The Legend of Cinderella's Counterattack

The glaring light in the warehouse made it almost impossible to open my eyes, and what stung my eyes even more was that familiar face and that photo. My head was buzzing, and the fragments of memories I had deliberately forgotten were like sharp glass shards, piercing my mind one by one.

The woman in the photo, with those gentle eyes, exactly like mine... is my mother! And that baby in the cradle, is that me? Could it be... that I'm not an orphan abandoned by my parents, but rather there's something else going on?

"You... who are you? What is going on?" My voice trembled, and I could hardly believe my guess.

He laughed bitterly, his tone filled with hatred. "What? Now that you've become a phoenix, you've forgotten who you are? That's right, a heartless person like you..."

"That's enough!" I interrupted him abruptly, my heart pounding. If the person in the photo was really my mother, then wasn't my current happy life built on a giant lie? What right did I have to enjoy all this?

"Lolo!" My best friend, who was tied to a chair, called my name worriedly.

I pretended not to hear him, my mind replaying the scene in the photo and the man's hateful eyes. I stumbled out of the warehouse, letting the night wind blow me away, but it couldn't dispel the haze in my heart.

"Lolo!" A warm embrace hugged me tightly. I looked up and saw Lawrence Lu's worried eyes.

"What's wrong with you? What happened?" He stroked my hair gently with a gentle tone.

But I pushed him away, my eyes filled with confusion and pain, "I... I'm fine..."

"You said you were fine, but your face turned so pale!" He pulled me back into the car, with a barely perceptible anger in his tone.

I didn't say a word the whole way, just staring blankly out the window. Lawrence Lu tried to ask several questions, but was forced back by my evasive gaze. After returning home, I locked myself in my room and refused to come out no matter how much he knocked on the door.

My mind was a mess. The man's resentful eyes, my mother's gentle face in the photo, and everything I had experienced over the years were like a tangled mess, making it hard to breathe. I began to doubt myself, everything I had, and even began to doubt who I was.

“Knock knock knock…” The knock on the door sounded again, and I knew it was Lawrence Lu.

"Lolo, open the door and let me in!" His voice was full of anxiety and worry.

I walked to the door, hesitated for a moment, and finally opened it.

"What's wrong with you? Is there something you can't tell me?" He pulled me into his arms, his tone full of heartache and worry.

I looked up at the man who loved me so deeply, but I didn't know how to start. I was afraid that if I told him the truth, he would doubt me like I did, or even... leave me... Lawrence Lu's embrace was as warm as ever, and his eyes were filled with worry and concern. I wanted to tell him everything, but I was afraid to disrupt the peace. I took a deep breath and forced a smile. "I'm fine, just... I ran into a little trouble and I need some time to deal with it."

He looked at me with deep eyes, as if he saw through my disguise, but he didn't expose it. He just gently hugged me in his arms and said, "No matter what happens, remember that I am always here."

His words flowed into my heart like a warm current, giving me a little strength. I nodded and tried to calm myself down.

My best friends and family also called one after another to ask about my situation. Their words, filled with concern and encouragement, warmed my heart. I knew that no matter what happened, I would have them by my side, and that gave me immense peace of mind.

To distract myself, I decided to throw myself into work. I started preparing for the next season's fashion show and poured all my energy into designing, hoping to release the pressure through creation.

I locked myself in the studio, revising the design over and over again. Inspiration surged like a spring, and I incorporated all those chaotic thoughts and unspeakable secrets into my design.

My work is full of contradictions and struggles, sometimes passionate and unrestrained, sometimes suppressed and dull, just like my inner heart at the moment. When my friends see my designs, they are amazed and say that my work is full of stories and can touch people's hearts.

However, only I know that every time a design inspiration comes, it reminds me of that secret, the man's resentful eyes, and my mother's gentle face in the photo. This makes my creative process full of pain and struggle, like rubbing salt in a wound, but I can't help but touch it.

