Chapter 3
Bethany and Cedric left one after another.
But I couldn’t care less where they went. I took my business cards and, following my memories from my previous life, went looking for people who could help advance my career.
Everyone at the event was an industry leader who knew exactly who I was, and naturally, none of them thought much of me.
I felt neither shame nor anger, and I ignored the hateful glares from the Palmer family members who looked like they wanted to tear me apart.
After all, I was now part of the Palmer family too. My humble demeanor was what they found so shameful.
Without Herbert around, I was just a country girl with the title of his wife. These people certainly wouldn’t treat me kindly. Despite being rejected repeatedly, I patiently continued to introduce my ideas.
In my previous life, Bethany thought she could only establish herself in the Palmer family through Herbert, spending her days playing mind games with the other women. This only made everyone despise her and think she lacked proper upbringing.
But I knew that to secure my position in the Palmer family, I needed undeniable capability, not connections.
On the way home, Jessica deliberately brought up my attempts to network with the influential guests.
“Jeanette, I can see you have his ambiti
Chapter 1
She was quite clever in this regard.
Cedric never lacked women, especially those who threw themselves at him.
In my previous life, the main reason he took interest in me was because I was different.
My calm demeanor, innocence, passion for research, and indifference to power intrigued him and even sparked his desire to
conquer.
In this life, Bethany was attempting the same strategy.
Her playing–hard–to–get attitude successfully caught Cedric’s. attention. She knew men always obsess over what they can’t have.
I lay on my memory foam mattress, enjoying the comfort of its massage mode. My hair felt fresh, smooth, and glossy after a scalp
treatment.
Meanwhile, Bethany was probably lying on that hard little bed at home, plotting her next move to win Cedric over.
I smiled to myself, thinking, “She has no idea what ugly truths lie behind the marriage she so desperately wants.”
In my previous life, it took me a long time to realize that someone like Cedric, who had fought in the business world for years, wouldn’t marry me simply because I was “pure and kind.”
It wasn’t until after our marriage–when he confined me at home, forbade me from working, stole all my research achievements, and tried to force me to conduct research exclusively for him—that I understood his true intentions.
Chapter 3
lived together, we were more like friends.
As an illegitimate son, he was ostracized by the rest of the Palmer family, with no dignity or status–but he had money.
“My father gave my mother a black card before. After she passed away, the
card became mine.”
3/8
“I know you’ve endured a lot of hardship during my absence. I have no other way to make it up to you except through money. Do you mind?”
How could I mind? I was more than happy!
Herbert wasn’t skilled at running a company; his real talent was programming. But in the Palmer family’s eyes, this ability had no value.
So he had to leave early and return late every day looking for work, and even with a bank’s black card in his hand, he feared that one day this security would be taken away.
In my previous life, Bethany looked down on him, mocked him coldly, and joined his family in ostracizing him.
His concern touched me deeply.
“Okay,” I nodded with a smile, accepting the card. “Thank you. If you ever need my help, I’ll do everything I can.”
I invested the money in several small startups.
No one paid attention to these companies founded by young people. They were like specks of dust in the storms raised by these large corporations, too
Chapter 3
insignificant to notice. Everyone thought these fragile seedlings would soon wither and die.
This amount of money was trivial to the Palmer family, and they didn’t pay much attention. But for us, it was a matter of life and death..
Because I planned to recreate the technology that had shocked the industry in my previous life.
4/8
I rented a laboratory. Although I lacked baseline data, I had performed those experiments countless times before–they were etched into my bones. Back then, I practically lived in libraries and labs, surviving on cheap instant coffee. I could reproduce the entire experimental process with my eyes
closed.
This was why Bethany could never replicate my success from my previous
life.
I heard that Cedric invited Bethany Yates to dinner, but she declined, saying she had evening study sessions.
The next day, rumors spread throughout the school that the heir to a top–tier wealthy family was pursuing Bethany.
Bethany quickly denied it, but the more desperately she tried to distance. herself, the more others believed it was true.
She was quite clever in this regard.
Cedric never lacked women, especially those who threw themselves at him.
