Chapter 1
The Johnson Mansion.
Susan Smith put the last piece of beef into Chloe Johnson's bowl, her eyes full of affection.
"Chloe, have more. You've lost so much weight working on those design drafts lately... It breaks my heart to see it."
At the mention of the design drafts, Chloe's eyes began to redden.
"Mom... I can't find my design drafts... I spent a whole month preparing them for the Gold Crown Awards preliminaries... wuwuwu..."
In less than a minute, she was crying her eyes out, though her gaze kept drifting toward Charlotte Johnson, who sat across from her quietly eating.
Susan's expression darkened instantly. "Charlotte! Did you take Chloe's drafts?!"
Henry Johnson sat at the head of the table. Hearing this, he put down his wine glass, his stern gaze examining this biological daughter who had only been brought back half a month ago.
A faded white T-shirt, head down, not a word since sitting down to dinner.
Tacky.
An embarrassment.
This was his biological daughter.
Compared to Chloe, the adopted daughter they'd carefully raised, she was worlds apart!
"I didn't," Charlotte's voice was cold, completely emotionless.
She didn't even look up, continuing to sip her soup slowly.
This casual attitude completely enraged Susan.
"Still denying it! In this house, who else has sticky fingers besides you? You're the only one who went into Chloe's room! You country bumpkin, you have no standards. You see something nice and want to take it for yourself!"
Susan got more worked up as she spoke, her chest heaving violently.
They never should have brought this bad luck charm back!
If Henry's father hadn't forced them to find Charlotte before he died, she would never have acknowledged Charlotte!
Better to let her fend for herself in that backwater place! No need to come back and embarrass them, and bully her precious Chloe!
"Mom, don't blame Charlotte..." Chloe sobbed, understanding as she held Susan's hand. "She grew up in the countryside and has never seen jewelry design sketches. Maybe she just thought they looked nice and wanted to copy them... As long as she gives them back, I won't hold it against her..."
"Copy them? What does she know about design? She can't even hold a pencil properly!" Susan sneered, pointing at Charlotte's nose. "Get on your knees right now! Apologize to Chloe! Hand over the drafts! Otherwise, don't even think about finishing dinner tonight!"
Henry also spoke sternly, "When you do something wrong, you need to own up to it. The Johnson family won't tolerate people with bad character. Charlotte, apologize to Chloe."
His tone left no room for argument.
In this house, his word was law.
Charlotte finally finished the last sip of her soup. She pulled out a napkin and wiped her mouth, her movements refined as if she were at a banquet.
Then she looked up.
Her eyes were strikingly beautiful, and when she blinked, they seemed filled with stars.
Under that gaze, Chloe felt an inexplicable discomfort and actually forgot to keep crying.
"You're so sure I took that piece of scrap paper?"
Charlotte's voice carried a lazy huskiness.
Scrap paper?
Chloe's eyes widened. That was the work she'd poured her heart into for so long!
And this country bumpkin was calling it scrap paper?
"What kind of attitude is that!" Henry was furious. "Is this how you talk to your family? Bringing you back was clearly a mistake!"
A mistake.
Charlotte's lips curved into a mocking smile.
Perfect. She had no interest in continuing this charade with these idiots anyway.
She pulled a document from her black backpack and tossed it on the dining table.
Everyone froze.
"Since it was a mistake, let's cut our losses." Charlotte leaned back in her chair, crossing her long legs, her presence commanding. "Sign it. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other."
Henry picked up the document. The moment he saw the title, his pupils contracted sharply.
"Agreement to Sever Parent-Child Relationship."
"You..." His hands were shaking. "Are you threatening me?"
"Have you lost your mind?" After seeing the contents, Susan didn't get angry—she actually laughed. "Charlotte, get a grip! Without the Johnson family, you're nothing. You think with just a high school diploma you can survive in Imperial City? Don't come crawling back to us when you're starving!"
In their view, this was just Charlotte trying to get attention.
Trying to gain sympathy by threatening to leave home?
How naive!
"That's none of your concern." Charlotte pulled a pen from her bag. "Sign it."
Two simple words, yet carrying an inexplicable sense of pressure.
Henry looked into her eyes, feeling strangely uneasy.
