1

Born in the slums, I accidentally unlocked the strange ability to understand cockroaches.

When I was little, my alcoholic foster father tried to sell me to an old man to settle his gambling debts. The roaches whispered in my ear, warning me to hide in the crawlspace beforehand.

When I grew older and shady drunks lurked near my doorstep, the roaches scurried over to tell me to deadbolt the doors and call the police.

Relying on this bizarre gift, I studied like crazy and got accepted into Grand Capital University. Around the same time, my biological parents, the ultra-wealthy Brendons, finally tracked me down and welcomed me back into high society.

Yet on the very first night of freshman year, I kidnapped the campus heartthrob and dragged him to the dorm roof, preparing to jump.

Why? Because my roach friends informed me that Emily, the fake heiress assigned to my dorm, was setting a trap to frame me for arson.

"The old roach living under your bunk sent me to pass the message," a little beetle-like buddy had squeaked to me earlier. "That fake heiress is hell-bent on framing you and putting you behind bars!"

I had fallen into deep thought upon hearing that.

Emily didn't just want me in prison; she wanted to alienate me from my biological parents forever. I needed an absolute, unbreakable alibi.

So, I did the only logical thing. I snatched the passing campus heartthrob, Nate, dragged him up to the roof, and started a live stream.

"Hey everyone, call the cops!" I yelled at my phone screen. "I just kidnapped Nate!"

…

The roof wind blew violently, stinging my skin. I kept an iron grip on Nate, dragging him all the way to the very edge of the concrete ledge.

"Why are you so insanely strong?!" Nate struggled against my grip, his eyes wide. "Let go of me!"

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free. I grew up in the slums doing heavy manual labor, building up brute strength that no privileged college boy could match.

He forced down his panic, trying to reason with me politely. "Willow, are you going through something terrible? Tell me, I can help you solve it. We don't need to take such extreme measures."

I tilted my head, letting out an unhinged smile. "Sorry, Nate, but my problem can only be solved by live-streaming a rooftop jump!"

Once my innocence was proven, I would apologize to Nate and accept whatever punishment he saw fit.

Just then, the squeaky chatter of several roaches reached my ears again.

"Boss! Emily is making her move! She conspirated with your other two roommates!"

"Yeah, she even managed to lift your fingerprints and installed a hidden camera beforehand! She's setting up an airtight frame-job!"

"I heard they hired a hacker to forge footage of you lighting the fire in the dorm!"

My heart sank, a wave of coldness spreading down my spine.

I should have guessed it.

Ever since the Brendons brought me back, Emily had been suspiciously sweet to me. She showered me with warm concern and insisted on rooming with me in the university dorms.

That fake kindness was merely a tactic to lower my guard.

After all, she was just an impostor occupying a spot that wasn't hers. She was terrified I would reclaim everything that belonged to me. So she decided to strike first, using an arson setup to destroy me completely.

Emily understood human nature all too well.

I was an unrefined kid from the slums. Most members of the Brendon family already assumed I possessed terrible moral character. Once the dorm caught fire, a girl like me would be unable to defend herself, disgraced, and thrown out of the family forever.

I exhaled a heavy breath.

With the help of my roach friends, I had managed to pull myself out of the gutter and survive against all odds. I was not about to go down without a fight.

I looked at my phone screen. The live stream's local viewer count was exploding.

The chat box flooded with furious comments.

Holy crap! Is she actually holding him hostage? Is this chick crazy? If she can't have the golden boy, she wants to destroy him?!

I know her! Her name is Willow! Word is she grew up in the urban slums! No wonder she's so unhinged and extreme!

Nate, don't be scared! We called the cops! They're on their way!

Is she trying to get famous? Streaming a fake kidnapping to gain followers is beyond disgusting!

If you want to jump, jump by yourself! Don't drag an innocent guy down with you and waste public resources!

I feel so bad for Nate! He's still trying to talk her down!

A tsunami of insults slammed into me through the screen, but I felt no hurt whatsoever. In fact, I felt immensely relieved.

The harsher they cursed, the higher the stream metrics climbed, and the more witnesses I gained. I was constructing the most rock-solid alibi imaginable.

My smile grew wilder as I yelled into the phone camera, "That's right! My name is Willow, student ID zero-two-one-four-six-two! I'm completely nuts!"

"Everyone listen carefully! The time is currently nine-seventeen PM!"

2

"I have been on this rooftop the whole time, holding Nate hostage and preparing to jump!"

At my brazen declaration, the chat box went eerily still for a second. The viewers were genuinely spooked by my mental state.

Nate's dark eyes narrowed, staring intensely at my face. "Willow... do you have a hidden motive for doing this?"

He was sharp. Extremely sharp.

I leaned closer, my warm breath brushing against his ear. "Nate, just be a good boy and play along with me tonight."

Before he could reply, the heavy iron roof door burst open. Nate's die-hard fan girls rushed onto the roof.

"Willow, are you insane?! Let go of Nate right now!"

