Chapter 580

Zoe left school and bumped into a classmate. Surprised to see Zoe leaving before class, the classmate asked, "Where are you going? Class is about to start. Let's go back together."

The school was large, so the classmate affectionately took Zoe's arm, intending to take the school bus to the teaching building. However, Zoe abruptly pulled away. Her expression dull, she said, "I'm going home. Something came up."

She left. The classmate stumbled, watching Zoe's retreating figure in shock. They were close friends; the classmate wouldn't have been so familiar otherwise. She didn't understand Zoe's sudden change. Zoe was fine this morning, she thought, but her expression changed so drastically!

Frowning, she muttered angrily before turning away.

After Zoe left, Melody called Grelle: "I've given you a chance. What happens next is up to you."

Grelle replied, "Thank you, Melody. I understand."

Grelle immediately started to get dressed, but as she opened the door, her father's wrinkled hands reached out.

"Grelle," he asked, "didn't we agree to return to Melvor Mountain? Where are you going?"

Since Tiffany had called and sent someone to bring them, the family had been living in a company-provided apartment. Grelle had been put on hiatus, her resources revoked. Unwilling to give up her career, she'd begged her parents to stay in Lovell City.

The previous week, on a rainy day, her parents had pleaded with Ascendant Entertainment for another chance. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is competitive; new stars constantly replace those who fall. Ascendant Entertainment refused, unwilling to waste more resources on her.

Grelle thought, What was the point of begging? Of crying? Frustrated, she said, "Didn't I tell you to go back yourselves? You shouldn't have come. If you hadn't interfered, the company wouldn't have dropped me!"

Her father started to explain, but Grelle interrupted: "I don't care! It's all your fault! And it's all because of that bitch, Tiffany Kelley!"

She consistently referred to Tiffany as a "bitch," prompting her father to slap her on a previous occasion. Seeing him about to lose his temper again, she sneered, "What? Going to slap me again for an outsider?"

He lowered his hand. She opened the door to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"Grelle, let's return to Melvor Mountain. We've lived there for generations. It's where you grew up. It's improving. Let's go home," he pleaded, his face filled with hope.

Later, this scene would replay in Grelle's mind. Her father was aging; his dark face and calloused hands showed a lifetime of hard work. She wondered if things would have been different—had she not been manipulated, had she not been selfish, had she not destroyed her life chasing an unattainable dream, had she not abandoned her conscience. Would her future have been different? It was too late.

She pushed him away, coldly stating, "If you want to go back, go alone. I don't need you!" She slammed the door. Her father remained standing, stunned. After a while, he silently cleaned up the mess Grelle had made during her outburst.

At 1:30 PM, Zoe was walking home, determined to get there immediately. Without calling a taxi, she walked.

Halfway there, she saw a pair of red high heels. Looking up, she saw a woman wearing a large hat and scarf, obscuring her face.

Zoe walked around the woman, but the woman stopped her, gently saying, "Zoe, I'll take you home."

Hearing "home," Zoe's resistance lessened. She stiffly nodded, replying, "Okay." They took a taxi.

Cynthia and Zoe bought snacks and food, plus two bottles of wine, before taking a taxi to a remote town with a small bridge, old trees, and a few tourists. The driver assumed they were sightseeing.

Zoe suddenly screamed, "I want to go home! Now!"

Cynthia replied, "Zoe, didn't we agree to come and play?" She smiled, offering a drink. "Drink this. We can go home afterward."

Zoe, like a manipulated puppet, obediently drank the drugged beverage. Cynthia watched her with a knowing gaze. She didn't know how Melody did it, but Zoe's compliance saved her trouble. It's a pity it wasn't Tiffany Kelley, she thought. I could have killed her.