Why hadn't he noticed how... fierce she was when they first brought her back?
But then he thought, what trouble could a country girl possibly cause?
Besides, Chloe was about to get engaged to Benjamin Harris.
The Harris family had always had issues with Charlotte, this suddenly appearing real daughter, thinking she was an embarrassment who would lower the Harris family's status.
If they severed ties now, it would actually make the Harris family happier!
"Fine! Very well!" Henry laughed in anger, picked up the pen, and signed his name. "This is the path you chose! Once you walk out that door, don't ever think about stepping foot in the Johnson family again! From now on, whether you live or die has nothing to do with the Johnson family!"
Susan eagerly signed as well. "Take all your stuff with you, don't leave any trash behind!"
Charlotte looked at those two signatures, a trace of mockery flashing in her eyes.
She collected the agreement, stood up, grabbed her black backpack with one hand, swung it over her shoulder—her movements decisive, without a hint of reluctance.
"As you wish."
She turned toward the door, her back straight, radiating an indescribable arrogance.
Chloe watched her retreating figure, a flash of triumph in her eyes.
Finally got rid of this eyesore!
From now on, everything in the Johnson family would be hers alone!
Thinking this, she was thrilled and couldn't help standing up to follow.
"Charlotte!"
Chloe caught up to the living room entrance, blocking Charlotte's path.
She wore a victor's smile, though her voice remained soft and weak. "Are you really leaving? Actually, if you just apologize, Mom and Dad will forgive you... After all, next month on the 8th is my engagement party with Benjamin..."
Mentioning Benjamin, her tone was full of showing off.
"Benjamin is the heir to the Harris family... You probably haven't met such an outstanding person before, right? What a shame, if you didn't leave, you could come to the party and experience what high society is like..."
Charlotte stopped and glanced sideways.
Looking at Chloe's affected expression, she found it laughable.
Benjamin?
That guy she couldn't shake off?
Outstanding?
"Are you even worthy?" Charlotte's lips parted, uttering three words.
Chloe's smile froze instantly. "What did you say?"
"I said," Charlotte looked down at her, eyes full of mockery, "Only trash attracts trash like you. May you stay together forever!"
With that, she walked right past Chloe and strode out the mansion door.
"You... who are you calling trash!" Chloe trembled with rage.
Susan and Henry also rushed out, just in time to hear that last sentence.
"Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!" Susan pointed at Charlotte's retreating figure and cursed. "That brat dared to call Benjamin trash! If word gets out, we'll all suffer for it!"
"Let her go!" Henry's face was dark with anger. "I want to see where she can go without the Johnson family! She doesn't have a single dollar on her—she'll be sleeping on the streets tonight!"
The family of three stood at the Johnson Mansion entrance, waiting to see Charlotte's pathetic downfall.
This was a wealthy residential area—she'd never get a cab here.
She'd have to walk out on her own two feet!
However.
The next second.
A black sedan slowly stopped in front of Charlotte.
A Rolls-Royce. And a custom edition at that!
Henry's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Though he was wealthy, he was just a nouveau riche. He'd only seen this level of car in magazines!
"This... whose car is this? Why is it stopping at our house?" Henry's voice trembled as he instinctively tried to straighten his clothes to go make conversation.
Susan was also stunned. "Could it be someone from the Harris family?"
Chloe was overjoyed—it must be Benjamin!
Only Benjamin had this kind of presence!
Had he come specially to pick her up?
However, when the car door opened.
The person who got out wasn't Benjamin.
It was an elderly man in a tailcoat and white gloves.
The old man didn't even glance at the three Johnsons. He walked straight to Charlotte, bowed slightly, and respectfully opened the car door.
"Ms. Johnson, you've suffered. Let's go home."
Charlotte's expression was indifferent as she casually handed the backpack—the one the Johnsons had looked down on as cheap—to the elderly man.
Her backpack was a Vermès global limited edition, one of only three in existence, that money alone couldn't buy.
"Mm. Let's go."
She bent down to get in the car, not sparing even a glance at the three people standing there dumbfounded.
After the car drove away, Susan finally came to her senses and nearly fainted from shock.
She must be dreaming!