Her Rebirth of Retribution

Wilbur chuckled. "It sounds like you don't really need her. If I were your friend, I would be heartbroken."

He was the kind of man whose smile was so warm it could melt hearts. Whenever he smiled, he had a way of captivating everyone's attention. Yet, he noticed something peculiar. When Calista looked at him, she seemed as indifferent as if she was looking at a piece of "I guess I don't really need her."

furniture.

Calista wasn't lying. It might have sounded harsh, but that was the truth. She could get along with people and have fun with them, but once they exited her life, she wouldn't feel the slightest bit of sorrow.

"The next question, I heard you once had a stepmother. Did she treat you poorly?" Wilbur looked at her with a hint of apology. "Because you really don't seem like a child who comes from a stable family."

"She did." Having said all that, Calista relaxed slightly. She suddenly broke into a smile. "But it doesn't matter. She can't hurt me anymore."

"Does that mean she has done something to hurt you before?" Wilbur asked hastily. He didn't come across as a psychologist, but rather a casual friend who seemed very interested in her world. "Can you tell me the worst thing she's ever done to you?"

There were too many that Calista could think of. But what was strange was that the first thing that came to mind was a trivial matter.

"I don't know what's the worst thing she's ever done to me." Calista leaned back slightly, pausing for a moment before continuing in a rather indifferent tone.

"I recall my younger days, around the age of thirteen or fourteen, when I started to become aware of my own attractiveness. I actually quite desired to be beautiful. My clothes were always clean, and my hair was always neatly combed. But that was all I could manage. In my stepmother's control, I never had the chance to truly express myself."

Suddenly, she looked straight into Wilbur's eyes. Her eyes sparkled like stars. Her delicate features and mysterious smile caused Wilbur's expression to stiffen slightly. It was as if, unintentionally, his heart had skipped a few beats. "Do you know why?"

To hide his lapse, Wilbur answered hastily, "Because of your sister?"

"Exactly." Calista smiled. "Unlike me, she had a new outfit, new shoes, and beautiful accessories almost every day. As for me, I could only wear the unfashionable and oversized clothes that my stepmother bought for me. Sometimes, my dad would buy matching dresses for my sister and me. However, the ones that

belonged to me would ter and

deliberately damaged. My

stepmother would tell my dad that I was the one who had ruined them, claiming that I had no liking for such flamboyant attire. I didn't even dare to defend myself. After all, when my dad was home, he was in the minority. He was particularly influenced by my stepmother during those times, depending on her for his livelihood. I had to act according to her whims. She wouldn't

appreciate me outshining her own

child."

Calista had assumed she had long since forgotten such a distant memory. But now, as she spoke, she found herself recalling even the smallest details with crystal clear clarity.Exclusive © content by N(ô)ve/l/Drama.Org.

"Once, there was a school gala. Not only did it require a certain amount of activity fee, but it also called for a beautiful dress. Wearing my school uniform or my outdated clothes on that day would have definitely drawn ridicule, especially when all the girls around me were dressed like little princesses. I, too, wished for a chance to feel beautiful for once. Once that kind of impulse erupted, it was difficult to control. However, I didn't have money to buy dresses. Everything my grandparents had given me, including money, could only be accessed after I turned sixteen. Meanwhile, my dad had

entrusted everything at home to my stepmother. He trusted her

immensely, but she never gave me any money."

Upon saying this, Calista suddenly broke into a smile. "So, I decided to lie!"

Continuing her line of thought, Wilbur asked, "Lie? You lied about the amount of the activity fee?"

"Mm-hmm." Calista nodded. "I remember the activity fee was eight hundred and fifty. The dress I had my eye on wasn't branded or anything, but it was really pretty. I was only renting it, so it was just thirty-five a day. I could use three hundred from the activity fee as a deposit. I was sure the teacher would be understanding if I returned it a few days later, considering I was usually quite well-behaved."

A subtle hint of a smile played at the corners of her mouth, and her voice, excessively calm, stirred in Wilbur an irresistible desire to listen attentively.

"That morning, as I was about to ask

for money, a classmate came to

fetch me for school. The elite school

had many special admissions

students, and she, a child from an ordinary family, was admitted due to her exceptional grades. Her presence bolstered my courage significantly. I plucked up the nerve to ask my stepmother for the eight hundred and eighty-five activity fee. Although my sister and I attended the same school, our fees were always different. I thought I could get away with it and rent that dress. But that day, when my stepmother heard I needed money, her expression soured. Even though the fee for the next grade was typically only fifty more, my sister's was eight hundred, so mine should be eight hundred and fifty. Yet, in front of my classmate, she kept pressing me. 'Is it really eight hundred and eighty-five? Are you lying?' My classmate saw my embarrassment and instinctively defended me, also claiming it was eight hundred and eighty-five."

At this point, Calista laughed again. It was a laugh tinged with bitterness and mockery. Wilbur had met many people and heard many stories, but inexplicably, it was only her that made his heart ache.

"Then, my stepmother actually called the school. Can you believe it? She wouldn't bat an eyelash spending three thousand on a facial or a hundred thousand on a game of cards. Yet, to ensure I didn't have any opportunity to take advantage, she went as far as making a

call to the school over thirty-five, and she got an answer from the teacher."