Chapter 6

In the days that followed, Julian's malice intensified.

The lunch prepared by the housekeeper, when I opened the lunchbox, was filled with thumbtacks.

My facial cleanser and toothpaste would have dead spiders squeezed into them.

My dresses in the closet were covered in cigarette burns.

And every time I was startled and looked up, I'd meet Julian's malicious grin.

He mouthed to me: *Anya Sterling, you deserve it.*

Julian thought I would cry.

But I calmly poured out the thumbtacks, threw the spiders into the trash, and folded the damaged dresses neatly away.

Julian's smile vanished.

He stared at me, almost gritting his teeth as he said, "Let's see how long you can keep up this act."

…

Fortunately, this time, although I had to endure Julian's malice, the Sterling family's resources were entirely at my disposal.

I no longer had to spend my days at school and my evenings helping my adoptive mother work.

Instead, a housekeeper took care of me, a driver picked me up and dropped me off, and I only needed to focus on my studies.

In my previous life, to buy extra study materials, I had to save money for a long time, and still had to worry about my adoptive father taking my money to buy alcohol and gamble.

Now, my closet was filled with designer dresses, and my jewelry box held Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier pieces, all casually given by Mrs. Sterling, requiring no money from me.

In addition, at the beginning of each month, I received fifty thousand dollars in cash allowance and a credit card with a hundred thousand dollar limit. If I spent it all, I only needed to tell the butler, and new funds would be transferred to the card within half an hour.

And the difficult life I had experienced in the past now completely fell upon Seraphina.

I saw her sleeping through classes, utterly exhausted from helping her adoptive mother with work at night.

Gradually, she stopped doing homework and started submitting blank test papers.

In my past life, I lived on black coffee, and when I was truly exhausted, I'd prick myself with a pen to stay awake, studying with all my might.

But Seraphina had lived a life of pampering and comfort in her previous life; she lacked that drive and perseverance. Not to mention, she didn't care about her studies.

In her view, becoming the Sterling heir's fiancée was far more valuable than getting into any top-tier university.

So, Seraphina focused all her energy on making Julian like her more.

She didn't listen in math class, instead secretly writing a diary meant only for Julian.

She skipped dance rehearsals, sneaking out of school to drive around and stargaze with Julian.

The result was, on the eve of the dance showcase…

She sat outside the rehearsal room, crying.

I assume Seraphina had specifically studied how romantic drama leads cry: gazing up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle, tears welling in her eyes, stubbornly refusing to fall.

And then, Julian happened to pass by and saw her.

The moment Julian asked what was wrong, Seraphina's long-suppressed tears finally spilled over.

She threw herself into Julian's arms and burst into sobs:

"Julian, I lost my spot on stage."

"All the girls in the class are performing, but Anya wouldn't let me participate…"

Julian already hated me to the core, and hearing this, he immediately flared up:

"Why?"

Seraphina bit her lip, trying desperately to stop crying, but still couldn't help but whimper:

"She said my mom is just a cleaner, and my dad is just a janitor."

"She said I couldn't even afford a costume, and didn't deserve to be on stage."

Julian's face grew uglier and uglier.

He looked at Seraphina, who was gasping for breath from crying, and whispered, "It's just a costume, isn't it? I'll buy it for you."

Seraphina shook her head, radiating the righteous aura of a pure-hearted, struggling girl: "No, one costs eight hundred dollars. I can't accept such an expensive gift from you."

Julian was absolutely furious and heartbroken:

"How dare Anya Sterling do that?"

He blurted out in anger.

Seraphina, teary-eyed, shook her head: "She is your sister, after all, the Sterling heiress."

"Several buildings in the school were donated by your family, and your father is an honorary school board member. Even if the teachers know she bullies, what can they do…"

Seraphina didn't notice that at that moment, a reporter conducting interviews at the school happened to pass behind her.

Peeking his head in, the reporter, like a shark smelling blood, sensitively asked:

"Bullying? What bullying?"