I Said No To Reinstating An Engagement

The day I was acknowledged as the real Sinclair heiress, Moon Sinclair, the fake heiress, stood before me with tears in her eyes and said she wanted to give the engagement back to me. I placed a hand over my stomach. I had only recently found out that I was pregnant. I said softly, “I don’t need it. I already have feelings for someone.” As soon as the words left my mouth, several lines of text suddenly appeared before my eyes. [This is hilarious. The so-called villain is turning down the engagement so confidently right now. Just wait until she sees the male lead. She’ll regret it immediately.] [But the male lead will still choose the heroine, the fake heiress. The villain will use her pregnancy to cling to him and refuse to let go.] [The heroine will eventually be driven to slash her wrists. Everyone in the family will despise the villain, and the male lead will hate her too. In the end, she and her baby will both die during childbirth.] I lowered my gaze. The whole thing felt absurd. How could I become obsessed with a man I had never even met? At that moment, I heard footsteps behind me. Moon wiped away her tears and hurried over. “Cameron, this is my sister. This engagement should have been hers from the beginning.” I turned around and met a pair of familiar eyes. He was the man who had supported me for the past five years. He was also the father of the baby in my womb. Chapter 1 The moment Cameron Grant saw me, a flash of panic crossed his eyes. However, it vanished almost instantly. He quickly buried his emotions and put on a polite, distant smile. He said indifferently, “Ms. Sinclair, nice to meet you.” Then, he raised his hand and gave the back of Moon Sinclair’s hand a reassuring pat. His voice was gentle, but there was no room for argument. “Moon, don’t say things like that. The engagement was arranged a long time ago. Nothing is going to change.” The comments exploded. [Here we go! The villain is about to play the victim and expose their relationship so she can force the male lead to marry her!] [She’s about to use her pregnancy to pressure the male lead and steal the engagement!] I took a deep breath and looked away from him. I said calmly, “Hello, Mr. Grant. Nice to meet you too.” The comments fell silent for a moment. [That’s it? Why isn’t she causing a scene?] [She’s putting on an act. Let’s see how long she can keep it up.] [I get it now. She’s acting all indifferent to get his attention. She’s playing hard to get!] Cameron clearly had not expected that response. He looked at me. There was a warning and also a trace of scrutiny in his eyes. My mother seized the opportunity and continued questioning me. She said, “You said you already have feelings for someone. How far have things gone between the two of you?” Everyone turned their attention to me once again. I looked at Cameron. His expression remained calm, but his clenched fists trembled slightly. I raised my head and met everyone’s eyes. A faint smile tugged at my lips. “We got as far as... him going home to meet someone, get engaged, and dump me.” Silence fell over the living room. My mother looked like she was choking back her frustration. My father cleared his throat and awkwardly looked away. As for Cameron, his face darkened right before everyone’s eyes. Moon quickly asked, “So, you really don’t want the engagement anymore?” “I don’t.” My answer was firm and decisive. There was not the slightest hint of hesitation. “You two are in love. The engagement should naturally belong to you.” The comments started flooding in again. [Keep pretending! We all know she’s going to cry to the male lead in private later!] My parents visibly relaxed. My mother got to her feet. “Mindy, I’ll take you to your room first. Moon isn’t in good health. She can’t sit for too long.” My room was at the very end of the hallway. When the door opened, I found a small, chilly room inside. The bathroom and kitchen were shared. The window faced north and received no sunlight. My mother said in a perfunctory tone, “You can stay here for now. Moon has lived in her room for twenty years. She’s used to it, and it wouldn’t be right to make her move. You’re the older sister, so try to be understanding.” My father followed us over. He stopped at the doorway and added, “Moon has always been frail and sensitive. In the future, give in to her a little whenever you can. We’re family, and families should live in harmony.” Chapter 2 I looked at the room, which was even smaller than Moon’s bathroom, and nodded. “Okay.” After my parents left, someone knocked on the door. Cameron stood outside. He lowered his voice and said, “Mindy, watch what you say. Those five years meant nothing. I only took pity on you. It was a deal. “Moon is the one I’m going to marry. You’d better understand your place.” I brushed my hand over my