The leader of the group, Hannah, screamed in terror, her entire body shaking.

The other girls joined in, shouting curses at the top of their lungs.

"You shameless bitch! Are you doing this just to get Nate's attention?! You don't deserve him!"

"I knew trash like her shouldn't have been admitted to Grand Capital University! slum-born garbage will always be trash at heart!"

"Nate, don't be afraid! We called the police! This lunatic isn't getting away tonight!"

Their insults grew nastier by the second.

Seeing me completely unbothered, Hannah gritted her teeth and took a step forward. "Willow, I'm warning you one last time..."

I didn't even bother replying. I simply dragged Nate back half a step toward the ledge.

Nate instinctively glanced down at the dizzying drop behind him, his fingers tightening in panic.

I glanced sideways at him. Ah, the campus golden boy is afraid of heights.

His throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, forcing his voice to stay steady. "Everyone... stay back! She's emotional right now, don't provoke her!"

Unfortunately, Hannah was too riled up to listen. Tears of rage spilled down her cheeks. "Willow, are you satisfied now?! Look at how terrified you're making him!"

The other girls grew hysterical, pointing fingers at my face. "She was just brought back by the Brendon family, but she's still a low-class street rat using cheap tricks to clout-chase!"

"Ahhh, go die! If you want to die, jump alone! Don't drag Nate down with you!"

Some of them even pulled rotten eggs out of their bags and threw them at me.

I didn't even blink.

Growing up, I had beer bottles smashed over my head, cigarette butts snuffed on my skin, and leftover food thrown in my face. A few rotten eggs were nothing to me.

"Take another step forward, and I'll take Nate over the edge right now," I warned coldly.

I pulled Nate back another half step. This time, half of his feet hung in midair above the drop.

Everyone froze in absolute horror.

She's insane! She's an actual psychopath! You can't reason with her! Where are the cops?!

Nate is so unfortunate! Getting wrapped up with a crazy woman for no reason!

Please, lady, stop provoking her! What if she actually jumps?!

During the standoff, police officers and firefighters finally arrived at the scene. They quickly dispersed the crowd, shoving Hannah and the fan girls back behind the roof door to avoid triggering me further.

The lead negotiator, a friendly senior officer, put on a gentle smile and spoke in a soothing tone, "Young lady, standing up here in the freezing cold night wind, what are you trying to accomplish?"

"Getting into Grand Capital University isn't easy. Millions of kids envy your position. Your parents worked hard to raise you. If something happens to you in a moment of impulse, think of how heartbroken they'll be."

"Be a good girl. Release the young man first, and we can sit down and talk things through."

As he spoke, he took a subtle, barely noticeable step forward.

Noticing his movement, I immediately made a gesture to lean back with Nate.

The officer froze instantly, a layer of cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.

3

"Don't, don't, don't! Don't step back! I'm staying right here!"

He wiped his forehead nervously. "Look at you, kid, why are you so stubborn?!"

"Fine, fine, I won't move! You don't move either! Let's just talk from right here, okay?"

Down below, the fire department had already inflated a massive air cushion.

The officer exhaled in relief, then said with deep concern, "Young lady, did someone mistreat you at school? Is someone bullying you? Tell me, and I'll make sure justice is served!"

I tilted my head, flashing him a wide, mischievous grin. "Nobody bullied me! I just wanted to catch some fresh air, and brought Nate along for the ride."

The officer choked on his words, completely speechless.

A younger cop behind him lost his temper, shouting sternly, "Willow! Stop being ungrateful! Your actions right now constitute a serious crime! Release the hostage immediately, or face the consequences!"

The senior officer turned around and glared at the younger cop. "How are you speaking to a student?!"

He turned back to me with another soft smile. "Young lady, how about this? Let the young man step over first, okay? I'll stay here and talk with you for as long as you want."

Behind the iron door, the fan girls caused another commotion.

"Officers, can you hurry up?! Nate clearly can't hold on much longer!"

"Just tackle her! Why are you afraid of a crazy woman?!"

Nate was indeed in terrible shape. He was terrified of heights to begin with, and standing on the absolute edge for so long made his legs tremble uncontrollably. Yet he clamped his jaw shut, refusing to make a sound.

"Boss! Your biological parents just got a call from the police and are rushing over!"

My roach informants crept back to give me an update.

"You have to hold out! Emily is ready! She's about to light the fire to frame you!"

I lowered my eyes, calculating the situation in my mind.

The live stream heat had completely exploded. With so many witnesses on site and online, I no longer needed Nate as a hostage to maintain the spotlight. The wind was getting stronger, and if Nate had a genuine panic attack or slipped, the collateral damage wouldn't be worth it.

I released my grip on Nate, pushing him gently toward the safe zone near the officers.

"Sure thing, officer! Let's chat!" I smiled warmly at the senior negotiator, agreeing to his proposal.

Nate regained his footing on solid ground, but he didn't run away. He stood there, staring intently at my face.

I tilted my head and winked at him. "What? Miss me already?"

