Chapter 300
Lilian had waited far too long for this moment. She had schemed against so many, ensnaring herself in her own plots—all to get closer to Cynthia. This scene felt like a dream she'd held for years. Lilian looked at the ray of light illuminating Cynthia, suddenly remembering Cynthia's first visit to her house.
It was over a broken bowl. Sarah had harshly cursed Lilian and forbidden her from returning to school. Head down, Lilian cleaned the room, the cruel words piercing her ears. She felt like a weed, battered by wind and rain, drowning in a dirty ditch, on the verge of collapse. Lilian's world was filled with dark clouds and stormy rain; she'd never known the sun. Then Cynthia arrived.
When Sarah was about to hit Lilian, Cynthia intervened, grabbing her and running outside. They ran, Lilian seeing only Cynthia's back, radiating light. She remembered the clouds clearing, the sun shining, the wind carrying the scent of grass—the scent of freedom, like a bird escaping its cage. It was the most important day of her life. Tears streamed down Lilian's face.
When had she fallen in love with Cynthia? She didn't know. Perhaps it was after Cynthia and Filip began dating, igniting her jealousy. Maybe it was when Cynthia took a knife for her, or all the times Cynthia defended her against bullies. Or perhaps it was simply that ordinary afternoon when a ray of light pierced her gloomy life.
Her secret remained hidden, a source of deep, painful anguish. She dared not reveal it, fearing Cynthia's rejection. Would Cynthia see her as a freak, a monster, and abandon her? But the jealousy consumed her. She envied everyone around Cynthia. Cynthia was the sun, but her light wasn't solely hers. Cynthia shone brightly, attracting admirers.
Secretly, Lilian vowed to eliminate everyone around Cynthia, friend or lover, hoping Cynthia's world would contain only her. But Cynthia's light was too dazzling. No matter how hard she tried, others were drawn to her. Exhausted, Lilian decided to destroy that light. When Cynthia was disgraced, her reputation shattered, people would leave. Only then would Cynthia see her.
So Lilian plotted. Naomi, Cynthia's best friend, was the first target. Lilian sowed discord, unsuccessfully at first. Knowing Naomi was the illegitimate child of a prominent Betrico family, Lilian secretly set traps, provoking fights and causing trouble at school, ultimately frustrating Naomi's family enough to send her abroad.
Rumors circulated that Gunther agreed to acknowledge Naomi due to Colton's lack of heirs. Regardless, Naomi was gone. Lilian had ruined Cynthia's friendship. Later, while working at a bar, she met Shirley, a rebellious girl. Shirley resembled Cynthia's mother, Selena, in photographs.
Driven by curiosity, Lilian secretly obtained Selena's hair and compared its DNA to Shirley's. To her astonishment, Shirley was Selena's biological daughter. Lilian initially believed Shirley was an illegitimate child, but she secretly arranged a DNA test between Cynthia and Selena. The results shocked her: Cynthia and Selena weren't biologically related.
During her sophomore summer, Shirley returned to the Jones family with a DNA test report—a report Lilian had sent. She'd torn apart Cynthia's family and familial bonds. As she wished, Cynthia became homeless.
Unexpectedly, the Yates family took Cynthia in, Filip deeply caring for her. Lilian shifted her focus to Filip, a childhood friend, secretly betrothed to her years ago. The timing was perfect. Lilian easily drove a wedge between Cynthia and Filip.
Winning Filip over wasn't difficult. After summer camp, Filip returned and broke up with Cynthia, destroying her love life. Cynthia's friendships, love, and family were shattered. She had nothing, fallen from grace. Yet, she didn't give up. She even pressured Filip into a wedding, changing her identity to Mrs. Yates. The Yates family cherished her, and she lived in splendor.
Everything was contrary to Lilian's plan. She'd wanted Cynthia destitute and broken. Instead, at Cynthia's lowest point, Lilian appeared as a ray of light. Cynthia's wings were clipped; Lilian could build a golden cage. They could be together forever.
But Cynthia recovered quickly, her hatred for Lilian growing. Disappointed, Lilian re-strategized. To prevent Cynthia's revenge, she encouraged Filip to go abroad. Lilian still had an ace up her sleeve, a years-long plan. She was ready. She was sure she would keep Cynthia by her side, willingly. That day was near.
As Cynthia approached the tearful Lilian, noticing her strange expression, she frowned. The officiant announced, "Now, the bride and groom exchange rings."
A murmur of surprise arose. "How can they exchange rings without the groom?" "This host is quite funny." "Don't you think this Yates family wedding is a joke?"
The host continued, "Our groom isn't absent; he's preoccupied. The bridesmaid will take over. Now, let's have the bridesmaid place the ring on the bride."
Chapter 301 (partial)
This cleaned-up version addresses grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and paragraph breaks for improved readability. The numerical and seemingly random characters at the end were removed as they appeared to be extraneous.