Chapter 1

After my family went bankrupt, Mom’s best friend took me in.

That’s how I ended up being chased by the Sheffield brothers since I was a kid.

Everyone envied the way they doted on me.

But when I wanted to settle down and have kids, they both turned me down.

“I’m focused on my career,” said the older one. “Marriage isn’t on my radar.”

The younger one was even worse. “I’m still young. I want to have some fun. Besides, casual flings don’t mean anything.”

The next day, at my birthday party, they both proposed to the nanny’s daughter.

To make her happy, they forced me, someone with a sensitive stomach, to drink a shot of strong liquor.

As I was rushed to the hospital with a bleeding ulcer, they covered her eyes and laughed, accusing me of faking it.

That was it. I was done. The day I was discharged, I called my mom.

“I’ll marry Luke Lancaster.”

I stepped out of the hospital, the autumn wind biting at my skin.

My phone buzzed. It was Blake Sheffield, the older brother.

His tone was harsh, accusatory.

“Naomi, where the hell have you run off to? Do you think running away will solve anything? Get back here and apologize to Mandy Ziegler.”

Then came Chase Sheffield’s voice, the younger brother.

“It’s because of your little stunt with pretending to be sick and hurting Mandy. She hasn’t been eating well these past few days!”

I looked at my reflection in the glass.

Pale and thin, like a gust of wind could blow me away.

I’ve always had a weak stomach.

The Sheffield brothers used to be so concerned about me.

I remembered one night when I was really sick, Blake carried me up twenty flights of stairs.

Chase scoured the city for the sweet potato cakes I loved, just to cheer me up.

From then on, they controlled everything I ate, micromanaging every detail.

But ever since Mandy Ziegler showed up, they threw all that away.

I hung up without a word and dialed my mom.

“Mom, I’ve made up my mind. I’ll marry Luke Lancaster.”

Mom was quiet for a moment. “Naomi, this is a big decision. Are you sure?”

When Dad passed away and the family went bankrupt, Mom sent me to the coast, carrying the family on her shoulders alone.

She spent twenty years building a connection with the Lancaster family, trying to get our family back on its feet.

But my happiness was more important to her than anything, even family prosperity.

Even though Grandma Lancaster immediately wanted me as her “granddaughter-in-law,” she still gave me the choice.

I used to think that true love was hard to come by.

I wanted to choose between the Sheffield brothers.

Now I knew I was just something to relieve the boredom of the two brothers.

It was time for me to leave.

I opened my phone to book a ticket.

Then I saw Mandy Ziegler’s new post.

“True love speaks for itself. Only useless old women try to claw their way to the top.”

She made sure to show off the two different diamond rings on her finger.

And she was lying in my bedroom.

She wore the designer outfit and crystal shoes that the Sheffield brothers had custom-made for my birthday six months ago.

I silently blocked Mandy Ziegler.

“Mom, I’m serious. I want to have kids.”

The doctor told me that my body had suffered severe damage from the incident.

If I didn’t get pregnant soon, I might never have children.

I couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

“Okay, I respect your decision.”

“Grandma Lancaster has already consulted the stars. Next Sunday is an auspicious day to get the marriage license. As long as you come back, I’ll arrange everything.”

Mom probably already understood.

She added one last thing before hanging up.

“Remember to say goodbye to Mrs. Sheffield.”

I looked up at the gray sky.

The doctor said I’d need about a week to recover after the surgery.

I’d use that week to say goodbye to everything.

I took a cab back to the mansion.

As soon as I walked in, I was drenched with cold water.

“Naomi, I’m so sorry! I was watering the flowers. I didn’t see you!”

Mandy Ziegler held the hose, only lowering it after I was completely soaked.

I struggled to open my eyes.

The lilies of the valley that I had carefully tended for years were gone.

In their place were rows and rows of bright, showy roses.

The cold wind made my body, which had just undergone surgery, feel terrible.

I felt dizzy and almost passed out.

But Blake and Chase Sheffield exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of disdain.

