The sound of footsteps drew closer and closer to her. Penny, whose eyes were covered, began to feel fearful.Surrounded by darkness, with every sound echoing in her ears, she felt a mysterious chill creeping up her spine.The fear of the unknown lingered in her mind.Penny couldn't help but cry out, her voice choking, "If you do anything to me, I'll call the police after I leave!"Aren't you rich people supposed to care about your reputation the most? Anyway, I have nothing to lose, so let's see who's afraid of whom!"She was still just a young girl, after all. The worst thing she had experienced in this life was her own parents' beatings.All the dark things she knew were from books, novels, or TV dramas.Of course, she was at a loss and visibly frightened when sent into a hotel room with a stranger by her own father.The man standing in front of her chuckled softly. "You're quite a stubborn and cute girl."As his words fell, his perfume's faint scent enveloped her.As the s
The living room was quiet, but the laughter and chatter from the study did not quiet down.When things were almost settled in the meeting, the man in the hotel suddenly spoke up."By the way, is the cooperation with the Lowe family's project really not working out? We've been working on this project for many years."Although changing personnel is feasible, the handover process can be quite troublesome. Have you talked to your brother about it?"Although he had been dissatisfied with the Lowe family's head for a long time, he could distinguish between work and private matters.He had been working on this project with the Lowe family all along. Although the profits in the past two years were not as high as in previous years, they hadn't incurred losses, either.If this scion from the Johnson family hadn't brought it up, he would have probably renewed the contract with the Lowe family and continued the collaboration.After all, finding new partners required researching the other co
Sam suddenly raised his head. "What day is it today?""What day?" The man sat leisurely in his office chair, not understanding why Sam was suddenly so agitated.Sam's face was dark. "Look at today's date."The man tapped on the tablet on the table and glanced at it. "It's the 8th. Why…"Before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly remembered something and stopped speaking.He tentatively asked, "Isn't today the day of the child's exam?"For most people, the college entrance examination was very important. Even families in the circle who didn't need this exam would still attach great importance to and prepare everything for it.For example, the man remembered his cousin's mother wearing a shirt that was said to bring luck for three days during her daughter's exam, hoping it would bring success.Even before the exam, she specifically consulted a fortune teller to determine which color to wear.It could be said they cared a lot.Comparing that to the person outside…The vid
Penny sat on the couch in the living room for nearly an hour.At first, she let her thoughts wander, imagining if she had been born into an ordinary family.She didn't have high expectations even then. She imagined herself in a family like Cecilia's, where she could have a family member who truly cared for her.What would her life be like in that case?As she thought more about it, she found the idea rather ridiculous.The most illusory thing in the world was "what-ifs".From birth to now, she truly had no family members who genuinely cared for her.The injuries she suffered on her body were real, as were the scoldings she endured from childhood to adulthood.Even now, her own biological father had sent her to a stranger's room, causing her to miss what she felt was the most important exam for people her age.It could even be said it was the most important thing for them, and not just an exam.Spencer was already getting on in years, yet he personally delivered his own daught
Penny was hesitant to take the business card.From her perspective, the man's contact information should be quite valuable.Spencer was even using her to gain this man's favor, so he must have some capabilities and was a known figure in the circle.And in their eyes, Penny was probably just an immature kid with nothing to gain from.However, the shadow of being betrayed by her father was still etched in her heart. Even though she knew this was an opportunity handed to her, Penny dared not accept it.She took a step back and shook her head. "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but it's not necessary."I have plans for my own education, and I've saved up some money. Whichever path I choose, I can manage the expenses without your help."Also, you don't need to dwell on today's incident. It wasn't your fault but my father's."In a way, it should be me who has caused you trouble, perhaps even bringing unnecessary complications to your life. I hope you don't harbor any anger because of
"Is there anything else?"Penny turned her head to look at him. Her attitude was much more relaxed than before, and there was less caution in her eyes.The man stepped forward, pulling out two bills from his wallet."Business cards might not be of much use to you, but I think you might need this right now, kid."He stuffed the money into Penny's palm without allowing for objections.He continued teasingly, "You don't have your wallet or your phone. Do you plan to walk home or stand by the road, hoping for a kind-hearted person to give you a lift?"Seeing Penny's dazed and slightly stunned expression, the man's laughter grew louder.He waved his hand and stepped away."It's not a lot of money, so don't dwell on repaying me or anything. I just hope that when we meet again, you will have grown into a strong, independent woman."Penny still stood there silently, pinching the two bills in her hand.Honestly, she had rarely worried about money until she was 18.Or rather, she had
