"Nell, why are you hitting the books so hard?"


    "Because that''s the only way tond a good job. Then I can earn enough to repay you for your kindness."


    "You really don''t need to work that hard. I could take care of you forever, you know."


    The maid almost dropped the porcin she was holding in shock. She couldn''t believe Mr. Dawson wasying it on thick with Nellie. His attentions felt forced, almost mechanical.Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.


    Luckily, Nellie was too innocent to notice Cameron''s hidden agendas. She chirped back, "Cameron, I''ll cherish your kindness forever. But spoiling me like this isn''t truly good for me; it could actually harm me. I might getzy, waste my best years, and end up drifting through life without purpose."


    Cameron rubbed his temples, feeling a headacheing on. He was surrounded by women who tried to please him, ying the role of virtuous saints who imed to be uninterested in money.


    Nellie, who came from nothing, should have been just as ordinary. So, he figured her independence had to be an act.


    Cameron''s patience with Nellie was wearing thin. Heid his cards on the table. "Nellie, an old friend saw your photo and thinks you might be her long-lost sister. She wants to meet you."


    Nellie shot to her feet, her face as white as a sheet. If Cameron had been paying closer attention, he would have noticed her trembling.


    Nellie''s voice shook as she spoke, "Cameron, she must be mistaken. I''m an only child..."


    Cameron frowned, clearly irritated.


    Nellie''s fibs got under his skin. He chalked it up to the so-called ws of the working ss. He refused to dive into the sadness behind her deceit.


    "Cameron, I''ve got something to do. I need to go," Nellie said, making a quick exit.


    She thought she''d made her refusal clear enough to dodge whatever fate had in store. But, ever persistent, Cameron mmed the door shut on her path to freedom. The next day, he went as far as bringing Greta home.


    ...


    Cameron woke up suddenly, bathed in cold sweat. For what felt like ages, his mind waspletely nk.


    The dream came to a screeching halt.


    When he finally came to, shame burned through him like wildfire.


    How had he been so full of himself before?


    Back then all he noticed was Nellie''s attempts to win his favor, so he lumped her in with the other women who fawned over him. She annoyed him at every turn.


    But now, in the dream, he saw it all from a distance. He realized he was ridiculously arrogant and that Nellie''s initial kindness wasn''t because she had feelings for him or wanted more from him. She just wanted to trade her hard work for the education he had offered.


    The meager tuition he provided, for which she toted endlessly, doing more than the paid maids. It turns out that during her years with the Dawson family, she was the one who got the short end of the stick.


    Cameron buried his face in his hands, overwhelmed by shame.


    He let out a heavy sigh.


    The young and naive Nellie had just wanted to study, to stand on her own two feet. She earned her education through sheer hard work.


    Her dreams were modest, but what about him?


    He had casually suggested an average private school to her and gone through borate schemes to introduce her to Greta and Patrick, all for his own gain. The simple things she wanted were so few, yet because of him, she lost so much.