Chapter 3

I sat there, fuming and dumbfounded for a few moments.

I grabbed my phone to call my father and demanded some answers.

The line rang a few times before someone picked up, but it wasn't my father—it was his secretary. Her voice came through polite but apologetic.

"Mr. Burberry is currently inspecting the development project at the mountain resort. He doesn't have his phone on him and can't be reached for now. Ms. Murphy, if it's something urgent, you can tell me, and I'll relay the message to him as soon as he returns."

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to rein in my temper.

"That's fine. Thank you, Betsy," I said, striving to keep my voice calm.

Lately, my father had been run ragged with the company's new business expansion. He worked tirelessly, day and night, to the point that even catching a glimpse of him had become a rare occurrence.

But tomorrow was my graduation ceremony, and no matter how busy he was, I knew he wouldn't miss it.

I stared at my phone screen for a long moment before typing in my mother's number. My finger hovered hesitantly over the call button.

That video earlier had left a knot of unease in my chest. How could Sally be so confident, so self-assured? Could it really be possible that she… was my father's illegitimate child?

The thought alone sent a cold shiver down my spine. Wealth has a way of corrupting men, doesn't it? Could my father have committed that mistake—the one that seems to plague men everywhere?

The moment the idea crossed my mind, I shook my head violently, trying to banish it.

No, that couldn't be. My father had always been a responsible man, a family man through and through. He treated my mother with more love and care than he ever showed me, his own daughter. No matter how busy he was, he always made the effort to brighten her day, to make her smile.

A man like that—my father—couldn't possibly betray his family.

That reassurance eased my nerves, and I dismissed the notion of calling my mother. I couldn't let baseless suspicions disrupt the harmony of our home.

Maybe this whole situation was just a misunderstanding, something I didn't yet understand.

Still, no matter how much I tried to reason it away, the uneasiness lingered. My mind refused to settle, and that night, I tossed and turned in bed, unable to find any peace. It wasn't until the early hours of morning that sleep finally began to claim me.

When I woke up the next morning, the graduation ceremony had already started. Panicked, I scrambled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and bolted toward the school auditorium.

As I neared the hall, the lively chatter of a crowd reached my ears. Outside the grand entrance stood an enormous rainbow arch, with bold letters that read:

"A Warm Welcome to Esteemed Entrepreneur Mr. Roger Burberry for Attending Our Graduation Ceremony!"

Beside it was a life-sized cardboard cutout of my father.

And there, basking in the spotlight, stood Sally, beaming as she posed for photos with classmates who had eagerly flocked to her.

"Sally, you've been keeping too low a profile! If it weren't for what happened in the group chat yesterday, I'd never have known that the chairman of Sanfiric Inc.'s daughter is my classmate!"

"Exactly! Not only is Sally from a wealthy family, but she's also beautiful and kind. You've got to help us out more, you know, as old classmates!"

"Yeah, Sally, does your family's company hire fresh grads? Could you give us alumni some priority consideration?"

"By the way, your dress is stunning, Sally. It must be custom-made, right? Honestly, only you could pull off something so elegant."

One of the girls circled Sally, her eyes brimming with envy.

Sally, soaking up the compliments, smiled even brighter. Tilting her chin slightly, a flicker of smugness danced in her gaze.

"This dress? My dad had a designer custom-make it just for me," she said with an air of nonchalance.

She was draped in an opulent white gown, her long hair flowing over her shoulders, her makeup flawless. She looked every bit like a princess.

By contrast, I had thrown on a pair of jeans and a plain T-shirt in my rush, tying my hair into a simple ponytail. Standing next to her, I couldn't have looked more out of place.

When the crowd noticed me, their chatter faded, replaced by disdainful stares.

"What's she doing here?" someone muttered. Though quiet, the words reached my ears loud and clear.

Sally's lips curled into a faint, mocking smile when she saw me. With a delicate hand, she smoothed her dress and said,

"Well, if it isn't Rachel, who claims to be Sanfiric Inc.'s heiress. Showing up to a graduation ceremony dressed like that?"

Her remark triggered a burst of laughter from the surrounding students.

"Ha! Just look at her, she's dressed worse than me and still dares to compete with Sally."

"Right? She's so deep in her delusion she actually believes she's some kind of heiress."

"I'm telling you, she's just crazy—going around claiming to be the chairman's daughter. It's hilarious!"

One girl rolled her eyes, strutted over, and sneered as she tugged at my sleeve.

"Look at this outfit—it's cheap, isn't it? Probably from some roadside stall. And you call yourself a rich girl? Dream on!"

She gave my sleeve a hard yank. I glared at her and stepped back, trying to free myself, but the sound of ripping fabric rang out. With one sharp pull, she'd torn the sleeve of my T-shirt.

"With this kind of quality, you're still pretending to be a rich heiress?"

Her smirk widened in mockery. But then, as if struck by lightning, her face froze.