After I got out of prison, I had no home, no degree, only a severe case of "Princess Syndrome." My best friend sighed as she watched me unable to take my eyes off the luxury goods. "Miss Sterling, the only thing that fake heiress can't beat you in is your eye for these things. Why don't you just become a luxury sales associate?" I did it for three years, and every year I was the top seller. In the third year, Evelyn Sterling came into the store to order custom leather shoes. It just so happened to be my turn to serve her. I knelt down practicedly, just about to help her take off her shoes, but she helped me up. Her tone was surprised: "Chloe, how can you do this kind of thing?" She seemed to have never imagined that her once cherished and pampered daughter would now serve people so properly. I used her leverage to stand up and smoothly talked her into loading $200,000 onto a VIP card. She generously complied. As she was leaving, she asked somewhat tentatively, "Chloe, do you still hate Mom?" I flashed a standard professional smile and escorted her out. Then I immediately turned to my manager and requested a transfer to another store. I had long since stopped hating her, but I also didn't want anything to do with the Sterling family ever again. 1 It was raining heavily when I got off work. Evelyn's car was parked by the side of the road, hazard lights flashing. She rolled down the window and called out to me, "Chloe, Mom will give you a ride home." I looked at the ride-hailing app on my phone; the wait time was endless. So, I smoothly got into the car. Life these past few years had taught me one truth: never pass up an opportunity to make yourself comfortable when it's available. Otherwise, this whole life will just be a tribulation. The driver was still Uncle Wang. Seeing me, he chuckled happily: "The eldest miss looks a bit different." "More composed than before, a bit like Mr. Sterling." "Uncle Wang, just drive your car." My father's death was a thorn in all of our sides; even a slight mention brought unbearable heartache. A soothing classical melody soon flowed through the car. Evelyn originally looked like she had something to say, but after my father was mentioned, she leaned back wearily against the seat, her expression dark. I took advantage of a gap in the music to speak up: "Uncle Wang, just call me Chloe. I stopped being the eldest miss of the Sterling family a long time ago." Uncle Wang still chuckled; Evelyn's attitude didn't affect him at all. "It's just a habit. I can't change it after all these years." 2 Listening to Uncle Wang's gentle voice, I couldn't help but smile too. When I was 14, right at the peak of my rebellious phase, Evelyn brought home a child she had been sponsoring. Her original name was Ruby Chu. Later, when Evelyn found out both her parents were dead, she had her change her last name to Sterling. Thinking "Ruby" didn't sound nice, she changed her first name to Clara. I was Chloe Sterling, she was Clara Sterling. But everyone said Clara was well-mannered, attentive, and thoughtful. No wonder she won Evelyn's deep affection. In contrast, I was arrogant and conceited, worse than a child from the mountains. A rebellious teenager has her own pride; how could I allow myself to be outdone? I scolded every gossiping servant in the house. Tired from scolding, I sat on the sofa to catch my breath, only to run into Evelyn coming around the corner, her eyes full of disgust. Beside her, Clara, wearing the latest season's new clothes, leaned affectionately against Evelyn, looking radiant. I knew it was all her doing. Ever since she arrived, no matter what I did, I was labeled a bully relying on my family's power. Clearly, I was friendly to her at first, but she always acted hesitant and timid. Within a few days, rumors spread that the Sterling family's eldest daughter looked down on the poor girl. I swore to Evelyn, argued, and hugged her in tears, asking her: "Mom, why don't you believe me?" But she only sighed: "Chloe, when will you grow up and be sensible?" She always thought I was uneducated and useless. It's like she forgot she once said that no matter what Chloe did, Mom would always have her back. I wanted to rip off Clara's mask and show Evelyn her dirty heart. But I don't know why, what came out of my mouth was: "What status do you have to be wearing that dress?" A dress that changes with every season—if Evelyn hadn't allowed it, how could she wear it? Evelyn's favoritism had shown signs long ago; I was just too stupid, still wanting to fight for a win. After that day, Clara Sterling changed her name to Mia Sterling. The Sterling family's only precious Mia. And I was an utter joke. 3 The only two people standing by my side were my dad and Uncle Wang. My dad was too busy with work and felt guilty towards Evelyn. Even if he knew I was wronged, he would just give me more money. Evelyn despised me even more, thinking I would do anything for money. Uncle Wang was originally my dad's driver. Later, after hearing that Mia was being picked on, Evelyn assigned Uncle Wang to pick up and drop off Mia, showing that the entire Sterling family stood behind her. But no matter how Mia tried to curry favor, Uncle Wang remained unmoved and didn't say a single extra word. Instead, when he ran into me, he would remind me: "Miss, it's getting cold, dress warmer." Seeing me depressed, he would comfort me: "Miss, you are madam's own flesh and blood. She still loves you." Does she? I actually stopped believing that a long time ago. But I was still grateful for his kindness. A dark cloud of mockery hung over my head, and only Uncle Wang tried hard to let a ray of light shine through for me. The car drove slower and slower; I knew we were almost at my place. "Uncle Wang, just stop here. It's hard to get into the alley ahead, and even harder to get out." Evelyn seemed to have just woken up from a dream, looking at the surrounding environment in shock. "Chloe, you... you live here?" I smiled and politely said goodbye: "I've taken up Mrs. Sterling's time. Thank you for dropping me off." She looked a bit pained: "Do you really have to talk to me like this?" I bowed slightly. Opened my umbrella, and walked alone into the heavy rain. 4 When I got home, I noticed a new friend request on WeChat, with the note [Mom]. My manager said Evelyn had specifically asked him for my contact info, praised my excellent service, and specifically loaded $2,000,000 onto a VIP card. "Chloe, keep this big client happy, and the top seller spot is yours." I hesitated for a long time. Thinking of Autumn's medical condition, I finally clicked accept. "Thank you for your support, Mrs. Sterling ??" It kept showing "typing..." I