Chapter 347: Just an Impostor

The day of the charity concert arrived. For the past few days, I had been busy handling matters related to the Gardner Group’s branch office. Today, I made sure to arrive early for the rehearsal. Holding my gown, I was heading to the changing room when I spotted Sadie and Ashley arguing around the corner of the hallway.

“I heard Bill is back in Snowville. It’s been a long time—is he still angry with you?” Ashley asked.

Sadie’s face darkened at the mention of Bill. She tried to hide it, but I could tell she was probably remembering the day she almost got strangled.

“Yeah,” she responded casually, brushing it off.

“You’re father and daughter. There’s no reason to hold a grudge. I heard he’s starting a project with the Bolton Group soon. Could you just apologize to him? You know, things haven’t been going well for me at home. I’m counting on Bill to give me a way out,” Ashley pleaded.

“Apologize for what? I haven’t done anything wrong,” Sadie said, her voice growing impatient.

“Sadie, I heard Zoey has been shadowing Bill lately, getting to know all the company processes. Bill’s even introduced her to some of his business partners. I’m worried he’s planning to hand the branch over to her. And here you are, still sulking—if you keep this up…”

Sadie slapped his hand away, growing annoyed. “Are you done? I have a competition to attend. We’ll talk later.”

“Sadie…” Ashley hesitated, unwilling to let it go, yet dared not push her further. He still hoped to get in with the Gardners. Unfortunately for him, his plan was about to fall apart. In just a short while, a major spectacle would unfold.

We had rehearsed several times. Now, whenever Sadie saw me, she started to avoid me, clearly not wanting any trouble. The group went through a few run-throughs, and everything went smoothly. Although Yael was present, he never had the chance to speak to me, with too many classmates around. Still, his eyes occasionally drifted toward me, sending a chill down my spine. It felt like he was sizing me up like prey.

Before we went on stage, a classmate whispered, “Sadie, I heard the president of the Gardner Group is here today. Is your dad coming to support you?”

At the mention of Bill, Sadie’s face turned pale. “M-my stomach hurts. I think I need to get some rest.”

Yael stepped in and stopped her, saying, “We’re about to go on stage soon. Sadie, you need to push through.”

Sadie bit her lip, her face showing clear signs of distress. “Yael, it really hurts. I don’t want to pass out on stage and mess up the performance.”

“Actually, I prepared some painkillers just in case someone had an issue,” Yael said, pulling out the medicine. “It looks like you’re in luck. Take one of these.”

Sadie was speechless. Yael didn’t give her a chance to escape and practically dragged her onto the stage.

I spotted many familiar faces in VIP seats. Bill and Carter were sitting together, heads down in quiet conversation. When I appeared on stage, both their gazes landed on me, almost in sync.

A classmate behind me whispered, “Sadie, your dad is looking at you.” Sadie didn’t notice, but I could see the color drain from her face. She was scared, afraid that Bill might explode in anger or, worse, expose the lies she’d been telling. She could never show her face again if that happened.

I smiled at Carter, and he returned a reassuring look. To my surprise, Taylor was sitting behind him. Just thinking about how my sister was still in his hands made me want to grab my violin, knock him out, and rescue Whitney. How could these monsters have such strong nerves? After all the evil deeds they’d done, they could still proudly sit in public.

I steadied myself and slowly drew my bow across the strings. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sadie, clearly out of sync and nervous.

As the final act, our class performed with exceptional skill, and the audience gave us thunderous applause once we finished. I glanced at Sadie; her nerves were so apparent I could almost feel her wishing she could run away.

Meanwhile, the donation amount on the screen was rapidly climbing. Despite some students trying to outdo each other with donations, our class’s amount soared, eventually reaching a staggering $30 million. One performance had raised such an enormous amount of money, leaving everyone in the room stunned.

The host stood on stage, microphone in hand. “A big thank you to everyone for participating in this charity event, especially to Mr. Gardner of the Gardner Group, who personally donated $20 million. Our school will be awarding him the title of Ambassador of Love. Mr. Gardner, would you like to say a few words?”

Bill was dressed sharply in a suit, his hair neatly styled, and his tall frame even more striking now that he’d lost weight. His chiseled features cut through the air, making the younger girls whisper amongst themselves.

“Sadie, your dad is so handsome!” one whispered.

“I really envy you. Your dad is so good-looking and cares so much about you. He probably donated that $20 million for you, didn’t he?”

“Sadie, does your dad need another daughter? What about me?”

Sadie, sweating nervously, couldn’t bring herself to respond.

The host asked, “Mr. Gardner, with such a generous donation, I’m sure you must be a very compassionate person who regularly does charity work?”

Bill’s gaze shifted toward me, but I knew he wasn’t looking at me—he was looking at Zoey.

“No,” he said firmly. “I’m here because of my daughter. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in the past, and I know she’s always been kind and involved in charity. As her father, it’s my responsibility to support her.”

“I see,” the host said. “With a father like you, who’s such a caring businessman, I’m sure your daughter must be exceptional as well. In that case, would you mind letting your daughter present the Love Ambassador award to you?”

“Of course,” Bill replied.

The host turned to us and said, “Ms. Gardner, could you please do the honor?”

Everyone was so caught up in the excitement that no one considered me. They simply pushed Sadie forward. “Go on, Sadie. You’re the pride of our class.”

With the bold lie already out in the open, Ashley was watching from the side. Sadie had no choice but to steel her resolve and step forward. She only hoped Bill’s calm demeanor wouldn’t make the situation more awkward for both of them. Just as her hand was about to touch the medal, Bill’s voice cut through the air. “Are you my daughter?”

The words sent shockwaves through the room. Sadie wasn’t his daughter? Who else could it be? Isn’t this common knowledge? Sadie had been pushed forward, and now all eyes were on her. She was trapped, neither able to move forward nor step back.

The host awkwardly cleared his throat and asked, “Mr. Gardner, you’re joking, right? We all know Sadie is your daughter.”

Bill immediately denied it. “She’s not.”

Sadie had been in the headlines with Bill several times before, while Zoey, his real daughter, had never been mentioned. Everyone had assumed Sadie was his daughter.

Bill took the microphone and announced, “Sadie and I have no blood relation. Zoey is my only daughter.” He sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “Sadie is just an impostor, thrown out by the Gardners.”