"Now,there are three options.One is fire Annie,two is let her spend the night with me,and another is all of you can forget about doing business in this city."

Duane,a wealthy and powerful billionaire,could shut down this bar within half a day.The manager didn't dare delay and quickly complied.Duane wanted to persuade Annie to reconsider and accompany him to a hotel tonight,but Annie was resolute.She had come here to work seriously and earn clean money,not to sell herself or sleep with playboy billionaires.

So,Annie was directly fired and didn't receive any payment.Before leaving,the manager couldn't help but offer some advice.

"You may appear beautiful,but don't be so stubborn.Sometimes,a little compromise can make life easier.He just made a pass;you wouldn't have lost anything.Sometimes,you have to be more flexible."

"For instance,if you had obediently followed Duane's orders tonight,he would have generously given you a significant tip.You wouldn't have been fired,and if luck favored you,your life might have taken a different path."

Annie left,returning to her empty home.She was alone inside,not turning on the lights,sitting quietly on the bed,tears falling silently.The lingering feeling of disgust on her back continued to haunt Annie,making her loathe herself even more.Her cheap pride had made everything worse,and now,the medical bills remained unpaid,her mother's condition deteriorated,and even her sole family member couldn't receive proper care.The sense of helplessness overwhelmed Annie,causing her tears to fall on her pale face,wetting her collar.

What was the value of her pride now that Annie had fundamentally succumbed to life's hardships?She sobbed for a while until her tears seemed to dry up.Annie turned around slowly,got up,and went to the bathroom to clean herself thoroughly.She scrubbed her back so hard that it felt like she was peeling off a layer of skin,trying to rid herself of the feeling of disgust.Then she retrieved Sofia's business card,which she had neatly stored in a drawer.

Annie stared at the phone for a while,finally making up her mind.She picked up her phone and called Sofia.Sofia picked up quickly,and in the stillness of the night,her cheerful laughter was crystal clear in Annie's ears.

"Well,my dear sister,isn't this a surprise?The girl with so much pride and purity is calling?"Sofia teased,not waiting for Annie to speak.

Without waiting for Annie to respond,Sofia already knew what she wanted to say and chuckled teasingly.She pursed her lips,her eyes gleaming with satisfaction,and after a few seconds,she continued,"I'll ask again:are you willing to help me take care of my crippled and foolish fiancé,Finn?"

Annie clenched her lips,reluctantly accepting even though her heart was unwilling.

"I agree."

Sofia scoffed,her arrogant and cold attitude unchanged."Agreeing sooner would have been better,my dear sister.Showing hesitation and reluctance is quite repulsive."

Sofia then briefly recounted her situation and that of her current blind fiancé,Finn,to Annie.The engagement between Finn and Sofia had been arranged when both families were wealthy and prosperous.At that time,Finn was the only son in his family,handsome,talented,and possessed strong business acumen,making him a dream marriage prospect for many young women.Given the affluent circumstances of Sofia's family,they were considered a suitable match.

However,recently,after Finn's mother passed away,his father hastily remarried a younger,beautiful stepmother,who had a son from a previous marriage,older than Finn by two years.Finn's father appeared to favor this stepson,Hubert and even had plans to groom him as the future heir to the family business.Consequently,Finn went from being the esteemed heir to an outcast in his family.

Subsequently,a series of events led to Finn's temporary blindness,and whether or not he would regain his sight depended on luck and fate.In such circumstances,as Finn's fiancée,Sofia naturally had the responsibility to take care of him,be by his side,and encourage him to overcome this predicament.

However,Sofia,now living a lavish and privileged life as an aristocratic young lady,despised Finn's blindness and his abandonment by his father.She had no intention of caring for Finn.

"Why should I endure this hardship when he's blinded and disowned by his father?"Sofia remarked."If it weren't for fear of public opinion and the disdain for greed and poverty,I would have abandoned my fiancé's status long ago."

