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Chapter 4
Bab terkait
The 300th IOU Chapter 5
When I woke up, I was in the hospital.I stared at the white ceiling. The smell of disinfectant filled the air. For a moment, I thought I had gone back to the time after my car accident.But back then, I could not afford such a nice private room.“Clara, you’re awake.”I turned and saw Owen sitting beside me. His eyes were bloodshot, like he had not slept all night. His expression was so complicated that I could not figure it out.“Was it really worth it? Just for some money?“The doctor said you have a stomach ulcer!”I blinked and asked the only thing that mattered to me. “How much is the bill?”Owen was a little annoyed. “I already paid for it!”Then he looked at me with guilt.“I went too far this time. I didn’t know you were this weak.”I ignored his apology and asked another question. “Does the 100,000 still stand?”Owen was so angry he almost choked.“Money, money, money! All you think about is money! Can’t you care about anything else? You and Rachel are both Mr.
The 300th IOU Chapter 6
Rachel must have felt threatened by how close Owen and I were, so she immediately sweet-talked him into getting engaged to her.My parents were thrilled.They had watched Owen grow up and knew him well. The two families were a good match, and their beloved daughter would not be treated badly if she married him.The two families quickly set up an engagement party.It was set in the most luxurious hotel in Alveria, and they spared no expense. They created a dreamy, fairy-tale setting, with even the tiniest decorations made of imported crystal, just because Rachel liked it.When the fancy gold invitation arrived at my hospital room, I got a text from Rachel.[Clara, the people you love don’t love you anymore. How sad.]Of course, she only had the guts to send something like that from a random number.I did not bother replying. I was not even planning to go to the engagement party.But then I saw online that influencers would be live-streaming the whole event. I changed my mind.
The 300th IOU Chapter 7
Those who were shocked by what I said looked at Rachel with envy.What a lucky girl!Even though she was not their real daughter, she still got all their love.But they were confused.What kind of mistake did I make to be so despised?With everyone watching, I pulled out a neat stack of 300 IOUs with red slap marks on my face. “I don’t care about your money.“This is every single cent you’ve spent on me in the past eight years. Didn’t you say I had to pay it all back this week or go to jail?“Let’s settle it right now.”My parents’ faces darkened when they realized what I was doing.“We just didn’t want you wasting money! And instead of apologizing to your sister for your mistakes, you’re acting like the victim?“Fine, let’s see how much money you actually have!”Rachel’s eyes flickered when she got an idea.“Dad, Mom, Clara only graduated from high school. Where would she get so much money?“Could she have… done something bad?”She looked so worried, like she truly car
The 300th IOU Chapter 8
I coldly avoided her touch. “Have you finished going through them? The money is all here. “From now on, I have nothing to do with you.” My parents panicked. “No, Clara! You’re our daughter!” But as soon as they said it, even they looked ashamed. Yes, I was their real daughter. But over the past eight years, they had spent less on me than a single diamond on Rachel’s dress. “Clara, we were wrong. Let us make it up to you. “When’s your birthday? We’ll throw you a huge coming-of-age ceremony that is even better than Rachel’s!” They were so desperate that they did not even think before speaking. Rachel’s face went pale. But that time, no one rushed to comfort her. Even Owen, who always took her side, muttered, “Clara’s birthday… is the same as Rachel’s.” He was right. My birthday had already passed. They had forgotten. They looked at the last IOU. It was on my birthday. My parents looked defeated. They could not bring themselves to imagine how hopeless I m
The 300th IOU Chapter 9
Seeing her lies exposed, Rachel stopped pretending.She shoved my mom away and sneered. “Yeah, I lied.“I wanted to take everything from her. I wanted to steal everyone she cared about.“And I did, didn’t I?”For the first time, my dad slapped Rachel, like how he used to hit me.His face was red with anger, and his body shook uncontrollably. “Why? Haven’t we treated you well enough?”Rachel held her cheek. Her eyes were filled with hatred. “You treated me well, but how could an adopted daughter ever compare to a real one?“Why was Clara born with everything while I had to live as an outsider?“And don’t act all innocent now! All these years, you never once believed Clara. Do you really think that was only because I lied?“I can’t believe none of you noticed anything odd while I was tricking you.”My parents said nothing.Even Owen looked pale.Because she was right. Had they really not noticed anything all these years?Or had they simply been used to making me suffer for R
The 300th IOU Chapter 1
The house was empty when I got home from the hospital. Even the cleaning lady had the day off.The lights were off in the empty house. Everything around me was pitch black. It was so quiet that I could hear my footsteps.Even though I had expected this, I still felt a little sad. It felt like I was being treated unfairly.It was not the first time I had been forgotten.I took a deep breath and walked up to the second floor.My legs, which had just recovered, were still weak, so I had to hold onto the railing and slowly make it to my room.It was the smallest and darkest storage room in this luxurious villa.I did not have much stuff.There was just a bed and an old wooden table, and that was it.I opened the drawer of the old wooden table. It was full of IOUs I had written to my parents over the years.One, two… and with the one I was holding, it added up to exactly three hundred.The amounts on the IOUs ranged from dozens to hundreds. They included my tuition and living exp
