Author: Momo Chan

Late at night, my husband Ethan once again snuck into the bedroom of his deceased brother’s wife. Shameful moans spilled through the crack in the door. My heart twisted as if a knife was being driven through it. I once thought I’d married into happiness. Three years ago, I was kidnapped and nearly violated by a dozen men. It was Ethan who risked his life to save me. In that moment, I was moved to tears, and I chose to marry him. It wasn’t until two days ago that I learned the truth. The kidnapping was orchestrated by him. The knife wound he received while saving me was all calculated. Marrying me, doting on me, getting me pregnant. It was all to protect his beloved Lydia. It was all because his forbidden love with Lydia wasn’t supported by the family. Our three years of love was nothing but a lie. If that’s how it is, don’t blame me for what comes next. Sophia’s POV I am San Diego’s most well-behaved socialite, a recognized model lady in high society circles. I was so obedient growing up that I’d never even held a man’s hand. But my family insisted I marry the most infamous bad boy, Ethan. Rumors said he could go through three different women in a week, racing cars and yachts every night, living a life of complete debauchery. This man was definitely not husband material. So I made the only rebellious decision of my twenty-three-year life. The night before our engagement, I ran away. But fate played a cruel joke on me. I fled the arranged marriage, only to be kidnapped halfway by my family’s enemies. Just as my clothes were being torn off and I was about to be violated by a dozen men, the warehouse door was smashed open from outside. Ethan drove a black sports car straight in. He got out and fought over a dozen burly men. Eventually he drove them all away, but he was also severely injured. A blade pierced his left chest. He collapsed in a pool of blood, struggling to crawl to my side and untie the ropes binding me. I tore off the hem of my shirt and pressed it trembling against the wound on his chest. “Why did you come to save me?” “Because you’re my fiancée.” He coughed up blood, his devastatingly handsome face pale from blood loss. “Even though… you didn’t seem too willing.” My tears surged out, falling one by one. “I’m sorry. If I hadn’t tried to run away from the marriage, you wouldn’t have been dragged into this and injured…” Ethan reached out and wiped away my tears with his thumb. “Don’t cry.” He said, “It was my fault before, too many scandals, too bad a reputation… and you’re so good, so pure. No wonder you wanted to run.” “But don’t be afraid… from now on, they won’t force you anymore, won’t pressure you into this marriage… you’re free now, you can go anywhere, marry whoever you want…” In that moment, my heart was like a lake struck by a massive stone, rippling with countless waves. My heart was moved. “I won’t run anymore.” I held him tightly, tears rolling uncontrollably. “Ethan, I won’t run anymore. As long as you’re okay, I’m willing to marry you!” Fortunately, the ambulance arrived in time. The doctor said he was lucky: the blade missed his heart by two centimeters. He was saved. After he recovered and was discharged, I followed my heart and married him. After marriage, Ethan reined in his wild ways. No more women around him. He spoiled me endlessly. He was so good to me. So good that if I scraped my skin even a little, he’d hold it tenderly and blow on it for ages. So good that to avoid making me angry, he replaced all his secretaries and drivers with men. So good that he’d always come home by ten o’clock at night, earning teasing from his friends about being “henpecked.” And Ethan would always respond happily, with pride and affection, “My Sophia is a treasure that countless men would beg for and never get. That she’s willing to marry me is my blessing.” Every time I heard him say this to others, I felt that marrying him was the most correct decision I’d ever made. Until this prenatal checkup, seven weeks into my pregnancy. Ethan had an important client he couldn’t reschedule. I went to the checkup alone, and seeing it was still early, I stopped by his company wanting to wait for him to get off work so we could go home together. Learning he was meeting a client in the conference room, I didn’t have the secretary notify him. I went into his office and found a magazine to read in the private rest room. Ever since getting pregnant, I’d become especially drowsy. Without realizing it, I fell asleep on the single bed in the rest room. I woke to the sound of loud conversation from the office. “Tsk, aren’t you the gold standard for good husbands in our circle now? Your wife had such an important prenatal checkup today, yet you dared make up an excuse to hang out with us here? Aren’t you afraid she’ll make you sleep in the study when she finds out?” A burst of knowing laughter followed. It was Ethan and his group of friends chatting. I smiled slightly. Knowing this group made boundless jokes in private, I didn’t mind. I got up, about to open the rest room door and go out, when I heard Ethan laugh shortly, his voice carrying a cold mockery I’d never heard before. “A good husband?” Ethan scoffed. “Marrying Sophia, getting her pregnant with this child. None of it was ever my choice. I was forced into all of it.” My hand froze on the doorknob, my fingertips trembling imperceptibly. What did he mean by that? What did he mean, he was forced? Another friend said incredulously, “What are you talking about? Who in San Diego could force you?” “Who else?” One friend who knew the inside story said, “His grandfather! Have you all forgotten that punishment three years ago that left him bedridden for half a month?” The others exchanged glances, their expressions changing. “All these years, I acted like a jerk: racing cars, changing girlfriends, constant scandals. I thought if I did that, Grandfather wouldn’t think I still had feelings for Lydia.” Ethan laughed at himself bitterly, then his tone grew heavy. “But three years ago, he still caught me and Lydia together.” Lydia… Lydia Hayes? How could it be her? My breath caught. I could barely stand. Lydia Hayes, his deceased brother’s wife. He was actually with his own brother’s wife? A massive sense of absurdity crashed over me. I suddenly felt my stomach churning with nausea. “When grandfather saw me with Lydia, he thought we were disgraceful. He said she was disgusting, that I’d betrayed my brother. But Lydia and I were together first. It was my brother who tore us apart.” In the office, Ethan’s words continued. “But Grandfather wouldn’t listen to explanations. He was furious and severely punished Lydia. I got beaten too, but that wasn’t the worst of it.” He paused, then his tone turned ice cold. “The problem was, Grandfather used Lydia to threaten me. He said if I didn’t marry Sophia, Lydia’s days in the Quinn family would only get worse.” “So you married Sophia for Lydia’s sake?” Someone said with a sigh. “We all thought you’d long since moved on from her and fallen for Sophia. Otherwise, why would you have stepped up three years ago to save her, nearly dying from your injuries?” The friend who knew the inside story laughed knowingly. “You don’t know the whole story. The kidnapping Sophia went through three years ago, he orchestrated the entire thing.” “No way! That kidnapping was your setup?” Ethan was silent for a moment, his voice low. “Yes.” Hearing that affirmative word, my fingers dug sharply into my palm, nails piercing flesh, but I didn’t care.

Sophia’s POV Ethan continued slowly, “You all know how stubborn my grandfather is. He valued Sophia’s family background, appreciated how well-behaved she was. He said she was pure and innocent, the perfect choice for my wife.” He paused, flicking cigarette ash, that red glow flickering at his fingertips. “But she didn’t want to marry a notorious bad boy like me, and Grandfather was pressuring me hard. I had no other options.” “So you arranged that whole scene?” Someone asked. “Yeah.” Ethan admitted it readily. “I knew she was going to run from the marriage, so I contacted her family’s enemies and set up that situation. The knife was angled to miss by two centimeters, the ambulance was already waiting outside. Everything was calculated.” He laughed shortly, the sound devoid of warmth. “I didn’t expect her to actually cry like that when I collapsed, holding me and saying she’d marry me.” Everyone exchanged glances, momentarily speechless. “Brilliant!” Someone was the first to react. “That plan not only satisfied your grandfather but made Sophia completely devoted to you. Two birds with one stone!” Ethan crushed out his cigarette, his voice heavy. “This stays between us. She’s carrying my child now. If word gets to her…” “Don’t worry, which of us would tell?” “Exactly. This secret dies with us.” “But,” someone hesitated, “Do you really have no feelings for Sophia at all now? She’s carrying your child…” Ethan didn’t answer immediately. After a long pause, he finally spoke, his tone as calm as if discussing something unrelated to himself. “Lydia lives every day walking on eggshells. I promised to protect her, that I wouldn’t fall for another woman.” Inside the rest room, I felt completely frozen, like I’d been cast into hell. I covered my mouth tightly with one hand to keep from making a sound, the other clenched into a fist, knuckles white. So that was it. He conspired with the Hayes family’s enemies to kidnap me, nearly having me violated, then appeared at the crucial moment to stage that dramatic rescue. All his tenderness, consideration, and doting on me, including his supposed reformation, was fake. Those moments that moved my heart, those times I thought were sweet and happy, were all just an elaborate act he performed. And the purpose was to protect the woman he truly loved from being mistreated. He never loved me from the beginning, yet I was foolish enough to be deceived for three years, only discovering today just how many lies he’d woven for me. Countless emotions surged like a tide, nearly drowning me. When I came back to my senses, the office outside had gone quiet. Ethan and his friends had left. I wiped away my tears forcefully, took a deep breath, and pushed down all the anger, resentment, and the dull, knife-like pain in my chest before pulling open the rest room door. Outside was completely empty. I left Quinn Corporation and hailed a car to a law firm. “Hello, I want a divorce.” I found a divorce attorney and said directly, “Please draft a divorce agreement for me.” I was going to divorce Ethan. I would no longer be his tool to protect another woman. Just then, my phone rang. It was a call from Ethan.

Sophia’s POV Looking at the caller ID “My Love” on the screen, I zoned out for a moment. If Ethan knew I’d discovered everything and was even considering divorce, he would definitely try every means to stop me. So before successfully divorcing, I absolutely couldn’t let him notice anything. In the last second before the call would automatically disconnect, I slid to answer. “Sophia?” Ethan’s voice came through the receiver, carrying his usual warm concern. “Did you finish the checkup? How did it go?” If this were yesterday, I would have felt sweet about this thoughtful concern. But now, I only felt my stomach churning with nausea. I tried to keep my voice steady and normal. “Yes, it’s done. The doctor said the baby is very healthy. Don’t worry.” “That’s good.” Ethan’s tone relaxed a bit. “By the way, I have to make a sudden business trip to the next city. Important project. I’ll be gone two or three days. Take care of yourself and the baby. Have the kitchen make whatever you want to eat. I’ll bring you a gift when I get back.” “Okay.” I only replied with one word, afraid saying more would betray my emotions. After hanging up, I stood in the law firm’s air-conditioned hallway, feeling my blood run completely cold. I raised my other hand and gently touched my still-flat belly. Just yesterday, I’d been filled with joy about this child’s arrival, imagining who the baby would look like. But now… With such a calculating father whose heart belonged elsewhere, if this child were born, it would surely have an unhappy life. After getting the divorce agreement from the lawyer, the next day as I went downstairs in a distracted state, my foot slipped and I fell. When I woke up, my lower abdomen throbbed with pain. The doctor told me the baby was gone. I returned weakly to the villa and lay in bed to rest. My phone vibrated. I picked it up to see Lydia had just posted on Ins. There were six photos. A selfie of Lydia with a gentle smile, an elaborately decorated birthday cake, brilliant fireworks in the night sky, two plates of exquisite Western cuisine, and two wine glasses clinking together. The last one was a close-up of two hands with fingers interlaced. On the man’s wrist was a Patek Philippe starry sky watch I knew all too well. The caption read, “This year’s birthday, still with my favorite person by my side.” Location tagged: Grand Hyatt Hotel in the neighboring city. My whole body went ice cold, chilled to the bone. So Ethan’s so-called business trip was to celebrate Lydia’s birthday, enjoying their undisturbed time together. With trembling fingers, I clicked into Lydia’s Ins and scrolled up through her posts. Three years ago in autumn, Lydia posted a photo of maple leaves with the caption, “Maple leaves are red again. Remember that year you said you’d take me to see all the red leaves in the world.” Two years ago on Valentine’s Day, Lydia posted a starry sky image. “Even if we can’t always be together, our hearts in one place is enough.” One year ago, on mine and Ethan’s wedding anniversary, Lydia posted, “Some people, some things, are destined to remain only in the heart. But being able to silently protect is already fortunate.” Looking through these, I suddenly realized Lydia had posted quite a bit of ambiguous content over the past three years. It’s just that before, I’d genuinely treated Lydia as family and never connected that content with Ethan. Now, suddenly awakened to the truth, I felt like a complete fool. I had been thoroughly deceived for three years. I thought I had love and happiness, not knowing that my sweet happiness was just a joke to others. I closed my eyes. Tears slid silently from the corners of my eyes.

Sophia’s POV Two days later, Ethan returned. But it was the Quinn family estate’s butler who told me. The butler spoke urgently, with rare panic. “Please come to the estate quickly. Something’s happened to him!” I frowned. “What happened?” “You’ll know when you get here. The old master is furious. No one can calm him down.” I was confused but still rushed to the Quinn estate. The whole way, I’d imagined various possibilities, but I never expected to see this scene. Lydia’s long hair was disheveled, tears on her face, her whole body trembling. And Ethan was tightly shielding her in his arms. His entire back had numerous vicious bloody marks, skin split open, blood soaking through his white shirt. “You disgusting creature! How dare you do such a shameful thing!” Grandfather stood to the side leaning on his cane, chest heaving violently. “Did you think that just because you weren’t in San Diego, I wouldn’t know what you two have been doing these past few days?” Lydia shook her head crying. “It’s not like that, Grandfather…” “If Grandfather must punish someone,” Ethan said hoarsely, “Then punish me. This is all my fault. It has nothing to do with Lydia.” “You bastard! How can you face your deceased brother? How can you face Sophia? How can you face the child in her belly!” “Lydia and I truly loved each other from the start!” Ethan suddenly raised his voice, eyes reddening. “As for Sophia and the child in her belly, you forced me into that, grandfather.” The words fell, and the room went deathly silent. Grandfather trembled with rage, nearly fainting from anger. “I thought after three years of marriage to Sophia, you’d have some feelings for her. I never imagined you were still so bewitched by this woman that you’ve lost all reason!” Just then, the butler hurried in from outside. “She’s here…” Ethan’s body stiffened. He slowly turned his head. At the doorway, I stood quietly. Our eyes met. Ethan’s eyes flashed with momentary panic and guilt. His lips moved as if wanting to say something, but ultimately he just looked away and said nothing. Grandfather saw me too. His expression changed slightly as he urgently signaled to the butler. “Quick, take her to the front hall to rest!” The butler stepped forward respectfully. “This way, please.” I pressed my lips together and had no choice but to follow the butler away. Behind me came Grandfather’s voice, suppressing fury with his command. “Continue! Beat them severely!” The sound of the rod striking flesh resumed. From the corner of my eye, I glimpsed that every strike the servant swung at Lydia landed heavily on Ethan’s back instead. He gritted his teeth, not making a sound, protecting Lydia in his arms completely. And Lydia remained completely unharmed. Late that night, a private doctor came to the villa to treat Ethan’s wounds. After nearly two hours of cleaning, medicating, and bandaging, the doctor finally left. Ethan lay on his stomach on the bed, looking toward me. After a moment of silence, he spoke. “Today at the estate… what did you hear?” I raised my eyes to meet his. “What should I have heard?” I asked back. Ethan studied me. “Nothing. She angered Grandfather. He wanted to punish her, but she’s too delicate to withstand it. With my brother gone, I have to protect her for him.” He reached out to hold my hand, his thumb gently rubbing the back of my hand, his habitual intimate gesture. “Sophia, don’t let it bother you.” I looked at his hand holding mine. Long fingers, well-defined and strong. Once, this hand had wiped my tears, stroked my hair, countless times gently held me, embraced me. Now, I only felt disgusted. “I know.” I calmly pulled my hand away. “I understand.” I took out a document from the nightstand drawer and placed it in front of him. “By the way, sign this for me.” “What is it?” He asked casually. “I saw a necklace I really like. It’s quite expensive. I want you to buy it for me.” I was gambling. Gambling that having just been punished for Lydia’s sake and having lied to me, he wouldn’t carefully read the document’s contents at a time like this. Sure enough, Ethan barely hesitated before taking the document and pen. He signed his name smoothly on the signature line of the last page I’d turned to. “What else do you want?” He handed the document back to me with an indulgent smile. “I’ll buy it all for you.” “That’s not necessary.” I smiled. “This one thing is enough.”

