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.

poverty-stricken families, Grace’s teacher Mrs. Green helped her apply for it. That’s when Grace met Jacob, Mrs. Green’s son, whom she asked

scores at school. He occasionally helped Grace with her studies. She

to Mrs. Green, but he didn’t

garden while Jacob and Grace did their homework and played in

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 hands nervously and

blushed so much that he didn’t

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

Grace saw him begging friends for money to cover her

she would grow up to be

could have asked

***

rich and powerful Stevens family. Suddenly, her father wanted to

a nice young

what her grandfather said the

are a big girl now. A big girl should have beautiful dresses. My pretty Grace

continued to collect junk to

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

was a winter three years

in the park

spot and was rushed to the

Lily’s dog. She said

Due to a

to the hospital, so she

and said arrogantly, “You are Sean’s girlfriend? You didn’t get money from him, so you came to me?” Lily had always

broken because of your idiot grandfather, I should

bunch of country bumpkin. You both

She really couldn’t. So, she slapped

started to fight. Jennifer, who was Lily’s sister, saw

her car and wanted to drive away,

Her grandfather was in the hospital, but no one

that at least

they were on the side of Jennifer

her grandfather had been in the ICU for 15

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

the

either her grandfather… or

up in prison, Lily went

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

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

hated Grace because she

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

came back to life, and he told her how she was a good girl. Grace knew then it was just a dream because she was not a

want any shinny hairpins

is just to have her grandfather

***

her eyes suddenly. Only then did she realize that she had been dreaming of what had happened all

looked down at her calloused

and broken bones, her hands would never look

the prison doctors hadn’t gone out

she had residual pain. I was

that

hurt more especially when it was cold or humid

her hands

It’s okay. You’re okay.

is a

mantra as she stood

the memories threatened

just her freedom in that

future. Her boyfriend. Her

she’d cared about was gone in an

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

It’s okay. You’re okay.

is a

You don’t need anybody.

mopping the

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

caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror on the wall. Her delicate face was slightly reddish

would think she was a student who

seen how cruel the

that stared back at her were old, far older, and duller

rolled the

few minutes had

to drift off

quickly and efficiently to clean the

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

heard a colleague

As a superstar and a daughter

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