Chapter 3The Lucky Teardown

There was too much junk here, making it a hassle to clean up. My parents decided to pack up our things from the country and move them over little by little.

After returning home, the neighbors heard that my parents had bought an old house and gossiped while snacking on sunflower seeds.

"The Davis family must have lost their minds! Listening to a little girl!"

"They finally saved up enough money, and they go to the city just to buy a house like that? I wouldn't live there even if they gave it to me for free!"

"Tell me about it! Last time I suggested Chloe's mom have another boy, she gave me such a dirty look!" Mrs. Smith said, spit flying.

"No matter how lucky this girl is, she's still not a son! Just wait and see! There will come a day when the Davis family regrets it!"

My grandmother also disapproved a bit when she heard, but her attitude completely changed when she heard I liked it.

"Since Chloe likes it, then we bought it! Don't listen to their nonsense. At least we own a house in the city now!"

My parents felt the same way and started packing up the things at home.

The next day, my dad received a phone call and walked home looking like he was sleepwalking.

"Richard? What's wrong with you? Did you lose your soul?" My mom waved her hand in front of my dad's face.

My dad recovered after a while and said, "Sarah, the old house we just bought is condemned for demolition."

"What... what nonsense are you talking about?!" My mom looked doubtful.

"It's true, that call just now was from the city planning office!"

My mom and grandmother still couldn't quite believe it, afraid they had encountered a scammer.

The family rushed to the city in a panic.

It wasn't until they negotiated with the city officials, signed the contract, and saw the "Condemned" notice posted on our newly purchased house that it finally felt real.

"Oh my, I told you our Chloe is a little lucky charm!"

My grandmother hugged me and happily kissed my cheek.

My parents were also smiling, looking at me with absolute adoration.

After all, trading the price of a dilapidated house for a massive eminent domain payout was something they wouldn't have even dared to dream of.

Since the house was going to be demolished, it couldn't be lived in.

Striking while the iron was hot, my parents took the fresh payout, gritted their teeth, and bought a nice house in the suburbs.

Soon, our whole family moved.

The houses here were divided into two main areas.

One area was for families with a little bit of money, like ours.

The other area consisted of gated estates; only the wealthiest and most prestigious people in the city lived there.

On our very first day moving in, we ran into the family from the sales office.

It turned out their family had also moved here, but they lived in the gated community.

Mr. Sterling wasn't there. Mrs. Sterling still looked pale, but it didn't detract from her beauty.

Mrs. Sterling was holding the hand of the little girl from last time.

The little girl was dressed like a little princess, even wearing a small tiara on her head.

When she saw our family, she didn't look friendly and muttered "hicks" under her breath.

My parents didn't notice, and I turned my head away, ignoring her.

We found out later that they were the Sterling family.

The Sterling family enterprise was a leading corporation in the city.

Mr. Sterling was famous for doting on his wife, and they only had this one daughter, Lily Sterling.

Lily had been spoiled since childhood; calling her a princess wouldn't be an overstatement.

I thought this was just a minor interlude, never expecting our two families' fates to be intertwined forever.

Not long after moving, I was getting ready to start elementary school.

I adapted to the new school pretty well, but I saw Lily Sterling here too.

She and I didn't know each other, so I didn't approach her.

But Lily wasn't happy about that.

Since she was little, wherever she went, she was always the center of attention.

Her peers would try their best to please her.

And yet I, someone she had disliked from the very first glance, hadn't taken the initiative to approach her.

So, during recess one day, Lily and her little followers came looking for me.

"Hey, Chloe Davis, who told you to wear this hairstyle?"

I touched the half-up princess style my mom had just done for me that morning, looking confused.

Lily stared at me unkindly, as if trying to burn a hole in my face.

Seeing that I didn't speak, another follower next to her spoke up.

"We're talking to you! Are you mute? Who told you to wear this hairstyle?"

"Why do I need your permission?" I asked seriously.

"Don't you know Lily is the little princess of our school? Are you trying to steal her thunder by dressing up so elaborately?"

Listening to this illogical nonsense, I didn't want to talk to them anymore and put on a cold expression: "Sorry, I don't know you guys."

I didn't expect this sentence to completely infuriate Lily.

She ordered her followers to lunge at me and mess up my hair.

But having grown up playing rough outside, I wasn't someone to mess with either.

Seeing this, how could I just take it?

I nimbly dodged their attacks, grabbed firmly, and yanked the hair clip right off Lily's head.

A strand of Lily's hair was still clinging to the fallen clip.

They were completely enraged by me and were preparing to all jump me to teach me a lesson.

The farce only ended when the teacher walked into the classroom.

After school, both my mom and Mrs. Sterling appeared at the school.

Mrs. Sterling recognized me and was clearly surprised to see me.

My mom put her arm around me and looked angrily at Lily.

I was actually fine, my hair was just a bit messy.

But Lily's hands had several red scratch marks from me.

After Mrs. Sterling heard the whole story, she pulled Lily forward to apologize to us.

Lily looked incredibly resistant, glaring at me with anger in her eyes.

"I'm not apologizing to her, that hick!" Lily refused to cooperate.

"Lily Sterling!" Mrs. Sterling gave her a warning look.

Lily turned and ran, completely disregarding Mrs. Sterling's presence.

"I'm so sorry, Lily has been spoiled since she was little. How about this, you leave me your address, and we'll come to your house another day to formally apologize?"

My mom didn't care for her apology and led me away, turning her back on them.