Episode 16

We entered the dining room, and all eyes were on me. Everyone was looking at me with a complicated expression. I was confused; everyone looked at me like I was a ghost.

Suddenly, a lady with tears in her eyes breaks the silence.

"Ca... Ca... Carla, my daughter, is that you?" the lady says, bursting into tears.

I stood still, not knowing what was happening.

"No, no. I'm not Carla. I'm Alice, her daughter."

"You are Carla's daughter, with that man, Robert Castle."

"Yes, I am."

The lady, unable to control her tears, approaches me and hugs me. I stood still, not knowing how to react.

"My granddaughter, my beautiful granddaughter," says the lady, wiping her tears.

"Grandmother?" I said, surprised.

"Alice, she's your grandmother. I'm your uncle, I'm your mother Carla's brother."

"What! How is that possible? My mother never told me I had family."

"Your mother left this house leaving everything behind, her fortune, her life of luxury, just so she could marry your father since none of us wanted her to marry that man."

"That man? You mean my father?"

"Yes, Alice. Excuse me for speaking about him like that, but from the beginning, I knew he wasn't the right man for my sister, but she was in love. I hope I'm wrong and that you are living very happily."

"They don't know."

"Know what?" Mr. Tomas asks me.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

"My... my mother is... she died three years ago in a car accident."

My grandmother and everyone present were in shock.

"What!" exclaimed a gentleman whom I believe is my grandfather.

My grandmother burst into tears again, approaching me.

"Tell me it's not true, Alice, that can't be."

"I still can't process it, and actually, you don't know what I would do for it to be a bad dream. Since my mother died, I've suffered a lot. I had to witness how my scoundrel father brought his mistress and her daughter into my mother's house when she had only been dead for two days. I had to endure being mistreated by all of them. My father almost bankrupted my mother's company, and to prevent that from happening, he forced me to marry someone I didn't know. That same day they forced me to sign the marriage certificate, I decided to escape. I was lucky that my mother gave me a card that had enough money for me to survive.

"I think my mother suspected my father was unfaithful to her, and that's why she decided to secure my future, giving me everything she had, but at that time, I was a minor. I couldn't claim anything. All I had in my possession was the apartment she had here and the money I had on my card."

"My dear girl, come here, my little one. I can't believe your father was capable of doing this to you. From now on, you'll have us. We have much more power and much more money than you. If you want to take revenge, we'll help you."

I approached my grandmother, and we hugged. Then my grandfather and uncle joined in.

"Alice, from now on, you will live in this house, and anything you need, we'll be here to support you. You're the only thing we have left of my sister. Looking into your eyes is like seeing my sister, may she rest in peace," says my uncle Tomas in a sad tone.

Now I know I'm not alone. I have a family that I know will support me.

"Well, dear, you must settle in right away so we can be together for the New Year's Eve party."

After talking with my grandparents, my uncle, and cousins, I felt so happy. The only thing I needed to complete my happiness was for my mother to be here.

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