"You said your name is... Deborah Hope?"I furrowed my brows slightly."Yes. Do we know each other? Why are you so worked up?"Seeing that I looked genuinely confused, Zoe slowly exhaled, relieved. It was just a coincidence."No, it’s nothing. I used to have a friend with a name similar to yours."I couldn’t blame Zoe for being surprised. After all, no one would expect that the timid, poor, overweight girl who was supposed to be long gone would be standing before them now, transformed into a beautiful, wealthy young woman.Suspicion began to take root in my mind, and I decided to quietly start investigating Zoe.I chose the same elective class as Calvin, and on the first day, I pretended to be late."Sorry, professor, I'm late! It's my first day, and I got a bit lost. I apologize!"I rushed into the classroom, deliberately flustered. After carefully preparing my appearance, I noticed quite a few audible gasps when I walked in, including one from Calvin himself."She’s pretty stunnin
At the dinner table, Jack was overly attentive, constantly serving me food and asking if I had a boyfriend or about my family background.Like Calvin, when he learned that I was single and from a wealthy family, his eyes lit up, and his tone grew even more enthusiastic. Meanwhile, Calvin’s expression darkened, his face practically stormy.On the way back, I slipped and nearly fell. Both Calvin and Jack reached out to catch me—Jack grabbed my wrist, while Calvin wrapped his arm around my waist. Even after I steadied myself, Calvin didn’t let go, his hand lingering inappropriately.I quickly pulled away from Calvin’s grasp."Thank you for catching me, Calvin, but please show some respect. This isn’t appropriate—I prefer gentlemen."Jack's eyes brightened at my words. He suddenly stepped between us and pushed Calvin aside."Calvin, this isn't right. A girl like Deborah is someone we all admire, but you can’t be so impatient. It’s unbecoming."I perfectly timed my reaction, grabbing Jac
Jack, already weakened from years of indulgence in alcohol and women, collapsed to the ground the moment I used the stun gun. However, the stun gun’s power was too low, and he was already struggling to get back up.I shouted for help, and the bodyguard, who had been posing as a diner nearby, rushed over and restrained Jack as soon as he caught my signal.I called the police and then phoned Calvin. He arrived quickly, and I pretended to be terrified, throwing myself into his arms and sobbing. Even though the scent of him made my stomach turn, I forced myself to endure it for the sake of my plan."Calvin, I’m so scared... I’m all alone here with no one to rely on, and Jack, he... he tried..."Calvin immediately comforted me, then angrily cursed Jack, acting like he was livid. But I could see the excitement and satisfaction in his eyes.The footage from the security camera captured everything and was handed over to the police as evidence. However, it wasn’t enough to give Jack a seri
After receiving my parents’ promise, Calvin wasted no time going back to discuss the matter with his family. The Preston family was overjoyed at the prospect of an alliance with my family. After all, we were in a different league compared to the Wilsons.The next day, Calvin came forward with "evidence"—years of wrongdoing by him and Jack. Of course, he conveniently removed any trace of his own involvement. He also brought along two witnesses—girls Jack had assaulted in his earlier years, cases that had been buried by the Wilson family.When the evidence was handed over to the police, it included over a dozen charges, from minor to severe, enough to make the officers want to storm in and beat Jack themselves.Soon after, Calvin couldn’t wait to publicly announce the engagement between the Preston and Hope families.The Wilson family initially planned to fight back, but when they heard about the upcoming marriage between the Prestons and the Hopes, they hesitated. If they went down
As expected, Zoe contacted Calvin the same day, demanding money. She threatened to expose their relationship and show me their private videos if he didn’t comply. Little did she know, I had already uncovered everything and had surveillance software secretly installed on her phone and computer."Give me two hundred million dollars in cash! I also want 30% of your family’s shares, and you need to send me abroad for school."I raised an eyebrow at that. Zoe was really bold, making such outrageous demands—she was asking for a third of the Preston family’s assets without a care that Calvin might snap and retaliate.On the other end of the call, Calvin was silent for a long time before he finally responded with a quiet, “Okay.”---They set a time and place to meet, planning to finalize the deal and sign the contract. For Calvin to agree so easily didn’t seem right. Could he really afford to give up that much?Zoe, however, was completely unsuspecting. After all, in their previous deal
Over the years, Calvin had committed numerous crimes—hit-and-run accidents were just one of many. They were nothing new to him.So, when Zoe blackmailed him, his first thought was to kill her. He had also assaulted several girls, even driving one to suicide by jumping off a building. Each of these incidents was quietly covered up by the Preston family, using every means necessary to suppress the truth. The victims' families were threatened and silenced, which allowed Calvin to live arrogantly for all these years without facing any consequences.Now, all the witnesses came forward, and the long-buried cases were reopened. With the undeniable evidence of Zoe's murder, as well as the other crimes Calvin had committed, there was no escape for him. Even if the Preston family wanted to protect him, there was nothing they could do.The misdeeds that Calvin and Jack had committed were anonymously leaked online, and the internet, being a double-edged sword, became a powerful tool for justi
