Chapter 638 He Hates You
Even though Isabella was to marry Alexander, Josh didn't seem to change his attitude toward her as she had imagined; he remained indifferent.
After Josh left, Isabella said calmly, "Harper, is my room still there?"
"Yes, no one has moved in. Follow me," Harper said as she turned and went upstairs.
Isabella followed her.
Isabella's room was just as it had been before, with servants cleaning it regularly and her belongings remained untouched.
"See? No one has touched your room."
Isabella said, "That's good. I thought someone would take over my room after I left."
"There are plenty of rooms in the house. No one's eyeing yours. Not everyone is out to bully you and take your things. What's yours is yours. The Harrington family won't shortchange you. But if you're gunning for more, that's just plain greedy."
Isabella frowned and complained, "Harper, you should know my status now. Once I tie the knot with Alexander, I'm going to be Mrs. Mitchell. Even though we don't share the same mother, you should treat me better."
Harper sat down on a nearby chair. "You think my attitude towards you is because we're not from the same mom?"
"Isn't it?" Isabella shot back.
Harper smiled faintly. "You, me, and our brother Peter, none of us share the same mother. Indeed, my mom is Dad's legal wife, and your and Peter's mom were his mistresses."
"You're finally owning up to it," Isabella scoffed. "You're looking down on me because you think my mom was a mistress and that I'm an illegitimate child."
Harper said, "Our brother Peter is also an illegitimate child, but I still treat him like my brother. It's not a big deal. In families like ours, men often mess around outside. It indeed makes women unhappy, but it's a fact that we can't change. Who knows how many more secret siblings are floating around out there?"
"If that's the case, why do you hate me? Are you afraid I'll threaten your position?"
"Threaten my position?" Harper sneered. "I am the legitimate first-born daughter of the Harrington family. I started interning with the company when I was at 18, helping Dad with the business, and have led the company through many challenges. No one can shake my position. Dad may be a philanderer, but he's not stupid. He's going to jeopardize the future of the Harrington family just because he dotes on some illegitimate child."
"Isabella, you always think I hate you, but the truth is, I don't hate you at all. I don't waste my feelings on that. The one who's really got it in for you is Dad."
Isabella plopped down. "Okay, spill it. Lay it all out. How deep does this hatred go?"
"I don't remember much from back in the day," Harper began. "But when I was about five, a woman came to the Harrington family with a little girl, crying and claiming that the girl was my father's kid. That girl was you. You're actually my dad's flesh and blood."
"My dad did mess around outside, but to be fair, he treated my mother well.I never used any of this to hurt her, and those mistresses outside never dared to show up in front of my mom. But that year, my mom got sick, and your mother, who didn't follow my father's orders to get rid of the child, secretly gave birth to you and brought you to my mom, trying to gain some status for herself. Instead of gaining any favor, she angered my mom to death."
As Harper spoke, she squinted slightly, a flash of anger in her eyes. "Think about it. Your mom pushed my father's wife to her limits. How do you think that made him feel? He lashed out at your mom and drove her away. You, just a baby at the time, were left at the Harrington family. After all, you're Dad's blood, and he couldn't just abandon you."
