From the beatings and scoldings of her childhood to the neglect of her teenage years, it was only after she had turned her life around by getting withn that her mother had started to show her any ''love.'' But now, her mother''s words made it clear that even after all the years Vanessa had supported her infort, she had never earned a shred of genuine care or affection in return.


    But she was Vanessa. Once adored by millions of fans, hailed as an international piano goddess. How could her proud ego allow her to sink to such a level?


    "Vanessa, what about Henry Holt-isn''t Henry still in love with you? I know he''s married, but you could still go to him! If he just spares a little charity, it''ll be enough to pay my debts, right?"


    "Shut up!" Vanessa shrieked, her voice sharp and piercing. She red at her mother. "I''m not dealing with your mess anymore."


    "Vanessa, Vanessa—" Iona panicked for a few seconds. She had indeed never paid much attention to this daughter, so she didn''t realize what she had said wrong.


    Vanessa grabbed her phone and stormed out, mming the door behind her.


    The wind blew outside, and the moon was bright and clear. For a moment, Vanessa''s mind drifted back to Henry''s gentle and considerate face.


    It felt like a lifetime ago. The man who had showered her with daily concern, the man who had treated her like a treasure... even if he were to appear before her now, with her current situation, she wouldn''t even dare to look him in the eye.


    She was afraid of seeing disgust and revulsion in his eyes. If he knew she had this filthy disease, he would probably avoid her like the gue.


    Vanessa took a deep breath and looked up information about Henry on her phone. The most recent media sighting was a series of airport photos. He was carefully sheltering his pregnant wife, Selma Quigley, in the crook of his arm. He looked more mature now, and the look in his eyes as he gazed at the woman in his arms was so gentle and full of affection.


    The headline was ring: "Holt Group Heir Smitten with Expectant Wife as They Await New Arrival. The Power Couple''s Love Story Is the Envy of the Town."


    Vanessa stared at the photos, a sudden tightness seizing her chest, making it hard to breathe. Tears welled up in her eyes.


    The man who had been so devoted to her, who had wanted toy the world at her feet... now, she didn''t even have the courage to appear before him.


    Theughable thing was, just moments ago, her mother had told her to go ask him for ''charity.''


    Selma Quigley''s face glowed with a blissful smile, the kind only a woman cherished by her man could have.


    A bitter cocktail of envy and self-loathing surged within her, a cold despair tightening its grip until she could barely draw a breath.


    Vanessa then typedn''s name into the search bar. The most recent media reports were photos of him dealing with the situation at the


    Cliffmoor factory.  fo


    The pictures were a bit blurry, but even through the lens, his striking, strong features were instantly recognizable.


    Vanessa gazed obsessively at his face for a long, long time. Gradually, the light from the phone screen illuminated her slightly twisted expression.


    She turned off her phone. Just then, she heard the voices of several men nearby


    and scurried back toward her apartment.


    It wasn''t that she couldn''t pay her mother''s debt of over seven million


    dors. It was that if she did, the funds she hat clutched so tightly. would dwindle. ***


    She wanted to leave herself an escape route. At the very least, she had to cure her disease first. Otherwise, her life would be ruined.


    It wasn''t fair. Why was she the only one from her past living such a wretched life?


    Why did she have a cruel father and a gambling-addicted mother?