I became his shadow, clinging to him
everywhere we went.
Three years passed, and Ethan grew
accustomed to my dependence, no longer
repelled by my touch.
Even the butler chuckled, “I’ve never seen the
young master care for someone like this.
Miss, you’re so lucky.”
Hearing that, I knew I had won.
That night, during a thunderstorm, I climbed
into Ethan’s bed.
Ethan came out of the shower and saw me.
His face darkened.
“Brother, I’m scared! I had a nightmare, and I
want to sleep with you, okay?”
Before he could get angry, I started crying.
A complex expression crossed Ethan’s face:
anger, rage, and a deep sense of
helplessness.
I panicked, thinking I’d gone too far.
So, crying, I got out of bed, apologizing:
દ
“I’m sorry, brother. When I was little, Mom
always held me during thunderstorms. I just
missed her…”
Ethan’s eyes softened, muttering something
under his breath.
Then, as I was about to leave, clutching my
pillow, he pulled me back.
“Sleep next to me, and behave yourself.”
I was shocked. That’s it?
That night, Ethan and I slept in the same bed.
Feeling his gentle hand on my back, I felt
strange emotions well up.
Although I wasn’t with him in the past life, I
knew him well.
He wasn’t always that cruel to Lily.
His mother died young, and his father was
always away, so he lacked love, craving
affection.
But Lily, after becoming a billionaire
daughter, flaunted her wealth, making friends
with bad company.
Toward Ethan, she was mostly hostile.
She coveted the family fortune, viewing Ethan
as an obstacle.
Later, she even tried to kidnap and kill him, which led to her being crippled and
disfigured.
My goal was clear: to win over Ethan with “love.”
And I succeeded, even developing a deep bond with him.
55
“Brother, I’ll become strong to protect you.” I said sincerely.
Ethan paused, then chuckled lightly. “Little kid, just take care of yourself.”
Time flew by.
Ethan was now a college student, and I had
turned eighteen and graduated high school.
<
I saw Lily again at my coming–of–age party.
She was with the Smiths, wearing an elegant
gown, looking beautiful.
She looked like a fresh–faced actress.
But her expression was listless, her eyes dull.
She had clearly been mistreated.
Seeing my simple attire, she straightened her
back and walked toward me.
She looked me up and down, her chin high. “So, you haven’t done so well these past few years, huh? That psycho Ethan doesn’t even let you wear nice clothes?”
Before I could respond, Ethan’s cold voice cut
through the air.
“Who are you calling a psycho?”
The moment Lily saw him, her already pale
face turned even whiter.
She was scarred by Ethan’s past cruelty and
was terrified of him. Her voice trembled.
“I’m sorry… I was just talking nonsense!”
<
“I’m sorry… I was just talking nonsense!”
Ethan didn’t look at her, instead turning to
me, taking out a diamond brooch and clumsily
fastening it to my dress.
“Sister, this is a gift I made myself. Happy
birthday!”
“You’re going to college abroad soon. Call
me if you miss me. I can fly over to see you
anytime.”
He seemed to want to hug me, reaching out
before dropping his hand.
“If you’re not comfortable there, brother will
buy you a house near school and hire a
domestic chef to cook for you.”
I gratefully refused.
I’d finally achieved a normal life and wanted
to experience college life like a regular
student.
“Don’t worry, brother. I’ll take care of myself.
Remember? Low–key.”
<
Ethan laughed, his harsh face softening.
“Okay.”
He went to greet guests. Lily finally snapped
out of her shock.
She grabbed my arm, eagerly asking:
“Why is he so nice to you?”
I ignored her breakdown, replying with a
smirk:
“He’s my brother. Isn’t it normal for him to be
nice to me?”
“Aren’t your adoptive parents nice to you?”
My question seemed to trigger painful
memories.
Lily broke down.
She pulled at her hair, overwhelmed by pain.
“How could this be? How could this be…”
Suddenly, the Smiths‘ voices came from
behind. Lily’s face turned pale.
“Lily, Director Zhang is here. Come meet
him!”
く
They pulled her away. She trembled, her eyes
seeking help from me.
I sighed and stopped them.
“Uncle and Aunt, it’s been years since I’ve
seen my sister. Can I talk to her for a while?”
The Smiths, aware of my connection to the
billionaire, and my favor with him and Ethan,
dared not offend me.
“Sure, sure.”
The Smith father agreed, but his wife quickly
pinched Lily.
