Feng Xinying was sitting in the front row at her graduation ceremony in the school waiting for the principal to announce who was the top student. All the students were given their certificate one by one for finishing their high school. Being extremely intelligent, she excelled in almost every subject apart from also representing her school in swimming, horse riding and athletics in state as well as national levels.

But no one could think that beneath that beautiful, curvaceous body one could die for, a girl with smart brains existed. Many boys in the school objectified her but she never cared and when she proved herself, she was rather praised.

Daughter of a billionaire, Feng Zhantian, she was supposed to take the throne of the Feng business empire once she graduated from the college, and she was all set to go to America to pursue her graduation in course that lead to masters in business administration. The path was lined with roses and she had also packed her bags. She was looking forward to the most prestigious award from the school, as she waited there with baited breath.

Her father Feng Zhantian doted on her because he loved her mother crazily, who had died when she was only three. Since then he had ensured that she doesn't get any trouble in raising her up. For that he ended up marrying two more times in order to give her motherly love. Unfortunately, those two wives of his were nothing more than parasites. They were hardly ever interested in Feng Xinying and were only engrossed in social gatherings and outings or spending his money. He tolerated the second one for three years and the third one for five years before divorcing them. After that he decided not to marry at all, but there were rumors that he had fallen in love with a pretty woman who worked as a general manager in one of the hotels that belonged to the Feng Conglomerate.

Feng Conglomerate was a company that had over forty different types of businesses under one flag. They were into hotels, copper manufacturing, software development, tea plantation, and textile industry amongst others. Feng Zhantian was a ruthless businessman but an equally doted father. He loved his daughter to the extent that she was really spoiled. Insulting people was like a nature of hers. She never even thought twice before insulting people rudely in any situation. She would talk straight to anyone.

Whenever she attended social functions with her father, boys would line up for her attention, but all she did was to smirk at them and be very discourteous. The girls disliked being with her for her feisty behavior and often she was left alone tending to herself. In those circles people were afraid to mess with her or even speak against her because she was the daughter of Feng Zhantian, so they thought that it was better to not talk to her and stay away, as they did not want to suffer from his wrath.

Her father would notice it and encourage her to mix with people, but she never paid heed to any of his advices. He was beginning to get worried about her and would blame himself for spoiling her too much. Her demands were met with even before she spoke them out. She was given so many debit cards to use for shopping that even she had lost the count. Her wardrobe had the most exquisite collection.

Having a beautiful model-like figure and petite features, she looked gorgeous. Often the designers would ask her to walk in their fashion shows and model their clothes.

"Thank you students and parents for being a part of the graduation ceremony. Now I would like to call upon the Vice Principal to say a vote of thanks and also invite the Principal to give away the most prestigious award of the school. Let me remind you that all the students who have received this award had been our most well deserved students and it has been seen that they have done excellent in their lives. You can find some of their pictures with name hanging in our hall of fame. So without much ado, I invite our Vice Principal to speak," said the compere amongst a loud applause.

The Vice Principal came forward and spoke a little about the institution and then called the principal on the stage to give away the most prestigious award.

The principal was a burly man who was Feng Zhantian's close friend. Feng Zhantian had donated a lot of money to the school, and most teachers and school students knew about it. The fact that Feng Xinying was also one of the brilliant students at school made her the front-runner for the award. However, there had several protests from the students that she was being given this award. They said that she was being presented the award only because she was the daughter of the most influential man in the country and not because of her own abilities. Even though she had proved herself so well, she was trolled.

Today for her graduation ceremony Feng Zhantian was sitting in the rows with other parents.

The Principal spoke for some time about the importance of being active in school and doing things with passion whatever the students chose to do in their career before announcing the name of the top student. That award would alone fetch scholarship in the US universities and so she was all the more excited. Though she did not need the scholarship, it was a feather in her cap. She was least bothered that there were other needy students who could have used the award for their benefit and get scholarships. Her selfishness ruled at the moment.

The Principal finally announced the name, "The award for the best student goes to…" he paused.

She started getting up from her chair.

"Xie Yuansheng," he continued..

Feng Xingying sat back in her chair, her head spinning as her limbs became numb. How did this happen? Her eyes followed Xie Yuansheng as he stood up from his chair two seats away from her and walked gracefully to the stage to receive the award amongst a huge applause. When the Principal gave him the award, he received a standing ovation.

Feng Xingying could only see things happening in front of her. Her blood rushed to her brain and she felt winded as her eyes filled with tears. Her fingers curled tightly around her certificate automatically as her anger rose. She could see his neck snapping in her mind and she felt good.

Xie Yuansheng could feel her fist smashing into his nose, splattering blood on his dress.

Her knuckles became white from clenching her fist too hard, and she gritted her teeth in an effort to contain herself. She exuded so much animosity that it was like slicing, very venomous. Her face became red with rage that she couldn't express.

This was the first time she had cried after her mother had died. Although she was too young to even remember her mother but she remembered the feeling of loss when there was no one to cuddle her during bedtime. She had become very lonely and had withdrawn from the world. The same feeling stabbed her heart. How could Xie Yuansheng, a boy who had joined school just two years back could win the most coveted award despite the fact that she was an assured candidate for it?

Her heart beat fast and all she wanted to do at that time was to run away from there. She wanted to be with her father. But she had to endure watching Xie Yuansheng on the stage receiving the award from the Principal and for the graduation ceremony to get over. She looked at him from her place and found him looking at her intently. Their eyes locked for a long time until the applause died. She was full of hatred for him.

