I replicated my Grandpa’s masterpiece for the dessert competition, but my fiancé’s childhood friend accused me of using addictive poppy seed pods. I frantically searched for evidence to prove my innocence, yet my fiancé locked me inside, embracing me in tears and even promising to marry me. “I’m sorry, I love you, but Sophia really needs this trophy. This is the last time; I promise you’ll rise to the top again next time.” Sophia took home the competition trophy, while my Family Heirloom Signature Dessert was scorned by thousands. This was the 99th time he took something that belonged to me for her, turning me into a laughingstock in the dessert community. With her wish fulfilled, Oliver Thompson finally stopped blocking my participation and even asked me to make the Family Heirloom Dessert for their wedding after I won. Yet they didn’t know, my hands had long been severed by his childhood friend. … “What’s going on? Isn’t this the granddaughter of Dessert Master Ethan Johnson, Mia Johnson? How did she end up like this?” “Look at her, she seems like she’s been seriously ill. This is the International Dessert Competition. She’s not here just to humiliate herself, right?” Amid the mocking voices, two bodyguards pushed me in front of Oliver Thompson. His face darkened, and he slapped me angrily. “I gave you a chance to showcase your family creation, but you still pretend to be pitiful. How ungrateful!” “Besides, you’re infamous now because of the poppy seed pods incident. Today is also a chance for you to turn your life around. You better prepare well.” I lowered my head silently, while Sophia Thompson began to exaggerate the story. “Oliver, do you think Mia is still mad at me? After all, I won the trophy 99 times before. Maybe I should withdraw from the competition…” Her eyes reddened as she cried in Oliver’s arms. He comforted her with a tenderness I’d never seen. “Baby, don’t cry. That glory was always yours. With you here, he’ll always look up to you!” The reporters and Sophia’s fans started jeering. “Mia Johnson has some guts, losing to Sophia 99 times. If it were me, I’d have smashed my head long ago.” “I heard her Grandpa’s dessert recipe was stolen from Sophia’s family, and she’s a mistress interfering with Mr. Thompson and Sophia. What a shameless family!” Hearing this, my heart trembled. They could slander me all they wanted, but why defame my Grandpa! He poured his heart into his craft, achieving success through a lifetime of dedication. He was kind and always helped the poor and weak. Why should he bear such disgrace after death! I gritted my teeth and stood up, facing the camera. “Stop lying! My Grandpa never stole anyone’s recipe. The Johnson family’s pastry is entirely original!” But the audience didn’t believe me, only responded with disdainful snorts. I looked to Oliver for an explanation. Oliver stepped back with a look of disgust. “Your Johnson family is notorious. Why should I explain for you? Prove yourself if you have the ability.” I was pushed to the dessert station by the staff. Looking at the shiny kitchen tools, an indescribable emotion welled up inside me. This place, so familiar, should have been filled with a sense of mission and honor, yet it always brought back painful memories. Once, Oliver Thompson loved me dearly. He said my desserts were the best he’d ever tasted, something he could never tire of. Yet he imprisoned me in a basement, repeatedly making me a foil for Sophia. After being forced to lose to Sophia for the 99th time, I finally refused. Oliver looked at me with deep sorrow. “Mia, being a pastry chef is Sophia’s dream. Please don’t compete with her, just this once?” “You still have me. I’ll love you forever, but Sophia lost everything saving me. I can’t bear to see her lose her career too!”
I knew Sophia didn’t truly care about desserts; she just wanted the empty title of Dessert Princess. Yet I didn’t stop her, nodding reluctantly. After all, I owed Oliver a debt, and this was my repayment. But I was too naive. I thought stepping out of the competition would make Oliver let me go. Yet he accused me of using addictive poppy pods, destroying Grandpa’s century-old dessert reputation overnight. I furiously demanded why he did it, but he calmly replied. “You are talented and have the family recipe. You can easily make a comeback. But Sophia has nothing; I must clear all obstacles for her.” “I’m sorry, Mia. I owe her, and I must repay this debt. I’ll spend my life compensating you.” He imprisoned me in the basement, only letting me out for dessert competitions, facing public scorn and repeatedly losing to Sophia. Oliver Thompson, you owe her, and I owe you. So this time, I’ll repay you and owe you nothing more. I closed my eyes, awaiting the torment. Seeing Sophia standing opposite me at the dessert station, the host announced the start of the competition. Under eager gazes, Sophia began separating egg whites and yolks. I stood still, lost in thought. The audience grew dissatisfied. “What’s going on? Can she even make desserts?” “Haha, lost 99 times and still here. She cheated her way to the dessert master’s title. Shameless!” “If you can’t, just get off the stage!” Oliver, nearest to me, walked over displeased, lowering his voice. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you making desserts yet?” I trembled, biting my lip as I explained. “I don’t have hands anymore. Can’t you let me go?” Oliver seemed to find it funny. “Mia, aren’t you overdramatic? You’ve lived a pampered life in my villa’s basement for three years. Everyone respects you. I even instructed the butler to take good care of your hands, and you’re still lying!” Sophia softly chimed in. “Oliver, don’t push Mia. She must be upset because I stole the spotlight. Maybe I should withdraw from the competition.” Saying this, she pretended to untie her apron and leave, eyes red. The audience erupted in anger, cursing and throwing things at me. The insults grew louder, and I saw the bullet comments on the live stream, all cursing me. But I truly had no hands; how could I make desserts? I was about to show my sleeves to prove it when Sophia grabbed my mangled arm, squeezing it. “Mia, your hands are perfectly fine. Why make excuses?” I met Sophia’s malicious, satisfied gaze. She had cut off my hands, yet dared say such things! Before I could explain, Oliver slapped me hard. “If you keep pretending, I’ll reveal Grandpa’s dessert recipe right now. Get serious and compete!” I looked at him in disbelief, my body going rigid. He knew that Grandpa’s dessert recipe, written stroke by stroke, was a crucial confidential kept in our safe deposit box. Yet he stole and gave it to Sophia. How could he insult Grandpa’s legacy like this! I asked, my voice shaking. “Oliver Thompson, have you forgotten how good Grandpa was to you? How can you threaten me with him!” Oliver averted his eyes, guilty. “Don’t play the sympathy card. There’s no room for emotions on the stage. I’m always fair.” Always fair? How laughable. He wanted me to lose to Sophia publicly once more, because this competition was different. The winner would receive the International Dessert Competition Grand Prize, the most prestigious award. But without Grandpa’s dessert recipe, how could I win? At this moment, anger surged through me. I wanted to fight them, but feared he’d harm Grandpa’s dessert recipe. If it were lost, the Johnson family’s craft would truly be gone. “Please don’t do this. I’ll compete. I’ll compete, okay?”