"Furthermore,while Finn may no longer be the heir to the family fortune,he still holds shares in the company and has his own successful business.Who knows,circumstances might change,and Finn could become even more successful and wealthy than he is now.Then I could enjoy wealth and bask in the praise of others as a virtuous fiancée."

"So,your current task is to take good care of Finn for me;as I promised,I will pay you one million dollars.If you perform well,there may even be additional rewards."

Sofia had no concerns about Annie potentially replacing her as Finn's fiancée,as the two were identical twins,and their striking resemblance often led people to mistake them for one another.Even their parents had occasionally mistaken them for each other when they were young.Besides,Finn had only met Sofia a few times before,so Sofia was confident that this switch would go unnoticed.

"Do you understand?"Sofia concluded,condescendingly asking if Annie comprehended.Annie obediently responded that she understood and would do her best.Satisfied,Sofia provided Finn's address to Annie,reminded her of a few crucial points,and then hung up.

Finally,the space returned to silence.Annie sat in her empty house,feeling suffocated to the point where she couldn't breathe properly.Once again,she found herself doing something she hated,using deception to gain money.Annie sat motionless on her bed in the midst of the pitch-black night,feeling like her life had become just as blurry and uncertain as that of a blind person.

Like Finn,Annie's future looked bleak with no silver lining,and everything appeared dark and dismal.However,Finn was certainly much luckier than Annie because he was still a wealthy billionaire with considerable assets in the country,with a vast fortune he had amassed when managing his father's company and his own business.In contrast,Annie had nothing.

When Annie was in pain and desperate,she couldn't help but look around,feeling lost and sighing deeply.Despite her unwillingness,life had to go on.

Annie woke up without time for breakfast the next day,hastily got dressed,and hurried to work.Her words to her mother weren't entirely false.Currently,she works as a server at a well-known five-star restaurant in the city,earning a stable income.

Upon arrival,other staff members were also changing into their uniforms to prepare for the morning shift.Manager Denis greeted Annie with a gentle smile."Good morning,Annie."

Annie tried to appear cheerful and returned the greeting.She chatted briefly with Denis and then changed into her work attire.They were always on high alert near the start of their shift to welcome customers.

Annie had a busy morning,and it wasn't until a few hours into her shift that she had time to stand next to Denis and chat.The two of them stood in a corner of the restaurant,already changed into comfortable clothes.Denis began speaking slowly.

"Annie,I proposed your salary advance to the higher-ups,but they didn't approve it.I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

Previously,when Isolde had to go to the hospital,Annie had been in a rush and had asked Denis to help her get an advance on her salary for this month and the next to cover some of the medical expenses.Denis had been more than willing to assist.However,this required approval from higher management,and Denis was worried about Annie when the outcome didn't meet their expectations.

Seeing Denis's concerned expression,Annie reassured him with a soft and soothing voice.

"It's okay.Regardless,I appreciate you.Before this,you also lent me a large sum of money,and you even helped me propose to get an advance on my salary.I'll pay you back soon."

Denis was a kind and compassionate man.When Annie was struggling and desperate to cover the medical expenses for her mother,he loaned her money and assisted her in requesting an advance on her salary.Annie was so grateful for his help.

"So,how is your mother's medical bill?I have some well-off friends,and I can ask them to lend you money,"Denis offered,showing deep concern for Annie's situation.

Annie shook her head,indicating that she would handle it herself,and assured Denis that she had a wealthy friend who had lent her substantial money.She didn't want to bring up the complex relationship between her and Sofia,so she chose to tell a white lie and nodded to reassure Denis that everything was fine.Denis briefly felt reassured and didn't press further,changing the subject.

"Alright,that's good to hear.Have you been able to visit your mother at the hospital?I also want to visit her.After all,we're colleagues,and it's something we should do."

"Moreover,my mom is also in the same hospital,and it seems like she's in the same ward as your mother.I also plan to visit her this afternoon."

