Looking back, Zelda had been the compromising and accommodating sister ever since Mary, or more accurately, Henry was born.The Stiggs' business was booming when Zelda was young. She learned to do chores and take care of Henry like an adult. Henry grew up under her care, even though there wasn't much of an age difference between them.James took over most of the responsibilities while Angela stayed home after the Stiggs' business stabilized. That was when they welcomed Mary into the family.Angela devoted herself to Mary. She often gave Mary things that belonged to Zelda rather than Henry because she didn't want to mistreat Henry. Besides, Angela felt that Zelda had grown up and that Mary deserved to be cherished.Perhaps due to her upbringing, Zelda didn't feel that anything seemed wrong. Despite her inner turmoil, she fulfilled her duties as a sister and continued to manage various affairs at home.The most rebellious thing Zelda did in her life was marry Kenneth. Some warned he
Perhaps Zelda's words had affected Angela, for her tone was not as firm as earlier. Emotions rose in Angela. She also felt a hint of regret for Zelda. Zelda seemed uninterested. She wasn't going to let go of past grievances just for that."I don't have to tell you where I'm going, do I? Why are you asking now when you never cared about me before?" Zelda glowered at Angela before she left with Rebecca and Penny.Angela seemed defeated and angry. She wanted to say something to Zelda but ended up remaining silent. Her shoulders slumped, and she looked deflated. She was exhausted and didn't know where to go next.The housekeeper noticed that something was wrong and quickly came over to support Angela. With a wave of her hand, Angela pulled her arm away from the housekeeper and walked out of the villa. She seemed to be looking for Cerys and Oliver, who were in the garden.Everyone loved Cerys. She was docile, sensible, and as beautiful as Penny, who had once been a star. Angela sat in a
Cerys was enjoying herself immensely. Oliver didn't want to spoil her fun by taking her away. He knew she wouldn't make a scene even if she was taken away, but he didn't want to be that selfish.As Angela approached the two of them, Oliver suppressed his disgust at her and greeted, "Great-grandma."The elegance in Oliver's youthful face caught Angela's eye. He would surely grow up to be a handsome man in just a few more years.Angela sighed as she thought about how lucky the Johnsons had been. She couldn't wait to call Henry and ask him when Jimmy was getting married. But she knew that Jimmy was always the decisive one, so asking would be in vain."Let me ask you something. Has Rebecca caused any trouble since she came back?" Angela asked as she looked straight into Oliver's eyes.Oliver looked at Angela in a confused way."I can see that Zelda is especially fond of Rebecca as if she wants to give her everything she has. With so many people in the Johnson family, isn't there some
Cerys was standing beside Oliver. She didn't have a clue what was being said. When she heard that Aunt Rebecca had been given some gifts, she held up the flower she had just picked and mumbled that she wanted to give it to Rebecca. "For Aunt Rebecca! I want to give this to Aunt Rebecca!"Oliver lowered his head and touched Cerys' head affectionately. "How about we wait until Aunt Rebecca comes back and give it to her then?"Cerys nodded earnestly before counting with her fingers. "Okay! I want to give one to Mommy and one to Grandma as well. Would you like one?"She hadn't forgotten Oliver. Oliver smiled and replied, "Guys don't need flowers. I can pick some for you if you want.""Sure." Cerys smiled sweetly and happily searched the garden for the most beautiful flowers. She didn't notice the grave atmosphere between Oliver and Angela. Cerys was the youngest Johnson. She just needed to grow up safe and happy.Oliver's gaze followed Cerys. He was afraid she might fall as he watched
Worried that Angela would bother Oliver with all the adult stuff, the housekeeper suggested, "Mrs. Stigg Senior, if you're bored here in the garden, you can return to the house for a book or watch television."There are also several entertainment options in your room. Madam Zelda will be back shortly. After lunch, she will arrange for you to tour the Fairport area."Angela had just had a big fight with Zelda right after she had come back from the hospital, and she had just been criticized by Oliver. Also, there hadn't been a message from James yet. She was too annoyed to answer the housekeeper.She sauntered through the garden. The Johnsons had hired a gardener to maintain the beautiful grounds. Also, Fairport had been blessed with nice weather throughout the year, so the temperature was pleasant.As she bathed in the fragrance of flowers in the air, Angela's irritation began to ease. Her mood finally settled after a walk on the stone path in the garden. Her tone was noticeably sof
Angela was well aware that she had acted unreasonably, but she knew that Zelda was gentle and sensible, so she assumed that Zelda would do her bidding.Back then, Zelda had been on the outs with the Stiggs because she had insisted on marrying Kenneth. Zelda never asked the Stiggs for a penny, even when she couldn't afford to eat. It was after Kenneth became successful in his career that Zelda took the initiative to make peace with the Stiggs.Zelda forgave Mary for everything, even though she tried to steal Kenneth from her. After Mary got married far away, Zelda cared for her and even went out of her way to support her. After an unexpected earthquake and the loss of Rebecca, Zelda still forgave Mary.However, everything was different now. As Angela looked at the countless vibrant flowers in front of her, she suddenly remembered that she hadn't been against Zelda in the first place.She remembered how she had prayed for Rebecca to come back safe and sound. She was delighted when Re
Zelda frowned and looked at Angela in confusion. "Mom, I don't think what I said earlier is disrespectful. I've already made my point. What else do you want from me?""You!" Angela was too angry to find the right words. She knew Zelda was right. She just couldn't stand that Zelda was treating her like a guest.A whirlwind of emotions washed over Angela as she saw Rebecca clinging to Zelda's arm. All Angela wanted was a close relationship with Zelda. Even if it couldn't be as close as it had been with Mary, it shouldn't have to be so distant.Angela felt devastated. Her anger seemed absurd as she looked into Zelda's indifferent eyes. She knew she had no right to get mad. Her demands for Zelda were endless, yet she still hoped for forgiveness."Mom, it's getting late. I'm not hungry, but the children must eat. Let's talk after dinner," Zelda said. Anger and guilt were written on Angela's face. Yet, Zelda ignored her and went to comfort Cerys, who was still in Penny's arms. "Cerys,
After lunch, Zelda headed upstairs to rest. She was emotionally drained from the recent events. She probably wouldn't have any appetite if Rebecca wasn't by her side.Everyone seemed to eat peacefully. Only Zelda felt how unbearable it was. She never thought there would be a time when she couldn't stand to hear Angela talk. As soon as she finished eating, she went straight back to her room. Everyone knew Zelda's health was not great, so no one found it strange that she had excused herself.Rebecca had cooked the food herself, and it tasted good. Everyone except Zelda seemed to enjoy it. Even the not-so-happy Angela ate quite a bit.Rebecca was very much aware of her culinary skills. She ate her food at a slow pace. She was just beginning to feel full by the time everyone else had finished.Penny went for a walk with Oliver and Cerys. The only person left at the table was Angela, who seemed to be quite satisfied with her meal. She reluctantly put down her utensils when everyone le
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