At the gathering, I unexpectedly encountered Rowan, the boyfriend who had disappeared eight years ago. He seized my chin: “Ms. Sage, weren’t you the one who despised young love the most? Have you now realized that your daughter has fallen into disrepute?” I tilted my head and replied, “You’re right. I should go back and placate my benefactor to earn my mom’s medical expenses.” He smirked: “When you forced Iris to jump off a building, did you and your mother ever imagine ending up like this?” “Sage, why aren’t you dead yet?” His question brought back memories of my past suicide attempts. But for the sake of my daughter, I chose to embrace life. To cover the medical expenses, I asked my benefactor for money, but he wanted me to appease Rowan instead. I faced his mockery and cruelty once more. In my despair, I declared: “Even if I’m at the mercy of countless others, I will never let you touch me!” Eventually, when he learned the whole truth, he broke down. “Sage, give me another chance. I’ll take care of you and your mother.”
When I saw Rowan again, I was in the arms of another man, entertaining guests. After eight years, Rowan still had that noble appearance, exuding an air of authority. Beside him was a glamorous socialite. Gideon pulled me onto his lap, his hand wandering around my waist. Rowan’s expression shifted from shock to disdain. I knew he recognized me. After several rounds of drinks, I understood the background of the socialite beside him. Celeste, the prized jewel of the Su family in Z City, and Rowan’s well-matched fiancée. Recalling the absurd past, I couldn’t help but find it laughable. My first love was holding a wealthy lady, while I was flirting with a graying man. “Mr. Nolan, don’t keep her to yourself. Let the guys have some fun too!” Mr. Nolan’s eyes roamed over me, his intentions barely hidden. Gideon, always perceptive, pushed me forward for the sake of future cooperation. I obediently poured wine for Mr. Nolan, who tossed a wad of cash in my face. “In this sweltering summer, let’s cool off!” “Little beauty, ten bills for every piece of clothing you take off, what do you say?” The room erupted in jeers, only Rowan set his glass down heavily. I caught the ridicule in his eyes, took the money, and removed my jacket. Someone swallowed hard, others raised their phones to take pictures. Mr. Nolan deliberately scattered the bills on the floor. I knelt on the carpet, picking them up one by one. Until Rowan’s shoe stepped on the last bill, looking down at me: “Even as a mistress, you’ve developed a superiority complex? Truly cheap to the core!” I looked up with a sweet smile: “Boss, could you please lift your foot?” Rowan hesitated for a few seconds, then moved his foot after Celeste softly persuaded him. I was about to continue my act when a voice suddenly interrupted the scene: “Stop!”
Celeste stood up, linking her arm with mine, suggesting we freshen up. She was Rowan’s esteemed guest, and no one dared to stop us, so I followed her out of the room. Before leaving, she draped a Chanel coat over my shoulders, covering my bare skin. In the restroom, she carefully wiped my hand that had been stepped on by the shoe. “You look about my age, why stoop to such a place?” I observed the rich girl before me, exuding superiority from head to toe. Her custom champagne-colored suit accentuated her perfect figure, the diamonds on her necklace glinting harshly. People like her would never understand the survival rules in the mud. What could I say? That I needed to support a seven-year-old daughter? That I had to pay exorbitant nursing home bills? That all this was thanks to her fiancé? When we returned to the room, the scene had ended. Because Gideon’s wife, Adeline, had arrived. While Gideon settled the bill, She finally dropped her gentle facade, grabbed my hair, and pinned me on the sofa. “Shameless woman! Only fit to be under a man!” “Look at your background, do you belong in such a place?” Her nails left scratches on my face, her curses like poisonous blades. I wanted to tell her I had no father, my mother lay in a hospital bed. No one left to teach me how to be human. But I stayed silent, letting her vent her fury. My calmness enraged her completely, and a crystal ashtray smashed onto my forehead. Warm blood flowed down my cheek, and as Adeline moved to strike again, a slender hand stopped her. “Enough, don’t mess up my place too much.” Rowan’s cold face sent her away. I held my wound, rushed out into the alley, and broke down in tears by a dumpster. I didn’t know how long passed until an engine sounded behind me. A black Maybach stopped at the alley entrance, and Rowan lowered the window. “Get in.” I shook my head: “No need.” He frowned, got out, and dragged me into the