Chapter 3

After inserting the card into the ATM, I regretted it.

I didn't know the password.

It wasn't 123456, nor was it six eights. I really wanted to slap myself. I was so busy acting cool and playing my part that I forgot to ask for the password!

At this point, going back to find Aimee was out of the question. So I had to think hard.

Maybe the day we met?

Incorrect password.

Her birthday?

Incorrect password.

I had one more chance. If I got it wrong, the bank would freeze my account!

I could feel my heart racing, and sweat dripping down.

After thinking it over, I dialed Olivia's number.

On the other end, her voice was an octave higher than usual, "Katharine?"

"Forget about other thing, help me think of the password!"

"How about trying your birthday?"

Was she joking? Aimee didn't even know my birthday!

Wait, Aimee once teased me about how bad my driver's license photo looked... But she's a spoiled heiress, why would she remember the driver's license number of someone so insignificant?

But, for some inexplicable reason, I decided to take a chance.

I entered the last six digits of my driver's license number, took a deep breath, and pressed confirm.

It worked! The password was the last six digits of my driver's license number!

No wonder Aimee said she had a photographic memory. Alright, she was the best!

Aimee was surprisingly considerate, not using some tricky password to torture me.

Without dwelling on it further, I tapped the "0" on the machine, counting each one. I was sure my heart rate had to be at 180 at that moment.

"One hundred thousand, one million, ten million!" I almost exclaimed out loud.

Aimee was incredibly generous!

No wonder she had that expression earlier. She really lost ten million!

"Hello? Katharine, say something! Hello?" Olivia said on the phone.

I gripped the phone tightly and said softly, "Olivia, the orphanage is saved."

Corrie knew about Aimee's matter the next day. I handed the bank card to Corrie, and her eyes widened in disbelief when she heard the amount.

The orphanage had been struggling for years. With this money, not only could they hire more staff to solve the manpower shortage, but they can also build new buildings, introduce new equipment, and even invest in a kindergarten, library, and more.

"Katharine, this is what Aimee left for you. You shouldn't donate it to the orphanage." Corrie said.

I smiled, "Without the orphanage, there wouldn't be me. Of course, I have to give this money to the orphanage. Don't worry, Ms. Finch."

This was something I had planned from the start. The orphanage wouldn't face financial difficulties for the next twenty or thirty years, which meant I could leave without worries.

I dialed Olivia again. Olivia asked, "Hello?"

"Olivia, I'm leaving."

Olivia was silent on the other end for a long while, then chuckled softly, "Great, I'm waiting for you to make me famous."

I boarded the plane to the Eblen that year when I was twenty-five.

Before leaving, I changed my phone number and deleted all contact with Aimee. After all, my intentions weren't pure when I approached her, so it was best to cut ties cleanly.

The orphanage began a large-scale upgrade with the money, and I believed that when I returned, it would look completely different.

Corrie personally took me to the airport, as she knew my dreams best.

She patted my shoulder, "Even if you don't succeed, it's okay. You can always come back and be a music teacher."

I nodded.

I was going to Whaesal College of Music to study composition.

The world was vast, and I refused to settle in one corner. I wanted to see the scenery with my eyes, explore the world with my feet, and write poems with my notes.

I didn't want to spend my life in a small town, nor did I want to give up my dreams for someone else.

Being abandoned at birth destined me to live a life of freedom.

Two weeks after I left, Corrie called me, saying someone from Skia Group came, led by Aimee. Aimee couldn't find out where I went and sat on the piano bench, lost in thought for a while, then took the remaining half bottle of essential oil.

I just smiled faintly when I heard it. Since it was already in the past, why pretended to be deeply in love?

I started doubling my time on courses and worked part-time in my spare time. My time abroad was busy and fulfilling, leaving no room to think about anything else.

Olivia called to say Aimee had acquired the largest entertainment company in the country. I just responded with an "oh," as it had nothing to do with me.

A dazzling new star suddenly appeared in the Prussau pop music scene.

No one knew who this "Lewis" was, only that the single she produced for Prussau pop star Jonny Watson broke music industry records on its first day of release. Reporters scrambled for information but found nothing.

"Katharine, my dear, why are you hiding in the background?" Olivia asked curiously.

I smiled faintly, "If people knew who I was, they'd judge the art by the artist, not the art itself."

The new single had been a hit with few negative reviews.

But I knew if people found out Lewis was a Jastrait woman, there would be a flood of insults overnight.

"Alright. By the way, a domestic company wants to produce a music show and is interested in buying the rights to Jonny's song." Olivia said.

I raised an eyebrow, wondering which company had such foresight.

"I also heard them discussing whether the song was composed by a Jastrait woman." Olivia continued.

I was taken aback. Why would they think that?

However, the prelude of the song did have a few elements inspired by my time in Jastrait years ago.

"So, did they figure it out?" I asked.

"Of course not, they're just a bunch of gossipers." Olivia replied.

I gave a mischievous laugh.

Speaking of which, I still owed Olivia a song. I had boasted about making her famous, and now, with the warm-up from Prussau pop star Jonny, I could consider fulfilling my promise.

Three months later, Olivia, a C-list actress in Jastrait, shot to the top of various app trending charts with a new song by the mysterious composer Lewis, becoming the hottest star in the entertainment industry.