Chapter 4

I pushed myself up from the table, opened the door, and called for the guards to “escort” the two of them out.

As soon as they left, I was dragged by a corrections officer into solitary confinement. They said they wanted to show me what happened to disobedient inmates.

My ears filled with cries, and the figures of those being punished blurred, overlapping with Grandma Grace’s image.

My mother died in childbirth after having Tiffany.

I was raised by Grandma Grace from a young age.

In the Hayes family, Grandma was always treated coldly by my grandfather.

I remembered what Grandma Grace used to tell me when she secretly wiped away tears.

She said not to be like her, enduring everything in silence. No one could be a lifelong pillar of support in this world; to stand firm, you ultimately had to rely on yourself.

So I worked incredibly hard, studying finance, earning certifications, practicing negotiations, sharpening my skills.

I wanted to carve out my own path, so Grandma could live with her head held high.

But in the end, all of it turned into a mirage.

I was pushed into a detention center to take the fall for someone else.

My father’s favoritism, Brandon Pierce’s schemes—they sliced at my heart like blunt knives.

I wanted to cry my eyes out.

But I knew crying wouldn’t solve anything.

“Grandma, wait for me,” I whispered.

The next day, I obediently changed into a prisoner’s uniform and joined the other inmates in the detention center’s labor.

The TV happened to be showing Brandon Pierce and Tiffany’s engagement party.

My cellmates craned their necks, whispering:

“Did you hear? The CEO of Pierce Corporation’s son is marrying the CEO’s newly recognized adopted daughter, the one who’s supposed to be General Manager?”

“Yeah, apparently the CEO was lost and alone, and she kindly took him in, even giving him medical and travel expenses, which helped him reclaim his identity.”

“What good fortune…”