Xie Yuansheng had joined the school only two years back and had challenged Feng Xingying's position as being a brilliant student in his academics. Tall and handsome, he bore looks like that of a prince. With skin was fair like porcelain, almond shaped eyes and thin red lips, he was epitome of handsomeness with an old school boy charm. Girls went crazy after him wherever he went. They would keep pushing themselves at him but he would never give them attention. Only one girl was allowed to be with him, Wang Zǐróng. She was the only girl who used to talk to him and he would answer her.

With all his good manners and polite attitude, he had been so good with his studies and extra curricular that he had won the hearts of students and professors.

---

Feng Xingying waited for the function to finish and then she hurried outside. She went to find her father but it seemed that the Principal had called him for the formal dinner.

She went to the dining hall of the school where the dinner was hosted for the school staff and other dignitaries. She tried to enter the hall but the guard stopped her. She had to turn away back. She walked to her car and even though there was a driver waiting for her, she demanded keys from him to drive it and asked him to sit in the back seat.

It was only 9PM in the evening and the traffic was busy, but she drove crazily at high speed breaking many traffic signals before finally reaching home. She ran to her room and huddled on the floor. Curling her knees in her hands and resting on head on her arms, Feng Xingying cried for what seemed like a century. Where did she go wrong? And how did he get the award she was sure she would receive?

When she thought about how she had worked hard for all those years, her tears burst forth more like water from a dam, spilling down in her cheeks. The muscles of her chin trembled like that of a small child, as she waited for her father to come and soothe her. Her mind had become static. Like a distressed little child, she felt raw all over again. She was injured – an injury she could feel the pain of but no one could see. Why didn't her father come home? She wanted to be his little baby and cry like a spoilt child. Didn't he know that she hadn't received the award? Or was it that he was disappointed in her? No, that couldn't be possible because for him it didn't matter so much.

As a matter of fact he had also once told her that let that award go to someone who is needy and would be able to fund his or her education. Does that mean he wouldn't even empathize with her?

As she kept thinking, she became all the more anxious. She called him but he didn't pick the phone. She desperately needed that father and daughter moment.

She heard his car parking an hour later. Hurriedly, she wiped her tears and ran downstairs to meet him.

As soon as he opened the door, Feng Xingying threw herself on him and said, "Papa!" She hugged him and again started crying.

Feng Zhantian stumbled back a little and then softly stroked her hair. "There is nothing to cry Feng Xinying…"

She lifted her head and said, "How can you say that father?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw a woman standing behind him..

Surprised, she removed herself from her father's hug and looked at her questioningly.

Feng Zhantian looked at her and coughed. He said, "Xiaoying, this is Xie Weihui…"

Feng Xinying's head reeled for the second time today. She was in no mood to talk anyone else other than her father. But the way her father introduced her to that woman, there was softness to it as though he was formally introducing her in an intimate way.

She started at that woman for a long time waiting for her father to speak more.

"Xie Weihui and I are getting married this weekend…" said Feng Zhantian looking at his daughter trying to measure her reaction.

Feng Xinying's frowned as her face darkened. She stepped back further. She needed to be with her father and here he was announcing his wedding while she was sulking, feeling so anxious. Had he gone mad?

"Father, I am feeling terrible after today's function. Please don't do this with me. Throw this woman out now!" she retorted.

"Feng Xinying, behave yourself. You are talking to your future mother," he warned her.

Xie Weihui stepped forward and said, "Feng Xinying, I am sorry that you got to hear the news at this time… But your father and I had been meaning to let you know about this from sometime now…"

Feng Xinying looked at her, her face contorted in anger and spat, "I am not talking to you. Stay away from me!"

Xie Weihui pursed her lips at Feng Xinying's sudden burst of anger. She bowed at Feng Zhantian and said, "I think you must really take care of this matter before talking about our marriage. I must leave."

"No! Stay where you are," said Feng Zhantian loudly to Xie Weihui. Then he turned to his daughter and said, "Feng Xinying, this is not how to talk to people. Where are your manners?"

She looked at her father's eyes that were burning with anger. What about her anger? She was a pulp of emotions. She wanted to burst out, no longer able to suppress rage, helplessness, and her loneliness. And here he was – shamelessly announcing that he wanted to marry that woman!

"Father? Am I nothing to you? Do you even realize that this would your fourth marriage? Is it so important?" she shouted back at him.

Then she went to Xie Weihui, held her hand and started dragging her out of her house.

Feng Zhantian couldn't take anymore of his daughter's horrible behavior. He went to her, removed Xie Weihui's hand from her grasp and slapped his daughter across her face.

He was shaking in anger and yelled, "Feng Xinying, enough! Get out of here and go back to your room! How dare you speak to Xie Weihui like that?"

Feng Xinying held her cheek in her hand as it burned with pain. She said through her tears, "Father, I would rather you take a knife and slash my skin than speak that you will marry again. You speak to me as if I am a stranger in your life. You just strike me out as if I am an invisible line that you have created in your mind. You just hurt me the most when I needed you. But now I understand that knowing you as I do, it isn't hard to understand you apathy towards me. Am I a less human being because my mother died so early? You so easily take relationships in hand and shatter them with glee. And in these moments I wonder who you are and do you even know me? Do you know what you are doing? Can you stop it?"

Feng Zhantian heard his daughter's words and replied, "Feng Xinying, I have poured a lot of warmth and love into you for so long that you have become spoiled to the point of beyond recovery. You have become cold and every time I talk to you, it's a new wound you give, a new scar that is added to my collection. You know that I can never stop loving you, you are my only child, but I want you to not become so cold towards me. Child, I only want sunshine for you. That is why I am marrying Xie Weihui. She is a gentle person."

Feng Xinying retorted, "Stop using me as an excuse for your wishes!"

"Feng Xinying!" roared Feng Zhantian. But his daughter had run away from there and was already climbing stairs to her bedroom.

"Come back here you ingrate!" shouted Feng Zhantian..