Pampered by my three brothers: the return of the neglected heiress

Chapter 403: Nathaniel

[Flashback]

Penny sat at the bus stop, waiting for the bus. Her listless eyes were cast down, unsure of what weighed her down more — was it her exhaustion from working tirelessly, or getting scolded by Atlas after helping him resolve an issue?

"What an ungrateful man," she mumbled, kicking the air lazily. She was already numb to Atlas's usual scolding whenever he saw her at the company, but sometimes, it frustrated her. "It's not like I don't know he doesn't like me, but if someone offers help, the last thing they should do is scold them. How unfair."

Another deep sigh escaped her. Still, she felt relieved that the issue was fixed despite the reprimand afterward. By now, Penny was too tired and too numb to dwell on Atlas's reaction. It wasn't the first time, nor the second, or even the third. This had been happening since they were children, and it continued into their adulthood.

What was new?

"Boyfriend?"

Deep lines appeared between her brows as she turned her head to the person sitting at the other end of the bench. The man had a naturally playful face, but although he was good-looking, his messy, frizzy-dyed hair made him look rather unkempt.

Penny looked away, uninterested in talking to strangers.

"Or was it work?" the man added curiously. "Well, that makes two of us. Today, I did all my deliveries perfectly, but once I finished, I got kicked out! It's unfair!"

"Kicked out?" She slowly set her eyes back on him, assessing him from head to toe. Based on his open floral shirt, ragged pants, and worn-out Crocs, it was clear he was barely making ends meet.

"I was," he nodded and shrugged. "They said I'm fired just because I didn't agree with the client's request, but I know that's not the real reason. They fired me because I'm too good at my job- smarter than the owner. He can't accept that a mere delivery guy is smarter than him."

Penny pressed her lips into a thin line. "You don't look smart, though."

"Hey, Miss, aren't you being a little judgmental right now?" he scrunched his nose, while Penny shrugged faintly. "You also look like someone who can't be trusted."

makes you say I don't

yourself in the

No.

"If people don't appreciate you, stop doing them favors. You'll be happier

not that easy," she whispered, her eyes cast down. "How can I be happy when, for my whole life, I've only ever felt happy

"I accept you."

coldly said, "I don't care

face twisted at how bluntly and coldly she said those words. Penny didn't linger long as the bus arrived and she got on. The man followed,

next time she was feeling down

the guy explaining he'd been fired again. Just like the first meeting, they

the same

becurred five times. On the fifth occasion, they didn't get on the bus; they stayed and talked about their frustrations. Eventually, the two became friends, and Penny began to trust him. While drinking together,

she told him was

Penny ended up in jail, spending her time toeing the line between sanity

she trusted Nathaniel. A man she thought

[PRESENT TIME]

Good luck,

[Haha. Good luck, Penny.]

laugh and cheer her on. He had said it so many times that

snapping back to the present time. "He had a talent for mimicking

hadn't recognized it immediately-he was altering his voice. Fortunately, he slipped up during that last

same scam, huh?" Penny ran her tongue across her inner cheek, her eyes

how

to impersonate

Penny had learned that the