Chapter 118: Chapter 118

Winter's POV

I woke up with Matthew hugging me tightly like a pillow as he slept.I roamed my eyes around the room and didn't find Elisse anywhere. I couldn't hear her voice from anywhere inside the room either.

She woke up early today, huh?

She probably went out to play with Maggie. She's really that close with our maids. That's why we had no choice but to bring them with us here in New Zealand.

I turned my body to Matthew, who was still sleeping soundly. I couldn't help but smile as I stared at his handsome, innocent face as he sleeps. He really looks like a little kid whenever he sleeps. His brows were furrowed as if he was fighting with someone in his dreams and his lips were pouting. He got so tired from driving and carrying all our things yesterday, that's probably the reason why he's still asleep right now.

"What a sleepy head," I whispered, then pinched his cheeks. Good thing, that didn't wake him up. Instead, he turned to the other side without opening his eyes.

I got up and tied my hair up before going to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. After changing my clothes, I went outside to look for Elisse. As I reached the kitchen, I saw Maggie and the other maids preparing our breakfast. They all stopped what they were doing and looked at me instead. "Good morning, Miss Winter. Is there something you need us to do for you?"

"Have you seen Elisse?" I asked them.

"I have seen her a while ago, Miss Winter. She said she's just going to play in the living room." Maggie replied. She's a twenty-year old with red bob hair who loves to play with Elisse. I don't even know why, but Elisse told me Maggie is her favorite among our maids. Probably because they play together a lot.

"But she's not in there." I replied.

They looked at each other. As I was about to speak again, we heard some noise coming from upstairs. Upon hearing Elisse cry, I immediately ran going to Summer's room where I heard the noise was coming from. As I opened the door, I saw Summer hitting Elisse with her hand while Elisse was crying in pain.

"What the hell do you think you're doing to my daughter?!" I yelled as I grabbed Elisse by the hand. I stooped down and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't cry now, Elisse. Mommy is already here. Are you alright?"

"Mommy..."

I hugged her until she calmed down before I asked Maggie to bring her downstairs. As soon as they left, I faced Summer again. "Who gave you the right to hurt Elisse, huh?! Are you really out of your mind that you'll hurt even an innocent kid?!"

"She went inside my room without any permission and even spilled a glass of milk on my face while I was sleeping! She probably wanted to kill me!"

"And why do you think would an innocent kid do that? Elisse will never do such awful thing!"

"But she did! I don't know, maybe you asked her to do so!"

I sarcastically laugh. "Well, I really wish I could do that! But I am not like you! You know what? I really thought you already changed, but it looks like you still have those horns on your head. Acting so innocent in front of everyone when im fact, you are way awful than me!"

"Shut up, Winter! You should just be thankful I even invited you to have a vacation with us together with your poor husband and your stupid kid!"

"How dare you say things like that about my family, you witch!"

I immediately ran towards her and pulled her hair. "Ouch! What the hell are you doing?! Let go of me!"

"You never really changed! You're still an actress! You're still as awful as before!"

"That's not my fault anymore! You haven't changed either! You're still that insecure Winter who have always been jealous of me!" she yelled back while pulling my hair, too.

I pulled her hair too hard that she screamed in pain. "And why would I be insecure with you? I am much better than you in any aspect!"

"Oh, Winter? We both know why! Ever since we were kids, you were jealous of me because I was always the one who gets the attention! The one who gets all the love you want! And the one who gets all the compliments!!"

I pushed her to the floor and sat down on her tummy while I was still pulling her hair. She was then trying to kick me and push me away, but I was much stronger than her. I just got surprised when she suddenly hit me with her stiletto that she probably grabbed from under her bed.

"Ouch! What the hell!"

"You witch! This is what you deserve from hurting me! What are you going to do now, huh?! I'm going to kill you!" she yelled while continously hitting me with her stilletto.

"What's happening here?! Winter! Summer!"

Mommy suddenly barged in and pulled me away from Summer.

"Mommy!"

As usual, Summer immediately changed to her innocent facade. She started crying while mom was trying to console her.

"You Winter! What did you do to Summer, huh?! Don't you ever learn?!" mom yelled at me.

I stood up while holding the arm that Summer kept on hitting with her stilletto a while ago. "You should be asking that woman instead. She hit Elisse who didn't even do anything to her!"

"That's not true, mommy... I didn't hit Elisse... I didn't do that..." Sumemr said, then she began crying.

"Oh, there you are again. Playing to be the victim when you are the one who started this shit!"

