For fifteen years at the orphanage, I lived a quiet life. My younger sister was adopted by a wealthy socialite, while I was taken in by the dorm matron. The day the adoption papers were signed, a line of floating text suddenly appeared before my eyes. [The sister doesn't know, does she? After she was taken in by the rich family, everyone looked down on her, and she ended up fighting dogs for food.] [The older sister has a better fate. Although she was adopted by the dorm matron, she met Mr. Brooks, the richest man in Port City, by chance and was later spoiled rotten by him.] [This is why it's better to marry well than to be born well.] My sister suddenly rushed to the dorm matron, sweetly calling her "Mommy." That's when I knew. My sister could see the pop-up text too. 1 "Sister, you've always taken care of me since we were little. This time, you should go and enjoy life with the Sterling family." My sister, still wearing the white dress she'd put on specifically to impress the wealthy Sterlings, now affectionately held the dorm matron's hand. I watched the floating text appear before my eyes. That's when I knew. My sister could see the pop-up text too. The sudden switch of children, both already chosen by their respective families, left the orphanage director in a difficult position as she consulted both parties. My sister, terrified that the dorm matron wouldn't agree, sweetly called her "Mommy," melting the matron's expression. On the Sterling family side, Mrs. Sterling remained silent, making a phone call. Half an hour later, a young man, roughly my age, stepped out of a Rolls-Royce. He wore a casual black outfit, a brand I didn't recognize, but it screamed expensive. His gaze darted between my sister and me, as if comparing two pieces of merchandise. I pursed my lips and smiled at the young man. He snorted. "Just her, then. She's not as pretty as Sophie, but she looks more obedient." The floating text above his head scrolled again. [The Sterlings just want a plaything for their son, Greg. The older sister is in for a hard time.] [The younger sister is smarter, giving up immediate temptation for a better future.] My sister smiled triumphantly. Her "Mommy" calls to the dorm matron grew even more affectionate. 2 Greg Sterling was the only heir to the Sterling family. Spoiled since childhood, his personality was notoriously difficult. The moment I stepped through the Sterling mansion doors, Greg tossed a dog collar at me and ordered me to put it on and bark. "Skylar, you only wanted to be adopted by my family because we're rich, didn't you?" His smile was malicious. "Bark once, I'll give you ten thousand. How about it?" I obediently put on the collar. Under Greg's disdainful gaze, I slowly spoke: "Then you mustn't go back on your word, young master." That day, I followed Greg, barking for a long time. So long, in fact, that Greg finally stopped me, his face filled with disgust. "Enough! Stop barking!" I smiled at Greg. "Understood, Young Master. That's fifty-five thousand in total. How would you like to pay?" Greg impatiently threw a card at me. It contained sixty thousand. At dinner, it was just Greg and me. The housekeeper had still prepared a table full of food. As I was about to sit down, Greg stopped me. "Who said you could eat at the table?" Greg pointed to a new dog bowl nearby. "You like barking like a dog, don't you? Then eat with the dog." The food in the dog bowl was piled into a messy heap, a stark contrast to the beautifully plated dishes on the table. But compared to the leftovers at the orphanage, it was infinitely better. I ate heartily from the dog bowl. Just then, I saw my sister's new social media post. It was a photo of her and her adoptive mother before dinner. On the simple round table sat a plate of bean sprouts and two bowls of rice. The caption read: "Though simple, it's very happy." After seeing it, the organic vegetables in my dog bowl tasted even better. Before bed, Greg claimed the room Mrs. Sterling had prepared for me, telling me to sleep with the dog. I looked at the 30-square-foot wooden cabin in the yard, hugged my blanket, and crawled inside. The German Shepherd was well-behaved. Seeing me, he shrank to the side, making plenty of room. It was much more spacious than the orphanage's communal sleeping arrangements. I couldn't help but sigh. At fifteen, I finally had a single room. It felt good. 3 A rich young master like Greg also had various lessons arranged by his parents, such as piano and golf. The next morning at 6:30, Greg dragged me out of the doghouse to accompany him on his morning run, then to his piano lesson. I thought he'd find some new way