The Ten-Million-Dollar Lie의 모든 챕터: 챕터 1 - 챕터 10

My breath got stuck in my throat as my gaze landed on the rusty circular tin.Jacintha couldn't help but smirk at my telling lack of response. She passed the box to Eleanor. "Hold this, Elle. We need to teach this stubborn girl a lesson. Otherwise, she'll never learn that family comes first."Eleanor took the box and knocked on the lid."Millie, I don't want things to get ugly between families. Pack your stuff and scram. Then and only then, will you have the useless box back."I straightened and cleaned my hands with a tissue. "There are only waste papers inside the box. You can keep them if you so please."Eleanor's smug grin slipped from her face.Jacintha's high-pitched scream was so piercing that it was fit to burst eardrums. "Drop the act! Don't you remember who lent you 200 for your mother to visit the doctor? You would've starved to death as a homeless girl without us!"I crumpled the tissue and tossed it into the bin. "And I've paid it back tenfold, including the interes

The next evening, the Cregger Residence was brightly lit.Luxury cars filled half the courtyard. Big shots and celebrities from the venture capital circle were all gathered here.Eleanor was clad in an expensive white haute couture gown. Jacintha even managed to borrow a diamond necklace for her to wear for the occasion.She swanned through the crowd with a champagne flute like a proper lady.Jacintha was right there beside her, taking every opportunity she could to introduce Eleanor to every guest they came across."This is my daughter, Eleanor. She helped Mr. Cregger years ago. He's going to reward her tonight. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"By contrast, I was wearing an old hoodie and washed-out jeans. I stood in the corner looking not unlike a grungy janitor, utterly out of place.The guests kept shooting me looks of scorn."She's actually showing her face here?""I heard that she can't even afford her own rent. She probably came to try her luck to see if she

I pointed at my blurred but legible medical record."The doctor's diagnosis made it clear that I, the patient, had suffered from knife wounds and chronic blisters caused by prolonged exposure to freezing water and aquatic products. I nearly lost my hands to frostbite."As those words left my mouth, the air in the room immediately tensed.I grabbed Eleanor's wrist and held her hand up for everyone to see. "Look at her delicate hands. Does she look like she has ever suffered from blisters and frostbite?"She let out a panicked, shrill scream as she tried to withdraw her hand. "Let go! You're hurting me!"There wasn't a single callus to be found on her fair, smooth skin, let alone a scar left by a knife cut or blisters.By contrast, the backs of my hands were covered in terrible scars.Those were the marks of my fingers being pricked by fish bones or my skin cracking from exposure to freezing water.The difference between our hands spoke louder than any words.The crowd let out a

The next morning, I brought the legal team and a collection letter to my mother's old house, which Eleanor's family had been illegally occupying after my mother's passing.Since Jacintha and Eleanor were still under interrogation at the police station, my uncle, Timothy, answered the door.The corner of his mouth twitched disdainfully when he saw me, but that changed when he saw the group of people in suits behind me at the doorstep. "What are you doing here, Mildred?"I only explained after I signaled the lawyer to hand him the documents."Ten years ago, you moved into my house in the name of safekeeping it on my behalf. Yet, you have never paid rent in the ten years you've been squatting here. You even forged my mother's will in an attempt to transfer it to Eleanor. "Now, I'm here to demand that you move out immediately and pay the severely overdue rent you owe me for the past ten years. That'll be a total of 360,000 dollars."His eyes popped out of his sockets in disbelief.

I stared at the contract printed with Julian's company logo."You're offering me the position of your personal assistant?" I parroted his words and took a wary step back instead of eagerly reaching for the contract."Mr. Cregger, I can prepare seafood, or do any odd jobs as long as it's within my capabilities, but I can't make financial reports or coffee."My answer amused him.He let out a low chuckle and shoved the contract into my arms, elaborating, "I don't need you to do that. Your job is simple. All you need to do is show up promptly every day and help me get out of tedious social engagements."I couldn't help but frown as I skipped the job deion and immediately searched for the offered salary."50 grand for a monthly salary?" I gasped in disbelief. "You simply can't pay me back enough, huh?"He slipped his hands into his pockets and looked at me with a relaxed smile. "You can see it as me buying from you.""What? Buy what?""You said, 'I can overcome any hardship as lon