After Seeing My Future, I Ditched the Cheater and Got Rich

Name: After Seeing My Future, I Ditched the Cheater and Got Rich | Full Episode
Uploaded: 2026-10-06T18:48:42+00:00
Duration: 36 min 7 s
Channel: Artificially Attached

00:00I was confirming my college enrollment when a video call came in from my future

00:03self. The woman on the screen looked exhausted. When she spoke her voice was

00:07almost a shout. Do not give up Harvard for Adrienne Cole. No one should get to

00:12decide your future for you. The person Adrienne really wants is not you. It is

00:16Emily. They already promised each other they would get married after college.

00:20Everyone knows except you. For a second my mind went blank. My hand froze on the

00:25mouse. Then I changed my final enrollment decision in the Common App

00:28portal to Harvard. Confirm. Submit. The woman in the video let out a visible

00:33breath. Then she leaned closer to the camera speaking even faster. Tomorrow

00:36buy Powerball tickets. White balls 5, 8, 12, 20, 33. Powerball 6. Buy 10 plays. That

00:42money will change your life and no matter what anyone says do not sell the old

00:46Brooklyn house your grandmother left you. That neighborhood is about to be bought

00:50out for a city redevelopment project. Two years from now Aurora Biotech will be on

00:55the edge of getting delisted from NASDAQ. Then at the last second its core

00:59therapy will get FDA fast-track attention and major NIH funding. The stock will go

01:03up almost a hundred times in two months. On May 6, 2024 at 2 50 p.m. buy in hard.

01:10That is the lowest the stock will ever be.

01:13Nora Bennett. You are 18. Save yourself. Again and again if you have to. Take the chance.

01:20Build a life that is actually yours. The video cut off. My phone went black. I will.

01:25I whispered. My bedroom was so quiet I could hear my own breathing. What had

01:30just happened felt like a dream or a hallucination. But the regret and

01:34exhaustion in my future self's eyes hit harder than anything Adrian could ever

01:38make me feel. It was like ice water down my spine. I had never been more awake.

01:43With shaking hands I pulled a notebook out of my drawer and wrote down the

01:47powerball numbers. Under them in red pen I added do not sell the house. Aurora

01:52Biotech. When I finished I exhaled for a long time. My phone buzzed with a message

01:57from Adrian. You switched your decision to Dunweb Coast University right? Emily

02:01wants to be near the ocean. We can all go together. Then Emily's texts came in.

02:05Nora Adrian said you were going to come with me and look out for me in college.

02:08Thank you. You're seriously the best. I stared at the messages lighting up my

02:12screen and slowly closed my eyes. Adrian Cole was the boy I had grown up with.

02:17Emily Bennett was my half sister. Two weeks after my mother died my father

02:21brought Emily and her mother Linda into our home. That was how I learned I had a

02:26sister only half a week younger than me. My grandmother was afraid I would be

02:30mistreated so she took me in. After she passed away I was sent back to my father.

02:35He acted guilty. On the surface he tried to make it up to me. He even gave me more

02:40spending money than Emily. Linda was pleasant enough at least in public. She never

02:44openly made things hard for me. Emily loved clinging to me. She told everyone she

02:49had a genius older sister. But that video from my future self made one thing

02:52clear. Maybe none of them were worth it. My life, my future, was the only thing worth

02:57spending everything on. Adrian must have noticed I had not replied because he

03:01called.

03:02Nora what is going on? The enrollment deadline is almost here. Did you even...

03:06Relax. I submitted it. My voice was calm. He obviously relaxed. Then Emily's bright

03:11excited voice came through in the background. Oh my god that's amazing. The three of us get to

03:16stay together. Emily sounded innocent the way she always did. She was a girl who had been raised

03:20inside love. Before I would have thought having her depend on me and having Adrian beside me

03:26was the best thing I could ask for. Now it only felt ironic. Adrian sounded completely at ease again,

03:32warm and certain in that familiar way. Nora I knew you would be reasonable. Dunvale Coast University

03:37is nice. It is right by the bay and it is close to home. It will be easy for the

03:43three of us to come

03:43back for breaks. Much better than you running off to Harvard University by yourself. He always said

03:49things like that, as if they were obvious. He never considered that with my ACE-AT scores, AP scores and

03:55awards. Harvard University was not a reach for me. It was the future I had earned. Luckily there was

04:04still time. I showered and went to bed. No dreams. At dawn the next morning I woke with a start.