Penny's gaze landed on a straight, beautiful stick on the flower bed. It lay with the other freshly pruned branches and leaves in a pile, not yet swept away.The stick looked harmless—thin and straight.But Penny, who had been beaten before, knew that such small sticks were truly painful when used to hit someone, much like a whip.Francis, distracted by Penny's words, didn't react immediately. Penny went over and stripped the leaves off the stick.Francis was still in stunned silence when she headed toward the villa with the stick in hand."Ah…" Francis wanted to say something, but Penny was already far away.Inside the villa, Penny's portly father lay on the couch. In front of him was a brand-new wine set.Spencer seemed to be in a good mood as he was humming a tune under his breath.Julia sat on another couch, dressed like a wealthy lady. Her former enthusiasm for her husband had subdued, and her previous flattering demeanor was reined in.But she seemed to maintain some adu
"My God! What are you doing? What on earth are you two doing?"Penny only took a deep breath and threw away the stick when it broke. At the same time, a panicked voice rang out from behind her.She coldly looked at the man curled up in the corner of the couch, still shielding his face with his arms, and sneered in her heart.To think such a person was her father. It was ridiculous. Did he even deserve to be related to her?She flitted her gaze to Julia, who was sitting with a blank expression on another couch.As for this nominal mother, Penny didn't harbor much hatred, but she felt no significant emotion for her, either.After all, she had often heard terms like "jinx" and other humiliating nicknames from Julia.At most, she could say her mother never hit her. But as a mother, Julia had never cared or protected her.Even when Spencer hit her, Julia would only echo her husband on the side, afraid of upsetting him.If so, why did they bother to have Penny at all? It was disgust
Penny didn't have much free time over the past three years.As she had envisioned, during the first year, she honed her acting skills amidst criticism while also working as a translator.Later on, she felt that acting didn't hold much appeal anymore. Moreover, realizing that there weren't any roles left for her, she gradually gave up and moved toward working behind the scenes.She had some work during this period.It seemed that a daring reality show, not caring about potential risks, decided to capitalize on her controversial popularity and invited her to participate in one of their programs.The reason Penny agreed to participate was because the show's first season had a good reputation, and the payment offered was reasonable.Continuously doing translations could be quite tiring. After discussing with Cecilia and weighing the pros and cons, she eventually signed up for this TV show.Unfortunately, she had underestimated the darker side of human nature.The show's production
"Really?" Zane blurted out, staring incredulously at Sam, who nodded calmly. His unruly and carefree demeanor was restrained, and his composed attitude showed that he wasn't joking.Zane fell silent again, furrowing his brow as he intently observed Sam.It was as if he thought everything through in an instant, giving up without hesitation. He didn't even remind Zane of the request from years ago to take care of Penny. Instead, he said this would be the last time he would help out.Logically speaking, this should be a satisfactory outcome for Zane. After all, from any perspective, the Lowe family's scion would only be a burden to Sam.Looking again at Sam's attitude, it seemed he didn't want Penny to know he was the one quietly spending money to handle things behind the scenes.Since there was no plan to meet her, he didn't need to worry about anything after that. If that was the case, it would be better to just end it early.That way, if Sam saw Penny falling in love, getting mar
All those old scoundrels from the Lowe family undoubtedly ranked the highest. Then there was Jessica, the entertainment industry's national goddess, who also played a significant role.Besides them, there were a few minor celebrities who didn't really make the cut.However, as Sam's partner and someone who watched him grow up, Zane privately hoped Sam could find a better girl.So, he advised, "There are plenty of socialites in Riverwood, and Amdale has no shortage of beautiful young ladies, either, and Rookfort isn't much different."You and the Lowe family's daughter haven't even officially met…""Who said I haven't met her?" Sam interrupted him without a second thought.He had even seen her twice. How could Zane say they hadn't even met yet?The first time, she gave him all the money she had. The second time, he spoke up to help her get that role.After these interactions, they could be considered acquaintances.Zane choked up and couldn't find the words to refute.He was s
