Chapter 2 I couldn't be bothered to watch her act , so I turned and headed back to my room . " Amelia . " Ethan called after me , his voice heavy with unspoken tension . " Violet ... it's her first time here today , so she might be a little nervous and spoke without thinking . Don't take it to heart . " I glanced at Violet, who was half - hidden behind him , her gaze full of smug satisfaction . The weight in my chest turned to ice . " Ethan , " I said seriously , looking at him , " She called me your child bride and said that's what many people have been saying outside . " " Do you really think she just spoke without thinking ? " Ethan furrowed his brows , his expression darkening . " People are just talking nonsense . Why would you take it seriously ? Violet didn't mean any harm . " No harm ? I took a deep breath and suddenly felt like there was nothing left to say . If he wanted to believe his girlfriend was a pure and innocent angel , anything I said would be in vain . " Fine , I get it . " I nodded , didn't look at him again , and turned to head upstairs . I lay in bed that night , tossing and turning , unable to sleep . My phone lit up with a message from my best friend , Zoe Miller : [ Amelia ! I heard your brother brought his girlfriend home ? ] [ How is she ? Pretty ? Is she nice to you ? ] Chapter 2 33.33 % I forced a bitter smile and typed : [ She's pretty , but she thinks I'm my brother's child bride . ] Zoe flipped out and called me immediately . " What the hell ?! Is she crazy ?! What century are we in ? Child brides ? " " You're the apple of your parents ' eye . Who does she think she is ? And your brother , isn't he doing anything about it ? " " He thinks she didn't mean any harm , that I'm overthinking it , " I said gloomily . " No harm ? Are you kidding me ? That's pure malice ! " Zoe raged on the other end , "She's purposely trying to annoy you , making digs at you in front of your brother and parents . She's telling you that as an adopted daughter , you shouldn't even try to compete with her ! What a manipulative bitch! A slut ! " Her rant made me feel a little better . " Forget it , I won't be seeing her much anyway . " I tried to comfort her , and myself . " Maybe these two won't last anyway . " But Zoe was still furious . " Don't back down ! If she says anything stupid next time , just confront her ! You're Amelia Collins ! " I said this , but I didn't want to make things difficult for Martin and Carol . They had done so kind to me . I didn't want to cause conflict with my brother's girlfriend , who he brought home . But clearly , I underestimated Violet's ability to stir trouble . She seemed determined to cement the idea of me being the so - called " child bride " and use that to highlight her own position as the future lady of the house . She started coming to our house more often , adopting the role of the " lady of the house . " When Martin and Carol weren't around , she'd cling to Ethan , and then " casually " care about my life . " Amelia , is this dress from Carol ? It's lovely . " Chapter 2 33.33 % " But this brand isn't really suitable for young girls . It's too luxurious and makes you look a bit older . " She barged into my walk - in closet , pointing to a dress Carol had bought for me . " Next time , I'll take you to buy something more your age , something more youthful . " At other times , she'd bring up my academic achievements on purpose . " Amelia , your grades are impressive . I heard you're a top student from the Ivy League ? That's amazing . But , honestly , it's tough for a girl to focus so much on studying , isn't it ? " " Anyway , the Collins family will never treat you unfairly , so just find an easy job in the future . " The last straw for me came during a family gathering . Some relatives from the Collins family were present . Someone complimented me on how much more beautiful I'd become . With Violet , we look like sisters . Violet smiled sweetly back then , hugging me affectionately . " Yes , Amelia and I really hit it off . Even though she's Ethan's adopted sister , I've always thought of her as my own sister . " " After she graduates , we'll find her a good family , and she'll have a grand wedding . We'll never let her suffer . " The tables fell silent for a brief moment . The expressions of some elders grew a little awkward . " Adopted sister . " " Find her a good family . " " Grand wedding . " Every word felt like it hit me where it hurt , pushing me from the position of a daughter in the Collins family to that of an adopted girl who needed Violet , the future lady of the house , to take care of her . I put my fork down and looked up . Carol's face was no longer smiling . She coughed softly and looked at Ethan . " Ethan ? " Under the table , Ethan tugged at Violet's hand , signaling her to stop talking . But Violet seemed completely unaware , even smiling sweetly as she placed some food in my bowl . Chapter 2 33.33 % " Amelia , eat more . You're still growing . Don't worry . You'll have me around from now on . " I looked at the food in my plate , then lifted my gaze to meet her hypocritical and calculating smile I took a deep breath , ready to speak up . " Violet . " Martin had already set his glass down . His voice wasn't loud , but it carried an undeniable authority . " Amelia is our daughter . Her future is for her to decide . " " The Collins family is her home . There's no talk of marrying her off or anything like that . Don't say that again . " Violet's smile froze completely , her face shifting between red and pale . She mumbled , " I'm sorry , Martin , I didn't mean it like that . " " Let's eat , " Martin said calmly , cutting her off , and didn't look at her again . The atmosphere during the rest of the meal dropped to freezing point . I knew Martin was standing up for me . But the more he defended me , the more venomous Violet's gaze became . I knew this wasn't over . Chapter 2 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!