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.

apply for it. That’s when Grace met Jacob, Mrs. Green’s son, whom she asked to make friends

scores at school. He occasionally helped Grace with her studies. She was clever and studious, so her

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

small cottage. Her grandfather swept the garden while Jacob and Grace did their homework and

so beautiful and adorable. How about she and Jacob make a

We don’t deserve

didn’t

back to the countryside. He

begging friends for

in her heart that she would grow up to be a top lawyer so

that anyone could have asked

***

family. Suddenly, her father wanted to be in her life again, all because of who she

nice young man. Bless

her grandfather said the day she took Sean

A big girl should have beautiful

collect junk to make money behind

many times. He was getting too old,

was a winter three

dog in the

on the spot

Lily’s dog. She said it

to a fracture of the cervical spine and spinal

money to the hospital, so she went to Lily for compensation. It was her dog after

didn’t get money from him, so you came to me?” Lily had always liked Sean, but he was dating Grace at

of your idiot grandfather, I should be the

a bunch of country bumpkin.

didn’t hold back. She really couldn’t. So, she slapped

started to fight. Jennifer, who was

she 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

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

hoped that at

were on the side

had been in the ICU for 15 days and was

life, and he didn’t want to be a burden to Grace so he committed

on the ice-cold ground and had a

save either her grandfather…

Grace was locked up in prison, Lily went to

Grace, “My dog has always been obedient. Guess

he only followed his owner’s orders, and his

because

lot of time to think while she was in prison. She blamed herself for

her how she was a good girl. Grace knew then it was just

turn back time, she wouldn’t want any shinny hairpins or any nice dresses, and she most

she wants is just to have her grandfather

***

did she realize that

down at her calloused

of imprisonment, and multiple fractures and broken bones,

the prison doctors hadn’t gone out of

looked distorted, and she had residual pain. I

that she couldn’t

when it

her hands and

It’s okay. You’re okay.

is a

she stood up and

the memories threatened to

more than just her freedom in

Her boyfriend.

about was

powerful families in the country. What’s more, she was the fiancée of Jason Reed—the most powerful man in

It’s okay. You’re okay.

is a

You don’t need anybody.

mopping

a sanitation worker with her long hair

delicate face was slightly reddish

was a student who had just graduated from college. But gone

seen how cruel the

old, far older, and duller than

sighed and rolled the cleaning supplies toward

for a few

meant to drift

moved quickly and efficiently to clean the rest of the

sanitation worker wasn’t glamorous, but after she left

heard a colleague watching the news on her mobile

superstar and a daughter of a rich and powerful

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