Rebecca's mind was completely blank. It was shutting down.She felt David gripping her wrist tightly and pressing the knife onto his own body. She had no strength left. She could not pull her hand away.She could feel the force of his hand. He was still pressing and twisting the knife into his flesh.She could feel the warmth of the blood flowing out of his body. It was trickling from her hand."David ..."Rebecca called out his name with her dry throat.David let out a faint chuckle and said, "Becca... I have taught you quite a lot in these four years. Let me teach you one more thing… Take revenge for yourself."Rebecca remained quiet."You said if you were to forgive, it would make it seem like you deserve everything you have suffered. But there's a saying in this world. Everything has a cost. I have paid you back everything, alright?"Rebecca still didn't utter a word.David, who didn't receive any response, continued to speak with a voice that gradually became lower.He
Struggling to accept David's death, the man who had momentarily regained composure once again succumbed to mournful wails. His wails echoed through the surroundings. It was reminiscent of a child who had lost their beloved candy. However, Rebecca didn't remain silent. She said calmly, "Life is fleeting, and mourning is inevitable. If you don't mind the trouble, burying him here would be a fitting resting place." If they found it burdensome, they could simply lay him to rest on the spot. They could cover the body with dense pine needles and vegetation. At the very least, it would give him some dignity. In this remote and sparsely populated deep forest, any potential growth of pathogenic bacteria was unlikely to spread. As for whether his body decomposed naturally or became prey for wolves and other predators in the dense forest, that was beyond her consideration. Kane cried for a while. He sniffled as he looked at Rebecca. "Ms. Rebecca, Mr. Winston just passed away. Aren
David's Side Story: From the inception of his memories, David grasped one fundamental principle: emotions were the most burdensome aspect of this world. Adhering to his own life principles, he embarked on navigating the intricacies of human existence after assuming the management rights of the Winston Group from Mr. Winston Senior. As he had grown up amidst death, his mindset differed from those who had grown up in well-lit classrooms in his home country. He couldn't fathom those men and women who shed tears over love, nor did he comprehend the pursuit of parental approval by engaging in activities they disliked. He had witnessed countless disputes and even bloodshed over interests and money. He had witnessed a mother, who was on the brink of death, shield her child in her arms while enduring all the pain herself. He also witnessed instances where individuals sent their children away for a morsel of food. He had known of a mother who endured inappropriate behavior in nigh
Rebecca was already abroad when David received updates about her. Jessica had made David deploy a subordinate to keep Rebecca abroad. At the time, David found the situation amusing. He couldn't comprehend how everyone's attention was always on Daniel.Even the two elderly grandpas of the Winston family did the same. One threatened David with a rebellious and immature matter. Meanwhile, the other gave everything to train David. He even prevented David from interacting with Rebecca, whom he saw as a scourge. This grandpa even used his many years of raising Daniel as leverage to force Daniel into marrying Rebecca.Unfortunately, the old fart never could've imagined Daniel would be resistant toward Rebecca. So what if Daniel and Rebecca were childhood friends?Rebecca didn't matter to Daniel. Instead, he valued Jessica, who had suddenly reunited with the Brown family. She was horrid and always pretended to be pitiful for attention.However, David was content and felt more at
As David expected, Rebecca gave off an entirely different energy than two years ago when she couldn't even afford meals.Rebecca's head always hung low back then, but there was a brightness in her eyes now. She would never again devote herself to David's incompetent little brother like before.Yet, David felt slightly disappointed in her because she was still the same tamed sheep. Although she now wore a defensive armor over her heart, she still couldn't change her meek nature.Rebecca was still shaking and nervous when punishing others that wronged her. She did the same to Jessica, who had paid others to cause trouble.David did what Jessica asked of him, but he did it half-heartedly, like when he was abroad. He fulfilled her task without doing exactly what she wanted. After all, how could he kill someone when they lived in a lawful society?He felt that scaring Rebecca was enough. Little did he expect Jessica to have other plans. She paid someone to defame Rebecca when the lat
David never thought he'd ever fall for Rebecca.He assumed he'd at most be interested in her. Rebecca was so kind to others that it was almost hilarious in David's eyes. She behaved like a saint who reacted to malicious people with empathy. She believed God would give them a chance to turn a new leaf. However, when people were spared at one's expense, those people would only end up treating others worse than before. The Brown family was an example of this.Rebecca refused to use the Johnson family's resources to crush the Browns. She respected the Browns for raising her all those years. But how did the Browns repay her kindness?They were physically aggressive toward her and tried to kill her several times. They even nearly got the Johnson family involved.What would've happened if Rebecca's biological parents weren't the Johnsons? How would she have survived all those attacks that occurred time and time again?It was stupid not to crush an enemy when one had an influential
After that, David grew attached to Rebecca.David initially kept her by his side because the game was still afoot. He wanted to see how much Daniel was willing to sacrifice for Rebecca. So, he took a gamble on her life to see whether it would lead to the end of Daniel's.However, he never anticipated Rebecca to show her strength at that moment. She brought him down with her as she jumped off the cliff and into the deep, bottomless lake. That abruptly reminded him of the various individuals he had met. Some killed others so they could survive. Others sacrificed their lives to ensure David lived.David often found the latter stupid and amusing. While courage was highly valued by most, a courageous person would still be a fool if they helped others at the cost of their own life.He believed human nature should be dark and vile. He also told Rebecca that. David had done many evil deeds, but it wasn't because his mother abandoned him. It also wasn’t because of how the Winstons trea
David never imagined Rebecca would return after fleeing from him. He couldn't tell if he felt more amused or furious back then. Or maybe he was overwhelmed by an indescribable feeling that he never cared about before.He wasn't entirely sure.Plus, his wound was infected, so he had no time to consider such things. In the following days, he would often think about that night for no reason. He recalled laying under the stars while Rebecca sat close to the fire before the cave entrance. She was visibly thin, yet it felt as if she was invincible.Nobody would step all over her despite her sitting quietly in the corner. As she gazed into the brilliant starry sky, nobody—not even her—knew she was the brightest star there was.…David awoke to the sight of Rebecca the next day.The sun's rays shined onto her shoulders like a curtain made of glistening gold. That sight was enough to sway David, who never believed in God. He suddenly understood why people he believed to be stupid exis
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