novelxo Chapter 530 The Past: Part 1
The snow seemed to have become heavier, but it was warm and cozy in the room. The old man glanced at Clarissa before speaking.
"There had once been a renowned family back in the sixties, and the patriarch was a financier. He had amassed a huge fortune, and his family was high up the social ladder. Later on, because of changes in the nation's policies, he moved abroad before getting married and starting a family of his own. Though he was highly educated, he was a traditional man. His wife was a woman of similar standing, and she was elegant and proper-the very picture of a perfect wife."
"After their marriage, the couple got along swimmingly. One year later, the matriarch gave birth to a baby. Unfortunately, she passed away during labor due to complications."
"The outside world knew she had given birth to a daughter, but everyone in the family knew that she had actually had twin daughters. This was kept a secret from everyone outside of the family, though." "Twins?" Clarissa was surprised, perhaps because she herself originally had twins.
The old man didn't even seem to notice that she had spoken, and continued with his story.
"The younger twin had been born with polio. After an injection, she couldn't move her legs at all, and she spent all her time in the attic. Her father was a traditional man who wouldn't allow himself to be humiliated, so he never mentioned that he had twin daughters. This was why the outside world never knew about the existence of the younger twin. Over time, the healthy daughter grew up and blossomed into a beautiful young lady. She was always the center of attention, and eventually caught the eye of a large film production company."
"A film production company?" This surprised Clarissa again. Iris owned such a company as well. Was there some sort of link between them?
The old man continued to ignore Clarissa.
"As time passed, the healthy daughter forgot about her sister being stuck in the attic because the only person who had contact with her was an old lady who would bring food to her. The healthy daughter always thought she was her father's only daughter, and he doted on her. He never mentioned the younger twin, and gradually distanced himself from her. Eventually, everyone in the family forgot about the existence of the younger twin."
Clarissa sighed. She felt sorry for the daughter in the attic.
"Is this a novel?" She couldn't help but ask.
The old man, however, didn't even spare her a glance.
"One day, the healthy daughter had just finished her exams, and it happened to be her eighteenth birthday. Her father threw her a lavish birthday party and invited all of their closest friends and family. The healthy daughter was delighted, and everyone celebrated with her. They had all forgotten about the younger twin, but even if they did remember, there was no way they would allow such an embarrassment to show up in public. When the old woman brought the younger twin's food up to the attic, the younger twin asked her what was going on downstairs and why it sounded so lively. The old woman told her that it was a birthday party for the healthy daughter. Then, she went downstairs."
"After the old woman left, the younger twin suddenly started to cry. She clenched her fists tightly as tears rolled down her face. It was also her birthday, wasn't it? But she had long since become an outsider in this family. All everyone thought of was her elder sister."
"She wanted to get up, but she couldn't. The only things she had by her side for the past eighteen years were books—biographies of famous people, mystery and detective novels, as well as plenty of books about getting revenge..."