Chapter 7 LILITH 288 Vouchers Before I found out about the aflair and my subsequent confinement , I used to believe I was lucky to have in - laws who cherished and treated me like their own daughter . But that illusion shattered when I overheard them instructing Brandon and Claire - right to my face - to keep me locked up and ensure I couldn't reach my family for help . That was when I realized the truth : the family I married into was nothing but a den of snakes and wolves - each one a better actor than the last . Thinking of those memories , I ignored Brandon and continued walking , dropping two cold words as I passed him . " No need ." Unexpectedly , he grabbed my arm , his brows furrowed . " Is something wrong ? You've been acting strange since you arrived . " The moment his hand touched me , goosebumps rose on my skin . Without hesitation , I yanked my arm away , a look of disgust flashing across my face . " Don't touch me . " His expression visibly stiffened , but after a quick glance around , he composed himself, tugging an awkward smile onto his lips . " Seems like you're in a pretty bad mood today . " 08:47 Chapter 7 11 288 Nruchers Even now , he was still trying to play the role of a perfect gentleman . Of course , that was if I ignored the flash of anger in his eyes . Perfect gentleman ? More like perfect hypocrite . Quick to his rescue , Claire stepped forward , nudging Brandon as she flashed me a knowing smile . She seemed about to link arms with me , but likely remembering how I'd rejected her earlier on , she held back . " Don't hold it against her , Brandon . She's probably just nervous about the big announcement tonight , " she said sweetly . " After all , her biggest wish is finally coming true . " " Isn't that right , Lily ? " She winked playfully at me towards the end of her words . In the past , I'd hidden my true thoughts from everyone but Claire . She was the only one who the knew I wasn't truly in love with Brandon . That I simply saw him as a means to escape suffocating control of my parents . So by saying that , she was subtly reminding me not to forget my ' goal . ' Speaking of which , this wasn't the first time she'd pulled something like this . Brandon , as perfect as he pretended to be , occasionally upset me in small ways , and during those moments , Claire would use words like this to coax me back into submission . Looking back now , I could only shake my head at myself . Instead of relying on myself to escape my parents ' control , I chose to place my hope on others and as a result , slowly led myself down a path of no return . In the end , I wasn't completely innocent in how things turned out in my past life . Snapping out of my thoughts , I suddenly smiled at Claire . 08:47 Chapter 7 286 Vouchers " You're right . My biggest wish will be coming true tonight . And you two ... " I paused meaningfully , " will be the most important audience . " I watched them exchange glances , a similar flash of relief flickering in their eyes . No doubt , they thought I was ' back to normal . ' I even caught the smug glint of disdain in Claire's eyes . I bet she was secretly calling me a fool . I smiled inwardly . Let's see if she could still remain this complacent when they saw my little ' gift . ' " Excuse me , I need to go to the restroom , " I said and without waiting for them to respond , walked past them . On the way out , I inevitably exchanged polite greetings with a few guests . By the time I slipped through the side entrance , I breathed a soft sigh of relief . Whether in my past life or this one , I'd always hated social niceties . They left me drained . As I neared the ladies ' room and was about to step in , I caught a conversation already underway . " You both saw her just now , didn't you ? Doesn't she seem like a completely different person ? " said the first speaker . " Saw who ? " came the second voice . " Oh , you mean Lilith ? " " Who else ? " A third voice joined in . " Yeah , I noticed it too . She looked totally different from before . 08:47 0 Chapter 7 288 Vouchers Then came her laugh . " She used to have such terrible fashion sense , dressing in pink from head to toe as if she was a living doll . With such tastes , it makes it hard to believe that her mom is a renowned fashion designer . " No matter how many times I reminded myself not to care about things like this , I still found that it hurt . It seemed that no matter how long it's been , or how much I've changed , this topic would always be a sore spot . " Anyway , she looked gorgeous tonight ," the second voice said with a hint of appreciation . " Never thought I'd ever say that about her ... " " Gorgeous ? " the first speaker scoffed , her voice sour . " Please . She's obliviously just trying to seduce Brandon . " " Everyone knows that if not for their childhood engagement , Brandon wouldn't spare her a second look . " " That's kind of harsh ... " came the second speaker's voice . " They're officially getting engaged tonight , aren't they ? So why should you speak of seduction and whatnot ? " " Oh , so you're defending her now ? " the first speaker's voice rose sharply . " Yeah , Nina , " the third one chimed in . " Why are you sticking up for her ? You friends with her or something ? " ' Nina , ' I mentally noted the name . It was still too early to tell , but maybe she'd be worth getting to know In my past life , Claire had been my only ' friend . ' In this life , I hoped that would change . That being said , I'd heard enough . 08:47 Chapter 7 288 ( Vouchers I had more important things to do that listen to jealous whispers outside the restroom . So I stepped inside . A hush fell the moment the door opened , and three pairs of eyes met mine in the mirror . " L ... Lilith . " the doll - faced one stammered , her face pale with embarrassment . I recognized her voice . She was Nina . Before I could say a single word , they all scrambled away like startled pigeons after snatching their clutches off the counter . Only Nina managed a soft , breathless " sorry " before darting out after the others . I shook my head in amusement . Bold enough to trash - talk someone behind their back , but the moment they're face to face ? They couldn't even let out a squeak . " Cowards , " I muttered . Setting my clutch on the marble counter , I pulled out my phone and messaged the number I'd gotten from the private investigator . It belonged to a temp audiovisual ( AV ) technician hired as a replacement for today's banquet tonight - perfectly positioned to act as my backstage assistant . { You can begin now . } The reply came almost instantly . 08:47 Chapter 7 288 Vouchers ( Got it . } I slipped the phone back into my clutch and looked at my reflection in the mirror , a faint smile on my face . The good show I'd been waiting for was finally about to begin . How could I possibly miss it ? Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!