Chapter 8 What Do You Take Me For

• Celia walked in with a dark expression.
• Seeing her grim expression, Sylas hurriedly tried to explain, "Celia, don't get the wrong idea. Those plants are just…"
• "I don't need your explanation!" Celia coldly interrupted him and went straight into Jeane Residence.
• The hall was well-lit and spacious, with several servants bustling around. A middle-aged butler in his forties was directing them methodically.
• The only feeling Celia had upon seeing this was that of unfamiliarity. The sofa has been replaced, and so has the carpet and the furnishings. Even the chandelier on the ceiling and the walls have been renewed. There used to be a piano in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, but now it's nowhere to be seen…
• Celia had actually braced herself before coming in. However, when she saw the reality before her, she felt as if her heart had been stabbed with a knife. It hurt so much that she could hardly breathe.
• Just then, the butler noticed someone standing by the door and immediately greeted, "Mr. Sylas." Then, he looked at Celia, seeming somewhat unsure. "Could you be… Miss Celia?"
• Celia stood there in silence, as if she hadn't heard anything.
• Noticing this, Sylas quickly answered on her behalf, "Yes, it's her."
• "Oh, so Miss Celia is back." The butler frowned for a moment, his gaze subtly sizing up Celia. After a while, he finally feigned respect with a slight bow.
• Seeing his demeanor, Celia let out a sneer and paid no heed to his reaction. She stared at Sylas mockingly, saying, "Didn't you say they care about me and have been waiting for me to come home? Where are they?"
• Sylas frowned and turned to the butler, asking, "Mr. Richardson, where are Ruth, Mr. Jeane, and Mrs. Jeane?"
• "Mrs. Jeane was feeling unwell earlier. Mr. Jeane and Miss Ruth were worried that she might have some health issues, so they took her to the hospital. They may not be back until later," Alex Richardson, the butler, replied truthfully.
• "Is she okay?" Sylas asked with concern.
• The butler was about to answer when Celia said with a sneer, "Mr. Jeane does have a delicate constitution and has to take good care of herself. Otherwise, how could she seduce someone else's husband? Also, tell Ruth to take care of herself too lest she falls ill by accident."
• Sylas and Alex changed color at the double entendre.
• It was well known that the current Mrs. Jeane was a homewrecker, but few people would openly talk about it. Celia's straightforwardness caught Alex off guard, leaving him uncertain how to reply.
• Sylas' face turned red. He looked daggers at Celia, wanting to warn her not to speak out of turn, but she did not even look at him. So, he had no choice but to suppress his anger. He clenched his teeth, asking, "Is Celia's room ready?"
• "Yes, it's ready. I'll take Miss Celia over there now," said Alex before he hurriedly led the way.
• The three of them went upstairs, passing by several rooms along the way, but Alex did not stop. He led them straight to the end of the hallway.
• Celia suddenly stopped in her tracks, her expression cold as she asked, "Isn't my room over there? Why are we going this way?"
• "T-This, uh, was ordered by Mr. Jeane…" Alex paused, his expression becoming somewhat awkward. He shot an uneasy glance at Sylas.
• Sylas' expression froze; a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face. "Celia, let me explain this—"
• Celia was not interested in listening, though. She instinctively reached for the door handle beside her.
• The moment the door opened, she immediately noticed that her former bedroom had been converted into a walk-in closet lined with two rows of cabinets filled with all sorts of dresses, gowns, and high heels—every single one belonging to Ruth.
• Celia stood still, her eyes wide with disbelief.
• Sylas tried to explain on Ruth's behalf, "Celia, Ruth just noticed that your room was vacant, so she temporarily borrowed it…"
• Celia paid no attention to what he said. She shoved him aside and opened the doors to several rooms she had used before, according to her memory.
• The sight before her left her speechless.
• Her dance studio had been transformed into Ruth's study; her art studio had been converted into Ruth's gym; her mother's walk-in closet had been taken over by her stepmother. All the belongings that had once belonged to her and her mother were now piled up in the utility room at the end of the hallway.
• Celia's heart trembled at the sight of this. Her body was shaking; tears of humiliation welled up in her eyes before streaming down her cheeks.
• Celia, I had a dance studio built specially for you. Do you like it? From now on, you can dance in there to your heart's content.
• Celia, my sweetheart, this is the art studio I decorated for you. I'll teach you how to paint here. Do you like it?
• Celia, your mom isn't here anymore. I know you'll miss her, so I'm keeping all her things as they are for the sake of memories. From now on, it'll be just the two of us living with each other. I promise I'll take care of you as you grow up…
• Each word was still fresh in Celia's mind as if it were yesterday. But now, her room was gone, and the art studio was taken by Ruth. Her dance studio was gone, too, and her mother's keepsakes were turned into trash. Even her father, who had promised to take care of her as she grew up, had become someone else's.
• "Ha!" She suddenly let out a mocking laugh, looking at Sylas with sadness in her eyes. "No wonder! No wonder you all went to great lengths to bring me back. Turns out you just wanted to show off how well you're doing. Well, now that I've seen it, can I leave?"
• "Where are you going?" Sylas grabbed her arm and asked.
• Celia shook off his hand and replied with a smirk, "Where else can I go? I'm going back to Yonderland, of course."
• There's no place for me in this family anymore. They no longer care about me; they only care about Ruth!
• "You can't go back." Sylas’ grip on Celia's wrist tightened when he heard that she was leaving once again.
• "Why should I listen to you and not go back? I decide what I do." Celia's eyes were red with anger. She glared at Sylas, trying to break free from his grasp.
• However, Sylas' grip was too strong for her to break free.
• "Don't you know? Mr. Jeane has arranged for your withdrawal from school, and your school has approved it. From now on, you can only stay in the country," Sylas said calmly.
• As soon as he said that, Celia's mind went blank as if it had exploded.
• I've dropped out of school? I was finally close to graduating after struggling alone abroad for two years, and now they decided I had to drop out without even informing me. I have no place in this family. Yonderland is the only place I can go. And yet, they make decisions for me without even consulting me?
• "Why… on what grounds? What gives you the right to do that?"
• A mixture of blazing rage and bitter hatred surged through Celia. Like a wounded animal, she could no longer contain her emotions. She lost her temper at once, yelling, "You guys left me abroad without a word back then, not bothering to care about me. And now, you decided to drop me out of school without even informing me! What do you take me for? A dog you can summon and dismiss at will?"