All Chapters of A Literal Pitiful Act: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Nana, this girl is so pitiful. Let's take her home."As soon as I heard those words, my consciousness suddenly returned to me. The familiar faces and scenes flooded back, and I immediately accepted the fact that I had been reborn.The girl was shivering from the cold. Her tattered clothes barely concealed the signs of abuse on her body. Standing before me was a boy with delicate features. A hint of sadness lay between his brows. His bright eyes were filled with sympathy and pity for the girl. His expensive branded clothes screamed "rich, naive young heir" from head to toe. Looking at the scene unfolding before me, I felt a chill in my heart. In my previous life, we had encountered this girl on our regular route home from school.My childhood friend, Nathan McKinley, immediately asked the driver to stop and investigate. After learning about her situation, he declared that he wanted to bring her home.I had tried to stop Nathan, but he reprimanded me by calling me cold and unsym

Chapter 2

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

I watched them with cold indifference and remembered how the girl had been renamed "Jessica McKinley" in my previous life. She had won the trust of both the Montgomery and McKinley families with her innocent facade.However, for some unknown reason, she always looked victimized whenever I spoke to her. This would inevitably lead to lectures from all the adults. When I chose to ignore her and avoid interaction, she would cry in front of the elders and say, "Does Nana hate me? Why does she always ignore me when I try to talk to her? Did I do something wrong?"She played the part of the pitiful victim perfectly. Thanks to her, my previously ordinary but fulfilling teenage years had vanished. They were replaced by years of "colorful" experiences. While they were distracted, I quickly sent messages to everyone in my family. I noticed Jessica's gaze lingering on me, and I caught a flash of jealousy in her eyes. "Nana, I didn't mean to be here. I just woke up here... I don't know how.

Chapter 3

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

My hand froze for a moment as I worked on my materials. I suddenly remembered Joseph McKinley. He was just 13 years old and had always been close to me.As a premature baby, Joseph had been coddled endlessly by the McKinley family elders, which turned him into an arrogant, unruly troublemaker. Yet, his cleverness and mischief only made the elders dote on him even more.It was only natural for Joseph to act out when a mysterious sister suddenly appeared in their home, especially given Jessica's questionable intentions.Joseph had always been on my side in my previous life, eventually straining his relationships with the McKinley family elders because of Jessica. Since I had already finished preparing for my competition, I figured it would not hurt to check out the party.The party was quite an event. It was filled with classmates, celebrities, and unfamiliar faces from outside our social circle. Unsurprisingly, most were there for the drama.The Montgomery and McKinley families had

Chapter 4

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

Due to the long-standing relationship between our families, the McKinley family had long ago prepared a private lounge just for me.I felt drowsy after staying up late the previous night and decided I would head home soon, especially since seeing Joseph hold his ground today put me at ease. After some time, footsteps echoed from outside the door. Someone knocked and called out, "Nana, are you in there?" Without waiting for a response, they opened the door, feigning surprise at seeing me."I'm so sorry, Nana. I thought no one was here. Nathan saw I was tired and told me to rest, but I didn't know you were here," Jessica explained. She was already slipping into her pitiful act. Her eyes shimmered as if she was about to cry.I scoffed. "Don't call me Nana. Did you miss the nameplate on the door? And what's with the whining?" Jessica bit her lip and glanced at me timidly. "Ms. Montgomery, why do you hate me? I just... Nathan said I could go into any room in the house. I only cam

Chapter 5

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

I looked at them with an innocent expression and shrugged. Nathan let out a relieved sigh and said, "See, Jessie? This must be a misunderstanding. Nana isn't the type to bully others."Jessica's face turned sour with anger. A cold glint flashed across her eyes for just a moment. She could not understand why Nathan was still taking my side after what had happened. Nathan scooped her up into his arms and said, "Come on, Jessie. I'll take you to the hospital."After that, I turned and left. This party was a disaster, and she only had herself to blame for ruining it.Jessica was too impatient. In the future, there might come a time when Nathan doubted me, but for now? There was no way a girl he had known for a few days could shake the bond we had shared since birth....On my way home after the competition, my mind wandered. By this time in my previous life, Jessica had already been enrolled in school. But now, she had yet to be officially adopted and did not meet the international