backseat without a word. The wound on my forehead hurt terribly. I gave him an address, and he started the car immediately. He didn’t need navigation; he knew the address all too well. In the summer of eight years ago, he set off countless fireworks there, deceiving me into trusting him. The car stopped at an old apartment building. He looked toward my home with a sneer: “How’s Ms. Sage doing lately?” My hand paused on the door handle, silent. He grabbed my chin, his voice icy and cruel: “Weren’t you the one who hated young love? Do you know your daughter has fallen into disgrace?” “Oh, she’s no longer a teacher, is she using the money you earn selling yourself to pay for treatment?” He bit into my collarbone, and I struggled in pain, but he held me down. “Does Ms. Sage know how many men her precious daughter has been with? Lost count of the marks, right?” When he mentioned Ms. Sage, his voice dripped with sarcasm. If he knew my mother had been in a coma for eight years because of him, would he laugh even harder? I wiped the place he bit, and he sneered: “I’m a big client of your benefactor, shouldn’t you use your skills to serve me?” I forced a professional smile: “You’re right, I should go back and appease my benefactor.” He released my hand: “Sage, you’re just a plaything for everyone now, why not warm my bed?” “I’m younger and richer than him, or do you prefer old men?” His gaze roamed over me, his words full of humiliation. I couldn’t be bothered to respond, pushed the car door, and left. His voice came from behind: “How much did Gideon give you?” “Two thousand a month.” “That little? You’re really cheap.” I heard him take a deep breath, but never looked back.
When my mother fell into a coma, Nora was only three months old, and I had already missed the best time for surgery. During that time, I was busy selling assets and caring for my mother. So busy that I temporarily forgot I was pregnant. Until my stomach grew, and I had to face the reality. Hearing the heartbeat for the first time gave me the courage to live. During my late pregnancy, I often dreamed of Rowan, endlessly questioning him why he did this to me. When Nora was born, I no longer fixated on why. I just wanted to see him, even a phone call would do. But he vanished, leaving no trace. At twenty, I met Gideon, fifteen years my senior. He offered me a job, saying it would solve my financial troubles. He said he and Adeline had lost all feelings, only maintaining a facade of marriage. When living became a luxury, who had the right to talk about dignity? So I accepted his terms, becoming his mistress without guilt. I never feared retribution because my retribution began the day I met Rowan. He approached me only to take revenge on my mother. Because his first love, Iris, committed suicide by jumping off a building in her senior year. Iris was a student my mother taught, a girl infamous for young love. This story spread because of my mother’s report. Iris wrote love letters in class, and my mother made her read them aloud. The classroom filled with jeers, and Iris knelt, begging for mercy. But my mother insisted on making the letter public, and the recipient was Rowan. My mother despised young love, believing students should focus on studies. She kept Iris in the office, reprimanding her all night. “Are you worthy of your parents’ efforts? Ruining your future for a boy!” Then, ignoring Iris’s pleas, she notified her father. The drunk man stormed into the office, swinging a chair at Iris. Several teachers held him back, but his curses were relentless. “Whore! Just like your slut mother, always seducing men!” “If you want men so much, go sell yourself like your mom!” From that day, Iris became a laughingstock at school. The once top student became a pariah. She started getting into fights, or rather, being beaten. It wasn’t fighting, it was blatant bullying. My mother thought she was acting out and became harsher. Because of repeated reports, Iris lost all scholarships. That day, she went to see my mother, probably got another lecture. Not long after, she jumped from the rooftop. From that day, Rowan entered my life. He used every trick to win me over, and I didn’t know it was a carefully planned revenge. Until the day college entrance exam results came out, he threw my pregnancy test results at my mother. “Ms. Sage, you hate young love the most, now your daughter has become a plaything for me!” That wasn’t a fight; it was outright bullying. My mother thought I was being purposely rebellious and became stricter with me. After multiple reports, Iris lost all her scholarships. That day, she went to see her mother, likely receiving another lecture. Not long after, she jumped off the rooftop. From that day, Rowan invaded