Chapter 3
5/8
In my previous life, the main reason he took interest in me was because I was
different.
My calm demeanor, innocence, passion for research, and indifference to power intrigued him and even sparked his desire to conquer.
In this life, Bethany was attempting the same strategy.
Her playing–hard–to–get attitude successfully caught Cedric’s attention. She knew men always obsess over what they can’t have.
I lay on my memory foam mattress, enjoying the comfort of its massage mode. My hair felt fresh, smooth, and glossy after a scalp treatment.
Meanwhile, Bethany was probably lying on that hard little bed at home, plotting her next move to win Cedric over.
I smiled to myself, thinking, “She has no idea what ugly truths lie behind the marriage she so desperately wants.”
In my previous life, it took me a long time to realize that someone like Cedric, who had fought in the business world for years, wouldn’t marry me simply because I was “pure and kind.”
It wasn’t until after our marriage–when he confined me at home, forbade me from working, stole all my research achievements, and tried to force me to conduct research exclusively for him–that I understood his true intentions.
When I refused, he finally showed his true colors. He kept me under house. arrest, confiscated all my communication devices, and stripped away my freedom. Every day, I could only stare at four white walls and gaze longingly at the sunlight through that small window.
Chapter 3
6/8
Later, when I developed mental health issues, he didn’t spare me. Instead, he held press conferences to gain sympathy, exploiting my suffering to squeeze
out whatever value I had left.
Perhaps he had genuine feelings at some point, and that faint affection was
real.
But his emotions were too light, too shallow–so fragile they couldn’t withstand any clash with his interests.
I’m curious how he’ll treat Bethany once he sees through everything, and whether Bethany can endure his torment.
Because of my “restlessness,” the Palmer family’s hostility toward me became increasingly obvious.
Before, they would restrain themselves out of respect for Vivian when they tried to make things difficult for me.
But now, they probably knew that even Cedric disliked me, so they became completely uninhibited.
They cut up my clothes, deliberately humiliated me at parties, spat in my food, and even set my hair on fire in public, standing around watching me frantically put it out while laughing uncontrollably.
They believed they had every right to punish this “gold digger,” to teach a lesson to this lowly woman who dared to taint their noble bloodline.
But I didn’t show the panic they expected. I watched them like children playing cruel pranks, without a trace of fear in my eyes.
Chapter 3
I cut off all my long hair in front of everyone. When my hair fell to the ground, I saw Cedric standing at the doorway with a complex expression.
His gaze was dark and unreadable, churning with emotions I couldn’t decipher, as if wondering how long I would endure for the Palmer family’s
money.
*****
7/8
Actually, I wasn’t just putting on a brave face.
After being slandered in my previous life, the bullying I endured was far worse than what I’m experiencing now.
To change my fate, I had to work part–time jobs while studying hard.
But in this life, I have the Palmer family’s resources. I don’t have to worry about my parents stealing my tuition money for “investments,” or about the school kicking me out of research groups because of rumors.
This is already an enormous help to me, so those insignificant pranks don’t
matter.
Besides, their arrogance won’t last much longer.
As for Bethany, I heard she often skipped classes to attend dinners and dates. with Cedric.
With her frequent absences, she failed miserably in her final exams, flunking most of her courses.
Research was out of the question–she hadn’t touched a lab coat all semester,
Chapter 3
and the lab manager had barely seen her.
Her professor warned her not to neglect her studies just because she had secured an internship.
But she dismissed it, claiming she was a genius who should achieve the highest results with minimal effort.
When told her poor grades might affect her graduation eligibility, she remained unconcerned, saying that in today’s society, connections and resources matter more than grades and degrees.
Eventually, her professors gave up on her.
8/8
Even my parents believed that rather than studying, securing the heart of the future leader of the Palmer Group was the most important thing.
Moreover, my precarious position in the Palmer family had already thoroughly disappointed them.
Once they realized they couldn’t get much benefit from me, they promptly cut ties and fully supported Bethany instead, hoping she would become the mistress of the Palmer Group.
These rumors reached me later, as I was currently busy with the final stages of my experiment.
