Chapter 376
Chapter 376
Bryson, Austin, and Justin did not think that they would bump into Ava here as they seemed a bit awkward.
Due to the constrained time, they had not gotten used to their new identities yet.
Presently, they had nothing to do with Ava anymore, for they were not father-daughter or siblings; they were completely unrelated.
Even though they were still not used to this, they already accepted this change.
In their minds, Ava was not their daughter or sister anymore. She was more akin to a stranger.
From now on, they would be unrelated strangers.
Yet in such a short time, they could not erase their feelings for Ava, but they were starting to try and erase her from their lives.
Starting from this moment, the Penham would remain the same as Ava would have nothing more to do with them.
However, Ava could not accept this fact.
Hugging her father tightly, Ava acted like he was her silver lining. "Dad, Grandpa said that he doesn't want me anymore… Daddy, please don't abandon me! I'm your daughter! I have always been your daughter! I only know you as my father! Please, Dad, don't leave me…"
Bryson's heart shattered as her tears fell.
If he knew that he accidentally took the wrong child, he would still keep Ava by his side.
After all, this was the child that he raised all these years. What parent could sever their relationship so cleanly?
However, she was not. She was living proof that his wife had cheated on him; she was a stain on his reputation!
Looking at her made him recall Penny's betrayal.
He knew that his father would never allow Ava to continue to stay in the family. Not only was she his humiliation, she was the cause of the whole family's humiliation. Besides, Eddie admired Leigh and hoped that she would return to the family once again.
Yet, she bore deep hatred for Ava and Penny, swearing that they could never coexist. Between Ava and Leigh, even a moron knew who one would choose.
Therefore, he decided to bite the bullet and push Ava away. "We've already said what we needed. Since you don't have Penham's blood, you don't have the right to continue remaining in the family."
"But I grew up in this family!" Ava cried. "I've acknowledged you as my father for so many years. I've called Austin and Justin my brothers for so long! Are you willing to end our relationship just like that?"
"Yes." As he endured the pain in his heart, Bryson uttered with determination, "That's all in the past.
Now that I know you're Walter's daughter, I feel disgusted even just by seeing your face. Since the family doesn't welcome you anymore, you should leave in a dignified manner if you still have a shred of pride left."
"No… No…" Ava shook her head vehemently.
Pride?
What is my pride worth?
Being the daughter of the Penhams meant that she had it all. If she left the family, she would be dead broke with her life crumbling around her.
I am the daughter of the Penham Family!
Why is it that my world has crumbled after a sleep?
She could not accept this outcome.
Once again, she went over and hugged Bryson again. "Dad, I'm your daughter! I'm your daughter that you raised personally for over twenty years! You can't just abandon me like this, Dad. You can't…"
Bryson did not want to utter another word. He did not need to further explain anything to her as she already knew the whole shebang. It was just that she did not want to accept the reality.
No matter how much he tried to explain to her, Ava would only continue to get immersed in her own world and try to convince others using the points she thought were right. She would never allow others
to persuade her.
With a tired soul, he did not want to drag this on any longer as he gazed at the two bodyguards that dragged Ava out from the living room. "Send her out. Don't let her in ever again."
"Yes!" The two bodyguards accepted the order and walked up before prying Ava away from him.
"Daddy! Daddy!" With tears streaming down her cheeks, Ava felt as if her world was about to end as she struggled. "Daddy, this is my home. I'm not going anywhere. Please don't throw me away, Daddy…"
Solidifying his decision, Bryson did not bat an eye at her anymore and walked into the living room.
Seeing that he turned around with no means for discussion, Ava knew there was no hope anymore, so she looked at her brothers. "Justin, Austin, I'm your sister! We've been siblings for so many years! We're family!"
"I don't have a sister like you!" Austin exclaimed coldly. "With a vicious mind and cruel heart, I'm very happy to know that you're not my real sister!" He then walked back into the living room.
"I think the same too!" Justin looked at Ava full of sarcasm. "My real sister is actually gifted. She's smarter, prettier, more talented, and kinder than you! You are arrogant, haughty, useless, and cruel! When I knew you weren't my biological sister, I wanted to set fireworks off to celebrate this! Family, you say?"
Justin snorted. "If you hod our porents' blood flowing inside you, I might still hove shown our sibling love ond continued to tolerote you. But you're not…"
He wolked up to her ond looked ot her with disdoin while sneering, "Avo, listen up. Stoy owoy from my fomily ond my home from now on. If you dore to hoross ony of my fomily members, you will find thot you being chosed out of the fomily wosn't the worst thing thot could hoppen to you… I con moke you experience whot hell is like!"
In disbelief, Avo looked ot him wide-eyed os her trembling legs struggled to keep her stonding. "How con you treot me like this, Justin? I'm your sister! We've lived together for over twenty yeors! We've eoten together, slept together, grew up together! Are you o cold-blooded onimol? How con you be so cruel?"
"So whot?" Justin smirked. "You reolly don't know how disgroceful you ore, do you? In the post, I only let you do os you pleosed becouse you were my sister. So, os the elder sibling, I thought thot it wos noturol to core for you. Now thot I know you're not my sister, there's something wrong with me if I don't kick you out of the house!"
"No… This… con't be…" Avo kept shoking her heod, for she wos hit with reolity.
She never thought thot Justin's imoge of her wos like this.
In the post, her brothers would olwoys let her hove her woy. If she wonted to do something, then she would do it no motter whot.
If Justin ond Austin did not ogree to it, then she would snitch on them by telling Penny. Then, their mother would pressure the brothers. In the end, they would concede.
After she got her woy, Avo would hoppily hug Penny while moking foces ot Justin ond Austin, feeling
like she wos the precious princess everyone in the fomily cored for. Avo thought thot they only coved in becouse they loved her os much os Penny did.
In the post, she did not think thot this wos wrong os she ossumed thot this wos the proof of their love.
However, she understood everything now. Her so-colled 'love' wos octuolly just plonted seeds of hotred inside her brothers' heort.
Justin snorted. "If you had our parents' blood flowing inside you, I might still have shown our sibling love and continued to tolerate you. But you're not…"
He walked up to her and looked at her with disdain while sneering, "Ava, listen up. Stay away from my family and my home from now on. If you dare to harass any of my family members, you will find that you being chased out of the family wasn't the worst thing that could happen to you… I can make you experience what hell is like!"
In disbelief, Ava looked at him wide-eyed as her trembling legs struggled to keep her standing. "How can you treat me like this, Justin? I'm your sister! We've lived together for over twenty years! We've eaten together, slept together, grew up together! Are you a cold-blooded animal? How can you be so cruel?"
"So what?" Justin smirked. "You really don't know how disgraceful you are, do you? In the past, I only let you do as you pleased because you were my sister. So, as the elder sibling, I thought that it was natural to care for you. Now that I know you're not my sister, there's something wrong with me if I don't kick you out of the house!"
"No… This… can't be…" Ava kept shaking her head, for she was hit with reality.
She never thought that Justin's image of her was like this.
In the past, her brothers would always let her have her way. If she wanted to do something, then she would do it no matter what.
If Justin and Austin did not agree to it, then she would snitch on them by telling Penny. Then, their mother would pressure the brothers. In the end, they would concede.
After she got her way, Ava would happily hug Penny while making faces at Justin and Austin, feeling like she was the precious princess everyone in the family cared for. Ava thought that they only caved in because they loved her as much as Penny did.
In the past, she did not think that this was wrong as she assumed that this was the proof of their love.
However, she understood everything now. Her so-called 'love' was actually just planted seeds of hatred inside her brothers' heart.