Thea had been the object of ridicule for ten years. Every time she stepped outdoors, her face would be hidden under a veil.

She thought she was used to this.

But right now, the crowd's words pierced into her like knives. She kept her head lowered, not daring to meet the onlookers' gazes. Self-hatred started rising inside her.

"This is it? I wouldn't want her even if you paid me."

"The most beautiful woman in Cansington? The media must've been blind when they said that."

Thea may have been staring at the ground, but she could vividly picture the sneers that were on the crowd's faces. It was too much to bear. The lump in her throat grew and a single teardrop fell from her eyes.

Belinda was pleased with Thea's reaction. She lifted Thea's chin, staring at the scabbed-over cuts on her face that were still in the process of healing. "Such a beautiful face," Belinda said with a laugh. "What a pity. Haha!"

"W-what are you doing?!" Thea jerked herself out of Belinda's grip in a panic a