stomach. The pregnancy report I had received yesterday was still in my pocket. I thought returning to a wealthy family would close the gap between us. I thought I could finally stand beside him openly. All of that turned out to be wishful thinking. I forced down the bitterness rising in my chest and looked up at him. “Cameron, this ends here.” He froze. I turned around and closed the door. I did not look back. However, my words made Cameron angry. He raised his hand and blocked the door before it could swing shut. He was about to speak when footsteps came from the hallway. Moon walked over, holding a fruit plate. The moment she saw the two of us alone, her eyes turned teary. “Mindy… are you still blaming me for being the one who’s engaged?” Tears slipped down her face as she said, “I really didn’t mean it… Mindy, if you like Cameron, I can step aside…” My mother rushed over after hearing the commotion. Her brows were so tightly furrowed they looked like they could crush a walnut. “Mindy! You just came back, and you already want to turn this house upside down? Moon is not in good health. She can’t handle this kind of stress! How can you be so inconsiderate by going after your sister’s fiance at night?” [Oh wow. She’s been caught. I guarantee that Mindy is about to expose her pregnancy and force her way into the engagement next.] [Classic innocent act. She’s going to lose it and throw a tantrum any second now.] “I didn’t.” My voice came out calm and emotionless. “If there’s nothing else, I want to rest.” With that, I did not look at any of them. I turned around and closed the door. My mother’s voice came through the door as she comforted Moon. “Don’t cry, don’t cry. I’ll handle this…” [Shouldn’t she be making a scene right now?] [Mindy is really good at acting. Her tactics are getting better.] The comments kept scrolling by, but I no longer cared to look. My phone buzzed. It was a transfer from Cameron. The amount was large. Then, another message came in. [Keep everything from before to yourself. Take it as my repayment for what I did for you.] I stared at the message and let out a bitter laugh. Yes, he had done me a favor. Five years ago, my adoptive grandmother became seriously ill right after I finished my college entrance exams. The day my admission letter arrived, I was working at a nightclub. My grandmother’s medical bills were still far from paid. I decided to give up university. That night, several men cornered me in a private room. They poured alcohol over me and tore my shirt collar. I struggled hard. I could not even call for help. Cameron kicked the door open. He knocked them down in a few quick moves. Then, he wrapped his coat around my nearly exposed upper body. He asked nothing. He only said, “Do you need money?” I nodded. Tears mixed with humiliation ran down my face. He handed me a card. “Take it. Use the rest to go back to school. Don’t come to a place like this ever again.” He saved me. He gave my grandmother a chance to live. He gave me a completely different path. Later, he funded my university studies and visited me from time to time. Later still, on a rainy night, he stayed in my rented apartment. Everything after that happened naturally. Before my grandmother passed away, she held his hand and said, “Mindy is in your care.” Chapter 3 He nodded. I believed him. From eighteen to twenty-three, I gave him the best five years of my life. I learned how to take care of his daily necessities. I memorized all his preferences. When he was tired, I stayed quietly by his side. When he needed comfort, I spoke to him gently. I even learned how to taste wine, read financial reports, and understand the insider language of their world. He said his family wanted him to marry someone of equal status and told me to wait. He told me to wait until he had enough power to speak for himself, wait until he could make us public, and wait until he would marry me. Yesterday, I found out I was pregnant. I had not had the chance to tell him before the Sinclair family brought me back. I thought that, at last, we would be on equal footing. However, he told me that the person he would marry had always been Moon. Moon was not even the biological daughter of the Sinclair family, which meant she no longer matched him in status either. My vision blurred. I pulled my lips into a bitter smile and opened my email. There was an unread message from three days ago. It was an offer from the Royal College of Art in the United Kindom for a master’s program. I clicked [Accept Offer]. Cameron, this child, and those ridiculous five years were all things I no longer wanted anymore. [Huh? What was she looking at just now? Was that a Kindish page?] [Ignore it. She’s definitely thinking of ways to cling to him again.] [Waiting for the next dramatic development. This is getting good!] The people in the comments kept