All Chapters of The Photograph in the Jewelry Box: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

I moved into the York residence.The housekeeper, Clyde Hoffman, had already prepared silk pajamas, jewelry, and a full set of imported skincare products for me. After eating well and sleeping well, even my skin looked clearer.Gone were the days of working until three in the morning, saving money by eating plain bread, being scolded by clients without daring to talk back, and thanking my boss for taking credit for my work. Goodbye, corporate slave life.Kingston didn't come home for three days straight. But that didn't stop him from becoming, in my mind, a sugar daddy worthy of respect.On the third night, my phone rang. "You can drive, right? Come pick me up."It was Kingston. The background noise was loud.When I walked into the private room wearing a long dress, several pairs of eyes turned toward me at once. Some were sizing me up, some were mocking, and some clearly had bad intentions.Kingston sat in the middle, swirling a glass of alcohol in his hand. "Kingston, this i

All eyes turned toward me.The man's face went pale with fright, and he shoved Nina. "Shut her up! Is she crazy? How dare she call Mr. York 'honey'?" He hurriedly turned around, putting on a flattering smile as he blocked Kingston. "Mr. York, it's a misunderstanding. This woman isn't right in the head. She's too desperate to climb the social ladder. I'll drag her out right now."Before he finished speaking, Kingston had already seen me. Nina was covering my mouth tightly, and I couldn't make a sound. I could only stare at him with wide eyes.Kingston's expression darkened instantly. He kicked the man aside. "Get out of the way."Then, he strode toward me, pushed Nina aside, and pulled me into his arms. His voice carried suppressed anger. "Who told you you could touch her?"The crowd burst into uproar. All kinds of shocked, curious looks were cast in our direction.Kingston raised his head and spoke calmly. "I didn't have the chance to formally introduce her before. This is my w

I slowly raised my arm so everyone could see the old scars on it. Those were the light and dark marks that would never fade.I gave a self-deprecating smile. "Some of these are from being whipped. Some are cigarette burns. And this obvious scar is from when I was held down and scalded with boiling water as a child. This was the 'care' she gave me."I looked at the stunned Nina. "As for the photograph, your mom knew about it too. When she heard that my mom's boyfriend had become Harbor City's richest man, her first thought was to let her own daughter take my place and marry into the York family."Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to tell you the truth. She died in the middle of you arguing with her."I smiled slightly. "Nina, you and your mom abused me for 20 years. But when she got sick, I still worked overtime every day to raise money for her treatment. My conscience is clear."As for the debts your mom left behind, I knew nothing about them, and I never spent a dime of th