04:11The

04:11numbers that could rewrite my life flashed through my mind again and again. I got dressed quickly, skipped

04:16breakfast and went straight to the lottery counter at the nearest convenience store. The morning air was

04:21cool, cutting through the heavy summer heat. At the counter I recited the numbers I had already

04:26memorized. Powerball please. White balls 5, 8, 12, 20, 33. Powerball 6. 10 plays.

04:36Five minutes later I walked out of the store. I folded the 10 fin tickets carefully and tucked them into

04:42the

04:42inside pocket of my jacket. My fingertips were trembling. Yesterday I had been willing to bury my own future at

04:48Harvard for Adrian and Emily. Now I only cared about myself. When I reached the lawn outside my

04:54apartment building, I heard a rustle from the grass ahead. Emily, come here. I missed you so much.

05:01It was Adrian. Then came the sound of fabric shifting followed by the unmistakable sound of kissing.

05:07I was about to leave when I heard him speak again. Nora is like a shadow. She is always hanging

05:11around us.

05:12Thank God she is not here today or we would never get a second alone. You're terrible. Don't talk about

05:16her like that.

05:17Emily's voice was soft and playful. Adrian laughed, indulgent. Fine, fine. I won't. But Emily,

05:24we still cannot go public. Nora would not be able to handle it. Emily sniffled, sounding hooded.

05:30I know. I just feel bad for her. She has always liked you so much. She is sensitive and fragile,

05:37and honestly kind of strange. She has never really liked me. Somewhere deep down,

05:42she probably thinks mom and I ruined her family. But I do care about Nora. I can wait. As long

05:48as she

05:48doesn't hate me. I can keep this quiet. She is still my sister. Adrian sighed. Emily, you are too kind.

05:55None of this is your fault.

05:58I stopped listening. I turned and walked away faster. It would be a lie to say it did not hurt

06:05at all.

06:05Adrian had been the most important person in my childhood. Even after my father took me back in,

06:11Adrian and I never lost touch. He used to worry I would be bullied. Like some overprotective character

06:16in a teen drama, he kept warning me to watch out for my stepmother.

06:20Nora, be careful around Linda. She has villain stepmom energy. I have seen enough TV to know.

06:26Be careful with your dad too. Once there is a stepmother, there is a stepfather. And your sister

06:31is not simple either. The other woman's kid is already a red flag. How innocent can she be?

06:37If anyone messes with you, tell me. I will get on a bus that night and come get you. We

06:42grew up together.

06:43I have your back. Always.

06:45Later, in high school, Adrian fought with his family and transferred to my school because he

06:50said he wanted to protect me. Back then, I really believed him. But promises are only worth something

06:58in the moment they are made. I took a deep breath. The ache in my chest was nothing compared to

07:05the

07:05wild joy of knowing my life was about to change. When I got home, I went straight to my room.

07:11It was

07:128.50 pm. The drawing was less than half an hour away. I touched the tickets in my pocket. They

07:17felt

07:18like a hot coal against my body. Then someone knocked on my bedroom door. I opened it. Adrian

07:25stood outside. Emily was beside him. The second she saw me, Emily smiled sweetly and came over to loop

07:31her arm through mine. Nora, where were you this morning? Adrian and I waited forever. Adrian frowned

07:36at me, worried and confused. What is going on with you? You ignored us all day. Do you know how

07:43worried we were? I wasn't looking at my phone. My answer was flat. Adrian paused. The warmth in his

07:49eyes faded a little, irritation flashing across his face. But he smoothed it away quickly and gave a

07:54low laugh. You're upset because we asked you to go to Dunbury Coast University, aren't you?

07:59Nora, you can be so difficult. Honestly, if you really did not want to go, who could force you?

08:05But you can't agree to our faces and then secretly resent us for it. Emily quickly stepped between us

08:10like a peacemaker. Okay, both of you, stop. Then she turned back to me, her voice soft. Nora, we are

08:16thinking about going to Cape Cod. Do you want to come? Applications are over. We deserve to relax a

08:22little. I gently pulled my arm free. No, I'm not interested. The air froze. I did not bother with

08:29them again. I went back into my room and shut the door. There were five minutes left before the

08:35drawing. They said something outside my door, but I could not hear it anymore. My eyes were fixed on

08:40the lottery website. The countdown ticked down. Three minutes left. With shaking hands, I took out the 10

08:45tickets and laid them flat on my desk. At 9.15 PM, the numbers came in. 5, 8, 12, 20,

08:5133.

