Those things they said were all lies! She was framed by Sarah Sanders!But every time Lucy closed her eyes, the hateful words echoed in her mind, and her ears rang with their accusations. She pressed her hands tightly over her ears, screaming, "I won't let you get away with this, Sarah Sanders!"The next day, she returned to school.The moment she stepped onto campus, she felt the disdain in the stares of the students around her. When she entered her classroom, the group of classmates chatting in a corner immediately dispersed.She approached Lindsey, fuming. “These people are ridiculous! They don’t even care about the truth—I was framed!”To her surprise, Lindsey didn’t back her up as usual. Instead, her tone was harsh. “The whole school saw it, Lucy. There were videos all over the news. And you’re still claiming you were framed?”Lucy glared at Lindsey with fury. “How dare you take Sarah Sanders’ side? Don’t forget who you’re loyal to! I treated you so well, and this is how you
At the Chancer residence.Lucy stormed toward the study, her frustration boiling over after the events at school. She intended to tell James everything.As she approached the door, she heard him on the phone. The mention of Sarah’s name made her pause, and she pressed her ear to the door.“Are you free this weekend? Grandpa hasn’t been eating well, and he really wants to see you. Could you come keep him company?”After a brief pause, his tone softened. “Alright, Sarah. Should I come pick you up?”Sarah?!Lucy’s face contorted with anger. How could James still be in contact with that woman?That conniving woman! Why was her brother still speaking to her? Wasn’t Sarah the person he claimed to hate the most? Yet his tone on the phone was unusually gentle—something Lucy had never heard him use with anyone else.Downstairs, Charlotte was preparing a fruit platter. Lucy quickly descended the stairs, deliberately making her movements heavy and grabbing two glasses of water, her expres
"Who says that? Must be some fool—every day, they make me so angry I can't even eat!" Richard glared pointedly at James."Grandpa, do you have to call me out like this?" James replied with a helpless smile.Before the conversation could continue, the door opened, and Lucy strode in. She made a beeline for Richard, putting on her sweetest expression. "Grandpa, I came to see you."Richard gave her a cold glance and said nothing."You've got some nerve showing up here after what you did to Sarah," he finally snapped. "And you still have the audacity to look me in the eye?"Lucy feigned remorse. "Grandpa, I know I was wrong."Sarah stood off to the side, her expression icy as she glanced at James. If she had known this would turn into a family reunion, she wouldn't have come."Sarah treated you so well—how could you be so ungrateful? Apologize to her right now! If you can't do that, get out and don't come back!" Richard demanded sternly.Lucy turned to Sarah with exaggerated humili
This was an anonymous multimedia message. He didn't know who sent the photo or what their intentions were.The image completely disrupted Zachary’s composure. He'd never been so unsettled by anything before. Though he maintained his outward calm, his mind was in chaos.He dialed the number. After two rings, someone picked up, speaking through laughter, "Hello? Sarah can't come to the phone right now, she's hugging my brother... Oh, sorry, I've said too much. Why don't you call back later?""Click..."After hanging up, Lucy's eyes crinkled with satisfaction. She deleted the call record and put the phone back exactly where it had been.The whole thing had happened silently, as if it never occurred.She looked over at the pair - Sarah and James were still opening the pastry box.The sweet aroma from the freshly baked goods wafted through the air, seeping into her skin. Sarah carefully lifted out the delicate pastries.After disposing of the wrapping, only the gentle sweetness rema
Sarah finally gave in and followed Mia out of the school gates with her bag.When she saw Zachary, she only gave a slight nod.Though they hadn't seen each other for just a few days, the awkwardness between them felt like years of distance. This time, she sat in the back with Mia."Sasa, I need to take Mia to the family house. Should I drop you off first?" Zachary's voice carried a hint of coldness."No! Zach, drop me off first, then take Sarah home." Mia jumped in before Sarah could respond.Zachary didn't argue, driving Mia to the family house first.In the car, neither of them spoke. The uncomfortable silence was unprecedented - just days ago, they couldn't have imagined this tension.Zachary opened his mouth several times but closed it again, swallowing the words he wanted to say.When they reached Sarah's apartment building, she got out with a simple, "Thanks."Watching her walk away, his heart ached.He called Steven, who answered quickly."Hey! What's the occasion? Le
Hearing this, Zachary visibly relaxed, putting his phone back in his pocket. "She probably thinks there's something between us and wanted to cause trouble.""She really has too much free time, can't stand seeing me close to anyone. Whenever I get close to someone, she assumes I have ulterior motives. Don't worry about it - she's got it wrong." Sarah lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering.She kept walking, but Zachary suddenly moved closer, asking, "Is she wrong?"His warm breath brushed against her forehead, making her face flush red. "Yes, she's wrong!"She avoided looking at him and walked faster.Zachary watched her flustered retreat with amusement.He'd misunderstood that photo, letting emotions cloud his judgment.A simple analysis would have shown that Sarah would never get close to James - she despised him completely.He chuckled softly and caught up with her.The garden was full of mosquitoes, and Sarah was already covered in bites after just a short while."Let's h
