Chapter 9 The Dowry is Gone
Chapter 9 The Dowry is Gone
Chapter 9 The Dowry is Gone
"I told you, Dad's not home!" Amelia said smugly, her lips curling. "Dad has long forgotten your return
today. It makes perfect sense, since you married that kind of person. Would he bother to throw you a
homecoming banquet? It's humiliating!"
"I don't need a homecoming party!" Stella said, standing up abruptly and stopping in front of Amelia. "I
just want my dowry!"
"Your dowry?" Amelia raised her eyebrows and smirked at her.
"What dowry? I've never heard of it!"
Stella was stunned, her heart pounding.
All the aggression, resentment, and hatred came flooding into her heart. She knew that she was not of
high birth and had been branded as an illegitimate daughter since she came into this world. But her
origins were not her choice, and all these years, even in the darkness, she had tried to remain positive.
No normal girl would agree to such a ridiculous request for a substitute marriage.
She just wanted to save her mother.
Why should they deprive her of even this little hope?
Amelia snorted and turned to go upstairs when Stella stopped her. Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.
"Don't you dare walk away! Make it clear!"
"What is there to make clear?" Amelia pinched her heavily on the arm.
Stella grunted in pain and backed up, hitting the back of her head against the wall. Her ears buzzed.
She looked up and saw Amelia's mocking expression growing more and more grim. "Stella, you're
already a married daughter. You've been sent away to that poor place. Don't even think about having
anything to do with the Taylor family again."
"But... Dad made a promise to me!" Stella said through gritted teeth. "As long as I take your place and
marry the man, I'll be given a generous dowry that can help my mother..."
"You mean your mom can stay in a good ward and use imported medicine?" Amelia laughed out loud.
"My silly sister, do you still remember why Dad kicked you and your mom out of the house back then?"
Stella fell silent, feeling a chill creeping up her spine.
"It's because your mother was indiscreet and got pregnant with another man's children. It made Dad
furious!"
"That bitch deserves to go to hell! Do you think Dad will save her? Heh, Dad can't wait for her to die out
there!"
"No..." The rims of Stella's eyes turned red, and the tears fell despite her best efforts to hold them back.
"My mom is not that kind of person. She was set up."
"You mean she was framed by my mother?"
Amelia's voice rose an octave as she glared at Stella menacingly.
Stella's gaze was clear and cold. She remembered what her mother had told her. The more faint-
hearted people were, the tougher their disguise.
"I didn't say that," she said indifferently, wiping away her tears. "Actually, neither you nor I know what
happened in the previous generation. So please watch your language. If you dare disrespect my
mother again, I won't let you go!"
"Look at you! So capable now!" Amelia sneered.
She deliberately flicked her hair back, revealing the diamond necklace she had just bought.
"How about it? Is it pretty?" she asked Stella provocatively. "I just bought this necklace. It's quite
expensive and costs me 50,000 dollars."
Stella was stunned.
"It was bought with your dowry!" Amelia spat, stressing her tone.
"You..."
"To tell you the truth, Dad never wanted to give you any dowry! It's already an honor for you to be my
substitute, and what else do you expect to have? Be grateful!"
Stella bit her lip tightly, shaking with anger, but there was nothing she could do.
She saw Amelia's smug smile and was then politely "invited" out by the maid. She walked out of the
courtyard in dejection. The sky was gray, and the air smelled damp.
The weather in this season was unpredictable. Heavy rain came suddenly and poured down on her.
Stella had to quicken her pace and head for the bus station.
"Sir, Miss Taylor has come out."
"Yeah," Liam said as he took off his boxing gloves and casually threw them aside. He unraveled the
gauze wrapped around his hand layer by layer and asked, "How is she?"
"She doesn't look... good."
Liam's brow furrowed.
"Miss Taylor looks pale. I guess her parents have mistreated her. I've asked around, and according to
the maid of the Taylor family, she failed to get her dowry and was taunted by her sister."
Liam clenched his fist, and a cold light appeared in his eyes.
"How much was her dowry?" he asked.
"It seems to be 50,000 dollars," the man replied.
"How much is the plot of land that the Taylor family bids on worth?"
"160 million dollars."
"Very well," Liam sneered. "We'll use this plot of land to wake up those fools."