Aurora t her gaze calmly and spoke without hesitation,
"Since childhood, I’ve always known you were a good actor. If it weren’t for your constant teaching back then, I wouldn’t have reached where I was before."
Dorothy let out a short laugh, the sound edged with bitterness, and tilted her head slightly.
"I guess I really did have so talent for acting."
Even as she said it, there was a trace of self-mockery in her eyes, as though she were laughing at her younger self.
Aurora knew it well. Dorothy had once dread of becoming an actress, but for personal reasons, she had never stepped into that world.
Letting out a quiet breath, Aurora looked at her seriously. "Are you ready?"
Dorothy hesitated.
Her fingers curled tightly, nails digging into her palms before she finally spoke,
"I won’t hide it from you. I already owe almost fifty thousand dollars. My mother is sick, and I don’t even have a place to sleep properly."
Her voice trembled slightly despite her effort to stay composed.
"The car I’m using right now is sothing I begged and bargained for over a long ti. As for my bank account..." She laughed hollowly.
"There’s only one thousand dollars left, and even that is borrowed from soone else."
Hearing this, Aurora felt her chest tighten.
’She’s really been pushed to the edge,’ she thought.
Dorothy lifted her gaze and continued,
"If you’re truly planning to help , then help all the way. In return, I’ll rember this for the rest of my life. One day, I’ll definitely make sure you benefit from it."
Aurora laughed softly, though her eyes were steady.
"If that’s the case, then I’ll help you till the end."
Dorothy’s heartbeat skipped. Excitent surged through her chest, but she forcefully suppressed it.
’Don’t get carried away,’ she warned herself. Aurora was just like her. How could Aurora possibly co up with so much money?
Maybe she would borrow it on Dorothy’s behalf. No matter what, this favor would be engraved in her heart forever.
For a brief mont, tears welled up in Dorothy’s eyes, but she quickly swallowed them back.
During the darkest period of her life, when her mother’s condition worsened, she had seen too many people’s true faces.
That was when she learned that tears weren’t weapons. They were signs of weakness.
People might show sympathy, but sympathy never paid bills or saved lives.
Once she understood that, she had stopped crying in front of others.
Yet now, hearing Aurora’s words, a painful lump ford in her throat. She forced it down and smiled faintly.
"Then you should go do it right away. Otherwise, I’ll think you’re just saying empty words."
Aurora shook her head. "I can’t leave right now. I have a eting."
Dorothy’s eyes dimd for a split second, but she quickly nodded.
"I’ll wait for you to contact ."
’Please don’t let this be another promise that fades,’ she thought silently.
As she stood there, her fingers kept picking at her skin, nails digging in until they stung.
Fear gnawed at her relentlessly.
’What if Mom doesn’t make it?’
At that mont, Aurora spoke again,
"Give your phone number." Her tone carried a hint of urgency.
Dorothy handed it over, assuming Aurora would call later. Aurora typed sothing quickly on her phone.
The next second, Dorothy’s phone vibrated.
A notification from the bank flashed across the screen. Her heart clenched in panic as she checked it.
Then her breath hitched violently.
Dorothy staggered back, clutching her chest, convinced her heart was about to burst.
The credited amount on the screen wasn’t a re thousand dollars.
It wasn’t even ten thousand. It was one million dollars.
For a mont, she blinked repeatedly, her vision blurring as she wondered if exhaustion had finally driven her mad.
She checked again, counting the zeros one by one. It was real. One million dollars.
She slowly lifted her head and looked at Aurora with wide, trembling eyes.
This was the first ti soone hadn’t stopped at empty words and hollow promises.
Silence swallowed her whole before tears finally spilled over.
Her legs gave out, and she nearly collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
Aurora’s heart felt unbearably heavy.
She quickly knelt down and wrapped her arms around Dorothy, gently patting her back.
"It’s going to be fine. Everything will be fine."
But Dorothy couldn’t stop crying.
Those words, which once felt aningless, now carried real weight.
