It was Summer Boot Camp, and my period arrived. When I reached for my custom-ordered silk pads, I found them replaced with sandpaper. I was about to report the theft when my childhood friend, Ethan Jones, stopped me: "I'm sorry, Audrey. I gave your pads to Carly. Just use hers for now." I picked up the package of "sandpaper" pads, asking him incredulously: "You want me to use this cheap trash?" His expression darkened: "Audrey, that's humiliating. Carly doesn't come from money, but you shouldn't call her pads trash." "Boot camp is supposed to build character, not be a vacation." "My mom says you need to drop this spoiled attitude. If we ever get married, I won't be able to afford your ten-dollar-a-piece silk pads." I didn't argue. I just called my estate manager and told him to clear Ethan and his mother's belongings out of the staff apartment immediately. I was almost laughing at the sheer audacity. I hurled the package of "pads" at him. He slapped the sandpaper box away, frowning disapproval. "Don't be so dramatic! My mother won't accept a daughter-in-law who acts like this." I was stunned by his self-righteousness. Who the hell said I was marrying him?! I was about to let him have it, but the constant flow between my legs forced me to stop. I grabbed the half-empty box of tissues on the table and rushed into the bathroom. Once my pants were down, I realized the flow was heavier than usual. The camouflage pants were already soaked through. The few tissues I brought were useless. I grabbed my phone to call my personal assistant, but there was no signal. I suddenly remembered the camp had installed signal jammers for "character building." Looking at my completely saturated underwear, I begged Ethan through the door: "Please, can you go buy me some pads?" "Audrey, I'm not enabling you anymore. You can either use Carly's pads or stay in the bathroom." He shoved something under the door. I picked it up. It was the same box of sandpaper pads. Ethan's voice rang out again: "Formation is soon. I'm leaving. Listen to me, stop being stubborn. You'll get penalized if you're late." His voice faded. He was really gone. I wanted to punch the wall, but I couldn't stay here. I had to fold the entire tissue box into thick layers, cinch my belt tight, and hobble out, clutching the wall. When I reached the field, students were mingling. Their eyes turned strange as they saw me. "Is she insane? A poor scholarship kid wanting silk pads? She must be crazy jealous of Carly!" "Talk about delusional. 'Princess Syndrome' with no 'Princess Bank Account.' She even tried to steal pads!" As I tried to process the whispers, Carly walked right up to me. "Audrey, I know you're jealous that Ethan bought me ten-dollar silk pads, but you can't steal!" 2 "If you really want one, beg me, and I'll toss you a piece." She slipped a pad into my pocket. "I stole?" I whipped around to face Ethan, who instantly looked guilty and stared at the ground. "Okay, Carly, ignore her," my roommate Kayla snaked an arm around Carly, sneering at me. "The fortunate ones should be generous. You have a boyfriend as rich and hot as the squad leader. Don't waste your breath on a pathetic beggar who can't afford hygiene." I stood there, feeling utterly ridiculous. Fortunate ones? Was she talking about Carly, who was only here because my father sponsored her tuition, or Ethan, the son of our housekeeper? Rest period ended. The drill sergeant told us to stand at attention. Moments later, I heard Kayla whisper behind me: "Look at Audrey's crotch. It's bulging. She looks like a sheep with a big diaper. So gross." "Don't say that," Carly's voice was deliberately loud. "Maybe Audrey has a medical condition and needs to wear diapers..." Naturally, the boys behind me snuck glances. Ethan suddenly spoke up: "Stop staring. Anyone who looks gets penalized." His voice held clear annoyance. Carly’s face fell. Then, she faked dizziness and lunged toward me, grabbing my pant leg and yanking down hard. My belt was cinched tight. She didn't manage to pull them off. I stumbled forward, ripping my leg away from her: "Carly, are you sick?!" "Who said that? Fall out!" The sergeant roared. I pulled up my pants and stepped out. "Sir, Carly grabbed my pants first." The sergeant looked at Ethan: "Squad Leader, tell me what happened." Ethan quickly glanced at me, then paused on the sight of Carly's trembling shoulder. He finally spoke after a hesitation: "Carly might have lost her balance and accidentally bumped Audrey..." "Ethan!" My voice shook with rage. "You watched her grab my pants! And you're saying she lost her balance?" "Enough!" He suddenly yelled at me. "Can't you just let it go? Do you always have to make a scene?" The sergeant's face was dark: "Standing at