Because Penny declined his offer, Zane didn't insist. After a bit of small talk, he ended the call.He politely mentioned that if she needed any help, she could call this number again. If he could assist in any way, he certainly would.However, Zanw knew very well that, given Penny's temperament, she would rather give up what she had than actively seek help from a stranger.Yes, to Penny, Zane was just a stranger. He was a person she had met once but didn't really know.This time, Penny didn't respond as coldly as she did when she was 18. Instead, she exchanged a couple of polite pleasantries, mentioned that she would reach out if needed, and then hung up the phone.After that, she let out a long sigh of relief and lay on the lounge chair on the balcony, gazing at the view outside the window.There were fluffy white clouds in the azure sky and the greenery visible in the neighborhood. Sparrows were chirping persistently as they darted through the forest, and the cicadas loudly bu
Although the other person said only one word, Penny could still tell he didn't have any ill intentions.Because of that faint sense of familiarity, Penny didn't hang up the phone immediately. "Hello? May I ask what this is about?"The unfamiliar and distant tone probably made the man on the other end of the phone pause for a moment. It was only after a brief silence that he responded."Young lady, don't you remember me? It's Zane Moran."His voice carried a laugh, with a hint of teasing.Only then did Penny remember who he was, but she wasn't happy at all.Zane meant no harm when that incident happened back then. But despite that, over the years that had passed, he became one of the people and things Penny would rather not recall.Whether it was the exam she missed, the incident where Spencer took her to the hotel against her will, or Zane, who gave her 30 dollars for a taxi ride.She just wanted to hide all of them deep in her memories.The recent events had particularly made
"I'm fine. You all don't have to look so worried. You're making it seem as if something bad is going to happen to me."Penny looked at the two people at the door who were showing a range of expressions, feeling speechless.Cecilia was provoked by her words, and her eyes turned red."We're worried about you. You have no idea what you look like right now. You're almost like one of those disheartened protagonists in novels who hated the world."Penny clicked her tongue twice and said, "Aren't you exaggerating?"She didn't believe it. She was just worried about money. It wasn't like she had become disillusioned with life.Besides, she didn't dislike this world at all. On the contrary, she really liked it.Whenever Penny came across posts online suggesting that all humans should just die, she always felt like rolling her eyes. If they wanted to die, they shouldn't drag others with them.When searching for her own role in movies, TV dramas, and novels, Penny particularly preferred re
Penny's way of clarifying things was to simply tell the truth.Sometimes, trying to cover things up would just lead to needing 100 more lies to continue the cover-up. That would often end up making things worse and more ridiculous.It was better to tell the truth about the situation.To answer the question of why she lashed out at the Lowe family, she briefly explained her experiences over the years.Why didn't she attend the final paper of the college entrance examinations? She personally reopened that old wound.As for that man in the hotel, Penny didn't have much of an impression of him anymore. She only remembered not taking his business card and accepting 30 dollars from him.Why did she show up at that man's hotel room? She wrote it down truthfully—it was her father who personally took her and left her at the hotel, wanting to trade her like a commodity.Every single word was carefully considered and written by Penny.She didn't share much of these things with Cecilia. Th
Once the official statements were released, Penny's career being ruined became a certainty.The only surprising thing was probably that after the film crew issued their statement, the largest investor also requested to withdraw.The film crew was completely shocked, but there was nothing they could do. The scion was willing to lose money just to withdraw his investment, so what could they do?The amount of money in the compensation was nothing compared to the amount that the scion planned to invest. The production team would incur a significant loss.With one less investor, the project's status was essentially downgraded. They had much less room to manipulate their gains now, too.One would understand why the scion was doing this if they used their brain a little.However, the protests from the audience couldn't be ignored, and compared to the investors, it was clearly more important to keep the show going.After all, they could always attract more sponsors, even if the amount o
In addition to the widespread backlash caused by the phone recording, Penny's academic credentials were also scrutinized and exposed.Before the college entrance exam, she had always been the top student in her school and had never ranked anything else.However, in the college entrance exam, she barely passed the minimum mark for key institutions, far below her usual performance.Some people speculated that she had been cheating during regular exams and that her actual abilities were much worse.However, the exam results could be checked online, and the fact that Penny scored zero on the last exam was surprising.It was even more shocking that she was admitted to a top-tier university despite missing an exam. It was truly exceptional.But few people paid attention to this information.After all, the achievements attained through hard work couldn't be faked. Even if the results weren't as expected, it was undeniable that she was stronger than many others.Regarding this topic, t