On graduation day, I waited for hours at the school gates. This might be my last chance to see Calvin, and I didn't want to miss it. I yearned to tell him how I felt, even though I was certain he'd reject a girl of my size. Still, speaking my truth was an act of courage I wouldn't regret.As I nervously fidgeted, picking at the last bit of loose skin around my fingernails, Calvin finally emerged from the school building."C-Calvin! Wait up!" I called out nervously.Calvin turned, the evening sun casting a warm glow on his face. His white and blue school uniform accentuated his youthful handsomeness – he was the boy I'd secretly adored for three years."What is it?" His voice was as captivating as ever."I... I know this might seem presumptuous, but I needed to tell you... I like you! I've liked you since the first day I saw you at the start of school! I don't expect anything, I just wanted you to know. I... I hope you'll always be happy!"I summoned all my courage to say this, then tu
"Deborah, be careful when you go out, and come back early, okay? I will be waiting at home for you," Grandpa reminded me.I looked up and flashed a bright smile at him."Got it, Grandpa!"Little did I know, that would be the last time I ever got annoyed by his nagging.I nervously arrived at Twilight Club. The moment I stepped inside, the loud music overwhelmed me, and I felt a little out of place in the crowd."Deborah, over here!"I followed the voice and saw the door to a private booth open. Calvin was halfway out, waving at me.When I entered the booth, there were only two people: Calvin and another guy. I recognized him. He was Calvin's close friend, Jack Wilson."Deborah, this is my friend Jack Wilson. Jack, this is my 'girlfriend,' Deborah Hope."Jack glanced at me with a half-smile, his eyes showing a mix of disdain and amusement. His stare made me uncomfortable as he slowly curled his lips into a smirk."Nice to meet you. I'm Jack Wilson. I hope you have a good evening."Aft
Over the years, Calvin had committed numerous crimes—hit-and-run accidents were just one of many. They were nothing new to him.So, when Zoe blackmailed him, his first thought was to kill her. He had also assaulted several girls, even driving one to suicide by jumping off a building. Each of these incidents was quietly covered up by the Preston family, using every means necessary to suppress the truth. The victims' families were threatened and silenced, which allowed Calvin to live arrogantly for all these years without facing any consequences.Now, all the witnesses came forward, and the long-buried cases were reopened. With the undeniable evidence of Zoe's murder, as well as the other crimes Calvin had committed, there was no escape for him. Even if the Preston family wanted to protect him, there was nothing they could do.The misdeeds that Calvin and Jack had committed were anonymously leaked online, and the internet, being a double-edged sword, became a powerful tool for justi
As expected, Zoe contacted Calvin the same day, demanding money. She threatened to expose their relationship and show me their private videos if he didn’t comply. Little did she know, I had already uncovered everything and had surveillance software secretly installed on her phone and computer."Give me two hundred million dollars in cash! I also want 30% of your family’s shares, and you need to send me abroad for school."I raised an eyebrow at that. Zoe was really bold, making such outrageous demands—she was asking for a third of the Preston family’s assets without a care that Calvin might snap and retaliate.On the other end of the call, Calvin was silent for a long time before he finally responded with a quiet, “Okay.”---They set a time and place to meet, planning to finalize the deal and sign the contract. For Calvin to agree so easily didn’t seem right. Could he really afford to give up that much?Zoe, however, was completely unsuspecting. After all, in their previous deal
After receiving my parents’ promise, Calvin wasted no time going back to discuss the matter with his family. The Preston family was overjoyed at the prospect of an alliance with my family. After all, we were in a different league compared to the Wilsons.The next day, Calvin came forward with "evidence"—years of wrongdoing by him and Jack. Of course, he conveniently removed any trace of his own involvement. He also brought along two witnesses—girls Jack had assaulted in his earlier years, cases that had been buried by the Wilson family.When the evidence was handed over to the police, it included over a dozen charges, from minor to severe, enough to make the officers want to storm in and beat Jack themselves.Soon after, Calvin couldn’t wait to publicly announce the engagement between the Preston and Hope families.The Wilson family initially planned to fight back, but when they heard about the upcoming marriage between the Prestons and the Hopes, they hesitated. If they went down
