[My God, does she even hear herself? Does she think it's okay to steal someone else's scores?]

[Another case of nepotism. The relevant departments should investigate thoroughly!]

[Look at her ugly face. You can tell she's been using connections her whole life!]

[It's been exposed; her family has connections.]

[Her parents are businesspeople, and they think they can do anything with their dirty money!]

[Latest news: Her dad has been listed as a dishonest person.]

Now, not only could she not continue her studies, but even the relatives who helped her, along with her parents, were in trouble.

They were soon investigated by the relevant departments.

Her relatives lost their positions, and her father's company was found guilty of tax evasion, unfair competition, and other issues, leading to imprisonment.

She and her mother were left with their house seized by the court, and their car taken away, leaving them without anything.

It was pitiful.

As for the girl whose scores she had stolen, after the investigation by the education department, she was able to return to school.

Seeing her with a ponytail, running energetically on the campus track, I smiled happily.

Bad people would eventually be punished, and good people could finally get the justice they deserved.

Good.

Really good.

15

I saw Mila again during my first university vacation.

My parents and Elias picked me up and brought me back to Soothy City, where we ran into her and her mother at a small restaurant.

Her mother was washing dishes at the restaurant, while she sat dumbly in a corner at the entrance.

Passersby looked at them like they were a joke.

Seeing me look over, my father sighed and patiently explained, "Her dad was arrested, and without any income, her mother had to come out and wash dishes."

"As for her..."

"She couldn't handle the blow and had a mental breakdown."

It turned out that her foolish look wasn't an act; she really had lost her mind.

But I didn't feel sorry for her.

If the exam score fraud hadn't been discovered, it could very well have been that poor girl ending up like this.

This was purely her own doing; she had no one else to blame!

"Violet, look here." Elias held up his phone, excited to take a picture of me.

Hearing him, I turned my head and smiled, making a peace sign at Elias.

At the time, I was too happy to notice that Mila had spotted me because of Elias' call.

When we got home that night, Elias sent me the photo.

In the corner of the photo, I clearly saw Mila's fierce eyes staring into the camera.

It sent a chill through me.

Could it be that her mental state hadn't completely broken down?

16

On the fifth day of vacation.

At the high school reunion.

Unexpectedly, I saw Mila again.

She no longer looked dirty and foolish like she did at the restaurant.

She was dressed in a crisp coat and wore seductive makeup, looking as proud as she did before.

Her arrival surprised the other classmates as well.

After all, her incident had once caused a sensation online.

Given the circumstances, she still had the nerve to attend the reunion. She really was shameless.

Many classmates gathered and whispered among themselves.

"Could she be here for Ryan?"

My class president for three years was both a top student and handsome, and many girls were infatuated with him.

Mila especially wrote him many love letters.

Her crush on Ryan was well-known to everyone.

Now, coming to the reunion with such a thick skin, everyone thought it could only be for Ryan.

Perhaps it was because of the look in her eyes in the photo, but I had a hunch she was coming for me.

The keen instincts my parents had cultivated in me kicked in when she appeared, and I secretly sent a message to Elias.

We should never harm others, but we must always guard against those who might harm us.

If she did something outrageous, it would be good to be prepared.

In fact, it was thanks to my smart thinking that I informed Elias in advance.

Otherwise.

The consequences would have been unimaginable.

17

We were already college students, and some classmates organized a drinking party.

The boys were all very enthusiastic, and some girls were eager to join in too.

But some said they wouldn't drink alcohol and would use soft drinks instead.

I was one of them.

To be safe, I poured my own juice and didn't let anyone else touch it.

But even with all my caution, I still fell victim.

My head felt dizzy, my legs were weak, and my vision became increasingly blurry.

I stumbled into the bathroom, immediately reaching for my phone to contact Elias.

But before I could dial, two burly thugs burst in, grabbed my arms, and started dragging me out.

I wanted to scream for help.

But my throat felt glued shut, and I couldn't make a sound.

I wanted to struggle.

My legs and arms were limp and powerless, unable to exert any strength.

I gritted my teeth and prayed silently in my heart. "Elias, please come quickly!"

With no one to save me, I was quickly dragged out of the bathroom.

In the dimly lit hallway, my blurry vision vaguely caught a familiar sight.

It was her.

Mila.

She twirled a lock of hair around her finger, giving me a sinister smile.

As if she were saying, "Violet, go to hell!"

With just a quick glance, the two thugs pulled me into the stairwell.

Worried about being seen in the elevator, they dragged me down the stairs.

As we neared the first floor, footsteps approached, making them nervous. They tried to lift me and run.

But at that moment, a pair of black shoes came into view.

My heavy head tilted up, and I saw a stern, ice-cold face in front of me.

I opened my mouth to call out, but no sound came out.

The thug blocking our way, enraged, shouted, "Get out of the way!"

With a cold laugh, the man lifted his foot and kicked.

"Ouch!"

With a scream like a slaughtered pig, one thug was kicked back, hitting the stairs behind him with a crash that shook the building.

The force was so great it felt like the stairs had been dented.

In my daze, I smiled faintly.

Taking on Owen in a fight, they were practically courting death!

The other thug tried to fight but was pinned down by Elias, who beat him black and blue, making him scream.

I was successfully rescued by my two brothers and taken to the hospital.

"0-Owen why are you back?"

Every year during Christmas, Owen couldn't come home for the reunion, so his sudden appearance filled me with surprise and joy.

"If I didn't come back, do you think Elias could handle this situation?"

"Hey!" Elias retorted. When Owen wasn't home, wasn't he the one taking care of our parents and sister?

Now he was acting like the big boss?

Elias, feeling wronged, started shouting at him.

Listening to their bicker, I felt very happy despite my weakness.

After a thorough examination, I was found to be fine.

As for the two thugs and their mastermind Mila, they were all taken away by the police.

What awaited them was a prison sentence of over ten years.

18

The Christmas arrived, and we finally had a rare reunion.

Watching the fireworks outside, I clasped my hands together and silently wished, "May my whole family be safe and healthy, and may everything go smoothly."