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Despite Olivia’s absence from school, she continued to pester me via text messages.
[Do you really think these petty schemes can affect me? Don’t be foolish. Even if I leave school, I can easily study overseas. You’re powerless against me.]
[You can’t even fathom the joys of wealth. Let me enlighten you – even if you toil your entire life, you’ll never experience my lifestyle.]
[And about Alexander – do you honestly believe he’s interested in you? We’ve been betrothed for years. He was merely toying with you. You’re nothing but a fling.]
However, I had an ace up my sleeve – a leaked conversation.
It was a chat between Olivia and her confidante.
Olivia’s family ran a well–known food company, but in the messages, she warned her friend against consuming their snacks due to excessive preservatives.
Naturally, I had covertly captured these exchanges from her device.
If not for gathering evidence, why would I have tailed her so closely?
The situation escalated rapidly, and Olivia’s family business became notorious.
Despite the company’s hasty release of food safety certificates, it was futile. If the owners‘ own kin refused to eat it, how could they expect customers to trust them?
As the news spread, various journalists and specialists analyzed samples and concluded that the additives indeed exceeded safe limits, potentially causing cancer with prolonged consumption.
Internet users were outraged: “Damn, I used to devour their chips. Am I at risk of cancer now?”
“How can such a harmful business still operate? Their heiress is even bullying schoolmates. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.”
A spontaneous boycott of all their products ensued.
Stores of all sizes began removing their items from shelves.
Olivia was on the verge of a breakdown. Her family blamed her for the company’s downfall, and Alexander completely shunned her.
Left with no alternatives, she decided to take her frustrations out on me.
“Lily Parker, how dare you destroy my life!”
As I was returning from my part–time job, Olivia and her cronies ambushed me in a secluded
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Her face contorted with fury as she approached, wielding a baseball bat.
“Lily Parker, you treacherous witch! I considered you a friend, and this is how you repay me!” “Friend? When did you ever treat me as one?”
“When you first arrived at the dorm, you looked down on everyone. I was the only one who spoke to you. You got close to me but just used me as a pawn, didn’t you?”
I retreated until my back hit the wall.
“You were engaged to Alexander, yet still tried to set me up with him.”
“You treated me like a plaything, but ended up being outplayed by your toy.”
“Silence!”
Olivia shrieked: “Listen here, I’m leaving for abroad anyway. I’m going to teach you a lesson today! Get her!”
As the bat descended, I suddenly lunged forward, tackling Olivia to the ground.
She screamed, striking me with the bat, while I sank my teeth into her ear.
The thugs‘ bats pummeled my back, but I refused to release my grip.
I lacked the strength to fight them all. I could only focus on one target.
My vision blurred, and my entire body felt like it was shattering.
Only when police sirens pierced the air did I finally lose consciousness, feeling a sense of relief.
When I regained consciousness, the first person I saw was Ethan.
He had dozed off in the chair beside my bed, his head drooping.
Noticing I was awake, he immediately perked up, clasping my hand: “Are you thirsty? I’ll fetch some water! Don’t worry, Olivia and her accomplices have all been apprehended.”
“Try not to move too much. The doctor said your injuries aren’t severe, but your arm is fractured. You need to rest properly for a while.”
I felt a twinge of disappointment. A mere broken arm meant Olivia and her gang would only face a few months in jail.
However, news of my assault spread rapidly. Online, people were claiming the Parker company had violently attacked a whistleblower out of guilt.
Their products‘ reputation was irreparably damaged.
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I was reluctant to stay in the hospital for recovery, given the expensive medical bills.
But then, the person I least wanted to encounter showed up once again.