Sophia’s POV The next day, I delivered the signed divorce agreement to my lawyer, asking them to process it as quickly as possible, then returned to the villa. Stepping into the entrance, the housekeeper who was wiping a vase saw me. Her expression was somewhat strange, hesitant to speak. “What is it?” I asked while changing shoes. “Ma’am.” The housekeeper gestured toward upstairs. “Someone’s here. Upstairs.” My movements paused briefly, then returned to normal. “I see.” I went straight upstairs. The closer I got to the master bedroom, the clearer the sobbing from inside became. “…It’s all my fault. If not for me, you wouldn’t have been hurt so badly…” Lydia was draped over Ethan, crying with a face full of tears. Ethan turned his face slightly, seemingly about to raise his hand to wipe her tears, but his gaze inadvertently caught sight of me at the door. His movement froze instantly. “Sophia?” Ethan called out, with a trace of barely perceptible tension. Lydia startled like she’d been frightened, hurriedly moving away from him and straightening up, turning to look toward the door. Her face was pale, eyes red and swollen, looking pitiful. “Sophia, you… you’re back…” Lydia’s fingers twisted at her clothes anxiously. “Ethan was hurt because of me. I felt so guilty, I just wanted to come see him… We… we didn’t do anything else…” “She was just emotionally overwhelmed for a moment. Nothing more.” Ethan picked up the conversation. “Don’t misunderstand.” One with red-rimmed eyes looking pitiful, one with a soothing tone and evasive gaze. I suddenly wanted to laugh. Their panic wasn’t about me misunderstanding, was it? They were just afraid I’d tell Grandfather, afraid this marriage would fall apart, afraid Lydia’s days in the Quinn family would become even worse. “I understand.” I nodded. “I get it.” Lydia bit her lower lip, those wet eyes looking at me with careful pleading. “Sophia, Ethan was hurt because of me. I feel terrible about it. I want to stay and take care of him for a few days, even if it’s just bringing him water.” Before I could respond, Ethan spoke first from the bed. “Grandfather is furious right now. Her days at the estate aren’t easy. Let her stay here temporarily for a few days. When Grandfather calms down, she can go back.” He seemed to be asking, but his tone brooked no refusal. I smiled. “As long as you two think it’s fine, I have no objections.” “I knew it! Sophia, you’re so magnanimous and understanding!” Lydia beamed with joy and just like that, moved into our villa. That night. In the dead of night, my phone suddenly vibrated with a message notification. Ethan picked up his phone to look, then glanced sideways at me. After confirming I was asleep, he slowly got up and left the room. In the darkness, I opened my eyes, got up as well, and walked to the guest room door. Light leaked through the door crack, casting the shadows of two intertwined figures. “Does it still hurt?” Lydia’s voice was full of heartache. “Seeing those wounds, my heart is breaking…” Ethan cupped her face and lowered his head, kissing her wet eyes. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” His voice carried a tenderness I’d never heard before. “Don’t worry. I can move around now. I’ll be fine soon.” Lydia tilted her face up, tears streaming. “Don’t protect me like that next time. Seeing you hurt makes me suffer a thousand, ten thousand times more than if I were hurt myself…” Ethan’s thumb caressed her cheek. “Silly girl. I told you I’d protect you. No matter how badly I’m hurt, it’s my willing choice.” Lydia’s eyes grew hazy. Suddenly she stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips. Ethan seemed ignited. The next second, he bent down and swept Lydia up in his arms. Walking to the bed in a few steps, he laid her down and pressed himself on top of her, kissing her lips as his hands began to roam restlessly. “Mmm… Ethan…” Lydia’s breathing was unsteady. “Isn’t this bad, doing this here? What if we wake Sophia?” Ethan’s kisses traveled down her neck, his voice muffled but certain. “She won’t wake up. She sleeps deeply since getting pregnant. Not even thunder would wake her.” I stood outside the door, watching that nauseating entanglement. They were actually so desperate they couldn’t control themselves, having an affair right under my nose. This was the good man I once believed in. My good husband. This was the woman I’d sincerely treated as family, whom I’d pitied as a young widow.

Sophia’s POV Just before dawn, the master bedroom door was gently pushed open. Ethan returned to the bedside silently like a ghost. He softly called my name once. After confirming I was still asleep, he lifted the covers and lay down. I had my back to him. In the faint light of dawn seeping through the curtains, I opened my eyes. In the days that followed, a bizarre calm settled over the villa. Lydia, under the pretense of caring for the injured, had practically become half the lady of the house. In the mornings, she’d wear silk robes while making coffee for Ethan, her fingertips “accidentally” brushing his hand. In the afternoon garden, she’d stand on tiptoe to straighten Ethan’s collar, her lips nearly touching his chin. Every time, I carefully took note but continued pretending not to know, as if I’d seen nothing. “Next week is Grandfather’s seventy-fifth birthday.” That evening at dinner, Ethan cut his steak and said casually, “We’re celebrating at the estate this year. We’ll need to stay overnight.” Lydia’s knife and fork paused in mid-air. “Got it.” I scooped up a spoonful of soup and agreed. On the birthday, the Quinn estate was filled with guests. Nearly every prominent figure in the city attended. Ethan held my hand, playing the loving couple in front of others. Lydia wore an elegant moonlight-white dress, sitting quietly in a corner. Occasionally when her gaze met Ethan’s, tender affection that only they understood flowed between them. When the banquet ended and guests dispersed, it was already evening. I’d been standing in high heels all day. My calves ached terribly. I was about to go upstairs to rest when a young maid hurried over carrying a fruit plate. The maid’s face was pale as she pleaded, “I suddenly have terrible stomach pain… This fruit plate is supposed to go to your grandfather. Could you… help me deliver it?” Thinking it was just a small favor, I nodded and took it. “Give it to me.” “Thank you!” The maid looked relieved, clutching her stomach as she hurried away. Grandfather’s bedroom was at the end of the hallway. The door was ajar, light spilling from inside. I approached, about to raise my hand to knock. A dull thud of something heavy hitting the floor suddenly came from inside. My heart jumped. Without thinking further, I pushed the door open with my elbow. The scene before me made my blood freeze instantly. Grandfather lay face-up on the carpet beside the bed, while Lydia gripped a down pillow with both hands, pressing it firmly over his nose and mouth. Her profile in the lamplight appeared twisted and vicious, her eyes full of malice. Completely different from her usual weak and pitiful appearance. “Grandpa!” The fruit plate slipped from my hands. I gasped in disbelief and lunged forward, shoving Lydia away. “Lydia! What are you doing?!” Caught off guard, Lydia was pushed to the floor. She screamed, hurriedly dropping the pillow, her face drained of all color, trembling violently. I was about to reach out to check Grandfather’s breathing when Ethan and other Quinn family members burst in after hearing the commotion. Ethan saw Grandfather collapsed on the floor. His pupils constricted sharply. “What happened?!” “Grandfather! Grandfather, what’s wrong?” Other Quinn family members crowded in, crying out in shock at the scene. “Quick! Call an ambulance! Now!” After Ethan shouted, he rushed over like a gust of wind, crouched down, carefully lifted Grandfather, and urgently pressed his fingers to the carotid artery. Chaos erupted. The ambulance arrived quickly. Grandfather was lifted onto a stretcher and sent to the hospital, straight into the emergency room. The situation was critical, life and death uncertain. In the Quinn estate’s main hall, the atmosphere was unbearably heavy. The main Quinn family members gathered there, everyone’s faces somber. Ethan returned from the hospital to the estate. When he entered the hall, his expression was even darker than when he’d left. “What exactly happened?” His voice was low, carrying the feeling of an approaching storm, each word like ice. “Grandpa was perfectly fine. How did he suddenly suffocate and fall unconscious? Who did this?” Everyone’s eyes focused on Lydia and me: some suspicious, some scrutinizing, some furious. When they all heard the commotion and rushed to the room, there were only two people inside besides Grandfather: Lydia and me. Only we knew what had happened. I opened my mouth, about to speak. “It was… it was Sophia!”

Sophia’s POV I looked at Lydia in shock as she suddenly cried out. Lydia’s face was deathly pale. She raised a trembling hand, pointing at me, tears streaming down. “It was Sophia! I saw it with my own eyes… saw her holding the pillow, covering Grandfather’s nose and mouth! I tried to stop her, but it was too late…” “You’re lying!” All the blood in my body rushed to my head. “It was you! I saw you with my own eyes holding the pillow over Grandfather’s face!” I turned to Ethan, explaining urgently. “Ethan, you have to believe me! I went to bring Grandfather fruit. When I pushed the door open, I saw Lydia using the pillow to smother him! She’s the one trying to kill Grandfather! That pillow must have Lydia’s fingerprints on it. We just need to test it!” “That won’t be necessary.” Ethan abruptly cut me off, his voice so low it was alarming. His gaze fell on my face, his eyes full of cold scrutiny, as if looking at a stranger. “Lydia would never do such a thing.” He said each word deliberately. “I believe her.” “You believe her?” I couldn’t believe it. My whole body trembled. “You won’t even investigate before believing her?” Ethan’s face was iron-gray, his eyes flashing with terrifying coldness. “Lydia’s been married into the Quinn family for so many years. We’ve all seen what kind of person she is. She’s usually so gentle she wouldn’t even step on an ant. How could she possibly dare harm Grandfather?” “Then what about me? Grandfather has always treated me well. What reason would I have to harm him?” “Yes, I’d very much like to ask you.” Ethan’s handsome face was as cold as frost. “Grandfather has always treated you well. Why were you so ruthless as to attack him?” My whole body shook. I was utterly shocked. I’d expected him to protect Lydia, but I never imagined he’d be so blind to the truth. “Ethan.” An older Quinn family member spoke gravely. “Your grandfather’s life still hangs in the balance. This matter must be severely punished.” “Yes, he must be given justice!” “We absolutely cannot let the culprit go free!” The Quinn family members chimed in, looking at me with disgust and fury. Ethan was silent for a moment, then finally raised his hand. “Someone come.” Two bodyguards entered at his command. “Take her to the police station.” Ethan’s voice was ice cold. “On charges of attempted murder.” “Ethan!” Cold seeped through me from the inside out. “You can’t do this to me. I’m carrying your child!” This was my only bargaining chip now. Though only I knew the child was already gone. But at this moment, this was the only way I could think of to delay and wait for the truth to come out. “Even if you really don’t believe me.” My voice choked, carrying a last shred of hope. “At least wait until Grandfather wakes up and hear what he has to say…” “Take her away.” Ethan didn’t look at me, only uttering two words to the bodyguards. The bodyguards stepped forward, gripping my arms from both sides. “Ethan!” I struggled, my voice shrill. “Please, at least wait until Grandfather wakes up…” “If Grandfather can wake up.” Ethan finally looked at me, his eyes colder than I’d ever seen. “Perhaps I’ll consider hearing your explanation. But now, you should pay for what you’ve done.” “You can’t do this, Ethan! I’m your wife. I’m carrying your child!” No matter how I struggled, argued, or pleaded, I couldn’t soften Ethan’s heart. The bodyguards forcibly dragged me away. The following days were the darkest period of my life. I was locked in a detention center. The female inmates looked at me like I was prey. At first, it was just verbal abuse, then it escalated to shoving, and then… “I heard she’s a vicious woman who tried to kill her own grandfather?” “Looks so innocent on the outside, but has such a black heart!” “Someone paid big money for us to teach her a lesson!” Fists, slaps, fingernails digging into flesh. All aimed at me. The most painful was late at night, when they’d press me down on the filthy bathroom floor and pour cold water over my head again and again. The cold water soaked through my thin prison uniform. The bone-chilling cold made my teeth chatter, but it couldn’t compare to one ten-thousandth of the cold in my heart. I’d fantasized countless times that Ethan would appear, investigate the truth, and take me out. But one day, two days, three days… hope gradually extinguished. On the afternoon of the seventh day, a guard opened the cell door. “Sophia Wright, someone’s posting bail for you.” I struggled to get up from the floor. My whole body was covered in injuries, my left eye so swollen I could barely open it, dried blood still at the corner of my mouth. I stumbled out of the detention center. The harsh sunlight made me dizzy. A black sedan was parked in front. Ethan leaned against the car, a cigarette between his fingers. Seeing me in this state, his expression didn’t waver. He just looked up slightly. “Get in.” I stood still, my voice so hoarse it didn’t sound like my own. “Has Grandfather… woken up?” Ethan’s smoking motion paused. Through the cigarette smoke, his face was somewhat blurred. “The doctor said his brain was severely deprived of oxygen. He’s become a vegetable. The chances of him waking up are minimal.” My heart sank to rock bottom.

