Rebecca smiled. She thought Angela was wrong. Losing a lot over the years had made her who she was. Now, she was even careful around her family when they seemed unkind.Before, she felt she had to be meek and mild in front of the elders, just like Zelda had been. After all she had experienced, she knew not to blindly follow the elders, but to be critical of their words.With a sigh, Angela continued, "I was glad when you came back from Riverwood. Yet, our family is in a difficult spot right now for many reasons and you're one of the big ones. That's why I wanted to talk to you."Perhaps a little tired from the walk, Angela took a seat on the wicker bench. She sat in the middle of the bench and left Rebecca with no choice but to stand. Yet, Rebecca didn't mind at all. She didn't want to sit with Angela even if she had asked her to."Grandma, so, what do you want to talk about?" Rebecca asked with a smile. She showed no displeasure to Angela.Angela would have changed her mind about
Angela was stunned. With a sense of guilt, she explained, "To love someone is to take care of them and everything that is connected to them. It works the other way around as well. You should be able to understand that."Her point was that her hatred of Rebecca was the reason for her hatred of Zelda."I realize now that I hold quite a place in your heart." Rebecca chuckled."You're my granddaughter. How can you not be in my heart?" Angela insisted stubbornly.Rebecca changed the subject. "I've barely spent a year in Rookfort, and we've hardly met up. And yet you resent me and my mom. Isn't that what you've been saying?"Angela pursed her lips and scowled at her. That was indeed what she was saying. Her pettiness was obvious now that Rebecca had pointed it out so bluntly.Rebecca had long felt that Angela was nothing like she remembered. The sight of Angela struggling to find the right words was absurd to her. Perhaps Rebecca would not have despised Angela if she had just admitted
"Grandma, I'm not going to do anything. It's just that your words remind me of something. Since you are so fond of Mary, who is also your daughter, I suppose she wouldn't mind taking care of you, would she?" Rebecca replied calmly with a smile.Angela frowned. "What do you mean?"Rebecca had a broad smile on her face. "I don't mean anything. I just think that what you just said makes sense. I'll talk to my mom about relieving the housekeeper who looks after you. It'll save you some trouble.""You—" Angela was about to retort but Rebecca turned away without bothering with the look on her face.She wasn't being heartless even though she said those words. As she walked past the housekeeper, she didn't dismiss her. She simply told her to look after Angela's health and worry about nothing else.Angela was getting old anyway, so Rebecca figured she should just leave her alone. There was no need to mistreat Angela since the Johnsons weren't lacking in material wealth.However, Rebecca f
Zelda grinned as she watched Rebecca pick out the cookies she wanted. Later, Zelda tried another one. It looked strange but tasted good, just like the one Rebecca had given her. It was crunchy and tasty.Zelda ate while she watched Rebecca, who was absorbed in her phone while enjoying the cookies. Suddenly, she had a feeling of pride in the realization that she wasn't so bad at cooking after all. It occurred to her that practice makes perfect.Even though her dishes might not be appetizing to the eyes, they could still be delicious to the palate. Any lingering unpleasantness in her heart immediately disappeared. She decided to experiment with making more dishes for her family going forward.Zelda leaned back. She was finally able to enjoy her coffee. She had been restless and torn between her respect for Angela and her desire to protect her family. But now she decided to let it go. Angela wasn't particularly fond of her anyway."Becca, if Grandma's presence bothers you, I'll have s
Zelda used to feel inferior to Mary because Angela favored Mary more. She thought that Angela's bond with Mary might be similar to her bond with Rebecca. Rebecca's kind words always warmed Zelda's heart. They made her want to give Rebecca all she had.Zelda wondered if Angela felt the same way about Mary. Yet, she decided to stop worrying. She knew that equality was a matter of will. She always did her best, even if she couldn't be perfectly fair with her children.Whether her children were mature or playful, they were all wonderful to her and she loved them all equally. Likewise, Zelda realized that she was good enough just the way she was.The afternoon was beautiful, with the chirping of cicadas and the singing of birds in the lush trees. The sunlight streamed through the colorful flowers in the conservatory and landed on the wooden table. The warmth seemed to melt away all the sadness.Angela walked slowly toward the house while using her cane for support. The conservatory upst
Angela explained, "I only found out today when I was discharged from the hospital. I just told you that Zelda has been losing her temper a lot lately, and she can't be bothered with me. I even came to the hospital by myself—""Mom, I told you long ago not to come to Fairport. But since you're here, stop being mad all the time. I'll be there in a minute. Wait for me in the ward," interrupted Mary before hanging up the phone. She acted so quickly that Angela didn't notice how excited she sounded."Mom, why are you so happy?" Serena was confused. Just a few moments ago, Mary had been cursing the Johnsons."I guess you didn't hear. Your grandpa has been hospitalized!" Mary smiled widely."Grandpa's hospitalized? Is that something to be happy about?"Mary tapped Serena on the head. "Are you being silly or what? Do you have any idea how old your grandpa is? There's no telling if he'll make it out of the hospital."Mary thought that Zelda had to be hiding the matter on purpose because s
Angela stood there stunned, as did Serena. She had been with James long enough and had seen him look frail before. She had realized he would pass away one day but to see him so frail was heartbreaking.They had just been in the hospital arguing about Mary. Now, James was suddenly lying weak in bed. He was dressed in a hospital gown, and there were tubes attached to his body."James, how did you suddenly get so sick?" Angela asked. Tears filled her eyes as she sat in the chair next to the bed. She wanted to hold James' hand, but it was connected to some monitoring equipment and the other hand had an IV.Mary stepped forward and asked, "Dad, how did you get like this in only two days? Were you feeling unwell before, but you didn't say anything about it?" She couldn't bring herself to cry, so she kept a frown on her face and pretended to be worried.She was trying to imply that James hadn't been living well in Fairport, which had led to his health problems. She implied that it was bec
James' actions left Mary in disbelief. The ward was quiet and only James' voice could be heard. Even if his words sounded weak, they hit Mary hard like a slap in the face. She couldn't understand why telling the truth would result in James kicking her out of the ward."Mae, can you step outside for a moment? I'll call you back in when your dad has calmed down," Angela said.James seemed particularly uncomfortable, and the readings on the nearby monitors suddenly began to fluctuate. Angela had to send Mary away to tend to his emotions. She knew James valued the Johnsons, and of course, he didn't want to hear Mary badmouthing them.Though angry, Mary could tell something wasn't right with James. Something bad could happen if she persisted. Fearing that James might pass on all his money to Rebecca, Mary decided to follow James' instructions and leave."Okay, Mom, I'll step out for a while. Call me if you need anything. Doctor, please take good care of my dad. He's old and stubborn. Pl
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