristan stormed out of the villa, furious.

I quickly lowered my head: "I'm sorry."

I truly meant it.

The mix-up at birth wasn't my doing, but I had indeed benefited from a privileged life that wasn't rightfully mine.

"It's okay, Evelyn. I'm just glad you're back. I've been so worried about you these past few days. It's Tristan and Anton who were wrongI told them both to go find you." Zoey appeared last.

These past few days, she'd been frantically learning how to be a proper rich young lady.

But years of malnutrition still made her look out of place.

That should have been the life I endured.

"It's my fault. They were right not to look for me," I said, head bowed in guilt.

Zoey seemed somewhat flustered. She hurried over and gripped my hands tightly, explaining urgently: "Evelyn, don't listen to them. This will always be your home. I'm the one who disrupted your life."

I was momentarily stunned, but Anton shoved me away: "How many times do I have to tell you? Coming back here only reminds Zoey of painful things. Isn't the money we gave you enough? Can't you just stay away forever?"

Once upon a time, he used to worry about me like this.

Once upon a time, he used to dislike Zoey like this.

Back then, I was still the Snyder family's only daughter, and Zoey was just Anton's intern assistant.

Tristan despised her because she spent too much time with Anton and might threaten our relationship.

Anton thought she was incompetent and couldn't do anything right.

Until one day when Zoey made a mistake, he actually smiled and teased her about it. From that moment, their relationship quietly began to change.

To ease the tension between Tristan and her, Anton brought her home for dinner multiple times, until Tristan was completely won over by her kindness.

These were all trivial matters. I'd never paid much attention to Zoey before, because I was their only treasureno one could replace me.

But who could have predicted that on the day of my engagement to Anton, I'd learn my true identity, while Zoey suddenly became the Snyder family's real daughter?

Fate really does love its cruel jokes.

Tristan said: "Evelyn, I'm not as heartless as Anton. I have only one demandyou can come back, but you're not allowed to bully Zoey. Do you understand?"