Chapter 2: Differentiation.
Chapter 2: Differentiation.
"Please give me a few minutes. It'll be quick."
The car soon arrived in the Chapel villa district. As it was difficult to get a taxi here, Lacey requested
the driver to wait for her.
"Sure do."
After receiving the driver's yes, Lacey sprinted to the villa.
She had to collect the money and get to the hospital as soon as possible.
"Ms. Carter!" The maid who opened the door called out excitedly when she saw Lacey's face. However,
her face fell at the sight of what Lacey was wearing. It turned out that she had mistaken Lacey for
someone else. "Oh, it's you. Are you here to see Mr. Carter?"
What a change of attitude.
Still, Lacey nodded as if she didn't care.
The maid began to put on airs. "Mr. Carter has a lot on his plate. I had to report your arrival in advance
—"
"I've already called him." Lacey cut the maid off in the middle of her sentence.
The maid was a little displeased by the interruption. "Come in, then," she said sourly.
With that, Lacey rushed inside. This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.
The villa was huge. It was opulent and tastefully decorated in a European style.
Amid the prosperity, Mr. Carter sat on the sofa reading a newspaper. When he saw Lacey walk in, he
glanced at her but said nothing.
It was the woman next to him, on the contrary, who was anxious. "Is everything done yet?"
Lacey nodded.
"Have you been found out?" The woman went on to ask.
Lacey shook her head.
Relieved to hear this, the woman smiled as she grasped Mr. Carter's arm. "Darling, this is wonderful
news! Lillianna is finally going to be Mrs. Garrison!"
The woman was exceptionally well-maintained. Even with her wide, unfurled smile, there were few
wrinkles around her eyes.
Mr. Carter put down the paper and patted the woman on the back of her hand, saying, "Good things
are sure to come. I knew Lillianna would never let us down."
"Yes! Now that Lillianna is about to marry into the Garrison family, we don't have to worry about our
son's future!"
Mr. Carter's grin grew even wider. "You're right! The Garrison family will soon be ours!"
"Where's my money?" Just then Lacey, who was standing off to the side, asked. She didn't have time to
listen in on their celebration.
This was the reason why Mr. Carter and her mother divorced back then.
Another woman!
The mistress eventually gave Mr. Carter a son, whom a man as patriarchal as Mr. Carter prized as a
gem.
Liliana, on the other hand, grew up with them and considered them family but despised Lacey and her
mother.
Interrupted in his joy, Mr. Carter looked at Lacey with displeasure. "Look at you, you poor sod. All you
talk about is money."
Lacey clenched her fists as she battled her rage.
"Why are you so angry with this bumpkin, dear? She was brought up in a rural environment, after all.
How can she be as decent and thoughtful as Lilliana?"
"Ha—" Lacey couldn't help but erupt into a sneer. "Who was it that pleaded with a bumpkin like me the
other day? What's the matter? Are you too old to remember? Do I need to remind you?"
She unclenched her fist. It wasn't worth getting angry at such people.
"Is that what your mother taught you?" Mr. Carter sprang to his feet. His eyes were wide with anger.
"Do you even think of me as a father!"
Lacey gave him a cold look, indicating a no.
How did he have the nerve to ask such a question? She hadn't had a father a long time ago.
"Lacey, you ungrateful child!" Annoyed, Mr. Carter took a few steps forward and raised his hand, about
to slap her.
Instead of ducking, Lacey stood up straight and lifted her chin. She looked at him tenaciously and
challenged, "Go ahead, do it. You don't see me as a daughter anyway."
Mr. Carter's hand paused in mid-air after hearing that, unable to continue his action.
"All right, all right, take it and go. Stop bothering us and ruining your father's mood!" The woman said in
disgust, dragging Mr. Carter away after tossing Lacey a cheque.
Lacey looked down at the cheque and saw a figure of $200,000 written on it.
That was the price of her virginity, two hundred thousand dollars. Even she wasn't sure that was a fair
price.
That said, this was the first money the Carters had ever given her.
Probably the last one, too.
She grinned coldly, expressing sarcasm and self-deprecation.
Without further ado, Lacey stuffed the cheque into her pocket and turned to leave.
"That's right, grab your money and leave New York! Don't ever show yourself again!" Mr. Carter's
warning came from behind her just then.
The mistress added her two cents, "Yeah! The Carters only need one daughter! Go back to where you
came from!"
Lacey jolted, fist clenched once more.
Were they pushing her to leave so much because they feared she'd spoil things for the Carter family?
What a wicked pair!