Before I could even react, I frantically waved my hands, trying to catch the fluttering bills.
But in the end, my blood, sweat, and tears fell entirely into the sea, instantly soaked and ruined.
Corey, however, acted as if she had done some great deed of charity, saying innocently:
“Let’s return this dirty, unpresentable money to nature. It’ll help purify you, too.”
I stared blankly at the floating bills on the surface of the sea.
She could comfortably enjoy the luxurious life Julian provided her, yet when I simply earned a living with my own two hands, I was called dirty.
Her smug, mocking laughter echoed in my ears, and I finally snapped.
I spun around, raising my hand to slap Corey.
“I worked hard for that! What gives you the right to call it…”
But before I even touched her, she threw herself backward into the sea.
Julian’s eyes widened in horror. Without a second of hesitation, he dove in with a splash to save Corey.
Julian frantically called for an ambulance, his eyes red as he performed CPR on Corey.
Finally, Corey coughed up a huge mouthful of seawater. Opening her eyes, she sobbed weakly:
“Chloe, I only did that to help mend your relationship with our brother… B-but why did you still try to hurt me?”
“Julian, I know she will never accept me. If my only choices are death or leaving, then please, just let me go.”
Julian looked so heartbroken he would have ripped his own heart out for her.
He suddenly stood up and delivered a vicious backhand slap to my face on Corey’s behalf.
“Chloe!
It’s been five years, and you haven’t changed a bit?”
“Doing cheap things to get my attention is one thing, but why did you have to hurt Corey?”
Helpless and dazed, I waved my hands to explain: “N-no, it wasn’t me…”
But my brother’s eyes were filled with disappointment, looking exactly the same as they did years ago when he refused to believe me.
I should have known. Whenever it came to Corey, he would never believe me.
The rest of my explanation caught in my throat like a fishbone.
Yet, as if possessed, I stared at Julian and whispered.
“If I died, you’d probably be thrilled.”
I didn’t expect him to hear it. He scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain.
“If you actually died, I’d pop champagne to celebrate.”
I froze in place, my vision blurring again as a crowd surrounded Corey, fussing over her.
It felt like I was the only one left in this bleak, gray world.
I lowered my head and whispered, “Then you’ll get your wish soon enough…”
He didn’t catch that. When he frowned and turned to ask me, he only saw my lonely, limping figure walking away.
Julian’s heart suddenly sank, an indescribable feeling washing over him.
But he was quickly pulled back to reality by Corey’s sweet, soft voice calling him “brother” over and over.
To make up for Corey falling into the water, the yacht party was extended for another week.
I couldn’t get off the yacht, so I just found a corner to curl up in.
Listening to the cheers and excitement on the deck, I gradually drifted off to sleep…
A week later, after much hesitation, Julian finally decided to bring Chloe home and have a proper heart-to-heart talk with her.
But he never expected that the very next second, he would receive a call from the cleaner, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
“Mr. Bennett, that little girl who was shining shoes died at some point… Her body is already rotting and reeking on the boat!”
