Free Web NovelChapter 16: Chapter 16: The Brother Who Suddenly Appeared
"Hey? What are you doing?"
The driver had just pulled over when his fare inexplicably took off running. With a frustrated look, he stuck his head out the window and shouted in Sonia Quincy’s direction, but she was too preoccupied to pay him any mind.
"...Crazy woman." He scowled, muttered a curse, then stepped on the gas and drove away.
"Hey, wait... Who are you? Where are you taking me?" Sonia Quincy was dragged along by the man, utterly bewildered by his actions.
The man didn’t answer her, just kept his head down and forged ahead. His grip was immense, clamping onto Sonia Quincy’s hand like an iron vise. No matter how she struggled or slapped at him, he remained unmoved.
"What are you doing?" Sonia Quincy was starting to get scared. ’The man’s behavior is strange. Could he be someone the villainess offended in the past, here to get revenge?’
"If you don’t let go, I’m going to scream for help!" She refused to be dragged any further. Spotting a pillar, she threw her arms and legs around it, clinging to it for dear life.
"Who are you? What do you really want?"
"Who am I?" The question seemed to amuse the man. He finally released Sonia Quincy’s hand and turned to face her, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Sonia Quincy, you’re actually asking who I am? How long has it been since you were kicked out of the Quincy Family? You’ve forgotten me this quickly?"
The Quincy Family...
Hearing those words, Sonia Quincy looked up at the man’s handsome, stern face and instantly knew who he was.
Willow Quincy, the eldest son of the Quincy Family and Cecilia Quincy’s biological brother. He was also the villainess’s former brother, though he had disliked her since childhood.
"Oh, it’s you." Sonia Quincy let go of the pillar and straightened her skewed hemline. Her tone betrayed no emotion. "Do you need something from me?"
"Of course, I do." Willow Quincy’s eyes swept over Sonia Quincy, taking in her makeup-free face, her simple, plain clothes, and the outdated designer bag in her hand.
"Felix Preston may be bankrupt, but he should still have some money left. Even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. He shouldn’t be letting you live like this, should he?"
"Like this?" Sonia Quincy didn’t understand. "What’s wrong with ’like this’?"
"Shabby, destitute, and unpresentable." Willow Quincy’s words were blunt and laced with malice.
Sonia Quincy just gave a nonchalant smile. "Oh. So, what is it you want from me?"
Willow Quincy dodged the question. "Sonia Quincy, I thought you’d be living splendidly after leaving the Quincy Family. Turns out, it’s nothing special. Look at yourself now. Are you even a shadow of your former self?"
Sonia Quincy didn’t answer. She gazed at the man before her with remarkable calmness, the hint of a smile playing on her lips.
Willow Quincy continued, "You could have stayed with the Quincy Family and lived a life free of worries, but you just had to dig your own grave. Cecilia is the real daughter of the Quincy Family. What was an imposter like you thinking, trying to compete with her?"
"You fought until the very end and got nothing. Instead, you were swept out the door by the Quincy Family and coaxed into marrying a useless man like Felix Preston. Is this what you wanted?"
"You’re in your twenties, yet you’re still as brainless as you were as a child."
Willow Quincy expertly belittled Sonia Quincy, just as he had countless times before.
Sonia Quincy watched him quietly, neither refuting his words nor admitting any fault.
’Although she knew the plot of the novel, there were still things Sonia Quincy didn’t understand. For example, why did Willow Quincy hate the villainess so much?’
’Before her identity was exposed, the villainess was undeniably the apple of the Quincy Family’s eye. Everyone in the family doted on her and loved her—everyone except Willow Quincy.’
’It was as if their stars were crossed from birth. For as long as the villainess could remember, Willow had never given her a pleasant look or spoken a single kind word to her.’
’He hated the villainess for no reason at all. Before Cecilia Quincy appeared, the villainess was still relatively obedient and well-behaved. She might have been a bit willful, but her character was impeccable.’
’But Willow just hated her. In her presence, he often acted less like a brother and more like an enemy.’
’He would scowl every time he saw her and lace his words with barbs whenever he spoke to her, even when she had done nothing wrong.’
’When the novel was being serialized, many fans discussed in the comments where Willow’s hostility toward the villainess came from. Some said it was because she was the second child, who had stolen half of the family’s affection from the moment she was born, so Willow disliked her. Others claimed Willow was simply a misogynist, and some even said the author made him act that way.’
’The comments section was flooded with all sorts of speculation, but the author never responded.’
’Back when Sonia was reading the novel, she was too busy cursing out the male and female leads to pay any attention to this question. It wasn’t until she transmigrated and became the villainess herself that the question finally came to the forefront—’
’So, why on earth did Willow Quincy hate her? Was it really because she was the second child? But he was clearly very good to Cecilia Quincy.’
’Was he a misogynist, then?’
"Sonia Quincy, are you even listening to me?"
Willow Quincy suddenly raised his voice, startling Sonia.
Sonia snapped back to reality and gave an embarrassed smile. "Sorry, I zoned out for a second. What were you saying?"
Willow Quincy’s brow knitted into a tight knot as he glared at her fiercely. "I said, if you’re willing to get rid of that bastard child in your belly and divorce Felix Preston, I’ll step in and help you."
"Why?" Sonia didn’t understand.
Willow Quincy stared at her coldly. Besides disgust, his eyes held layers of restrained pain and suffering that she couldn’t comprehend.
"For the Quincy Family’s reputation," Willow Quincy said, his voice as cold as ever. "You may be an imposter, but you still came from the Quincy Family. You bear the name the Quincys gave you while running amok outside. The people of Aethelburg won’t just mock you; they’ll laugh at the Quincy Family along with you."
"You have severely damaged the Quincy Family’s reputation, so I have no choice but to do something for the family’s sake."
"I see," Sonia Quincy nodded, feigning understanding. "I had no idea my name had such an impact. I’m sorry for causing trouble for the Quincy Family. In that case, I’ll go to the police station later to change my name. From today on, I’m not Sonia Quincy. I’m Susan Armstrong."
"As long as I don’t share the Quincy family name, the family won’t be dragged down by me."
"Sonia Quincy!" Her words infuriated him, and his already cold face grew even colder. "What nonsense are you spouting? Are you that unwilling to get rid of Felix Preston’s child?"
Sonia Quincy’s tone was firm. "I’m not willing. Felix Preston is my husband. Why would I get rid of his child?"
Willow Quincy: "He’s bankrupt, and you still consider him your husband?"
Sonia Quincy: "I do. His bankruptcy is only temporary. I believe he will get back on his feet."
"Willow Quincy, you’ve never liked me, not since we were kids. Shouldn’t my misfortune be exactly what you want? What’s the meaning of all this now?"
"I—" For once, Willow Quincy was at a loss for words. He glared at Sonia Quincy, a strange fire raging in his eyes.
"Sonia Quincy!" He suddenly took a step forward and grabbed her shoulders, his words both a warning and a threat.
"This is your only chance. Don’t force me to play hardball!"