Nate remained silent, hastily averting his gaze.

I didn't bother with him anymore, turning around and hopping onto the concrete guardrail, letting my legs dangle freely over the edge.

The crowd watching below let out a collective gasp of horror.

The senior officer broke into a cold sweat again. "Willow, why are you sitting up there?! That's dangerous, get down right now!"

I closed my eyes, the cold wind whipping through my hair. The officer had asked if anyone had bullied me.

When I was little, countless people bullied me. Luckily, my roach buddies had my back, constantly tipping me off. Otherwise, I would never have survived to adulthood.

Later, I was brought back to the wealthy Brendon family. I thought I would no longer need roaches to protect myself.

Yet the moment my high-society relatives saw me, their eyes were filled with unhidden disgust.

"Is this the wild girl who grew up in the urban slums? She doesn't look like a high-society heiress at all!"

"I heard her foster father was a drunkard, and her foster mother ran off with another man!"

"A child raised in that trash environment must be vulgar and unethical at heart!"

"Emily is so much better, polite and elegant, truly a child raised by the Brendon family!"

4

Whenever those insults flew, Emily would gently wrap her arm around mine and say sweetly, "Willow just got back, she needs time to adapt. I believe she'll make you all proud eventually."

Back then, I actually thought she was a sweet, kind sister.

Little did I know, Emily was a snake under her sheep's skin.

Once again, my roach brothers had saved my life.

Suddenly, another wave of commotion sounded near the roof door.

"Willow! What on earth do you think you're doing?!"

I turned my head toward the voice.

My biological mother, Elizabeth Brendon, stepped onto the roof in high heels and immaculate makeup, her face flushed with fury.

"Willow, get down here this instant! Turn off that stream! Otherwise... I will disown you as my daughter!"

Beside her stood my biological father, Addison Brendon, dressed in a sharp suit, his face dark as thunder.

Oh my god, so Willow really is a Brendon heiress! Are the rumors true?!

The Brendons are so unlucky! Such a prestigious family ruined by one bad apple!

Don't say that, what if she has a genuine reason? After all...

Get out of here with that bleeding-heart nonsense! Who defends a kidnapper?!

I sat on the guardrail, looking at them with a relaxed grin. "Oh, you guys finally made it?"

"What kind of attitude is that?!" Elizabeth's voice shook with rage, her chest heaving violently. "Look at yourself! What do you look like right now?!"

"Sitting up there playing the victim, running a live stream for the whole city to see!"

"Do you know what people online are saying right now?! They're saying the daughter brought back by the Brendon family is a lunatic!"

"Where am I supposed to hide my face?!"

Hearing her tirade, I nodded thoughtfully. "They're completely right. So why don't you just pretend you never gave birth to me?"

"Do you think I don't want to?!" Elizabeth hissed under her breath, glaring at me. "I should have never brought you back! Emily is a thousand times better than you!"

"If I knew you were this unhinged, I would have preferred to leave you in the gutter..."

Listening to her cruel words, my heart felt strangely numb. Not a single ripple of sadness touched me.

I suppose I was used to it.

When I first returned to the Brendons, I tried really hard. I memorized complex etiquette rules and practiced how to smile politely.

Yet when Elizabeth saw me practicing, she remarked with disgust, "You don't need to fake it. Class is in your blood, and you can't fake what you don't have."

That was when I realized the Brendons didn't just dislike my unrefined habits; they hated my very existence. They couldn't accept that a child carrying Brendon blood had lived a dirty, wretched life in the slums.

Addison looked up at me, his voice cold as ice. "Willow, I'll give you three minutes to get down yourself. Otherwise, bear the consequences."

I burst out laughing, tilting my head at him. "What consequences? Throwing me out of the family?"

"That would be fantastic. I'm begging you to do it."

Suddenly, an urgent roach squeak exploded in my ear.

"Boss! It's done! Emily set the fire! The dorm room is ablaze!"

"The fire is spreading fast! The whole room is catching!"

I exhaled softly. The curtain was finally rising.

I slowly raised my eyes, looking at my furious biological parents, the anxious police officers, and finally... at Nate, who was still standing nearby.

I offered Nate a gentle smile.

Then, under everyone's horrified gaze, I opened my arms and let my body fall backward off the ledge.

"Willow... NO!"

The wind roared in my ears like a deafening storm. As I plunged into the night air, I saw Nate and the firefighters rushing toward the guardrail.

Nobody caught me.

My body crashed heavily onto the inflated air cushion below, my mind going completely blank from the impact.

Instantly, paramedics swarmed around me, lifting me onto a stretcher.

"Vital signs are stable! Transport her to the hospital immediately!"

"Girl, why do this to yourself?! What could be so terrible?!"

The noisy voices faded into the distance.

When I woke up again, I was lying in a hospital bed.

Before I could process anything, two police officers walked into the room.

"Willow, you are suspected of malicious arson in dorm room six-one-four at Grand Capital University. We are taking you into custody for investigation."