08:54Powerball 6. Every number matched. For one blazing second, it felt like every drop of blood in my body

09:02was on fire. I stared at the screen. 10 million dollars per ticket. 10 winning tickets. 100 million

09:07dollars. After taxes, around 62 million would hit my account. Early the next morning, I put on an

09:14oversized hoodie, a baseball cap, and a mask. I took my driver's license, social security card,

09:19and tickets, then got on an Amtrak train to the state lottery office. By the time I arrived,

09:24it was 11 in the morning. I followed the process I had looked up in advance. Registration, tax paperwork,

09:29bank verification. Two hours later, 62 million dollars landed in my new private account. Looking at all

09:36those digits, I could barely stop myself from smiling. Money really did solve 99% of life's problems. Maybe

09:43because the night before had ended badly, Adrian decided to teach me a lesson by not contacting me

09:48all day. Emily was the one who texted. Nora, are you mad? No, I replied. She clearly did not believe

09:54me, but she did not push. When I got home that evening, the atmosphere hit me the second I opened

09:59the door. Heavy. Stale. Suffocating. My father, Richard, sat on the couch smoking, his face drawn with

10:05stress. Linda sat beside him, sighing over and over, her eyes red. Emily sat close to Linda with her head

10:11down. I changed my shoes as usual and walked over calmly. My father looked up, embarrassed.

10:18Nora, you're back. I need to talk to you about something. I looked at him. I already knew what

10:22he was going to say. Sure enough, he continued. There is a serious problem at the factory. Cash

10:27flow is gone. If this keeps up, we may have to file for bankruptcy. Linda jumped in. Nora, you are

10:32a

10:33sensible girl. You know how important the furniture business is to this family. If it goes under,

10:38all of us will suffer. Right now, we need cash. Fast. She came over and grabbed my hand. That old

10:45Brooklyn house your grandmother left you is in a good area, close to the commercial district.

10:49We asked around. It could sell for at least $700,000. That would fill the gap.

10:55I pulled my hand back. Not a ripple crossed my face. My future self had warned me again and again,

11:01do not sell that house. When I said nothing, my father grew more anxious.

11:06Nora, we are family. When the family is in trouble, you cannot just stand by. The house is sitting empty.

11:11No one lives there. Keeping it is a waste. Let us use it to get through this. Once I get

11:15through this,

11:16I will make it up to you. Emily looked at me with wet eyes.

11:20Nora. I lifted my gaze and looked at the three of them. Then I said, slowly,

11:25fine. All three of them brightened at once. My father smiled. I knew you would understand.

11:31But I cut him off. But I have one question. If I have to sell my house to save this

11:36business,

11:37who gets the business in the end? The living room went dead silent. Emily's head snapped up.

11:44She bit her lip hard. My father's smile froze. Linda's gentle, sincere expression vanished.

11:49She stared at me without answering. In that strange, awkward silence, I laughed. The sound

11:55was almost jarring. Everyone knew the answer. Every dollar this family had was meant for Emily.

12:00They wanted me to sell the house my grandmother left me to save a business that would one day belong

12:05to Emily. That night, I used the excuse of packing and moved out. Before I left, my father seemed to

12:11shrink where he stood. Nora, you never really forgave me, did you?

12:17I stopped for a moment. That's right. I never did. All these years, I had acted easy boring. I had

12:23tried to fit into the family. But that was only how I kept myself alive. That night, I returned to

12:28my grandmother's old house. I cleaned up a little and fell straight into bed. Maybe I had been running

12:33on nerves for too long because I slept like the dead and did not wake until two in the afternoon.

12:39I had just finished eating when the doorbell rang. It was Adrian. He had come to make peace.

12:44Nora, can we stop with the cold war? You have not spoken to me in days. I cannot take it.

12:50Fine, okay, I admit it. I was wrong. I ignored you. How about this? Once all the admissions results

12:57are out, we will take a trip. Anywhere you want. Just you and me.

13:02I looked at him, surprised. Adrian met my eyes, the tips of his ears turning red.

