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Hatred won.Why Emily?Who gave she and her mother the right to destroy my life?
I stormed to Emily's piano studio.
Her fingers danced on the keys,graceful like a swan.
I clenched my fists and felt I was about to lose control.
While Mom and I starved,scavenging to survive,she lived in luxury?
Furious,I swung my bag at her head.
The melody stopped.Emily yelped in pain.
She lunged at me,but a slap from me had her to the ground.A pampered princess couldn't match someone who had been doing hard labor since childhood.
Emily screamed,"You hit me?My dad won't let you get away with this!"
I pinned her to the floor,yanking her hair and slapped her again.
"Like mother,like daughter—trash.You won't let me go?I won't let you go.
When your family tried to ruin me and Mom,did it ever occured to you that this day would come?Wait—your beastly parents will get theirs."
I stopped only when I was exhausted.
Soon after,Emily and her group smashed my shop.Daniel was also there.
He stood by,watching coldly,like I was a complete stranger.
My shop became rubble.Emily,still angry,had me held down,returning slaps for slaps until my mouth bled.
I looked at Daniel,foolishly hoping he'd help.
His voice was emotionless:"You started it.Emily's not wrong."
Later,he texted:"The money I gave you should cover the expenses for repairing your shop.Stay away from Emily.Just move on—for your own good."
I never imagined two people so in love could become enemies,letting others hurt me.
Once,a classmate had called me a bumpkin.Daniel punched him,resulting in him receiving a long lecture from headmaster, a detention, and he was asked to write an apology.
I told him it was just words,I was used to it.Why fight?
He looked at me,pained."I won't let anyone badmouth you."
I found it childish but touching at that time.
Wiping tears,I laughed sadly.
In this moment now,my love for Daniel vanished completely.
I'd never forget this humiliation.I'd make them pay.
Before I could clean up,William entered.
He handed me a bank card."This should be enough for the rest of your life.Leave Daniel.Emily likes him.Don't make this hard for me."
How ironic.After years,William finally sought me out—for his precious daughter.
"Hard for you?You abandoned your family.What's hard about that?Suddenly remembered I'm your daughter?
This money, ‘your’ money and everything—it's all the Morgans'.I'll make you spit it out.
Do you sleep at night,William?Dream of Grandpa or Mom?
Oh,right—you're heartless,a beast.Why would you fear?"
"How dare you!"William,enraged,slapped my already bruised face.
Mom always said her wish was for me to live safely and be happy with Daniel.
She forbade revenge against the Stones.To ease her worries,I held back.But that ddidn’t mean I had nothing against them.
With Mom gone and Daniel against me,I now had no restraints.
I found Jake Riley,my old neighbor,a former gang leader,now a karaoke bar owner.
"You said you'd help if I was in trouble.That still counts?"
Jake stubbed out his cigar,silenced the blaring music,and strode over.
"Your face—what happened?Who dared touch my little sister?Name them,I'll teach them a lesson."
I let out a cold laugh."I want you to kidnap Emily Stone."
Jake and I go way back.Like me,he had a rough childhood.
Parents divorced,neither wanted him,leaving him with his frail grandma.
Though we were poor,Mom was kind,helping Jake's grandma.
Jake was rebellious and ended up with gangs since an early age,but he was loyal to his friends and family.
Years ago,he crippled a guy avenging a friend and went to prison.
While he was inside,my family cared for his grandma.
Jake was grateful,always ready to help us.
Emily wasn't innocent.I knew all about her bullying at school.
William,doting on his daughter,used money to cover her crimes again and again.
I was doing the world a favor.
Jake worked fast.
