On My 18th, I Escaped To Yu’s Group

One night, Elijah Dempsey, the man who controlled Dempsey Group, the country's leading conglomerate, discovered something strange. His consciousness would enter the body of a young woman without warning. The young woman was so timid and would cry whenever she suffered even the slightest grievance. Whenever others mistreated her, she had no idea how to fight back. At first, Elijah had no intention of getting involved in her problems. However, he heard her crying every night, making it impossible for him to sleep. It annoyed him greatly. Elijah believed that since the young woman had somehow become connected to him, he could not simply stand by and watch others bully her. So, he decided to help her resolve her problems. ***** Outside the headquarters of Dempsey Group. 'Hand them the application form, then say exactly what I taught you. Do it, and you will secure a position at headquarters.' The voice in Winona Eastwood's mind kept urging her on. Her palms were covered in sweat as she nervously handed her application materials to the front desk supervisor. The supervisor gave Winona a meaningful look before lowering her head to record the information on the registration form. "Winona Eastwood, eighteen years old, daughter of the chairperson of Eastwood Architects. You have passed the preliminary screening. Please report to headquarters for the final interview in ten days." Only after Winona followed a staff member out of the building did she finally relax. She whispered in her mind, "God, is this really going to work?" The voice in her mind sounded completely unconcerned. 'You have no other choice now. Only by entering Dempsey Group headquarters can you cut those three people out of your life completely and free yourself from them.' After hearing this, Winona fell silent. Two days earlier, the voice that only she could hear had suddenly appeared in her mind. It felt like some mysterious force had stepped straight out of a novel. That day, Winona had been locked in the attic of an old house by her own brother. She had gone three days without food or water. Her body had grown extremely weak, and she had nearly died. The three people mentioned by the voice had once been the closest people in Winona's life. The first was her biological older brother, David Eastwood, who was ten years older than her. David was the youngest chairperson of Eastwood Architects. He had transferred all the properties, savings, and dowry their parents left for Winona to Rosie. The second was Marcus Callahan, Winona's childhood friend. Marcus was the son of a senior official at the Department of Education. At a villa banquet the previous week, Winona had merely asked, "Why do I have to give everything to Rosie?" Marcus had immediately pushed her into the ornamental pond. The last was Nathan Harlow, Winona's fiancé, to whom she had been engaged since she turned 18. Nathan was the young heir of Everhaven Real Estate Group. For some reason, he had secretly arranged for people to spread rumors about Winona and instructed others to cause trouble for her at every opportunity. Winona had become the laughingstock of the city's upper-class circles, and Nathan was the one behind it all. After Winona's parents died in a car accident while away on a business trip, these three men had been the only people she could rely on. However, after Rosie appeared, all three of them repeatedly hurt Winona for Rosie's sake, leaving her devastated. Therefore, Winona had already decided she would never place any expectations on them again. Dempsey Group maintained strict control over its headquarters. Once she entered the company, Winona might lose even more control over her own life. Even so, it was still far better than enduring the endless torment she had experienced before. At the very least, she would no longer be hurt again and again by the people she trusted most. The deep male voice in her mind spoke slowly, 'You don't need to worry. From now on, I will support you and protect you.' After leaving Dempsey Tower, Winona had to attend an upper-class flower-viewing reception that afternoon. It was held at the private estate of the daughter of the chairperson of Crownstead Holdings. The moment Winona stepped out of the car, she saw Nathan and Rosie. Nathan drove a limited-edition sports car beside Rosie's chauffeured vehicle, escorting her to the estate. Once the cars stopped, Nathan immediately got out, walked around, and personally opened Rosie's door for her. Every movement was filled with extraordinary gentleness. The handsome young heir and the delicate, graceful young woman looked like a perfect match, and everyone around them believed they belonged together. However, when Nathan noticed Winona, the warmth in his eyes disappeared instantly, replaced by an icy stare. He looked at Winona arrogantly, his voice filled with mockery. "Winona, people judge you everywhere you go now. How does that feel?" ***** Every time Winona saw Nathan, her heart raced uncontrollably. In the past, it had been the nervous excitement of a young girl's first love. Now, all she felt was fear and sorrow. Winona and Nathan had been engaged since they were young. Although Nathan had always been proud and blunt, he had once protected Winona with complete sincerity. He often complained that Winona was too fragile and called her a crybaby. Yet whenever she encountered trouble, he was always the first person to appear and help her. That lasted until two years ago, when Winona's brother David took Rosie in. Rosie was the daughter of one of David's deceased employees. From that moment on, everything changed. Nathan stopped paying attention to Winona. Almost everything he talked about was related to Rosie. At first, Nathan wanted nothing to do with Rosie and refused to even look at her. However, Rosie approached him every day, showing concern and caring for him in every possible way. Eventually, the once-rebellious Nathan began staying by Rosie's side constantly. During their previous event at the equestrian club, Rosie had deliberately injured her ankle. Ignoring everyone's shocked reactions, Nathan carried her away in his arms. Afterward, he confronted Winona, convinced she had secretly instructed the other wealthy young women to target Rosie. "Were you behind this? Did you deliberately have them bully Rosie?" Winona had shaken her head in confusion. "I didn't. I swear I had nothing to do with this." Nathan refused to listen. "You just can't stand seeing anyone else happy, can you? Then I'll let you know what it feels like to be rejected by everyone." Soon afterward, rumors spread throughout upper-class society that Winona was narrow-minded, jealous, and vicious. Even children begging on the streets dared to approach her, spit at her, and curse her as a wicked woman. ***** Now, meeting Nathan's gaze, Winona went pale, completely unable to speak. The young man before her was someone who had once treated her with endless care. After Winona casually mentioned that she liked roses, Nathan painted rose oil paintings for her for three years straight. Although he disliked watching plays, he accompanied her to the theater every single time. When Winona was hospitalized with a high fever, Nathan even climbed over the wall of the residential compound in the middle of the night just to secretly visit her. Winona couldn't understand how someone who had once cared for her so deeply could now hurt her without the slightest hesitation. At that moment, Rosie gently tugged on Nathan's sleeve. "Nathan, don't speak to Winona like that..." Nathan raised an eyebrow, obvious disdain appearing on his face. Then he let out a quiet laugh. "Those who do wrong will eventually pay the price. She should have known what awaited her when she kept coming after you." Winona lowered her head and bit down hard on her lower lip. She would never allow herself to cry in front of Nathan and Rosie. Just then, the mysterious male voice that had remained silent until then suddenly spoke in her mind, 'Ignore them. Walk straight past Nathan. Don't stop.'