13:07I used to think you were always clinging to me and I had no freedom. But these past few years,

13:11when you stopped paying attention to me, it felt worse. I could not help frowning. He was lost in

13:16his own feelings, smiling softly as he reached out to ruffle my hair. You promised we would be together

13:20forever. I stepped back, avoiding his hand. My dad said the same thing to my mom. Then he cheated on

13:28her while she was pregnant. The bluntness stunned him. He reacted immediately. Emily is innocent.

13:34She did not choose how she was born. And? I looked at him. Because she is innocent,

13:40she gets to take whatever she wants. Because she is innocent, she gets to flirt with you

13:45while expecting me to give up Harvard and follow her to Dunmore Coast University?

13:49Adrian's face darkened. I did not want to hear another lecture. I shut the door. For the next two

13:55weeks, he did not show up. I enjoyed the peace. Around half a month later, college decisions started

14:00coming in for everyone. Our class group chat was Live Lead, Imagining College Life. I received my

14:05admission letter to Harvard University. I stared at the letter, running my fingers over the name

14:10again and again. My eyes went hot. Adrian, who had ignored me for days, called first.

14:19Are you done being mad? You should have gotten your Dunmer Coast University decision too, right?

14:25We are still going to college together. I raised an eyebrow. Who told you I was going to Dunmer Coast

14:30University with you? The chat window showed that he was typing. For a long time, nothing came through.

14:37Five minutes later, Adrian finally sent. You're just being stubborn. I stared at it, speechless,

14:41and ignored him. Right then, someone in the class group klat suggested a graduation dinner. After high

14:46school, everyone would scatter. No one knew when we would all meet again. That evening, I arrived at the

14:50reserve private room on time. Plenty of people were already there. I picked a random seat.

14:54Five minutes later, Emily and Adrian walked in one after the another. They were not openly

14:58affectionate, but the ease between them, the intimacy, was impossible to hide. Kyle, the football

15:03captain and the most oblivious guy in our class, grinned and leaned toward Adrian. So Adrian, when are you

15:07finally asking Nora out? The clause makes who did not know the truth immediately started cheering.

15:11Everyone knew how much Adrian used to like me. Even when he started spending more time with Emily,

15:15his excuse had been that he liked me, so of course he wanted to get close to my sister too.

15:19The old me would have

15:20blushed under all that teasing. The new me thought of the 62 million dollars in my account, the

15:23redevelopment payout, and the investment opportunity waiting two years ahead. Teenage romance had never

15:28felt smaller. Adrian looked at me instinctively, his eyes complicated. Emily lowered her head and sat

15:33in the corner. The mood was already strange, but Kyle kept going. Come on, Adrian. Since when are you

15:38summer camp? You told the counselor right in front of everyone I'm going to protect Nora forever. Man,

15:43that was romantic. I frowned at Adrian, silently telling him to explain, but he only stared at me. He did

15:47not

15:47even notice Emily was about to cry. I sighed and was about to speak. Emily suddenly stood up,

15:54her voice trembling. Stop saying that. Nora and Adrian are not like that. The room went quiet.

15:58Someone blurted out. Wait, if they are not, does that mean you and Adrian are? Someone blurted out.

16:02The atmosphere became even stranger. Emily's face flushed. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at me,

16:07wounded, as if I had failed her by not coming to her. Kyle tried to smooth things over. Okay, okay,

16:13Emily, why are you crying? Did you not get into Dunmare Coast University? It is fine. You can always

16:20start at community college and transfer. Then next year, you can transfer to Dunmare Coast University

16:24and keep third wheeling Nora and Adrian. Everyone burst out laughing again. This time,

16:28Emily really was upset, but she did not dare cry out loud. She only sniffered softly. Adrian,

16:33meanwhile, acted as if he did not see her. He leaned toward me instead, trying to please me. Can we

16:37talk?

16:38About what? I had no patience left for him. When I used to follow him around, he felt suffocated.

16:45Now that I had stepped away, he was the one coming after me. Ridiculous. Adrian's breathing

16:51grew heavier. I honestly do not know what I did wrong. Tell me and I will fix it. Nora,

16:58you cannot just ice me out for no reason. We used to be so good together. Before he could finish,

17:03the door opened again. It was Mr. Parker, our homeroom teacher. The moment he entered,

17:06his eyes landed on me. Nora, I knew you would not disappoint me. Everyone looked at one another.

