Chapter 1
I suffered through eighteen years of torment at Starlight Orphanage before my parents finally came to claim me.
My family was dirt-poor, and my greatest pleasure was snapping up those free tissue deals online.
On the birthday of my younger brother, Lucas Grant, I gritted my teeth and spent 30 dollars of my hard-earned wages on a cake for him.
But to my shock, I found both Lucas and my supposedly poor boyfriend dressed in designer suits I'd never seen before, swaggering around in a luxury car worth millions.
Then I was told that not just Lucas and my boyfriend, but even my best friend, turned out to be heirs to rich families.
Today was my younger brother Lucas Grant's birthday. I asked my boss for a 30-dollar advance and left work half a day early, hoping to give him a surprise.
To be honest, I was a bit reluctant to spend so much. That was a whole week's grocery money.
To save the bus fare, I decided to walk home.
When I reached our neighborhood, I stopped in my tracks, rubbed my eyes, and stood frozen, staring at a luxury car parked outside our shabby building.
Lucas had shown me a photo of this exact model before. It was worth millions, and I never imagined I'd see one in real life.
Still confused, I headed upstairs and found our door half open, just enough to see two men standing in the living room.
Lucas was dressed in a perfectly tailored suit, expertly fastening his watch. His slicked-back hair revealed a smooth forehead. He looked every bit the young aristocrat.
His tone was casual but full of disdain, and his voice was deeper than usual.
A voice sounded. "We should just tear down these unfinished, abandoned buildings and put up new developments. They serve no real purpose anymore.
"I don't know how you managed to live here for so long. I couldn't last a single day."
The speaker was Lucas' best friend, and my boyfriend, Ryan Chandler.
Something flashed through my mind, but before I could catch it, the door opened.
Lucas looked awkward when he saw me. "Emily, why are you home so early?"
I awkwardly raised the cake in my right hand, stammering, "I took some time off to buy you a birthday cake. Are you guys heading out to celebrate? Mind if I join?"
I was eighteen when my birth parents finally brought me home from Starlight Orphanage, only to discover we were dirt poor. I could understand why they'd left me behind in the first place.
My parents worked out of town most of the year, so I juggled part-time jobs and school while looking after Lucas.
Whenever I had a spare moment, I'd hunt for free tissue deals online and head to the market in the evenings for discounted meat. If I were lucky, snag some vegetables that weren't too wilted.
Every dollar had to stretch as far as it could.
Lucas' college tuition and living expenses all came from my hard-earned money, working day and night.
Sometimes, he'd give me a warm hug and say, "Emily, this family would fall apart without you. I'm so lucky to have you."
Every time I heard that, my heart would melt softly, and I'd end up spoiling him even more.
When Ryan started pursuing me, Lucas was his biggest supporter, always talking him up and trying to set us up.
Though Ryan was poor, his handsome face and gentle ways won me over in just two weeks.
The three of us often ate out together, but money was tight. We'd usually just order one dish.
Most of the time, they'd let me have it, and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, surrounded by my brother's and boyfriend's love.
But right now, Lucas didn't even hesitate before flatly refusing. "We're meeting our childhood friends. You wouldn't know them. It'd just be awkward. Plus, it's formal attire only, and you don't even have a decent dress."
Ryan added gently, "We'll try to be back early."
I handed over the cake, thinking, 'Every little bit saved helps.'
Then I emptied all my pockets, pulling together about 24 dollars in crumpled bills and coins, and pressed them into their hands. "Renting those suits must've cost a lot, right? Just have fun tonight. No need to save money for me."
Lucas and Ryan exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, an expression I couldn't decipher.
After they left, I took a moment to calm my nerves, and then, still uneasy, I dialed my best friend Charlotte Quinn's number.
"Charlotte, Lucas and Ryan were acting really strange today. They even wore suits and ties. I barely recognized them," I said.
Charlotte sounded busy on the other end. She just reassured me quickly, told me not to overthink it, and hung up.
Right then, the owner of a restaurant, Caleb Bennett, texted to say he had a gig and asked if I was interested.
Staring at the empty apartment, I agreed.
I grabbed my bag and went downstairs. The flashy luxury car was already gone, but next to the trash can, I spotted a square cake box.
If I wasn't mistaken, that was the birthday cake I had personally bought.
*****
Caleb told me that everyone on the yacht tonight would be elite socialites from Metropolis City.
The dazzling luxury yacht nearly blinded me, but out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of a familiar figure.
My best friend, Charlotte, appeared at the dock in a couture gown, every strand of hair perfectly styled. She stood out, with several girls trailing behind her, holding up her dress.
I remembered that Charlotte's family was only a little better off than mine. When we went shopping for clothes, we used to shop around for the best deals.
Every time I offered to buy her coffee, she'd always refuse, claiming she was dieting.
I'd been deeply touched, thinking she was just trying to save me money.
Other than Lucas' living expenses, I'd spend whatever little I had left on small cakes for her.
Biting my lip, I could no longer stay calm. It felt like the truth was about to break through the fog at any moment, and I couldn't help growing tense.
After boarding the yacht, I was made to change into a server's uniform and assigned to serve drinks to these noble gentlemen and ladies.
Carrying a tray of glasses, I headed up to the flybridge, where I saw a crowd of my peers, all holding drinks and gathering around a small circle at the center.
Even among these elite socialites, there was a clear hierarchy, but the three at the very center made my blood run cold.
They were Lucas, my boyfriend, Ryan, and my best friend, Charlotte.
The sudden revelation hit me like a plunge into icy water, leaving me numb and dazed as I watched everyone bow and scrape, offering flattering toasts with sycophantic smiles.
"Mr. Grant, I did a pretty good job docking Emily's pay last time, right?" a man said, grinning.
Lucas glanced at him, his look flat and indifferent. "Not bad. By the way, find another excuse to withhold her salary for two months. Don't let her get too comfortable."
The man nodded. "Will do, Mr. Grant."
Ryan sidled over with a half-smile. "Better not. She'll just end up crying on me for hours, getting my clothes filthy."
Lucas didn't take it seriously. Languidly taking a sip of wine, he clicked his tongue with a critical tone. "As a child of the Grant family, she spent eighteen years living at the bottom with no upbringing. Now I'm stepping in for our parents to toughen her up, so she won't go squandering the family fortune once she finds out she's the Grant family's heiress."
"Guess I'll have to take her to those dive restaurants she loves. Good thing she only ever orders one dish. Otherwise, we'd have to eat that stuff, too. Makes me sick just thinking about it," he added.
Charlotte covered her mouth, laughing like a proper noble young lady.
"Every time we go shopping, she drags me to those underground stalls for 6-dollar T-shirts. Who would even wear that? I have to carry home a bag of cheap clothes just to make her happy," she said.
Lucas seemed genuinely amused. "She spent 30 dollars on a birthday cake for me today, hideous and tacky, and wanted me to bring it here. What an embarrassment. I felt dirty just holding it."
The next second, Charlotte chimed in, "Speaking of cake, you really shouldn't let her have any extra cash. She keeps buying me coffee and cakes, actually thinking we're close or something."
The guests on the flybridge all burst out laughing, their shrill voices ringing in my ears, making my head spin.
My mind was in complete turmoil, trapped in an invisible spider's web. The more I struggled, the tighter it became, and the more it hurt.