I don't care. Those two slaps… were just like a breeze passing by.
They insulted me, they cursed at me, they treated me like trash — it doesn't matter. Because I understand clearly: at present, the one most expected by the entire family, the one everyone thinks will inherit the power... is Lam Ya Thần.
I don't need to curry favor with those two who only know how to wave their hands and shout loudly. I don't need to pretend to be obedient in front of my parents — those who are willing to throw their own daughter out of the house for a fake daughter.
What I need... are those four older brothers. One by one. As long as they love, trust, and stand by my side — then the whole Lam family will sooner or later be in my hands.
I will climb step by step. Not by being obedient. But by being alert, patient, and… dangerous.
I pushed the door open, said nothing, and quietly walked into the house. Just returned after two days at my grandmother's house, I saw my parents sitting stiffly on the sofa, their faces heavy as lead, eyes blazing with anger.
It turns out… my mother had sent someone to follow me.
"Look at you, now it's your turn to come and go as you please?" — my mother said coldly, her eyes filled with disdain as if looking at a useless item.
I didn't respond. Silently set my bag down, standing still like a statue.
My father slammed the teacup down on the table, his voice harsh with each word: "Not only are you without prospects, but you also learn the habit of running away from home. Do you think that old woman can protect you forever?"
Chat.
My mother's hand slapped straight across my left cheek. My father was not slow to respond, slapping my right cheek in return.
The stinging pain spread across both of my cheeks, but I only smiled lightly.
The girl from years ago who cried until she couldn't breathe from those slaps... was dead.
I silently watched the two of them, my eyes no longer filled with fear, only a cold indifference remained.
They did not know that – currently, the one most expected by the family was Lam Da Than. And I... had no need to curry favor with these two. My goal was my four brothers. Four keys that truly opened the gates of power in the Lam family.
Without stopping, my mother turned and went into the storage room, pulling out a large box. It was my birthday presents – gifts that they had once given, wrapped in colorful paper, smiling insincerely to congratulate me every year.
My father took the violin that I cherished the most – the birthday gift from when I was ten years old. The violin that I had practiced for three years hoping to perform in front of the family just once.
Crack.
The violin was slammed straight onto the tiled floor. It broke in two.
I said nothing. I did not step forward to stop it.
The sound of wood shattering, the sound of glass in the music box breaking apart, all rang out like a farewell song to memories. But I no longer felt pain. Those things had long lost their meaning.
My mother spat out: "Don't think just because you have an old woman backing you, you can do whatever you want. Don't forget you still carry the Lam surname, living under this roof."
I slowly turned and walked up the stairs, my voice steady:
"It's fine. Once the memories are shattered, I no longer need to cling to them."
Behind me, the sounds of destruction continued. But inside me, there was only silence.
A great storm... was about to rise. And I – would be the one to ignite it with my own hands.
My parents were frantically smashing things, but they found no expression on my face – no sadness, no fear, no anger. My mother noticed it first. She changed her tone, rushed to grab my father's hand, softening her voice as if performing an old, worn-out play:
"Come on, calm down. The girl didn't mean to go to her mother's house..."
That statement not only failed to calm my father down but made him even angrier. His face turned crimson, his eyes burning with rage. He stepped forward, saying nothing, grabbing my hand and pulling me back.
Smack!
A slap that felt like a thunderbolt, without any restraint. My left cheek burned, then went numb – to the point where I felt nothing.
I remained still. No dodging, no resistance. My face remained cold, my eyes devoid of ripples.
Consider this… a repayment for raising me.
My father did not stop. He roared, his voice echoing throughout the living room:
"Starting to know how to rebel, huh?! Now you dare to spend the night at that old woman's house, thinking if you have someone backing you up, you can do whatever you want?!"
I looked up at him, my gaze so calm that it made the entire room feel suddenly colder. No rebuttal. No justification.
Because from now on, I would no longer need to ask them to love me.
After that slap, I silently left the living room and went straight to my room to pack my things. Not to run away – but to prepare for a new step.
The next day, news was sent to all members of the Lam family: Lam Nhu Nguyet would officially transfer to study at Luu Quang Academy – the prestigious school reserved for the elite and the most outstanding students.
No one believed it. Someone like me – with average academic performance, criticized for lack of ambition – could get into Luu Quang?
What no one knew was that I had actively registered, took the exam, and applied for the scholarship myself. Everything was based on my true abilities, without borrowing the name of the Lam family.
