Chapter 1 After my parents passed away and our family went bankrupt, my brother and I were left with a million-dollar debt. To pay it off, he worked as a haunted house tester, and I worked as a corpse extra on movie sets. For five grueling years, we didn't dare take a single day off, but the debt still wasn't cleared. At the end of the year, seeing that we were only thirteen thousand dollars short, I gritted my teeth and signed up as a clinical trial subject. When it was over, I happily dragged the thirteen thousand dollars in cash to find my brother. Only to walk in on him on the phone: "Mom, Dad, Chloe has been doing really well. Enjoy your time abroad." "She doesn't like spending money anymore. The punishment can end next year." It turned out my parents weren't dead, and our family hadn't gone bankrupt. The hardships and suffering of these past five years were all a punishment because I loved to spend money. My smile froze on my face. My stomach churned violently, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. ... "Think carefully. Once you sign the contract, we are not responsible for any issues that arise." This is what the pharmaceutical company staff reminded me during the clinical trial. She repeatedly stated that the contract we signed was legally binding. After taking the medication, I had to be observed for five hours. If there were no issues, even if I died afterward, I couldn't hold them responsible. At the time, my mind was solely focused on having a good New Year with my brother, so I signed without hesitation. But now... Looking at the cash in my hand, I suddenly felt a wave of irony. I raised my hand and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with my sleeve. I pushed the door open and went inside. My brother hastily hung up the phone. Turning around, his eyes immediately fell on the blood on my clothes. "What happened here?" His face changed, and he closed the distance between us in a few strides. Pressing my shoulders, he checked to see where I was injured. I brushed his hands away, my tone casual: "Fake blood from the set." "That's good. I thought you were hurt." He breathed a sigh of relief. Then he noticed the money in my hand, his eyes narrowing: "Where did this come from?" "Chloe, you didn't steal it, did you?" My heart sank, suddenly feeling like I didn't know him at all. Stealing. Is this how he thinks of me? I clenched my fingers, waiting a long time before saying softly: "It's a bonus from the director. For the New Year." He frowned, still suspicious: "A bonus given directly in cash?" "Just tell me if you want it or not?" I gave him an irritated look: "Didn't you say we only had thirteen thousand left on the debt? This is exactly enough." "If you don't want it, I can return it." He was silent for a moment, then finally took the money. "I'll go pay it off tomorrow." Saying that, he changed the subject: "What do you want to eat today? I'll make it." I looked around. A three-hundred-square-foot studio apartment, you could see from one end to the other at a glance. A wardrobe, bunk beds, and a bathroom. There was no kitchen; cooking meant chopping vegetables on the coffee table. The fifty-dollar electric skillet had been used for five years. During that time, the cord had burned out twice and was wrapped in black electrical tape by my brother. I suddenly asked: "Ethan, aren't you tired?" He turned back with a smile: "Not tired. My job is actually pretty easy, I just have to lie there." "It's mainly you. These past few years, you must be exhausted, right?" Actually, what I wanted to ask was: aren't you tired of pretending like this? With billions in family assets, you could clearly be living a carefree life. But just to punish me with a life like this, aren't you tired? Unfortunately, he didn't catch my meaning. Then I guess I have to be more direct. I looked at him seriously: "Ethan, do you think I love spending money?" I still didn't understand how exactly I loved spending money. Even though our family was rich, I didn't really care about luxury goods. No matter what it was, nothing cost more than a few thousand dollars. In the circle of wealthy kids in Seattle, I was already considered an oddity. Ethan's face stiffened. "Why would you ask that? You're much better now." "What do you mean 'now'? What about before?" I pressed relentlessly. He frowned: "When Mom and Dad were still around, you really didn't know how to save." "They built everything from scratch, they used to be farmers. Everyone, including me, had to think carefully before spending money." "But for your birthday, you would pester them to buy you gifts worth tens of thousands of dollars. What do you think?" I stepped