8

After that incident, I became cold to Rachel for several years and could no longer trust her wholeheartedly. Because she lost my favor, her status in the Smith family plummeted. She no longer dared to bully newcomers at will and became much more restrained. Auntie Evans monitored her more and more closely. As long as she slacked off, Auntie Evans would whip her with a belt. I could often hear the harsh sound of the belt and her wailing.

Rachel was afraid that I would drive her away, so she spared no effort to please me. And in order to keep this play going, my attitude towards her gradually softened, but it would never return to the previous state. After all, if Rachel regained power, she would be more arrogant and domineering than before, and bully the servants in the house more unscrupulously.

On my eighteenth birthday, my grandma and dad held a grand birthday party for me, booking an entire castle to celebrate my coming of age. They also announced on the spot that they would transfer 20% of the group's shares to me as my coming-of-age gift. I was surrounded by people, like a noble princess, enjoying the flattery and praise of everyone in the castle.