The 300th IOU Chapter 2
Pan-fried trout, huh?That dish was like a nightmare for me.I remembered that it was my mom’s 40th birthday.I had secretly learned how to cook that dish because I wanted to make it for her.I was only twelve at the time.While making it, I almost cut my hand and got burned by the hot oil.But after all that effort, when I served the dish, Rachel said she liked it. So, my mom did not even taste it and gave the whole plate to Rachel instead.I could not forget Rachel’s smug look.She finished everything before me, but she accidentally got a fishbone stuck in her throat.My parents panicked and rushed her to the hospital.She clung to my mom and said weakly, “Mom, don’t blame Clara. I was greedy and ate too much.”Because of that one sentence, my furious mom slapped me.She called me vicious and accused me of trying to hurt Rachel on purpose.Ever since then, whenever Rachel wanted pan-fried trout, my parents made sure someone watched over me and forced me to carefully remo
The 300th IOU Chapter 3
I did not bother arguing and simply turned to leave.My dad was so furious that he grabbed a vase and smashed it on the floor near my feet.“Ungrateful brat! Are you trying to run away from home?!“Fine! You’ve borrowed enough money over the years! Pay it all back by next week! If you don’t, I’ll have the lawyers throw you in jail! This way, you’ll learn your lesson!”Glass shards cut into my leg. Blood dripped down, but I did not seem to notice it.I was not even surprised by his words.I turned back to look at them.They thought I was scared and ready to surrender.But as I stared at their proud, self-righteous faces, I felt nothing.Without another word, I turned away. Just before closing the door behind me, I said, “Okay.”If that was what they wanted, I would pay them back.Once I did, I would have nothing to do with this terrible family ever again.As I walked out of the house, I could still hear my dad yelling.I ignored him.Limping past the neighborhood gates, I
Bab terbaru
The 300th IOU Chapter 9
Seeing her lies exposed, Rachel stopped pretending.She shoved my mom away and sneered. “Yeah, I lied.“I wanted to take everything from her. I wanted to steal everyone she cared about.“And I did, didn’t I?”For the first time, my dad slapped Rachel, like how he used to hit me.His face was red with anger, and his body shook uncontrollably. “Why? Haven’t we treated you well enough?”Rachel held her cheek. Her eyes were filled with hatred. “You treated me well, but how could an adopted daughter ever compare to a real one?“Why was Clara born with everything while I had to live as an outsider?“And don’t act all innocent now! All these years, you never once believed Clara. Do you really think that was only because I lied?“I can’t believe none of you noticed anything odd while I was tricking you.”My parents said nothing.Even Owen looked pale.Because she was right. Had they really not noticed anything all these years?Or had they simply been used to making me suffer for R
The 300th IOU Chapter 8
I coldly avoided her touch. “Have you finished going through them? The money is all here. “From now on, I have nothing to do with you.” My parents panicked. “No, Clara! You’re our daughter!” But as soon as they said it, even they looked ashamed. Yes, I was their real daughter. But over the past eight years, they had spent less on me than a single diamond on Rachel’s dress. “Clara, we were wrong. Let us make it up to you. “When’s your birthday? We’ll throw you a huge coming-of-age ceremony that is even better than Rachel’s!” They were so desperate that they did not even think before speaking. Rachel’s face went pale. But that time, no one rushed to comfort her. Even Owen, who always took her side, muttered, “Clara’s birthday… is the same as Rachel’s.” He was right. My birthday had already passed. They had forgotten. They looked at the last IOU. It was on my birthday. My parents looked defeated. They could not bring themselves to imagine how hopeless I m
The 300th IOU Chapter 7
Those who were shocked by what I said looked at Rachel with envy.What a lucky girl!Even though she was not their real daughter, she still got all their love.But they were confused.What kind of mistake did I make to be so despised?With everyone watching, I pulled out a neat stack of 300 IOUs with red slap marks on my face. “I don’t care about your money.“This is every single cent you’ve spent on me in the past eight years. Didn’t you say I had to pay it all back this week or go to jail?“Let’s settle it right now.”My parents’ faces darkened when they realized what I was doing.“We just didn’t want you wasting money! And instead of apologizing to your sister for your mistakes, you’re acting like the victim?“Fine, let’s see how much money you actually have!”Rachel’s eyes flickered when she got an idea.“Dad, Mom, Clara only graduated from high school. Where would she get so much money?“Could she have… done something bad?”She looked so worried, like she truly car
The 300th IOU Chapter 6
Rachel must have felt threatened by how close Owen and I were, so she immediately sweet-talked him into getting engaged to her.My parents were thrilled.They had watched Owen grow up and knew him well. The two families were a good match, and their beloved daughter would not be treated badly if she married him.The two families quickly set up an engagement party.It was set in the most luxurious hotel in Alveria, and they spared no expense. They created a dreamy, fairy-tale setting, with even the tiniest decorations made of imported crystal, just because Rachel liked it.When the fancy gold invitation arrived at my hospital room, I got a text from Rachel.[Clara, the people you love don’t love you anymore. How sad.]Of course, she only had the guts to send something like that from a random number.I did not bother replying. I was not even planning to go to the engagement party.But then I saw online that influencers would be live-streaming the whole event. I changed my mind.
