The Rejected Principessa Returns novel Chapter 86

Chapter 2

My brother James, Lucas Reed, and I grew up together in the Fort McNair military quarters, inseparable.

Until five years ago, when I went to the border to visit Lucas during his mission and went missing, completely losing contact with them.

My parents were devastated. The laughter that once filled our home vanished.

That’s when Isabella appeared.

She was the daughter of my father’s comrade-in-arms. Her parents had died in a mission, and there was

something faintly similar about her features and mine.

My parents, pitying her, took her in immediately, telling others she was the daughter of a distant relative.

Isabella was outgoing and sweet-tongued. Within days, she had charmed everyone in the household.

From then on, the quiet house gradually regained some life because of her presence.

As time passed, it seemed everyone slowly forgot I had ever existed.

Until six months ago, when the border conflicts subsided, and I escaped the enemy camp against all odds,

traversing a thousand miles to return home.

I thought I would be met with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion. Instead, they were afraid of upsetting

Isabella and deliberately kept their distance from me.

The night I returned, I overheard my mother comforting Isabella,

“Bella, you will always be Mommy and Daddy’s most beloved daughter. That will never change because of

anyone else.”

“Besides, your sister came back from that place… hardened. She’s rough around the edges now, nothing like

you, sweetheart. You’re so thoughtful.”

My mothe’s words, spoken so tenderly to another, hit me with the force of a physical blow. The air left my lungs. I stood frozen outside the door, my body going numb, detached from the world that had just shattered around me.In my hand, I still clutched the St. Christopher medal my mother had given me before I disappeared, the leather cord now crumpled from my grip.

News that the General’s daughter was marrying an old cripple spread quickly through the Capitol Hill circles.

When I returned home, my parents and brother were chatting on the living room sofa. Isabella was nestled

next to my mother, fiddling with a new diamond necklace.

Just as James finished speaking, my father slammed his hand on the coffee table.

Chapter 2

66.15%

“Ridiculous! She’s going to disgrace the Caldwell name!”

My mother, organizing a jewelry box on the table, didn’t even look up.

“When Eleanor gets back, don’t shout at her. You know how she gets when she’s upset; she’ll make sure the

whole house is in an uproar.”

“She’s just angry at James for embarrassing her in public, that’s why she said she’d marry a cripple. She

doesn’t even know the man’s name or where he lives. Does she really dare go through with it? Cut ties with

us forever?”

Isabella, seizing the moment, squeezed out a few tears, her voice choked with sobs.

“Mom, it’s all my fault… If I hadn’t told James about the Jeep, he wouldn’t have made things hard for Sister to

defend me… and Sister wouldn’t be acting out like this…”

My mother pulled out a tissue and gently wiped Isabella’s face, her voice tender.

“Silly girl, what does this have to do with you? Ever since your sister came back, this family has had to

accommodate her, and you’ve suffered plenty of wrongs because of it.”

“She just hit a little snag today. It’s not a big deal.”

My father also said gravely, “Don’t blame yourself, Bella! Don’t worry, your sister is just being stubborn. She

won’t actually throw her life away marrying someone like that.”

As she spoke, my mother picked up an emerald bracelet and slipped it onto Isabella’s wrist, smiling.

“Here, sweetie, pick out the ones you like. Your father bought these especially for you. Don’t let your sister fight you over them when she gets back…”

Her words trailed off as she caught sight of me standing silently in the foyer.

The jade bracelet in her hand slipped and fell to the floor with a sharp ‘crack,’ shattering into pieces.

Meeting my gaze, the expressions on everyone’s faces instantly solidified.

In the past, I would have thrown a hysterical fit.

I would have demanded why my mother guarded against me like a thief when I had never competed with

Isabella for anything.

I would have demanded why my father and brother only had eyes for her, never truly caring about my life or

death.

Perhaps those years in dire straits had worn down my edges.

Or perhaps, the moment I took that man’s hand in the ballroom, I had already stopped holding any

expectations for this family.

66.15%

Under their tense stares, I just turned silently and walked upstairs without a backward glance.

Chapter 2

66.15%