"You're sick in the head! That's what I'm saying!" Rebecca yelled. She snatched the phone from Daniel and nestled back on the sofa. She blamed herself for choosing a place as quiet and secluded as Springford when they married. It was difficult for her to get a cab here.Daniel didn't say anything else and simply stared at her. After that, he took out his phone. The number saved as Becca was still at the top of his contacts list. With a frown, he tapped on the call button. Just like every time he tried to call her, he only heard the robotic voice saying, "Sorry. The number you have dialed is no longer in service …" He put the call on speakerphone for Rebecca to hear. Even though he didn't say anything, his actions had already spoken for him. He wouldn't have heard this prompt if she hadn't changed her number because if he had blocked instead, he would have gotten a different prompt altogether. Rebecca lazily lounged on the sofa, not moving a single inch. She said, "Your problem, D
That was Ethan Somner. Even from a long distance, Daniel could still recognize the man Rebecca was hugging. After all, Ethan was an actor with the title of best male actor; he was a well-known star. Of course, Daniel knew him. Besides, this big star had trouble with Winston Jewelries two years ago. Originally, Ethan was supposed to endorse Winston Jewelries, but he requested to terminate his contract two years ago. He would rather pay liquidated damages than continue the endorsement. He was very stubborn. No matter how everyone tried to convince him otherwise, he still demanded to terminate the contract.Ethan had been in the industry for many years but kept it low-key. Except during the promotion of his work, he never showed up anywhere else. No one could even find information about his parents on the internet, and many of Ethan's loyal fans caused a lot of trouble when he terminated the endorsement, damaging Winston Group's reputation."I didn't expect Rebecca to know a big star
"Daniel? Why would he …" Rebecca frowned, regretting speaking up for Daniel at the first moment."Who else would it be if not him?" Sam was somewhat unhappy, his expression dark. He put away the first aid kit after applying medicine to Caleb's wounds.Knowing she said something wrong, Rebecca apologized, "I'm sorry, Sam, Caleb. I didn't mean to speak up for Daniel. I just …" She didn't know why she defended Daniel. It was likely because they grew up together and Rebecca understood him. He wasn't someone who would pull tricks behind people's backs. When he told her he didn't send anyone to follow her abroad, she felt he was telling the truth. But even if he wasn't directly involved in this, she wanted to get even with him. She couldn't forgive him. Although he said he didn't lay a finger on her, her brothers ended up getting attacked just now. There was no way she could excuse Daniel so easily. That bastard was extremely hostile toward her brothers.However, no one blamed her for
"N-No. Of course n—" Jessica was silenced before she could finish her words.The man held her neck, his grip tightening slowly. His smile grew wider when he saw her face becoming red from suffocation. She looked at the man in horror, frantically hitting his arm to free herself from his grasp. Unfortunately, the man didn't budge. He only let Jessica go when her struggles became weaker."Rebecca is just that capable of escaping from my grasp. Regardless of whether I succeed, you're in no position to tell me what to do. Do you think that men will do whatever you want just because you offer yourself to them?" said the man while giving a scornful glare to Jessica, who was gasping for breath. He wasn't an idiot like Daniel!"Why are you helping me, then?" Jessica asked. She was curled up on the bed, trembling non-stop. This man was fine before, and he always gave her what she wanted. Why was he mistreating her all of a sudden?"Maybe I'm doing so out of boredom." The man tilted his head,
Noticing who was at the door, Daniel frowned slightly. "Sure."Jessica walked into the office after getting permission. She asked, "What are you guys talking about?"Ryan ignored her and rubbed his nose. He said to Daniel, "I'm leaving. I don't have anything to do here anyway."He didn't like Jessica, who came into their lives much later. Rebecca was the one who grew up with him. Later on, when Jessica returned, he went abroad, so he didn't know Jessica very well. He wasn't sure if she overheard their conversation. Although Jessica said nothing, Ryan felt guilty for talking behind someone's back.Daniel let him leave and ordered, "Remember what I told you.""I got it. I haven't forgotten." Ryan waved goodbye to Daniel, not sparing a glance at Jessica when he brushed past her. Hence, he didn't notice the trace of resentment in her eyes.After Ryan left, only Daniel and Jessica were left in the office. Jessica walked over to Daniel with a smile, keeping a reasonable distance so as
Rebecca didn't even raise her head at his question. She was focused on making final adjustments to the plating. She said, "What's the point of driving them away? They're paying us for food. It's stupid not to let them in."The Four Seasons VIP card was equivalent to the cost of booking a table in advance. It cost a small fortune. Since Daniel didn't mind eating here, who were they to drive away a golden goose like him? Besides, Riverwood was the Winstons' territory. Even if she had a grudge against Daniel, she shouldn't let that grudge affect her job. She couldn't let innocent people suffer the consequences if she offended him.Initially, Markus was filled with anger. He knew it was bad luck for Daniel and Jessica to be here, and he didn't want to let them in. But now, he thought that Rebecca had a point. He said, "Fine, we'll let him in, but we'll hike our prices just for him."Markus wanted to see Daniel suffer. After all, they didn't suffer from what happened last time. Inste
Taking the opportunity, the waitress said, "Mr. Winston didn't order using the menu. The first two dishes were good, so he wanted me to serve two more from the same chef.""So, you're saying you just ignored the other customers and you brought the food here to please Mr. Winston, the person you've set your sights on." Rebecca scoffed as she looked coldly at the waitress beside her. "You're being harsh!" the waitress retorted. It was terrible for Rebecca to expose her plan right in front of Daniel.Rebecca sneered. She couldn't bring herself to care anymore. Speaking the truth out loud was equivalent to painting a target on herself. If she said anything more, she wouldn't be safe.She held the bowl of stew with one hand and grabbed the dish the waitress had with the other. Her movements were so fast and steady that the waitress couldn't react in time!Ignoring the waitress' protest, Rebecca looked at Daniel calmly, saying, "I'm sorry, Mr. Winston. These two dishes were ordered bef
Immediately afterward, everyone at the dining table checked their phones. News about Ethan and Rebecca had spread like wildfire throughout the internet, probably because it involved Ethan. It wasn't only on media news websites but even showed up on unrelated websites.The headlines made everyone at the table frown."Movie Star Ethan Somner Becomes a Homewrecker!""The Browns' Adopted Daughter's Surprising Affair!""Adopted Daughter Gets Kicked Out by the Brown Family!""Rebecca Brown and Daniel Winston's Divorce!"…The trending search entries were filled with Rebecca's name. The website even lagged as Rebecca scrolled through the article she was on. Even so, she could figure out the gist of the article. There was even a video attached to it.Although the video was a bit blurry and watermarked by the media, it was possible to recognize the two people embracing each other. Fans would definitely recognize Ethan, who had been in showbiz for ten years. Furthermore, Rebecca wasn't e
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