waited for a while, not knowing what long speech she was preparing to send, so I eventually tossed my phone aside and went to take a shower first. When I came back, I found many messages had been unsent. Only one sentence remained. "The anniversary of your father's death is the day after tomorrow. Are you coming?" That sentence gave me nightmares all night. The dream kept repeating the events from back then. Mia was suddenly diagnosed with leukemia and needed a bone marrow transplant from me. But I was pregnant at the time. I refused to abort my child; I would rather give up everything in the Sterling family and run far away. But the night before I was to leave, Evelyn pulled me aside for a heart-to-heart. She talked about how I hated having long hair when I was little, but she really wanted to raise a princess-like daughter. So, for her birthday, I showed up wearing a rainbow wig, only to get scolded for being too flashy. The more I thought about it in the middle of the night, the sadder I got. I woke my mom up crying, saying: "I just wanted to make Mom happy." She also talked about elementary school. My grades were bad, but after hearing someone mock my mom for "not knowing how to teach her child" after school, I forgot to eat and sleep and scored a perfect 100 on a test. The price was that I lost a lot of weight. When I rested my pointy chin on my mom's shoulder, she said: "My shoulder hurts, and my heart hurts too." Evelyn looked at me nostalgically: "Chloe, do you still love Mom like you did when you were little?" "Of course, but Mom, do you still love me?" "...Of course." If only I could have seen through her evasive eyes in the dim light. I wouldn't have taken that drugged glass of water. When I collapsed, I happened to land in a warm embrace. Clearly, soft fingertips brushed across my cheek, gently wiping away the rolling tears. But when I woke up, I could only face cold reality. My own mother drugged me and aborted my child. That child was hard-won. With the child gone, I also lost the chance to ever have children again. 5 In the empty hospital room, I had only one thought: I wanted to get revenge for my child. To hell with my biological mother. From that day on, in my heart, she only had a code name: "That Woman." I rushed back single-handedly. In the cool autumn breeze, I was wearing a thin hospital gown. They were celebrating Mia's birthday. I smashed the massive villa to pieces with a baseball bat. If the security guards hadn't stopped me, I would have definitely bashed their heads in. Even exhausted, I still roared. The anger in my eyes made That Woman stumble back in fear, supported by Mia. In the end, they decided to lock me up in a mental asylum for "recuperation." If my dad hadn't rushed back in time, I would have long become a delirious lunatic. Or maybe just a pile of white bones. When my dad returned, he brought the truth. The so-called leukemia needing a bone marrow transplant was nothing but a play directed and acted by Mia herself. Her target was my fiancé. My engagement to Julian Vance was set when we were children. After the Vance family's renewable energy business skyrocketed, their status far surpassed the Sterling family's. No matter how That Woman paraded Mia around their social circles, they couldn't find a better match than this. So Mia had secretly been in touch with Julian for a long time. And I, back then, trying to win my future mother-in-law's approval, went through countless IVF treatments and finally got the key to enter the Vance family. 6 Now that the truth was out, That Woman just hugged Mia affectionately. "Since it's like this, let Mia marry into the Vance family." "What else can we do? Can we just give up the Vance family's backing?" "As for Chloe..." She seemed to think of something very troubling to her, glanced at me, and then looked away. "The villa in the north side of the city is yours now. Move there today." I grew up in the south side, yet she was sending me to the north side. I didn't want to stay in this house anymore either, but letting this matter pass so lightly? Absolutely impossible! My father threw a fit, and That Woman whimpered softly: "What can I do? I already have such a sweet daughter like Mia, do you want me to lose her too?" "It's all because you're never home. How am I supposed to manage her all by myself?" "If I can only have one daughter, it has to be Mia!" "You want to kick Mia out? Then I'll leave with her." In the end, it was my father who compromised. The day I left the Sterling family, he said: "When your mom figures things out, don't hold a grudge against her." But he didn't know I resented him too, so I didn't even say goodbye. I lurked in the darkness like a venomous snake. Watching Mia and Julian get married, with That Woman attending the wedding beaming with joy. Hearing that the young Mr. Vance gifted the Sterling family's young miss a yacht, they gleefully threw a party. The Sterling and Vance families formed tight business ties, and the media called Mia a lucky charm. That day, my father called me: "Mia is pregnant. Morning sickness made her lose a lot of weight." "You must have had it even harder back then." "Chloe, it's been so many days. Has your body recovered?" I heard myself reply woodenly: "No. Is she at the Vance family hospital? I'll schedule my appointments to avoid her." "She's at the Sterling family hospital." Everything that followed replayed like slow motion. I drove to the hospital and saw That Woman supporting Mia, laughing and talking. My father and Julian were walking side-by-side, a picture of harmony. I stepped on the gas. Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate. I was going to kill Mia at the happiest moment of her life. My child was so innocent; what right did she have to have a child? Everyone's faces changed drastically. My father rushed out, pulled Mia away, and crashed onto my windshield. Blood spread along the spiderweb cracks in the glass before he tumbled down. I slammed on the brakes desperately, smashing into the steering wheel. My chest tightened, then ripped apart. My car door was pulled open, and I was dragged out. That Woman smashed her bag onto my head. Something scratched my cheek; before I could see what it was, I was slapped countless times in succession. The police cars arrived, and I was taken away. My father's dying words were: "Don't blame Chloe." But That Woman and the Vance family hired the best lawyers, firmly demanding I be sentenced to the maximum penalty. The day I went to prison, they said Mia couldn't keep her baby. I gave a small laugh. They cursed me again: "You psychopath, how can you still laugh?"
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