Chapter 4

"Grandma Hayes," I interrupted, my voice cutting through the tense silence. Everyone turned to look at me. I walked forward, my steps steady, and gave the old woman a respectful smile. "Between Liam and me, it was always just my unrequited affection. Everyone knows Bethany is the one he's always loved. To ensure Liam's happiness, I sincerely hope you'll approve of their marriage."

The room went so quiet you could hear a pin drop. My own parents stared at me as if I' d grown a second head.

Liam was the first to break the silence. His voice was dangerously low. "What did you just call me?"

I ignored him and turned to my parents. "Mom, Dad, let's go."

I tried to walk past him, but he shot out an arm, blocking my path. His eyes were like chips of ice. "Scarlett, I asked you a question. What did you call me?"

I was genuinely confused for a second. He had always, always, insisted I call him "Uncle Liam" in front of the families. It was his way of reminding everyone of the age gap, of our supposedly platonic, familial bond. It was a way to keep me at a distance. Now that I was finally doing it, he was angry?

"Uncle Liam," I said, my voice patient. "You don't need to doubt my intentions. I swear, I genuinely wish you and Bethany a long and happy life together."

The title, spoken so calmly, seemed to hit him like a physical blow.

I tried to move around him again, heading for my parents. He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my skin. The look in his eyes was dark, almost unhinged.

"You're that kind?" he sneered. "I know you, Scarlett. Since we were kids, anything you wanted, you'd fight for it. You'd scratch and claw and never give up. That's why I hated you."

His words were cruel, but they no longer hurt. They were just the ramblings of a man who was losing control.

"I'm warning you," he continued, his grip tightening. "Bethany is going to be my wife. If you dare to bully her or frame her again like you used to, I won't just come after you. I'll make sure the entire O'Connell family pays for it."

The threat against my family. That, I felt. A cold dread washed over me as I remembered their tragic fate in my past life. I remembered my father's empty eyes and my mother's premature gray hair. I would not let that happen again.

I forced the emotion down, swallowing the lump in my throat. I even managed a faint, dismissive smile. "Uncle Liam, please rest assured. From now on, I, Scarlett O'Connell, will keep a very low profile. I won't appear in front of you and Bethany and stain your eyes."

He stared at me, his expression stunned. His grip on my arm loosened, and he instinctively let go. He looked like he was about to say something else, but I didn't give him the chance. I turned on my heel, took my bewildered parents by the arm, and walked out of that room without a backward glance.

Within two hours, the news was all over the city's elite social circle. Liam Hayes had publicly dumped his devoted childhood friend, Scarlett O'Connell, at their own engagement dinner to propose to his scandalous ex, Bethany Miller.

I became a laughingstock overnight. The poor, pathetic girl who'd wasted a decade on a man who threw her away like trash.

The next day, I didn't hide. I didn't cry. I accompanied my father to the city's most exclusive horse racing club. Not to watch the races, but to meet with several property developers he'd been trying to court.

While my father was in his meeting, I used my knowledge of the future. I approached a few smaller, independent investors. I knew exactly which plots of land the city was planning to rezone for a massive commercial development project. I knew which seemingly worthless downtown properties were about to become goldmines.

I used the trust fund my grandparents had left me and made several offers. I acquired several undervalued land plots and commercial buildings at incredibly low prices.

Everyone who heard about it thought I was crazy. They whispered that being dumped by Liam had finally made me lose my mind, that I was squandering my family's fortune on a reckless whim.

But my parents didn't question me. They saw the confidence in my eyes, the certainty in my actions. They trusted me. And their unwavering support was the only thing in the world that mattered.