Chapter 2

The city's neon lights stung my eyes.

I dragged my suitcase, wandering the streets like a ghost.

My phone battery was down to five percent.

I didn't dare tell my parents.

They were both honest, hardworking people who'd scrimped and saved their whole lives. I didn't want them worrying about me.

I walked into a 24-hour fast food restaurant and found a seat in the farthest corner.

The place reeked of fried chicken and burgers, greasy enough to turn my stomach.

I laid my head on the cold table, looking at the high-rises outside the window. Every window glowed with warm light.

Behind those lights were complete families.

And I had been abandoned by mine.

Tears fell without warning, drop by drop hitting the tabletop, spreading into small wet spots.

I bit my lip hard, not letting myself cry out loud.

My phone vibrated once in my pocket, its faint glow a final struggle.

It was my dad calling.

I took a deep breath, using every ounce of strength to suppress the sob in my throat, and pressed answer.

"Hello, Dad."

"Sweetheart!"

On the other end, my dad's voice was unusually excited and trembling.

"I've got amazing news! Incredible news!"

I listened numbly. What good news could compare to the catastrophe I was experiencing?

"The lottery ticket your mom and I bought---we won! We hit the jackpot!"

My brain went completely blank, like someone had hit me hard with a sledgehammer.

"How... how much?"

"Three hundred million!" My dad's voice cracked with excitement. "That's right, $300 million! Sweetheart!"

I gripped the phone, feeling like I was dreaming.

Auditory hallucination.

I must be so desperate I was hearing things.

"Dad, don't joke around."

"Who's joking with you! It's already on the news---we're the anonymous lottery winners from our city! The money's already in our account! I just transferred a million to you. Use it for now! Sweetheart, come home right away! Our family needs to celebrate properly! Dad's going to buy you a mansion and a sports car! From now on, no one will ever bully you again!"

No one will ever bully you again.

Those words were like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of my emotions.

I hung up and opened my mobile banking app.

A new transfer record appeared prominently on the screen.

Amount received: One million dollars.

That long string of zeros glowed with blinding light in the dim fast food restaurant.

Tears surged out again, blurring my vision.

But this time, it wasn't because of despair and humiliation.

I wiped away my tears, stood up, and dragged my suitcase out of the fast food restaurant.

Across the street stood a magnificent five-star hotel.

I walked in.

"Hello, I'd like to book a presidential suite."

The receptionist's professional smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal.

I swiped my card, took the room key, and walked into the elevator.

The room was on the top floor.

Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lay the glittering night view of the entire city.

I stood before the window, looking down at the endless stream of traffic below. They flowed like golden rivers, rushing ceaselessly.

Ethan. Sharon.

You abandoned me for a few hundred thousand dollars.

You thought you'd kicked me into hell.

Little did you know, you'd personally delivered me to heaven.

I suddenly laughed.

In this brilliant night scene, my laughter sounded especially clear.

The laughter carried tears, carried hate, and even more, an unprecedented resolve.

The flames of revenge burned fiercely in my chest.

The game was only just beginning.