I am the most snobbish heiress in high society. When my impoverished fiancé came knocking at my door, my maid's daughter tried her hardest to persuade me to break off the engagement. Just as I was about to agree, text floated before my eyes: [Lol, the heroine is so scheming. She tricked the heiress into breaking off the engagement while privately helping the male lead, just because she knows he'll become the world's richest man.] [The male lead values loyalty and righteousness above all. Remembering her kindness, he married the heroine, making her one of the most prestigious women globally.] [Meanwhile, the heiress went bankrupt, had to sell her body to pay debts, and was eventually played to death!] I was shocked, then furious. No one is allowed to steal my chance at unimaginable wealth! So, under the maid's daughter's gnashing teeth and glare, I urgently called out to the male lead who was about to leave in disappointment: "I can let you stay by my side, but you must swear eternal loyalty to me!" 1 Just moments ago, my fiancé from an arranged childhood engagement, a country boy, showed up at my door. He stood over six feet tall but wore ill-fitting joggers—the cuffs were inches too short, exposing his pale, thin ankles. Below that, a pair of white canvas shoes scrubbed until they were fraying. They looked ancient. Disdain filled my heart. My gaze moved up, landing back on the boy's uneasy face. "What did you just say?" "I..." My airy question put immense pressure on him. He nervously tugged at the hem of his shirt, struggling to repeat himself. "I-I want to ask you to sponsor me to finish high school, for the sake of... our childhood engagement." "In the future... I'll find a way to pay you back." Finished, he quickly lowered his eyes, radiating dejection like a stray dog awaiting judgment from its master. Before I could speak, my personal maid, Hailey, leaned in to whisper: "Miss, I told you, this so-called childhood engagement is worthless." "Coming here to ask for money before even officially getting engaged, who knows how greedy he'll be later." "Unlike Young Master Julian, who always thinks of you." "You can take this chance to break off the engagement with the old master. Then he'll have no reason to stop you from being with Julian." I agreed wholeheartedly and was about to speak along those lines when text suddenly floated before my eyes. [Poor male lead. Finally mustered the courage to ask the heiress for help, unaware that only rejection awaits him.] [The male lead is proud and aloof. If not for desperation, he would never use the engagement as a bargaining chip for money.] [Lol, the heroine is so scheming. She tricked the heiress into breaking off the engagement while privately helping the male lead, just because she knows he's a dragon in hiding, planning to use this favor later.] [Meanwhile, the heiress went bankrupt, had to sell her body to pay debts, and was eventually played to death!] 2 In that moment, I was horrified, but mostly found it absurd. Me, Scarlett Sterling, the most profit-driven heiress in New York's elite circles. The text said I would be played by a little maid and meet a tragic end. Are you kidding me? But as soon as this thought appeared, the text refreshed: [In this novel, my favorite character is the heiress. Ambitious, self-centered, exactly the kind of strong female lead I like.] [The heroine exploited this very trait to successfully steal her destiny with the male lead.] [Otherwise, the wife of the world's richest man would have been the heiress.] I stared dead at the words "world's richest man," my shock turning into towering rage. A mere maid wants to steal my chance to become the richest woman in America? Absolutely not! Hailey finished whispering and turned to the boy, looking down on him: "My lady only talks business, not sentiment." "As for the engagement, do you think my lady cares? It was just a joke between the older generation." "If you have any shame left, leave quickly. Don't stand here like a beggar." Hailey's attitude was nasty. But her words conveyed my own arrogance. The boy, already insecure, felt even more humiliated. He clenched his fists tight, burying his head as he prepared to leave. Just then, I called out urgently, "Stop!" 3 I rose slowly from the sofa, walking straight towards the boy, my gaze sharp and scrutinizing. Radiating an aura that said I wasn't to be messed with. Seeing this, Hailey thought I was going to deal with him and continued to ruin my image in front of him. "You wouldn't leave when told. Now you've provoked the lady herself, you won't have it easy." She stared at me intently, expecting me to humiliate the boy thoroughly. So she could play the role of the confidante comforting his wounded soul later, gaining favor. Unfortunately, I didn't give her that chance. I approached the boy and said: "I can agree to your request, even cover all your college expenses, but I have one condition." Hailey's face froze. "Miss, you..." I ignored her shock, staring coldly at the boy's back, waiting for his choice. "What is it?" He didn't turn around, clearly hopeless. The next second, he heard me say: "I hate disloyal people." "You take my money, you belong to me." "You must be dead set on me for life, never betray or disobey." "Otherwise—I will show no mercy!" My attitude was arrogant, my tone threatening. But the boy accepted without hesitation, swearing an oath: "I swear to be loyal to you for life, never betray or disobey." "Otherwise, let me die without a burial place." [Don't know why the plot changed, but the heiress is so prescient.] [The male lead's moral standards are ridiculously high. Once promised, he will honor it for life.] I glanced at the text, withdrew my gaze with satisfaction, and ordered the butler: "Take him down and get him settled." I watched Lucas leave, but Hailey's dissatisfied voice rang in my ear: "Miss, keeping Lucas here, have you thought about how to explain it to Young Master Julian? You just accepted his advances." "Even if you do whatever you want, you shouldn't be so fickle!" She looked indignant, her eyes clearly condemning me. I wasn't angry, asking calmly: "Who do you think you are? Daring to tell me what to do." A light sentence instantly silenced Hailey. She looked suffocated, as if she had swallowed a fly. [Great! The heiress roasted her. I couldn't stand her for a long time.] [The heroine's whole family relies on the heiress for a superior life, yet she plays tricks behind her back. What's the difference between her and an ingrate?] [Right! We don't need a heroine with twisted values.] The comments cheered. I curved my lips, leaving happily, leaving Hailey alone to glare resentfully at my back. 4 Hailey is the daughter of my family's maid, yet she has lived and eaten with me since childhood. Enjoying treatment far above ordinary people. All because her father stepped forward to save me when I was in danger. I was safe. But he became a paraplegic. Looking at him dying in the hospital bed, I asked: "How do you want me to repay you?" Her father said: "I ask for nothing else, only that my wife and daughter never have to worry about food and clothing." Only then did I know— Her father shielded me from death without hesitation because he was already terminally ill. He resolutely used his life to gamble for a bright future for his wife and daughter. Facts proved he succeeded. With this life-saving grace as a shield, even knowing Hailey had ulterior motives through the text, I couldn't discard her easily. Otherwise, I would face severe public criticism. Hailey clearly knew this too. The next day she came to apologize. "Miss, I was wrong. I shouldn't have spoken to you in that tone yesterday." Hailey seemed sincere, as if regretting deeply. In the past, I would have let it slide. This time, I said lightly, "And?" "...And, I shouldn't have presumed your intentions." She said hesitantly. I denied it immediately, "Wrong." Hailey's face froze. I leaned forward, patting her face lightly, reminding her: "Hailey, although your father saved me, your identity is just a maid." "In ancient times, that's a servant. Servants have no right to question their masters." "Who I like, who I choose, is it your place to dictate?"
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