Eunice's smile was gentle and beautiful as she spoke, "I've cherished you for eighteen years, honey. You wouldn't leave without
even saying a word to me, would you?"
"What exactly are you trying to say, Aunt Eunice?"
"I know you're still a kid at heart, love. There are sthings you might not know how to handle, so | thought maybe | could help
you."
"You still suspect that | had something to do with what happened last night, don't you?" Serena lifted her gaze, a touch of hurt in
her eyes as she bit her lower lip, asking sadly, "Am | right?"
"Is this incident related to you in any way?"
Tears began to stream down Serena's face, her eyes filled with an unbearable sense of injustice. She seemed to be holding back
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇther emotions, but the sense of being wronged made her reveal a hint of resentment.
"Why do you have to think so poorly of me, Aunt Eunice? If my sister had never cback to this family, if there had never been
any mix-up, would you still think ofthis way?"
Looking into Eunice's eyes with profound sadness, Serena asked, "If | were still your biological niece, if | still shared blood with this
family, if | were still the sold Serena I've always been, would you still believe that | was capable of such a thing?"
Eunice remained silent; her beautiful eyes gave nothing away.
"Just because I'm not the flesh and blood of this family, you think you can throw any accusation at me. If one day it turns out that |
have nothing to do with this, will you feel even the slightest bit of guilt for how you've treatedtoday?"
Eunice's gaze fell upon her, but she still said nothing.
Serena laughed, though her smile was laced with bitterness and sorrow, "I know you won't. Because in your eyes, I'm no longer
your dear niece. Now you have my sister, who is more capable and impressive than | am. The less she speaks, the more you all
think she's better than me. Isn't that right?"
"Serena."
Eunice seemed like someone who had weathered great storms; the slight turbulence before her did nothing to disturb the calm
composure of her smile and gaze.
"You might have forgotten, but I've only just returned to this family. After what I've been through, | look at everyone with fresh
eyes, not like your grandparents, whose image of you is frozen in the past. A person who lived under the identity of her sister for
eighteen years, fighting over simple things like a breakfast burrito or a cheesy omelette, completely disregarding the hardships she
endured all these years; A person who deliberately hid her sister's true identity, allowing her boyfriend to believe her 'fiancé' was
seduced by her sister."
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
"A person who doesn't even care when her own boyfriend is hurt, not sparing him a single look of concern. Someone who, even
when drunk, can't stop thinking about her brother-in-law. Do you think | can look at her with the seyes as before?"
Serena looked up, her emotions complex as she faced the woman before her.
"lI watched you grow up, thinking | knew you. But it turns out | didn't know you at all; you've beca stranger to me. Since we've
cthis far, | will ask you straight. Did you do it? Did you kill him?"
Serena closed her eyes in despair, letting the tears fall freely before finally replying, "No, | didn't."
Before Eunice could respond, Serena continued, "No matter if you're straightforward or beating around the bush with your
questions, the answer is no. | won't admit to something | didn't do. How he died has nothing to do with me, and if you're only here
to talk about that, then there's nothing left for us to discuss."
Eunice looked into her eyes and simply said, "Alright, then we won't discuss it."
Serena was taken aback, looking at her aunt with a mix of surprise and confusion.