Chapter 3 · I Am The Infamous Hellion

I couldn't help but scoff.

I never cared about this.

As I walked to the parking lot, I couldn't help but remember my eighteenth birthday.

Cole had promised to spend it with me, but at the last minute, he flew off to the beach to watch the sunrise with some side chick.

I waited at the karaoke bar until the early hours of the morning, and Cole sent me a photo of the sunrise with the caption. [It's beautiful.]

I replied to him: [Didn't you promise to spend my birthday with me?]

He took ages to reply, finally sending a question mark.

That day, my parents were away on a business trip, so I was home alone. I lit a candle and made a wish, but I ended up crying.

No one remembered me.

The parking lot was dimly lit. Ryan was straddling his black motorcycle, his long legs planted firmly on the ground.

When he saw me, he tossed me a helmet. "Come on, I'm taking you to get a real birthday cake."

I caught the helmet, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pressed my face against his back.

For the first time, someone made me feel like the main character on my own birthday.

Three days later, Cole showed up at my apartment.

"Trix, we need to talk," he said.

I opened the door and let him in. He glanced around my small apartment, his brow furrowing slightly.

Cole said bluntly, "Kara wants a job at Preston Group. Make it happen for her."

"What position?" I asked.

He paused. "Your job. Or at least something on your level."

I laughed. "Why should I?"

He said, frowning, "Because she's the daughter of the Preston family now. Because she needs to feel secure."

"And what about me?" I asked.

He said, like it was obvious, "You've got what it takes. Go carve your own path."

I looked at him like he was a stranger. "Cole, what am I to you?"

He hesitated, "Just... Trix."

"So I'm just someone you can summon whenever you want and toss aside when you don't need me?" I shot back.

He got irritated. "Don't be unreasonable! Kara is..."

I cut him off. "She's pitiful, she's had a hard life, she needs to be taken care of. Yeah, I know, I've heard it a hundred times.

"So what? So I'm just supposed to give up everything? My room, my bracelet, and now even my job?"

He was silent for a long time.

Then he said, "Trix, consider this me asking you for a favor."

For the past ten years, it was the first time he'd ever asked me for anything.

It was all for another woman.

When Andrea came to see me, her eyes were so puffy and red, they looked like peaches.

"Trix, I need to ask you for a favor," she said.

"Tell me," I replied.

Andrea said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "We're planning to sign over the villa down south to Kara. She says she doesn't feel secure and just wants somewhere she can call home..."

My heart twisted.

That villa was my eighteenth birthday present from my grandfather.

He told me, "Trix, this is what you can always rely on."

"Mom, Grandpa gave me that villa as a birthday gift," I said.

Andrea said softly, gripping my hand, her palm icy cold, "I know. But Kara has had such a hard life. We need to make things right for her..."

"So I'm just supposed to hand it over?" I pulled my hand away. "Use my stuff to make things right for her?"

Andrea froze, staring at me. "Trix, when did you get so heartless?"

I met her gaze and asked, slow and steady, "Mom, where were you these past six months while I was digging potatoes up in the mountains?"

"I..." she faltered.

I laughed, my eyes stinging. "You were with Kara. Every single day, no matter what. She called you Mom, and you were over the moon about it."

Andrea's face went ghostly pale.

I said, getting up and walking to the window, "I'll give you the villa. But this is the last time.

"Don't ever ask me for anything again."

She left, crying.

The moment the door closed, I texted Ryan: [I'm about to snap.]

He replied instantly: [I'm here for you.]

On the day I went back to the Preston house to sign the papers, I stood at the corner of the stairs on the second floor, head down, texting.

"Trix." I looked up and saw Kara.

She stood right next to me, flashing a wide grin. "Trix, look at me."

I frowned, not understanding, and then she suddenly threw herself backward.

She went tumbling down the stairs.

When Cole heard the noise, he rushed over and saw the scene.

Kara was sprawled out on the floor, barely conscious, her voice barely a whisper. "Trix, why did you push me? I just wanted to talk..."

Cole whipped around and smacked me right across the face.

I crashed to the floor, my left ear buzzing, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

Cole's voice trembled. Whether from fury or fear, I couldn't tell. "Trix, Why did I never realize you could be so cruel?"

When my parents burst in, Kara was bawling her eyes out, Cole was shouting at the top of his lungs, and I was slumped on the floor, wiping blood off my lips.

Andrea pointed at me, her hand shaking with fury. "Get out. I don't want a daughter like you!"

I used the wall to steady myself as I got up. My left cheek was on fire.

I turned to Andrea. "When I was ten and burning up with a 104-degree fever, you were off at my brother's piano lesson. The nanny was the one who took me to the hospital."