Sophia’s POV “However.” Ethan threw the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it with his shoe. “Considering you’re still carrying Quinn family blood in your belly, the family has decided to temporarily not pursue criminal charges against you.” He opened the car door. “But from now on, you’re no longer my wife, no longer part of the Quinn family. Once the child is born, I’ll divorce you.” I looked at him and laughed. Laughed until tears came out. “Ethan.” I said softly. “You’re going to regret this. One day, you’ll know how ridiculous today’s choice was.” Ethan frowned, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately just turned aside. “Get in. Don’t make me say it a third time.” I wanted to refuse, but the words stuck in my throat. I knew resistance was meaningless. Besides, all my documents were still at the villa. I had to go back to get them before I could leave. Half an hour later, the car pulled into the familiar villa courtyard. But after stepping into the villa, the scene before me made me stop in my tracks. Several servants were moving things out of the master bedroom. My clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, even my cherished books and photo albums: all carelessly stuffed into cardboard boxes, piled in the hallway like trash. “Hurry up.” Lydia commanded imperiously. “Throw anything useless into the storage room.” She looked up and saw me, a victorious smile curving her lips. “You’re back?” Coming before me, she looked me up and down in my disheveled state, saying smugly, “Starting today, this villa has a new mistress. Naturally, the master bedroom is no longer yours either.” She raised her hand, pointing to a narrow door at the end of the hallway. “From now on, you’ll live there.” I found this utterly absurd and laughable. I looked at Ethan mockingly. “Your grandfather is still lying unconscious in the hospital, and instead of investigating the truth, you let this woman move into our bedroom? Can you face him after doing this?” “Grandfather became like this because of you. That’s the truth.” Ethan’s face was terrifyingly dark. “If not for the child in your belly, you’d still be in jail right now instead of standing here questioning me.” He raised his chin toward a nearby servant. “Take her to the storage room. From today on, she lives there until the child is born.” Two servants stepped forward, gripping my arms from both sides. The storage room was worse than I’d imagined. Less than a hundred square feet, filled with old junk, the smell of mold mixed with the pungent odor of cleaning agents, nauseating. The servants carelessly threw my belongings on the floor. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll be responsible for cleaning the entire villa every day.” Lydia stood in the doorway, her smile sweet but vicious. “Because the Quinn family doesn’t support freeloaders.” She paused slightly, as if remembering something. “Oh, and don’t think about running away or contacting anyone, because it would be futile. Your phone has been confiscated. I’ve also instructed everyone that no one in this villa dares lend you a phone. Before the child in your belly is born, someone will watch you every moment of every day.” With those words, the door slammed shut heavily. I dug my fingertips deep into my palm, trying hard to calm my emotions, then turned to rummage through the pile of belongings for a long time, finally finding all my identification documents. I gripped those documents tightly. I had to endure for now, endure until I found a chance to escape. In the days that followed, before dawn each day, I was dragged from the storage room by servants to begin the day’s labor. Scrubbing floors, cleaning toilets, washing mountains of dishes, tending to wildly overgrown weeds in the garden… any slacking off resulted in kicks from the servants watching me. My three meals were the cold leftovers everyone else didn’t finish. As for Ethan and Lydia… If before, with Grandfather keeping them in check, they still exercised some restraint and only dared to sneak around… Now with Grandfather down, they had completely thrown caution to the wind. The living room sofa, the study desk, the dining table, even the garden swing… everywhere bore traces of their lovemaking. Several times late at night, tossing and turning on the narrow bed in the storage room, I could hear moans and panting from the other side of the wall, obscene and unbearable. The gentle consideration that once moved my heart. How laughable it all seemed now. This afternoon at noon, the sun blazed overhead. I was ordered to clean the pool. I crouched by the pool’s edge, scrubbing the walls bit by bit with a brush. At the other end of the pool, water splashed everywhere. Lydia wore a sexy bikini, her whole body clinging to Ethan, laughing coquettishly. The servant watching me was a middle-aged woman, currently leaning back in a lounge chair dozing off, obviously drowsy from the stifling afternoon heat. My scrubbing motion paused slightly. I raised my eyes, quickly scanning the surroundings. Ethan and Lydia were immersed in their own world, not paying attention to me. The villa gate was at the end of the garden, about fifty meters away. My heart pounded violently in my chest. I gently set down the brush, pretending to reach for the hose in the corner, but used the cover of the bushes to inch bit by bit toward the gate. Five meters, ten meters, twenty meters… Behind me came Lydia’s coquettish complaint. “Ethan, my shoulders are so sore. Massage them for me…” Ethan chuckled lowly. “Where? Here?” Panting sounds resumed. I held my breath and finally reached the gate. I looked back once. The servant was still dozing. Those two were still entwined in the water. Now. This was the best chance to escape. I gripped the documents in my pocket tightly. Then without looking back, I slipped out silently.

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The intimate photos of me and Liam Hunter suddenly went viral throughout the entire company. Each photo was even labeled with a price tag: just ten dollars for a night with me. Only Liam had access to these photos. I had just reached his office door when I heard him laughing on the phone inside. “Nora White is just a pawn I’m using to piss off the Hunters. Once I’m done with her, I’ll throw her away.” “Vivian is the one carrying my child. She’s the one I’m going to marry.” I broke up with him on the spot, but all I got in return was a resounding slap across my face. He even released our sex tape. In just one day, I became the laughingstock of the entire company. The “woman who sold her body.” The moment my heart died, I opened the reply email from Liam’s rival law firm. “I accept your offer. On one condition: help me deal with that bastard Liam Hunter.” The phone rang almost instantly. That man’s low chuckle came through, his voice magnetic and dangerous. “Baby, you’re finally willing to leave that scumbag? Now, can I pursue you?”

Nora White POV I was a lawyer who had been recruited directly by Kingsley Law Firm. I had no background, no connections, just a score that ranked first in the state bar exam and top performance for two consecutive years since joining. Because I was poor, because I came from a small town, I didn’t fit in with the people around me. Behind my back, my colleagues called me a tool. Strong professional abilities, but not one of them. Then one afternoon, someone anonymously posted a document to the firm’s internal work group chat and tagged everyone. The title read: “The Secret to Miss White’s Rise to the Top: Every Step Has a Price Tag.” The document was meticulously crafted, with neat formatting and a combination of images and text. It listed chronologically everything I had received since dating Liam. The limited edition handbag he gave me on our first date: eighty-six thousand dollars. The presidential suite he booked the first night we spent together: twenty-three thousand dollars per night. The monthly living expenses he transferred to my account: fifty thousand dollars. Every single item had a screenshot, a price tag, accurate to two decimal places. And at the bottom was a set of photos. These were photos Liam said he wanted to take that belonged only to the two of us after we got together. I had hesitated for a long time before agreeing. Now these photos had been cropped and spliced together, arranged at the end of the document with a line of text below: “Full version available. DM for access. Two hundred dollars per set.” The moment the document was posted, it exploded throughout the entire firm. In less than ten minutes, even the chat groups in neighboring departments were circulating it. I stared at the screen, my ears filled with nothing but ringing. I had returned all of these things. I had the receptionist send back the handbag the very next day, and I returned every single transfer. He knew I wouldn’t accept them. So later he changed his approach, buying things and placing them directly on my desk or at my apartment door, making it impossible for me to return them. But the document only showed screenshots of what I received. Not a single record of what I returned. The voices of several female colleagues leaked through the half-open door of the break room. “So that’s how she became number one in performance.” “Mr. Hunter personally led her through projects, funneling all the resources her way. Who wouldn’t be number one?” “Did you see those last few photos? Tsk, I really didn’t expect that. Usually she walks around with that cold face like everyone owes her money, but behind closed doors she’s quite open.” “Come on, that’s called investment. Didn’t you see how high the return rate was?” The laughter wasn’t deliberately suppressed. Iit even carried a kind of intentional casualness. I stood outside the door holding my water cup, the surface of the water trembling slightly. I didn’t go in. When I turned to leave, my cheeks burned fiercely, but my steps didn’t falter. Those photos, transfer records, hotel bookings, no one except Liam himself could have obtained them. I walked straight toward Liam’s office. Before I could push the door open, my hand froze on the handle. The door wasn’t fully closed, and voices from inside leaked through the gap. It was Liam on the phone with someone, on speakerphone. “The document spread! Everyone at Kingsley has seen it. Nora White is completely finished now. The partner nomination is definitely over.” “But that’s not even the worst part. She still doesn’t know that you only pursued her to use her as a stepping stone. You never really looked at her, never even touched her. If she found out, she’d probably collapse on the spot.” “But then again, the Hunters and the Whitlocks are bitter enemies. If you want to be with Miss Whitlock, you’ll definitely have to go through some trouble.” The person on the other end of the phone spoke in a frivolous tone with laughter in their voice. “Didn’t you promise Nora you’d take her to meet your parents next week? Are you really planning to keep up the act?” Liam’s voice came through the door, unhurried. “Of course it’s an act. The Hunters won’t let me marry Vivian, so I’ll bring home a woman who doesn’t meet their standards and see where that leaves them.” “Once they give in and approve Vivian, this pawn will have served her purpose.” I stood outside the door, completely still. My blood seemed to freeze all at once. The cold spread from my fingertips to my limbs, then lodged in my chest, making even breathing painful. So from beginning to end, I was just a pawn. Him holding an umbrella for me in the rain was fake. Him showing up on time at my office every day when I worked late was fake. When everyone else ignored me, the fact that he was the only one to sit beside me, that was fake too. All of it was fake. I released the door handle and took a step back. I don’t know how I made it back to my workstation. The way people around me looked at me had completely changed, from two years of disdain to naked contempt. Some even couldn’t hold back a laugh in my direction. I didn’t look at anyone. I sat down and opened my computer, clicking into my email. At the top of my inbox was an email from two weeks ago, from a top-tier law firm in London. They had seen my case report at an international arbitration conference and reached out with an invitation. The annual salary was five times what I currently made, with a full relocation allowance included. I had looked at this email many times but never replied. Because I couldn’t bear to leave. I couldn’t bear to leave Liam. I stared at that email on the screen for a long time. The office lights were blindingly white, and people were still whispering in the hallway. I moved my cursor to the reply button. My finger hovered for three seconds. Then I clicked.

Nora White POV I then picked up my phone and sent a message to my direct supervisor, Simon Yale. “Simon, I’ve decided to resign. I’ll leave next week.” The reply came quickly. “I respect your decision. I’ll help you with the resignation process. It’s a shame, though. The firm was planning to promote you to the youngest senior partner. The management committee already passed the initial review.” Senior partner. The thing I had fought desperately for two years at Kingsley to achieve. I stared at that line of text for a few seconds, then typed a reply. “Thank you.” Then I scrolled through my phone’s contact list and found a number that had only called me once, one I had never dialed myself. Liam’s mother, Sophia Chambers. Three months ago, Liam took me to the Hunter family home for dinner for the first time. Throughout the meal, Sophia was polite but distant. Afterward, she called me alone to the study, told me I wasn’t suitable for Liam, and said I should leave sooner rather than later. She even offered me money. I refused on the spot. Sophia said nothing more, just left me a phone number. Now, I dialed it. “But I agree to break up with him.” There were two seconds of silence on the other end, then Sophia laughed, the kind of laugh that saw through everything with disdain. “I’ll give you five million dollars. I’ll send the check to your company.” “No need.” The call had already ended. I gripped my phone. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes for a moment. Liam’s voice filled my head. “This pawn will have served her purpose.” But I didn’t want to believe it. I still remembered the night I first met Liam. I had just joined the firm three months earlier and taken on a rotten case no one else wanted to touch. The defendant was a local real estate developer with connections, and the plaintiffs were a group of workers whose construction payments had been withheld. Everyone advised me not to take it. Even if I did, I couldn’t win. Even if I won, I’d make enemies. I took it anyway. For two straight weeks I lived in the office, sleeping only four hours a day. The rest of the time I spent combing through case files, searching for evidence, and writing legal briefs. One night at three in the morning, I couldn’t hold on anymore and fell asleep at the conference table. When I woke up, there was a jacket draped over my shoulders and a still-warm cup of coffee on the table. Sitting beside me was a man I’d never seen before, flipping through the case files I had spread out. “Your case, the breakthrough isn’t in breach of contract. It’s in the money trail.” He didn’t look up, just pointed at a page in the file. “Follow this line and you’ll find their off-the-books accounts.” I was stunned. I looked at the file and realized the loophole he’d pointed out was something I’d missed after two weeks of searching. “Who are you?” The man looked up. Under the lights, his features were sharp, his eyes carrying a kind of casual coolness. “Liam Hunter.” Later I learned that this man who had guided me through a case at three in the morning was the only son of Kingsley’s founding partner, Richard Hunter. After that, Liam began appearing frequently in my work life. He’d bring me late-night snacks when I worked overtime. When I didn’t eat them, he’d leave them at the corner of my desk, and when they got cold he’d replace them with fresh ones. He’d block me from the firm’s obligatory drinking parties. When everyone else avoided me, he would casually sit in the empty seat beside me, open a case file, and say he wanted to look at my case. I refused him many times. I knew what my status was, and I was clear about the distance between us. But Liam didn’t care. He never gave expensive gifts, at least not at first. He gave me band-aids because my new shoes gave me blisters. He gave me a voice recorder because I always forgot details from court hearings. He gave me a folding umbrella because I never checked the weather forecast. They were all inconspicuous little things, but each one precisely met a need of mine. So when he asked me seriously one more time if I’d give him a chance, I nodded. Clearly, all I ever wanted was him as a person, not his money. But now I knew. Even him as a person was fake. I opened my eyes. The office was nearly empty now, and the lights in the hallway were going out one by one. I stood up to gather my things from the desk, preparing to leave. I pushed open the office door, and suddenly the safety stairwell door at the end of the hallway burst open. A man stumbled out, his suit rumpled, reeking of alcohol, holding up his phone with my photo displayed on the screen. “It’s you.” The man squinted as he looked me up and down, the corner of his mouth twisting upward. “Miss White, you’re prettier in person than in the photos.” I took a step back. “Who are you?” The man grinned, his steps unsteady as he closed in on me, grabbing my wrist. “Don’t be nervous. If you can sell your photos, surely you won’t cost more than the photos, right? Name your price. I can afford it.” His grip was strong, causing a sharp pain in my wrist. I struggled hard but couldn’t break free. Just as I was about to kick him, a hand reached from the side, grabbed the man by his collar, and yanked him backward. Then came a dull thud. Liam’s fist slammed into the man’s face with enough force to knock him to the ground. Blood immediately gushed from his nose. He kicked the man. “Get lost.” His voice wasn’t loud, but it was as cold as ice. The man covered his face and scrambled away. Liam turned around and looked at my wrist. Red marks had already surfaced. He frowned and reached out to examine it. “Why are you still at the office this late? Does it hurt? I’ll take you-” I pulled my hand back. I looked at the face in front of me. The same concern as always, the same tenderness as always, the same… perfectly timed response as always. Perfectly timed enough to make me believe he actually cared about me. “Nora? Still angry about the document?” Liam’s tone softened. “I didn’t send that document. I lent my phone to a friend for a few days. He went too far sometimes. I already scolded him and I’m having people delete it.” “Liam.” I interrupted him. My voice was so soft that the echo in the hallway was louder than my own voice. “Let’s break up.” Liam’s expression froze for an instant. Before he could speak, the elevator door at the other end of the hallway opened. Vivian Whitlock walked out. She wore a white dress today, her long hair falling over her shoulders, holding a bouquet of flowers. Seeing Liam and me standing face to face, her steps suddenly halted. The bouquet slipped from her hands. “Liam… you and her…” Her voice trembled, tears immediately welling up in her eyes. “Are you two really together?” Before she could finish, she turned and ran into the stairwell. Liam’s expression changed. He glanced at me once, then turned and chased after her. As he passed me, his shoulder slammed heavily into mine, causing me to stumble back two steps. My back hit the wall. I didn’t cry out in pain. I slowly steadied myself and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window at the end of the hallway. Below was the firm’s courtyard garden. In the night, the streetlights stretched two people’s shadows very long. Liam grabbed Vivian’s wrist, rain falling on his shoulders. He seemed oblivious to it. “Yes, the Hunters and Whitlocks are enemies. So what? Even if it means defying the entire Hunter family, even if the whole world opposes it, I only want you.” Vivian looked up, tears and rain mixing together. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. Liam cupped her face with both hands and kissed her back forcefully. I stood at the window, looking down at this scene. I returned to my apartment, took a shower, and lay in bed. I didn’t sleep all night.

