The Legend of Cinderella's Counterattack

The warning on the other end of the phone was still ringing in my ears, and my blood froze. The plastic casing of the USB drive creaked under my pressure, and I could almost feel my fingertips turning white from the pressure. No, I had to find out what was going on! Taking a deep breath, I turned on my computer and inserted the USB drive. There was only one file in the folder: a photo. Trembling, I clicked on it, but the content of the photo made me feel as if I had fallen into an icy cave.

The person in the photo was Yuxuan, hugging a glamorously dressed woman. They were acting intimately, both wearing ambiguous smiles. I can't describe the feeling at that moment: shock, anger, sadness, disbelief—all sorts of emotions washed over me like waves. Could it be... could it be that Yuxuan had really betrayed me?

No, it's impossible! I told myself over and over again that the photo could be fake, or it could have been maliciously photoshopped. I couldn't deny Yuxuan based on just one photo. However, the smile in the photo was so dazzling, and Yuxuan's arms around the woman were so tight, all of which I couldn't ignore.

I clutched the photo tightly, my nails digging deep into my palms, but the pain only made me more awake. I couldn't just sit there and wait for death. I wanted to ask Yuxuan in person and hear his explanation in person!

I grabbed my phone and called Yuxuan. His familiar voice came from the other end of the line. My tears instantly burst out. I asked in a trembling voice, "Where are you?"

"Lolo? What's wrong with you? What happened?" There was a hint of anxiety and confusion in his voice, but I heard a hint of panic, which made me more certain of my guess.

"I'm at home, come back, I have something to ask you!" I tried hard to restrain myself and not let my voice sound too out of control.

"Okay, I'll go back right away." He agreed readily, but my heart grew colder and colder. If he was innocent, he would have asked me what happened at this moment instead of agreeing so easily.

An hour later, Yuxuan pushed the door open with a hint of fatigue on his face. When he saw the photo I was holding tightly in my hand, his expression froze instantly.

"Lolo, listen to my explanation..." He tried to get closer to me, but I pushed him away.

"Explain? How are you going to explain? Isn't that you in the photo? Who is that woman you're hugging?" I couldn't control my emotions anymore and tears welled up in my eyes.

"Lolo, things are not what you think. That photo..."

"That's enough!" I interrupted him. "Don't say anymore. I don't want to hear your explanation anymore!" I threw the photo at his feet and said, "Let's break up!"

After that, I ran into the bedroom without looking back and slammed the door shut. I heard him knocking on the door and explaining, but I didn't want to hear anything. I just wanted to be alone.

I locked myself in my room, letting the tears flow freely. I felt as if my heart had been torn into pieces, each one aching. The vows we had made, the sweet happiness we had once shared, had all become, in this moment, ironic lies.

Why? Why did he do this to me? What did I do wrong? I asked myself over and over again, but I couldn't find the answer. The room was pitch black, and only my cries echoed in the empty room, as if telling of my despair and helplessness.

My phone kept ringing. I knew it was Yuxuan, but I didn't answer and even turned it off. The text messages kept coming in, and the vibrations felt like they were hammering at my nerves, each one making me more upset. I tossed the phone aside, leaving it to flicker in the darkness.

I didn't know how long I cried until there was a rapid knock on the door, which brought me back from my sad mood.

"Lolo, open the door, I know you are inside, let me in!" It was the voice of my best friend, with a hint of anxiety and worry.

I hesitated for a moment, but finally got up and opened the door. My bestie gave me a warm hug as soon as she walked in. "Lolo, are you okay? What happened?"

I shook my head helplessly, not wanting to speak, but silently shedding tears. My bestie gently stroked my hair, as if comforting a wounded animal, "Don't cry, tell me if you have anything, I'll help you."

I choked up and told my best friend what happened in a fragmented manner. After listening to my story, my best friend frowned tightly, "How could this happen? Yuxuan..."

"I don't know, I really don't know..." I covered my face, tears bursting out again, "I thought he really loved me, I thought there was something different between us, but..."

"Lolo, don't jump to conclusions. Maybe things aren't as bad as you think. There could be some misunderstanding." My bestie tried to comfort me. "Think about it again. You should know better than anyone how Yuxuan treats you."

"But the photo..." I thought of that glaring photo, and my heart felt like it was being pricked by needles, with waves of pain.

"The photo might be fake. You can't deny his feelings for you based on just one photo." My best friend held my hand and said seriously, "Lolo, I know you're sad and desperate right now, but you can't just give up like this, and you can't let hatred blind you."

My bestie's words were like a flash of lightning, piercing through the haze that had accumulated in my heart and bringing me a glimmer of clarity. Yes, I knew better than anyone how Yuxuan treated me, but if it wasn't true, what was the story behind that photo?

After my bestie left, I sat alone on the sofa, my mind a mess. I kept thinking about how good Yuxuan had been to me. Every look he gave me, every word he said, was like a movie playing in my mind, so real, so sweet. Could it be that, as my bestie said, there was some misunderstanding?

Just as I was about to convince myself to trust Yuxuan, the doorbell rang. I hesitantly walked to the door and looked through the peephole. A strange man stood outside. He was wearing a black suit and sunglasses, so I couldn't see his face clearly. He exuded a cold aura.

I asked cautiously, "Excuse me, who are you looking for?"

The man took off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of deep eyes. He smiled slightly, but his tone was unusually cold, "Ms. Lin, our boss wants to see you."

I was startled. Boss? What boss? Could it be… A terrifying thought suddenly flashed through my mind. Could it be the woman in the photo…

"Who is your boss? I don't know him. You have the wrong person." I said calmly, but my hand involuntarily tightened around the door handle.

The man didn't say anything. He just took out a photo from his pocket and handed it to me. "Ms. Lin, you will know after seeing this photo."

I took the photo with trembling hands, and the person in the photo was... my father!