Her Rebirth of Retribution

"She ruthlessly exposed my lies and berated me harshly in front of my classmates! I felt guilty, resentful, and furious! I hated her! But I didn't dare to talk back to her because I was young at that time, and the consequence of fighting back was her targeting me. With no one to help me, my situation would only get worse. Seeing that we were about to be late, my stepmother didn't cease her harsh scolding. My classmate, in a very soft voice, said, 'Ma'am, we're sorry. We won't lie again. We're about to be late. Could you let us go to school now?' To our surprise, my stepmother turned to glare at her. From her attire, my stepmother could tell she wasn't from a wealthy family. She began with her signature mocking and sarcastic remarks. 'Indeed, birds of a feather flock together. You're defending her lies; you're no better. I'm going to tell your teacher to have you reflect on your actions in front of the entire school!' Her words terrified my classmate..."

Calista couldn't help but laugh, covering her mouth. She noticed Wilbur looking at her with such an expressive gaze. It was undeniable that even his sympathy seemed more acceptable than most people's. It was as if he understood her and genuinely empathized with her, and he felt sorry for her.

"The classmate kept apologizing, even breaking into tears. She had worked so hard to get into that school. She was terrified the teacher might not like her. I could tell she must have regretted interacting with me, and even more so, coming to my house... Because my stepmother had something to hold over us, she belittled both me and her to the point where we felt worthless. All we could do was cry. We were unable to utter a single word in our defense. This continued until school had already started. My stepmother, still not satisfied, finally stopped. She pulled out nine hundred from her elegant purse and harshly threw it at my face! At that moment, I found myself longing to grab the knife lying not too far away and thrust it into her throat."

Calista continued, "After she threw the money in my face, she watched me suppress my anger until my body trembled. She sneered, 'Isn't this what you wanted? Here's an extra fifty. Go treat yourself to cr*p! Honestly... even tossing money into the water would at least make a splash, but giving you a single cent feels like a waste!' Then, she picked up her purse and left for her beauty treatment. After my stepmother left, my classmate broke down, crying loudly in despair. In anger, she yelled at me, 'I hate you!' before running off. The housekeepers stood by, watching the spectacle unfold. As for me, I picked up that nine hundred in the end. Back then, I couldn't comprehend. Although my family was far from poor, why did I feel like a beggar? This was my home, yet why did I feel oppressed, as if I was living under someone else's roof? Others seemed to live like princesses, while I had to endure for the sake of harmony and growth... In short, the cost of that one lie was too high, so I never lied again."

The room fell into silence for a moment before Wilbur suddenly asked, "Did you end up renting that dress?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"Because that money humiliated me. I didn't even attend the gala. I exchanged those nine hundred into a lot of coins and spent my time skipping them across the lake..."

Slightly taken aback, Wilbur looked at her. Calista smiled, her eyes seemingly twinkling with stars. "Surprised, aren't you? What you don't know is that I honed my stone-skipping skills during that time. The ripples spreading across the lake under the moonlight were simply stunning..."

What Wilbur thought of, however, was what Yelena had said. She'd rather throw her money into the water and hear it splash than give it to her. And Calista had actually given up on the dress that she had been longing for, abandoned her desire to showcase her beauty, and used the money to create a splash in the water instead. That night by the lake, was she laughing or crying?

The sting in his heart became even more pronounced. He looked into her eyes and asked, "And what about now? Do you still want that dress?"

Calista stood up, the fleeting warmth she had just displayed seemingly an illusion. From the moment she rose, she returned to the initial impression she had given when she first entered.

She flashed a smirk, yet it seemed as if there was a deeper meaning hidden within.

"You know, what I once yearned for, I no longer desire now."

When Calista emerged from the room, Wanda was the first to approach her. "How are you feeling, Callie?"

Calista's smile seemed to have grown a bit brighter than before. "Mr. Sutton is indeed a wonderful person."

"That's good..." Wanda said with a smile. "Mr. Sutton mentioned that today was just a casual chat. He believes that successful treatment requires a good rapport between two people. It seems that you feel a connection to him."

"I hope he feels the same way."

Calista shrugged. "It's getting late. I need to head to the laboratory.

That's my main priority. Anyway,et

thank you, Aunt Wanda. You're the kindest person to me in this world. I'm so grateful that my mother has a friend like you."

"What are you talking about..." Wanda was so moved by her words that her eyes turned red. "I don't have a daughter. I've always

cherished you as if you were onenet

Go ahead and get to work. Don't worry about me. I'm going to ask Mr.

Sutton something. Don't work too late, and remember to rest, all right?" Content rights belong to NôvelDrama.Org.