As if mocking me for faking it again.

“Naomi, I didn’t think you were that tough; you’d never come back.”

Chase said mockingly, “Her mother doesn’t even want her. Where else would she go?”

My heart ached.

I suddenly remembered the day I first came to the Sheffield’s house.

Chase took my hand, trying everything to make me happy.

He even told me, “Naomi, don’t be afraid. This is your home now.”

Blake took the initiative to clean up the biggest and best room in the old house for me to stay in.

Later, we moved to this mansion because of work.

Blake remembered my preferences and carefully decorated the master bedroom.

He announced to everyone that, now and in the future, I was the irreplaceable mistress of this mansion.

Until the day Mandy Ziegler came to the mansion under the pretext of helping Mrs. Ziegler.

Every day, she clung to the two brothers and pretended to accidentally break my things.

At first, I understood her hardship and didn’t care too much.

But she took it a step further, smashing the memento left by my father in front of me.

I couldn’t bear it any longer and questioned her, but Blake pushed me away.

He frowned and said, “Mandy’s life is hard enough. You’re a privileged rich girl. Why do you have to make things difficult for a girl who hasn’t seen the world?”

Chase also said, “Mandy is younger than me. You’re old enough to let her get away with it.”

I held the broken jade pendant, feeling lost and helpless for the first time.

After that, everything changed.

I was no longer the most important person in the two brothers’ hearts.

The nanny’s daughter gradually replaced me.

Becoming the new mistress of this mansion, forcing me to leave as soon as possible.

In that case, there was nothing for me to miss.

I just wanted to pack my things and leave.

I walked into the house and saw that my things were piled up in the hallway.

Blake put his arm around Mandy, looking down at me.

“Naomi, know your place. You’re just a parasite who lives in the Sheffield family. You have no right to look down on Mandy, let alone throw a princess tantrum at her!”

“From now on, you’ll move to the maid’s room. Mandy will be in charge of the company’s affairs. I’ll transfer you to do odd jobs in the back office until you understand how to be a good person.”

Chase tore up the teddy bear that my mother left me to cheer up Mandy.

“Naomi, if you act up again and make Mandy unhappy next time, I won’t let you get away with it easily.”

Naomi, Naomi.

One word difference, but a world of difference.

If I had heard these words before, I would have been sad and unable to sleep.

But now I was leaving, and I didn’t have time to argue with them.

I simply said, “You’re right.”

“I’ll move out as soon as possible.”

“I don’t need Mr. Sheffield to bother transferring me to another department. I’m resigning.”

Blake sneered.

“You’re really determined to stay in the Sheffield family and be a lazy bum.”

“Forget it. For my mother’s sake, I won’t argue with you this time.”

“Remember to know your place in the future.”

I walked straight past Blake, saying softly, “There won’t be a future.”

This place had left me with many good memories.

But this was not my home after all.

I thought it would take me a long time to pack my luggage.

Looking at it carefully, there wasn’t much left.

Almost all of my clothes were chosen for me by Blake.

At the time, he said, “Our Naomi is the most beautiful princess, of course she has to dress beautifully every day.”

Now, those clothes were soaked in sewage, exuding an unknown stench.

And I had changed from the princess in his heart to a parasite with a princess’s temper.

When I moved the clothes away, I saw photos scattered all over the floor.

Chase used to love taking pictures of me, saying he wanted to record all my looks.

Every time we took a group photo, the two brothers would fight to get closer to me.

Now, my face was crossed out with a red pen in the three-person photos.

I couldn’t bear to continue.

I simply threw everything into the trash.

Blake and Mandy came downstairs just in time to see this scene.

A look of shock flashed in his eyes.

After all, I used to treat all of this as treasure.

But soon, he sneered.

“You’re willing to waste the Sheffield family’s money.”

Blake used to be able to spend a lot of money to make me happy.

Now that he had Mandy, everything I did was wrong.

I had lost the right to be willful, and I had no desire to argue.

