Chapter 1

My mom has a strange diary.

Over the years, whenever someone treats me well, my mom makes them read this diary.

I don't know what's written inside. I only know that everyone who reads it, without exception, distances themselves from me and turns to fawning over my sister instead.

Later, I met my fiancé.

He swore to me that no matter what happened, he would always stand by my side.

I believed him.

Until my mom handed him that diary.

Just half an hour later, he became a completely different person.

Not only did he publicly break off our engagement, but he also slapped me twice across the face, then turned and knelt before my sister, groveling for her favor.

I was completely stunned.

I needed to know. What exactly was written in that diary?

"You disgusting viper!"

"You're not even worthy of carrying your sister's shoes! Get lost!"

The person speaking was my fiancé, Adrian.

Just moments ago, he had been whispering sweet nothings to me.

But after one glance at that diary, his face completely changed.

I clutched my swollen, burning cheek, my ears ringing.

This was the fourth time.

Four relationships. Four men who once had eyes only for me.

All of them came to despise me to their very bones after reading that black-covered diary.

I stared at Adrian, trying to find some trace of a joke on his face.

There was none.

His eyes held nothing but undisguised disgust and contempt.

My sister, Vanessa, lounged triumphantly on the sofa, holding a glass of red wine, a mocking smile playing at her lips.

"Claire, I told you. No one could ever truly love trash like you."

She swirled her wine glass and took a sip.

Looking down on me from above.

The very picture of victory.

Adrian immediately rushed over, snatching the glass from her hand and placing it on the table, his face full of fawning eagerness.

"Vanessa, don't drink too much. It's bad for you. What would you like to eat? I'll make it for you right now."

My stomach churned with nausea, the sick feeling rising in my throat.

Just last night, this man had knelt on one knee and slipped a sparkling diamond ring onto my finger.

He had cupped my face and sworn to take me away from this suffocating household.

He said that no matter what happened, he would stand by my side without hesitation.

But now, he was groveling before the sister I hated most.

And my mother sat in the main seat, leisurely flipping through that thick diary.

The black leather cover gleamed with an eerie oily sheen under the overhead light.

"Claire, accept your fate."

My mother snapped the diary shut and slammed it onto the coffee table with a loud thud.

"You're a jinx. You've been cursed your whole life. Anyone who gets close to you ends up in misery."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms.

I stared at that diary with burning intensity.

It was because of that thing that I'd ended up like this.

It made everyone who truly loved me abandon me.

So I strode toward the coffee table, reaching out to grab it.

I needed to see with my own eyes what was written inside that could make everyone change their attitude in an instant.

But my mother moved faster than I did.

She clutched the diary to her chest and delivered a resounding slap across my face.

The sharp crack of the slap echoed through the living room.

I staggered back two steps and crashed into the hard edge of the mahogany cabinet.

A sharp pain shot through my waist, and I collapsed to the floor.

"Don't touch my things!" my mother snarled.

Adrian saw this and immediately rushed over, kicking me hard in the shin.

"You dare raise your hand to her? Do you have a death wish?"

He towered over me, pointing an accusing finger as spittle flew from his mouth onto my face.

I braced my hands against the floor and slowly pushed myself up.

I looked at each of them in turn.

My mother. My boyfriend. My sister.

All people I had once treated with genuine sincerity.

But now, one had hit me, one had kicked me, and one watched with cold indifference.

How utterly absurd.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I pointed at them and screamed, "You bastards!"

"Since you're all treating me like this, then get the hell out of my house! You don't deserve to be here!"

Yes, this house was mine.

I had worked dawn to dusk to save for the down payment.

After renovating it, I had joyfully invited my parents and Vanessa to live with me, thinking I could finally have a warm family.

But what I got in return was their favoritism and endless pandering to Vanessa.

Over the years, they took my salary to buy her new clothes, yet wouldn't spare me even a bite of meat.

They treated Vanessa like a precious treasure and discarded me like garbage.

And they used this cursed diary to turn against anyone who was willing to treat me kindly.

I'd had enough.

Today, I was going to cut ties with these parasites once and for all.

Adrian froze for a moment, then burst into wild laughter.

"Your house? Claire, stop dreaming."

He turned to look at my mother, his face shifting into a fawning expression.

"Your mother already agreed to transfer the deed to Vanessa. This is Vanessa's house now."

I whipped my head toward my mother.

When the property deed first arrived, she had locked it in her safe under the pretense of safekeeping.

At the time, I thought, well, she's my own mother, so I didn't make a fuss.

But I never imagined she would secretly transfer ownership to Vanessa behind my back!

"What are you staring at?" My mother snorted coldly.

"The money you earn belongs to the family. Vanessa is getting married soon, and this house is perfect for her wedding home."

"I'm your mother. Don't I even have the right to make that decision?"

Vanessa covered her mouth and giggled.

"Thanks for the house, Claire. Adrian and I will take good care of it."

I felt the blood in my entire body freeze.

They had not only stolen my fiancé but were now seizing my property.

It was revolting.

But there were three of them against me. The situation wasn't in my favor.

I needed help.

After thinking for a moment, I pulled out my phone and dialed the number pinned at the top of my contacts.

Professor Martin.

He was my college advisor and the only person in this world I truly respected and trusted.

Back when I couldn't afford tuition, he used his own salary to cover it for me. When I got sick with a high fever, he and his wife made soup and brought it to my dorm.

To me, he was more like a father.

He would surely be willing to help me seek justice.

Calling him was the best choice.

The phone rang three times before he picked up. His warm, concerned voice came through the line.

"Claire? It's so late-what happened? Why is your voice shaking?"

I bit my lip hard, but I couldn't hold back anymore. A sob broke from my throat.

"Professor Martin, my mom took my house. Adrian broke off our engagement. They're trying to throw me out of my own home."

There was a second of silence on the other end, followed by the loud bang of someone slamming a table.

"This is outrageous! Has your mother lost her mind? Where are you right now? Don't move. I'm coming to you immediately!"

Half an hour later, Professor Martin's black sedan screeched to a halt in front of our building.

With a loud crash, he kicked open the half-closed door.