Thea’s POV
I stared at Aurora in shock. When Margaret mentioned her depression, I never imagined it would be this severe. She looked nothing like her former self. She had clearly attempted to dress up, or perhaps Margaret had forced her to. Her black jeans, navy halter top, and wedge sandals looked fine enough, but did little to improve her overall appearance.
Her face was pale; her once lustrous blonde hair now looked greasy and thin. Her cheekbones protruded sharply, but not in a flattering way—she looked like she’d lost a significant amount of weight.
I heard my mother’s soft gasp beside me. We took a step forward, unsure what to do. Should we welcome them or avoid them?
Mom took the initiative, guiding me toward them. They turned to look at us.
“Welcome,” I said softly, feeling incredibly awkward.
Margaret smiled at me, but her smile faltered when her gaze fell upon my mother, noticing the protective arm around my waist.
“Thank you,” she replied, her tone as light and awkward as mine had been.
My eyes returned to Aurora, who was staring at me. Her expression up close nearly made me gasp; I was even more shocked. Those once vibrant eyes were now dull and lifeless, as if the will to live had been drained from her.
There was no malice or anger in her gaze. In fact, there was nothing—only profound pain and a seeming attempt at self-numbing. I didn’t understand why, as I don’t think I’ve ever been in her position, but somehow I understood her. Strangely, I felt sorry for her.
After a moment of silence, Mom said, “You can head straight to the backyard. The other guests haven’t arrived yet, but some people are already there.”
Margaret nodded and guided her daughter. She was familiar with the house and knew where to go.
After they left, Mom said sympathetically, “That girl is in a world of pain and regret.”
She was right. I felt a strange sense of familiarity with this state, though I couldn’t explain why. To distract myself, I looked around. The servants had nearly finished setting up. Sebastian had suggested we change everything—a suggestion I’d forgotten about amid everything that had happened after that night. Now, I wondered if it would ever actually happen. The interior decorations still made me feel like I was living in Aurora's shadow.
I shook my head, pushing away those thoughts. Right now, it didn’t matter. Especially since I still hadn't made a decision.
“Mom, you can go join the others; I’ll get Leo to come down, and we’ll greet the guests together.”
She nodded, squeezing my hand before leaving. I quickly went upstairs to fetch the excited Leo. When we returned downstairs, we found Sebastian standing by the door, waiting for us.
“Shouldn’t you be in the backyard with the others?” I asked quietly, just as another car entered our estate. Leo and I had always welcomed guests. Sebastian was either with the guests in the backyard or nowhere to be seen until the party started. I’d expected the same this year.
“This year is different. I want to be where I should be,” he replied softly. “And I’m sorry for my terrible behavior during Leo’s birthdays all these years.”
His apology caught me off guard, but I didn’t show it, nor did I respond. Guests had arrived at our door, leaving me no opportunity to reply.
For the next forty minutes or so, we welcomed visitors. Some I remembered, some I didn’t. Of course, they all expressed regret over what had happened to me. I didn’t want to dwell on that, so I simply thanked them and said I’d been lucky to survive.