Chapter 1

"If you think you can do it, put yourself out there and make more money. I'm the homemaker. If it weren't for me, can you even single-handedly support this big family?"

Adeline Simpson, who had just returned home, overheard a shrill voice coming from her house. Her brows furrowed, and she stopped at the doorway. She could feel the tension in her house even before stepping in. 

Hearing that the sound of footsteps stopped abruptly, a toadying middle-aged man's voice rose, "Helen, Adeline will be back soon. Lower your voice!"

"So? You have the guts to do it but not the backbone to admit it? Ronald, if it weren't for your misjudgment, the company wouldn't have lost three million dollars. You should think about how you are going to make up for this loss!"

"Helen..."

"Dad!" Adeline called out. She waited until the voices in the house stopped before she walked in. She saw her father, Ronald Simpson, sitting on the couch with a frown on his face.

"Adeline, you're home!" Ronald raised his head to look at her. He smiled bitterly and asked, "Did you hear everything Helen said earlier?"

"Well, is the company in a pickle now? Judging from Aunt Helen's tone, it doesn't sound good!"

Adeline said as her eyebrows knitted in worry.

Although the family wasn't doing badly, the company's operations for the past few years had been getting worse. Ronald was often rebuked by Helen Quartley, Adeline's stepmother, because of it.

Ronald was the breadwinner in the family. After being scolded so many times, he must have felt uneasy. However, he dared not speak up with Adeline there.

Smiling, Ronald changed the topic and asked, "Have you had your dinner, Adeline? Why don't I ask Rosa to warm some food up for you? Since you're usually at school and don't come back that often, this time you can stay longer, right?"

"Dad, don't you remember? It's Independence Day tomorrow. We will have a three-day-long holiday," Adeline nudged.

"Is that so? My memory has been failing me these days. I've completely forgotten!" Ronald stood up and looked at Adeline, who was almost as tall as him. The smile on his face widened.

"Dad, if there's anything wrong with the company, you must let me know. I'll find a way to help you!"

Helen, who had returned to the living room, overheard Adeline's words and immediately said, "Find a way? What do you think you can do?"

Turning her head in Helen's direction, Adeline curled the corners of her lips a little. She softly replied, "Aunt Helen, I'm only trying to help Dad."

"Help dad? Or do you just want to take over the company?" said someone lazily. A young girl in a pink princess dress came down the stairs. She scoffed as she eyed Adeline.

"Zoey, don't talk to your sister like that!" Ronald looked at his younger daughter, Zoey Simpson, and gently chided her.

Helen sat on the sofa and mocked, "I think Zoey is right. Maybe Adeline feels threatened now that Zoey is grown up. That's why she's trying to infiltrate the company now to help so that she can take over the company."

"Aunt Helen, you worry too much! I'm a performing arts student. I won't be taking over the company."

"Am I?" Helen snorted. "Who knows? Maybe one day you'll really take over the company!"

"Helen!"

Ronald's face darkened as he looked at how Helen and Zoey were ridiculing and mocking Adeline.

Helen stood up and said to Zoey, "Let's go, Zoey. We're not as adept as them!"

As she walked by Adeline, Helen suddenly stopped in her tracks. And she sneered, "I heard that the Lockwood family is looking for a July-born girl old enough to get married. You fit the bill, right?"

Chapter 2

Adeline's face changed. She did hear about this piece of gossip of the Lockwood family.

Rumor had it that Christiano Lockwood, the oldest son of the Lockwood family, had a car accident two years ago. Unfortunately, he ended up in a vegetative state, and he was abandoned by his then-fiancée. Vallerie Jules, Christiano's grandmother, heard from somewhere that if a girl born in July married Christiano, it would bring him luck and wake him up from the coma. Therefore, she started sourcing a girl in Caulford City that was suitable to be Christiano's spouse.

Even though Adeline knew that she wouldn't be selected, she still felt a little anxious.

After all, marrying someone in a vegetative state was social suicide. Plus, she already had someone she liked.

Noticing how pale Adeline's face was, Helen felt the sweet taste of revenge. 

She took Zoey's hand and headed upstairs.

Ronald came back to his senses. He looked at Adeline and said, "Adeline, there are so many girls born in July. The Lockwood family might not even pick you. So don't you worry!"

With a faint smile, Adeline nodded, and said, "Dad, don't worry. I'm already a sophomore. In the second half of next year, I'll be a junior, then I can start filming!"

"It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't end up at the Art Academy doing performing arts."

"I like acting very much, Dad. Without your support, I wouldn't even fulfill my dream to study acting."

Seeing how kind and considerate Adeline was, Ronald felt more guilty. 

The corners of his mouth twitched, but in the end, he only said lightly, "Helen and Zoey aren't bad. They just have sharp tongues."

"I know. Dad, don't worry. I won't take it to heart."

"'I'll ask Rosa to heat up some food for you. You can head upstairs and clean up, then come back down later,"

"Okay. I'll head up now."

After speaking, Adeline went upstairs with her luggage.

Once she returned to her bedroom on the second floor, Adeline unpacked her things and placed them where they belonged. There was a photo on her desk. In it, a lady smiled brightly, standing beside Ronald, and in their arms was Adeline.