I only said seriously, “I’ll pay it back.”

“The Sheffield family doesn’t care about this little bit of money, but remember, you must never make things difficult for Mandy again!”

Mandy tugged at Blake’s sleeve and acted like a spoiled child.

“Blake, don’t waste time with unnecessary people.”

“I still want to go to the secret spot to see the stars. Let’s go.”

I stopped and paused.

The secret base in Mandy’s mouth was built by Blake when I first came to the Sheffield family.

At that time, Mrs. Sheffield was busy with work.

She entrusted the responsibility of taking care of me to Blake, who was six years older than me.

Blake gave me almost everything in the world.

He said I was his muse.

So he personally designed a piece of eternal starry sky for me.

That day, he looked at me affectionately under the starry sky.

“Naomi, remember, this is your starry sky, and it’s also your love.”

We spent twenty years perfecting this starry sky little by little.

Creating a dreamlike secret base.

Since then, the scales in my heart had tilted towards Blake.

But every time I was about to make a choice, Chase would jump out and make a big fuss, and it would end without result.

As for now…

They had a new red rose and had long forgotten me, the dim moon.

But it didn’t matter.

I took a deep breath and left.

Anyway, I didn’t want either of them.

Mandy suddenly grabbed my wrist.

Her long nails left a scratch on my arm.

“Why doesn’t Naomi want to hear me finish, is she disgusted with me?”

I was in pain and shook Mandy’s hand away.

But she leaned backward.

“Blake, help me!”

Blake was shocked and hugged Mandy in his arms.

Before I could react, he slapped me in the face.

Chase, who heard the news, also roared at me.

“Naomi, why are you always making things difficult for Mandy?”

“Don’t forget, if the Sheffield family hadn’t taken you in, you would be a homeless orphan! You’re not grateful, but you’re taking revenge!”

A buzzing sound came from my ear.

This was the first time I had been beaten in my life.

My whole world seemed to shatter at that moment.

Blake stared at me blankly, seeming to realize that something was wrong.

“Are you okay? I…”

“It’s okay. I don’t blame you.”

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

I didn’t blame him.

I’d just treat this slap as repayment for saving my life.

From then on, the grudges were cleared and we wouldn’t owe each other anything.

Chase stopped me relentlessly.

“Don’t go yet. Apologize to Mandy!”

His fierce eyes were completely different from the way he had followed me and called me sister.

I knew his methods.

Before, a boy at school harassed me.

Chase secretly made a move, and Blake helped him clean up the aftermath.

The two brothers cooperated seamlessly, and they fled the city with their family.

I never thought that one day, they would use these ruthless methods on me.

I glanced at the triumphant Mandy and suppressed the thoughts in my mind.

“I’ll never apologize. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

I had nothing to be afraid of.

I was going to leave even if they didn’t do anything.

Chase was still angry.

Blake stopped him, feeling guilty, and lowered his stance slightly.

“Forget it, I was impulsive just now. Don’t take it to heart. I’ll bring you your favorite chestnut cake when I get back.”

“But you have to promise me one thing. Don’t make things difficult for Mandy in the future.”

Slap me in the face, give me a chestnut cake.

But he forgot.

I had a sensitive stomach and couldn’t eat chestnut cake.

Back then, Blake changed countless chefs to satisfy my diet.

In the end, he had to stay up late to check information and personally make a medicinal diet recipe for me.

Chase bothered me every day to supervise me and stick to the recipe.

But now, they had all forgotten.

A gust of wind blew, and the coldness surged from the bottom of my heart and swept through my whole body.

I shivered and remembered that I hadn’t had time to change my wet clothes. I was probably going to have a fever.

Just as I was feeling uncomfortable, Chase bumped into me straight away.

“Stop faking.”

I couldn’t stand anymore and fell straight into the mud.

Blake turned around, a hint of tangle flashed in his eyes.

But in the end, he and Chase guarded Mandy and left.

After struggling for a long time, I managed to climb out and call myself an ambulance.

The doctor was furious when he saw my miserable state.