17:12Then Mr. Parker continued. Congratulations to Nora Bennett, who has been admitted to Harvard

17:18University with a full scholarship. The room exploded. Everyone knew I had supposedly planned

17:23to give up Harvard and go to Dunmore Coast University with Adrian. No one was more shocked

17:28than Adrian. His expression cracked piece by piece. His pupils tightened as he stared at me

17:33as if lightning had struck him. Emily looked up in surprise too, but very quickly her tense shoulders

17:38eased. She was relieved. The room erupted around us. Oh my god, seriously? Nora got into Harvard? I knew it.

17:46With grades like hers, why would she actually go to Dunmore Coast University? Wasn't everyone saying

17:50she was throwing away her future for Adrian? So that was just a rumor? Shock and envy turned toward me

17:54from every direction. No one expected Adrian to lose control. He rushed over and grabbed my shoulders.

18:02Why? You promised me we were going to coast to Dunmore University together. His face was full of panic

18:09and confusion. The room went suddenly silent. All the whispering and congratulations stopped. The air

18:13felt frozen. I looked up at him calmly. I did promise. Then I smiled, my voice clear and cold enough

18:19to carry

18:19across the room. But people change. Adrian seemed to understand what I meant. His grip tightened. I...

18:25I lifted my hands and pried his fingers off me one by one. Adrian Cole, I regret ever knowing you.

18:36I genuinely did not understand why he was so obsessed with making me go to Dunmore Coast University with

18:41him. If he had chosen Emily, then he should choose her all the way. Freshman year, during summer camp,

18:46he stood outside the school store and shoved a popsicle into my mouth with that careless grin of

18:50his. Nora, you are way too skinny. I'm going to feed you properly and be really, really good to you.

18:57Nora, let's get married after college. I cannot imagine being without you. I said yes. Back then,

19:03we were just two teenagers who only saw each other. Neither of us expected Emily to ruin everything.

19:09Adrian's eyes spent more and more time on her. He would say Emily looked innocent but had a lot going

19:14on underneath. But whenever they argued, Adrian was always the first to soften. A necklace he said

19:19he bought for me ended up with Emily because she said it was pretty. His excuse was that she was

19:24younger and I should let her have it. Maybe I was too hungry for the warmth Adrian had once given

19:28me.

19:29Maybe I simply refused to see what was right in front of me. Again and again, I made excuses for

19:34their crossed lines. Again and again, I numbed myself. As long as I did not name what was happening,

19:40I could pretend everything was still beautiful. The memory faded. I looked at Adrian. We are done.

19:47Adrian stood frozen, his face pale. Emily ran out crying. Adrian immediately chased after her.

19:57Before he left, he threw one last line over his shoulder. It is not as bad as you think. Wait

20:03for me.

20:03I will explain. Of course I did not wait. I would never wait for him again.

20:08After the dinner ended, I took a cab straight back to my grandmother's old house. That night,

20:14Adrian sent message after message.

20:16Nora, why did you leave by yourself? What is going on with you lately? Fine, I am downstairs. Emily is

20:21here too. I rolled my eyes. I did not want to go down. But Adrian started yelling outside the building.

20:28I was afraid he would disturb the neighbors, so I went downstairs through grit and teeth. The summer night

20:33air was hot and restless. As soon as I stepped outside, I saw both of them under the streetlight.

20:38Adrian looked exhausted, rubbing his brow again and again. Emily stood quietly beside him, clutching

20:43the hem of her skirt. When they saw me, they both rushed over. Adrian looked anxious with a flicker of

20:49relief. Nora, you finally agreed to see us. What do you want? My voice was flat. Adrian gave a low

20:56laugh

20:56and reached out as if to touch my hair. I dodged easily. He did not seem offended. He kept talking.

21:05Nora, you were really immature this time. You promised you would go to Dunbury Coast University

21:10with Emily and then you secretly changed your decision. Why would you do that? From the day you

21:16submitted the form, you were lying to us. Why? He stared into my eyes, full of confusion. I frowned.

21:23Why should I give up Harvard? Why should I sacrifice you two my future just to make things

21:28easier for you two? That shut him up completely. After a long pause, he spoke again, his voice

21:35thick with resentment and stubbornness. But we said we would go to college together. We said we would

21:41never be apart. Never? I repeated the words softly, the cold in my eyes deepening. You think you get to

21:48talk to me? About forever? Adrian stared at me, stunned. Emily, who had been quiet for a long time,

21:55suddenly spoke through tears. She sounded genuinely hurt, genuinely lost. Nora, what happened to you?

