Thomas, raised in privilege with endless pocket money, learned of my situation and nodded, agreeing to lend me the money.
But the day before my sister was scheduled for surgery, Thomas suddenly backed out.
I still remember his exact words. "Sorry, I bought a gift for a friend’s birthday, so I don’t have the money to lend you right now."
Later, I ended up selling my blood to raise part of the money for my sister's treatment. It was while I was working as a waitress at a restaurant that I ran into Thomas.
He was proudly wearing an expensive diamond watch, all smiles as he wished Jessica a happy birthday.
To Thomas, I had always been nothing more than a tool to get back at his family. My sister’s life wasn’t even worth considering.
My father-in-law and he had grown distant and whenever they tried to talk, it would end in a fight after just a few words.
Years ago, he entered my room in the middle of the night, sweet-talking me into sleeping with him and afterward, he begged me to marry him—all part of his plan to sabotage my father-in-law’s intention to adopt me as his daughter.
In the end, he succeeded.
But I was the one who became trapped, desperately struggling in his hollow, elusive love.
At least now, it was still not too late to let go.
I was about to leave for interviews with several company HR departments, looking for a new job.
Amelia arrived just in time to stop me. She said, "Why work for someone else when you could be the boss of your own company?"
I thought it over carefully. After more than a decade of being controlled, I had long forgotten what true freedom even felt like.
I immediately agreed, "I’ll do it."
I still had some savings from the years I’d worked and I quickly sold two pieces of land by the West Lake in the city, which were home to golf courses I had built.
In no time, I had enough capital to start.
Those golf courses were something I had built specifically to win Thomas’s favor. He liked playing golf.
During the entire construction period, I lived in a makeshift metal shed, overseeing the progress of the project.
When I excitedly invited Thomas to play, he casually brushed me off, saying, "If I have time, I’ll go."
But he never once went.
Later, I found out that his interest in golf was only genuine when it meant he could spend time with Jessica in the locker room, warming up together.