my life. He used every possible way to win my favor, but I didn’t realize it was part of a carefully orchestrated revenge. It wasn’t until the day the college entrance exam results were released that he threw my pregnancy test results in front of my mother. “Ms. Sage, you despise young love the most, and now your daughter has become the disgrace I’ve toyed with!” That sentence shattered my mother’s mental support. I’ll always remember the mix of shock, shame, despair, and guilt on her face. I wanted to confess my mistake, but her tears fell before I could. “Sage, it’s all Mom’s fault. Mom didn’t teach you well, Mom doesn’t blame you…” For eight years, this memory has been a persistent torment, gnawing at me day and night. Rowan suddenly rushed out of the car and grabbed my neck. “Sage, how can you be so indifferent? Iris was a human life!” “Does your mother still think she’s so great now?” “Does she know that Iris jumped off the rooftop because of her?” Whether my mother regrets it, I can no longer know. At the moment before she lost consciousness, this question became an eternal mystery. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “This is all our fault.” Iris’s mother who exposed her was wrong. The father who abused his daughter was wrong. The classmates who bullied Iris were wrong. The bystanders who spread rumors were wrong. And I, as my mother’s daughter, was also wrong. But we’ve all paid the price. Rowan viciously pulled my hair: “Sorry? If you’re really sorry, why don’t you just die?” He trembled all over, repeatedly growling: “Why wasn’t it you who died? Go and die now!”
Death? I once attempted it when the astronomical medical bills almost crushed me. On Nora’s second birthday, I mixed sleeping pills into the milk, intending to leave with her. When the thick smoke filled the air, she woke up first. She wobbled over to me, her small hands clumsily pressing against my chest. Her childish cries alerted the neighbors, and they eventually saved us. After that, I dared not think of dying again. Even though I’ve thought about it countless times, I always wake up at the last moment. I can’t die. Nora’s and my mother’s lives are more important than mine. Especially my mother. I’ve already let her die once; I can’t let her endure it a second time. So I choose to live, by any means necessary. A phone ringing interrupted the confrontation. Rowan saw the caller ID, let go of me, and got in the car. Seeing Celeste’s name on the screen, I couldn’t help but sneer. Rowan, Rowan, after all these years of torment, you still ended up leaving Iris behind. Since our reunion that night, he’s been showing up frequently outside my apartment. That Maybach always parked there for half a day. Gideon soon noticed something was off, but he didn’t know our past and just thought Rowan was interested in me. That day, I dressed up alluringly, but he pushed me away coldly. “Sage, you’re not young anymore.” He pinched my chin: “If you’ve lost your value, you should know when to back off.” I forced myself to stay calm, trying to appear more charming. “I have a collaboration proposal. Rowan refuses to see me, but you should be able to persuade him.” Gideon handed me a document, saying if I could get the signature, he’d give me fifty thousand. Fifty thousand would be enough for my mother and Nora to live on for a long time. I took the document to find Rowan, even bluntly stating the deal’s content. “What, one patron isn’t enough for you?” “Why don’t I just give you fifty thousand, spend a night with me? After all, I was your first love.” For eight years, I’ve despised the version of myself that fell for him. At this moment, that disgust reached its peak. “Rowan, you’re revolting!” I threw the document at his face, but it felt like tossing a flimsy piece of paper. “We’ve done it before. If you’re willing, the bedroom’s over there.” His hand rested on my waist: “If not, take your document and leave.” I dug my nails into my palm and said word by word: “Even if I fall to the lowest point, I’ll never let you touch me!” The deal fell through, and I lost Gideon’s protection. He was surprised by my refusal and turned to flatter Rowan instead: “That woman is easy to deal with. She has a mother in a vegetative state and a seven-year-old daughter.” “I heard she’s depressed. Someone like her will soon come begging you.” Rowan froze, his voice trembling: “Who did you say?” “Sage!” I’m sorry, but there is no text provided for translation. Could you please provide the Chinese text you would like me to translate? 5. Sage? Every word Gideon uttered felt like a dagger to Rowan’s heart.
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296453”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic
Leave a Reply