I Read Lies, Got Filthy Rich

Chapter 2

I sent Nolan Chase a friend request first. He rejected it immediately.

Chloe looked oddly pleased. "See? He has great boundaries."

My gaze drifted toward the stacks of cash inside the suitcases, pure longing flashing in my eyes. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

"How about this? Bring him over tomorrow. I'll test him in person. I only need to ask a few questions."

Chloe instantly lit up. "Perfect!"

After I sent them away, I carefully locked the door to my tiny apartment before diving straight at the money. I counted every bill one by one.

I had probably never seen that much money in my life. By the time I finished counting all three million dollars for the third time, my fingers were cramping. Chloe really was filthy rich.

At least now I would not have to work part-time through all four years at Kingsport University just to pay tuition.

Unfortunately, I had barely enjoyed the happiness for more than a few seconds before my parents called.

"Raina, do you have any money on you? We want to give the matchmaker a little gift to help your brother find a wife."

My tone stayed flat. "No."

"Well, perfect timing then. We already found you a good husband anyway. Girls don't need that much education. You should think about your brother. He's slow in the head. What happens if he can't find a wife in the future?"

I burst out laughing. Then I hung up immediately. My phone exploded with messages and calls right afterward. Every single one cursed me for being an ungrateful daughter with no conscience.

When I was little, I had just figured out that I was born with a human lie detector. Back then, I excitedly decided to test whether my parents truly loved me.

"Mom, Dad," I asked nervously, "if I have a little brother someday, will you stop loving me?"

My mother gently stroked my face. "Of course not. You're our precious little girl. Boys and girls are exactly the same to us."

That very night, both of them lost the ability to have children.

At the hospital, when they received the diagnosis, they cried so hard they could barely breathe. "Oh god! We'll never have a son now!"

That was the moment I finally realized they had never loved me at all. They were all liars. Even as a child, I could already read the truth in their expressions. Watching them cry so miserably, I could not help laughing out loud.

My father heard me laughing. Enraged, he grabbed a switch and stormed toward me.

I shouted back at him, "You're not even a real man anymore! Are you still supposed to be my father?"

Because of my yelling, the entire village found out what happened. My parents were humiliated beyond repair. That same day, they nearly drank pesticide to kill themselves.

In the end, my grandmother brought home an adopted baby boy, which immediately soothed everyone's grief. From then on, my parents centered their entire lives around him and insisted that I accept him as my little brother.

Later, my grandmother somehow discovered a bizarre folk remedy that supposedly drove away misfortune and helped children grow strong and healthy. She took out three silver needles and came to find me.

"Raina, as long as these three needles go into your head, you'll become smarter."

My expression remained cold while the warning chime screamed nonstop beside my ear, so loud it nearly made me deaf. "Okay," I agreed obediently. "I want to become smarter."

I had wanted to test something anyway. Could people who lied to me actually hurt me? Worst-case scenario, I could always run.

But before the needles even touched my head, my adopted brother suddenly started crying hysterically. My grandmother rushed off to comfort him, but he cried all the way through the night.

Terrified, my parents carried him to the hospital. That was when the doctors discovered three silver needles buried inside his skull. After that, he became mentally disabled. The entire family nearly lost their minds from grief.

My experiment had succeeded. People who lied to me could never truly hurt me.

I packed the money carefully and hid it all beneath my bed, planning to deposit it at the bank the next day.

Chloe moved fast. The very next morning, she sent me an address. Nolan was not the only person who came with her. There was also Chloe's best friend, Sasha Moreau.

Chloe took the initiative to explain. "She's one of my closest friends. She was curious about you."

I understood immediately. She was worried Chloe had been scammed out of three million dollars. After all, no normal person would easily believe someone possessed supernatural abilities.