Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Vera Is Back

On the day Vera returned home, it coincided with Eileen’s birthday. In the early morning, Eileen was

roused by the activity downstairs. She groggily checked the time, finding it was just half-past eight. No

longer feeling sleepy, Eileen got out of bed, freshened up, and went downstairs, her luscious locks

cascading down her back. The living room had been tidied, and Sharon busy wiping a vase. Spotting

Eileen, Sharon approached with an apologetic smile. “Ms. Eileen, did I wake you? I’m so sorry. Mr.

Swan called and informed me that it’s your birthday today. He wants us to spruce up the house for a

birthday celebration,” she explained. Eileen suddenly realized that it was her birthday—the first one

since her rebirth. In her previous life, she had been marred by illness. The diagnosis and subsequent

hospital stays meant that any celebration was overshadowed. “Ms. Eileen, Mr. Swan called earlier. He

won’t be able to make it back for your birthday due to work, but he prepared this for you.” Sharon

retrieved a platinum card from her pocket and handed it to Eileen. Accepting the card, Eileen smiled.

“Sharon, since Dad won’t be back, there’s no need for an elaborate celebration. Just a few simple

dishes will suffice.” With that, she made her way upstairs to call Will. The phone rang for a while before

someone answered. “Hello.” “Hi Dad. It’s me. Thanks for the card.” “You’re welcome. Go out and buy

whatever you like. Eileen, don’t give Eric any trouble. Understand?” “I know, Dad.” Eileen chuckled in

silence, understanding it as a warning from her father. Will had always desired a son to take over the

family business, and despite having several mistresses, none of them bore him a son or daughter. In

the end, he adopted Eric. As for his only daughter, Will had planned to use her to forge a marriage

alliance that would benefit his empire. If it weren’t for her current inability to leave the family, Eileen

wouldn’t have stayed for a second longer. After the call, Eileen sat at the table, flipping through her

workbook. In reality, her academic performance wasn’t stellar. In her previous life, she had sought

Eric’s tutoring not only to secure a spot in university but also to get closer to him. Eric, despite stopping

at high school, was self-taught and well-versed in university-level material and even foreign languages.

However, Will was more interested in Eileen’s performance in extracurricular activities. Her vacations

were always filled with various extracurricular classes, including dancing, painting, piano, and even

floristry. Will closely monitored her performance in these classes, with the intention of grooming her into

a socialite. His ultimate plan was to marry her off at the age of twenty to his most promising business

partner, forming a powerful marriage alliance. While her life appeared glorious on the surface, in reality,

she was nothing more than a canary in a gilded cage. Glancing at the baking cookbook on the shelf,

Eileen reached out and grabbed it, triggering a flood of memories. Among the numerous extracurricular

classes, painting and baking had sparked her interest the most. Recalling the baking utensils she had

purchased for the class, a sudden thought crossed Eileen’s mind. I’ll bake myself a birthday cake! In

her excitement, Eileen rushed downstairs only to hear a familiar voice at the main door. She looked up

to see Vera standing behind Eric. Both were dressed in matching outfits, appearing exceptionally well-

coordinated. After years of studying abroad, Vera returned, more beautiful than ever, donning a fine

cashmere coat and a pale pink knitted dress. The pearl earrings added to her elegance. Except for

their family background, Eileen found herself inferior to Vera in every other aspect. In her previous life,

Eileen had been jealous of Vera’s close relationship with Eric, often inflicting subtle harm with fine

needles. Despite that, Vera dared not complain, for Eileen knew of her secret. Eventually, Vera

tragically chose to end her own life. When that happened, Vera was merely twenty years old. Her

untimely demise fueled Eric’s rage. On that fateful day, he stormed into Eileen’s room with a murderous

aura, gripping her neck in a fit of anger. “This is all your fault, b*tch! You Swans deserve nothing but

death!” Had it not been for Sharon’s timely intervention, Eric might have succeeded in ending Eileen’s

life as Eileen was indirectly responsible for Vera’s death. When her train of thought ended there, Eileen

paused on the stairs. Both Eric and Vera noticed her. They turned their heads simultaneously, directing

their gaze toward her.