up the guessing game. I turned off my phone screen. I saw my reflection on the dark screen. … The next morning at breakfast, Moon walked over holding a bowl of seafood porridge. She smiled sweetly. “Mindy, try this. It’s really good.” “No, thank you,” I said politely. However, she insisted on bringing it closer. Then, her foot slipped. The boiling porridge spilled all over my thighs, and the porcelain bowl broke on the floor. My skin instantly burned. A red splotch began spreading quickly. I gasped in pain. Moon’s eyes filled with tears immediately. “Mindy, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it…” My mother spoke first. Her tone carried blame. “Why didn’t you reach out and catch it?” My father frowned. “You’re really slow and careless.” [It’s starting! Mindy is going to use this to make a scene!] [She definitely didn’t dodge on purpose! She’s so cunning!] [She deserves it! Who told her to go after Cameron?!] Just then, Cameron arrived. Moon threw herself into his arms and cried uncontrollably. Cameron looked at her with clear concern. He patted her back, then turned to me with a cold expression. “Moon was kind enough to serve you porridge. Why are you acting like this?” I looked up and asked my parents, “Mr. Sinclair, Mrs. Sinclair, did I spill the porridge?” They said nothing. My father waved his hand. “Moon being frightened is what matters most.” To calm Moon down, my father made a decision on the spot. “The small subsidiary that was initially meant for Mindy will go to Moon for now.” Cameron nodded. “I’ll add some support. Consider it my engagement gift to Moon.” “Fine,” I said, agreeing calmly. [Why isn’t Mindy making a fuss? Something is not right…] After I returned to my room, Cameron sent another transfer. [Stop targeting Moon.] I accepted the money. Then, I slowly typed a message and sent it. [Cameron, do you remember that I’m allergic to seafood?] He went silent. After a long time, another transfer came in. I smiled slightly and accepted every transfer. There was no reason not to refuse. It was what I deserved anyway. It was compensation for my lost youth and payments for keeping quiet. Outside the window, a car engine sounded, followed by Moon’s soft, cheerful laughter. Chapter 4 He had probably taken Moon shopping to cheer her up. It was not until evening that Cameron and Moon returned from their shopping trip. A short while later, Moon came into my room in tears. “Mindy, my pink diamond necklace is missing! It was Cameron’s engagement gift to me…” She held up her phone and showed me a photo. My eyes widened. I recognized that necklace. A year ago, Cameron took me to an auction. He told me to pick the item I liked best from the catalog. I chose that pink diamond necklace. He placed the winning bid at an astonishing price. I waited a long time, but he never gave it to me. I could not help asking about it. He said, “I gave it to my cousin.” So, it had belonged to Moon from the very beginning. [Why does Mindy look so upset? She must be the one who stole it!] [Search her room!] Cameron looked at me coldly. “Mindy, you were the only one at home today. Hand it over.” “I didn’t take it.” My mother hurried over. Her tone was far from friendly. “We’re not saying you took it. We’re just asking whether you’ve seen it.” “Yeah, Mindy,” Moon said softly. “That necklace was very expensive…” She might as well have pointed at me and called me a thief. Cameron looked at me. His eyes were dark. They held both suspicion and disappointment. That disappointment pierced me like a needle. A wave of exhaustion washed over me. I did not even have the energy to defend myself anymore. “I’ve been in my room the whole time. I haven’t gone anywhere. If you don’t believe me, you can check the security cameras.” I looked at Cameron. “There are cameras in the living room and the hallway.” Cameron’s expression changed slightly. Moon’s face stiffened for a moment as well. “Oh, come on. Why check the cameras? It’ll only hurt everyone’s feelings…” My mother tried to smooth things over. At that moment, a maid came hurrying over. “Ms. Moon! We found the necklace! It slipped into the gap under your bed. I put it away for you!” The room fell silent. [So, it really was a misunderstanding?] [The way she reacted makes it seem like she never planned to take the engagement back at all. That’s kind of strange…] A few comments drifted across the air. For the first time, people started to disagree with each other. Cameron’s expression turned stiff. A moment later, another transfer came through. [I misjudged you.] I accepted it. After I returned to my room, I took out my phone and booked an appointment for an abortion. [What’s Mindy doing? I can’t see clearly…] [Who cares? She’s probably plotting something again.] I turned off the screen and closed my eyes. … The Sinclair family hosted Moon’s birthday banquet