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Chapter 8
One day, when my mom and Lucas Henderson showed up with more gifts,
my professor and his wife blocked them from entering.
His wife handed me a big red envelope with a warm smile.
“Good girl, I’ve heard so much about how talented and well–behaved you are.”
“I’ve been wanting a daughter like you.”
“If you don’t mind, would you let me be your mom?”
“I promise I’ll treat you just like my own daughter.”
Her smile was so kind, just like how I had always imagined a mother would look.
In an instant, tears welled up in my eyes.
I threw myself into her arms and called out, “Mom.”
My mom’s face turned pale instantly.
“Rozella, I’m your real mother. How can you call someone else ‘Mom‘?”
The professor’s wife patted my shoulder gently.
“Look at you. You’re not getting any younger.”
“It’s time you start thinking about your future, especially your love life.”
“There are plenty of great guys at the lab–handsome, well–bred, good morals.”
“I’ll bring them over so you can pick and choose!”
This got Lucas Henderson on edge.
He quickly rushed toward me.
“Rozella, you can’t do this. Don’t forget, we’re still bound by a marriage contract!”
The professor scoffed, shooting a dismissive look at Lucas Henderson.
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“Mr. Henderson, if I’m not mistaken, you’re already married, right?”
“Your nationwide wedding is still fresh in everyone’s memory.”
“Moved on already, huh?”
Lucas Henderson’s face froze, and he opened his mouth to explain but couldn’t find the words.
The professor continued, “The Rozella you used to push around isn’t that helpless orphan anymore.”
“Now she has us and the government backing her!”
“Anyone who dares to cross her again or upset her, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“Mrs. Mogane, Mr. Henderson, have you two cleaned up your mess yet?”
“If you have time to waste here, maybe you should go back and check if there’s anything shady going on in your family businesses.”
“If I find anything, I won’t hesitate to turn you in.”
The professor waved his hand.
Around us, the senior students gathered, standing by my side.
Their unwavering support made me feel something I hadn’t in a long time–what it was like to have
family.
And for the first time, I had the courage to stand up for myself.
I picked up the leftover water and splashed it directly in Lucas Henderson’s direction, coldly saying just
one word.
“Leave.”
After that, my mom quieted down a lot.
But Lucas Henderson still wouldn’t give up.
He started bringing over toys from our childhood, trying to get me to remember the good old times.
But those memories, which might have been sweet for him, were nothing but nightmares for me.
The professor and I kept our word–we investigated Henderson’s business, looking into everything from taxes to financial irregularities.
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If we found even the slightest issue, we were ready to report it to the authorities.
The fiasco at the wedding had already turned the Mogane and Henderson families into a laughingste among the elite.
Olivia Mogane was sent to prison, and the others had to drain their family’s fortune just to avoid being
convicted.
Though things seemed normal on the surface, both families were already on the brink, unable to handle the mounting pressure of all the investigations.
A house of cards can only stand for so long.
Before long, Lucas Henderson was tied up in lawsuits and had no more time to harass me.
As for the Mogane and Henderson families, they were deeply intertwined–one’s rise meant the other’s
fall.
The two families, once united by generations of marriage, were now throwing each other under the bus over the car accident from years ago, each blaming the other to save face.
My parents‘ relationship became even more strained, and they fought constantly.
In one argument, my dad stabbed my mom severely, and he was sent to a psychiatric hospital.
Their lives had fallen apart, while under the professor’s guidance, I kept winning international awards.
Once the Mogane family’s outcast, I now stood proudly in the spotlight, accepting praise from the world.
After my interview with the media, Lucas Henderson found me again to tell me the latest updates on the Mogane family.
“Olivia Mogane got 15 years. Uncle Mogane went crazy, drove with Aunt Mogane and died in a car accident on the spot.”
“I know, we brought it all on ourselves. We deserved it.”
This time, when I saw Lucas Henderson, his hair had already started turning gray.
He no longer had that youthful arrogance.
I casually dismissed him, asking, “What about you?”
“What price did you pay for what happened all those years ago?”
After a long silence, Lucas Henderson lowered his head.
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Chapter 8
“Mogane Aunt transferred all of Mogane family’s assets to your name.”
“I did the same.”
“This money will guarantee you’ll never have to worry about anything, living the life you want.”
“As for me… Rozella, losing you was the greatest punishment I could ever receive from heaven.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.
I slammed the papers Lucas Henderson handed me right into his face, then turned and walked away without a second thought.
The next day, I saw the news on TV.
Lucas Henderson had turned himself in.
He admitted to everything–helping Olivia Mogane get off the hook all those years ago and taking full responsibility.
Standing in front of the cameras, all he said was this:
“The dumbest thing I’ve ever done in my life was let go of the best girl in the world for Olivia Mogane.”
I calmly turned off the TV and picked up the research papers on my desk.
The best decision I ever made in my life was seeing Lucas Henderson for who he really was.
Breaking free from the chains of that toxic love and living a brand new life.
Before long, Professor Gerald and his wife officially adopted me.
They received a lot of praise from the public, and many philanthropists donated to the professor’s research.
Amid the commotion, I spent my days between the library and the lab, with books as my only companions.
I lived quietly and productively for six months, until Professor Gerald’s biological daughter, Stacy, returned home.