to humiliate me, but this time, he told me to join the class with him. This was only because Mr. Sterling would randomly check on his studies every weekend. "My dad only listens in passing. You can play for me when the door's closed." So I studied with particular seriousness. In the afternoon, Greg took me to his golf lesson. As I carried his golf bag, looking disheveled, following behind Greg, I ran into my sister, Sophie. She wore a pretty floral dress, affectionately holding her adoptive mother's hand. "What a coincidence, Sister! I heard this golf course just opened. Mom and I are going for a walk in the fields. Want to join us?" I tucked the sweat-drenched strands of hair behind my ear and shook my head. "No, I have to stay with Young Master Sterling." Sophie feigned surprise. "So the Sterlings adopted you just to have a free maid? They're so mean!" "Skylar, come here." Greg emerged from the pro shop and beckoned me over. "You're adopted by the Sterlings, at least. Don't talk to riff-raff." His voice wasn't particularly loud, but it was just enough for Sophie to hear. Sophie's face paled for a moment. She tugged her adoptive mother's hand and headed towards the fields but was stopped by a staff member. "Miss, please show your membership card." Greg sneered, then walked through another gate with me. Sophie and her adoptive mother's faces grew darker and darker. The floating text appeared again. [Skylar doesn't think Young Master Sterling is taking her to play, does she?] [Greg is very good at training dogs. The field is huge here. Soon, he'll be walking Skylar like a dog.] [Sophie is still lucky. Her family is so happy. Although they're poor now, she'll have endless money once she's with Mr. Brooks, the richest man in Port City.] Sophie's expression brightened at this. She pulled her adoptive mother's hand, smiling ingratiatingly. "Mommy, don't worry. When I'm with Mr. Brooks, the richest man in Port City, I'll have him give this entire golf course to you!" 4 The entire afternoon, Greg certainly didn't let me rest. To torment me, he deliberately cleared the field. He would stand at the tee, hitting balls, and I had to retrieve them within a minute. If I failed, he'd use me as a moving target, pelting me with balls. Greg was thoroughly entertained. Until one ball hit me directly on the bridge of my nose. The sharp ache made my eyes water, and then a warm liquid began to flow from my nose. I haphazardly wiped it away, then rushed back to Greg. My hands respectfully held up the ball. "Young Master, your ball." Greg's smile froze. He used his golf club to lift my chin. "Skylar, are you an idiot? Didn't you think to dodge?" My eyes were red, but I smiled at Greg. He tossed a handkerchief at my face, annoyed. "Go wipe that off somewhere else. Don't be disgusting." After that, Greg didn't boss me around as much. Not long after, he lost interest and took me home. Perhaps I had behaved well today. On the way back, Greg tossed me a mint. I grinned, saying, "Thank you, Young Master." Greg seemed to be in a good mood. At dinner, he allowed me to sit at the table and even let me take a nice shower in the bathroom before making me return to the doghouse. He said it was because he didn't want me to get the doghouse dirty. I continued to smile at Greg. An aunt at the orphanage once told me that while I wasn't particularly beautiful, my smile was very endearing. And now, my primary goal was to survive in the Sterling household. And to thrive even more. 5 The next day, my transfer procedures were completed. To continue assisting Greg, I enrolled in the International Exchange Program. Students in this class were all wealthy and influential, each belonging to their own small circles. Most followed Greg because the Sterling family held significant sway in Port City. Perhaps Greg had given instructions beforehand, as most of my classmates looked at me with ill intent. They would mock my English pronunciation and deliberately misplace my homework, leading to me being punished by the teacher. For group projects, I was always the odd one out. Whenever I was in the most awkward situations, Greg would finally step in, extending his "helping hand." [Greg Sterling is disgusting. If I were Skylar, I'd resist.] [Yes, you can't just go along with these rich young masters. The more you resist, the more you pique their interest.] I looked at the lines of floating text. I gratefully accepted Greg's help, then smiled and said, "Thank you, Young Master." I knew that given my current circumstances, defying Greg would bring me no benefit whatsoever. Until one day, my painstakingly organized notebook was tossed into a bucket