The Million-Dollar Heart

Cassidy swallowed hard, a gesture she'd made countless times while recounting her tale to others.

But no matter if it was neighbors or strangers online, everyone seemed to urge her to let it go, to not dwell on it. Now, finally, someone was willing to believe her.

Her grip on the blanket tightened, her chapped lips barely moving without causing her pain.

But Cassidy didn't care. Her dull, numb eyes stared unblinkingly at Vivienne, tinged with an indescribable hysteria, "My depression isn't because of Julian-it's because of my mom." Her voice dropped as she began to unravel her story.

Cassidy's family was never wealthy, but they were comfortably middle-class. Initially, when it was just Cassidy, Zinnia appeared relatively normal. She wasn't exceptionally nurturing, but she fulfilled her maternal duties.

Everything changed when Cassidy was ten. Her father died in a car accident suddenly.

Around the same time, Zinnia discovered she was pregnant. The settlement from the accident was substantial, but not a cent went to Cassidy's grandparents. All the money was spent on the new baby and Zinnia's living expenses.

Without a job, Zinnia quickly burned through the settlement, struggling to provide for her newborn. Eventually, she sent Cassidy to live with her grandparents in the countryside to save money. Cassidy's voice trembled as she recounted, "Back then, my grandparents didn't even know my father had passed away. I stayed with them until my first year of high school. After they passed away, I managed to reconnect with my mom."

By then, Zinnia had remarried a wealthy old man with no children of his own, coming into a significant inheritance.

her in an elite private school that was beyond the reach of ordinary people! At first, Cassidy thought maybe Zinnia did care about her. But that illusion shattered within a day. Zinnia treated her

for her and her young half-brother to save money. Any mistake resulted in

multiple times only to be

and her son would gang up on

her voice flat as if

her arms, her tone matter-of-fact,

every time I argued, she'd guilt-trip me about providing

I realized it was all a lie!" Cassidy's voice spiked with anger, her untrimmed nails scratching the blanket. "She brought me back, paid for my schooling, just to sell me off to old men to fund her

dinner, the lecherous gaze of that man in

continued, "I'm not trying to slander Julian! He's been the kindest to me, aside from my grandparents.

married me off to that old man! I couldn't accept that future; I had to agree

response was blunt. "You've had

wasn't a question

demeanor remained unfazed, as if she'd heard

shared the same detached demeanor, leaving Cassidy stunned at their lack

showed some emotion,

herself at a loss for words, her voice hoarse, her expression bewildered, "You... don't

ambiguous plight, would curse Zinnia

these

silent, exuding an air of exhaustion as if a long

sure, but that doesn't justify your betrayal of Julian. Cassidy, I heard you were a good student;