I stood at the door in a daze, my fingers slightly cold. James Kent, his brother’s friend, frowned and tried to dissuade him.
"Everyone in Riverdale knows that the Gardner family’s only daughter is Emily. You’ve changed the invitations without telling Vivian. How will she cope when she attends, having been replaced as the main character?"
"Besides, Vivian is your biological sister, the one you finally found. She’s been looking forward to this family reunion banquet for so many years, and you promised her that yourself. Aren’t you afraid of hurting her feelings?"
Andrew Gardner’s face struggled for a moment, then he sighed.
"Vivian is sensible and strong. I found a random fortune-teller and used that as an excuse, saying she was ‘unlucky’ and couldn’t return to the main house to acknowledge her roots. So she obediently lived away from home for eight years. Emily is different. She’s been adopted by the Gardner family since childhood and has never endured hardship. If Vivian really moved into the main house, Emily would feel like she was being deprived of love and care. She’d definitely feel insecure, and she wouldn’t be able to handle it."
James wanted to say, All that love and care was mine. Before he could speak, Andrew waved his hand impatiently.
"At worst, I can keep saying this later. She’s already accepted eight years of ‘unfavorable fate,’ so one more year won’t make a difference."
"She trusts me so much anyway, she’ll listen to everything I say, so she’ll definitely agree. It’s just living out there. I know she’s my sister, and that’s enough. Does having a recognition ceremony really matter?"
Someone nearby chimed in with a smile.
"That’s right. Emily is gentle, generous, and well-educated. She looks like a true daughter of a wealthy family. Who would want a country bumpkin like Vivian Gardner? She’s so unfashionable, it’s embarrassing to tell anyone about it."
"If I were Andrew, I wouldn’t want everyone in Riverdale to know I had such a shabby sister. Wouldn’t that just be giving people a stab at my back?"
Andrew Gardner’s face darkened in displeasure. "Everyone, shut up! How could you possibly say anything bad about Vivian? Remember this: even if she can’t ever enter the Gardner estate in this lifetime, she’s still the eldest daughter of our family, my sister, Andrew Gardner. If anyone dares to slander her again, don’t blame me for turning hostile."