of dirty water. By the time I discovered it, the writing was already smudged beyond recognition. I held the notebook, looked at the gloating classmates behind me, and turned back to ask, "Who did this?" One of Greg's most trusted cronies stepped forward, challenging me. "I did it, what are you going to do about it? You study all day, but you're still not getting first place? Are you retarded or something?" More floating text appeared. [Greg is watching! Skylar must endure, that's how she'll get his pity.] [Rich young masters love strong, yet secretly enduring, innocent girls.] [Is this why Greg will eventually fall for Sophie?] [Sophie isn't just likable, she's also beautiful. Skylar probably doesn't know that while she's being bullied here, Sophie is being spoiled rotten in the regular classes.] Amidst the surrounding laughter, I picked up the bucket of dirty water and dumped it over his head. "Damn it!" The crony cursed, pushing me to the ground. The other lackeys swarmed me, kicking and punching. I lay on the ground, turning my head to look at Greg. He leaned against the window, watching me with an amused expression, showing no signs of helping. I covered my head and yelled, "You can bully me, but you can't ruin the notes I prepared for Young Master!" "What did you say?" Greg frowned, stopping those who were hitting me. "Who told you to do those things?" he asked me. I looked into his eyes and replied, "Everything I have is from the Sterling family, so my things are Young Master's things." Greg laughed. "You think by sucking up to me, I'll protect you?" After that, Greg allowed his cronies to continue bullying me, even more severely than before. The other classmates remained indifferent. The teachers paid no mind to the minor scuffles among these rich young masters. At that moment, I suddenly understood: to avoid being bullied in this circle, I had to make myself more valuable. So I began to plead: "Young Master! Young Master! They're stepping on my hands! If my hands and arms get hurt, I won't be able to help you this weekend! Young Master, if my legs get hurt, I won't be able to retrieve the balls for you this weekend!" That night, Greg uncharacteristically threw me a bottle of pain relief spray. He asked, "You're quite a fighter, aren't you? Why didn't you fight back when they hit you earlier?" I shook my head. "That's different. I fought back because they ruined what I prepared for you, Young Master. But when they hit me, it was because you instructed them to. Since it was your wish, I would never resist." My gaze was sincere. Greg, however, scoffed. "Skylar, are you actually retarded?" He suddenly leaned closer, his eyes narrowing. "Then if I told you to die, would you?" 6 No, I wouldn't. But very soon, I proved that I wasn't an idiot. When Greg's crony forgot to help him with his group project, I secretly slipped him a USB drive. That time, Greg's group project took first place. After class, Greg found me. Before he could speak, I smiled at him. "Young Master, others can help you, and so can I." Greg smiled back. "You want to help me that badly? Alright then." After that, Greg dumped all his homework on me, including exams. Greg wanted me to help him with his final exams. "What's wrong, Skylar? Don't you want to help me?" I nodded obediently. "No problem, Young Master." The final exams for the essay-based courses were easy. Only the last one was a written, closed-book exam. Greg and I weren't even in the same testing room. So, I made a deal with Greg. Forty minutes into the exam, I would slip a note with the answers behind the fire hydrant. Just then, more floating text appeared. [Skylar usually seems so timid, I never thought she'd be so bold.] [If she's caught cheating on the final, she'll be expelled, right?] On the day of the final exam, as agreed, forty minutes in, I slipped the note with the answers behind the fire hydrant. However, at that moment, someone grabbed my wrist. "Sister, what are you doing?" Sophie pulled out the note and opened it, feigning surprise. "This is... exam answers, isn't it?" I frowned. In my habit of ignoring the floating text, I had forgotten that Sophie could also see it. The regular classes and the International Exchange Program weren't in the same building. Sophie's appearance here was clearly a deliberate attempt to catch me. But she overlooked one thing. I asked her, "It's exam period. What are you doing in the International Exchange building?" Sophie choked. Just then, the teacher arrived. Sophie handed my answer sheet to the teacher. "Teacher, I want to report a student for cheating."
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