I Raised His Dead Mistress's Twins - Chapter 2: Chapter 2

I staggered forward desperately when suddenly—the twins clutched their faces and burst into dramatic sobs.
"Daddy! Mommy hit us!" Their wails echoed through the room.
Turning, I saw the unmistakable red handprints blooming on their cheeks. Before I could react, Mira rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. "How could you hurt the children, sister?"
Her voice dripped with false concern as she turned to Theo. "She's faking an allergic reaction just to manipulate you! After everything you've done for her!"
Gritting my teeth against the swelling that made speech difficult, I met Theo's gaze. "I didn't... the roses..." My face had ballooned so badly I could barely form words.
I caught the fleeting smirk Mira failed to hide—she alone knew about my rose allergy.
"Enough." Theo's command cut through the tension as he gestured to his assistant. When the man handed me medication, a fragile hope flickered in my chest.
"You... believe me?"
His icy response shattered it instantly. "This is just to keep you from dying and creating paperwork for me." His eyes hardened. "Drop the act, Zára. Would our children lie about something like this?"
They locked me in the east wing "for reflection." After twenty-four hours without food, the assistant returned with a wrinkled garment.
"Madam, Mr. Arden requires your presence at Miss Bellamy's welcome banquet."
Clutching my cramping stomach, I shook my head. "I'm not going."
The dress landed in a heap at my feet. "Sir suggested you consider your adoptive father's hospital situation... if you refuse."
The unspoken threat hung heavier than the fabric. They'd always used Dad's critical condition against me.
At the banquet, I realized why they'd chosen this particular dress—a yellowed vintage gown with suspicious brown stains.
"Who let the charity case in?" someone sneered.
"Oh that's Zara Arden—the gold-digger who stole her sister's fiancé." The whispers carried perfectly.
This humiliation was exactly what Theo wanted—to show everyone how far beneath Mira I stood.
The crowd parted as Mira descended the staircase on Theo's arm, her butterfly-embroidered gown shimmering under the chandeliers.
"Mira deserves only the finest things," Theo announced, his warm smile vanishing when his eyes found me.
The twins rushed to Mira's side. "You're the prettiest mommy ever!"
Theo's gaze pinned me in place. "Well? Aren't you going to serve the drinks?"
When a waitress hesitated—"Sir, that's our job"—he sipped his wine dismissively. "She enjoys servitude. Isn't that right, Zára?"
The warning in his voice coiled around me like a noose.
"Country girls just live to serve, don't they?"
"Look at her—wouldn't trust her to shine Mira's shoes!"
Laughter burned my ears as I took the wine bottle, moving mechanically between guests. Mira's giggle carried over the crowd.
"Sister used to wait tables—no wonder she's so... proficient."
Theo's smirk matched hers. "Finally found her calling."
Mira approached with two glasses. "A toast, sister. Thank you for raising my children these nine years."
My eyes flew to Theo—he knew one sip could kill me. But his expression remained glacial.
"Deaf now too? Drink."
As I reached for the glass, Mira "accidentally" released hers. Burgundy liquid cascaded over my head, the wine turning my hair into vinegar-soaked ropes that clung to my scalp. The acidic stench rose around me as their laughter crescendoed.