Chapter 19 Who Says I Can’t Win an Argument?
“What’s all the noise about?”
David’s deep voice rang out as he came downstairs, frowning the moment he heard the chaos.
+8 Pearls
Seeing him, Elsa immediately gained confidence and rushed to explain everything that had just happened, putting herself firmly on the side of righteousness.
After listening, David’s brows furrowed even tighter. No matter what, Windy was the Sue family’s biological daughter. If news got out that she was still wearing cheap, shabby clothes, people would think he was mistreating his own blood.
“Windy,” David said, his voice tinged with anger, “throw away all those rags you brought back from the countryside.”
Windy raised an eyebrow. This whole family was just laughable.
Always pretending to be righteous, always criticizing her, but not once asking themselves why things were the way they were.
She let out a cold laugh.
“You’re all so funny. Standing there acting high and mighty like it costs you nothing. If I throw all this out, what exactly am I supposed to wear?”
David frowned deeper. “What do you mean by that?”
Windy didn’t bother answering him directly. Instead, her gaze slid toward Elsa, her voice as sharp as a knife.
“You drape your precious adopted daughter in gold and diamonds, while I–your real daughter–have been home for days now. Has anyone bothered to buy me even one piece of clothing? I’m still a minor, you know. It’s your responsibility to provide for me. You think my clothes are shabby? Elsa stands in front of me flaunting her brand names every day. If you don’t have time to handle it, then give me the money. I’ll buy it myself.”
Before Windy even finished speaking, Elsa’s eyes were already welling up with tears. She shook her head pitifully.
“Dad, I didn’t…”
Quinn immediately cut in, her voice shrill and furious.
“Windy, watch your mouth! How dare you accuse your sister? Elsa would never flaunt anything in front of you!”
Windy leaned lazily back on the sofa, smiling faintly as she tossed out a slow, deliberate taunt.
“Wouldn’t she? You sure about that? The Sue family is supposed to be one of the top families in Ocean City. You lose your daughter for over ten years, and when you finally find her, you treat her like some freeloading distant cousin while you fawn all over the fake one.”
David’s face flushed with embarrassment.
It wasn’t about money–he didn’t care about a few clothes. It was the optics. If the outside world found out he was favoring an adopted daughter over his own flesh and blood, the Sue family’s reputation would be ruined.
Windy saw right through his concerns.
Family? Love? Those things meant nothing to these people. It was always about status, about appearances. As long as they protected the Sue name, everything else could rot.
David’s expression softened slightly.
You’ve been wronged,” he said, his voice lower now.
Then his gaze shifted to Elsa, and his face darkened a shade.
Elsa shrank back a little under the weight of his stare, sniffling as she tried to defend herself.
1211 PM
Chapter 19 Who Says I Can’t Win an Argument?
“I really didn’t, Dad. I just wanted to help Windy meet some new friends.”
But inside, she hated Windy with a passion.
That bitch! She turned the whole thing around and made her look bad in front of their father.
+8 Pearls
Elsa forced a few tears down her cheeks, making herself look even more pitiful, shrinking back like she was terrified of her big sister.
Quinn, predictably, wrapped her arms around Elsa protectively, her heart aching at the sight of her precious girl crying
“Elsa was just trying to be kind, Quinn said, shooting Windy a cold look. “She didn’t know you didn’t have a proper dress. You were the one who suddenly refused to go.”
Windy clapped her hands together lazily, sarcasm dripping from her voice.
“Bravo. Really, bravo. Are you her mother or mine? Seems like you’re awfully confused. Just a reminder, Ms. Quinn–I’m not dead yet
You–how dare you!” Quinn exploded. “Of course I’m your mother! I’m just being fair!”
Fair? What a joke.
Windy’s smile turned cold.
This was the woman who had carried her for ten months. This was the mother who, at three years old, had screamed at her to go die, to get out and never come back.
She remembered it. Even if the memories were blurry, even if she had spent years convincing herself that she must have done something wrong to deserve it–she remembered.
In Quinn’s eyes, only Elsa was the perfect daughter.
No matter what Windy said, no matter what she did, she was always wrong. Elsa could fart and Quinn would call it perfume.
The absurdity of it was almost laughable.
In her past life, she had bent over backward trying to win their love.
She had humbled herself, begged, groveled, tried everything
And what had she gotten?
Nothing but deeper humiliation.
Elsa’s crocodile tears had painted her as the cruel, hateful sister in everyone’s eyes.
Her father had despised her.
Her fance had betrayed her.
Even the friends she had once trusted had turned their backs on her, standing on the witness stand to testify against her.
And Esa–Elsa had stood there watching it all, smiling sweetly as Windy’s life burned down around her.
Not anymore
Now, Windy sat there calmly, watching Quina soothe Elsa as if she were the most delicate porcelain doll in the world.
You should stop spewing that passive–aggressive nonsense, Quinn snapped at her, her arms tightening around Elsa. “We’re a family Don’t ruin the peace
Wandy gazed at her, emotionless
12:11 PM
Chapter 19 Who Says I Can’t Win an Argument?
She gave a soft laugh.
What a joke.
David finally cut in, his voice sharp.
+8 Pearls
“Enough. Linda, call the secretary. Get her a credit card. Tell her to buy whatever she wants–clothes, jewelry, anything. Take the bodyguards along. If she sees something she likes, she’s to buy it. No need to save money.”
Windy smiled lazily.
“Good. I won’t hold back.”
David rubbed his forehead in frustration.
He had a whole company to run. He didn’t have time to play referee between a bunch of squabbling women.
Quinn clung to Elsa, still glaring daggers at Windy.
The house staff all wisely stayed hidden, pretending they hadn’t seen or heard a thing.
Windy, thoroughly entertained, kicked off her slippers and sauntered upstairs.
At the top of the stairs, she glanced back over her shoulder at Elsa and flashed her a slow, taunting smile.
Elsa nearly exploded.
She wanted to storm up the stairs and tear Windy’s mouth apart.
Quinn nearly followed after her, but Elsa quickly grabbed her arm and shook her head.
“Mom, don’t,” Elsa whispered. “Windy didn’t mean it.”
Of course, she would have loved for Quinn to storm up there and slap Windy around.
But Quinn wasn’t smart enough to realize the consequences.
David was the one who called the shots in this house.
If he found out Quinn had laid a hand on Windy, it wouldn’t just be Quinn who got punished–it would drag Elsa down too.
Quinn sighed and hugged Elsa even tighter.
“My sweet girl,” she whispered, her voice full of heartbreak. “Don’t worry. Your mom will buy you everything you want. I won’t let her outshine you.”
Elsa smiled through her tears, her mind already racing ahead.
She still had a party to attend today.
She needed to keep playing the good girl in front of her friends.
Windy, just wait. One day, you’ll be the one crying at my feet.
Elsa left for the party with a bright smile plastered on her face.
Meanwhile, Windy had Victor drive her straight to the heart of Ocean City.
Yesterday, she hadn’t had time to properly look around.
Today, she could finally walk the streets freely.
It feels good to be alive.
