The door had already swung shut. Daniel had left.Carl stared at the door with wide eyes. "What the hell? He's leaving just like that?"Rebecca chuckled behind him. "You mentioned that Jessica's downstairs, right? He must've gone to see his future wife. What's the point of staying here?"Carl turned to give her a complicated look. She stood up from his seat with her smile still in place. "If you're not busy, could you give me a tetanus shot?"You can also ask a nurse to do it for me. I still have work, so I can't hang around here for long. Sorry to trouble—" Rebecca hissed in pain.Her injury wasn't serious, but it still hurt when she placed pressure on it. She hadn't stood up since getting injured, so it hadn't occurred to her earlier.She yelped in pain and fell sideways."Your leg's injured? Has it been bandaged yet?" Carl subconsciously held out an arm to help her. Unfortunately, there was some distance between them, so he didn't manage to catch her.Luckily, Rebecca steadi
At the end of a corridor in the hospital, someone declined a call as soon as the phone started ringing. After a while, it rang again.It was finally answered after a few seconds. "What the hell's wrong with you, Daniel? How dare you not answer my call! Where the fuck are you?"You'd better explain yourself! You brought me here for a meal, then left me here to die! It's bad enough that you've gone missing since I can just charge the meal to your card, but where's your car? Get your ass back here to pick me up!"Even over the phone, it was plain that Ryan was furious.Daniel didn't seem to notice this. He didn't even seem to be listening. He stood before the window with a poker face. He stared out the window absentmindedly.When Ryan didn't get a response, he shouted, "Are you listening, Danny? What are you doing?""Ryan." Daniel's eyes focused again. "I have something to ask you. Is that okay?"Ryan had never heard Daniel speak in this tone of voice before. It immediately extingu
"Who?"Carl was still engrossed with his phone and answered subconsciously. "Oh, Rebecca? She left right after she had her jab. She told me to inform you when you return from visiting Jessica."Daniel's face darkened immediately. "Did you say she left? You allowed her to leave while she was still injured?"It was the first time Carl saw Daniel in such a foul mood. His mood wasn't this bad when Jessica had hurt her head. So, Carl had a complicated expression as he asked, "How do you expect me to stop her when it's her leg? Besides, you didn't ask me to stop her. Plus, she only had a wound on her ankle. She didn't lose her leg, so why are you being so emotional?"Daniel took a deep breath and looked at his watch. "When did she leave?"Carl looked at the time and replied, "Not too long ago. She left a few minutes ago. Don't be so nervous. She's an adult; she won't get lost. Oh right! You went to see Jessica, right? How is she?"He continued in a softer tone, "Is it true that she got
"What pictures?" Rebecca had a bad feeling about this."The … The top trending topics on the internet. Do you really not know about it, Ms. B?" Rebecca didn't look like she was lying, so Dennis whipped out his phone and showed it to her.The pictures were now the second most trending topic. It didn't appear to be a paid gimmick either.Daniel and Rebecca were captured crossing paths with other people in the hospital. The picture was a little blurry as there were many people at the hospital. However, due to Daniel's recent popularity, he was still recognizable. The same couldn't be said about Rebecca, who was being carried. In the picture, Daniel stood out from the crowd. He was looking at the woman in his arms with affection, and the corners of his mouth were curved upwards.Rebecca was shocked by the image. She recalled that she had regained her consciousness abruptly and was threatened by Daniel. So, she could only hide in fear in his embrace while he continued to tease her. How
"Nah, I wasn't with him. Don't spout nonsense, Sam." Rebecca lied without batting an eye.Sam knocked on the table and glared at Rebecca. "Becca Johnson, has anyone told you that you're terrible at lying? I'll be embarrassed if it becomes public knowledge that you’re my sister."Everyone in the business world was as cunning as a fox. They lied as naturally as breathing, unlike her.Rebecca pouted and complained in a soft voice, "You have a smug look on your face, though."Since they were sitting close to each other, it was only natural that Sam caught every word Rebecca said. He looked up from his food at her. "So what? Let me tell you something, Becca Johnson. You should know that you'll need to be slyer than the foxes if you want to keep up a good act in this world. You'll be deceived and cheated if you can't even tell a lie. Hah! Why am I lecturing you on this? Be honest with me. Why were you at the hospital today? Did you hurt yourself?"Seeing that Sam managed to reel the con
The air between Sam and Rebecca seemed cold after her outburst.Sam's arm seemed to grow limp, and he stared at Rebecca in utter disbelief. His temper rose, and he retorted back, "Becca Johnson, do you know what you're saying?"Rebecca glared at him for a while before turning away. She couldn't understand why she said those things. However, her heart ached, and she felt cheated when Sam called her by her old name. It wouldn't have mattered if others called her names or teased her for being an orphan. But how could he when she had reunited with the Johnson family?Rebecca headed towards the exit haggardly. She was lucky that there weren't many people around as the dinner rush had not arrived. No one noticed the crying lady walking out. The evening breeze helped to calm Rebecca's thoughts. She took a deep breath and remembered that she had lent her car to Ryan.The restaurant was located in the suburbs, and it was hard to hail a cab here. She was left with two choices: she could ei
Sam wasn't too happy about it, but he still gave an approving grunt.Afraid that Sam would change his answer, Rebecca asked again, "Really? You're not lying to make me happy, are you?"Sam was afraid that Rebecca would start crying again. Therefore, he replied lovingly, "Yes, I'm not lying. Let me know once you've decided on a date, alright?" Rebecca hugged her brother immediately. "I know that you love me the most. However, I need to stay at Riverwood for two days, so I'll let you know when I am free to head back."Rebecca was all smiles again after hearing Sam's answer. She let go of his neck and checked the flowers. She was afraid that they might be squished.Sam knew at this moment that Rebecca had been faking it. Aside from the slightly reddened eyes, there were no signs of tears at all."Becca Johnson, what a good sister you are that you dared lie to me!" Sam felt angry.Rebecca smirked in response. "Isn't that what you taught me? Would I still be your sister if I wasn’t
Judging from Daniel's actions and demeanor, it seemed as though he caught Rebecca cheating on him.Rebecca laughed. "My relationship with Mr. Johnson doesn't concern you, Daniel Winston, since we’re divorced. Why do you care who I'm seeing?"Judging from what happened so far, Rebecca was sure that Daniel had misunderstood the situation, just like the first time he met Sam. However, things were different now. They weren't legally divorced the first time, but they were now. Besides, Jessica was his fiancee, so why did he still care about her? What a joke!Daniel replied matter-of-factly, "Grandpa left you to me. It doesn't matter that we're divorced. I’m like a brother to you. We’ve always been close. Now, what's wrong with an older brother caring about his younger sister?"Rebecca was dumbfounded by his logic. How could he have the cheek to say that he was like a brother to his ex-wife? What a psycho this ex-husband of hers was! Besides, her real brother was standing right there in
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