I still couldn't understand what part of me was supposedly "extravagant."

Our family had money, sure—but I wasn't obsessed with luxury. Clothes, jewelry—I never spent more than a few hundred. Among the socialites in Halo City, I was considered odd.

Shane's expression stiffened.

"Why would you even ask that? You're much better now."

"What do you mean 'now'? What about before?" I pressed.

He frowned.

"When our parents were alive, you didn't understand saving. They built everything from nothing—they were farmers. Even I had to think before spending. But on your birthday, you'd beg them for gifts worth thousands. How do you think that looked?"

Anger flared in me and I took two steps forward.

"Our family is that rich—can't I buy a phone worth one thousand? What's the point of earning money then?"

He darkened.

"Listen to yourself. It's just a phone. What's wrong with any of them? You're just vain, always comparing yourself to those socialites. That's why you wanted this and that. After these past five years of having nothing, haven't you done fine?"

I stared at him in disbelief, my blood running cold. In his eyes, I'd done fine?

Every day I played a corpse, begging directors to let me take extra scenes just to earn twenty dollars more. Sometimes lying in mud, sometimes in a stinking ditch. More than ten hours at a stretch.

My old rival, Charlene Cooper, would see me struggling and seize every chance to humiliate me. I couldn't even fight back.

Just because I wanted to celebrate the New Year with my brother, I became a clinical trial volunteer—and to this day, I didn't even know the state of my own body.

Was that really "doing fine"?

My stomach twisted painfully as Charlene's words flashed in my mind, "Fool. This is all your own fault. I'll follow you anywhere—whatever drama you're in, I'll be there. My family can invest however they want to stick me in. For the next five years, you'll suffer in my hands!"

A chill ran down my spine. Five years—why five years? Could Charlene know something else? My gut told me my brother and the others were hiding more than I realized.

I clenched my fists, swallowing the urge to demand answers, and obediently said, "Okay… I'll change."

My brother put down the vegetables and gently ruffled my hair, satisfied.

"That's better. Eat on your own later. I have to go to work."

Once he left for work, I pulled on a mask and hat and quietly followed him.

After leaving the slum, he stopped by the roadside and made a call.

Within five minutes, a black Maybach pulled up in front of him. He got into the car.

I quickly hailed a taxi and tailed him. Half an hour later, he entered an upscale restaurant.

I slipped in five minutes later, sitting just behind him.

My heart pounded. I didn't dare look up, so I couldn't see who he was meeting. But when I heard the other person speak, my blood froze.

"Shane, I've been following your orders to 'train' Lily… and she's been doing very well lately!"

It was Charlene.

"Great," Shane said, his tone flat as if stating the most ordinary fact. "Only by suffering will Lily understand that money isn't so easy to earn.

"As a reward, I'll make sure your family's business gets extra attention. But Lily mustn't know this yet. After the New Year, when our parents return, I'll tell them myself."

My breath caught. My heart nearly stopped.

A waiter came by to take my order. I couldn't speak—I only trembled, pointing randomly at the menu. Then I signaled him to leave quickly, hoping my brother wouldn't notice me.

Charlene's voice came from the other side, soft and attentive.

"Shane, you told Lily you were testing haunted houses, but you were sneaking home every day. Aren't you tired? Why didn't you just go abroad with your parents back then?"

My chest heaved. A tidal wave of realization crashed over me.

So the haunted-house story my brother told me—it was a lie. He had been coming home the whole time, while I suffered alone. For five years, had I been the only one enduring hardship?

My brother sighed.

"Lily is my little sister. I couldn't leave her alone in the country. Besides, the company may have moved abroad, but it will return eventually."

He shook his head, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "The five-year punishment we planned has flown by. Time passes so quickly."

Quickly? I let out a bitter laugh in my mind. For me, every single day of those five years had been torture.

Playing a corpse wasn't easy. Under Charlene's instructions, I was always placed in the most grueling, dirtiest scenes.

Wind, rain—it didn't matter. I couldn't move. Over time, my body grew weak. My periods came irregularly or dragged on endlessly. And in their eyes, it was just a punishment.