On the first day at the new school, I wore a neat uniform, tied my hair back, and calmly stepped down from the familiar Rolls-Royce.
Lam Da Than was still the one who drove me. Before I got out of the car, he coldly said:
"You'd better not embarrass the Lam family."
I turned back and smiled lightly.
"Don't worry. From now on… I will make the name 'Lam' shine brightly on the achievement board."
He looked at me, slightly frowning. Perhaps he was thinking – I had changed.
No doubt about it. I had truly changed.
As soon as I entered the campus of Luu Quang Academy, I immediately became the center of attention. Not because I stood out… but because the Rolls-Royce that had just left made everyone guess that I was the daughter of a prominent family.
I didn't care. I just walked calmly, my gaze straight ahead.
But before I could reach the classroom, a familiar voice rang out behind me:
"Wow… I thought it was someone else, turns out it's my loyal dog from back in the day."
I stopped, knowing without turning around who it was.
Tham Vu – still with that arrogant demeanor.
Behind, his followers whispered:
"She... really has changed."
As soon as I left, Thẩm Vũ scoffed and turned to a male student next to him – who had just transferred to the math class not long ago:
"Do you know that girl? She's Như Nguyệt – the worst student in the old middle school. The teachers used to call her the 'black hole of grades.'"
The new friend raised an eyebrow:
"Really? She doesn't look that bad..."
Thẩm Vũ smirked:
"Don't be fooled by appearances. That girl is only good at pretending to be pitiful to gain others' sympathy."
I heard every word he said. Life in prison had sharpened my keen ears and made my heart less vulnerable than before. I memorized every sentence of Thẩm Vũ, not to be sad, but to return the favor.
This time, I would not remain silent.
The first period was math. The teacher entered the classroom, holding a stack of old test papers. The class quieted down. I sat at the back, eyes fixed on the board, my expression calm.
Midway through the lesson, the teacher explained a difficult geometry problem. I frowned – he had made a mistake in the step of transitioning the terms.
I raised my hand. The whole class looked over, and there was even a quiet laugh. The teacher raised an eyebrow:
"Do you have something to say, Như Nguyệt?"
I stood up and pointed at the board.
"Yes, sir, in this step, you applied the inscribed angle theorem incorrectly. Since point A does not lie on circle (O), you cannot deduce it that way."
The class buzzed. The teacher paused, looked closely at the board... then nodded:
"...Hmm... you are right. Thank you for pointing that out."
A few gazes began to change. I sat down, my eyes not smug, just quietly observant. This was just the beginning.
After class, as I stepped out of the school gate, a hand forcefully grabbed my shoulder, pulling me towards the hallway behind the library – a place without surveillance cameras.
Shen Vu stood there, his face dark, his eyes flashing with anger.
"What are you playing at? Acting all smart in front of so many people?" "Aren't you supposed to be really dumb? Did you do this on purpose to embarrass me today?"
I looked at him, calm as if he were just a gentle breeze in front of me.
"I didn't say anything. You called me stupid, so if you're embarrassed now... that's your problem."
He gritted his teeth, stepped forward intending to grab my collar. But this time, I dodged. I was no longer the clueless girl from before.
"I'll say it first. If you dare to touch me again, I will call the police."
I pulled out my phone, my gaze as cold as ice.
Shen Vu paused. He didn't expect that I would dare to do this.
"You..." – he was so furious that he could only utter one word, then punched the wall hard and turned to leave.
I stood there, watching his back, my gaze unwavering. I thought to myself: Next time, I won't just be the one to make you embarrassed… but the one to push you to the bottom.
I forcefully brushed his hand off my shoulder, speaking coldly:
"Take your dirty hands off me. And get away from me."
My voice wasn't loud, but sharp enough to cut into Shen Vu's face. He froze, not having time to react when…
"Screech!"
The sound of brakes echoed – a sleek black Rolls-Royce came to a stop right in front of the alley.The car door opened, and Lam Da Than stepped out, still in the black suit from the morning, his cold demeanor enveloping the entire space. He said nothing, just glanced at Tham Vu with eyes that seemed to regard him as nothing more than a piece of trash obstructing his path.
"Get in the car." – he looked at me, his tone commanding.
I said nothing, didn't look at Tham Vu, and walked straight to the car as if he didn't exist. The Rolls-Royce door closed — the echo of it seemed to declare: I had stepped into another world.
Tham Vu stood there, his hands clenched, eyes filled with suspicion and anger. "Why… does someone like her get picked up by Lam Da Than?" When did everything start to spiral out of his control?