This kind of emotion had appeared many years ago when Sam saw a dirty and pitiful little white dog on the street.He felt like he was that stray dog wandering the streets.In Zelda's heart, there was only his lost little sister. While in Kenneth's eyes, there was only Zelda. Only Albert occasionally came back to take care of him, much like a passerby who fed that stray dog. So, Sam picked up that stray dog and brought it home. He had just prepared a kennel, food, and water for it.However, because Zelda was allergic to dog fur, the little dog was thrown away the day after he brought it home. When Sam had just cleaned it up, Kenneth mercilessly threw it out into the snowy yard of the Johnson residence. Sam still remembered, at that time, he cried and begged Kenneth not to throw the little dog outside. Sam promised to keep the little dog near his room, away from Zelda's sight. After all, the Johnson residence was so big, what harm could one more pet do? Unfortunately, Ke
Rebecca was quiet as she pressed her lips together. It was indeed rare for her to see Sam show such emotion. It was a real, honest-to-goodness rage. Most of the time, Sam was very lackadaisical and carefree. He used this image to hide his true self. He acted as if nothing could really pique his interest. Although he occasionally joked around with Rebecca, he never said what he really felt inside. Instead, he would simply muddle through it.He was the same when it came to Penny.He clearly liked her, but he just had to hide his feelings deep in his heart. Though everyone could see how he felt for her, he just had to deny it.It was only at a time like this that he would show a hint of his true feelings.Rebecca looked at Sam and the way he clenched his jaw. She didn't say anything to disturb him and let him quietly deal with the matter. No matter what was said or done, Penny was a talent signed under his company. It was reasonable for him, as her boss, to handle her affairs.Rebe
Besides, Sam hadn't made his decision yet.Although Sam said he would follow what Penny wanted, he didn't seem to be very sure of himself. However, at the very least, Sam was a much better person than most of the playboys in Riverwood.At least, if Penny married into the Johnson family, she wouldn't suffer, right?But when it came to a marriage, everything would depend on the couple themselves.Even if Rebecca was biased toward Sam, she still had to respect Penny's choices. She couldn't force her ideas on someone else.Listening to Rebecca, Penny seemed to become less gloomy. She put on a warm smile. "Don't worry, Becca. If I compromised with everything the Lowe family asked of me, I wouldn't be the way I am now. I'm not so easy to deal with."There weren't many people in the entertainment industry like her. After all, she didn't care much about her image online and whether it would attract new fans. She fought back as good as she got when netizens talked shit about her.Other c
"Who can say? With how silly you are, you might get tricked by a man again someday."Sam poked Rebecca in the forehead. After retracting his hand, he smoothly opened the office door, allowing Rebecca to walk through first with Oliver.Rebecca rubbed her forehead. Just as she was about to retort, she looked over to see the thin figure sitting at her desk outside.Wendy?Why had she not come into the office to see them when she came?Rebecca didn't care to listen to Sam anymore. She also didn't think overly much about the fact that Wendy had been sitting here. After all, Albert wasn't in the office. Maybe Wendy had been worried that coming in would be too awkward, so she hadn't.Besides, after what happened just now, it was possible that the company needed her to deal with some matters, too.Rebecca didn't take this to heart. She brought Oliver along with her as she stepped before Wendy."Wendy, I'm planning to go home with Oliver. Do you want to come with us?"Wendy looked at
No one expected the kid to say such a thing, so they were all frozen in shock, especially Wendy. She nearly held Oliver's hand too and said that that wasn't true. In fact, she liked him very much. Wendy had liked Albert even before he had liked her. She already wanted to go through life with him by her side at first glance, when she first saw him at school.The way he had looked, so far from reach as he gave a speech onstage, was captivating. That was why she had worked even harder. After receiving the Johnson family's financial aid, she was even more motivated. She had never stopped trying to follow him.In the end, she managed to do as she wanted and stood by his side.If she had only liked Albert in the beginning because of his looks and charisma, then she had grown to love him even more after so much time spent together. Wendy did not love Albert any less than he loved her. It was solely because she loved him so much that she couldn't bear to stay by his side when she wa
"I was just saying that you should do it soon." Sam was speaking in a very rational tone like he was just stating facts. "If it turns out as we're theorizing, then Albert will have to go talk things out. We're all people who can communicate, so that's not a problem. The problem is if she doesn't want to talk things out. But if we're wrong, then there's no problem to worry about."Rebecca bit her lip. "Then I'll … find the chance to try it."No matter what, Rebecca still felt like she was sneaking around and doing something bad. It made her feel guilty.Sam could see her hesitation. He sighed softly and said, "Becca, if you can't get over the implications, then forget it. Besides, this matter doesn't concern you that much. There's no need to feel responsible for everything."Plainly speaking, if Wendy wasn't accepting Albert's feelings, it was partially due to something between them that only they knew. Regardless of how much effort someone else put in, their relationship would ne
The look in Zelda's eyes became softer, probably because she was thinking of Sam's love life."Since you say that the girl is nice, Becca, then I won't worry about Sam's taste. Once your father comes home tonight, we'll discuss what wedding gift to give. If it's too big, it might scare the girl's family. If it's too small, it might offend them. Stay here tonight. We can discuss it together.""Alright. I'll go along with what you say." Rebecca couldn't help but smile upon seeing how Zelda was slowly turning serious."But if you ask me, just a moderate gift is fine. If you give something too big, her family might take it all. That would be bad. We might as well give her the gift secretly once everything's settled."Zelda nodded at that. "You're right. Let's go with your plan for now. That girl's a pitiful one. No one's loved her for more than 20 years of her life. She can't have it tough when she's in our family! We have to take good care of her!""What are you two talking about? Wh
Zelda was still thinking about Sam's affairs, so she took a moment before processing what Albert said. Kenneth had a huge reaction. "A man? What man?"Albert's expression turned dark as he coolly told his parents what he had seen at the door in detail. This included how that man had opened the car door for Rebecca and the way Rebecca smiled.He gave countless small details like this. As he did, he seemed very displeased.Rebecca had only been back in Rookfort for a few days. How could she have found a man so quickly? Plus, she even smiled at him! Wasn't she afraid of being tricked?Even if Rebecca wanted to get married, it didn't make sense to progress so quickly. Albert had only taken his eyes off her for a few days!Hearing Albert's antagonistic tone of voice, Zelda finally came back to herself. She couldn't help but chuckle when she saw the looks on Albert's and Kenneth's faces."He's one of Becca's friends from Riverwood. He helped her out during the incident at the Grand C
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