Chapter 1

The day my acceptance letter from the National Defense University arrived.

Every relative came to the house to celebrate.

Everyone said how brilliant I was.

But my parents, under the shocked eyes of everyone in the room.

Marched me to the police station with their own hands.

The reason was simple.

My cousin's Omega watch had gone missing.

Worth hundreds of thousands.

And the last person to touch that watch was me.

My cousin had come into the kitchen to help me with the soup.

Then at dinner he cried out: "Where's my watch?"

Everyone turned the kitchen upside down and never found it.

One of the relatives pointed at me: "You took your cousin's watch, didn't you?"

I frowned. "I set the watch on the counter."

"We searched everywhere and it's not there!"

My uncle and his wife wore black faces.

His wife let out a cold snort. "That was our birthday gift to our son. It cost hundreds of thousands."

The other relatives looked at me with strange eyes.

"Good at her books, but no character to speak of."

"Some star student. More like a thief."

"If you ask me, just search her."

My parents cared about appearances above all, and their faces went as dark as they could get.

On the spot they decided to send me to the police station.

And just like that.

I was left with a record for 'unlawful possession of another's property.'

My hope of attending the National Defense University was completely destroyed.

...

In the living room, everyone stared at me the way you'd stare at a 'thief.'

Only my cousin, the one who'd lost the watch, spoke up for me on his own.

"Mom, Dad, maybe the watch fell into some corner."

"My cousin has been a top student her whole life."

"There are so many awards at home you couldn't fit them all in a car."

"And this time she got into the National Defense University."

"There's no way she'd steal anything."

His mother heard him out and let out a cold laugh at once.

"Son, you can know a person's face and never know their heart."

"So what if she's a star student?"

"You think star students can't steal?"

"That watch is worth hundreds of thousands."

My brows knotted together, and I said in a low voice, "I'll say it again. I did not take the watch."

"Slap!"

My father, sitting beside me, suddenly raised his hand and struck me across the face.

I stared at him, unable to believe it.

He was shaking with rage, and his voice came out cold. "I'm giving you one chance right now."

"What chance?"

I held my cheek and asked, though I already knew.

"Hand over your cousin's watch."

"And we'll pretend none of this ever happened."

I bit my lip and answered, "I didn't take it."

"You worthless girl!"

My mother shot to her feet and pointed at me, the picture of a parent whose child had failed her.

"Is this how I raised you?"

"You've already learned to steal."

"What's next, robbery?"

I stood up and glared at them.

"How am I supposed to explain it so you'll believe me?"

His wife suddenly smiled.

"You were the last person to touch the watch."

"If you didn't take it."

"Then who did?"

I was just about to explain.

My uncle said coldly, "Enough talk. Call the police."

My parents looked at me.

"Did you hear that?"

"Your uncle's about to call the police."

"This is your last chance!"

I forced back the tears and held my ground. "I didn't steal the watch!"

"You worthless girl. You won't learn until it's too late."

"Your uncle won't need to call the police."

"We'll take you to the station ourselves!"