Chapter 6

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

I didn't rush to leave. Instead, I thoughtfully sent the video to the police. Though it only showed their profiles, it provided enough evidence to work with. Hence, I waited patiently for a few minutes before heading home. I knew this drama would soon come to an end....Later that evening, both families gathered for dinner. Jessica must have layered on a ridiculous amount of makeup because there was not a trace of the redness from earlier. Even though the room was warm, she insisted on wearing long sleeves. She was clearly trying to hide the marks.I had to admire her effort—running between two fronts like that could not have been easy."Nana, I heard your competition just wrapped up! Another first-place finish, I bet?" Courtney exclaimed with playful envy.She added, "The Montgomery family is so lucky! Why couldn't I have had a daughter like you instead of two rowdy boys?"Mom replied, "Don't say that! You've got Jessie now, and she's such a sweet girl. Nana's so independent th

Chapter 7

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

They quickly pulled apart, both looking embarrassed. I pressed on, "So, what's this? Why are you two being so close, but Joe and I can't hang out without it being a problem?"Who are these 'others' you're talking about? Who's going to gossip?" Jessica struggled to respond. She put on her pitiful act. "I'm just not used to things here, and I instinctively rely on Nathan. Please don't misunderstand, Nana."Joseph snorted dismissively and showed her no courtesy. "Misunderstand what? What's there to misunderstand between you two? You're both just scheming together!"Feeling cornered, Jessica struggled to respond. She put on her pitiful act and mumbled, "I'm just not used to things here, and I instinctively rely on Nathan. Please don't misunderstand, Nana."Joseph snorted dismissively. "Misunderstand what? What's there to misunderstand between you two? You're both shameless, plain and simple!"Jessica's eyes welled up with tears. "Joe, why have you become like Nana? Why are you alw

Chapter 8

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

Jessica's worst offense was ruining my wedding and causing my death. This time, I decided to make sure the engagement would be called off entirely.Over the weekend, Nathan had been taking Jessica to various high society events. News about him kept flooding the internet."Mr. Nathan McKinley Spoils His Sister Endlessly! The Duo Attends the Leftwich Patriarch's Birthday Gala Together!" "Mr. Nathan McKinley Goes All Out for Love—Spotted at Yet Another Auction!" Social media was abuzz with chatter and full of envious comments about their so-called sibling bond.Someone commented, "Why can't my brother learn to treat me like this?"Another wrote, "Wow, this girl is so lucky! A rich and handsome big brother who dotes on her? Unreal!""He's rich and gorgeous! It's so rare to see such devotion from a wealthy heir.""Hey, watch it! They're siblings!" …While online gossip exploded, the two stars of the show showed up at my house. Nathan said, "Nana, Jessie saw this necklace and t

Chapter 9

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

Both of Nathan's parents were home, which was rare, and it struck me as odd. I glanced around and asked, "Mrs. McKinley, where's Joe?"I had told him earlier that I would come to see him, so he should not be gone.Courtney, who had been on the phone, looked unusually anxious. "Nana, I can't get in touch with him. After his class today, he said a friend invited him to play basketball just outside the neighborhood. "Since it was nearby, he didn't bring the driver. But now it's dark, and he hasn't come back. Where could he be?"I tried to suppress the growing dread in my chest. Outside the neighborhood?Without thinking, I turned sharply and grabbed Jessica by the throat. My gaze was cold and piercing like ice. I asked, "Where's Joe?"Everyone froze in shock at my sudden move. Courtney stared at me in disbelief and exclaimed, "Nana, what are you doing? What's the meaning of this?" I did not respond, but I caught the flash of satisfaction in Jessica's eyes. Meanwhile, Nathan's exp

Chapter 10

A Literal Pitiful Act/The Sign

I turned to Courtney and said, "That's right, we should ask Jessie. After joining the McKinley family, she discovered Joe wasn't as easily manipulated as Nathan, so she messaged her parents about eliminating him.""That's impossible!" Jessie screamed hysterically. "You're making this up because you're jealous of my relationship with Nathan!" She could not bear the thought of returning to her old life of constant moving and abuse."What would I be jealous of? Of you faking smiles every day? Or your constant lies?" I sneered. "Jessie, you're truly pathetic."Just then, my phone vibrated. I answered it and heard Joe's cheerful voice. "Nana, are you at my house? Are my parents there? Can you tell them I'll be home soon?"Courtney nodded repeatedly. Her voice was trembling with relief. "Thank goodness! I'm so happy that you're coming home!"Looking at the still-defiant Jessie, I stated coldly, "Jessie, Joe is perfectly safe, and your biological parents have been arrested. Stop trying

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