Chapter 1

A donation box was placed before me, and my hand was outstretched as I made to drop a bank card inside.One of the people watching me mocked, "My, my! Look at you, Thalia Stoneridge. Everyone else donated cash, but you're putting a bank card inside. Don't think Jonathan will get together with you just because you're donating more than the others!""Exactly! Jon's not interested in your stupid money!" someone else said.I returned to my senses and looked at my bank card. Then, I retracted my hand and put the card back in my pocket. "Well, alright. Since you guys think my money is stupid, I won't donate anything. I don't want to dirty everything else inside the box."The people who'd mocked me were Jonathan Pickle's friends. Their expressions stiffened at my words. It seemed they hadn't expected me to change my mind about the donation.Jonathan came from a poor family, and his mother, Connie Johnson, was chronically ill. Everyone in school knew about his family situation. So, the te

Chapter 2

Now that I had a second chance at life, I would stay away from Jonathan. I wanted to keep my father, William Stoneridge, and the company safe. I also wanted to make Jonathan and Henrietta pay for what they did to me.First, I wanted to see how Jonathan would survive without my money. I expected him to come to me but didn't expect it to happen so soon. The day after the donation incident, he stopped me from entering the classroom.I sidestepped him to head inside, but he stretched out an arm to stop me. He frowned and asked, "Where's my breakfast, Thalia?""What breakfast?" I raised an eyebrow. "I'm not into running errands for others."Jonathan stiffened. He asked in displeasure, "What's your game this time? Do you think you can catch my attention by refusing to donate and not bringing me breakfast?"I pushed his arm away with a finger. "Why are you standing in my way, then? It seems more to me that you're trying to catch my attention."He retracted his arm, his expression turnin

Chapter 3

Henrietta pointed at me excitedly. I rolled my eyes at the sight. Something had to be wrong with her brain—she couldn't understand me despite me making myself clear before this.I ignored her and paid for Dad's medical checkup, after which the doctor checked the system. He shook his head and said, "No payment has been made. Look. You're better off thinking of ways to get the money than lying to me. I have something to attend to, so I need to go."I was about to leave when Henrietta grabbed me. "Didn't you pay the bill?"I nodded, looking calm. "I did.""Why did the doctor say you didn't, then?"I gave her an odd look and asked in return, "Why should I pay Connie's bill when she's not my mother? Does she have anything to do with me?"Jonathan came over with a scowl. "You've always paid the bill before this. What will happen to my mom if you just stop without any notice?"I rolled my eyes. "Again, she's your mom, not mine. It's up to you to decide what you want to do with her."H

Chapter 4

I suddenly remembered how Henrietta kept sowing discord between Jonathan and me.When I wore a new outfit, she would say, "Thalia's so lucky that she was born into a rich family. That's why she can wear different clothes every day. She's not like us, who have to save every penny. Don't you think so, Jonathan?"When I carried a new bag, she would say, "This must be from a luxury brand, right? Jonathan, have you seen this brand before? Me, neither. Thalia's really seen so much more than we have because we're from different worlds."Even if I were to order a cup of bubble tea, she would have something to say. "Whoa, this bubble tea is ten dollars a cup! I've never had anything like it before. I bet the cheap drinks Jonathan and I have are beneath you."I'd tried to refute Henrietta, but Jonathan had never listened. He would only despise me more because of what she said. He would think I was showing off my wealth and looking down on him because he was poor.This had pleased Henrietta.

Chapter 5

Jonathan and Henrietta were still arguing, so they didn't notice me squeezing through the crowd and sneaking away.His disgusting confession had reminded me that I couldn't go easy on him. In the past, I'd given up the chance to apply for a scholarship, allowing him to get it—he was the last on the list. I would also drag him along to various competitions so that he could get awards despite not being able to help.This time, I applied for the scholarship and switched my participation in the competition from a group entry to an individual entry. I also called my assistant and told him to follow the company's policy when distributing the corporate financial aid. He didn't need to give Jonathan and Henrietta any more special favors.Stoneridge Group's corporate financial aid was the highest among them all. Jonathan and Henrietta had fallen far from the requirements, but I'd asked my assistant to leave their names on the list.I'd initially only asked him to put Jonathan on the list, b

Chapter 6

Jonathan and Henrietta were both taken to the hospital. There were surveillance cameras around the lake, and they clearly captured Henrietta trying to shove me into the lake. Jonathan's action of pulling her in with him was taken to be an instinctive action to save himself.Henrietta was arrested upon regaining consciousness. She knew Jonathan and I couldn't swim, yet she'd still deliberately tried to push us into the water. She was charged with attempted murder.Since she'd been wedged between Jonathan and me for so many years, I "kindly" visited her in prison.She wasn't doing well. Her hair had been cut short, and her face was pale from the lack of sunlight. She no longer had the youthfulness and vitality that had attracted Jonathan to her.I'd always wondered how she'd managed to hide by Jonathan's side for so long. Perhaps birds of a feather flocked together—life was hard for Jonathan, and it was rare for him to meet someone like Henrietta, who had such a sunny disposition des