Through sobs, I struggled towards the Dessert Station. But… without hands, even picking up an egg was impossible. An egg rolled off my sleeve, and laughter erupted from the crowd. “Is she pretending to be disabled on purpose?” “Is this the heir of the Pastry Family? She’s no match for Sophia!” Sophia Thompson, full of pride, had already started making cream amidst the cheers. A strong wave of bitterness rose in my heart, and tears streamed down my face. The first fragrant dessert was soon out of the oven. It was a Lemon Cake, made using the secret recipe she stole from my Grandpa. In stark contrast, my creation looked like a mess. Without hands to precisely adjust the oven temperature, my dessert didn’t hold its shape. The audience burst into laughter, and the Judges didn’t even want to look at my work, asking sarcastically, “Was that on purpose or an accident?” Sophia chimed in mockingly, “Judge, I know Mia, she’s far more skilled than this. She’s clearly doing it for show.” I was too ashamed to speak. The next moment, Sophia pretended to accidentally knock over my work and pushed me to the ground. “Oh dear, I’m sorry, Mia. Don’t be mad at me.” As she spoke, she pretended to bend down to help me up, but leaned close to my ear. “You didn’t know, did you? I actually caused your Grandpa’s death. That old man protected the recipe till his last breath, but I smothered him with a pillow…” “That old man protected your family’s recipe even in death, but I burned it all to ashes!” Hearing this, it felt like my blood froze. I wanted to grab her and question her, but I had no hands. “You murderer!” I shouted in anger, trying to get up, but Oliver Thompson rushed over and slapped me. “What do you think you’re doing? Sophia was kind to you, and you made something that looks like crap and fed it to others! No wonder the Johnson family’s reputation was bought with money!” He looked furious, completely forgetting that when he was an orphan, it was my Grandpa who paid for his education. Tears fell like broken beads as I collapsed in front of the Cameras, asking Sophia, “Why did you kill my Grandpa?” Oliver’s face turned ugly. “What nonsense are you spouting in front of so many people? Sophia didn’t kill your Grandpa. He died of old age!” Sophia cried pitifully, “I know you can’t stand to see me doing well, but you can’t slander me!” “But you admitted it yourself! When I was imprisoned, you came and cut off my hands. I want to call the police!” “Shut up!” Oliver was furious. “Don’t let me hear you slander Sophia again. You live in luxury at my place and pamper your hands every day, and today you’re just acting up to get my attention!” Then, Oliver turned to face the hundreds of cameras, addressing countless viewers. “Don’t believe her lies. She’s always cared about her reputation. How could she not have hands?” “And to think I wanted to help her run the Pastry Shop after all this. She’s really let me down.” Oliver looked at me with disappointment, as if I were a terrible person. The audience’s emotions were stirred, and they rushed over to beat me up. I weakly raised my arms to shield myself, but I couldn’t withstand their madness. “Stop hitting me! I didn’t do it on purpose. My hands were cut off. If you don’t believe me, look…” But no one listened to me. Oliver stepped forward and kicked my arm. “Still pretending? You can’t even lie properly.” In the chaos, Sophia accidentally poured a pot of hot butter on me. With a sizzle, I felt my skin blistering and screamed in agony. Everyone gasped and backed away, afraid of getting splashed. It seemed like a glimmer of hope for me. Ignoring the pain, I tried to crawl away. But in the next second, Oliver had the Bodyguards grab my clothes. They pulled so hard they tore my shirt off. I was desperate, as if my last shred of dignity was stripped away, and I screamed for mercy. “Please, let me go! Don’t look at my hands…” But when Oliver saw my arms, he was stunned. Just one look, and his eyes widened in shock, his voice trembling. “Mia, where… where are your hands…” My whole body twitched, my skin blistered from the hot butter, bleeding profusely. “Please, call a doctor for me…” Sophia screamed, “It’s fake, don’t believe him!”
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