Hope, sothing she had been chasing desperately for so long, finally stood within reach.
She clung to Aurora and cried, "I really thought I wouldn’t be able to save my mother."
She thanked Aurora again and again, her tears soaking into Aurora’s clothes, each sob making Aurora’s chest ache even more.
Aurora never imagined that Dorothy... the confident girl who had once taught her everything... would one day be reduced to crying alone like this, clinging to hope with trembling hands.
As Aurora gently patted Dorothy’s back, feeling the tremors of her sobs gradually ease, Dorothy clung to her and silently vowed,
’One day, I will repay every bit of this kindness.’
Aurora had no idea that in the distant future, the movie queen who would dominate the national screen and shine on the international stage would one day stand before countless caras, announce Aurora’s na, and praise her without restraint.
For now, Aurora thought of nothing beyond helping Dorothy stand back on her feet.
After a while, Dorothy’s breathing finally steadied.
She pulled back, wiped her tears with the back of her hand, and looked at Aurora with an embarrassed expression.
"I really don’t understand why I cried in front of you," she muttered.
"You’re not even my friend anymore."
As if to cover her discomfort, she glared at Aurora, as though the whole thing were Aurora’s fault.
Aurora couldn’t help but laugh softly. "At least we still have a plastic sisterhood," she teased. "That should be enough."
Dorothy paused, then chuckled despite herself.
"You do have a point." She wiped the last traces of moisture from her lashes and took a step back.
"I need to go now," she added, then glanced over her shoulder. "But I’ll definitely treat you to a al."
With that, she smiled and turned away.
The mont her back faced Aurora, tears welled up again, but this ti they were warm, light, and filled with joy rather than despair.
Not long after, Dorothy arrived at the hospital.
She hurried to the dical counter and spoke quickly, "I’m here for my mother. Which room is she in?"
After settling the bill, the nurse looked at her in mild surprise.
For the past week, Dorothy had been forced to delay her mother’s dication, and the hospital had been close to asking them to leave.
Yet now, not only had Dorothy paid the overdue amount, she had also covered the expenses for the coming week in advance.
The nurse’s tense expression softened.
’She must have finally found a way,’ she thought, feeling a quiet sense of relief for Dorothy.
Despite her haughty exterior, Dorothy had never once disrespected the staff. She was always polite, always restrained.
Even knowing that Dorothy often put on a front, the nurse still believed she was a genuinely good person.
Once everything was settled, Dorothy moved quickly, repaying the debts she owed to others without hesitation.
Only then did she pause and check her balance.
After clearing her debts and paying the dical bills, she realized she still had nearly eight hundred thousand dollars left.
After hesitating for a long while, Dorothy finally paid off the remaining credit card debts she had been avoiding.
When everything settled, she was still left with seven hundred thousand dollars.
Staring at the balance on her phone, she felt as if reality had slipped out of place.
’Is this really mine?’
Her fingers trembled as she clenched her fists, the cold glass of the screen pressing into her palm.
Aurora’s face surfaced in her mind. Dorothy took a deep breath, steadying herself.
’I won’t waste this,’ she vowed silently. ’I’ll work for her until even she feels that helping was the right decision.’
anwhile, Aurora returned to her room. Selena and Mia were already there, the soft glow of the lamps casting warm shadows across the walls.
Aurora looked at them calmly. "Since you’ve already made your decision, I’ll support it."
Selena’s lips curved into a gentle smile, and even Mia nodded, her expression easing.
They began discussing the finer details, voices overlapping occasionally, papers rustling, the air filling with focused energy.
Ti slipped by unnoticed, and by the ti they finished, the sky outside had darkened completely.
Aurora glanced at the clock and frowned. "It’s late."
Soon after, she left.
When Aurora finally returned ho, exhaustion hit her like a wave.
Her head felt heavy, and an uncomfortable chill crept along her spine. Before she could think much about it, sleep claid her.
The next morning, she opened her eyes with great difficulty.
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