Denis was Annie's closest colleague at the restaurant,so she couldn't refuse his genuine offer.On their way to the hospital,Denis wanted to buy many things to bring as gifts,but Annie had to intervene several times to stop him.Eventually,Denis arrived at the hospital to visit her mother with a bouquet of fresh flowers and a carefully packaged bag of fruit.

"In fact,you didn't need to buy so much;just coming with me to visit my mom is enough,"Annie couldn't help but say quietly on the way back,feeling somewhat uneasy that Denis had to spend so much money.However,Denis shook his head and said it was alright;they didn't need to be so distant.

On their way back,they stopped by the roadside and bought four more lunchboxes before heading to the hospital.Annie feels guilty about Denis spending a lot and whispers to Denis that they didn't need to go to such lengths.But Denis shook his head,assuring her that it was not necessary.

They arrived at the hospital and bought some additional food before entering.When Annie mentioned the room number where her mother was staying,Denis appeared surprisingly surprised.

"What a coincidence!My mother is also in that room too."

It was a relatively small hospital in the city,so patients were often placed in shared rooms,even if their medical conditions were unrelated.Denis's mother had slipped down the stairs a week ago due to a careless accident,resulting in minor injuries and fractured bones,requiring her to stay in the hospital for observation.

It was unexpected that they would end up in the same hospital room with Annie's mother.

When they entered the room,Joyce and Isolde were engaged in a cheerful conversation.They turned to look as they heard footsteps.

"Mom,I brought lunch for you,"Annie said with a charming smile,placing the lunchbox on the small table beside the hospital bed.Denis,by her side,also spoke up.

"Hello,ma'am.I'm Annie's colleague.Today,I brought a little gift for you.It's quite a coincidence;I didn't expect you to share the hospital room with Annie's mom."

Isolde was a gentle and kind-hearted woman.She politely thanked Denis and invited him to sit down.Joyce,on the other hand,seemed pleased and somewhat amused.

After the initial greetings,the four people gathered around the small table for lunch,and the atmosphere was relatively warm.

Joyce seemed to have a fondness for Annie,constantly asking about her job and her relationship status.She even inquired about Annie's feelings toward Denis.In the face of such enthusiastic curiosity,Annie responded somewhat hesitantly,and Denis,noticing something unusual,also asked uncertainly.

"Mom,have you heard Annie mention someone recently?"

Annie and Isolde exchanged dreamy and unclear glances,and Denis hesitated while trying to explain.Lately,whenever he visited his mother and took walks with Annie,she frequently mentioned the patient's son,who shared the room with her mother.

Joyce seemed so pleased and fond of this girl,constantly praising her for being obedient,adorable,and well-behaved.Denis had heard so much about her that he became curious about this girl,not knowing that it was Annie all along.

Joyce nodded happily,openly admitting to it.She smiled at Annie,sitting beside her,her eyes filled with affection.

"Annie,do you have a boyfriend?Denis is single,and if you're available,you should consider him."

Joyce's overly explicit words left Annie blushing,and she was about to open her mouth to explain,thinking of the deal she had with Sofia earlier.However,before Annie could say anything further,Isolde quickly responded.

"Not yet.Annie is a hardworking and compassionate young girl.She has to work tirelessly to earn a living because of my illness.Until now,she hasn't had a boyfriend."

Annie looked at her mother with a sense of despair,silently imploring her to stop,but the story continued to unfold,slipping out of her control.Joyce and Isolde continued to chat enthusiastically,introducing their children as if Annie and Denis were genuinely about to fall in love.

Denis,equally stunned as Annie,glanced at her with a mix of helplessness and confusion.Annie forced a faint smile and obediently ate her meal,pretending to be oblivious.

Joyce and Isolde talked fervently,and in no time,they discussed the possibility of Annie and Denis dating,expressing their wholehearted support and delight.In the end,Annie and Denis had to make excuses to leave the conversation,which had taken an odd turn.Both walked away with forced smiles and awkwardness.