The 300th IOU Chapter 5
When I woke up, I was in the hospital.I stared at the white ceiling. The smell of disinfectant filled the air. For a moment, I thought I had gone back to the time after my car accident.But back then, I could not afford such a nice private room.“Clara, you’re awake.”I turned and saw Owen sitting beside me. His eyes were bloodshot, like he had not slept all night. His expression was so complicated that I could not figure it out.“Was it really worth it? Just for some money?“The doctor said you have a stomach ulcer!”I blinked and asked the only thing that mattered to me. “How much is the bill?”Owen was a little annoyed. “I already paid for it!”Then he looked at me with guilt.“I went too far this time. I didn’t know you were this weak.”I ignored his apology and asked another question. “Does the 100,000 still stand?”Owen was so angry he almost choked.“Money, money, money! All you think about is money! Can’t you care about anything else? You and Rachel are both Mr.
The 300th IOU Chapter 4
I took on as many part-time jobs as I could.One night, my childhood friend, Owen Lynch, saw me working as a waitress at a nightclub.I had no choice. I needed money. My days were already packed with jobs, and this was one of the few that paid well and offered weekly wages.Some customers tried to take advantage, but I kept my boundaries, and no one dared to force me to do anything.I counted how much more I needed to earn after a week of work.But to Owen, my job meant I had no self-respect.He was out drinking with his friends and spotted me right away.At that moment, I was carrying a tray of drinks when he suddenly grabbed my wrist. The expensive drinks slipped from my hands and shattered on the floor.“Clara, you ran away from home just to throw a tantrum. Rachel has been worried sick!“I can’t believe you’d stoop this low and work in a place like this!“Do you even care about her?”I ignored his angry questions and simply stared at the broken glass on the floor.What
The 300th IOU Chapter 3
I did not bother arguing and simply turned to leave.My dad was so furious that he grabbed a vase and smashed it on the floor near my feet.“Ungrateful brat! Are you trying to run away from home?!“Fine! You’ve borrowed enough money over the years! Pay it all back by next week! If you don’t, I’ll have the lawyers throw you in jail! This way, you’ll learn your lesson!”Glass shards cut into my leg. Blood dripped down, but I did not seem to notice it.I was not even surprised by his words.I turned back to look at them.They thought I was scared and ready to surrender.But as I stared at their proud, self-righteous faces, I felt nothing.Without another word, I turned away. Just before closing the door behind me, I said, “Okay.”If that was what they wanted, I would pay them back.Once I did, I would have nothing to do with this terrible family ever again.As I walked out of the house, I could still hear my dad yelling.I ignored him.Limping past the neighborhood gates, I
The 300th IOU Chapter 2
Pan-fried trout, huh?That dish was like a nightmare for me.I remembered that it was my mom’s 40th birthday.I had secretly learned how to cook that dish because I wanted to make it for her.I was only twelve at the time.While making it, I almost cut my hand and got burned by the hot oil.But after all that effort, when I served the dish, Rachel said she liked it. So, my mom did not even taste it and gave the whole plate to Rachel instead.I could not forget Rachel’s smug look.She finished everything before me, but she accidentally got a fishbone stuck in her throat.My parents panicked and rushed her to the hospital.She clung to my mom and said weakly, “Mom, don’t blame Clara. I was greedy and ate too much.”Because of that one sentence, my furious mom slapped me.She called me vicious and accused me of trying to hurt Rachel on purpose.Ever since then, whenever Rachel wanted pan-fried trout, my parents made sure someone watched over me and forced me to carefully remo
The 300th IOU Chapter 1
The house was empty when I got home from the hospital. Even the cleaning lady had the day off.The lights were off in the empty house. Everything around me was pitch black. It was so quiet that I could hear my footsteps.Even though I had expected this, I still felt a little sad. It felt like I was being treated unfairly.It was not the first time I had been forgotten.I took a deep breath and walked up to the second floor.My legs, which had just recovered, were still weak, so I had to hold onto the railing and slowly make it to my room.It was the smallest and darkest storage room in this luxurious villa.I did not have much stuff.There was just a bed and an old wooden table, and that was it.I opened the drawer of the old wooden table. It was full of IOUs I had written to my parents over the years.One, two… and with the one I was holding, it added up to exactly three hundred.The amounts on the IOUs ranged from dozens to hundreds. They included my tuition and living exp