22:02Is it because things are bad at home and you are afraid of getting dragged down? Is that why you

22:07are

22:07trying to cut us off? You cannot do this. You used to be so good to us. My gaze grew

22:15colder.

22:17Look at that. Even now, this innocent, almost cruel girl could still ask that question.

22:23She did not understand why the Nora who had always taken care of her, who had defended her when people

22:30called her the other woman's daughter, had suddenly changed. Emily wiped her tears. Dad's factory is

22:37about to collapse. The family is drowning in debt. Mom and Dad are going gray from stress. It hurts so

22:44much to

22:44watch. Mom said if you would sell your grandmother's old house, we could fill the hole, save the factory,

22:50and everything would get better. Adrian's expression changed. He had heard rumors about the Bennett factory,

22:56but he clearly had not known it was this serious. He looked at me. There was helplessness in his eyes,

23:03discomfort, and more than anything, disappointment. After a long silence, he tried to persuade me.

23:10You are family. You should get through this together. You cannot just watch them sink.

23:16I raised a hand and cut off his self-righteous speech. Then I asked,

23:21Adrian, ask Emily why she does not sell the house under her name. The house under Emily's name was the

23:27one my father and Linda were living in. Adrian froze for a second, then turned stiffly toward Emily.

23:32Right. Why not? Emily lowered her head and muttered. Because Mom said that house is my safety net.

23:39We cannot touch it. And my grandmother's house is mine. I fired back.

23:46Emily lifted her damp eyes. Her long lashes tripled. She tilted her head and looked at me for a long

23:52time,

23:52wearing the expression of someone who truly could not understand what I meant. After a long while,

23:58Emily finally spoke. Her tone was naturally innocent and completely matter of youth.

24:03By Nora, that house is what Mom and Dad gave me to protect my future. I cannot have nothing.

24:10You are different. You have good grades. You have always been independent and strong. You are going to

24:17have a bright future anyway. You do not need one old house. Every word came from the heart. Emily really

24:23believed it. Was she evil? Not exactly. She simply believed she was born to be favored.

24:29All her life, people had liked her. The family's best resources had always tilted toward her.

24:33Somewhere deep inside, she believed she deserved the best of everything, and my sacrifices were only

24:39natural. So taking Adrian did not feel like a betrayal to her. After all, a generous older sister

24:45should step aside and forgive her. This time, though, Adrian did not agree with her. Maybe for the first

24:50time, he truly realized I had not been living well in that house. I looked at Emily and said her

24:56name

24:56quietly. Emily.

24:58Nora? She looked up, blinking. I asked,

25:01Do you think I should always give way to you? She shook her head, confused. I smiled.

25:08Emily, you have your parents. You have an entire family pouring every bit of love you and preference

25:13into you. Since you were little, you have had everything. My mother is gone. My grandmother is

25:20gone. In the Bennett house, I was a guest. I was always the extra person. I have no one. I

25:28am the

25:28one who needs security most. I had always known the truth. My father talked constantly about making it

25:34up to me, about giving me more spending money. But behind closed doors, they always slipped extra money

25:39and assets to Emily. The nice things they did for me were for show. The house they lived in

25:44had already been put under Emily's name. That was one of the main reasons Linda agreed to let me

25:48come back. She had to make sure my existence would not affect Emily's interests. Yes, I was alone in

25:54this world, which meant I had to love myself twice as hard. Emily went blank. Completely blank.

26:03Then she reflexively argued, but dad is good to you. He feels so guilty. Adrian suddenly looked at me,

26:10his eyes red. Maybe he was remembering that at the beginning, he had been the one who could not stop

26:16worrying about me. He had been the one who wanted to protect me forever. So how had it become this?

26:21Nora. I ignored him. There was nothing left to say.

26:25I sighed, stepped back half a speach and put distance between us. Go home. Then I turned and

26:34walked toward the dark stair hall. Behind me, Emily started crying, soft and pitiful. Adrian did not

26:43comfort her. He only watched me leave, his eyes full of regret and helplessness.