Charlotte listened as they even suggested Sarah was whispering in Zachary’s ear at night.While mother and daughter were ranting, James came home from work."Brother, why didn't the Reynolds send us an invitation this time?"James's expression darkened. "How dare you even ask! After what you did to Mia, you still expect an invitation?"Lucy protested, "But we're the Chancers of the East Coast.""Enough! We're nothing compared to the Reynolds. You attacked his sister - we're lucky he hasn't taken direct action against us. Even without his word, several companies are terminating their partnerships with us. I barely managed to clean up your mess - don't cause any more trouble!" James snapped.Lucy fell silent, her face pale. She hadn't known about any of this.At Adams University, Sarah and Mia were leaving the counseling office.Walking side by side, Mia handed Sarah an elegant black invitation card with gold embossing. "Sarah, my brother's birthday is the day after tomorrow. I'd
"You're the stupid one! Your family is made up of idiots! Lucy, how dare you talk to me like that?"Lucy was stunned. She'd seen Mia acting like an idiot, hiding timidly behind Sarah last time."You, last time you were...""Last time what?" Sarah pushed open the door and stepped in front of Mia, blocking Lucy's view.Lucy stumbled back in shock, pointing at Mia. "This isn't right! She was clearly mentally ill before. I saw it! Or was it all an act?""Lucy, you never learn, do you? Mia's situation is none of your business. Next time, think about whether your family can afford the consequences before you act," Sarah said coldly.She'd thought the competition incident would have taught Lucy a lesson, but apparently being detained hadn't cleared her head.Zachary wasn't someone who turned the other cheek, and Mia wasn't just any student she could bully. Lucy had miscalculated again.Lucy wasn't used to being talked to this way. "Sarah, what are you so proud of? You only got close t
The scenery here had a unique charm. The entire villa complex was surrounded by lush greenery that blended naturally with the surroundings. The designer's bold vision was enough to make anyone feel a sense of wonder.The driver turned off the engine and said dutifully through the rearview mirror, "Miss, we've arrived. Would you like to get out?"Vivian stared silently at these homes that even a fortune couldn't buy, then nodded.The driver got out and opened the rear door for her.Stepping onto the ground in her high heels, Vivian noticed the uneven cobblestones covering the entrance to the villa and immediately thought the designer must have been out of their mind.She tried taking a few steps and nearly twisted her ankle.With no choice left, Vivian had to take off her shoes and carry them, continuing forward carefully.She couldn't help wondering if she had made a mistake. How could Zachary possibly live in such an odd place?However, halfway there, she saw a black Range Rove
The vineyard manager frowned when he heard this, walking over to ask, "What did they say?"Seeing his manager, the worker quickly embellished the conversation, raising his fist indignantly. "Sir, don't worry. If they dare cause trouble, we won't back down. We'll make sure they regret coming here."The vineyard manager, "..." What a jumbled mess—he could barely understand what the worker was saying.Still, Vivian had a point. Even if they chose not to continue the partnership, there was no need to burn bridges completely. That wouldn't benefit him either.With this in mind, the vineyard manager calmed down his overly excited worker. "That's enough. Send them a message and tell them five o'clock this afternoon, River Café. Don't be late."Finally meeting the vineyard manager, Vivian got straight to the point, "Mr. Mendeson, I won't play games with you. Before deciding to work with you, the Wilson Group researched your public information. I have some understanding of your character. B
At the front desk, Sarah watched seven or eight people standing in line, all holding identical discount vouchers. This was likely a company team-building activity.She listened to their chatty discussions, which included some crude language as they made no effort to hide their rough backgrounds."This place is so luxurious! The company really splurged to send us somewhere this fancy. I've never stayed in such a nice hotel in my life.""Me neither, but let's not forget why we're actually here and pretend we're just on vacation!""Oh, come on, who's going to forget?"Sarah's ears perked up. These people's conversation seemed suspicious, almost as if they wanted others to notice them.After about fifteen minutes, when everyone ahead had finally checked in, Sarah presented her VIP custom invitation and completed her member registration. She lay on the spacious bed in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows that offered views of the beach and ocean.It was noon, and sunlight spilled onto