attention is not enough punishment! Go, run twenty laps around the field! Don't stop until you finish!" I bit my tongue, not arguing further. I turned and headed to the track. The noon sun was scorching. Less than one lap in, a drilling pain erupted in my lower abdomen. I was sweating. The tissue padding started shifting. I had to clamp my legs together, praying it wouldn't slip out. I don't know how long I ran before the sergeant dismissed everyone. The students gathered at the edge of the track, pointing and staring at me. Sweat poured into my eyes, making it impossible to see. I reached into my pocket for a tissue, accidentally pulling something out that clattered onto the ground. Silence fell, followed by a burst of horrible laughter. "Holy crap, what is that?" "Looks like a pad, but... why is it so dirty?" "Oh my god, did she steal a used one? That's disgusting!" 3 I froze, looking down. A soiled pad lay on the ground, dark red stains showing. Carly faked shock, opening her mouth wide: "That... wasn't that the one I threw away this morning? Audrey, how could you..." "Carly slipped it into my pocket..." I rushed to defend myself, but Ethan cut me off, his voice sharp: "Audrey, that's disgusting! You'd stoop so low as to frame Carly! No wonder you wouldn't leave the bathroom—you were stealing it then!" I looked up sharply, my voice raw: "Ethan, are you accusing me of stealing a used pad?" A flash of panic crossed his eyes, but he kept his composure: "Isn't that obvious? It fell out of your pocket. You can't deny it." "Deny it?" I laughed. "Does the daughter of the biggest tech billionaire in the city need to steal that?" I stared hard into his eyes: "Ethan, you know exactly how much my family is worth." The jeers instantly died. Dozens of eyes turned to Ethan. "Stop acting! The daughter of a billionaire? You're crazy!" Kayla immediately sneered. "Is she delusional? Is the stress making her invent stories?" "Ethan, you grew up with her. What's her deal? Is her family poor?" The whispering started again. Ethan’s face cycled through red and white. He stammered for a long time before finally forcing out: "She... her mother is our nanny." The crowd erupted. "Holy crap, the nanny's daughter! And she was pretending to be rich?" "Look at her! The master's charity probably put her through school, and she grew up to be a thief. What a waste!" "The nanny's daughter can't hide her class. The squad leader was kind enough to keep her close, and she repays him by doing this trashy stuff." Carly smirked, but she didn't notice Ethan's face turning deep crimson. I spoke slowly: "What's wrong with being the nanny's daughter? A nanny works hard for her money." "It's better than living in the owner's house, spending the owner's allowance, and forgetting who you are." I glanced at Ethan's burning ears: "Is being the nanny's daughter something to be ashamed of?" "I think it's better than someone who has less than ten cents to their name, but has to steal others' things to pretend to be generous." My implication hit home. The murmuring grew uncertain. The judgmental eyes started shifting between Ethan and me. "Wait a minute..." someone muttered. "I remember the city's top billionaire's name is Xu, right?" "Audrey Xu? Yes, Audrey Xu!" someone else confirmed. "The financial channels always talk about her. She's the only heir..." Ethan's face turned ash gray. 4 Carly shrieked, cutting through the silence: "No way! She looks too poor! She's lying!" Before she finished, she charged at me like a maniac, reaching for my pocket: "I want to see if a 'billionaire' has any cash!" I struggled, and my nail raked across her arm. Ethan instantly shoved me to the ground. "Audrey, that's too much! You hit her!" "Ethan!" Carly immediately cried, covering her arm. "She didn't just try to steal, she scratched me!" "You..." I pushed up on the ground, my knees trembling. I looked up at Ethan. Tears suddenly burned my eyes. The memory of a ten-year-old Ethan flashed in my mind: My father patting his shoulder: "Ethan, I'm sponsoring your education. I only ask one thing: take care of Audrey, be her companion, protect her." He had nodded firmly, his eyes shining: "Don't worry, sir. I'll protect Audrey forever!" "Ethan..." My voice trembled, carrying my last shred of hope. He deliberately avoided my gaze, his voice harsh: "You attacked first. Apologize to Carly." He then grabbed my shoulder, forcing me to bow to Carly. "No!" I struggled fiercely. In the chaos, the tissues I had wedged tightly between my legs slipped down my pants. Plop. A stack of blood-stained paper landed on the track. "Oh my God, she was using that cheap paper!" "She can't afford pads but claims to be a billionaire's daughter? Hilarious!" "That's gross, using