“Hurry up, or you’ll be in trouble!”
Lily was in pain but could only nod obediently.
After they left, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Her legs seemed unsteady. I smiled:
“What’s wrong? Are your parents not nice to
you?”
Her anger flared, and she lunged at me.
“I don’t believe it! I don’t believe it!”
“You’re lying! You’re not wearing expensive
<
clothes, is it because you’re afraid of getting
hurt?!”
Seeing her madness, I understood.
She’d experienced what I did in my last life.
After the Smiths adopted me, their
“education” was twisted.
I only got four hours of sleep a day; the rest
of the time was for studying.
Go, painting, math, piano, riding…
I was perpetually sleep–deprived, once falling
off a horse and almost paralyzing myself.
The Smiths meticulously tracked every penny
they spent on me, including medical
expenses.
Then, at eighteen, they forced me to repay
them tenfold.
That’s when they pushed me into the abyss.
They forced me to learn manipulative skills,
catering to wealthy women and powerful men.
The glamorous resources I enjoyed were
ought with my body and tears.
Once, a man left me incapacitated for days,
inable to walk or use the restroom.
t was excruciating.
felt dirty and exhausted, yet trapped in their
control.
On the night I won the Best Actress award, three men were waiting to “celebrate” with
- me.
At my lowest point, Lily, in her wheelchair, appeared, her eyes red, and set me on fire. Counting the time, she should be just starting
her acting career.
She’d probably only been abused by the Smiths, not yet truly thrown into hell.
Lily pulled up my sleeve, seeing my smooth
arms, and burst into tears.
“Why? Why didn’t Ethan abuse you?!
Shouldn’t you be covered in scars?!”
“Rumors said the Gu family didn’t treat you
ell, how could you possibly be better off an me?!”
he copyright of this content belongs to
ealnovel“.
hapter 2
ler expression was agitated, but it seemed to ave aggravated a wound on her arm, making
ler wince in pain.
looked at her with a sarcastic smirk.
Ethan’s public aloofness was just to protect
- me.
Privately, he was incredibly worried about me. Watching Lily’s breakdown, I smirked:
“Why, Lily, do you seem to not want me to do
well? Are you not doing well this time
around?”
Lily stopped crying, her face filled with shock
and panic.
“You… you were reborn too?!”
I didn’t respond directly, my smirk widening.
L
“Both times, you were the one who chose
first. Are you that useless, that you screw up no matter which side you pick?”
The word “useless” sent her into a rage.
“You’re the useless one! Just watch, I’ll climb
higher and be more successful than you!”
I nodded, smiling. “Okay, good luck with
that!”
Hollywood, with its moral decay and shady
dealings, was actually perfect for her.
Let her experience the hellish torment before
she talks about success to me.
The Smiths came to urge her again. Lily
wiped her tears and lifted her chin.
“Willow, just you wait! I’m going to be a huge
star. Then I’ll get my fans to cyberbully you,
and I’ll expose your evil deeds!”
My evil deeds? What evil deeds?
Both times, I let her choose first. After Mom
and Dad died, I let her have everything.
<
But in her eyes, it wasn’t enough.
She just wanted to suppress me, to rise
above me. She never considered me her real
sister.
“I know it’s your coming–of–age party, so
Ethan’s just playing along. I’ll be waiting for
the day he disfigures you and breaks your
legs!”
Lily whispered this in my ear before laughing
and leaving.
She wasn’t wrong; Ethan was acting.
I looked towards him.
He was holding a wine glass, ostensibly
entertaining guests, but his eyes never left
- me.
They held an enigmatic gleam.
The next second, he smiled and walked
toward me, pulling me into a dimly lit private
room.
He pinned me against the wall.
L
“Sister, I heard everything you said. You
weren’t honest, big brother needs to punish
you.”
His warm breath on my ear sent shivers down
my spine.
The scent of wood from his cologne filled my
nose.
Feeling the heat radiating from his chest, my
nose started to bleed.
Damn, those pecs, those abs… so well-
developed!
Ever since I climbed into his bed at thirteen,
this spoiled brat had been out of control.
He not only insisted on cuddling me every
night, but he also read me bedtime stories.
I’d protested, telling him I was grown up, that
we couldn’t do this anymore.
He wouldn’t listen, instead making me rest
my legs on his abs.
“Sister, isn’t this your favorite?”
く
Thinking about it, the blood flow increased.
“I haven’t even started punishing you, and
you’re already nosebleeding?”