"Mr. Sanders, I believe I was very clear in my email. With the current uncertain situation, cooperating with me is the most rational choice," Zachary said seriously.Melvin burst out laughing. "I might have believed you if you'd said this a few years ago, but times have changed. Zachary, do you remember what you promised me before? Have you kept any of those promises? Neither three years ago nor now have you delivered."When Melvin mentioned three years ago, Zachary's eyes filled with gravity and shame. No one understood better than they did what had happened—that horrific scene was too painful to even think about.He moved his lips. "People can't always live in the past."Even he couldn't believe his own words.Melvin said with self-mockery, "Listen to yourself. How absurd that sounds. People indeed can't live in the past forever, but Sarah has been trapped in that darkness for three years. Do you dare to face it? To uncover it?"After being wounded, a bleeding injury slowly form
Vivian exhaled deeply and said anxiously, "Grandfather, what happened last time upset Zachary, and he won't see me now. But I'll handle it properly."Old Mr. Wilson gave Vivian a meaningful look. "Good. I certainly trust your abilities."After seeing Old Mr. Wilson into his car, Vivian returned to her office and made a mysterious phone call, giving some instructions.After hanging up, her face broke into a satisfied smile, as if she was already enjoying the sweet taste of victory.At the Sanders Group."Smack." Sarah hit Melvin hard on the head.Melvin winced in pain. "Are you doing this on purpose? Taking personal revenge? I haven't even bothered you lately."Sarah shrugged, looking innocent. "Didn't you say your right eyelid keeps twitching? The left means money coming, the right means trouble. I'm just using an old folk remedy to ward off the bad luck."Melvin couldn't help rolling his eyes. "I don't know if the bad luck is gone, but I almost got a concussion from your 'remed
"Don't any of you have something to say?" Old Mr. Wilson sat in the chairman's exclusive seat, leaning back with an expressionless face as he surveyed the room.Some shareholders had come just out of respect for Old Mr. Wilson. They exchanged glances for a moment before Mr. Jefferson finally broke the silence, "What if we lower our prices or add more package deals?"As soon as he finished speaking, several members of the company's management team eagerly agreed. "Mr. Jefferson makes a good point."Old Mr. Wilson twirled the dragon-headed cane in his right hand, his expression revealing neither approval nor disapproval.Vivian, who had remained silent since the start of the meeting, finally spoke up, "I don't think that's appropriate."She looked at everyone present, her tone serious, "First, the Sanders Group's revenue has already exceeded the projected line by over a billion. If we lower our prices, even if we attract more customers, the overall result will be the same."By this
Vivian never expected that despite her orders to keep the detained shipment a secret, the board of directors would somehow catch wind of it.As soon as the meeting began, the middle-aged man sitting in the first seat on the right frowned and questioned her, "Ms. Wilson, are you hiding something from us?"Mr. Jefferson had the largest shareholding in the Wilson Group after Vivian and her grandfather. Compared to others, his words carried more authority.Naturally, Vivian had to show him some respect, given that she was the younger generation."Mr. Jefferson, by seniority, I should call you Uncle. You've watched me grow up. Do you think I would hide anything from you?" Vivian decided to play dumb first. She was certain these people had only heard rumors and hadn't yet gathered evidence.This was indeed the case. Mr. Jefferson narrowed his eyes, his expression unchanged, speaking in a tone that was half-joking, half-threatening, "Ms. Wilson, please don't say that. When it comes to bus
Charlotte ignored her, still peering behind the caretaker.The caretaker patted her chest and smiled as she approached. "Are you looking for Mr. Chancer? He went back to work. He asked me to take care of you. I thought you might wake up soon, so I went out to buy some nutritious soup for you.""You're saying he left? He left before I even woke up?" Charlotte struggled to open her dry lips, her voice raspier than ever before.Hearing this, the caretaker quickly set down the thermos and handed her the cup of tea from the table. "Please drink some water to soothe your throat, but don't drink too much. You've just given birth, so try to stay in bed and rest as much as possible."Charlotte found the water being offered to her ironically bitter.She had endured excruciating pain to give birth to James's child, yet he couldn't even spare a simple "thank you" for her efforts. Was this the marriage she had schemed so hard to get?Did she regret it? If someone asked, she might answer yes, b
"Answer me. Do you most hope it's heads or tails?" Sarah's voice carried an undeniable authority.The woman finally spoke. "Tails."Before Sarah's hand moved, the woman hurriedly corrected herself, "No, no, no—heads."Her indecisiveness reminded Sarah of her former self. Choosing between reason and emotion was often the hardest decision. It had once taken her several days to make up her mind.Sarah opened her palm. The woman's eyes widened, staring as if trying to burn a hole through Sarah's hand. But quickly, she discovered that Sarah's palm was completely empty. There was no coin at all.No heads or tails—there wasn't even a coin to begin with.Seeing the woman's confused expression, Sarah smiled and said, "In the moment I opened my hand, your heart already had the answer. I can't tell you how to solve your problem, nor can I make the decision for you. But you should know that you only have one life, while love can be found more than once. The fact that you're troubled by this s