Chapter 4

When I started sponsoring Wendy, she was just in the third grade.

She lived in the remote mountains where the roads were nearly impassable. To get to school, she had to climb over hills and leave the house before the sun even rose.

Her parents had passed away, and she lived with her grandmother, barely scraping by. They were so poor that they couldn’t afford proper meals or clothing.

Feeling sorry for her, I decided to sponsor her education all the way through college, giving her a monthly stipend of $500 for living expenses.

Over the years, she would write me letters from time to time, bragging about her excellent grades.

Out of kindness and goodwill, I believed every word she said. I never once questioned whether she was lying.

But when she took her high school entrance exams, she only managed to get into the worst-performing school.

Based on the grades she had claimed to have, she should have easily gotten into one of the best schools in the district.

As her sponsor, I felt it was only natural to ask why she had "underperformed."

Her explanation?

“Mrs. Lewis, I’m so sorry for disappointing you.

“My grandma got sick, and I was so worried about her that I couldn’t focus on studying.”

She used her grandmother’s health as an excuse, leaving me with no room to argue.

Not long after, her grandmother passed away.

At the funeral, Wendy clung to my hand tightly, tears streaming down her face as she pleaded:

“Mrs. Lewis, I have no family left.

“Can I live with you?

“Please, let me call you Mom. I’ll take care of you when you’re old. I’ll repay you no matter what.”

Looking at her tear-streaked face, I sighed and agreed.

In public, she always played the role of the pitiful, apologetic girl, making herself seem so small and humble.

In my previous life, I was touched by her act and tried to be as kind to her as possible.

It wasn’t until my death that I realized it had all been an act.

She did it to make me let my guard down.