"Please don't take what my mom said too seriously;she was just teasing,"Annie assured Denis,avoiding eye contact.

Noticing Annie's discomfort,Denis refrained from pressing further and remained silent as he dropped her off at home.

As they bid each other farewell,they could see the awkwardness in each other's eyes,which was far from the comfort they had initially shared.Annie gave Denis an awkward farewell and hurried inside her home.She believed that the fewer people who knew about her deal with Sofia,the better.Therefore,she dared not get too close or distant from Denis to avoid hurting and disappointing him afterward.

With these thoughts in mind,Annie lightly patted her cheek to quickly forget the recent incident,refocusing her mind to prepare for what lay ahead.

…

The following morning,as per the agreement with Sofia,Annie was to move her belongings to Finn's house to make it more convenient to care for him at all times.Sofia drove to pick up Annie,providing continuous instructions during the ride.

"While Finn is blind,there are many people to help him at his home,so don't reveal any weaknesses that might affect my image."

"Also,you should reduce your part-time jobs and focus on looking after Finn to make people praise me for being responsible and kind.I will pay you extra money so you won't lose out."

"Later,I'll also buy you some expensive clothes and jewelry to wear when guests visit Finn or when you go out with him.Remember,when you are at home,you can wear your shabby clothes,but when you meet anyone other than Finn,you must dress elegantly like a noble lady to match me."

Annie silently noted all of Sofia's instructions without any complaints.After all,the amount of money Sofia had provided was substantial,so all her demands seemed reasonable.

When Annie arrived at Finn's doorstep,Sofia handed her a new phone and helped her call the maid to come and assist.Sofia then arrogantly drove away.Fortunately,the maid,Keelin,was a gentle and helpful woman.She enthusiastically helped Annie move her belongings inside.

As Annie stepped into the clean house wearing her fluffy slippers,she heard a deep male voice.

"You must be Sofia,right?Go back;I don't need your pity."

"You've also noticed that I'm just a blind man.I'm no longer the heir to power,so you can seduce Hubert instead of trying to win me over."

"I'm more than willing to help you announce the damn cancellation of this wretched engagement."

Listening to the cold and disdainful tone,Annie tilted her head to look at the man leaning against the sofa.He wore a simple hoodie and long pants.His face was handsome as sculpted with striking features:a high,straight nose,thin lips,and fair,captivating skin.However,his deep,unseeing eyes were intense.Based on Annie's deduction,this man was Finn,her younger sister's fiancé.

At this moment,seeing that Annie hadn't responded,Finn furrowed his brow,his hand on the sofa tightening as he spoke again.

"Don't you understand?I said,Go away;I don't need care,and I despise you."

Finn had met Sofia a few times in real life and had a sense of her personality:arrogant,money-hungry,and craving attention.She was definitely not the kind of person who would willingly help when he was blind.

The reason for her appearance was that if she abandoned him now,it would be bad for her reputation.Finn didn't need this pretense.Besides,he didn't like having strangers in his house.

"I won't go anywhere.I am your fiancée,so I should stay with you during this hard time.If you don't want to be bothered,I will always keep quiet and won't approach you."

Annie replied gently,trying to soothe Finn's irritability.In that situation,Finn could become sensitive and irritable,and Annie didn't want to provoke him into an argument.So she softly asked Keelin to help her carry her suitcase to the room opposite Finn's.

"Huh,pretending,huh?If you want to stay,stay.And if you can't,then leave.I won't hold you back."

Finn didn't bother saying more;he got up from the sofa and slowly went upstairs.Seeing Finn's slow and difficult steps,Annie gently sighed.It seemed that her life from now on wouldn't be easy.Finn's clear thoughts about disdain and resentment toward Sofia were evident,and Annie couldn't ignore them.