26:52In the end, Emily's house was sold. Linda sold her jewelry and designer bags too,

26:58barely filling the financial hole. Now they had no house, no car and had to rent. With no other

27:04option, the three of them contacted me. Nora, we sold the house and have nowhere to live. Your

27:10grandmother's old place has four bedrooms. Let us move in. I denote money is tight. We cannot afford a

27:16decent rental. When they could not get through, they tried coming to me in person. But before they

27:20could, a piece of news landed on them like a bomb. My grandmother's old house was being bought out for

27:27a city redevelopment project. The midsummer sun was brutal and the announcement board in the old

27:33neighborhood was surrounded by people. The notice clearly listed the acquisition plan for the area.

27:39My grandmother's house was large. With relocation assistance, renovation compensation, and moving

27:46subsidies, the total payout came to 1.8 million dollars. That number stunned all three Bennets. My

27:55father stared at the notice, his fingers shaking. His face went pale and flushed by turns. Greed and

28:02excitement almost impossible to hide. Linda's eyes went red immediately, her chest rising and falling.

28:081.8 million. It is 1.8 million dollars. They had spent weeks panicking over a gap of a few

28:14hundred

28:14thousand dollars. Then I received a payout worth millions. Emily stood behind her parent. For the

28:20first time, real jealousy and resentment showed on that sweet, innocent face. She clenched her teeth.

28:25Why does Nora get to keep all that money? In her mind, there had never been such a thing as

28:28Nora's house.

28:29My grandmother's house was a Bennett family asset and every Bennett family resource should go to her

28:33first. Linda seemed to wake up at Emily's words, her face filling with resentment. Exactly, she has no right to

28:38keep

28:38all of it. My father nodded, his voice hard with entitlement. Come on, we are going to find her.

28:43That house came from my mother-in-law. I should have a share. Nora is barely an adult. She does

28:48not

28:48need that much money. She has to use it to help the family. The three of them dug up my

28:52contact

28:53information and bombarded me with calls and texts.

29:03By then, I was standing in my bright, clean dorm room at Harvard. I looked at the messages without

29:08feeling anything. I had already hired a lawyer to handle the redevelopment paperwork. The deed,

29:13my grandmother's will, the notarized documents, everything was complete. The Bennett's had nothing

29:17to do with it. Every dollar would be deposited directly into my private account. Bored, I blocked

29:22and deleted all three of them. The world finally went quiet. When they could not reach me, they

29:29panicked and turned to Adrian. Adrian could not handle Emily's crying. After hesitating again

29:38and again, he finally called me. Nora, can you go back and talk to them? They are your family.

29:43Emily's family really is struggling. They sold the house to save the factory and now they are all

29:47stuck in a rental. I listened and almost laughed. So? My voice was so cold that he went silent.

29:53After a long moment, Adrian hurried to argue. I know you hate your dad and Linda, but what does

29:57that have to do with Emily? She is spoiled, sure, but she is not malicious. Nora, when did you become

30:01so unreasonable? I cut off. Adrian, sell your family's house and help her. You are with her anyway,

30:06aren't you? Do not be cheap. He choked on the other end. His breathing grew heavy.

30:14I had no interest in hearing excuses. I hung up. My life mattered. These people were only stones I

30:21had sharpened myself against. After that day, Adrian and I were finished for good. Not long after,

30:27Adrian and Emily went public. Of course, our classmates had plenty to say. Wait, so Adrian was

30:31two-timing? Wild. Emily's mom was the other woman and Emily really kept the family tradition alive. No

30:36wonder Nora went to Harvard alone. She probably knew about them already. I heard Emily cried for days.

30:42I could not have cared less. I had already thrown myself into a new life. At that elite school,

30:47everyone was driven to the point of exhaustion. People were always rushing somewhere, always working,

30:52always chasing the next thing. During that time, pulled me in. I studied like I was finally breathing

30:56clean air. During that time, the three Benos came to Harvard looking for me. I refused to see them. With

31:01no

31:01other option, they tried smearing me outside campus, calling me ungrateful, and accusing me of stealing a

31:06massive family payout. I did not let them run their mouths. I called campus police and had my

31:11lawyer send a warning letter. When campus police escorted them away, Emily was still crying. She

31:15had been miserable lately. School had started for her too, but she hated dorm life and wanted to rent

31:20an apartment off campus. The family had no money left for her to burn. Nora, you took the whole 1

31:25.8

31:25million and just watched us go bankrupt. You watched us suffer. I looked at the three of them calmly.