Ridiculous…

"Charlene, you've worked hard these five years too. Consider this a gift," Shane said as the conversation continued across the table.

He handed Charlene a delicate gift box.

She opened it and gasped, "What a beautiful diamond necklace!"

My heart sank into a pit of despair.

That necklace—the one I had pouted to my parents for five years ago. Back then, they didn't buy it for me. Too expensive, they said.

I had let it go, thinking it wasn't essential.

Now, it seemed that necklace had sparked my five years of punishment.

But why? Our family was so rich—why would wanting a necklace earn me five years of suffering?

And Charlene, whose family was less wealthy, could effortlessly get whatever she wanted?

Had I been disobedient? Naughty?

I'd been obedient all my life, never defying them. So why was I the one being punished like this?

Emotions overflowed. I couldn't contain myself any longer. I slammed my hand on the table with a loud bang and stood up abruptly.

All the diners turned to look.

Shane spun around, his face instantly pale.

"Lily… what are you doing here?"

"Was it fun? Five years of lies—was that fun?"

I ripped off my hat and mask, lunging forward to grab his sleeve.

"Tell me! When have I ever been wasteful? Why did you all have to torture me like this?"

Panic flashed in my brother's eyes. He looked around, embarrassed, and gripped me firmly.

"There are too many people here. Let's go outside."

"Who needs to hide from the public eye? It's you!" I wrenched my arm free, my face burning red, and screamed hysterically, "You and Mom and Dad—working together to deceive me! Telling me the family went bankrupt, that we owed money, telling me you were testing haunted houses!

"But in reality? They were traveling abroad, and you came home every day to relax! The only one suffering all this time… was me!"

My control snapped. Tears poured down my face.

"Shane… why? Can't you tell me why? I beg you! What does it matter if our family has billions and I spend one thousand on a phone?"

His expression darkened.

"No wonder you asked me that this afternoon. So you overheard me calling Mom and Dad."

He grabbed my wrist again, this time with force, trying to drag me out of the restaurant.

A waiter rushed over, holding me back.

"Ma'am, you haven't paid yet—your meal is five hundred dollars!"

My brother froze for a moment, then his brow furrowed.

"Why did you order such an expensive meal? Don't you know how hard it is to earn money?"

All eyes turned toward me. He deliberately delayed, letting my face drain of color before I finally swiped the card.

Outside, Charlene's voice added fuel to the fire, "Lily, your parents and brother meant well. They're just trying to teach you a lesson—don't be ungrateful!"

"What does that have to do with you?" I snapped, fury boiling in my chest.

I yanked my hand free from my brother's grasp and slapped Charlene across the face.

She shrieked, clutching her cheek in shock.

The next second, my brother returned the slap—right to me.

"Lily, is this really necessary? If you hadn't been so vain, would our parents and I have done this? These five years were hard for you, and you think we had it easy? You even dare lay a hand on someone else! Maybe your punishment still isn't enough!"

I froze, listening to his cold, relentless voice. My heart felt dead inside.

After a long moment, I lifted my eyes and sneered, my voice dripping with mockery.

"Not enough? Fine. Then take my life. Is that enough?"

"You're still speaking recklessly!"

His gaze turned cold. He called the driver over and shoved me into the car.

Tears streamed down my face, yet I laughed bitterly.

"Go home? Which home?"

He didn't look at me once. He pulled out his phone and called our parents.

"Come back. Yes… Lily knows now.

"I didn't say anything! She overheard herself!"

He slammed the phone down in frustration, his aura dark and oppressive.

When he looked at me, his eyes were full of impatience.

"And you still have the nerve to cry? I've suffered alongside you for five years, and in the end, I'm the one getting scolded. What exactly are you crying about? Stop acting like you've been the one wronged!"

I couldn't speak. I let him berate me all the way to the old villa. I hadn't been back for five years. Stepping inside again, all I felt was alienation.

The stabbing pain in my stomach surged. I couldn't hold it and vomited black blood.

In my panic, I tried to wipe it away. My brother saw, but only sneered coldly.

"Using props to gain sympathy, huh? Trying to make me feel guilty? Wait 'til Mom and Dad are back. This little act won't work on me."