Lahat ng Kabanata ng Once a Doormat, Now Untouchable: Kabanata 191 - Kabanata 200

When Sydney first arrived at the orphanage, it was summer. She wore a delicate princess dress with thin straps. The other children's birthmarks were always unsightly—large, irregular moles or oddly shaped blemishes.Only hers was different. On her shoulder lay a pale pink, butterfly-shaped mark. It was beautiful, as if the universe itself had blessed her. Even a birthmark could become her ornament.Back then, Penelope had destroyed everything Sydney had. She had hated her so fiercely that she had wished she could carve that very birthmark from Sydney's skin.Sydney tugged her clothes back into place and glared at Penelope. "What are you doing here, showing up in the middle of the night acting insane?""It's you!" Penelope's bloodshot eyes burned with raw, nearly deranged jealousy and resentment. "It really is you. It's truly you! Why is it you?!"Penelope could not comprehend it. Why did every good thing in the world orbit Sydney? She was born into a good family, both parents were

At her words, Caleb's expression faltered. "What did you say? You know where she is?""How could I?" Penelope replied flatly. "That drug lord hasn't even been released from prison yet. How could she not be living well?"Suspicion flickered in Caleb's eyes as he stared at her. "You'd better hope she's living well. Otherwise, I'll make you suffer a hundred times worse."He raised his hand slightly and ordered Gordon, "Lock her up. At all times, there must be at least three people watching her.""Yes, sir." Gordon answered crisply, grabbing Penelope and dragging her back toward the basement.Suddenly, a luxury car screeched to a halt at the entrance.Adeline got out quickly and strode up to Caleb. "Are you insane? She's your sister-in-law! How much further are you planning to torture her?""Mom, don't you think that you're meddling a little too much?" Caleb said, his voice calm but coldAdeline knew her son's temperament. She could not confront him head-on, so she softened her ton

This New Year's was the most relaxed Sydney had enjoyed in a long time. It felt like a rare blessing to pass the holiday safe and sound.For two or three days straight, nothing stirred across the hall. She and Tiffany stayed home, each absorbed in her own work. The coffee table lay buried under pages of research notes, while the desk was crowded with case files.That afternoon, just as Sydney accepted the cup of coffee Tiffany handed her, the phone lying face down on the table buzzed. She picked it up, glanced at the screen, and answered."Hey, Bruce. What's up?"On the other end, Bruce teased, "Syd, New Year's has passed and you didn't even think to call me?"Sydney laughed. "I sent everyone a message."At midnight on New Year's Day, she had sent greetings to all her friends, including the handful of male friends she kept closest.Bruce's tone softened. "Alright, I won't tease. What are you up to now?""Working at home," Sydney said honestly.Bruce chuckled. "Come on, it's a

To outsiders, the question seemed perfectly ordinary—no more unusual than asking a child whether they preferred their father or their mother. However, Sydney and Julian's relationship was anything but ordinary, which made the question far from simple.Yet both Julian and Caleb turned to her, just as everyone else had, waiting for her answer.Sydney offered a small smile and spoke the truth. "Neither of them is all that important."Her reply drew laughter from the group, though no one seemed surprised. After all, Julian had abandoned her for eight years, and Caleb had ignored her for three, too obsessed with Penelope to even notice her.It was six of one, half a dozen of the other.A few more rounds passed before someone suggested switching to poker. The private room had two tables separated by a folding screen, keeping the atmosphere lively without tipping into chaos.At one table, Julian, Caleb, Bruce, and Tiffany played while Sydney stayed close to Tiffany, quietly watching.S

The air froze for a moment.Julian gave Charlotte a sidelong glance, as if she had just told a joke. "When has my reputation ever been good?"In the Sterling family, he was the unfilial grandson who defied elders. Outside, people trembled at the mere sight of him. What "good reputation" did he have to lose?Charlotte choked on her words. "Then what about her reputation? Don't you care about that?""I do." That was why he had never considered making their relationship public before Sydney's divorce was finalized.Charlotte pressed, "But if this keeps going, sooner or later her name will be—"Julian cut her off, his gaze cold and sharp, "Then you'd better not say a word."It was a reminder and a warning. He always seemed this detached, this frosty. Yet when his eyes landed on her, Charlotte's heart seized."I… I know." Her carefully manicured nails dug into her palms.He turned as if to leave. Charlotte stared at his tall frame and, despite herself, blurted, "Is it just a fling?