Nora White POV The next day, I went to the firm as usual. When I walked into the office area, the atmosphere was wrong. A group of people surrounded my workstation, talking over each other. When they saw me approaching, the crowd fell silent for a second, then someone whistled. “Miss White, another deposit today? A check for five million dollars.” My steps halted. I pushed through the crowd. An envelope sat on my desk. It had already been opened. Inside was a check from the Hunter family’s exclusive account. Amount: five million dollars. It was from Sophia Chambers. Before I could reach for it, the check was snatched away by a male colleague nearby. He held it up to look at it, then passed it to the next person. “Who gave you permission to touch my things?” My voice was very low. No one paid attention to me. The check passed between several people’s hands, and every time I reached for it, I couldn’t get it. Those people were a full head taller than me, and their passing motion even carried a kind of playful coordination. A female colleague tilted her head to look at me, her tone rising. “Miss White, shouldn’t you update the price list in your document? The market’s going up.” Another person chimed in. “No wonder she wants to break up with Mr. Hunter. Turns out she found a higher bidder.” “You’re all overthinking it. She’s just holding out for the best price.” “Enough!” I practically shouted these two words. I never lost my composure in front of others. But now, my whole body was shaking. My throat felt like something was stuck in it, my voice hoarse and tight. The surroundings fell quiet for a second. Then came laughter that couldn’t be suppressed. “All right, everyone back to work.” At some point, the administrative supervisor had walked over, frowning as she dispersed the onlookers. I stood in front of my workstation, fists clenched, nails digging into my palms. I had to get that check back and return it to Sophia. That afternoon, I finally cornered the colleague who had taken the check in the hallway. Just as I was about to get it back, a familiar voice came from behind me. “Looking for this?” I turned around and met Liam’s dark gaze. The check was pinched between his fingers, already creased. “So you said you wanted to break up with me because of this money?” His voice was very soft, close to my ear, like a blade cutting across skin. I shook my head. “No, this money I never even-” A slap landed on my face. Several colleagues passing by all stopped in their tracks. Liam’s eyes were cold to the extreme, but a smile hung at the corner of his mouth. “Nora, I didn’t think your appetite was this big. A small-town lawyer with a humble background, this face of yours is really worth a fortune.” I covered my cheek, half my face burning. I opened my mouth, wanting to say that the money was from your mother… “I heard Miss White’s family still has quite a bit of debt?” Vivian had somehow walked to Liam’s side, her tone as gentle as if chatting about everyday matters. “Your father is a high school teacher in a small town with limited income, and he had to put you through law school. It really wasn’t easy.” Every word was fact. Every word was a knife. Liam looked down at the check in his hand, then raised his hand and threw it at my face. The thin piece of paper stuck to my cheek for a second before sliding to the ground. “I will recommend that the management committee conduct a financial audit of all cases you’ve handled.” His voice had no fluctuation. “People who practice law can’t have dirty hands.” Vivian added at the right moment. “This is for your own good. The innocent will be proven innocent.” The two of them turned and left side by side. A few passing colleagues slowed their pace, their eyes sweeping back and forth between me and the check on the ground. I bent down to pick up the check. My hands were shaking, but my movements were slow and steady. That afternoon, an announcement was posted on the firm’s internal system. My case representation authority was suspended, and an internal audit of all case accounts I had handled would begin immediately. I stood in front of the bulletin board, hands clenched into fists. Without case representation authority, I couldn’t appear in court, couldn’t sign documents, couldn’t access any case files. For a lawyer, this was no different from being crippled. And even worse, without representation authority, there was no performance commission. My current monthly income went toward student loan repayments, rent, and living expenses I sent to my father. If this money stopped, I couldn’t even survive in this city. Someone passed behind me, their voice neither loud nor soft. “An audit? I think it’s just for show. Everyone already saw what needed to be found.” “Right? She made so much money and still pretended to be poor. She also applied for quite a few of the firm’s pro bono case subsidies, didn’t she?” “Tsk, what kind of person.” I didn’t turn around. I stared at that announcement, reading it word by word, then turned and walked back to my workstation. I opened my computer and began writing an email. The recipient was the firm’s management committee. I would compile every transfer record I’d returned, every gift list I’d sent back, every complete financial record of cases I’d handled, and list them out one by one. Not to show anyone. But because I, Nora White, had nothing to feel guilty about to anyone.

Nora White POV Before the appeal email received a response from the management committee, I received even worse news. Simon Yale came to find me personally. “Nora, come to the conference room for a moment.” His expression was much more serious than usual, and as he walked ahead, he didn’t say a single unnecessary word. I followed him into the large conference room. Three senior partners sat at the other end of the long table. One of them was the management committee chairman, Vincent Pearson, the person who truly called the shots at Kingsley. A stack of documents lay in front of him, his gaze sharp. Vivian was also there, sitting in the corner with slightly red eyes, looking like she’d been wronged but was trying hard to hold it in. “Nora White, sit.” Vincent spoke, his tone flat but without pleasantries. “Yesterday, DuRay Corporation’s legal representatives formally sent us a letter stating that someone inside Kingsley leaked core evidentiary materials from the DuRay case to the opposing party. This case involves over eight hundred million dollars.” He pushed up his glasses. “We retrieved the backend records from the document management system. The last two people to access the DuRay case electronic files were you and Vivian Whitlock.” I sat up straight. The DuRay case was my most important project over the past six months. Most of the work, from filing to evidence collection to drafting the brief, was done by me. Vivian was brought in midway to assist, nominally responsible for client liaison. “Mr. Pearson, the last time I opened the case files was last Thursday. Simon assigned me to organize the data for the closing statement.” My speaking pace was measured. “That day my work records, email correspondence, and system logs can all prove that after I finished organizing, I logged out of the system. If needed, Simon can confirm this.” Simon nodded. “I can confirm that I assigned her that work that day.” Vincent’s gaze slowly moved to Vivian. “Miss Whitlock, what about you? Last Friday afternoon between three and five o’clock, you accessed all of the DuRay case electronic files. Please explain why.” Vivian’s lips trembled slightly, and she was about to speak. The conference room door was pushed open. Liam walked in. His expression was cold, as if attending an unimportant routine meeting. “Mr. Pearson, there’s no need to investigate further.” He walked to Vivian’s side, facing Vincent, and placed a USB drive on the table. “I found this USB drive in Nora White’s drawer yesterday. It contains the exact files that were leaked from the DuRay case.” What! My drawer?! There had never been any USB drive in my drawer. “Also.” Liam took out the creased check from his pocket and gently placed it next to the USB drive. “This is the five million dollar check Nora White received the day before yesterday. Everyone in the firm saw it.” He tilted his head slightly to glance at me, his gaze as calm as if looking at a stranger. “A lawyer whose representation authority has been suspended suddenly receives a large sum of money from an unknown source. Mr. Pearson, do you think this is a coincidence?” I stood up. “That USB drive isn’t mine, and that money wasn’t payment for any transaction.” “Miss White.” Vivian spoke softly, her voice carrying a trace of grievance and reluctance. “I don’t want to wrongly accuse you, but… when I accessed the system that day, I was only recording client follow-up notes. I didn’t copy anything. If it wasn’t me, then it could only be…” She didn’t finish, lowering her head. But the meaning was clear enough. Several voices came from the doorway. At some point, people had gathered outside the conference room. “I saw it. Miss White did bring a USB drive back last week. I thought it was strange at the time. Isn’t all the DuRay case material in the system?” “Plus her financial situation hasn’t been great lately, right? Her representation authority was suspended, her performance went to zero, and I heard her family still has loans to repay…” “She accepted a five million dollar check. What wouldn’t she do?” Vincent was silent for a few seconds. Then he closed the file in front of him, his voice heavy. “Nora, until the matter is investigated, the firm has decided to suspend our internal recommendation for your professional certification. This incident will be recorded in your practice file.” My heart skipped a beat. A lawyer’s practice file was my lifeline. Once I was marked with suspected leaking of client confidential information, I’d never be able to establish myself at any legitimate law firm for the rest of my life! “Mr. Pearson, I request a full review of the system operation logs and surveillance footage.” “The investigation will proceed according to protocol.” Vincent interrupted me. “In the meantime, go back and wait for notification.” His tone no longer held the neutrality from the beginning. I looked at Vincent, then at Vivian sitting in the corner with downcast eyes, and finally at Liam. He didn’t avoid my gaze. There was even an extremely faint curve at the corner of his mouth.

Nora White POV I left through the back door of the conference room. I leaned against the wall for a while, until my legs no longer felt weak, then slowly walked forward. I bought a bottle of water at the convenience store downstairs, sat on the steps by the roadside, opened the cap, and took a sip. Then I pulled out my phone. There was a message from Simon. “Nora, I believe you, but the Hunter family put pressure on this. Vincent Pearson can’t stand up to them. Don’t worry, I’ll help you figure out a way to pull the surveillance footage and logs.” I replied. “Thank you.” Then I scrolled to my chat window with Liam. The last message stopped three days ago. He had sent it. “I’ll pick you up after work tomorrow. Let’s go to that restaurant you said was pretty good last time.” I never replied to that message. And I didn’t plan to reply now. I closed my phone, sat on the steps, and stared at the trees lining the street across the road for a long time. I thought of the day my father sent me to this city. The bus ride took nearly eight hours. My father helped me load my suitcase onto the bus, stood outside the window, and waved at me on his tiptoes. He wasn’t good with words. After thinking for a long time, he only said one thing. “Nora, Dad doesn’t have much ability. From now on, you’ll have to rely on yourself. When you run into trouble, don’t be afraid. The sky won’t fall.” I lowered my head and took a deep breath. Then I stood up, patted the dust off my pants, and walked back to the firm. When I reached my workstation, Liam was already waiting for me. He leaned against the edge of my desk, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed. Seeing me return, he raised an eyebrow. “Cooled off yet?” I didn’t look at him. I walked around him, sat in my chair, and opened my computer. Liam frowned, his voice lowering. “About the DuRay case, don’t take it to heart. You know what Vincent is like. It’s just going through the motions. He won’t really do anything to you.” My fingers stopped on the keyboard. “You know full well that USB drive isn’t mine.” “You also know full well that check was from your mother.” I looked up at him. Liam’s expression stiffened for an instant. So brief. Too brief to truly capture. But my eyes had seen too many witnesses’ microexpressions in court. I saw it clearly. He knew. He knew everything. “Vivian needs the credit from the DuRay case project to compete for a partner seat.” Liam’s voice returned to calm. “You’ve already decided to leave anyway. This project is meaningless to you now. Sign a voluntary transfer statement and give your signature rights and project results to her.” I looked at him. The person in front of me had blocked drinks for me, covered me with his jacket, and found the breakthrough in my case in a conference room at three in the morning. This same person had personally placed a USB drive that didn’t belong to me on the table in the conference room, using a check I never intended to accept to nail me to the pillar of shame for selling client secrets. “I won’t sign.” I said. Liam stared at me for a few seconds. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to say something. In the end, he just straightened up, adjusted his cuffs, and left. I thought that was the end of it. If I didn’t sign, what could he do? I was leaving next week, flying to London, and would have nothing to do with anything here. But I was wrong.That night, my phone rang. It was my uncle Mike calling. “Nora! Something happened to your dad! Heart attack! The town hospital can’t handle it. He needs to be transferred immediately! The doctor said the surgery will cost at least three hundred thousand dollars!” I sat up too quickly from the bed. My vision went black. “Tell the hospital to save him no matter what it costs. I’ll figure out the money right away.” “Figure it out?” Mike’s voice suddenly shot up. “Nora, your dad received an envelope today! It was full of your… those… photos! And some kind of invoice! Your dad couldn’t handle it on the spot and…” His voice choked. “Nora, your dad saw those things and couldn’t take it. He collapsed. If you have the money, send it over quickly. The hospital is pressing hard…” It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over my head.

