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All Chapters of Hated for My Looks: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

I dropped my hand away from my baseball cap. Well, it saved me the trouble. At least the family wouldn't be freaking out over my face, and I could get back to unpacking. Sydney Graham, my eldest sister, pulled a black Amex card out of her pocket. "Welcome gift." Just as I reached for the card, Seth Graham grabbed her arm. "Sydney, Harrison's never had money like this before. He might just get scammed if he gets access to that much cash all at once." Sydney checked out my worn-out clothes and slipped the card back into her pocket. "Seth's right.""You should focus on how things work in the family." I eyed her pocket. "What's the balance?" Sydney scowled. "First thing you do walking through the door is chasing a payout? Is that how Nan raised you?" "Nan taught me to keep track of what people owe me." I pulled out a ledger from my canvas tote. Tuition, contest registration, gas money for driving across state lines—it was all logged down to the penny. The y

Chapter 2

First thing the next morning, I charged three premium journal subions to the card, along with a batch of imported textbooks and lab gear. Seth strolled in, a drink in his hand. "Harrison, you ran up over a dozen charges on the card last night?" His voice was loud enough for Sydney, Sloane, and Sutton to hear. Sydney set down her coffee cup. "What did I tell you yesterday?" I handed her the itemized statement. There were no expensive watches and fancy cars, just specialized books and equipment. Her harsh words died in her throat. Sloane frowned. "How much can a bunch of books cost?" "I'm talking about out-of-print resources." I checked out a spectrometer in my shopping cart. The notification of the six-figure transaction chimed. Sydney's expression turned grim. "Did I give you permission to buy that?" "You didn't say I couldn't." "I took your silence as approval. That's the basic unwritten rule for adults." Sutton smirked. "You sure have no issues s

Chapter 3

The next day, I drove straight to the campus in the car courtesy of Sydney. On my way out, I asked the butler for the gas card. "Sir, the car already has a full tank of gas." "It's bound to run out." The Grahams went all out with the flowers, a tailored suit, and a full press crew for Seth. The second he stepped out of the car, a crowd swarmed around him. Meanwhile, the driver told me to slip out through the side entrance. "Miss Sydney mentioned it'd be best if you don't show up in the same frame with Mr. Seth." The message sent was loud and clear. The family was ashamed of my looks, worried I'd tarnish the family name. That didn't bother me, though. The side entrance was way closer to the Financial Aid and Scholarship office anyway. I stepped into the building, only for Seth to catch up and grab me. "Why did you enter through the side entrance?" Before I could answer, he started explaining to the students all around. "Harrison is really self-conscious abo

Chapter 4

My name was nowhere to be found on the main screen of the Graham Foundation Gala.Despite my outstanding test scores in STEM, I wasn't anywhere near the center of media attention. Seth, dressed in a tailored suit, stood right in the middle of Sydney, Sloane, and Sutton. Sitting in a corner, I listened to snippets of gossip from my peers. "So he's the ugly heir?" "The Grahams didn't even release his photo on the gala slideshow." Keeping my head down, I browsed the event guest list. Instead of trashing me, these people ought to make use of their time and check out the people in the room. Top university professors, research directors, and major tech investors were all in the same room. Armed with my research proposal, I made the rounds. Within half an hour, I secured access to the research institute's lab equipment and convinced an investor to provide seed funding for my project.Sydney caught up to me just as I was signing a preliminary agreement. "Who said you cou

Chapter 5

Sloane was the first to snap out of it. She knocked the chairs out of her way, practically throwing herself toward the stage. "Stay right there, Harrison."Her voice was strained. I raised my arm to clear the liquid over my eyes when the spotlight flared and blinked. Click. The room fell into darkness. Champagne seeped into the stage wiring, and a burnt smell lingered in the air. The guests exclaimed and backed away. "Did the power go out?""Did anyone get a good look at him?""His eyes sure look just like the boy under the magnolia tree."One by one, their phones lit up. Before I could get a firm footing, a heavy tablecloth was flung over my head. Seth locked his arms around my shoulders, his fingers digging into my skin through the damp material. "Don't be scared, Harrison.""No one got a good look."His tone was gentle, but his breathing was all over the place. I gripped his wrist and pushed him away. "Why are you freaked out?"Seth staggered, his ga

