Unveiled: The Survivor's Triumph
Chapter 114 I Won't Use Money to Spoil Someone

I casually shoved my phone back in my pocket, not really sweating the message.

Victor had pulled this kind of stunt on me more times than I could count, so it didn't even faze me anymore.

But seriously, why was he going to such crazy lengths to get rid of me? Following me around, snapping secret pics? Dude, that's not something a guy his age should be doing.

Thinking back, I realized the shock of finding out Victor was the stalker made me miss some red flags that should've been obvious.

Like, Victor knew Faris. And Faris had mentioned on the observation deck that the Windsor family owed him way more than $150,000. What kind of beef did Faris have with the Windsors? Back then, I never would've guessed that this grudge had anything to do with me.

After I spilled the beans about what happened that day, Ethan straight-up banned me from going to driving school and told me to steer clear of Faris. I kinda saw that coming since the whole kidnapping thing by Faris still haunted us, which was why I wanted to keep it on the down-low from him in the first place.

But I was already halfway through the course and didn't want to quit. After a lot of convincing, Ethan finally caved and said he'd try to tag along with me to driving school as much as he could.

That worked for me. Even though Faris had helped me out twice, I always felt he was bad news, so it was best to keep my distance.

Weirdly enough, Ethan came with me for a few days, but we never saw Faris again.

He was just as mysterious as Michael had said.

The best-case scenario for me was not running into him. Ideally, he'd stay MIA until I got my driver's license.

Lately, Faye had been coming home super late every day, sometimes not at all. When she did show up, she left early in the morning, so we barely saw each other. With no interaction, there was no drama, and we got along just fine. I was a softie, and time made me forget little spats easily. When she left in the morning, I even told her not to overwork herself and to take care of her health.

After all, Faye was just a young girl who hadn't really faced the real world yet. Even though she sometimes dressed all mature and acted like she had it all figured out, her youthful and naive side would peek through now and then. Setting aside her special status as Fiona's sister, I didn't dislike her that much. If she weren't so ambitious, I'd be down to treat her like a sister.

Before I knew it, it was the end of November. That evening, Faye came back pretty early. She said the next day was the live broadcast of the next competition, so the organizers let them come back early to rest and prep. "Emily, your hand's still messed up. Let me cook. I haven't had time to cook for you guys lately."

Such sweet words.

If only she were as genuine as she seemed, I'd really like her.

Of course, I didn't argue with her. If she wanted to cook, I let her.

I figured she had to eat too, and so did Ethan. She wouldn't poison the food, so I ate it without a second thought.

Not long after dinner, it got dark.

Faye had just finished washing the dishes when the phone rang. She dried her hands and answered it while walking out to the garden.

I went to the balcony to feed Scruffy. Faye was deep in her call with her back to the living room and didn't notice me.

"Did you deliver the gifts? I made it clear who gets what, so don't mess it up."

"Yeah, make sure to emphasize that it's from Faye, number 12. Got it?"

"Come on, it's not a big deal. Just a small gesture."

I finished feeding Scruffy and headed back to the living room.

Ethan was chilling on the couch watching TV, and I plopped down next to him.

He was watching some political news, but I just couldn't get into it.

After a bit, Faye wrapped up her call and came in, sitting excitedly on a single sofa. "Ethan, Emily, you gotta come watch the competition tomorrow. You guys are my support team."

I remembered that during the last audition, she said our presence would make her nervous.

But this time, she was clearly feeling confident, probably because of the gifts she had given out.

I recalled seeing her at the mall that day, spending money like it was nothing.

People tend to be more lenient when they get gifts, but I wondered if the judges would play along.

Ethan said, "You should get enough rest. Just do your thing tomorrow. I believe in you."

Those words were probably the biggest boost for her. Faye said a few more things before heading upstairs, her steps more energetic.

After Faye went upstairs, I couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you being too easy on her with money?"

Ethan looked at me, puzzled.

I kept going. "Look, I get that you've been helping her out with money, but support should cover the basics, not spoil her with luxury. Spoiling her with a fancy lifestyle will make it tough for her to handle life without cash. She might get all vain and do anything for money. You know how it goes."