Nora White POV Who sent the photos and an invoice? I thought Liam had deleted the document before, but those photos were still saved on his phone. He could use them however he wanted. And the letter was sent to my hometown. Only Liam knew my hometown address. My hands were shaking, but I still dialed Liam’s number. It rang for a long time before he answered. “You’re the one who sent it, aren’t you.” There were two seconds of silence on the other end, then Liam’s unhurried voice. “Come to your senses? Then come to the office tomorrow.” He hung up. I gripped my phone, standing in the cramped living room of my rental apartment. Outside the window were the lights of this city that would never go out. Three hundred thousand dollars. My bank account held less than twenty thousand. With my representation authority suspended, I had no income. I still owed sixty thousand dollars in student loans and had maxed out eight thousand dollars on my credit card last month. Three hundred thousand dollars, where could I possibly get it? Early the next morning, Nora White appeared at Kingsley Law Firm. Liam was waiting for me in his office. Vivian sat on the sofa holding a cup of coffee. When she saw me come in, she even smiled slightly. A document lay on the desk. “Sign this voluntary project credit transfer statement, apologize, and I’ll handle the money.” Liam’s tone was like he was discussing an insignificant business deal. I stood in place, looking at that document. The DuRay case was something I’d poured six months of my heart into. This case was my entire proof of existence at Kingsley. If I signed, I’d be completely erasing myself from this case, as if I’d never participated at all. But my father was lying in a hospital. “Lend me three hundred thousand dollars. I’ll sign.” Liam’s expression shifted. “Three hundred thousand dollars?” He laughed lightly. “Nora White, bow and apologize to Vivian, and I’ll give you five hundred thousand.” The air fell silent for a second. Vivian sat on the sofa holding her coffee, the curve of her mouth unchanged. I stared into Liam’s eyes. When he said these words, his expression showed no fluctuation whatsoever. Thinking of my father’s condition, I couldn’t wait any longer. I bent at the waist. “I’m sorry.” I looked at Vivian. Vivian lowered her head and sighed softly, looking full of pity. “Nora, why go this far? Get up.” I didn’t move. I took the document from the desk, flipped directly to the last page, and signed my name. Then I stood up. I stood very straight. “When will the money arrive?” Liam looked at me. His gaze grew complex for an instant, then returned to coldness. He picked up his phone and operated it for a moment. “The five hundred thousand is transferred.” My phone vibrated. I didn’t look at it. I turned and walked toward the door. When I reached the doorway, Vivian’s soft voice came from behind me. “Liam, thank you. Actually, I’ve been too embarrassed to say this, but the DuRay case really was a project I put a lot of effort into following up on.” Liam’s cold voice interrupted her. “You don’t need to explain to me. I’ve seen your hard work. As for Nora-” He paused. “Someone who can sell anything doesn’t deserve your concern.” The door closed behind me. I thought my heart had already died last night when I received Mike’s call. I didn’t expect it could be stabbed again. Walking out of the law firm building, I pulled out my phone. Five hundred thousand had arrived. I transferred three hundred thousand to Mike with a message. “Use this money for my dad’s surgery. Please.” The remaining two hundred thousand, along with all the previous medical bills, I transferred down to the last cent to the Hunter family’s corporate account. Then I bought a ticket on the earliest train back to my hometown. Four and a half hours later, I stood outside the ICU door at the hospital. Mike leaned against the hallway wall, his hair seeming to have turned white overnight. When he saw me arrive, he opened his mouth and his eyes immediately reddened. “Nora… your dad… he didn’t make it.” My body swayed. I barely managed to stay standing. I was still too late! I didn’t cry. It was just that all sounds disappeared in that instant. The world became silent. I spent one day handling my father’s funeral arrangements. I buried my father next to my mother. I stayed in front of the tombstone for a long time. When the sun had half-set, I cried. “Dad, I’m sorry.” “I couldn’t give you a good life.” “I have to go now. I’ll come back to see you.” Mike stood not far away. After hesitating for a long time, he walked over. “Nora, I burned all the stuff your dad received for you. I’ll explain things to the townspeople. Don’t take it to heart.” I nodded at him and said thank you. My voice was already hoarse. That evening, I returned to my rental apartment. I canceled my phone number. I canceled my bank card. I deleted all my social media accounts. Finally, I opened my closet and packed all the things Liam had given me, a windbreaker, two scarves, a pair of headphones, into a cardboard box, wrote the Hunter family address on it, and placed it by the door. I’d have it picked up by courier tomorrow. Then I picked up my luggage and called a car to the airport. My flight was in the early morning hours, heading to London. After arriving at the airport, I had no nostalgia whatsoever. I smoothly passed through security and boarded the plane. I sat by the window. As the plane took off, the city lights grew smaller and smaller, finally becoming a blur of light. I turned my face toward the window, my forehead pressed against the cold porthole. From this moment on, all that remained between Liam Hunter and me was hatred and enmity.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “394876”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The day before the Marking ceremony, I got the wedding photos from the photographer. But the bride wasn’t me. Furious, I rushed to the bridal boutique to confront Alpha Liam. The moment I pushed open the door, I saw Liam’s female childhood friend wearing my wedding dress. When I demanded an explanation, Liam calmly sat down and blamed me instead. “What are you throwing a tantrum about now? Ava was just curious and wanted to try it on. It’s not like she can damage it by wearing it.” “Ava is my best friend. It’s just a dress. Is it really worth getting this angry over? I’ll just give her this wedding dress to use for photos.” He wanted to give my wedding dress to another woman! Bullshit. I picked up the wine glass and splashed it in his face. He thought that I, a human, wouldn’t dare provoke a powerful alpha. But what he didn’t know was that my stepbrother is the alpha of Moonclaw Pack. He’s powerful, handsome, and extremely possessive. And he’s had a crush on me for a long time.

Olivia Summers POV Before the Marking ceremony, my wedding photographer Amy sent me the finalized wedding photos. I opened the package with joy and began admiring them. But I discovered that the woman standing beside Liam in the photos wasn’t me. It was Ava. The daughter of the beta serving Liam’s father. She grew up with Liam, his so-called best friend. As I flipped through more pages, there were many more photos of just the two of them. In the pictures, Ava wore an elaborate wedding dress. Liam either embraced her from behind, gazed at her affectionately, or kissed her. In one photo, Ava’s finger clearly wore the ring I had selected. I remembered that half a month ago, Liam said he needed to help Ava with a favor. So this was his idea of helping. Going to take wedding photos with his so-called good friend, then continuing to deceive me by saying they were just friends. Moon goddess above, he was deceiving his fated mate! Yes, I am the fated mate of Frostveil Pack’s alpha Liam. But I’m not a werewolf. I’m an ordinary human. Three years ago, Liam and I met at a friend’s gathering and started dating. After three years together, his proposal wasn’t anything special. Just a sentence after dinner: “Get ready. The Marking ceremony is coming up soon.” As a human who grew up in the werewolf world, I certainly knew what the Marking ceremony meant. Werewolves Mark their mates and form a strong mate bond. It’s roughly equivalent to marriage in the human world, but much more solid and binding. Liam’s willingness to officially hold a Marking ceremony with me was a pleasant surprise. But the lack of a proper proposal still left me feeling somewhat disappointed. So I discussed with Liam about at least taking a set of wedding photos before the ceremony. He agreed very reluctantly at the time, constantly complaining that I was being too much trouble. But he didn’t find it troublesome to take photos with Ava? Just then, my phone buzzed with a message from Liam. “Olivia, what do you want for dinner?” I didn’t reply. I took a screenshot of the most intimate photo of him and Ava and posted it on Ins. The caption read: “I’ve decided to let them have each other. Congratulations to my boyfriend Liam and his best friend on their wedding. Blessings!” Liam’s call came through immediately, his tone filled with angry interrogation. “Olivia! What the hell are you doing?! Delete that right now!” “Am I the one going crazy, or are you?” I said. “I already told you, I was just helping Ava out! She said she’d never done it before and wanted to experience what it felt like to wear a wedding dress and take wedding photos! As her best friend, how could I not help?” When I didn’t respond, Liam realized his tone was too harsh. He softened his voice slightly and continued more gently. “You know Ava grew up with us. She still hasn’t found her fated mate, so she wanted to experience it. There’s nothing between us. Don’t be so petty about this.” I thought his words were utterly ridiculous. “I’m being petty? Should I applaud you two sleeping together to be considered generous?!” Liam growled angrily. “Olivia! Watch your mouth! Do you think everyone is as melodramatic as you? Ava has always been straightforward. She’s not as filthy-minded as you!” “Fine, I’m the filthy one. I’ve defiled your sacred friendship.” At that moment, I felt exhausted. “The Marking ceremony is off.” Too tired to argue with him, I hung up the phone directly.

Olivia Summers POV Half an hour later, my apartment door was violently burst open. Liam stormed in, seething with rage. “Olivia!” His eyes were red as he pointed at me. “Explain yourself! What do you mean it’s off?!” I sat on the sofa, not even glancing at him. Liam grew even more furious. “Delete that Ins post right now and go apologize to Ava! Otherwise this ceremony…” He didn’t finish his sentence. I stood up and threw the Marking ceremony contract onto the coffee table in front of him. Liam froze. “What are you doing with that?” I didn’t answer. Right in front of him, I pulled out a page and tore it forcefully. “Are you insane?! Stop!” Liam reacted and tried to grab it. Too late. I didn’t stop. I tore the entire document into pieces, then raised my hand and scattered them. I watched Liam’s stunned expression and told him calmly: “I said the ceremony is off, so this thing is useless now.” Liam was completely shocked by my action. After the shock came humiliation and rage. I heard a low growl rumbling from his throat. I had no doubt he wanted to rush over and bite through my throat. But he wouldn’t. Ryan had told me that werewolves cannot kill their own fated mates. “Fine! Olivia, this is your choice. Don’t you dare regret it!” He just left those harsh words and stormed out, slamming the door violently. Looking at the mess all over the floor, I actually felt relieved. At what point in this relationship did I become so pathetic? My proposal was Liam’s casual remark after dinner: “Get ready, we’ll have the Marking ceremony soon.” All the subsequent preparations were done by me alone. For three years, I kept telling myself “he just doesn’t understand romance.” But those exquisite wedding photos Amy sent completely shattered my lie. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand. He just couldn’t be bothered to make an effort for me. Memories came flooding back. The passenger seat in Liam’s car was always Ava’s, with the excuse that “she doesn’t like sitting in the back.” We’d plan to see a movie, but he’d insist on buying an extra ticket so Ava could sit beside him. Even when Ava went out on missions, he’d follow and accompany her the whole time, leaving me sick and alone in the hospital. And my grievances were always met with just one sentence from Liam: “Why are you so petty?” For three years, I changed too much for Liam, learned to give in too much. It wasn’t love that beat me. It was him and his friend who had no boundaries. Now, I wasn’t going to put up with it anymore. I picked up my phone and started making calls one by one, canceling everything related to the Marking ceremony. “Hello, Amy? Sorry, you don’t need to come tomorrow… Yeah, that woman wasn’t me. It’s okay, it’s not your fault.” “Honey, the Marking ceremony is canceled. You don’t need to come. I can handle it. Just… don’t tell Ryan yet.” With each call I finished, I felt the shackles on me lighten a bit more. Three years of youth wasted on a dog was better than wasting a lifetime. At least there was still time.

Olivia Summers POV After Liam left, my Ins exploded. Ava posted a new update. The images showed several playful selfies of her and Liam in intimate poses. The caption was written casually but dripped with manipulation. “Oops, just wanted to experience taking wedding photos, didn’t expect it to cause some people to misunderstand. Sorry for the trouble, everyone. Guess we’ll just keep being single friends!” Immediately after, my phone started blowing up. The messages came from Liam’s friends, warriors from Frostveil Pack, and they all said virtually the same thing. “Olivia, it was just a joke. Don’t take it seriously.” “Three years together isn’t easy. Delete that Instagram post and give Alpha Liam a way out.” “You know Ava. She’s like one of the guys. Don’t overthink it.” Looking at these messages, I laughed coldly. Everyone stood on their moral high ground, urging me to be magnanimous. I understood now. They were protecting Liam. These people were Liam and Ava’s companions. They were never mine. I didn’t reply to any of them. I opened the messages and found their names, blocking them one after another without hesitation. After clearing out those people, my phone rang again. It was Liam’s mother calling. I answered: “Hello.” On the other end, Liam’s mother spoke with the pressure of an elder: “Olivia, I heard from Liam that you two had a fight. How can you talk about breaking up over a little joke?” “It wasn’t a joke.” “I watched Ava grow up. She’s like a daughter to our family. She and Liam have been playful since childhood. You need to be more understanding.” Liam’s mother’s words were full of excuses for Ava. “As Liam’s future mate and the pack’s future Luna, you need to be more gracious. Be good, delete that Ins post, and we’ll put this behind us. Don’t let everyone laugh at us.” I finally understood where Liam learned his lack of boundaries. Ava’s existence was enabled by them. If I actually ended up with him, just thinking about the future made me feel suffocated. I interrupted her. “This isn’t a joke. It’s a matter of principle. Liam and I have broken up, and that decision won’t change.” Liam’s mother became somewhat displeased. “How can you be so unreasonable? Liam is an alpha. He can do whatever he wants. Does he really need to explain himself to a human like you?” So that was it. I knew that to some werewolves, humans were too weak and looked down upon. But as times changed, most werewolves’ attitudes toward humans had become more moderate. Liam had also assured me that no one would look down on me. But his mother had just personally admitted her discrimination against me. I didn’t want to argue anymore. “Sorry, I have things to do.” I hung up and blocked this number as well.

Olivia Summers POV After hanging up on Liam’s mother, I remembered the wedding dress. It was the main gown I had designed for the Marking ceremony. I’d gone to the studio over a dozen times to work on it myself. Since I’d decided to end things, I needed to deal with it. At least pay the remaining balance or see if I could return it. I took a cab to the haute couture bridal boutique. I had just reached the VIP fitting room door and hadn’t even pushed it open when familiar laughter came from inside. “Wow, Liam, does it look good?” My hand froze on the door handle. That was Ava’s voice. Immediately after, Liam’s voice came, full of affection: “Beautiful! It’s like it was made just for you, Ava. You look gorgeous in a wedding dress.” I shoved the door open. In front of the full-length mirror, Ava was wearing the mermaid-style white gown that should have been mine. Those layers of lace were details I had stayed up late drawing and revising. Now, they were on another woman’s body. Ava stood on her tiptoes and kissed Liam on the lips. And my fated mate Liam didn’t refuse. Sometimes I really wondered if everything I’d learned about werewolves at Moonclaw Pack was fake. Didn’t they say fated mates were destiny arranged by the moon goddess, the existence werewolves valued most? Why could Liam betray me so easily? Hearing the door open, both turned around at the same time. Seeing me, embarrassment flashed across Liam’s face. “Olivia? What are you doing here?” Ava lifted her skirt and came over with an innocent expression. “Olivia, don’t misunderstand. I just thought this wedding dress was too beautiful and couldn’t resist trying it on. Don’t worry, even if I’m wearing the wedding dress, Liam will only Mark you. He’ll only recognize you as his mate.” She twirled, the hem of the dress sweeping past my feet. “Olivia, you don’t mind, right? I’ll only wear it for ten minutes.” I looked at her, then at Liam. “Take it off.” Liam frowned. “Olivia, what are you throwing a fit about now? Ava just wanted to try it on out of curiosity. It’s not like she can damage it.” “This is my wedding dress.” I stared at Liam. “It was custom-made for me. I was supposed to wear it at the Marking ceremony. Liam, do you have any sense of boundaries at all?” “Are you done?” Liam impatiently put down his phone. “Ava is my best friend. It’s just a dress. Is it really worth getting this angry over? At worst, I’ll just give her this wedding dress to use for photos from now on.” Give it to her? I laughed in disbelief. The wedding dress I had custom-made had become, in his mouth, something to make another woman happy. “Oh no, Liam, don’t scold Olivia. It’s all my fault…” Ava looked like she was about to cry and frantically tried to grab my hand. Just then, the cup of bright red strawberry tea in her hand accidentally slipped. The red tea spilled out, most of it splashing onto the white wedding dress. Large dark red stains quickly spread across the snow-white lace. “Ah!” Ava screamed, covering her mouth. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.” Liam’s first reaction wasn’t to look at the wedding dress. He grabbed Ava and nervously checked her hands and clothes. “Are you okay? Did you get your clothes dirty?” After confirming Ava was fine, he turned to look at the mess on the floor and frowned at me. “Look what you did. You came here to yell at her and scared Ava so badly she couldn’t even hold her cup. Fine, it’s just some tea stains. Have the staff dry clean it. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.” I looked at the ruined wedding dress, my heart turning cold. “No need to wash it.” I raised my head. “I find dirty things disgusting.” Liam froze. “What do you mean?” I turned and walked straight to the counter, slamming the invoice I hadn’t yet paid the balance for onto the desk. “Manager, I’m not returning this wedding dress. I’ll settle the balance now.” “Since Ava likes it so much and has ruined it, please have Liam pay in full. Liam, didn’t you just say you wanted to give it to her for photos? Pay up.” Liam’s eyes widened. “Olivia, are you insane? This costs hundreds of thousands!” “What’s wrong? Not willing to spend money on your best friend?” I said. “Weren’t you being pretty generous just now?” The staff and customers around us all cast watching eyes, pointing and whispering. Liam couldn’t save face. He gritted his teeth, pulled out his bank card, and slammed it on the desk. “Fine! I’ll pay! It’s just a broken wedding dress! Only you would treat it like a treasure! I’ll buy it and give it to Ava so you can stop being sarcastic here.” The card went through successfully. Ava was still pretending to object on the side. “Liam, it’s too expensive. I can’t accept it…” “Take it!” To save face, Liam’s voice was loud. “Wear it whenever you want from now on!” I nodded, looking at Liam. “Remember what you said today. This wedding dress belongs to you two now.” With that, I walked out of the bridal boutique. Behind me came Liam’s exasperated voice: “Olivia, stop right there! What kind of scene are you making now? You’re getting more and more unreasonable!” I didn’t stop. Tears fell, but I quickly wiped them away.

