Chapter 1 Memories Come Alive

A prison guard opened the prison's main gate before saying to the skinny woman in front of him, "Don't mess up again. From now on, live an honest life." With her bag in hand, Natalie Lunsford made her way through the main gate, step by step, despite her cold, aching knees. The biting wind caused her to shiver. Where Natalie had once weighed nearly 220 pounds, she was now so thin that even the most ordinary T-shirt looked baggy on her. As the prison gates slammed shut behind her, there were no fresh flowers, hugs, or even fake pleasantries waiting to greet her. Sure enough, the Lunsford family did not let her down. Five years ago, her stepsister, Hailey Lunsford, had committed manslaughter due to drunk driving. The Lunsfords were reluctant to let her end up in prison, so they had made Natalie take the fall instead. When Natalie refused, they had threatened her with the life of her newborn child. Even Natalie's fiance, Morris Shelton, attempted to persuade her. He told her that as long as she served a few years in prison, he would marry her once she was released. She was thus forced to spend five years in prison. During that time, she was beaten and abused, overall living a life worse than death. She touched her flat belly, caressing the scar over her stomach through her clothes. It was the only connection she had to her child. Now that Natalie had finally been released from prison, she wanted to return to the Lunsford family to reunite with her child. The Lunsford family villa was brightly lit. The moment she opened the door, she was so shocked by the absurd sight in front of her that she froze in place. Amid a hall packed with well-dressed people, a couple was exchanging incredibly valuable Harry Winston engagement rings on stage. And the man on stage was none other than Morris, the fiance who had repeatedly declared that he wanted to marry her! Natalie cut in coldly. "What are all of you doing?" Everyone looked over at the sound of her voice. They scanned her from head to toe—an intruder in their midst—with disdain written all over their faces. "Who's this? Why did the Lunsfords allow a beggar to slip in here?" "She's wearing rags and stinks of poverty. Surely she's not an escapee from an asylum, right?" Hailey's smile froze on her face, and she yelled angrily from her spot on the stage, "Where did this madwoman come from? Security! Hurry up and drag her out of here!" Morris frowned as well. The more he examined the woman in front of him, the more familiar she looked. Natalie rushed onto the stage and asked him with red-rimmed eyes, "Wasn't I the one you wanted to marry, Morris?" Before she had gone to prison, Morris had gently caressed her face as he said, "Once you're released, I'll definitely throw you the grandest wedding, Natalie." During her five difficult years in prison, his promise had been what kept her going. And yet, now that Natalie had been released, Hailey was the one he wanted to marry. It was only then that Morris realized who she was. He narrowed his eyes, staring in disbelief at her emaciated figure. "Natalie… Lunsford?" He simply couldn't reconcile the woman in front of him with the 220-pound chubby woman in his memories. The guests instantly exploded into uproar. "What? That's the fat eldest daughter of the Lunsford family?" "Oh my god! Did she become this thin in prison?" "That damn pig actually looks so good after slimming down!" "Oh, that's right! Shouldn't it be the eldest daughter who was engaged to the young heir of the Shelton family? Why is her younger sister the one getting engaged now?" Hailey instantly paled. She dug her well-groomed nails hard into her palms. She never expected her elder sister, who should have rotted in prison, to show up at her engagement party in such a manner. Hailey asked with a forced smile, unable to stop her voice from trembling, "Nellie, why have you… been released from prison so early? Today's the day of my and Morris' engagement party. If you have any business with me, could we reschedule—" Natalie didn't seem to hear her at all. She was gripping tightly onto Morris' suit sleeve. "Tell me what's going on, Morris! Also, where's our child? You promised me you'd take good care of her." Her words were like a bombshell that set off explosions of shock around the venue. Morris instantly turned livid and shook her hand off in disgust. "You bitch! I haven't even touched a hair on your head, much less had a child with you!" "What?" Natalie's pupils shrank, and she hurriedly grabbed his hand again in an attempt to explain herself. "Have you forgotten? On that night in Holiten Hotel, we clearly—" Before she could finish her sentence, her father, Walter Lunsford, suddenly rushed onto the stage and slapped her vehemently. "Enough! You shameless wretch! You conceived out of wedlock back then! "How could our family possibly keep that shameful bastard around? We've long thrown her out!" Natalie shook violently. Her chapped lips trembled, and her eyes were bloodshot. "I-Impossible…" Morris had clearly been the one to send her a message inviting her to the hotel on that night five years ago. Therefore, there was no way the child was his. "My child… Where's my baby?" She rushed at Hailey as if possessed, squeezing her pale neck with emaciated fingers. "What have you people done with my child? Tell me—did you kill my child?" "Hurry up and drag this crazy woman here!" Walter bellowed furiously. Bodyguards quickly stepped up to restrain Natalie. As she was pushed and shoved around, she fell heavily from the stage and crashed into the champagne tower. Crystal glasses shattered against the floor with a loud, tinkling crash. Blood flowed down Natalie's forehead, and intense pain swept throughout her body. She proceeded to pass out completely. She then had a very long dream. Memories she had once lost rushed into her mind like roaring waves. She also remembered that night in Holiten Hotel's presidential suite. She remembered how a man had gripped her tightly around the waist with heated palms and driven her inch by inch into the damp bedding, ruthlessly taking what he wanted. She woke up with a startled yelp, a piercing look flashing in her eyes. She recalled everything now! Natalie, the useless eldest daughter of the Lunsford family? How utterly ludicrous! She learned faster than ordinary people since she was young, and her mother, Seraphina Quinn, had meticulously nurtured her as she grew up. At the age of 16, she had achieved things that most people could only dream of. Financial tycoons begged her for guidance, scientific researchers desperately wanted to collaborate with her, and maestros brought their works to her for advice. She was what people called a once-in-a-century genius. However, because Seraphina was afraid that Natalie's dazzling light would lead to fatal misfortune, she had hidden her true identity from the world. Yet, eight years ago, Natalie and Seraphina had been involved in a terrorist attack. The shopping mall had been blasted into rubble in an instant, and Seraphina had died in the explosion. Natalie had survived thanks to Seraphina shielding her. Unfortunately, she had lost all her memories due to a brain injury. Unexpectedly, this disaster of a situation had awakened all her memories.