“You…” Rowan gave it a thought and asked softly, “Did you remember something?”Kelly jolted.“There’s nothing you can’t tell me.” Rowan’s smile was as if he knew everything. “Actually, from the first day I treated you, I knew that you were hiding something from everyone.“You didn’t remember something. You’ve never forgotten anything.”Kelly sat on the bed with her legs curled up as she bit her fist.After a moment of silence when Rowan was going to inject her, she grabbed his hand abruptly and looked with a pleading expression on her pale face.“Uncle Irwin, you’re a good person…” Even Kelly’s voice sounded pale. “Please don’t tell others!”Rowan automatically scanned the surrounding area of the hospital ward with a serious gaze. Confirming that there was no one else, he turned around swiftly and shut the door.“Some of the doctors and nurses around me are actually Nelly’s people,” Kelly said softly. “But I don’t know who they are, so I can only pretend to have lost my memory.
Rowan’s brows creased. He looked into the girl’s eyes. She was sick, but her eyes were full of life. They told him she already had an answer before she asked the question.She wanted to help Mandy and seek justice for herself.“You’ve thought through this?” asked Rowan. “Once these are exposed, the Tanners’ dirty laundry will be aired to the world. You’ll be implicated too.”“I’m not scared.” Kelly shook her head with a smile. “I’m dying soon. What’s there to be scared of?“But I can’t just sit around and watch them take advantage of my mom!”“Who says that you’re dying soon? Are you doubting my skills?” Rowan smiled. “Aren’t you afraid that your crush will be sad when you say that?”Kelly froze before a rare blush colored her pale cheeks.“Josiah is great. He’s more concerned about you than your father is!” Rowan took the syringe and injected her at the vein with ease.“My dad’s never been concerned about me.” Kelly chuckled self-deprecatingly. “He’s always scorned that I’m a
Joe clinked glasses with them.The doors opened at that moment, and the venue quieted abruptly. The chandelier on the hall’s ceiling was the only one making a soft clicking noise.Cordelia was smiling as she walked toward Joe and Nelly.Nelly’s expression changed instantly. She was going to lash out, but Joe stopped her discreetly.“Her status is unlike last time now. We’ll still meet in the future. Hold it in!”Nelly took a deep breath and looked at Cordelia coldly.“Why didn’t you tell me about such a joyous occasion today?” Cordelia smiled nonchalantly. “Ms. Tanner, do you still hold a grudge against me?”“Very funny, Ms. Jenner. That usually happens when people are close. You and I don’t seem to even be friends yet!”“Oh… people who are close?” Cordelia smiled. “What a coincidence. I brought your best friend here today. It’d be best if you two could resolve any grudges you have in front of everyone!”“What did you say?” Nelly’s heart dropped.Joe stepped forward with narr
“So, you still remember me, Ms. Tanner!” Mona scoffed.Nelly was startled. Mona’s gaze on her no longer looked like she saw her as a best friend.“Why… Why are you here?” Nelly went up to chide her softly. “You want to embarrass me like them too? Don’t forget, could you be popular without me?”“Yeah.” Mona’s voice was quivering. “Nelly Tanner, I wouldn’t have ended up like this if it weren’t for you!”She pulled the scarf off her face as she spoke. The deep scars on her face shocked Nelly.“This is what you gave me!”“Liar!” Nelly stumbled back. “I’ve never asked anyone to mutilate your face!”“Hah, not you, but everything’s because of you!”Mona faced the crowd. They were shocked when they saw the wounds on her face.“I’m here today to expose Ms. Nelly Tanner!“She’s the one who asked me to seduce Mr. Thompson and drug him. She’s also the one who got the press to cook things up. That’s how Mrs. Thompson got triggered and lost her baby!”“Mona!” Nelly shrieked. “Are you craz
Zephyr looked at Nelly in repulse and shook her off.Cordelia held his arm and looked at Nelly icily.Nelly still wanted to cling to Zephyr, but the bodyguard stepped forth and shoved her to the floor.The doors were opened again. This time, Mandy came in, wheeling Kelly. The latter was pale and frail in the wheelchair, but the determination in her eyes frightened Nelly.“Mandy, Kelly…” Joe was sweating profusely with a nervous expression. “Why are you both here?”Mandy scoffed, “Are we supposed to watch you hand the family business over to this scornful, vicious b*tch otherwise?”“Mandy!”Joe wanted to overpower her, but she tossed a document to him.“Joe Tanner, you must have forgotten about our prenup, huh?”“What?” Joe paled as he read the prenup with bulged eyes.It was only then that he recalled that Mandy’s family, the Chrisses, had asked him to sign a prenup before they married over 20 years ago. The prenup had accounted for their premarital assets. When the Tanner Gr
Joe picked up the papers from the floor with trembling hands and read them sheet after sheet.Mandy gripped the wheelchair handles so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She saw her daughter’s jerking shoulders and patted her.The papers that Kelly had thrown were countless photocopied sets, so almost everyone there could get one to themselves. As they went through the DNA test report and the injury assessment reports, they threw despising and abhorring glances at Nelly and Joe.“Hypocrites!”“Despicable!”Everyone hit the man who was down—Nelly and Joe stood rooted pathetically like they were tied to the gallows.“Dad, you probably don’t know how Nelly has been bullying me all these years, huh?” Kelly asked shakily, “Hah, or did you know and give your silent permission for her to do it?”“No, no!” Joe panicked. “Kelly, you’re my daughter too. Even though you’re sick, I’ve never thought of giving up on you, right?”“Don’t touch my daughter!” Mandy pushed him away resentfull
“Thanks for the trouble, Chief Sheridan.” Nicholas smiled.Thomas waved, and someone pulled Joe up from the floor right away.Joe shouted as he struggled, “You… You’re on his side! Don’t you know that Nicholas Thompson’s a gangster!?”“Mr. Tanner!” Thomas snorted, “Mr. Thompson’s the CEO of Sol Entertainment. He’s contributed significantly to the development of film and TV culture, and he will participate in the top ten outstanding youths of Centrolis next year! Do you mean that our mayor can’t distinguish right and wrong?”Joe widened his eyes speechlessly.“I have to thank Mr. Thompson for being here in advance, so you didn’t get away!”“B-But don’t you see his underlings? Those guns…”“I was going to turn in these guns!” Nicholas smiled.“Chief Sheridan, I have a friend who works specifically with the police at the border to crush various firearm smuggling activities. These guns are what he’s collected, and I’m passing them to you now. It’s my duty as a Centrolis citizen!”
“In the past, I thought that it would be fine as long as Nelly didn’t hurt my mom. I didn’t have many days left to live anyway, so I’d protect my mom like this.“But Nelly became worse after that, so I kept my guard up. I sneaked to get my injuries checked each time I went to the hospital, and later, I managed to get the DNA test report.“Then that night…” Kelly’s voice grew softer with a hint of a smile. “I met someone who made me make up my mind.”Cordelia knew that it was Josiah.If it were not for that night, Kelly would not have been so eager to seek justice for herself. It was because she had met Josiah that a ray of light shone into the darkness that was her life and allowed her to keep going unwaveringly.“It’s just because I met him,” Kelly said softly. “That I want the whole world to know about my existence. I want to… stand properly next to him.”Cordelia was moved, feeling a pinch on her nose.“Josiah won’t let you down.” She looked into Kelly’s eyes. “Kelly, you’ve