chapter 2
Everyone froze in place, clearly not expecting me to admit it so readily.
Ivy was about to say something else, but I turned and walked away, not giving her another chance to frame me.
Once I was far enough away, I opened various shopping apps and food delivery platforms, going on a crazy ordering spree.
Ivy thought my lack of tears and tantrums meant I was plotting something, but when she saw the bank account balance keep increasing, she was absolutely delighted.
She immediately sent me a message: [Amelia, everyone says you need to treat us and apologize. Buy another 100 cups of coffee and have them delivered.]
I replied with a cold smile: [Sure.] Then I actually ordered 100 cups of coffee for delivery.
As soon as the coffee arrived, I immediately applied for a "refund only" claiming "food safety issues."
Not just that orderI applied for refunds on every single purchase I'd just made on the shopping platforms.
With my actions, the hundreds of thousands of dollars I'd spent quickly returned to my pocket.
But when I reopened the shopping interface, I discovered that the account applying for refunds had somehow become Ivy's.
Sure enough, this trading system could only transfer my spending amounts to Ivy's account.
Once my purchases were canceled, to maintain balance, the system would register the refund records under Ivy's name, forcibly legitimizing those mysterious income sources of hers.
I was so excited I nearly jumped up.
This time, Ivy was going to suffer.
I instantly spent nearly 3 million dollars on a shopping frenzy.
After receiving the goods, I deliberately found various reasons to apply for "refund only" on every single order, even an 8-dollar takeout meal.
From underwear and panties, snacks, and sanitary pads, to limited edition handbags, haute couture clothing, and even a suburban house from a court auctionI returned everything.
Even so, I still felt inexplicably anxious.
Remembering how quickly my body had deteriorated in my past life, I decided to return to the family villa during the weekend break.
As soon as I walked in, I saw Ivy and James throwing a party in the living room, surrounded by many classmates.
When they saw me, everyone's faces showed disgust.
"Amelia, you're back," Ivy said.
She was wearing a haute couture gown, setting down her wine glass filled with 1992 Chteau Lafite, and walked toward me elegantly.
Ivy continued: "Today is James's birthday. He said he really wanted to throw a party at the villa, so I brought him and our classmates over. We've finished all the wine in the cellar, so hurry up and order a few hundred more bottles."
I looked up at her beautiful face, momentarily stunned.
Good clothes really do make a person look more spirited and refined. The current Ivy, with the tens of millions of dollars she'd "stolen" from me, was completely transformed.
At this moment, I couldn't see any trace of the girl who'd come to our house as a nanny with Evie years ago, wearing a patched coat.
I was genuinely curious about what method she'd used to bind me to that trading system with her.
Seeing my silence, Ivy grew impatient.
She arrogantly pointed at my nose and said: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up! Today is the birthday banquet I'm specially throwing for James. Can you handle the responsibility if you delay things? Oh, and remember to buy more 1992 Chteau LafiteJames loves that wine.
"While you're at it, help me buy the most expensive cake, an 18-layer one. Then call a five-star restaurant and book a private venue with reserved seating."
I was so amused by her shamelessness that I laughed.
She was enjoying life with money stolen from me, yet still wanted me to handle everything without spending a dime herself.
Where in this world could such a good deal exist?