He Faked a Disease to Test Me for Three Years, I Used the Time to Earn My Escape Chapter 02
Today was my last day at work. Even though I was leaving, I still wanted to finish things properly.
After I handed everything over and quit all four of my jobs, I suddenly had no idea where to go.
Ever since I came into this world, I had never had a moment to rest.
At first, the people who had raised me treated me like property. Beatings and verbal abuse were part of everyday life.
Every day, I did everything I could just to stay alive, terrified that I would die before completing the mission.
Six months later, they were arrested.
The moment I finally got in touch with my biological parents, I was saddled with the guilt of three deaths and spent every waking second working to earn money.
As I wandered aimlessly downtown, I saw a familiar figure.
Adrian was standing in front of a jewelry counter, holding up his phone with the camera pointed at the display tray inside the case.
On the phone screen was a girl’s face. She looked about my age.
She was pointing at the jewelry through the camera.
“That one’s ugly. It looks so old-fashioned.”
“I don’t like that one either. Adrian, what kind of taste is that? Did living in that dump for three years ruin your sense of style too?”
Adrian did not look angry at all. He patiently asked the sales associate to bring out more pieces for her to choose from.
At last, the girl finally smiled.
“That ruby one isn’t bad. It’s a little small, though.”
“But let’s be clear. This only counts as my welcome-home gift.”
“You haven’t been with me for three years, so you still owe me a separate apology gift.”
Adrian agreed without hesitation. “Fine. Once you decide what you want, tell me. I’ll get you anything you want.”
As he spoke, he paid for the jewelry.
The sales associate boxed up the jewelry and handed the bag to Adrian. “Sir, here’s the ruby necklace you purchased, along with the complimentary bracelet. Everything is in the bag.”
Adrian took the bag.
Before he left the jewelry store, I had already turned and walked away.
I checked the balance in my mobile wallet. I had less than a hundred dollars left.
Since I could not take anything from this world with me anyway, I might as well be kind to myself with the time I had left.
I first went to a pharmacy, bought painkillers, and swallowed them. Once the pain in my chest eased a little, I went to the food court.
I ate everything I had always wanted but could never bring myself to buy.
I also bought new clothes and new shoes.
I had just changed when my phone buzzed. It was a message from Adrian.
There was only one line of text and a location pin.
The address on the pin was in one of the most expensive gated communities in the city.
Although I had already prepared myself, my feelings were still complicated when I truly stood face-to-face with the people who had supposedly come back from the dead.
“Ivy, you’re here.”
My mother acted as if she had genuinely been looking forward to seeing me. She pulled me over to sit down.
“It’s good that you’re home. You’ve suffered all these years.”
After looking me over, my father said with unreadable emotion, “Since you’re back, you’ll need to learn proper manners. Don’t embarrass the Whitmore family.”
Ava smiled sweetly. “Ivy, welcome home.”
None of the three of them explained why they had faked their deaths.
It was as if that had been some tiny matter not even worth mentioning.
Adrian came downstairs from the second floor in a casual suit and strolled toward me as if he did not have a care in the world.
I had thought Adrian would at least feel a little guilty.
Instead, the first thing he said was, “Ivy, these past three years were a test from every member of this family. Congratulations. You passed. From today on, you are officially a member of the Whitmore family.”
I stood frozen in place, not knowing how to react.
I could not understand how Adrian could brush off three years of deception so lightly without even changing expression.
Maybe I stayed silent for too long, because Adrian gave a soft laugh. “What’s wrong? Too happy to speak?”
I pressed my lips together. “No.”
Perhaps because he did not get the reaction he had expected, the smile on Adrian’s face faded for a brief moment.
Then he handed me a card.
“There’s a million dollars on this card. That’s more than ten times what you made in the past three years. Consider it compensation.”
The suffering I had endured over the past three years suddenly felt like a project.
Now that it had passed inspection, they were settling the invoice.
I looked at the card and did not take it.