The Ten-Million-Dollar Lie

Luke took the card and turned it over.

He stared at it for quite a moment, the furrow between his brows deepening at the sight.

Eleanor's face paled at the suspense, and she involuntarily took a step forward.

The man held up the card and confirmed, "There is indeed something written on the card."

The whispering crowd instantly froze.

However, he was far from finished sharing his observation.

He continued, "It seems to have been soaked in water. The ink has been smudged, making it impossible to recognize the card's content."

She immediately sighed in relief before meeting my gaze with reddened eyes and sadly saying, "Mildred, I know you can't afford next month's rent. Still, you shouldn't claim that my random scribbles are your ID number."

I heard a sneer coming from the crowd before their mockery followed.

"She's really desperate, huh?"

"If she's bold enough to steal her cousin's credit, imagine what she would do when she's actually desperate."

"Mr. Cregger, you should call the police to arrest the fraud!"

The security guard's hand clutched my shoulder the second time.

I didn't argue with any of them.

Instead, I stared at the man who had been sitting in silence on the sofa.

Julian was wearing a gray shirt.

He had rolled up his sleeves, baring his forearms, exuding a cold, distant air.

He raised his head and met my eyes, demanding, "Do you have anything else to add?"

I fumbled inside my empty pocket and shrugged. "Since you can't recognize the writings, I know you won't believe a word I say. Still, I'm not a liar. I was the one who saved up that money."

Eleanor sighed as if she had forgiven me despite me being problematic. "Mr. Cregger, Mildred is just broke. Please don't hold it against her and just let her off the hook."

The man glanced at her and slowly rose from the sofa.

"Since both of you claim to be my benefactor, then both of you should stay."

His decision stunned the crowd.

Luke was perplexed. "Mr. Cregger—"

"Take them to Skytop Apartments." Julian cut his assistant short. His voice was devoid of emotion. "Don't you worry. I'll personally find out who's lying to my face in three days' time."

…

Eleanor and I were ushered into a black minivan 30 minutes later.

As soon as the car door shut, the gentleness and sadness on her face vanished. She crossed her arms and glared daggers at me. "What's your problem, Mildred?"

I lounged in the back seat with the full intention of taking a nap. "It's still not too late to get out of the car if you're worried about getting caught lying."

"You wish!" She sneered. "You're just a broke girl who can't even afford college. You don't stand a chance against me! So what if you were Cregger's benefactor? A man like him wants a decent figure to pay his debt to, not a sewer rat."

I opened my eyes and tilted my head to look at her. "Decency can't feed me, and you aren't his benefactor in the first place, which means you don't deserve the reward."

She choked at my retort and gave me the evil eye. "Fine. I'll be glad to grant your death wish."

She pulled out her phone and typed rapidly.

"I've sent Mom a message. The landlord of your run-down apartment plays card games with her on the weekends."

Eleanor had a smug grin on her face as she added, "You'll find all your belongings on the street by tomorrow morning tops."

I remained unfazed and tapped my knee a few times. "Suit yourself."

After all, I had taken the most valuable item with me.

…

When we finally arrived at our destination, Luke handed each of us a keycard. "You're required to recall the details in the apartment for the next three days. I'll come to collect your notes at 9 a.m. sharp every day."

He left right after that.

I swiped the keycard to enter the apartment.

The interior was furnished to the nines.

Just the carpet in the living room alone was worth three years of my rent.

I entered the kitchen and opened the double-door fridge.

It was packed with imported ingredients and premium fruits.

I grabbed two apples and a box of probably very expensive pastries and devoured them on the couch.

I was halfway through my meal when another person opened the door.

My aunt, Jacintha Stewart, stormed in on her high heels.

Eleanor followed her with a triumphant expression on her face.

Jacintha rushed over to me and slapped the apple out of my hand. "You think you're so smart now, huh?"

The apple fell to the ground with a thud and rolled across the carpet.

I mourned the apple. After all, it was an organic, imported apple.

She pointed at me, her finger nearly poking my eye.

"Eleanor is getting engaged to Adrian Chadwick! Our family needs that ten million dollars to back her. What does an orphan who killed their parents need that money for? Call Mr. Cregger now and tell him you're only after the reward!"

I ignored her order.

Instead, I simply bent down to pick up the apple and clean it with my sleeve. "Aunt Jacintha, you have planned everything out, haven't you? It's just a pity that I'm not interested in playing along."

She became livid at my attitude. "I'm asking you nicely here. This is your last chance. I've found the rusty tin box you left in your old house, mind you."

I froze mid-action.

She sneered at my reaction and pulled a rusted cookie tin out of her bag.

That tin was a keepsake from my late mother. I stored my diaries inside.

"Call it quits now, or I'll burn your diaries."