"Shut up! You ungrateful child! You never really changed! You're still that hard-headed kid who doesn't know anything but put the blame to Summer!"

I rolled my eyes. "Right. Of course, you'll believe your favorite child. You won't listen to me because I don't mean anything to you. Because in your eyes, I was always the villain, right?! Because I never did anything right!"

"Because that's the truth! You never did anything right! You just keep on doing things that would embarrass our family! And you want us to be proud of you?! Huh?! You want us to be proud of someone who never gave anything to this family but shame and scandals?!"

I could feel the tears from my eyes while looking at my mom. It's been a while since we last had a fight like this. I really thought I won't get hurt anymore, but now that this is happening, all the hatred that I felt before came back.

"Right, I never did anything right for this family. Because you don't recognize all of my achievements and everything that I do. Because you refuse to see the good things in me! Because you never cared about me!" I finally burst into tears. "That time when I got high grades in middle school, I was so proud to show my grades to you, but what did you do? You ignored me and asked for Summer's report card instead! When I worked hard just to buy you a gift during your 39th birthday, you threw my gift away and even accused me of stealing money! You never saw all the things that I did for you, mom. You don't know how much it hurts me whenever you try to compare me to your favorite daughter! Whenever we're in front of so many people but you'll act as if I don't exist! Why are you doing all these things to me, mom? Don't you even love me?! Don't you care for me?! Why do you act like I am not even your child!

"Because you are not!"

Tears continue to cascade down my cheeks while looking at her. When she said those words, my eyes widened. "W-What did you say?"

Mommy had tears in her eyes already. She heaved a deep sigh before speaking again. "The reason why I hated you since the very start. The reason why l act like I don't care about you, the way I never treated you as my child, it was all because you are not my daughter. You are not blood-related to any of us, Winter."

It was as if everything just stopped, even the time. All of the things that happened in the past suddenly came back to me. The way they treated me, the way they looked at me.

I shook my head while looking at her. "N-No, that can't be true... Are you fooling me right now, mommy? No.... Tell me that's not true..."

"Winter!"

The door went open again and Matthew, together with Daddy and Grandpa stepped in.

"What's happening here?"

I turned around and faced grandpa and daddy. "Is that true? Daddy? Grandpa? A-Am I... Am I really not your child? I am not blood-related to any of you?"

"W-What is this... Monica!" grandpa yelled.

"Why, Dad? Isn't it true? It's been so many years now. Do you really plan on hiding the truth forever? Why don't you just tell this woman that you and grandma only found her in front of our house one night?! Tell her!"

"I said shut up!"

I froze in place. Tears couldn't stop falling from my eyes as I stared at them. I felt Matthew's hand on my shoulders, but I brushed that off and faced grandpa again. "Is this why you can't show me any photos when I was born? Is this why you can't answer any of my questions about my childhood back then?"

"Winter, let me--

"You lied to me, grandpa! all of you lied to me! You made me look like a fool all of my life!"

"Honey, that is not what you're thinking. It's---

"Enough. I don't want to hear any more lies or excuses. I hate you, grandpa. Oh, wait, you're

not even my grandpa. I don't even belong in this family in the first place."

Before they could even speak again, I walked out of that room.

"Winter, wait!"

I feel so ashamed of myself. I feel so betrayed. I feel like a fool.

They all lied to me!

I ran outside the manor and kept on walking while tears streaming down my face. People were already looking at me, but I didn't mind them and just kept on walking while trying to wipe the tears from my eyes.

Grandpa, I trusted him the most. He made me believe that I belong to that family. They made me look like a fool question my worth my whole life...

As if the world was trying to tease me even more, the rain started pouring so hard. I stayed standing in the middle of the road while crying out loud like a kid.

As the rain continue pouring down, my tears kept on streaming down my face too. How I hope the rain could erase the pain in my heart, too.

"Winter!"

I turned around with my tear-stained face, only to see Matthew trying to catch his breath while looking so worried about me. He slowly walked towards me and pulled me close to him. Feeling his warmth and home in his arms, I burst into a loud cry again. I cried and cried like a kid while he was just hugging me tightly in the middle of the crowd, under the rain.

"They fooled me, Matthew... I am not related to them... They are not my real family.... They made me believe... I.... I.... I hate myself...."

"Ssshhh.... It's not uour fault....." he whispered.

"Grandpa.... I thought he was reall my grandpa... He promised me he would never lie to me.... But he did..... He lied to me.... He lied about my real identity... he lied about everything..... I hate all of them..... I hate them...."