Chapter 2
After achieving both fame and fortune, Gabriel wanted to step back and return home to fight for the family fortune.
The thriving film studio they'd built now faced division.
Gabriel wanted to use the film company as a trump card in his power struggle, so he went to my father to ask for his approval.
My father, who valued relationships deeply, only took the photography team where my mother worked and set up his own business.
Somehow, this matter was exposed. Gabriel was accused of being ungrateful and betraying my father.
The Collins Group trended under a storm of criticism.
To save public opinion, the Collins family wanted to issue a statement that there was a marriage between the two families. In the future, when the Collins and Gomez families were united in marriage, the Collins family would return the film company as a gift.
Out of consideration for their long-standing friendship, my parents agreed.
Privately, both families knew that this marriage contract was just for show.
As devoted parents, they hoped I'd never marry at all.
Even when Gabriel's eldest son, Wyatt, repeatedly hinted, my parents always insisted that I was still young, that dating was okay, but marriage would have to wait until I was 25.
When I was 20, our family of three was planning to go abroad for skiing.
However, Wyatt repeatedly invited me to attend his birthday party.
I hesitated but agreed to his request.
My parents teased me for prioritizing romance over family. They dropped me at the Collins mansion before leaving for their romantic getaway.
A day later, overwhelming news came.
My parents died in an avalanche.
Relatives I'd never met showed up, vying to "care" for the orphaned heiress.
They didn't care whether my parents' bodies had been buried; they only cared that I was associated with the popular IP.
In the year I was born, my parents created a limited real-life IP for me, "Wish Girl", which recorded my growth from my birth to 25 years old.
When I turned 25, the IP copyright would be transferred to me, and I would decide whether to continue it.
Every year on my birthday, my parents' photography company would grandly release a birthday album.
It included my birthday photos, exclusive interviews, new anime images.
The birthday photos would be displayed on large screens across the city for a week; the interview contained my birthday wishes and a collection of my growth moments; the anime image would be updated with details based on my changes over the year...
It was originally intended to record their beloved daughter's growth, but unexpectedly, it received attention and love from the whole society.
The company also capitalized on the huge traffic brought by this IP, continuously launching derivative products and brand collaboration activities.
Wish Girl once became as popular as Barbie.
Later, to repay the fans' love, we decided to randomly help 10,000 girls realize their birthday wishes.
Many brands, seeking traffic and exposure, vied for cooperation.
The IP lasted for 20 years, becoming a real cash cow that was popular every year.
Then the hammer fell. Our studio was suddenly "bankrupt," besieged by creditors and reporters demanding I take responsibility.
In my moment of helplessness, Gabriel took over the company, and the Collins family took me in.
The marriage between the Collins and Gomez families was brought up again.
However, the one engaged to me was not Wyatt.
They said that Wyatt couldn't accept that the top-notch lady had fallen from her pedestal to become a Cinderella living under someone else's roof.
So he backed out at the last minute and flew abroad overnight.
Under the scrutiny of countless flashlights, I went through the engagement ceremony with James like a puppet.
The next day, James took me out of the Collins mansion.
He said he was taking me out of hell.
But my hell has always been him.
Today, James was extremely patient.
He rolled up his sleeves, picked up the boiled shrimp in front of him, and carefully removed the heads and shells.
Soon, plump shrimp meat piled up like a small mountain on the plate.
He pushed the plate in front of me.
"Mr. Collins," Emily said hesitantly. "You should eat something too."
Without looking up, James dismissed her.
"Emily, fetch the gift box from my car. I brought Willa a present."
Emily paused and slowly went out.
"The doctor said you need to get more nutrition to recover." James wiped his hands.
I forced down a shrimp, and a bitter taste exploded in my mouth instantly.
I held back the urge to spit it out.
"Do you like it? Emily's specialty. I loved this when I was a kid," he said.
James wiped the corner of my mouth and said like he was seeking praise, "There will be a typhoon tonight. I'll stay at home with you, okay?"
I stood up abruptly, keeping a distance from him.
James was never a patient person.
Usually, in such cases, he would slam the door and leave.
He grew up in the urban village, full of fierceness.