Chapter 7

After leaving the university, Evelyn found herself wandering to the same park where she had first met Edward. Watching a young boy and girl play together, memories of her childhood with Edward flooded back, deepening her sadness. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she whispered to herself, “Why, Edward? Why did you do this? I loved you so much. I gave everything to keep our promise. I tried—I tried so hard, but today you shattered it completely. I did everything for you to love me. I endured every cruel word from you and your family, and in doing so, I lost my self-respect, my dignity—all for you. And yet, you took everything I did for granted.”

Her thoughts spiraled further, “You even took my love for granted. You called me spoiled, a slut, a gold digger, unwanted... and I endured it all because my love for you was greater than anyone’s opinion. But that was my biggest mistake—loving you. I’ll never make that mistake again. I’ll never love or care for you, and that’s a promise I intend to keep.”

With a final glance at the park where their innocent friendship had begun, Evelyn wiped her tears and headed home.

At the Jones mansion, the moment she stepped inside, she was met with a furious slap. Her father, Mike, stood before her, his face red with rage. “You useless brat!” he yelled. “How dare you bother Edward? How dare you propose to him after I told you to stay away? You disobeyed me!” His voice echoed through the house, drawing everyone downstairs, except for her brother Jack, who was still at work, and her sister Amy, who was out shopping.

Erica, who appeared from the kitchen, immediately understood the situation as she saw the slap marks on Evelyn’s face. Without missing a beat, Mike ranted to Erica, “Today, Evelyn went and proposed to Edward in front of everyone! How embarrassing is that? Imagine if we’d ever introduced her as the second Miss of the Jones family! She would’ve shamed us beyond repair.”

With a cold glare, Erica stepped closer and slapped Evelyn herself. “Can’t you stay out of trouble for even one day?” she hissed. “Things would have been so much better if you weren’t here at all.”

Just then, Amy returned from shopping, her mood cheerful until she sensed the tension in the room. She asked what had happened, but Erica brushed it off, not wanting to spoil Amy’s good spirits. “Nothing, darling,” she said, smiling tightly. “How was your shopping trip?” Amy beamed and spoke about how much she enjoyed herself, the sight of her happiness briefly calming her parents.

But the calm didn’t last long. Mike, unable to hide the stress in his expression, responded to Amy’s question about why he looked upset by pointing toward Evelyn. “It’s because of this brat,” he growled. “She embarrassed us all today.”

Curious and now annoyed, Amy pressed for more information. When she learned that Evelyn had proposed to Edward, her face darkened with fury. “Evelyn, don’t you understand? I’m going to live with that family, and you’re causing me so much trouble!” Evelyn tried to explain, but Amy’s patience snapped, and she slapped Evelyn again. “If I face any problems because of you, I swear, I don’t know what I’ll do!” she screamed before storming off to her room.

As Amy disappeared upstairs, Erica turned to Evelyn, her eyes blazing with anger. “Look what you’ve done! Amy didn’t even eat dinner because of you!” Mike added, his voice cold, “Go to your room and reflect on yourself. You won’t get any food tonight; do you hear me? And after the engagement party, you’re leaving. You’re going abroad, and you won’t be coming back anytime soon.”

Shocked and devastated, Evelyn began to plead with him, but Erica silenced her. “Enough. Just go to your room.” As Evelyn turned to leave, she overheard Erica mutter to Mike, “If it weren’t for your parents, she wouldn’t be here at all.” Mike responded, his tone filled with regret, “Sometimes I think I should’ve caused a fake accident and made you miscarry.”

Those words were the final blow. Evelyn rushed to her room; her heart shattered beyond repair. As soon as she closed the door, she broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. “Why?” she asked herself, her voice trembling with anguish. “Why do they hate me so much? What did I ever do to deserve this? All I ever wanted was love—not their money, not their luxury, just love. But all they see in me is a burden, a disgrace.” She rocked back and forth, her tears soaking into the floor. “Seventeen years… Seventeen years of trying, and still, they don’t want me. They still wish I had never been born.”

Suddenly, there was a knock at her door. Startled, Evelyn quickly wiped her tears and opened it, revealing a face she hadn’t expected to see—Uncle Lu, the Jones family’s longtime butler.

“Uncle Lu?” Evelyn whispered, shocked. The elderly man smiled warmly; his eyes soft with kindness. “How are you, young miss?”

The moment Evelyn saw him, the tears she had fought so hard to hold back came rushing out again. To anyone else, her tears might have seemed like tears of joy, but Uncle Lu had known her since she was a child. He could tell the difference between her happiness and her sorrow. Gently, he cupped her face, wiping away her tears. “Eve, my dear, why are you crying? What’s wrong? Tell me.”

Unable to speak, Evelyn collapsed into his arms, her sobs wracking her body. Uncle Lu, sensing her pain, didn’t push for answers. Instead, he simply held her, offering her the quiet comfort she had longed for but never received from her family.

Introduction

The Butler of the Jones Family

Name: Butler Lu

Age: 60+

Occupation: Ex-PA of Old Master Jones and the current Butler of the Jones Family (was sent to be the Butler by Old Master Jones)

Likes: Evelyn as his own daughter, Old Master and Madam of the Jones, Cooking and Working

Dislikes: The Jones Family (Excluding Olivia) especially Daisy, their behaviour towards Evelyn, Edward, Amelia and May

That’s it for now…

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