This photo was taken when she was five years old. At that time, she was a carefree child showered in both her parents' love. She had a happy family. However, a car accident took her mother's life away.

Soon after, Ronald remarried.

It was only later that Adeline learned that her mother died because she found out Ronald was cheating on her. She drove off in a fit of anger and got into a car accident.

Later, Helen came knocking on the door because she was pregnant with Ronald's child. Not long after, Adeline had a sister that was younger than her by five years.

Adeline never blamed anyone for her mother's death. She matured so quickly that it was actually heart-wrenching. She knew that no matter how much hatred she felt, she could never bring the dead back to life.

Just at this moment, someone knocked on the door, pulling Adeline back to reality.

"Come in!" Adeline wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Miss Adeline, the food is ready. Mr. Ronald had left for work, and he asked me to call for you once the food is prepared."

"I'll be right there!"

As she said, Adeline dusted the photo and placed it back on the desk. She smiled slightly at it and then headed downstairs.

She was about to enjoy her meal when several people came into the house.

Looking at Adeline, who was seated at the table, one of them asked, "Is this Ronald Simpson's residence?"

Adeline got up and replied, "Yes, but my father has gone to work. Is there anything I can help you with?"

The man who spoke sized Adeline up and asked, "Are you Ronald Simpson's daughter, Adeline Simpson?"

Chapter 3

"Yes, I am. And you are?" Adeline asked, a little suspicious of the men.

"I am Hanson Zachary, the Lockwoods' family lawyer. On behalf of the Lockwood family, I've come to talk to Mr. Ronald about the three-million-dollar debt that the Simpson Group owed the Lockwood family. I'm not sure if Miss Simpson can make decisions and talk through it with me."

Adeline looked at Hanson with hesitation, then she heard Helen's high-pitched voice coming from upstairs, "What's the matter? Are you going to make decisions for the Simpson family when your father isn't around?"

Hanson turned around and saw Helen. He slightly nodded as a greeting. "Mrs. Simpson, right? I am Hanson Zachary, the Lockwoods' family lawyer. I wonder if Mrs. Simpson could call Mr. Ronald to come home so that we can talk over the debt?"

Walking down the stairs, Helen smiled charmingly at Hanson and answered, "I have no control over the company's matters, but I can certainly call him home!" Helen took her phone out and dialed Ronald's number.

Hanson, who was standing at the side, looked at Adeline and said dismissively, "Miss Simpson, you may go back to your meal now."

"Sure," Adeline took a quick glance at Hanson, and then she returned to the dining table.

"Mr. Zachary, have a seat. Ronald will be back soon," Helen said as she brewed some tea.

"May I know how many daughters you have, Mrs. Simpson?" Hanson asked. Helen's hand quivered out of sight, but she quickly regained composure and smiled. "Adeline is Ronald's daughter with his ex-wife, and I also have a daughter with him. Her name is Zoey. Adeline is five years older than Zoey, and she's now studying in performance arts in the Art Academy."

Hanson peered at Adeline, who had already started eating. Then he asked again, "Both of them must look alike, don't they?"

With a faint smile, Helen replied, "Adeline looks like her mother, but Zoey resembles me. They don't look that alike. However, their birthdays are quite close to each other. Adeline's is on the fifteenth of July while Zoey's is on the eighth of August."

As soon as she finished speaking, Hanson immediately followed with a question, "Did you say Miss Adeline's birthday is in July?"

"That's right. Fifteenth of July is easy to remember, and we always celebrate her birthday in advance," Helen said while a sly glint flashed across her face.

"The fifteenth of July..." Hanson mumbled.

"Mr. Zachary, help yourself to some tea!"

"Thank you!" Hanson simply answered.

Hanson only took a sip of tea, then stood up and told Helen, "Mrs. Simpson, I just remembered that I have something else to do. I have to leave now. Please tell Mr. Simpson that we will come by again in a few days."

Helen nodded as she sent Hanson and his team off before going back to the living room.

Then Adeline walked towards Helen as she furrowed her brows and asked, "Aunt Helen, why did you tell Mr. Zachary about my birthdate?"

Helen shot Adeline a despised look and snorted, "It's just a date. Do you really think marrying Lockwood's eldest son is so easy?" In fact, Helen hoped that Adeline would be chosen to marry Christiano. In that case, Adeline might lead a miserable life like a widow.

"Regardless, you shouldn't have told him my birth date without my consent!"

"I didn't mean it. What's the matter now? Do you want to pick a fight with me?" Helen asked. Adeline wanted to talk back to Helen, but she thought of her father's haggard face, so she held her emotions in.

Biting on her lower lip in annoyance, Adeline turned and went upstairs.

Helen looked at Adeline's back, and she sneered, "B*tch, you're just as hateful as your dead mom. I really hope you'll marry Christiano and live like a widow for the rest of your life!"

"Mom, what are you talking about?" Dressed up in a beautiful one-piece dress, Zoey walked towards Helen, putting her arm around Helen's shoulder, and she asked coquettishly.