Chapter 1

Prologue

The day Grace was released from prison, two men were waiting for her.

One of them sent her to prison, and the other one convicted her.

The snow was very heavy that day. They looked like two snowmen waiting outside the prison.

Grace vowed in her heart, she’d make everyone pay their price.

***

“Grace, get yourself a job and be a good person out there.”

The prison guard opened the gate and told her so.

Grace nodded. Through the iron bar on the prison window, she saw two black cars parked out of the gate. Waiting for her.

They were Jacob’s Benz G-Wagon and Sean’s Porsche Panamera.

Heavy snow has caused total chaos on the roads. Jacob and Sean were standing quietly in front of their cars.

Sean held a black umbrella and stared at the gate. Jacob kept looking at his watch.

One of them was Grace’s ex-boyfriend, and the other one was her childhood best friend.

How affectionate and caring they looked! If they hadn’t sent Grace to prison and told the other inmates to “take good care” of her, maybe she would be moved to tears.

Five years ago, Grace went to confront Lily Atkinson, and her sister Jennifer Atkinson was also there. In an unfortunate turn of events, Jennifer Atkinson died. Although it was a terrible accident, the court still decided to sentence Grace to three years in prison.

Lily dragged her sister’s lifeless body out of the car and called the police. Sean arrived soon after.

“Sean, your girlfriend killed my sister!” Lily sat on the ground and cried out.

Sean’s first reaction was to push Grace down onto the ground in case she ran away.

But Grace was already too weak to resist because she’d also been hurt. What’s more… she was pregnant with Sean’s baby.

“How could you be so evil?!” When Jacob rushed over, his eyes were blood shot as he questioned Grace.

Before Grace could explain to the two most important men in her life, she was handcuffed by the police.

In court, Lily’s lawyer was Jacob, Grace’s childhood best friend, another blow to her heart.

Jacob blamed everything on Grace. She was convicted of reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter and was sentenced to three years of imprisonment.

“Grace, you deserve this. People have to pay for their mistakes,” he said.

When Grace first got into prison, she was beaten constantly. She was beaten in places without security cameras and had her nails pulled out. She was yanked by the hair and pressed into toilets. Her back was always being kicked, and it was bruised all the time.

They even broke the bones in her finger, one by one.

At first, Grace didn’t know why. She was always stubborn and didn’t cry when they hit her.

But after a while, Grace found out why they picked on her exclusively. Grace sucked up to one of the female bosses in prison. She would wash her feet, give her massages, and even do her laundry. Finally, she gained the trust of the female boss, and she told Grace why.

“Girl, you poor little thing. Someone paid us to beat you.”

Grace knew who it was then in that instant. Sean.

This was the man who ordered two hundred drones to spell out “I LOVE YOU” in the night sky when he was pursuing her.

He said, “Grace, I will protect you from now on.”

***

Upon seeing their cars outside the prison gates, Grace begged the prison guard to let her leave from the back door, to avoid seeing either of their faces.

Besides, what if they were still angry with her and wanted to take their revenge?

I am nothing compared to them. I can’t afford to provoke them, but at least I can hide. Grace thought to herself.

In a trance, Grace remembered her confrontation with Lily. Lily stood in front of Grace while holding her dog and shouted, “My dog is worth 70,000 dollars. How much is your grandfather’s life worth?”

When Grace was three, her mother died and her father remarried. He abandoned her so her grandfather raised her all by himself.

Her grandfather worked night and day collecting junk and empty bottles for recycling.

When Grace was in junior high, she moved to the city from the countryside and lived in a small rental apartment. Her grandfather told her that they could make more money in the city because there was more junk to collect.

But Grace knew the true reason why her grandfather wanted her to go to school in the city.

The children in the city had shiny hairpins, and Grace wanted them too.

Grace’s grandfather once stood outside a small accessories store for hours, then he finally went inside to buy the expensive shiny hairpin for Grace.

helped her apply for

with her studies. She was

very grateful to Mrs. Green, but he didn’t

Green lived in a small cottage. Her grandfather swept the garden

joked to Grace’s grandfather, “Your little granddaughter is so beautiful and adorable. How about she and

too good. We don’t deserve him,” he rubbed his

that he didn’t even dare to raise his

was accepted by a top university, her grandfather went back to the countryside. He didn’t let Grace go back with him, but she followed him back secretly

Grace saw him begging friends for money to cover her

his best to give her everything. Grace vowed in her heart that she would grow up to be a top lawyer so that

that anyone could

***

of the rich and powerful Stevens family. Suddenly, her father wanted to be in her life again, all

nice young man. Bless you

what her grandfather said the day

beautiful dresses.

junk to make money behind her

not to, many times. He was getting too old, and Grace was

a winter three years

in the park when he was

unconscious on the spot and was rushed to

was Lily’s dog. She said it was worth 70,000

to the ICU. Due to a fracture of the cervical spine

of money to the hospital, so she went to Lily for compensation.

You didn’t get money from him, so you came to me?” Lily had always liked Sean, but

because of your idiot grandfather, I should be

grandpa are just a bunch of country bumpkin.

back. She really couldn’t. So,

fight. Jennifer, who was Lily’s sister,

was pregnant and weak, so she got into her car and wanted to drive away, but Jennifer chased after her in her fancy convertible. That’s when the accident

try to escape. Her grandfather was in the hospital, but no one would listen

shouting Sean’s and Jacob’s names. Grace hoped that at least one

the side of Jennifer

that her grandfather had been in the ICU for 15

became paralyzed for life, and he didn’t want to be a burden

Grace was lying on the

her grandfather… or

locked up in prison, Lily went to see

Grace, “My dog has always been obedient. Guess why my dog tackled your

dog didn’t know anything, he only followed his owner’s orders, and his owner’s heart…

Grace because she

of time to think while she was in prison. She blamed herself for the death of her grandfather. Lily would’ve never harmed her grandfather if she didn’t date

that her grandfather came back to life, and he told her how she was a good girl. Grace knew then it was just a dream because she

time, she wouldn’t want any shinny hairpins

thing she wants is just

***

suddenly. Only then did she realize that she had been dreaming

down at her calloused

of imprisonment, and multiple fractures and broken bones, her hands would never look or feel the

grown back, but the prison doctors hadn’t gone out of their way to reset

joints looked distorted, and she had residual pain. I

were many fine movements that she couldn’t

hurt more especially when it was cold or

her hands

It’s okay. You’re okay.

a

mantra as she stood up

memories threatened to consume

lost more than just her

future. Her boyfriend.

she’d cared about

she’d accidentally killed was the daughter of one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the country. What’s more, she was the fiancée of Jason Reed—the most

It’s okay. You’re okay.

a

You don’t need anybody.

finished mopping the

suit of a sanitation worker with her long hair tied into a simple

Her delicate face was slightly reddish due to the cold

to only look at her face, you would think she was a student who had just graduated from college.

how cruel the world could

back at her were old, far older, and duller than

the cleaning supplies toward

a few minutes

meant to drift

on the time, she moved quickly and efficiently to

glamorous, but after she left prison, this was the only job she could

she heard a colleague watching the news

a daughter

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