Ethan paused before saying, "I get what you're saying, but I never did that. I know better than anyone the value of earning your own money. I wouldn't spoil someone with cash."

So, where was Faye getting all that dough to spend so freely?

I remember when she first moved in, her stuff was pretty basic. How did she suddenly start living large?

Could she have found a sugar daddy? Someone even richer than Ethan?

"Why do you say that?" Ethan asked me.

I had switched the TV to a romance drama, and the background music was all soft and sweet.

I thought for a moment and then came clean, "I overheard her on the phone just now, and it sounded like she was talking about bribing the judges. I'm worried that at such a young age, she already knows how to play the game. I'm concerned she might lose herself in this materialistic world, so I wanted to give you a heads-up."

Ethan's lips curled into a loving smile as he pulled me to lean on his shoulder.

"Emily, you're actually very kind, and you care about her."

I felt like maybe I didn't really care about Faye; I just didn't want to see a girl with a bright future go off the rails.

Even though Fiona was a big obstacle between Ethan and me, dreams were a luxury. I didn't want her to get so close to her dreams only to see them slip away.

Leaning on his shoulder, my tone softened a lot.

"I'm not crazy; I don't have to hold a grudge against a young girl."

Ethan gently ruffled my hair, his voice warm. "I know, Emily is the most understanding."

Even though I knew he was just trying to make me feel good, I still loved hearing it. Women are like that; sometimes, they just want to hear something nice.

Since we were supposed to be her support team, it couldn't just be the two of us. So, Ethan called his friends, and I invited Bella and Lacey.

The live broadcast was at 8 PM, and we got there a little after 7. They were still getting things ready backstage.

The audience started to fill in, and our seats were right in the front row.

I was about to sit down when someone tugged at me. Turning around, I saw Faye grinning playfully at me.

"Emily, my dress is a nightmare to put on. I can't zip it up by myself, and everyone else is busy changing. Can you help me out?"

It was a small favor, so I nodded without a second thought and followed her.

She went into the dressing room, and I waited outside while she changed.

As soon as she closed the door, I heard a scream from inside.

"What happened?" I asked through the door.

The dressing room door swung open, and she came out with tears in her eyes, clutching her white dress.

"What's wrong with my dress?"

I took it and shook it out, shocked.

The dress looked like it had been attacked with scissors, completely trashed.

"What am I gonna do, Emily? How can I wear this?" Faye stomped her foot, almost in tears.

"Didn't you bring another outfit? Maybe you can wear something else for now?" I suggested.

Faye shook her head, looking pained. "No, tonight's theme color is white. Everyone's wearing white. How can I wear something else?"

I knew this competition was a big deal for a lot of contestants, and the state of her dress showed just how cutthroat things were.

"How about I go buy you a white dress? Will there be enough time?" I was genuinely worried for her and could only think of this solution.

She thought for a moment and said, "The mall isn't far from here, and there's still some time before the broadcast starts. If you hurry, it should be okay. I'm sorry to trouble you, Emily."

I said, "No worries. But I can only promise to get you a white dress. I can't guarantee you'll like the style."

Faye nodded eagerly. "Any style will do. Just having a dress to wear in an emergency is good enough."

I didn't waste any more time and didn't even tell Ethan and the others. I quickly grabbed a cab to the mall.

There were plenty of white dresses, but I still wanted to pick a nice one for her. After all, it was a competition, and it couldn't be just any dress.

After about half an hour, I finally found one that was similar in style to her original dress and looked pretty good.

I bought it and rushed back to the TV station, heading straight for the dressing room.

But as I reached the door, a woman stopped me.

"Non-performers aren't allowed inside."

She had a staff badge, so she must have been a TV station employee.

I raised the bag in my hand and said, "Is Faye here? I'm here to bring her a dress. Could you please give it to her?"

She glanced at the bag in my hand and said, "She's already on stage."

I was stunned.

How could she be on stage with a shredded dress?