forward, emotionally agitated: "Our family is so rich, can't we even buy a ten-thousand-dollar phone?" "Then what's the point of making money?" His face darkened: "Listen to yourself. It's just a phone, what kind can't you use?" "You're just vain, always comparing yourself to those rich kids, which is why you demanded this and that." "These past five years with nothing, haven't you lived perfectly fine?" I stared at him in disbelief, my blood running cold. In his eyes, have I lived perfectly fine these past five years? I went to play a corpse every day, begging the director to let me on set more often just to earn an extra two hundred bucks. Sometimes in the mud, sometimes in stinking ditches. Lying there for over ten hours at a time. Resulting in a chronic condition of chills and severe menstrual cramps. My former rival, Mia, seeing my downfall, always found opportunities to mess with me. And I didn't even have the room to fight back. Just because I wanted to have a good New Year with my brother, I went to be a clinical trial subject, and to this day, I don't even know what's going on with my body. Does this kind of life really count as fine? My stomach twisted in pain again, and I vaguely recalled Mia's words: "Idiot, you brought this on yourself." "I'm just going to follow you. Whichever set you're on, I'll be on. My family has money anyway; a casual investment is enough to get me in." "For the next five years, you'll just suffer in my hands!" I suddenly shuddered, the hairs on my body standing on end. Five years, why exactly five years? Could it be that Mia also knew something? My intuition told me there were definitely more things my brother and the others were hiding from me. So I clenched my fists, suppressing the urge to interrogate him, and said: "Okay, I'll change." Ethan set down the vegetables in his hands and patted my shoulder approvingly: "That's right. Eat by yourself later, I have to go to work." I nodded. After eating, my brother left for work. I tied up my hair, put on a mask and a hat, and quietly followed him. After leaving our run-down neighborhood, he made a phone call by the side of the road. Within five minutes, a black Maybach pulled up in front of him. I watched him get in the car. I quickly hailed a cab to follow. Half an hour later, he walked into a high-end steakhouse. I went in five minutes later, sitting in the booth behind him. Because I was nervous, I kept my head down and didn't see who was sitting across from him. But upon hearing that person's voice, I suddenly froze. "Ethan, I've been messing with Chloe just like you told me to, and she's been behaving really well lately!" It was Mia! "Good. Only by suffering on the outside will Chloe know that money isn't that easy to make." My brother's tone was flat, as if discussing the most normal thing in the world. "As a reward, I'll make sure to look after your family's business." "Chloe can't know about this right now. After the New Year, when my parents come back, I'll talk to them." My breath hitched, and my heart nearly stopped. When the waiter came to ask for my order, I didn't dare make a sound. With trembling hands, I just pointed randomly at the menu. I motioned for him to leave quickly, afraid of drawing my brother's attention. Mia's voice sounded incredibly considerate: "Ethan, you told Chloe you were testing haunted houses, but you still have to take a detour home every day. Isn't that tiring?" "Why didn't you just go abroad with your parents back then?" My heart was hit by another massive wave. So my brother telling me he was testing haunted houses was also a lie. When I didn't know, he was going home. So for five years, was I the only one suffering? My brother sighed: "Chloe is my biological sister. I couldn't bear to leave her alone in the States." "Besides, even though the company relocated overseas, it will have to move back sooner or later." He sighed slightly: "The five-year punishment we agreed upon passed in the blink of an eye. Time flies." Fast? I laughed bitterly in my heart. These past five years, every single day has been torture for me. Playing a corpse isn't that easy. Under Mia's instructions, I was always placed in the most exhausting and dirtiest spots. Whether it was windy or raining, I couldn't move an inch. Over time, I developed chronic chills, and back and leg pain became the norm. And in their eyes, all of this was just a punishment. How ridiculous... "Mia, thank you for your hard work these past five years. Please accept this as a gift." The conversation across from me continued. My brother handed Mia an exquisite gift box. Mia opened it and let out a gasp: "What a delicate bracelet!" My heart plummeted into hell. That