“You just got discharged and you’ve already made yourself like this?”

“Don’t you know what’s going on with your body? You’re trying to kill yourself!”

I didn’t dare to say more and obediently stayed in the hospital for a few days to observe.

I was only released by the doctor after my fever was completely gone.

I had wasted so much time, so I could only speed up the next schedule.

I went back to the company to complete the resignation procedures and wanted to say goodbye to my former colleagues.

But I learned that they had all been fired by Mandy.

The rest of the people avoided me like the plague.

I was left out in the cold at the company door for a long time before being told that Blake had gone on a business trip with Mandy.

They went to the sea that I liked the most when I was a child.

They went to a place that I wanted to go to but never had the chance to go to.

I smiled bitterly and threw away my resignation report.

I was originally struggling with how to explain it, but I didn’t expect that no one cared about my existence at all.

Now, I just needed to say goodbye to Mrs. Sheffield.

I could leave without any worries.

Mrs. Sheffield knew I was coming and deliberately canceled a multinational meeting.

When she saw me, her eyes turned red first.

“Why are you so skinny…”

“I heard about your marriage with the Lancaster family, good child. I really can’t bear to see you go.”

I handed Mrs. Sheffield the bank card that my mother gave me.

“I’ll come to see you. Thank you for taking care of me all these years.”

Mrs. Sheffield’s tears fell.

“You’re getting estranged from me.”

“It’s my fault. I’m too busy with work and didn’t take good care of you.”

“I even wished that you could be my daughter-in-law. Forget it…they don’t deserve you.”

“I’ll just treat this money as a dowry for you. I really don’t have time to attend your wedding, but I really hope you can be happy.”

I held back my tears and hugged Mrs. Sheffield.

Mrs. Sheffield had treated me like her own daughter all these years in the Sheffield family.

But who could be the master of love?

Mrs. Sheffield held my hand and repeatedly urged me, reluctantly.

Halfway through her words, Blake and the others came back.

When they saw me, the two brothers’ faces darkened.

“What marriage? Naomi, what nonsense are you talking to my mother?”

“Blake! How do you talk to your sister?”

Chase immediately approached Mrs. Sheffield.

“Mom, you can’t listen to Naomi and add fuel to the fire. My brother and I proposed to Mandy just to fulfill her wish.”

Mandy hid behind Blake, her face full of shyness.

Blake explained slowly.

“Although Mandy comes from a poor background, she is an independent and self-improving good girl. She won’t rashly agree to a proposal because she is greedy for the wealth of the Sheffield family.”

“Naomi has been spoiled by me. She knows how to bully others and be jealous all day long.”

Mrs. Sheffield, who was originally confused, was so angry that she smashed the cup.

“No wonder Naomi insisted on leaving…you two animals, get out of here with this woman!”

After the three of them left, I comforted Mrs. Sheffield for a long time before calming her anger.

She was too embarrassed to continue to persuade me to stay.

She only wished me a smooth journey with tears in her eyes.

I left with this only kindness.

My mind was full of thoughts.

When I was going down the steps, I was suddenly tripped over and fell straight down.

I endured the pain and raised my head. I found that the person who tripped me was Chase.

“Naomi, why won’t you let me go? You even ran to Madam and framed me. Do you want to kill me?”

Blake’s face was terribly gloomy.

Chase dragged me to Mandy.

“Naomi, apologize!”

I didn’t expect that they still wouldn’t let me go even though I was about to leave.

I couldn’t bear it any longer and roared.

“I’m not wrong!”

As soon as I finished speaking, Chase stepped on my injured ankle.

A sharp pain swept over me, and I even felt like my bones were about to break.

“Naomi, remember this. This is the price of hurting Mandy. I won’t spoil you like my brother!”

I curled up on the ground.

The pain made my consciousness fade.

But there was only one thought left in my mind.

“I don’t owe anything anymore.”

Twenty years of wind and rain, twenty years of childhood love.

I didn’t owe anything anymore.