Jack, already weakened from years of indulgence in alcohol and women, collapsed to the ground the moment I used the stun gun. However, the stun gun’s power was too low, and he was already struggling to get back up.I shouted for help, and the bodyguard, who had been posing as a diner nearby, rushed over and restrained Jack as soon as he caught my signal.I called the police and then phoned Calvin. He arrived quickly, and I pretended to be terrified, throwing myself into his arms and sobbing. Even though the scent of him made my stomach turn, I forced myself to endure it for the sake of my plan."Calvin, I’m so scared... I’m all alone here with no one to rely on, and Jack, he... he tried..."Calvin immediately comforted me, then angrily cursed Jack, acting like he was livid. But I could see the excitement and satisfaction in his eyes.The footage from the security camera captured everything and was handed over to the police as evidence. However, it wasn’t enough to give Jack a seri
At the dinner table, Jack was overly attentive, constantly serving me food and asking if I had a boyfriend or about my family background.Like Calvin, when he learned that I was single and from a wealthy family, his eyes lit up, and his tone grew even more enthusiastic. Meanwhile, Calvin’s expression darkened, his face practically stormy.On the way back, I slipped and nearly fell. Both Calvin and Jack reached out to catch me—Jack grabbed my wrist, while Calvin wrapped his arm around my waist. Even after I steadied myself, Calvin didn’t let go, his hand lingering inappropriately.I quickly pulled away from Calvin’s grasp."Thank you for catching me, Calvin, but please show some respect. This isn’t appropriate—I prefer gentlemen."Jack's eyes brightened at my words. He suddenly stepped between us and pushed Calvin aside."Calvin, this isn't right. A girl like Deborah is someone we all admire, but you can’t be so impatient. It’s unbecoming."I perfectly timed my reaction, grabbing Jac
"You said your name is... Deborah Hope?"I furrowed my brows slightly."Yes. Do we know each other? Why are you so worked up?"Seeing that I looked genuinely confused, Zoe slowly exhaled, relieved. It was just a coincidence."No, it’s nothing. I used to have a friend with a name similar to yours."I couldn’t blame Zoe for being surprised. After all, no one would expect that the timid, poor, overweight girl who was supposed to be long gone would be standing before them now, transformed into a beautiful, wealthy young woman.Suspicion began to take root in my mind, and I decided to quietly start investigating Zoe.I chose the same elective class as Calvin, and on the first day, I pretended to be late."Sorry, professor, I'm late! It's my first day, and I got a bit lost. I apologize!"I rushed into the classroom, deliberately flustered. After carefully preparing my appearance, I noticed quite a few audible gasps when I walked in, including one from Calvin himself."She’s pretty stunnin
My parents took me to the best hospitals, but each time, it felt like we were just one step away from a breakthrough. I was in a vegetative state, and even though the prognosis seemed bleak, they refused to give up. They took me abroad in search of treatment, patiently nurturing my body until today—when I finally woke up.I glanced down at myself. After two years of being bedridden, the excess weight was long gone. I hadn’t eaten in two years, surviving solely on nutrients, leaving me emaciated, reduced to nothing but skin and bones.My parents immediately worked to erase the video and arranged for Grandpa’s burial. Upon investigation, they discovered that Calvin and Jack had deliberately sent the video to Grandpa, but by then, too much time had passed, and many of the crucial pieces of evidence had been lost.With the limited evidence we had, it was impossible to convict them. My parents had wanted to seek revenge for me, but fearing I might never wake up, they held off. They de
Through my sobs, I managed to speak, "How... how did Grandpa die?"Zoe's eyes were red, and she looked at me with hesitation, as if struggling with whether to tell me. After a long pause, she finally spoke."Deborah... last night, are you... are you okay? It’s all my fault. If only I had stopped you, none of this would’ve happened!"I froze. How did Zoe know about last night?"How do you know..." My voice was hoarse.With her eyes brimming with tears, Zoe bit her lip and handed me Grandpa's phone after tapping a few times."Last night, when you weren't answering your phone and didn’t come home, Grandpa got worried and called me. While we were out looking for you, he suddenly received this video. It was when he saw this... that his heart gave out."The explicit content on the screen burned my eyes. The girl in the video... it was me—drugged and helpless—and the ones recording it were Calvin and Jack.I clutched my head in agony, letting out a piercing scream.Seeing my reaction, Zoe
"Deborah, be careful when you go out, and come back early, okay? I will be waiting at home for you," Grandpa reminded me.I looked up and flashed a bright smile at him."Got it, Grandpa!"Little did I know, that would be the last time I ever got annoyed by his nagging.I nervously arrived at Twilight Club. The moment I stepped inside, the loud music overwhelmed me, and I felt a little out of place in the crowd."Deborah, over here!"I followed the voice and saw the door to a private booth open. Calvin was halfway out, waving at me.When I entered the booth, there were only two people: Calvin and another guy. I recognized him. He was Calvin's close friend, Jack Wilson."Deborah, this is my friend Jack Wilson. Jack, this is my 'girlfriend,' Deborah Hope."Jack glanced at me with a half-smile, his eyes showing a mix of disdain and amusement. His stare made me uncomfortable as he slowly curled his lips into a smirk."Nice to meet you. I'm Jack Wilson. I hope you have a good evening."Aft