was the one I had asked my parents to buy for me five years ago. At the time, they didn't buy it, saying it was too expensive. It wasn't like I absolutely had to have it, so I just forgot about it. Thinking about it now, perhaps this single bracelet was the spark that ignited my five-year punishment. But, on what grounds? Our family is so rich, why should I be punished for five years just because I wanted a bracelet? Why is it that Mia, whose family is not as wealthy as mine, can easily get what she wants? Was I unreasonable? Disobedient? Growing up, I had always been well-behaved and never went against them. Why did I have to suffer like this! My emotions broke the dam, and I couldn't hold it in any longer. With a bang, I slammed my hand on the table and stood up abruptly. Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at me. My brother looked back, his face instantly turning pale. "Chloe, why are you here?" "Is it fun? Was it fun lying to me for five years?" I ripped off my hat and scarf, rushed over, and grabbed his sleeve: "How exactly do I love spending money? Why did you have to torture me like this!" Panic flashed in my brother's eyes. He glanced around and grabbed me, his face looking awful: "There are too many people here. Let's go outside and talk." "You're the one who has things to hide!" With red eyes, I shook off his hand and screamed hysterically: "You and Mom and Dad teamed up to lie to me. Lied that the family went bankrupt, that we owed money. Lied that you went to test haunted houses." "But what's the reality? They're traveling abroad, you go home every day, and from beginning to end, I'm the only one suffering!" My emotions were spiraling out of control, tears streaming down my face: "Ethan, why exactly? Can you tell me?" "Please tell me, what does it matter if someone with billions in assets spends ten thousand on a phone?" My brother's face darkened: "No wonder you asked me that this afternoon. You overheard my phone call with Mom and Dad." Saying that, he grabbed my wrist again. This time he used a lot of force, trying to drag me out of the restaurant. A waiter suddenly ran over and stopped me: "Miss, you haven't paid your bill yet. It's five thousand dollars in total!" My brother froze, furrowed his brows, and said to me: "Why did you order such an expensive meal? Do you still not know how hard it is to make money?" All sorts of gazes fell on me. My brother intentionally stalled for a bit. It wasn't until I was so embarrassed my face turned pale that he finally swiped his card to pay. Outside, Mia added fuel to the fire from behind: "Chloe, your parents and your brother meant well. It was to educate you. Don't be ungrateful!" "What does it have to do with you!" A nameless fire scorched my heart. I forcefully broke free from my brother's grip and slapped Mia across the face. She screamed and covered her face. Smack! The next second, my brother's slap landed on my face. "Chloe, is this really necessary? If you weren't so vain and greedy, would Mom and Dad and I have done this?" "You think you had a hard time these past five years, do you think we had it easy?" "You still dare to hit people? I see the punishment wasn't enough!" I stood frozen in place. Hearing his cold voice, I felt my heart completely die. After a long moment, I raised my eyelids and spoke mockingly: "Is this still not enough?" "Then how about I pay you back with my life, is that enough?" "You're still talking nonsense even now!" Displeasure flashed in my brother's eyes. He called his driver and shoved me into the car. I asked with a smile: "Are we going home? Which home?" He didn't even look at me, pulling out his phone to call our parents. "You guys come back. Yeah, Chloe already knows." "I didn't tell her, she overheard it herself!" Bang! My brother irritably threw his phone down. When he looked at me, his eyes were full of impatience: "You still have the nerve to cry?" "I've suffered a lot accompanying you these past five years, and in the end, I'm the one getting scolded." "What exactly is there for you to cry about? Stop acting like you're the one who suffered so much grievance!" I couldn't speak, letting him scold me all the way to our old mansion. I hadn't been back to this house in five years. Being pushed inside again, I only felt a sense of unfamiliarity. The piercing pain in my stomach started churning again. I couldn't hold it back, lowered my head, and coughed up a mouthful of black blood. As I frantically tried to wipe it away, my brother saw it, but only sneered: "You've got your props all ready. Trying to make me feel guilty?" "You better save the act for when Mom and Dad get back. These little tricks don't work on