I kept telling myself to be strong, to be brave, to believe in myself. But the dark cloud inside me wouldn't go away, like an invisible shackle, tightly binding me. I knew I had to find the truth to untie this knot in my heart.

But what is the truth? How should I face it?

However, every time a design inspiration comes, it reminds me of that secret, the man's resentful eyes, and my mother's gentle face in the photo. This makes my creative process full of pain and struggle, like rubbing salt in a wound, but I can't help but touch it.

The studio lights illuminated the desk full of design drafts. I rubbed my sore eyes and let out a long sigh. Inspiration seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with me, appearing and disappearing, while the secret weighed heavily on my heart like a huge rock, making it difficult for me to breathe.

"Staying up late again?" Lawrence Lu's voice was a little tired, but still gentle. He gently hugged me from behind, rested his chin on my shoulder, and looked at me with concern.

"Well, the new model launch will be brought forward, so time is a bit tight." I forced a smile to hide my inner uneasiness.

“Lolo, you haven’t been in a good state recently.” Lawrence Lu frowned slightly, his deep eyes filled with worry, “Did something happen? You can tell me, I will always be by your side.”

I bit my lip, wanting to speak but stopping myself. I wanted to tell him everything, to tell him the fear and struggle deep inside me, but when the words came to my lips, I fell silent.

"I'm just...a little stressed out at work. I just need a break." I finally chose to escape.

Lawrence Lu was silent for a moment, gently stroking my hair, with a hint of helplessness in his tone, “Okay, but you have to promise me that you will take good care of yourself and not work too hard.”

I nodded, but my heart felt even heavier. I knew I couldn't keep running away like this, I had to face it.

The next day, Lawrence Lu suddenly told me that he was going to take me somewhere.

"Where are you going?" I looked at him puzzled.

"A place where you can relax." He smiled mysteriously and didn't reveal more.

We arrived at a picturesque coastal town, far from the hustle and bustle of the city, where the air was filled with the faint scent of sea salt. The rented cottage was warm and comfortable, and from the window we could see the azure waters and golden beaches.

Lawrence Lu arranged everything carefully, hoping that I could relax here and forget all my troubles for a while.

However, although I seemed to be enjoying a peaceful time, the struggle within me never ceased...

The ocean breeze gently ruffled the curtains, the sound of the waves a lullaby, but I couldn't sleep. When I closed my eyes, that mysterious symbol haunted my mind like a ghost. What did it represent? The mystery of my origins? The feeling that I didn't fit in this world?

I stood up and walked to the window, gazing at the sparkling sea in the distance. Unspeakable distress surged within me. Lawrence Lu was sound asleep. He must have thought I had let go of my worries, for a long-lost, relaxed smile appeared on his face. How I wished I could truly be as carefree as he was.

Perhaps it is because the nights at the seaside are particularly reminiscent of the past, and fragments of the past kept flashing through my mind: that rainy night, my mother’s panicked eyes; the unfamiliar address behind the photo; and that man, his hateful tone... All of this was like a tangled mess, entangling me tightly and making it hard for me to breathe.

Suddenly, I felt as if I were back in that dream: in the endless darkness, only the symbol emitted a faint light. This time, I seemed to touch it, and a jolt of electricity instantly spread through my body. I woke up suddenly, and my clothes were soaked with sweat.

Lawrence Lu was awakened by my movement and asked sleepily, with a hint of worry in his tone.

I shook my head and said calmly, "It's okay, I just had a nightmare."

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." He held me in his arms and patted my back gently, as if comforting a frightened animal.

I snuggled in his arms, listening to his steady heartbeat, and my heart became even more determined: I can't escape anymore! I want to figure out all this, I want to know my life experience, I want to know the secret behind that symbol!

The next morning, I looked at myself in the mirror, my eyes gradually becoming more resolute. I took a deep breath and told myself: Lin Luoluo, you can do this! You are no longer that Cinderella who is at the mercy of others. You have the ability and the courage to face everything!