31:29My grandmother's house was bought out. What does that have to do with you? Emily, did you forget? She was

31:33my grandmother. She had nothing to do with your mother, the woman who slept with a married man. The crowd

31:36went silent, then erupted. Someone recorded the whole thing and posted it online. The Bennett family

31:41was ripped apart in the comments. After that, they never dared to come to Kantish again. My life became

31:47peaceful again. Harvard was quiet and full. I cut off every tie to the Bennetts and Adrian and poured all

31:53my

31:54energy into school. I never spent the money recklessly. I made a plan, used only a small portion to improve

32:00my

32:01life and kept the rest ready for the opportunity that would change everything. Time moved quickly.

32:06Then came May 6, 2024. Aurora Biotech was sitting under the shadow of de-libbing. Retail investors

32:11were dumping shares. Online forums were full of despair. I had prepared the money long ago. I was

32:15only waiting for the right moment. 20 minutes. 10. 5. I stopped hesitating and clicked confirm.

32:212.50 pm. All in. At the same time, an official announcement broke. Aurora Biotech's core therapy had

32:29received FDA breakthrough therapy designation and was being added to a major in-program. The stock

32:33shot upward. In the last 10 minutes of trading, it hit a circuit breaker. Only then did I let

32:39myself relax. Over the next two months, the stock kept climbing, breaking high after high until it

32:43worth nearly a hundred in value, until it worth nearly a hundred times what I had paid. My account

32:47exploded in value. I was financially free. Looking at the astronomical number on the screen, I did not

32:55scream or cry. I only felt the quiet relief of something finally settling into place. I had

33:00made myself. I had saved the version of me who would have spent her life trapped by love and family.

33:04As for the Bennetts, scraps of news reached me from time to time. My father's factory still

33:08went bankrupt. The money they poured in vanished. The debts piled up.

33:13Creditors came to the door every day. Eventually, he ran. Just like he had once abandoned my mother and

33:17me, he abandoned Linda and Emily too. Linda lost every trace of her old, gentle, polished self.

33:22She spent her days in a rental apartment, crying and complaining. Emily could not handle the fall

33:28from comfort. She developed severe depression and took a leave from school. Adrian, after going

33:33public with Emily, was buried under criticism. Even at University of Rhode Island, people whispered

33:38and pointed. The label of cheater stuck to him so tightly, he could barely breathe.

33:44Whatever sweetness they once had was long gone.

33:50Still, senior year, news spread that Adrian and Emily were getting married. Emily refused to break

33:56up. She found a way to get pregnant, and the wedding followed. I heard Adrian looked miserable

34:02through the entire ceremony, and said more than once.

34:08I regret it. I regret everything. I regret everything.

34:14What he regretted, no one knew. Years passed. At 22, I graduated with both my bachelor's and master's

34:24degrees from one of the best schools in the world. The money I made from that stock surge became the

34:29foundation of a business empire most people could not imagine. I caught the policy tailwinds in

34:35American biotech and clean energy, founded a technology investment firm, and rose fast. At 27,

34:41my name appeared on the Forbes 30 under 30 list.

34:50My net worth was no longer something people could easily measure. Everyone was watching.

34:54My future was bright. Somewhere far away, the opposite was happening. Adrian sat slumped on a couch,

35:01watching television. The confident boy he had once been had been worn down by ordinary life. He was just

35:05another exhausted employee now. Emily had lost the princess softness she used to carry. She had become an

35:09invisible suburban wife, swallowed by school runs, groceries, bills, and dinner. Just then,

35:13a Forbes segment flashed across the television. The host's excited voice rang through their cramped

35:18living room. This year's youngest Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur, Nora Bennett, has topped the industry

35:22through a series of remarkably precise investments. The room went silent. Then they saw the photo on the

35:28screen. It was me. Me, in a clean-cut suit, looking straight into the camera.

35:38Adrien's people's titan. He had never imagined I would become someone so far above him he could

35:43never reach me again. The bowl in Emily's hand slipped and shattered on the floor. A spard sliced

35:48her feeling. She did not seem to feel it. Tears had already covered her face, but I knew none of

35:52that.

35:53They and I had become people from two different worlds long ago. I stood in the brightest place I could

35:58reach, looking out over the vast constellation I had built for myself. As for them, they were trapped

36:03in the mud, with nothing left but regret.

After Seeing My Future, I Ditched the Cheater and Got Rich | Full Episode

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