Chapter 12

The butler locked the door behind him and instructed,

"Miss Stella, Young Master said he will personally come to pick you up... to take you home when this calendar is finished."

I numbly thanked him and lay on the bed.

I was so tired, I quickly fell into a deep sleep.

And had a long, drawn-out nightmare.

In the dream, I was back in the orphanage.

Back then, Valerie and I were the two prettiest girls in the orphanage.

The only difference was, my beauty was too bright and bold, while Valerie's was subtle and gentle.

But even being pretty, girls still weren't easily adopted, especially at our age, old enough to remember things.

Adopting families were always afraid that we wouldn't bond with them.

I always thought Valerie was my good friend.

One time, the director casually mentioned that a wealthy businessman would be coming in a few days, looking to adopt a girl.

That night, Valerie tricked me into looking for something in the equipment room, and then locked me inside.

For three whole days.

If I hadn't found a pair of old reading glasses in the equipment room and lit some old newspapers on fire, I would have died.

My fear of the dark also started then.

But Valerie cried and said she didn't mean to.

The wealthy businessman who was supposedly coming to adopt a girl never showed up.

But after that, I gradually began to notice things.

I realized Valerie often instigated other children to ostracize me, only for her to then step in as my savior.

I realized Valerie loved making me look foolish, then adding fuel to the fire by spreading those embarrassing stories.

I understood then. Valerie hated me.

When I was eighteen, something happened overnight. I, Stella Reed, the adopted daughter of the Reed family, was branded a slut.

The rumors didn't even have specific photos, it was all "according to informed sources."

But it was enough to brand me "promiscuous."

The Reed family already barely tolerated their adopted daughter, who brought them no honor or benefit, only criticizing my looks.

After that incident, my situation in the Reed family became even more precarious.

At the end of the nightmare, on a New Year's Eve, after a small argument with one of my cousins, I was kicked out of the house.

And developed a high fever in the snow.

I woke up with a start!

My blank eyes stared ahead for a long, long time before I remembered where I was.

A crisp, pleasant electronic doorbell chime rang.

I looked at the executive suite's door.

It had just been silently unlocked from the outside.

But no one entered.