Olivia Summers POV By the time I got home, it was already evening. I felt cold all over, my stomach sending waves of spasming pain. It might have been from the rage at the bridal shop earlier, combined with not eating all day. My old stomach problem had flared up. When I first arrived at Moonclaw Pack, I was terrified of these savage people who would start a fight over anything. I was afraid I’d become like them. So I tried to stay out of sight. I ate as little as possible. Ideally, I wouldn’t touch their food at all. Until my stepbrother Ryan found me passed out from hunger and took me to the pack’s elderly healer. After that, Ryan started learning how to make human food and supervised my meals every day. But the problem of stomach spasms from not eating had lingered. I just didn’t expect it to relapse at this moment. I forced myself to walk into the bedroom and pulled out my suitcase. I didn’t want to stay in this house for one more minute. I started stuffing my clothes into the case. The twisting pain in my stomach continued. I just wanted to finish packing quickly. Just then, the sound of a key in the lock came from the front door. Liam was back. He was carrying several takeout boxes. Seeing me packing, Liam froze for a moment, then showed an expression of impatience. “What are you making a scene about now? I already bought the wedding dress and paid for it. You’re still not over it? Now you’re running away from home?” In his view, I was purely throwing a tantrum. I had no energy to argue with him. I clutched my stomach and slowly crouched down. “Liam, do you have any medicine? Help me get some water.” Liam walked over with a frown. “Stop acting. You were fine at the store just now. How are you suddenly sick as soon as you get home?” “My stomach hurts. It really hurts…” Liam scoffed. “Come on, Olivia. How many times have you used this trick? Every time we fight, you suddenly don’t feel well. Can’t you come up with something new?” Even though he said this, he still put the takeout on the table and turned to get water. Just then, his phone rang. Liam’s expression changed, and he immediately answered: “Hello, Ava?” From the other end came Ava’s tearful voice: “Liam, there seem to be some rogue wolves near my house. I’m so scared…” Liam’s voice instantly became gentle as he coaxed her patiently: “Don’t be afraid. I’ll be right there!” Liam hung up and rushed toward the door. “Liam…” I lay by the bed, using my last bit of strength to grab the hem of his pants. “I really feel terrible. Take me to the hospital…” Liam stopped and looked down at me. He said impatiently: “Stop pretending!” He shook off my hand forcefully. “There are rogues near Ava’s place. What if something happens to her? You just have a stomachache. There’s stomach medicine in the cabinet. Can’t you take two pills yourself? Do you have to put on this act right now? Even throwing tantrums should have priorities!” With that, he didn’t spare me another glance on the floor and strode out of the bedroom. “Bang!” The door slammed shut. The pain in my stomach felt like it was tearing me apart, but the coldness in my heart was even worse than the pain. I curled up on the floor, tears silently soaking into the carpet. So in Liam’s heart, I really couldn’t compare to Ava. I used to think his neglect of me was because he didn’t understand human physiology. But I suddenly realized that my stepbrother Ryan, also a werewolf, could detect my condition. Tonight I finally understood. I had just been deceiving myself. After a long while. I struggled to get up, rummaged through the drawer for stomach medicine, and dry-swallowed two pills. The bitter taste spread through my mouth. Looking at the empty room, I suddenly laughed. Good thing the Marking ceremony hadn’t happened yet. Liam, since you like being with her so much, then stay with her forever.

Olivia Summers POV Early the next morning, Liam pushed the door open. I sat on the sofa without even glancing at him. Liam changed his shoes while announcing: “Ava’s place isn’t safe lately. She’ll be staying in our guest room for the next few days.” As soon as he finished speaking, Ava poked her head out wearing Liam’s shirt, carrying the bag with the stained wedding dress. “Morning, Olivia! Liam gave me this wedding dress. I’m planning to shorten it into a cocktail dress. You don’t mind, do you?” I glanced at the oversized men’s shirt. It was Liam’s clothes, now worn by another woman. I smiled. “I don’t mind. If you like picking up other people’s unwanted old clothes that much, keep it.” Ava’s expression stiffened. She hadn’t expected me to snap back like that. Liam frowned, scolding me with displeasure: “Olivia, watch your language. It’s just a piece of clothing.” I laughed coldly, too lazy to waste words, and turned back to my room. That evening. A pungent spicy chili aroma came from the living room. Liam came out carrying two bowls of noodles. Ava sat at the table and eagerly took one: “Smells amazing! Liam, you’re so good to me. You knew I wanted to eat this.” Liam placed the other bowl in front of himself and turned to tell me: “You don’t like eating this kind of thing. There’s plain rice porridge in the pot. Help yourself.” Ava ate while sighing: “Poor Olivia, can’t eat such delicious noodles and can only drink tasteless porridge.” I stood in the bedroom doorway, looking at those two polarized dinners, and suddenly laughed. I walked to the dining table and looked at Liam. Liam felt uneasy under my laughter and looked up impatiently: “What are you laughing at?” “Laughing at your poor memory.” I said. “Liam, who told you I was born loving plain rice porridge?” Liam froze, then slammed his utensils on the table: “What are you going crazy about now? Haven’t you been eating like this for three years?” “Yes.” I smiled. “But wasn’t all of this because you said you didn’t like heavily flavored food?” Liam seemed to recall that incident, looking embarrassed. “I… Ava wanted to eat it, so I tried it with her.” Then he suddenly became defensive with embarrassment. “You didn’t want to eat it. Could I force you? Eat it or don’t!” He really couldn’t force me. So I was foolish. That version of me who loved him so much she lost herself. I straightened up and nodded coldly. “You’re right. From now on, I won’t touch anything I don’t like.” With that, I turned to leave. “Stop.” Liam called out to me, switching to a gentler tone: “Jason’s having a gathering tomorrow night at the usual place. You come too.” I paused mid-step, my back to him, saying nothing. Liam thought I was putting on an act, his tone growing more impatient: “Don’t make a scene again. Everyone’s been unhappy these past few days because of the wedding dress thing. Tomorrow when you go, it’ll be a good opportunity to make peace with Ava and we can put this behind us.” As long as I obediently showed up tomorrow and obediently backed down, he’d forgive me for my unreasonable behavior these past few days. Behind me came Ava’s saccharine voice: “That’s right, Olivia. Everyone’s waiting for you. You wouldn’t refuse, would you?” I turned around. I looked at these two, clearly on the same page. “Sure.” I looked at Liam and smiled. Liam frowned, but hearing me agree, he still relaxed a little. “Good. At least you’re being reasonable.” I said nothing more and returned to my room. Go? Of course I’d go. Since I was settling the score for the past three years, how could I forget about those people? I wanted everyone to know exactly what kind of scumbag Liam really was!

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On my wedding anniversary with my husband, his female friend Heather pointed at Ethan and suddenly said: “Actually, today is a double celebration. I’m pregnant with your child.” I was thunderstruck and immediately demanded an explanation. Ethan just laughed nonchalantly and laid it all out: “We grew up together. Exploring each other’s bodies is perfectly normal. She and I are fuck buddies at most. You’re still my legitimate wife.” Dizzy, I fell down the stairs and tumbled to the ground. A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen, and blood instantly stained my white dress. I trembled as I pulled out my pregnancy test results: “Ethan, I…” Before I could finish, he interrupted me with a sneer: “What tricks are you playing now? Trying to use a fake pregnancy to make Heather get an abortion?” Heather also covered her mouth and laughed: “Natalie, did your blood pack leak? Your acting is so fake. Everyone knows you’re infertile. Stop pretending.” Lying in a pool of blood, watching him hold someone else, I finally made a decision. I accepted my college classmate’s invitation to study at an overseas research institute.

I don’t know how long I’d been lying in the hospital, but I was awakened by the heavy breathing of a man and woman on the ward’s sofa. “Heather, Natalie’s still lying in the hospital bed. Let’s go somewhere else.” “This is so exciting! Right in front of your own wife…” I slowly opened my eyes. A naked man and woman were entwined together. I trembled with rage, finding it hard to believe. This past year, Ethan had used his supposed germophobia as an excuse, and our intimate moments could be counted on one hand. Even when going through the motions mechanically, he always frowned with disgust, calling me revolting afterward, like a bitch in heat. He’d rush to the bathroom as if trying to scrub off a layer of skin. Listening to Heather’s passionate moans, the last trace of warmth remaining in my heart finally turned cold. Ethan unconsciously glanced at me. Only when he saw me motionless did he relax. “This won’t affect our child, will it?” Heather’s voice was sweet and soft: “I asked the doctor. Both your babies can handle moderate activity…” I touched my flat abdomen, tears streaming down my face. The two of them changed positions several times. After more than ten minutes, they finally finished everything amid gasps and satisfaction. After they left, I struggled to sit up. Seeing the miscarriage report on the table, my whole body began to shake uncontrollably. Ever since my uterus was injured, I’d undergone all kinds of treatments to conceive this child. But ten years of feelings, in Ethan’s eyes, ultimately couldn’t compare to a few of Heather’s fake tears and her lies that twisted the truth. After sitting numbly on the sofa all night, I finally saw things clearly. I picked up my phone and decisively replied to my college classmate’s message: “I agree to the overseas study program you mentioned before. But I have one requirement: keep it completely confidential from my family.” Then I tore the miscarriage report into pieces and threw it in the trash. Someone knocked on the door. Ethan walked in and saw the report in the trash can. “You know everything?” He gently pulled me into his arms: “Natalie, we’ll have another child. Heather’s pregnant, so it’s normal for her to be temperamental. Just bear with it.” Smelling the pungent perfume on him, I suppressed my nausea and pulled away: “What exactly do you take me for? Heather’s a pregnant woman who can’t be wronged, but what about me?” Ethan’s expression instantly darkened: “Stop making a scene, okay?” The weather was hot, but my heart was ice cold. That’s right, in Ethan’s view, when guests at the family banquet drowned my dog and I demanded justice, I was “making a scene”; when my intimate photos were spread by Heather and I warned her, I was “making a scene”; when I nearly died in difficult labor and interrupted his date with Heather to sign critical condition forms, that was also “making a scene.” I stared straight into his eyes, trying to find traces of the Ethan who had personally decorated the nursery during my first pregnancy, who had stayed up all night choosing names for the child. But meeting his gaze, I saw only cold ice in Ethan’s eyes. I pulled at the corner of my mouth and spoke hoarsely: “Let’s divorce, Ethan.”

“You and your mother both need my money to live. Natalie, don’t joke around.” Ethan frowned at me, his attitude still superior: “Besides, with my status…” “Ethan, stop wasting time on her.” Heather interrupted our conversation, linking her arm with Ethan’s and acting coquettish: “Today’s the third-week anniversary of my pregnancy. The fireworks show is about to start. Let’s go watch!” The irritation in the man’s eyes instantly vanished. His lips curved upward as he walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window with Heather: “Be careful, don’t hurt the baby.” “The fireworks show was specially prepared for you. I dare anyone to start without you!” I watched the brilliant fireworks in the sky, feeling somewhat dazed. Years ago, on the night Ethan confessed to me, he couldn’t even afford a decent bouquet of roses. He only held a few cheap sparklers, clumsily lighting them for me. His face was red then, but his eyes were incredibly sincere: “I’ll definitely give you the best life in the future. I’ll give you the biggest fireworks show.” But now we had everything—money, power, everything except love. He could give Heather and the child in her belly a spectacular fireworks display, but he wouldn’t spare me even a word of concern. As the fireworks faded, people in the hospital corridor exclaimed in amazement: “Mrs. Evans is so blessed! Even her pregnancy gets celebrated with a million-dollar fireworks show!” “I heard she’s been accompanied throughout her conception planning and prenatal checkups by Mr. Evans himself, afraid something might go wrong!” Hearing these words, I felt like I’d fallen into an ice cave, trembling all over. So Heather’s pregnancy wasn’t an accident at all! He’d even indulged her in replacing me as Mrs. Evans in front of others, all to give Heather’s child legitimacy. “Crash!” Behind me came the sound of breaking glass. Heather grabbed my arm, sobbing: “Natalie, I accidentally broke your photo frame. Sorry.” My body stiffened imperceptibly. The photo in that frame was the only picture of my grandmother and me before she passed. Even the frame itself was a birthday gift my grandmother had carved for me. Ethan couldn’t possibly not know this. Anger surged in my heart as I shook off the woman’s hand: “Pick it up, clean it, and give it back to me!” But when Heather bent down while clutching her belly, Ethan swiftly picked up the frame and threw it at my head: “Natalie, I thought you’d be sensible, but I didn’t expect you to be so vicious!” Vicious? I laughed out loud. Going to checkups alone, letting outsiders replace my identity as Mrs. Evans, deliberately smashing my grandmother’s keepsake—facing all this differential treatment, Ethan could still call me vicious. Blood from my forehead mixed with tears. I couldn’t help but mock myself: “Ethan, in your eyes, my repeated forbearance is vicious, but Heather causing my miscarriage is just an accident. Don’t you find that absurd?” Ethan’s chest heaved violently. Then Heather said tearfully: “Don’t be angry with Natalie. She just lost her child, so it’s normal for her to be temperamental!” She pushed the man toward the door: “After all, this is between Natalie and me. Let us resolve it ourselves! Besides, don’t you need to handle Natalie’s discharge procedures? Hurry up.” Ethan instructed with concern: “Be careful then, don’t hurt the baby.” After the man left, Heather no longer concealed the malice in her eyes: “Ethan and I have been like two peas in a pod since childhood. Our bond naturally runs deeper than yours. Once I give birth to this child, how much longer do you think you can stay by his side?” Facing her low-level provocation, I didn’t react impulsively as I used to. I just silently picked up the photo from the floor: “He’s just garbage. If you want him, take him. But Heather, stolen goods will never truly be yours!” Perhaps she’d never seen me so sharp before. She stood dazed for a long time. Seeing me walk out of the ward, she finally shouted in exasperation: “Natalie, you just wait!” I left the hospital directly and pulled out my phone to message the divorce attorney: “I’ve sent the evidence of infidelity to your email. Make sure to check it.” After sending the message, I returned to the villa to pack my luggage. But the moment I walked out the villa’s front door, bodyguards blocked my way.

