Chapter 369
“That’s because I have to get married…” Winnie burst out bitterly.
She had no easy way to explain it.
There was an additional clause in her mother’s will: as long as she married, she could leave the Olson family immediately and reclaim part of the inheritance that had been held by them.
Back then, Winnie had been too young to understand any of it. Only after growing up did she realize how deeply disappointed her mother had been in her-and how little faith she’d had-entrusting control of Winnie’s life to someone else.
If not the Olson family, then a husband.
It was as if she didn’t deserve to exist in this world unless she depended on someone.
Winnie had once hated her mother intensely. Just because her father had been worthless, did that mean she was destined to be worthless too?
And so, the more her mother defined her that way, the more Winnie gave up on herself, refusing to strive for anything better.
She might as well become a mess, turn herself into mud, let everyone trample her—at least then it felt justified.
But after all these years, that self-righteous rebellion brought no response, no redemption. All that remained was her disgust with herself. Her mother’s disappointment had been carved by her own hand into her bones and soul.
“Marriage?” Khloe seemed to realize something.
Winnie stopped halfway through her sentence. She didn’t want to complain. Complaints only magnified her inferiority and pain.
Winnie knew her own limits. She didn’t have the strength to reclaim her mother’s inheritance, nor the ability to truly fight back against the Olson family she despised.
Perhaps marriage really was the only way out.
But soon, Winnie realized the Olson family was even more despicable than she’d imagined. They had plenty of dirty tricks hidden in the dark.
One by one, the men who grew close to her either met with accidents or suddenly asked to break up.
Michael’s serious injury had happened because she dragged him into it.
She hadn’t never considered being with Michael.
They’d grown up together, and he’d been kind to her first. Hearts were made of flesh, after all–and Winnie, starved for affection, couldn’t resist that warmth.
But just as she’d told Khloe, the more someone cherished something, the less confident they felt-and the more they wanted to push it away with their own hands.
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Chapter 369
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She truly liked Michael. That’s why she didn’t dare accept him.
In Winnie’s mind, the only way she and Michael could last was by remaining friends.
What she hadn’t expected was that anyone who tried to control their feelings would eventually suffer backlash.
Now that Michael no longer liked her, she found herself unable to let go.
“You’re guarding against the Olson family, aren’t you?” Even without being told, Khloe guessed. “And marriage
that’s also a way for you to leave the Olson family?”
Winnie looked at Khloe again, took a deep breath, and didn’t deny it.
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
Over the years, Winnie had been at odds with the Olson family, their conflicts ugly and public-yet she still couldn’t leave.
Khloe had heard about Winnie’s situation from Michael and knew that Winnie’s mother’s inheritance was still
in the Olson family’s hands.
If Winnie left, they’d have to spit out that piece of juicy meat—and they definitely wouldn’t be willing.
That was why Winnie had been trying every possible way to pass the evaluation.
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