"What do you mean?" I asked.Luke replied, "Six years ago, Justin was still in the U.S. Cindy went to visit him during summer vacation. While driving, they got into a car accident. Cindy broke two ribs and suffered some minor injuries, but Justin was trapped in the car. By the time the rescue team arrived, it was too late. Although Justin's life was saved, his legs were amputated below the knee, and he has been in a wheelchair ever since."I was shocked. Justin, the perfect golden boy with a bright future ahead of him, had experienced a tragedy. His parents must have been devastated."Lucy never liked Cindy. Even when Cindy visited Johnsonville, she rarely had the chance to visit the family estate. During holidays, she wasn't allowed to formally pay her respects to her Grandma Lucy like the other children. Lucy had high hopes for Justin, and this incident made her so angry that she fell ill and was hospitalized for over a month due to a stroke. She still requires special care."Luk
Luke glanced at me, as though he had something to say but hesitated.Suddenly, a more urgent question came to mind. "Luke, what compelled you to dig into Cindy's background?"This was a deeply hidden family secret. Even Steven, a renowned private investigator in Johnsonville's upper echelons, had only managed to uncover surface-level details. The explosive information Luke had discovered must have required substantial effort and resources.Luke responded calmly, "You mentioned that Cindy seemed to have a vendetta against you, but you didn't know why. Later, Stephen also found it peculiar. We analyzed Cindy and Max's actions and concluded that you were indeed Cindy's target. Stephen suggested I start by investigating Cindy's background. During my investigation, I discovered that Cindy's mother, Susanne, had a brief connection with the teacher."At this point, Luke pursed his lips and looked at me earnestly. "I apologize, Jen, for acting without your permission."In that moment, I s
Luke furrowed his brow.“She believes that my father abandoning her mother led to her own miserable and painful life. That's why she always told Max how much she envied everything I had.”And now, she wants to destroy everything I have.At that moment, I finally understood that she never loved Max. Her so-called love at first sight was merely the beginning of her calculated revenge. Max was nothing more than a tool—a knife she used and then discarded.I couldn't help but laugh coldly. “Luke, you know what? I suddenly feel sorry for Max. He probably still doesn't realize that he was just a disposable tool for Cindy, used to fulfill her revenge. Max likely thought he was incredibly lucky, believing that Cindy, a wealthy heiress, had fallen madly in love with him. He was willing to be manipulated, thinking that getting rid of me would secure him a place in the Lansworth family. Little did he know, Cindy was merely using him to get back at my father.”Suddenly, a thought struck me. I
When Luke dropped me off at the entrance to my complex, it suddenly started pouring rain. I unbuckled my seatbelt and got out of the car, thanking him politely."There's no need," Luke replied flatly.His handsome face showed no emotion as he looked out at the heavy rain. He took out an umbrella and handed it to me. Instinctively, I declined, saying, "No need, I'll just run inside. You keep it."I thought he might need the umbrella himself, but Luke insisted, pushing it into my hand. "Take it. I don't need it.""But—" I began."Aren't you going to see Max? Stephen has already arranged the meeting time. If you get sick from the rain and delay things, what will we do? The detention center doesn't allow visits whenever we want." Luke's tone left no room for argument. "Take it."It would have been rude to refuse again, so I accepted the umbrella. "Thank you, Luke."Luke frowned slightly.I hesitated, "What's wrong?""Jen," he called me by my name."Yes?" I responded.Luke sighed
That time, Max's mother Annie, his three sisters and their husbands, and their five children came to visit.Before their arrival, Annie called Max and suggested that we prepare gift cards for the children since it was their first meeting. So I prepared gift cards with two thousand each.When Annie found out, she scolded Max, asking about the red envelopes for his three sisters. She reminded him that his three sisters had worked and married early to help support Max's education, as their family had no man to provide for them. She emphasized that he shouldn't forget their contributions now that he was living a good life and should show gratitude.Max had no choice but to discuss it with me. We decided to give each of his three sisters two thousand as well. At the time, I didn't think much of it. Two thousand each wasn't a large amount, and although Annie's words were harsh, I believed in expressing gratitude for the support Max had received. I supported his decision to give.But who
Max's three sisters chimed in with twisted and vulgar faces, "Who do you think you are? Our family matters are none of your business. An outsider like you should keep your mouth shut!"Wendy, my best friend who is like family to me, was clearly out of line. So, I didn't hold back and said to Annie, "Wendy is my best friend and like family to me. She's not an outsider. And she's right—here in Johnsonville, it's unheard of for a bride to give gifts to her husband's sisters."Max tried to explain, "Honey, no, the gift cards shouldn't be from your pocket. They were from me... I'm sorry, I should have explained it better."I felt for Max, caught in the middle. I wasn't angry with him, but his sisters were really out of line. They made both of us look bad at our wedding reception and showed a complete lack of decency.His eldest sister immediately expressed displeasure, sarcastically asking Max if marrying a city girl made him forget his sisters' hard work. She pointed out that without t
At that moment, I felt mostly heartache.Wendy smiled and asked Max, "What's the deal with your family? Are they really here to bless your marriage to Jen? Didn't you all discuss what to say beforehand? Max, are you absolutely sure they're not here to ruin your wedding?"Max's face flushed then paled... he was clearly embarrassed.Annie accused Max of being ungrateful and then shifted her gaze towards me, stating, "Jen, our family sticks together. Max promised us that once he made money, he would take care of his three sisters. Three hundred thousand is just a year's salary for Max. Can't you understand? Otherwise..."Before Annie could finish, Wendy interrupted. "Auntie, Jen married a husband, not a burden. We really can't comprehend this.""Are you calling us a burden!" Max's second sister glared at Wendy.Wendy's expression turned cold, and she disregarded the second sister, looking directly at Annie, arms crossed. "As her friend, I am also her family. Whether I have a say or
When the Jennings family came over for dinner, we had only put down a deposit on the house, not paid the full amount.At that time, I was completely in love with Max, so I thought it was fine to put both our names on the house. After all, it was going to be our home. But seeing how his family behaved at the dinner, I started to have second thoughts.Under the table, Wendy squeezed my hand, signaling me to stay quiet. She then explained to Max that the house we were buying was technically my pre-marital property and had nothing to do with the Jennings family or Max.Hearing that Max's name wouldn't be on the deed, Annie's face darkened, and she immediately snapped, "Max and Jen are getting married and becoming a family. What's hers is his. What kind of friend are you, trying to drive a wedge between them? You're just jealous and can't stand to see others happy!"Wendy laughed coldly, "Annie, our son is smart and knows what I'm saying is right. Isn't that so, Max?"Max, looking emba