Becoming a Monster (1)

Tears spilled uncontrollably from Adrienne's eyes. Her hatred towards the Jiang family had risen to another level. She'd done all she thought she could to save her mother's life, only to discover that all of this had happened because of these wicked people.

Adrienne was willing to go to hell and back to save her mother, and there was nothing she wouldn't do for her. Alas, it was all for naught. She thought she could save her mother by giving up her own life. She refused to give up on her mother, no matter how slim the odds were.

"Foolish girl." Adrienne heard Camilla tsked at her. The audacity of this snake to look at her with a smug face infuriated her further. "If it wasn't for your paternal grandfather forcing your parents to be together, do you think you would exist in this world? Lewis would have abandoned your mother long ago if it weren't for you." She added with mockery.

Adrienne's mind was in a mess, rage coursing through her veins. If only she weren't in this horrible state, she would have committed murder right then and there. Unfortunately, she could do nothing but glare at the people responsible for her mother's untimely death, the ones who continued to torment her at every given chance they had.

Her mother would no doubt be devastated if she knew that not only did her husband cheat on her, but he attempted to take her life. Everything she had before the accident fell into his mistress's hands.

Adrienne felt sick. She closed her eyes, and everything that happened in the last ten years of her life played in her mind. She tried to rein her emotions but couldn't stop her entire body from trembling.

For years, she thought of how unfortunate she was to lead a life like this. She had lost not only her mother but also Myrtle in the process. She ended up falling out with people she cared about. But who would have thought that these wicked people would be the cause of her demise?

When she was young, a traveling monk divined her birth and deemed her bearing the star of calamity to her parents. Her mother, a modern business woman brushed off the monk's claim with a laugh, but her father stared at her as if she was a mistake he needed to uproot immediately.

It made sense to Adrienne now. The trap for her and her mother might have been laid way before her fifteenth birthday. Her birth might have ruined their plan and forced them to devise a new one. No wonder her father was willing to let her mother die. He and Camilla must have been waiting for his first wife to perish.

Adrienne couldn't help but remember her father's expression when she begged him to help her mother. His stern look was enough for her to understand that he had abandoned her and that no love was left for her, even if she was also his flesh and blood.

She had lost everything and was played like a fool until the end. Perhaps dying right now wouldn't be so bad after all. A fitting punishment for being stupid enough to fall for schemes and not being able to retaliate at all. How can she hold her head up after knowing this?

Her chest ached, and she coughed, blood spilling from her lips. Her veins felt like it was on fire, and every inch of her body was being incinerated. It must be the work of a poison. These three were taking every measure to ensure that she wouldn't make it alive after this.

How foolish. Adrienne thought. Couldn't they see that she hadn't an ounce of strength left to resist them now?

"Oh, the poison is finally working now. You don't have much time left, dear sister." Elise, her innocent fairy-like sister, smiled at her. She couldn't even contain the excitement in her eyes in anticipation of Adrienne's demise.

Adrienne could only seeth in anger, unwilling to resign to her fate. Seeing her expression, Elise continued with a slight smile. "Does elder sister know I don't like sharing what is mine? I cannot even tolerate watching you look down on me for being the second miss of the Jiang family. Dear sister, I have endured your existence for many years. I took everything that belonged to you. Please be assured that I will enjoy them to my heart's content."

Despite being born from a different mother, Adrienne once tried to bond with Elise, but couldn't. She couldn't fathom why her half-sister hated her to this extent. Elise chuckled and shook her head as if knowing what she was thinking.

"Why? Don't tell me you didn't think lowly of me because I'm the daughter from the affair your father had with my mother? Didn't you think you were better than me because your mother was the first miss of the prestigious Zhao family? It's a pity, dear sister. The Zhao family doesn't care about you and your mother. Had they stepped up for the two of you, it would be harder for my father to seize everything from your mother."

Adrienne knew very well that the only reason the Zhao family didn't intervene was because she had failed her test. Unlike other wealthy families, the Zhao family raised their children with an iron hand. Her grandparents had disapproved of her parents' marriage, but her mother proceeded anyway.

Her grandfather told Adrienne to become a vicious tiger before seeking him. Alas, the old man must have known that she would fail miserably. Just look at where she is now. She had allowed these wicked people to ruin her life for good.

"Like mother, like daughter. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree after all. She probably hasn't realized yet why her mother never woke up." Cayden scoffed, his brows frowning when he realized the snow was about to fall again.