me." My parents returned very quickly, arriving home early the next morning. My brother was unhappy about being scolded by them and forced me to sit on the sofa and wait all night. Having not slept all night, plus the stomach pain, I was covered in cold sweat and lethargic. But when my parents came back, I still shot up from the sofa. In my mind, they had died five years ago. Seeing them appear in the house perfectly intact now, I suddenly felt like I was dreaming. "Chloe, do you know what you did wrong?" My mom's cold sentence yanked me back to reality. I stood frozen, my voice hoarse: "What did I do wrong?" My mom's face darkened slightly: "Is it possible that after five years, you still don't know how hard it is to make money?" "When we faked our deaths and went abroad, it was to make you understand that there will come a day when you can't make money anymore, and there will come a day when the money runs out." "It's good that you know now, saving us from having a home we couldn't return to." My heart went completely cold, and my words started carrying emotion again: "So in the end, I'm still the one who burdened you?" "I really don't understand. Our family has more money than we could spend in several lifetimes, and I never squandered it recklessly. Why did I have to suffer a punishment like this?" "Do you know how wronged I felt? These past five years I..." "Chloe, just admit you were wrong!" My dad suddenly came over and pressed my shoulders. His face was covered in tears: "To educate you, Dad hasn't returned to the States to visit your grandmother's grave in five years." "It wasn't easy for you, and it wasn't easy for us either. Stop being stubborn!" "As long as you admit you were wrong, the punishment ends now, and our family..." "I'm not wrong!" I roared and threw off his hand: "What's wrong is you guys, it's your mindset! I did absolutely nothing wrong!" Smack! As soon as my words fell, my brother delivered a fierce slap to my face. "Is this the attitude you use to speak to Mom and Dad?" "Chloe, where is this grievance coming from? Where is this temper coming from?" "Did you think I had it easy these past five years? If I wasn't worried about you, I would have gone abroad with Mom and Dad a long time ago!" My mind went completely blank, my ears ringing. I couldn't really hear what he was saying anymore. Standing there for a long time, I nodded resignedly. "Give me back the thirteen thousand you took from me." That was money I earned with my life. He shot me a disdainful look and made a phone call. Not long after, someone came in carrying my bag of money. I wiped away my tears, picked up the money, and prepared to leave. My dad looked at my back and was about to speak, but my mom stopped him. "Let her go. Let's see where she can possibly go!" I closed the door, carrying the money back to the run-down neighborhood. I took out my keys and was just about to unlock the door when someone grabbed my wrist. "Little girl, this apartment has already been sold. You can't go in." "Was it sold to a guy named Hayes?" I didn't even look up. The person said: "Yes, how did you know?" I gave a self-deprecating laugh, took my money, and left. I hadn't walked two steps before that piercing pain in my stomach struck again. I went to a nearby hospital. While waiting for the results, I went to pay the bill. But not long after I handed over the money, I was pinned down by security on the spot. My mind was in chaos, and I didn't even have the strength to struggle. In my shock, I only heard them saying something about "counterfeit money" and "calling the cops." A little while later, the police arrived. The lead officer frowned and asked me: "Little girl, this money is all counterfeit. Where did you get it?" I couldn't believe it. I frantically pulled the contract from my pocket and handed it over: "I don't know! I earned it by working as a clinical trial subject!" "This has nothing to do with me!" She looked at the contract, her frown deepening: "You must have been scammed. This company is a criminal syndicate." "Did they draw your blood?" My pupils contracted, and I nodded mechanically. The police officer sighed: "Their medication is fine, but the needles..." She couldn't bear to finish her sentence. A sense of foreboding rose in my heart. Just then, the test results came out. The doctor handed them to the police officer: "It's a stage three blood disease. Those scammers are too rampant!" "Ugh—" I finally couldn't hold on any longer, coughed up a mouthful of black blood, and fell heavily, passing out. Before closing my eyes, I heard the police officer shout: "Contact her family quickly, hurry!"
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