with great grandeur. Invitations were sent out to all the city’s elite families. My mother insisted that I attend. “If you don’t show up, what will people think of the Sinclair family? They will think our biological daughter is too shameful to appear in public.” At the banquet, Moon stepped onto the stage with tears in her eyes. She thanked the Sinclair family for raising her for twenty years. The guests praised her one after another. “What a sensible girl. She is even closer to them than their own daughter.” Someone glanced toward me in the corner and lowered their voice. “She’s the biological daughter, right? Why does she look so stiff?” “She grew up outside the family. No wonder she doesn’t fit in.” Cameron stayed by Moon’s side the entire time. He wiped her tears, handed her the microphone, and looked at her with gentle eyes. I sat in the corner. The glass of red wine in front of me remained untouched. The noise around me surged like a tide. I struggled to breathe. I left early and returned to my room. The moment I opened the door, I froze. The room had been turned upside down. Every drawer was left open. I rushed to the bedside table. The crystal bracelet my grandmother had left me was gone. I ran back to the banquet hall. In the middle of the crowd, Moon held up a green crystal bracelet and looked at it under the light. She smiled at the woman beside her. “Mindy lent it to me. Isn’t it pretty?” Chapter 5 “Give it back,” I walked over and said with a quiver in my voice. Moon jumped in shock and let go. The bracelet hit the marble floor. It cracked and broke into several pieces. The whole hall went silent. Moon’s tears instantly fell. “Mindy… I didn’t mean it…” The guests whispered to each other. They looked at me like I had lost my mind. Cameron walked over. He looked at the broken pieces on the floor and said in a perfunctory tone, “It’s just a bracelet. Is it really worth this?” I crouched down and picked up the shattered pieces one by one. The fragments cut my fingers. Blood dripped onto the crystal shards, but I did not feel any pain. “This was left to me by my grandmother,” I said. My voice shook. “Her last words before she died were for me to keep it safe.” Cameron’s expression changed. No one understood its meaning better than he did. He had been with me when I sent my grandmother off. However, Moon only cried harder. She threw herself into his arms. He paused, then still reached out and held her. He spoke to her in a soft voice. “Don’t cry. I’ll get you a better one.” My mother walked over. “Mindy, Moon didn’t mean it. Don’t be so petty.” My father frowned. “Enough. It’s just a bracelet. It’s broken. We’ll buy you another one.” I stood up with the shattered crystals in my hand. Then, I walked up to Moon. I raised my hand and slapped her. The entire hall broke into chaos. A second later, Cameron rushed over. He grabbed my wrist, then raised his other hand. He slapped me back. My face burned. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth. Cameron looked at me with cold eyes. “Mindy, you’ve gone too far.” [Oh my god! That was the only keepsake from Mindy’s grandmother!] [Is Cameron even human? He knew what that meant!] [I kind of understand Mindy now. Who wouldn’t break down after this?] I wiped the blood from my lips. I did not cry. I did not make a scene. I carefully wrapped the broken crystal and put it into my inner pocket. “I’ve repaid your kindness.” I looked at my parents. “I don’t want this family anymore.” I turned around and walked out of the banquet hall. My mother’s voice followed me. “Let her go! Once you leave, don’t come back!” My phone kept buzzing nonstop. Cameron sent a transfer. [Don’t be angry.] My parents each sent me money as well. The note said [Compensation]. I accepted every single one. The next day, I went to the hospital alone for an abortion. I signed the consent form, changed into the surgical gown, and lay down on the operating table. The doctor asked, “Do you have any family with you?” “No.” The procedure was quick. When it ended, I walked out of the hospital. My face was pale. I held two papers in my hand. One was an ultrasound report. It showed I was eight weeks pregnant. The other was an abortion consent form. When I returned to the Sinclair family villa, it was empty. I took one last look at that cold “home” and dragged my suitcase out. At the airport waiting lounge, I took out my phone and opened my chat with Cameron. I typed a message. [Cameron, I’ve repaid your kindness with five years of my youth and a life. From now on, we’re even.] I attached two photos and sent them. Then, I blocked him and deleted the chat. I turned off my phone. I pulled out the SIM card and threw it into the trash. The announcement came over the speakers. “The flight to Rondon is now boarding...” I stood up and walked toward the gate without looking back.