that kind of thing..." Ethan stared at the soiled tissues, a flicker of pain in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but Carly beat him to it. "Audrey, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were in such trouble..." She apologized falsely, then deliberately stumbled toward me, ramming her shoulder hard into my lower abdomen. "Ah!" A blinding pain shot through me. I doubled over, clutching my stomach. Carly also cried out, collapsing dramatically. Ethan took two steps toward me, but before he could kneel down, Carly screamed: "My arm hurts! I think it's broken!" Ethan froze. His eyes showed a flicker of internal struggle, but he immediately turned to Carly. "Don't worry, Carly. I'll take you to the infirmary." He scooped her up, never looking at me again. The pain in my stomach was a dull, twisting ache. I huddled on the ground. The jeers felt like needles: "Stop faking it," Kayla sneered, crossing her arms. "Does she think she's a princess who needs coddling? The nanny's daughter isn't worth anyone's time." Just then, a black Maybach suddenly sliced through the crowd and stopped in front of me. The jeering stopped instantly. The door opened. A tall man in a black coat stepped out. He gently lifted me into his arms: "Don't worry, Audrey. I'm here." As he carried me toward the car, Ethan suddenly rushed over, blocking the way: "Julian! Why are you here? Audrey is..." "Get lost." Julian sidestepped him, not even looking. Julian carefully placed me in the back seat. As the car started, Ethan rushed to the window, desperately gripping the car door. "Audrey! I'm sorry! I was wrong! Tell Julian to stop! I need to talk to you..." I turned my face away, closing my eyes. I didn't want to look at him. After the car left the base, I endured the pain and called my estate manager. Meanwhile, on the field, Ethan stood paralyzed. Carly tugged his arm, demanding: "Why were you chasing that tramp's car! I..." The phone in Ethan's pocket vibrated violently. "Ethan! Come home! The Xu family threw all our things out! The manager said... he said I'm fired, and you won't be going to college now! What the hell is going on?" Ethan froze, and his phone clattered to the ground. 5 At the hospital, Julian rushed me into the emergency room. The doctor confirmed it was just severe cramps, prescribing rest. Julian finally relaxed, fetching a basin of hot water and kneeling by the bed to wash my feet. "Too hot?" He checked the temperature before letting me dip my feet in. I shook my head. Julian is five years older than me, a close family friend. Even when he was abroad, he never missed sending me a birthday gift. He always warned me on the phone: "Ethan seems reliable, but he's got ulterior motives. Don't let him fool you." I used to think he was just being an overprotective old man. Now I know he was right. He dried my feet and asked: "How did you get into this state?" I asked: "When did you get back?" "Last week," he said. "Your birthday is coming up. I came back for it. What happened?" The door opened. My father walked in, his eyes red: "Audrey!" The day's suppressed pain burst out. I flew into his arms, sobbing: "Dad, I don't want to go to school with Ethan anymore." "That Ethan again? What did he do to you, sweetheart?" My father tenderly stroked my forehead. The door burst open. Ethan rushed in, gasping, and lunged for my hand: "Audrey, are you okay? Where does it hurt..." I violently pulled my hand away, looking at him coldly: "When you and Carly were tormenting me, did you ever consider if I was comfortable? Why the sudden act now?" The color drained from his face: "I'm sorry, Audrey. Carly was hurt, and I was panicking..." His evasion made my stomach turn. I leaned over and vomited all over his uniform. The mess splattered his camouflage. He looked horrified, but still tried to steady me: "Are you okay?" My father shoved him away: "Ethan, tell me the truth! What did you do?" He slammed his hand on the bedside table. Ethan flinched, falling to his knees. He stammered before finally squeezing out: "I... I'm sorry, Mr. Xu. I... I lent Audrey's pads to someone else..." "I really didn't know she would get so upset. I promise I'll never do it again..." He pleaded sincerely. I looked at his fake remorse and felt only scorn. "Is that all?" I sat up slowly, looking down at him. "Who forced me to use sandpaper pads? Who accused me of stealing? Who watched Carly try to strip me and then sided with her?" Every question made my voice shake. Tears streamed down my face. My father's face was terrifyingly grim. He gave Ethan a thunderous slap: "Listen to the mess you made!" The sound echoed in the quiet room. Ethan turned his head, speechless.
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