Rebecca had always heard that those who were mean were bound to learn eventually. Serena's situation proved the point."I appreciate your apology, but I'm not ready to forgive you yet," Rebecca said sincerely with a smile. She didn't close the door to forgiving Serena. Rebecca wasn't as easily moved as she was before. Even now, she still hadn't forgiven the people who had hurt her so deeply. She couldn't forgive someone who had almost killed her and Oliver so easily.Serena nodded. Rebecca's decision didn't come as a surprise, but Serena couldn't help but feel disappointed."Our future depends on how things go from here," Rebecca added.She implied that Serena's future behavior would shape their relationship. If Serena was sincere, then of course they would continue to get along with each other.All Rebecca wanted was for the family dynamic to be peaceful and supportive. She might forgive Serena in the future. Even if Rebecca decided not to forgive Serena, she could still get al
Rebecca's smile brightened after she listened to Serena's words, but she didn't immediately agree to Serena's request."Apologies are best given in person. Why don't you come over when you're free? You should talk to Ollie face to face. That's better than having me pass the message," Rebecca suggested.Serena was surprised at first but soon understood Rebecca's reasoning. She felt relieved and smiled as her nervousness faded.She hadn't expected to visit the Johnsons again. She and Mary were invited to the Johnsons' house for Christmas dinner years ago for the sake of Angela and James. However, the evening had turned sour because Mary had caused a scene.Serena recalled how shameless she and Mary had been. Despite the Johnsons' disapproval, they acted as if nothing had happened and stayed to finish their meal boldly.Luckily, the Johnsons remained patient and polite. They didn't act rudely despite their displeasure but simply limited their interactions with Mary and Serena.It wa
Daniel was surprised to see Rebecca. He stopped before her and greeted her. "Hey, what brings you here?"Since they'd known each other for a while, Rebecca didn't feel comfortable leaving right away. She replied, "One of my family's elders is sick, so I came to check on him."Even though they had been ex-partners, they hadn't seen each other in over two years. Rebecca only heard about Daniel through financial news online or from mutual friends.Daniel nodded in response. He thought about the elder members of the Johnson family. He knew Kenneth had been discussing a project with Albert yesterday, so it couldn't be him in the hospital today. He remembered there was an older relative on the Stiggs side.Talking about the illness was always difficult. He wished for the elder to have a speedy recovery without further inquiry.Rebecca nodded politely. Just as she was about to bid farewell, Daniel surprised her by asking, "Would you like to go for a walk together?"Worried that Rebecca
Rebecca realized it had been a long time since she last paid her respects to George. Whenever she went to Riverwood, it was usually to check on the apprentices at Four Seasons or to see Markus, who was becoming increasingly unwell.She felt helpless against the passage of time, witnessing people's deaths or seeing once-healthy individuals confined to wheelchairs. She vaguely remembered how devastated she was when George passed away.Rebecca was devastated, not because she had lost someone she depended on, but because George was one of the few people who had shown her kindness during that time. Though there may have been selfish motives behind his kindness, she was genuinely thankful for him back then.Yet, Rebecca hadn't anticipated that she would forget to visit George's grave every time she went to Riverwood. She couldn't even recall the intense grief she had experienced when he passed away. She felt a twinge of guilt about it and realized how time swept away everything.Suddenly
Rebecca glanced at Daniel, who seemed disheartened, and couldn't help but release a small sigh. "Daniel, what's done is done. Look at me. I've faced tough times before, but things have been going well lately. We should focus on what lies ahead."There's no use dwelling on the past. You're still young, and there are plenty of great people you can meet. Why stay stuck when you have so much potential to do meaningful things?"She believed there was no point in getting caught up in the past and wasting time. She also didn't think it was wise to wait for someone who might never return while missing out on the people who were already there for you.Daniel managed a smile. "Trust me. I want to move forward, too."During the years Rebecca was missing, he dreamed every night of her needing his help. Sometimes he imagined her with scars, sometimes in much worse situations. Each time he jolted awake, he felt a sharp pain and guilt in his chest.While Rebecca had moved on, Daniel remained ens
"Sounds good," Daniel said with a smile.Rebecca's words brought warmth to his eyes. He thought that only someone who had experienced difficulties like she had would be willing to help others.She was different from those wealthy socialites who only went to charity events for appearances. Instead of just being there, she genuinely cared and dedicated time to interacting with the children.This reminded Daniel of a time long ago. Before George passed away and Jessica returned to the Browns, he had visited an elementary school near Riverwood for a project with his company.The school wasn't as poor as some in remote areas. The children were well-dressed, and the school was clean. However, the building appeared old, with walls displaying signs of wear and tear. The railing was rusty. It was unpleasant to look at and left rust on anyone who touched it.Daniel vividly recalled his irritation when a child accidentally bumped into him while rushing to the cafeteria. He had made him brush
Rebecca stopped walking and turned to face Daniel. As she did, he hugged her and said, "Becca, I'm really sorry."Rebecca tensed up. She wanted to push him away, but his sigh made her pause.Daniel released her before she could react. He looked at her and spoke softly, "I've said sorry before, but I wanted to say it again before we parted ways, whether you forgive me or not."Rebecca stared at him. She was at a loss for words. Eventually, she nodded with a smile that melted Daniel's cold heart.His fingers twitched by his side. He wanted to stroke her head but he hesitated and just smiled back. "You go ahead. I won't bother you anymore.""Okay, take care." Rebecca glanced at him before turning away."Take care," Daniel whispered behind her. His words were carried away by the evening breeze. They echoed a familiar farewell from years ago when they parted ways at a crossroads.Half of the sky was painted fiery red by the setting sun. Daniel stood beneath a dogwood tree outside the
Penny used to believe she was incredibly unlucky. But as time passed, she came to understand it wasn't about luck. It was simply that her true family took longer to enter her life. She even pondered whether she had traded her past happiness for her current family.From a young age, Penny knew her family didn't love her. Yet, she still tried to please them while hoping for their love in return. She obediently followed their rules, taught by school teachers that parents love their children unconditionally and that children should behave.No one taught her what to do if her parents didn't love her. She was a dutiful daughter, who never dared to challenge her parents' unfair treatment of her. It wasn't until high school that she befriended Cecilia Walker, a quiet and hardworking student.Cecilia wore her hair in a ponytail and donned a slightly worn-out school uniform. She was attentive in class and consistently excelled on her exams.Unlike Penny, Cecilia didn't strive to be the top s
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