Chapter 6

After the call disconnected, Nan sent over a PDF file. It was a complete record of mail tracking receipts dating back years. The data showed from the time I was five up to last year. The delivery address was the Graham family estate. The delivery note indicated that the parcel contained family letters addressed to the three Graham girls. Some were signed by the household staff, others by the butler. Seth was also among them. Sutton snatched the phone, her fingers scrolling down frantically. When she got to the last page, color bled from her cheeks. "Where did these letters go?"The butler broke out in a cold sweat. "Your grandmother often sent things over before.""Mr. Seth told us it was all junk mail and farm produce from the country that wasn't worth distracting you with.""We just put them into storage."Seth whipped his head up. "I never said that!"Tears clung to his lashes, and his voice trembled. "Guys, you can't accuse me unfairly because of some d

Chapter 7

Sutton kept her gaze locked on the restored photograph, her eyes filling with tears. The young man in the photo stood under a magnolia tree. This was the very person she had spent five years searching for, Not too long ago, Sutton instructed her staff to kick this young man, who was also her brother, out. Without warning, Seth threw himself at the box. "Stop reading them!"He grabbed a letter marked from when I was fifteen and lunged for the fireplace. Sydney grabbed him by the wrist. "What makes you so sure that this letter shouldn't be read?"Seth froze. The letter slipped out of his grasp. A photo slid out onto the floor. In the picture, I held a trophy from a science competition, my smile a little awkward. A short message was written on the back. "Sloane said that only good-looking people deserve to stand in front of the camera.""I think I look a little better now.""Can you give me a spot in the family photo?"Sloane's shoulders shuddered. She bent

Chapter 8

Three days later, campus administration held a public announcement for our lab's project. While backstage, I received a trending news alert on my phone. "Graham Ugly Heir Gets Plastic Surgery to Clout-Chase Boy Under the Magnolia Tree."The viral thread included alleged receipts and records from a plastic surgery clinic.The clinic name, timestamps, and surgical procedures were all listed. The online hate flooded the comment section. "I can see he hid his face. He was healing from surgery." "He literally reconstructed his face to look like his sisters' dream guy. What a creep." Huck slammed his hand down on the table in a fury. "This is ridiculous.""You looked like this when you participated in the national science competition at fifteen. Hundreds of participants in the research program saw you there." I put away my phone. "Take it easy.""Since he went through the trouble to set this up, it's only right to let him finish." As the event kicked off, I stepped up

Chapter 9

Once the conference ended, my whole family cornered me in the green room.Sydney set a folder right in front of me. "Here's a ten-percent stake in the family business.""And the penthouse downtown.""Just sign here, and these are yours by the end of the day." I flipped through two pages. "Compensation for emotional distress?" Her expression went stiff. "This is my gift to you as your sister." "I don't need a sister." I slid the document back. "Settle up on my school fees, child support arrears, the stream revenue share, and damages for the injury at the gala as billed.""Keep everything else." Sydney pinned the papers down, the veins along her hand bulging. "Didn't you always want to come home?" "As a child, yes." I lifted my gaze to meet hers. "Not anymore." Sloane stood not too far away, clutching her camera. Her lens remained pointed to the ground. "Can I take a picture of you?" "No." "Even just from behind. Just your back." "Not going to ha

Chapter 10

It didn't take long for the truth behind Seth's fake plastic surgery claims to come to light. The venue's security video, livestream recordings, and his paper trail to paid online trolls formed an airtight case against him.The Grahams removed his name from the gallery showcase. Sydney froze all his credit cards and made him move out of the family estate. On the day he was kicked out, Seth clutched Sloane in tears. "Sloane, I've been by your side for eighteen years.""Does he get to rob me of everything because of his face?" Sloane peeled his fingers off her arm. "He's not robbing you.""We're the ones who owe him everything." Seth threw himself at Sutton. "Sutton, you said that I was your only brother." Sutton glanced down at her wrist braces. "And my real brother heard that too.""He was just standing out of the camera frame when I said it." Finally, Seth's gaze shifted to Sydney. She handed him a legal summons. "You'll have to answer for the assault and

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