Ethan was furious: “Heather had a miscarriage. Did you do it!” Before I could answer, he angrily grabbed my throat: “Who else but you couldn’t tolerate the child in her belly!” I was confused: “Ethan, what are you talking about? I…” He slapped me across the face. Looking into each other’s eyes, only shocking ferocity remained in Ethan’s: “Heather is delicate. You must apologize to her in person!” He turned to the bodyguards and commanded sharply: “Take Natalie to the hospital!” Already weak, I couldn’t resist the bodyguards’ restraint. By the time we reached the hospital, Heather was watching me with a victor’s gaze: “Ethan, I lost my child. A simple apology won’t make this go away!” I forced myself to stand, the sharp pain in my abdomen making me stagger. Ethan instinctively stepped forward: “Are you uncomfortable?” Then, thinking better of it, he looked at me with disgust: “Trying to play weak to avoid punishment? Kneel and apologize to Heather!” My heart turned completely cold: “I won’t admit to something I didn’t do!” Heather’s provocative expression intensified: “Fine, since Natalie won’t apologize, let’s have her mother from the nursing home kneel and beg for my forgiveness. Ethan, like mother like daughter! We need to solve this problem at its root!” Hearing her threaten to use my mother to make me submit, I couldn’t take it anymore and lunged forward to grab her throat: “She knows nothing about this. Don’t drag my mother into this!” The next second, Ethan violently pushed me away: “Have you lost your mind, Natalie? I told you to apologize to teach you a lesson, not to escalate your attacks on Heather!” I crashed heavily onto the floor, every bone radiating dense pain. “Go bring Natalie’s mother here!” My heart seized with panic. Looking up, I saw Heather’s increasingly smug expression. My eyes reddened: “My mother is my only family. You can’t touch her!” To break free from restraint, I bit down on Heather’s arm. Ethan was livid and flung me three meters away: “Natalie, will you ever stop!” I flew straight into the window, countless glass shards piercing my skin. Ethan instinctively took a step forward, but Heather rushed over to help me first: “When that old hag arrives, guess how I’ll torture her?” My heart raced with panic: “My mom is old. She can’t take any harm!” In my panic, I grabbed a fruit knife nearby and rushed at Heather. “Ah! Help!” Unexpectedly, Ethan blocked the woman. The bodyguards pinned me firmly to the ground. “I’ve been more than generous with you. What has Heather ever done to you? Look at yourself—you’re like a shrew!” Ethan’s eyes turned red with anger, pointing at my nose and roaring. But all I could think about was my mother’s uncertain fate. I cried my heart out: “I’ll apologize! Just don’t touch my mother, and I’ll kneel and apologize!”

And so, I knelt at the hospital room door, slapping myself over and over, saying “I’m sorry” repeatedly. People came and went through the corridor, excitedly watching the spectacle. My forehead kept hitting the marble floor, quickly becoming bloody. A flash of shock crossed Ethan’s eyes. He instinctively moved to pull me up. But Heather covered her nose in disgust: “Ethan, I just had a miscarriage and can’t stand the smell of blood. Make her get away!” Ethan hesitated for a moment, then issued his command: “She’s gone mad. Lock her and her mother in the private apartment to clear their heads!” Supporting my weak body, I was pushed into a dark room. My mother was curled up in a corner. My heart ached as I slowly pulled my mother into my arms: “Mom, don’t scare me. Open your eyes and look at me…” Seeing me, tears filled my mother’s eyes. Her aged hand caressed my cheek: “Natalie, leave him. I can’t burden you anymore.” Then, with a blade she’d found somewhere, she slashed her wrist. Blood gushed out. “No!” The person in my arms stopped breathing. I couldn’t help but scream loudly, my face full of hatred and despair, tears streaming down, nearly collapsing: “I’ll do whatever you say, Mom! Wake up!” Then Ethan knocked on the door: “What’s going on?” I screamed in agony: “I’m going to kill Heather! That murderer!” “So cold… Ethan, let’s go back to the hospital!” The woman fell into the man’s embrace, urging softly. Ethan’s eyes showed complex emotions as he instructed the bodyguards: “It’s cold at night. Turn up the bedroom temperature. Natalie just had a miscarriage and can’t handle the cold.” Heather shot a vicious look at the bodyguards. The bodyguard at the door immediately complied. The heat suddenly intensified. Sweat soaked through my clothes. When I smelled the rotting odor from my mother’s body, I completely broke down, pounding on the iron door with all my strength: “Let us out! Ethan, there’s something wrong with this air conditioning!” As my vision began to darken, my knees were scraped raw, and my whole body felt like the skin had been peeled off. In my ears was Ethan’s final warning: “Natalie, I’ll let you out when you’ve learned your lesson. Heather lost her child. You need to suffer before she’ll be satisfied.” I curled up, my whole body paralyzed by the heat on the floor. I used my last bit of consciousness to speak: “Ethan…” Before completely losing consciousness, I fell into a strong, powerful embrace. A man’s voice was low: “Go investigate everything that happened today thoroughly!” Meanwhile, when Ethan was taking Heather to the hospital for a checkup, he saw breaking news on the lobby screen. The video showed the apartment where Natalie was locked had suddenly exploded. Then dozens of charred bodies were carried out. Ethan suddenly saw the wedding ring he’d given Natalie now on one of the charred corpses! Countless strings seemed to snap in his mind. Panic swept through his entire body: “No way… Natalie has always been lucky. It can’t be such a coincidence!” He scrambled to the explosion site and grabbed a police officer’s arm: “My wife is still inside the apartment. Have all these victims been identified?” The medical examiner removed his mask: “You’re Natalie’s family, right? If nothing unexpected, her body is in the first-floor lobby.”

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On the fifth day of my postpartum recovery, my husband suddenly brought his mistress into the VIP postpartum suite. He yanked off my blanket and forcibly exposed my engorged chest to the air. “Her kid just got weaned and is throwing tantrums. You’ve got plenty of milk—hurry up and pump a bowl to feed him!” He moved toward me with a breast pump without any regard, his eyes looking at me like I was a free dairy cow. I desperately tried to cover my chest, but he pinned my wrists to the bed with a death grip. His mistress stood beside him holding a bowl, smacking her lips with malicious intent. “Summer, you’re a mother now. Can’t you even spare some milk? How can you bear to watch my child go hungry?” In my panic, I grabbed the scalding hot chicken soup that had just been delivered to my bedside and threw it at them. “Then have this bowl of soup too!” “Murder!” The boiling chicken soup, meat and all, hit her face. The greasy broth dripped down. Ethan raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face without hesitation. “Summer, are you insane?!” My ears rang. I stared in disbelief at this man I’d been with for years. “You dare hit me?” Ethan’s face was full of rage as he pointed at my nose and cursed. “So what if I hit you? Look at what you’ve done!” “Rose came here out of the goodness of her heart to see you. Fine, you won’t give milk, but then you throw boiling water on her!” “How can a woman be so vicious? Has your conscience been eaten by dogs?” Rose covered her face and rolled on the ground. “Oh my face! It’s ruined!” “Ethan, your wife is too cruel. I just felt bad that my little Toby had no milk to drink!” “She’s so engorged—what’s wrong with pumping out a little? It’s not like we’re asking her to die!” “I think she just looks down on us poor relatives from the countryside. She despises us!” Ethan grabbed my collar and yanked me up from the bed. “Summer, get on your knees and apologize to Rose right now!” “If you don’t make Rose happy today, forget about finishing your postpartum recovery!” I looked at him coldly. “Ethan, did they inject progesterone shots into your brain?” “I’m your wife. I just gave birth to your daughter five days ago!” “You bring another woman into my room, forcibly strip my clothes, and want to feed my milk to a three-year-old?” “You call that human behavior?” Ethan showed no remorse. “So what if he’s three? Three-year-olds need nutrition too!” “Your milk would just go to waste anyway. Might as well feed it to my nephew to boost his brain.” “Besides, Rose has doted on me since I was little. Without her, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” “You married me, so you have to honor her with me. That’s the rule of the Anderson family!” I laughed bitterly. “Honor her? With my breast milk?” “Ethan, are you sick? If you’re sick, go get treatment. Don’t act crazy here!” As I spoke, I reached for the call button by the bed. Ethan was quick. He grabbed the cord and yanked it hard. “Want to call for help? You think this isn’t embarrassing enough? I’m the one who’s embarrassed!” “Let me tell you, Summer—today you’re pumping that milk whether you like it or not!” He turned to look at Rose, still playing dead on the floor. “Rose, stop crying. Grab the breast pump.” “I’ll hold her down, you pump it. We’re bringing back a bowl for Toby no matter what.” Hearing this, Rose immediately scrambled up from the floor. “Ethan really does care about me. Summer, don’t take this the wrong way, but women are just milk-producing tools after having kids. Now that you’re producing, who cares who drinks it?” I struggled desperately, kicking and crawling toward the corner of the bed. “Get away from me! Don’t touch me!” “This is illegal! I’m calling the police!” Ethan pounced on me, his knee pressing hard on my freshly sutured abdomen. “Call the police? Go ahead! Can the police stop a husband from having his wife pump milk?” “You’re just a selfish, poisonous woman who won’t even make this small sacrifice!” He pinned my hands down, twisting my arms behind my head. Rose took the opportunity to lunge forward and rip open my hospital gown.

“Ethan, if you let her touch me today, I will never forgive you!” Ethan snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain. “Never forgive me? You’re just a receptionist. Without me, could you even survive?” “If I hadn’t been charitable enough to marry you, you’d still be starving in some rental apartment!” “This VIP postpartum suite costs eighteen thousand a day, and my mother paid for it. What right do you have to make a scene here?” Eighteen thousand a day, paid by his mother? Absolutely ridiculous. Just as Rose’s breast pump was about to touch me, urgent knocking suddenly came from outside. “Is the patient in room 602 okay? Did someone press the call button?” A nurse’s voice came from outside the door. Ethan put on a gentle, refined smile and went to open the door. “Nurse, it’s nothing.” “My wife just gave birth and her emotions are unstable. She accidentally touched the cord.” The nurse looked inside suspiciously, her gaze landing on Rose’s oil-stained clothes. “What happened to this lady?” Ethan sighed, putting on a helpless expression. “My wife has postpartum depression and a bad temper. She just threw soup on Rose.” “We’re trying to calm her down. I’m so sorry for the trouble.” The nurse looked at me lying pale in the bed. “Emotional fluctuations after childbirth are normal. Family members need to be understanding.” “However, if there are violent tendencies, I suggest bringing in a psychologist.” I used all my strength to call for help. “Help me! He’s abusing me!” But my voice was extremely weak. Ethan walked over and held my hand with fake concern. “Summer, I know you’re suffering. Stop talking nonsense.” “Nurse, you can go ahead. I’ll take good care of her.” The nurse nodded and closed the door as she left. The moment the door closed, the tenderness on Ethan’s face vanished instantly. “Smart move, not saying anything crazy.” “Otherwise I’ll send you to a mental hospital where you’ll never see your daughter again!” I didn’t argue back. Fighting head-on now would only hurt me more. Just then, the hospital room door was pushed open again. My mother-in-law, Martha, walked in carrying large bags. “Oh my goodness, Rose, what happened to you?” Rose immediately threw herself at Martha, crying dramatically. “Martha, you have to help me!” “I came to see her out of kindness, and not only won’t she feed Toby, she threw boiling soup on me!” “If my face is ruined, how can I face people?” Martha immediately pointed at my nose and started cursing. “Summer, you dare hit my niece?” “We let you stay in such a nice place—did we bring you here to be some pampered young mistress?” “Rose came all this way. What’s wrong with asking you for some milk?” “Your milk is so fishy anyway. My Toby drinking it is doing you a favor!” I endured the pain from my incision and asked hoarsely: “Ethan said you paid for this VIP postpartum suite?” Martha hesitated, her eyes dodging. “Of course! If I didn’t pay, did you?” “Your pathetic monthly salary couldn’t even afford the toilet here!” A mocking smile appeared at the corner of my mouth. “Really? Then I’ll check the payment records tomorrow to see exactly who paid.” Ethan impatiently grabbed Martha’s arm. “Martha, don’t bother with her. She’s a lunatic right now.”

