Chapter 3

I couldn't help but drift behind my three brothers, my heart gradually sinking deeper. Driven by their anger, my brothers soon arrived at the cellar door. "Victoria Caldwell, do you really think you can dodge punishment by staying quiet inside?" Yet, no sound came from within the cellar. Bruce's expression turned grim. "Victoria, drop the act. Get out now! You have to kneel and apologize to Luce today! Hiding in there and cutting off contact won't change the fact that you hurt her." Clark was just as furious, his eyes blazing as he snapped, "Victoria, you've really outdone yourself. You're deliberately giving us the silent treatment to spite us because you're upset we treat Luce well, right? Do you think hiding in the cellar stubbornly will make us back down?" Yet, the cellar remained silent. Aaron glanced at the trembling maid and asked coldly, "Why are you trembling? Did the brat bribe you to let her escape?" Bruce let out a cold snort. "With her nasty temper, she probably couldn't stand the cellar's environment once we left and had the maid let her out." Disappointment flashed across Clark's eyes. "You nearly got Lucy killed and still refuse to own up to it. Are you even the Vicky I knew? You're not our only sister, you know." Right then, the maid replied fearfully, "Mr. Aaron, without your order, we wouldn't dare release her! Ms. Caldwell has been in the cellar for three whole days." As Clark stared at the calm cellar, a flicker of unease appeared in his gaze. He strode forward and pulled the door a few times, but it didn't budge. "Victoria, that's enough. I've already unlocked the door. Are you gripping the door, refusing to come out?" I glanced at the cellar door twisted from within and flashed a bitter smile. Back then, as I was suffocating and desperate to survive, I kept hurling myself against the door, driven by nothing but the instinct to live. Alas, the cellar door was strangely solid. It wouldn't budge at all. In the end, I was left to die there, suffocating to my death. Could they show me some love after seeing my body and bury me next to my parents? I really hoped they would. Aaron grew increasingly irritated and began kicking the door. Because of that, the warped cellar door cracked open, and a foul, rotten stench immediately drifted out. The maid was shaking. "It smells like… a dead body!" Bruce and Clark stormed forward angrily. "What dead body? She must've gotten out ages ago and just threw a dead rat in to trick us!" "Victoria, do you think we're that easily fooled?" The three of them grew more and more frustrated, kicking on the door together until the cellar entrance started to tremble. Finally, the door opened with a bang. The stench grew stronger as the dark, cramped cellar was revealed to everyone.