Chapter 3

On New Year's Eve, Lily sent me a reposted article with the title:

"The Daughter Found After Great Effort Turns Out to Be Unfilial!"

As I clicked in to read, a chill ran from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head.

It was a press conference, and those cold words pierced my eyes one by one.

[Emma Thompson, an ungrateful wretch who insults her parents! Misbehaving. Using the Thompson family name to borrow and lend money outside... has severed ties with the Thompson family.]

I couldn't believe they would twist the facts like this just to sever ties with me.

Something flowed from my eyes, and my vision began to blur.

With each line I read, my heart ached more.

Mark came over, took away my phone, and gently pulled me into his arms, comforting me softly.

"Don't be afraid, I'll handle this."

"It's not worth it."

My emotions gradually stabilized under his comfort.

Yes, it's not worth it.

This report gave them another wave of attention. Dad would never miss an opportunity to boost his reputation.

But soon the heat died down, replaced by news of a product defect in Dad's company.

Public opinion began to shift in another direction.

I found it ironic when I occasionally saw it.

I knew it was Mark's doing.

Mom and Dad probably never imagined that the poor boy they once looked down on had become someone far beyond their reach.

I closed my laptop and walked out of the office, thinking that I would be working from home soon.

Catching a glimpse of Lily's face on a roadside billboard, I suddenly realized how much time had passed.

I thought they probably hadn't seen that test result, otherwise my surroundings wouldn't be so quiet.

Mom and Dad should be preparing for Lily's national speech now. They wouldn't want to miss such a good opportunity to gain attention.

But it's just a matter of days now.

That day when I went to my friend's hospital for a checkup, I happened to run into Lily getting her physical exam results, and my friend Rachel was in charge of her.

Seeing her hesitation, I thought something had happened again.

Back in school, she had been bullied by Lily, and my experience was similar.

Those memories were a nightmare that could never be shaken off.

That's why I knew Lily's test results before she did.

"I may not have such a noble character, but I can't be as cold-blooded as her either."

I looked at her with a smile, wondering why Rachel couldn't be my sister.

"You should tell Lily first, let your family be prepared,"

"So far, only you meet the requirements, but you can't be so hasty."

I nodded, knowing she had her own motives, but so did I.

Why do people who have bullied others live so comfortably, as if their past actions have nothing to do with them?

It can even become a topic of conversation with their friends.

Only the bullied remain stuck in that moment forever.

I returned home to find many people there, all dressed uniformly.

My husband met my puzzled gaze and said softly,

"Your father's family is coming over."

I thought he was being a bit too dramatic and laughed, calling him childish.

But he neither agreed nor disagreed.