After landing, Rebecca felt a bit uneasy and hesitated before disembarking from the plane. Reflecting on the past few days of her "journey," she had been on edge. She had even contemplated the worst-case scenario of disappearing from the world. Of course, she had also optimistically considered the possibility of returning home. In her dreams, she envisioned herself as a character from a blockbuster film. She imagined being rescued by superheroes and safely landing, rushing into her parents' arms, and reverting to being a child. However, she had not imagined returning home in this way—having to cooperate with everyone to keep it a secret from her parents. She had to resort to well-intentioned lies to try to alleviate her parents' concerns and ensure their well-being. As she followed Caleb out of the plane and stepped onto the rooftop with a view of Rookfort, Rebecca felt it was still somewhat surreal. Everything seemed like a dream. Even when she saw Albert, her biological
Rebecca didn't forget about Susan, who would come back early.She took an international flight, with a layover in between, but looking at the time, she should have already landed in Fairport.Rebecca had bought Susan a phone before she boarded the plane overseas. She was worried about not being able to contact her if they departed separately. She had bought an international mobile plan for her.After lunch, Rebecca made a video call to Susan.Prior to this, Caleb had told her that there had been progress regarding Susan's situation. They had already found her brother's remains, and as long as they made proper registration, they would be able to successfully bring back his ashes.It was the first good news since returning to the country.She couldn't wait to share the good news with her friends who had accompanied her on this journey.The video call connected.Before anyone appeared on the screen, Rebecca couldn't contain her excitement and said eagerly, "Susan, have you arrived?
After talking to Rebecca, David turned the camera back to Susan.He smiled and said, "Susan, you agree, right?"Susan twisted the corner of her mouth. She attempted to force a smile yet found it incredibly difficult.She could only try her best to keep her composure. She said to Rebecca, "Mr. Winston is very handsome. He… he was also very polite to me. I am not scared at all."Even a fool could tell from her unnatural tone that she was just being polite.Suddenly, Rebecca recalled a phenomenon she had read about on the internet: Stockholm syndrome.Unfortunately, this was not a time to joke around.Rebecca smiled and said, "As long as you're not scared, Susan, that's good. It was his mistake not to inform you before picking you up from the airport. When he comes to Rookfort, I will make him apologize to me, and I will punish him on your behalf."Susan forced another smile.Rebecca no longer wanted to play this game with Susan. So, she turned back to David."So, David, when ar
Rebecca had no choice but to rephrase what she said. She then said, "I'm not familiar with the roads in Rookfort. Even with maps, I'm not used to driving in Rookfort. Besides, you might arrive early in the morning. I might not even be awake yet.""That's true." David chuckled.Unexpectedly, he agreed with Rebecca. "In that case, you can book a restaurant for tomorrow at noon. I'll bring your new friend to meet you for lunch. How about that?""Alright, let's do that. See you tomorrow?" said Rebecca."See you tomorrow," David said.Then the call ended.Rebecca's beautiful face disappeared from the screen. When the screen completely went dark, David threw it to the side casually.He turned his head and looked at Susan, whose arms were still being tied behind her back, and said with a smile, "I apologize for the inconvenience, Susan. But just in case Becca didn't want to see me again when I returned to Rookfort, I had to use you. I hope I didn't scare you, and I hope you don't mind.
In the evening, Rebecca went to visit the Gibsons with Albert.She briefly mentioned David, but both Albert and Caleb told her not to worry.It wasn't because she was worried about being taken away by that crazy man again.It was because now he had a hostage, so she was worried that innocent people might get hurt.But never mind; they would deal with any difficulties as they came.For now, her priority was to visit the Gibsons.Albert had prepared the gift in advance.Rebecca initially planned to go out in the afternoon and see if she could find something the Gibsons would like.After all, she had returned in a hurry, and all the things she had prepared were in Fairport. Many of them were still being shipped as well.Hence, she had no choice but to seek last-minute solutions.But with the help of her brother, everything had already been prepared.There was no need to worry. She could rely on her brother.The Gibsons family had known that Rebecca would be coming back and had
Rebecca was actually feeling a bit awkward.Before entering the house, she had indeed prepared herself to greet her relatives.Although it had been a long time since she last saw them, and they weren't close anymore, she still understood basic manners.However, as soon as she stepped inside, she heard those sarcastic remarks. No matter how good her mood was, it was ruined by the remarks.Moreover, there was a rule in terms of greeting the elders. Since neither her eldest brother nor her cousin greeted the relatives, she decided to follow suit.She didn't care if Mary scolded her because of this. Her elder brothers would always be on her side.When Mary confronted them, Albert also couldn't be bothered to respond.He had just entered the house with the gifts. Upon hearing those words, he glanced at them indifferently and went straight outside to smoke.Rebecca hesitated whether to follow her eldest brother out.After all, it was quite torturous to be with a relative who wasn't
As he was talking, James glanced at Rebecca and almost burst into laughter."I was joking with you, Becca. It seems like you indeed haven't set foot in the kitchen for years. No worries. Skills don't simply go away. If you like it, you can occasionally cook for your family. It won't be too burdensome."As he spoke, he asked Rebecca and Albert to take their seats at the table.Serena, who was carrying the dishes from the kitchen, saw it and immediately got annoyed.She let out a slight grunt as she put the dishes on the table before sitting down.James frowned. "Why are you sitting down? Aren't they still warming up the dishes in the kitchen?"Serena stood her ground and said, "Grandpa, I am your granddaughter-in-law, so I'm a guest too. Guests shouldn't help with the cooking. Don't you think so?"Both of them were James' granddaughters. So, why was it that Rebecca's hands were soft and fair like polished jade?Why were Serena's hands covered in the greasy smell of kitchen fumes
As soon as Angela said that, the expressions on everyone's faces changed.Mary and Serena were naturally satisfied. After putting down the food on the table, they started eating as usual without caring about etiquette or waiting for guests.Angela had spoken. What could they do now that the elders had spoken up?Arguing would achieve nothing as it already seemed like Rebecca was in the wrong.It looked like she went abroad, forgot about her family, and didn’t return home in the last four yearsTo Angela, it looked like she was spoiled!Except for Mary and Serena, the rest of them naturally looked upset.Jimmy, especially, looked upset at hearing this.He knew how much Rebecca had suffered and how she had been mistreated over the years. Now that she had returned home, she had to listen to such hurtful remarks.But he couldn't criticize Angela.The same went for James.Angela's health was getting worse. She used to like to stay on the second floor, but now she would get tired
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