Chapter 3

I couldn't help but scoff.

I never cared about this.

As I walked to the parking lot, I couldn't help but remember my eighteenth birthday.

Cole had promised to spend it with me, but at the last minute, he flew off to the beach to watch the sunrise with some side chick.

I waited at the karaoke bar until the early hours of the morning, and Cole sent me a photo of the sunrise with the caption. [It's beautiful.]

I replied to him: [Didn't you promise to spend my birthday with me?]

He took ages to reply, finally sending a question mark.

That day, my parents were away on a business trip, so I was home alone. I lit a candle and made a wish, but I ended up crying.

No one remembered me.

The parking lot was dimly lit. Ryan was straddling his black motorcycle, his long legs planted firmly on the ground.

When he saw me, he tossed me a helmet. "Come on, I'm taking you to get a real birthday cake."

I caught the helmet, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pressed my face against his back.

For the first time, someone made me feel like the main character on my own birthday.

Three days later, Cole showed up at my apartment.

"Trix, we need to talk," he said.

I opened the door and let him in. He glanced around my small apartment, his brow furrowing slightly.

Cole said bluntly, "Kara wants a job at Preston Group. Make it happen for her."

"What position?" I asked.

He paused. "Your job. Or at least something on your level."

I laughed. "Why should I?"

He said, frowning, "Because she's the daughter of the Preston family now. Because she needs to feel secure."

"And what about me?" I asked.

He said, like it was obvious, "You've got what it takes. Go carve your own path."

I looked at him like he was a stranger. "Cole, what am I to you?"

He hesitated, "Just... Trix."

"So I'm just someone you can summon whenever you want and toss aside when you don't need me?" I shot back.

He got irritated. "Don't be unreasonable! Kara is..."

I cut him off. "She's pitiful, she's had a hard life, she needs to be taken care of. Yeah, I know, I've heard it a hundred times.

"So what? So I'm just supposed to give up everything? My room, my bracelet, and now even my job?"

He was silent for a long time.

Then he said, "Trix, consider this me asking you for a favor."

For the past ten years, it was the first time he'd ever asked me for anything.

It was all for another woman.

When Andrea came to see me, her eyes were so puffy and red, they looked like peaches.

"Trix, I need to ask you for a favor," she said.

"Tell me," I replied.

Andrea said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "We're planning to sign over the villa down south to Kara. She says she doesn't feel secure and just wants somewhere she can call home..."

My heart twisted.

That villa was my eighteenth birthday present from my grandfather.

He told me, "Trix, this is what you can always rely on."

"Mom, Grandpa gave me that villa as a birthday gift," I said.

Andrea said softly, gripping my hand, her palm icy cold, "I know. But Kara has had such a hard life. We need to make things right for her..."

"So I'm just supposed to hand it over?" I pulled my hand away. "Use my stuff to make things right for her?"

Andrea froze, staring at me. "Trix, when did you get so heartless?"

I met her gaze and asked, slow and steady, "Mom, where were you these past six months while I was digging potatoes up in the mountains?"

"I..." she faltered.

I laughed, my eyes stinging. "You were with Kara. Every single day, no matter what. She called you Mom, and you were over the moon about it."

Andrea's face went ghostly pale.

I said, getting up and walking to the window, "I'll give you the villa. But this is the last time.

"Don't ever ask me for anything again."

She left, crying.

The moment the door closed, I texted Ryan: [I'm about to snap.]

He replied instantly: [I'm here for you.]

On the day I went back to the Preston house to sign the papers, I stood at the corner of the stairs on the second floor, head down, texting.

"Trix." I looked up and saw Kara.

She stood right next to me, flashing a wide grin. "Trix, look at me."

I frowned, not understanding, and then she suddenly threw herself backward.

She went tumbling down the stairs.

When Cole heard the noise, he rushed over and saw the scene.

Kara was sprawled out on the floor, barely conscious, her voice barely a whisper. "Trix, why did you push me? I just wanted to talk..."

Cole whipped around and smacked me right across the face.

I crashed to the floor, my left ear buzzing, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.

Cole's voice trembled. Whether from fury or fear, I couldn't tell. "Trix, Why did I never realize you could be so cruel?"

When my parents burst in, Kara was bawling her eyes out, Cole was shouting at the top of his lungs, and I was slumped on the floor, wiping blood off my lips.

Andrea pointed at me, her hand shaking with fury. "Get out. I don't want a daughter like you!"

I used the wall to steady myself as I got up. My left cheek was on fire.

I turned to Andrea. "When I was ten and burning up with a 104-degree fever, you were off at my brother's piano lesson. The nanny was the one who took me to the hospital."