Ethan turned to look at Rose, his tone ingratiating. “Rose, I’m really sorry about today. She’s so emotional right now, her milk probably isn’t good anyway.” “If Toby drinks it and gets indigestion, that would be bad.” “Why don’t you go take a shower and change clothes? Stay here tonight.” My eyes flew open. “What did you say? Let her stay here?” This was a single VIP suite. Although there was a caregiver bed, it absolutely couldn’t accommodate a third person. Ethan rolled his eyes at me, his tone matter-of-fact. “Why not? This room is so big—leaving it empty is wasteful.” “Rose took an overnight bus to come see you. You want her to stay in a hotel? That costs money!” “Besides, Rose has had a child. She has experience. She can stay and help take care of you during recovery.” I laughed coldly. “Take care of me? Is she here to take care of me or to drain me dry?” Martha slammed her hand on the bedside table. “Summer, don’t be so ungrateful!” “Rose staying is an honor for you. Don’t be ignorant of your blessings.” “It’s settled. Rose sleeps on the caregiver bed, Ethan sleeps on the couch.” “As for you, don’t moan and groan at night and disturb their sleep!” Ethan opened the premium postpartum meal that had just been delivered and started eating with his fork. “The food at this VIP postpartum suite really is good. Better than restaurants outside.” I watched him eat with gusto. “That’s my postpartum meal. I haven’t eaten yet.” Ethan didn’t even look up. “You just threw soup everywhere. You’re probably too upset to eat anyway.” “This stuff gets fishy when it’s cold. Me eating it for you is saving food.” “Besides, you only gave birth to a useless daughter. What’s the point of eating so well? Whether you supplement or not makes no difference.” Rose walked out of the bathroom wearing my pajamas, staring at the empty plates and swallowing. “Oh my, Ethan, you ate it all? You didn’t leave me any.” Ethan wiped his mouth. “Rose, there’s bone broth in the kitchen. I’ll get it for you.” He actually ran to the kitchen and brought out a bowl of premium bone broth. It was specially prepared by the hospital to replenish my blood and qi. Rose picked up the bowl and frowned in disgust. “What is this stuff? It’s all slimy. Looks disgusting.” Ethan quickly explained. “Rose, this is good stuff!” “Women who eat it get beauty benefits. Hurry and try it.” Rose picked up the spoon and was about to put it in her mouth. The hospital room door suddenly burst open as a chubby kid charged in. “Mommy! I want meat! I want meat!” This was Rose’s three-year-old son, Toby. He slammed into Rose’s legs, nearly knocking over the bone broth. “Oh my precious baby, how did you get in here?” At the door, an old woman with a fierce face, Edna, poked her head in. “The security guards at this hospital are so blind. They wouldn’t let me in. Luckily my clever grandson snuck in when they weren’t looking.” I looked at this whole clan of people and felt my temples throbbing. “Ethan, get them out of here immediately! This is a VIP postpartum suite, not your village marketplace!” Ethan’s face darkened. “You shut up! This is Rose’s mother-in-law. How dare you talk like that?” Toby saw the bone broth in Rose’s hands and immediately reached for it. “I want that! I want it!” Rose quickly handed the bowl over. “Okay, okay, Toby eat it. Eat more to grow tall.” Toby scooped a big spoonful into his mouth. The next second, he spat it all out onto the carpet. “Disgusting! What is this garbage!”

Crash! The porcelain bowl shattered on the floor. I looked at the mess and shouted sternly. “You spoiled brat! Do you have any manners?!” Toby was startled by my voice, then immediately burst into loud tears. “Bad lady yelled at me! Bad lady!” Rose immediately hugged her son protectively and yelled at me. “Summer, what are you doing? You’re an adult picking on a child?” “It’s just a broken bowl! Toby’s a boy—him breaking your bowl brings you good fortune!” Edna also charged forward, pointing at my nose. “That’s right! Our Toby is the only boy in our family. He’s precious!” “You only gave birth to a useless daughter. What right do you have to yell at my grandson?” Not only did Ethan not stop them, he stepped forward. “Summer, apologize to Toby right now. You scared him. If he has nightmares tonight, I won’t let this go!” This was the simple, honest family I once believed in. “Apologize?” “Dream on.” Ethan’s patience seemed completely exhausted as he rushed over and ripped off my blanket. “Fine, you won’t apologize?” “I think you’ve gotten too comfortable in this VIP room and forgotten who you are!” He turned to Rose and Edna. “Rose, Edna, you sleep in this bed tonight.” “This mattress is imported, really soft. Perfect for Toby.” Rose’s eyes lit up as she immediately carried Toby over. “Oh my, how could I?” Despite her words, she’d already plopped down on the edge of the bed. I was horrified, clutching the sheets desperately. “Are you insane? This is my hospital bed!” Ethan grabbed my neck and started dragging me off the bed. “Your hospital bed?” “You’re a useless woman who gave birth to a girl. What business do you have in a VIP room? Go sleep on the benches in the hallway!” I’d just had a C-section five days ago. The wound wasn’t fully healed yet. Being dragged so roughly, a tearing pain shot through my abdomen. I broke out in a cold sweat, my hands desperately clawing at his. “Ethan, this is attempted murder!” Ethan winced but instead of letting go, he pressed me harder to the floor. “Murder? I’m disciplining my disobedient wife!” “If you don’t give up that bed today and pump that milk, I’ll beat you to death!” Rose fanned the flames gleefully from the side. “Ethan, you have to be harsh with women like this.” “If you don’t beat them, they won’t behave. Once you beat them into submission, they’ll know how to serve people.” Edna chimed in. “Exactly! In our village, what woman doesn’t get back to work right after giving birth?” “She’s the only one who’s so delicate, staying in some VIP postpartum suite. Bah!” I hit the cold floor hard. My wound split open. Blood stained my hospital gown. I stared at Ethan with eyes full of hatred. “Ethan, you’re going to regret this.” Ethan looked down at me from above, his eyes full of contempt. “Regret? The biggest regret of my life was marrying you!” “You think you’re something special?” “I’ll tell you the truth—I’ve been sick of your high-and-mighty act for a long time!” “Once you finish postpartum recovery, get the hell out of my house. You leave with nothing!” As he spoke, he raised his foot, about to kick my stomach. Rose shouted excitedly from the side. “Kick her! Teach her a lesson!” Just as Ethan’s foot was about to land in that critical moment— BANG! The heavy solid wood door was kicked off its hinges. The door slammed into the wall with a deafening crash. “Who are you telling to leave with nothing?” Ethan shuddered, his foot frozen in midair. Everyone in the room turned around in terror.

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The day before my wedding, I went to get my nails done. My fiancé came back with coffee and casually handed a cup to the nail tech. “Hey, add me on Ins. My wife can book you for her nails from now on.” I stared at him coldly. Sensing my gaze, he smiled. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous again? I’m just making a friend. Maybe she’ll give you a discount next time.” I glanced at his phone screen. The note read: Amy, curvy, blonde, single. I smiled. A dog really can’t stop eating shit. Since he loved making friends so much, I’d help him invite all his female “friends.” Using his phone, I messaged his ex-girlfriends, his flings, the ones he’d met for dinner, the ones he’d sexted late at night, one by one: “My wedding’s tomorrow. I saved you a seat. Please come.” “Hello, is this the Grand Hotel? I need to add three more tables for tomorrow’s reception.” The manager paused. “That’ll cost extra.” Money wasn’t an issue. Less than five minutes after I hung up, Ethan’s call came through. “Why are you adding tables without discussing it with me first?” His voice was sharp and urgent, like I’d committed some unforgivable crime. I leaned back on the sofa, suddenly finding it almost funny. “I just want to invite a few more friends. What’s the problem?” I said. “What friends need three whole tables?” He pressed on relentlessly. “My parents said they can’t pay for the extra three tables.” I said mockingly, “It’s just adding some tables. Do you really need to blow up like this?” He continued angrily: “Sophia, you’re doing this because I added that nail tech on Ins, aren’t you? It’s normal socializing and you have to make a big deal out of it!” Normal socializing. He made it sound so simple. I gripped my phone tighter. “So sleeping with Christine at that hotel was also normal socializing?” Silence on the other end. “That was before we registered our marriage. Are you ever going to let it go?” It was indeed before the marriage registration, but we were still dating then. Last March, he said his company was having a team retreat and stayed at a hotel overnight. I only found out later that his “team retreat” companion was his ex-girlfriend Christine. “And staying at Wendy’s place for three days, that was also before registration?” “Will you ever stop?” Last month, he said he was on a business trip for three days. Turns out he was with Wendy. Right here in the city, less than ten kilometers from my home. Wendy posted a breakfast photo on her feed. The hands visible across the table wore a watch I’d given him. “Transferring twenty thousand dollars to Rachel and saying you’d take care of her, that was also before marriage?” “Sophia!” “You told everyone you were single, said I was just someone your family set you up with, said you didn’t love me at all…” “Enough!” He suddenly roared: “That’s all in the past! What’s the point of bringing it up over and over? What man doesn’t have a past? You’re just petty, just looking for trouble!” He took a breath, his voice turning cold. “Anyway, my parents won’t pay for those three tables. You invited them, you figure it out yourself.”

I leaned back on the sofa, suddenly feeling exhausted. Three years. Every time it was like this. I thought marriage would change him, thought he’d settle down. I really overestimated myself. “Twelve hundred for three tables, right?” I didn’t waste any more words and transferred the money directly. He paused for two seconds, saying “what are you doing,” but the next second I saw: Payment received. Immediately followed by a message: “You’re the best, babe. Let’s not talk about the past anymore. You’re the only one I love! Can’t wait for tomorrow’s wedding.” Looking at those words, I felt sick to my stomach. I typed back: “You better look forward to it. I’ve prepared a big surprise for you.” He asked what surprise. I didn’t reply. After hanging up, I picked up the phone and called my lawyer. “Mr. Wilson, draft me a divorce agreement. I need it after the wedding tomorrow.” The lawyer was clearly stunned. “But isn’t your wedding tomorrow?” “Yes. The wedding will happen, and I’m getting divorced too.” He didn’t ask further, just told me to send over the marriage certificate for filing. I pulled out that little red booklet from my bag, took a photo, and sent it over. About five minutes later, Mr. Wilson called back. His voice sounded off. “Miss Sophia, something’s wrong with this marriage certificate.” My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean?” “I checked the registration number. It doesn’t exist in the system. Miss Sophia, this marriage certificate is fake. You two have no legal marriage relationship.” I stood there holding the phone. Originally, I only planned to invite those women to give him a little surprise. Now it seemed the surprise wasn’t big enough. I opened my phone and started going through Ethan’s flirty chat logs, transaction screenshots, intimate photos, saving them all into a folder. Three years’ worth of evidence was all here—so much the folder could barely hold it all. I compiled all the material into a slideshow, set it to the background music of “Love For Sale,” and sent it to the MC: “For tomorrow’s wedding, replace the video with this one.” The MC was silent for a full ten seconds before replying with one word: “Okay.” I closed my phone and lay in bed. I didn’t sleep all night. The next morning, while I was getting my makeup done, Ethan sent a message: “Babe, I’m so excited. Finally getting to marry you.” I stared at the screen for two seconds before replying: “You’ll be even more excited soon.” Then my mom called: “Sophia, who exactly did you invite for those three tables? Why didn’t you tell us?” I said, “Mom, just watch the show today. Don’t ask so many questions.” She sighed. “Don’t do anything crazy.” I didn’t answer. After hanging up, I deleted all the photos with Ethan from my phone. Not a single one left. I called the hotel manager: “Those three tables of mine, arrange them directly facing the stage.” After hanging up, I took a deep breath, lifted my wedding dress hem, and walked out of the dressing room. Guests gradually arrived. I stood at the entrance greeting them, counting down in my mind. Ethan came over, glanced at the three empty tables, and asked, “Who did you invite? Why aren’t they here yet?”

I smiled and said, “Just invited a few of your ex-girlfriends.” His face instantly went pale. “What did you say? Are you crazy?” He lowered his voice, angry. “I just added that nail tech on Ins and you’re doing this? You have to cause a scene on our wedding day?!” I picked up a glass of champagne and took a sip without responding. Ethan stared at me for a while, then turned and left, his face dark as thunder. After a while, he came back with his parents and mine following behind. He said coldly, “Sophia, come to the dressing room. We need to talk.” My mom asked quietly, “Sophia, what’s wrong?” I didn’t answer. The group entered the dressing room and the door closed. As soon as the door shut, his mother spoke first: “Sophia, what’s the meaning of this? Inviting my son’s ex-girlfriends on his wedding day? Have you no sense of occasion?” I said calmly, “Mrs. Carter, I just invited a few friends to the wedding.” “Friends?” Ethan’s father slammed his hand on the table. “My son said you invited his ex-girlfriends! Do you think I’m an idiot? You’re deliberately trying to embarrass our family!” Ethan pointed his finger at my nose, nearly poking my face. “Sophia, isn’t this all because I added someone on Ins? Is this necessary? Inviting ex-girlfriends? Are you out of your mind?” I looked at him and laughed. “Added someone on Ins? You noted her as hot body, fair skin, single, you flirted with another woman right in front of me, and you ask if this is necessary?” Ethan’s mother interrupted: “Men make small mistakes sometimes. Making such a scene, how will you live together after this? I’m telling you, we’re cutting the wedding money to eight thousand. Let this be a lesson!” My mom exploded: “What do you mean small mistakes? He flirted with another woman right in front of Sophia! How shameless can your family be!” “What’s wrong with our family?” Ethan’s mother’s voice was even louder. “Your daughter invited ex-girlfriends to the wedding! What kind of behavior is that? I’m telling you, if you want this wedding to happen, behave yourselves. If not, forget it!” “You—” My dad’s face turned red with anger. “Eight thousand if you want the wedding, not a penny if you don’t!” Ethan’s mother turned her face away, crossing her arms. My mom’s hands were shaking with rage. “What kind of family are you? Don’t you know what your own son is like? This wedding is off!” “Fine, call it off! Who cares!” Ethan’s mother sneered. “With your daughter’s attitude, who’d want her after my son?” “What did you say?!” My dad rushed forward to argue, but my mom held him back tightly. The dressing room erupted into chaos. Ethan stood in the middle, not saying a word, his face even showing a hint of smugness. I looked at him and suddenly smiled. “Of course we’re having the wedding.” Everyone fell silent, all eyes turning to me.

My mom froze. “Sophia, what are you saying?” I didn’t look at her. Staring at Ethan’s mother, I said slowly and clearly: “Forget the eight thousand. I don’t want a single penny.” Ethan’s mother’s expression changed instantly—from scowling to smiling, faster than flipping a page. “That’s more like it. Wouldn’t it have been easier to do this from the start?” Ethan also relaxed, a smile appearing on his face as he walked over to put his arm around me. “I knew you couldn’t let me go.” I stepped aside, dodging his hand. My mom stood frozen, looking at me with red-rimmed eyes full of disappointment. My dad turned his face away, his shoulders shaking. I couldn’t bear to look at them. I turned and opened the dressing room door, walking out. As I left the dressing room, Ethan followed behind me. “Sophia, wait for me.” I didn’t stop. “By the way, I didn’t just invite ex-girlfriends,” I said. He froze, catching up to grab my arm. “What do you mean? Who else?” I didn’t answer. “Say something! Sophia! Who else did you invite?” I shook off his hand and kept walking. The MC approached. “Bride, can we start?” I nodded. “Let’s begin.” The music started. I walked onto the stage. Ethan stood opposite me, smiling stiffly, his eyes constantly glancing at those three empty tables. The MC announced loudly: “Does anyone here object to this union?” As soon as he finished speaking, the banquet hall doors burst open. A woman walked in. She wore a loose dress, one hand supporting her slightly swollen belly, walking step by step to the front of the stage. When Ethan saw her face, he froze completely. “Why are you here?” She didn’t look at him. She raised her head to address everyone, her voice not loud but every word clear: “I object. And so does the baby in my belly.” The entire hall erupted. I looked at her belly, then at Ethan’s face, which had turned deathly pale in an instant. In that moment, I understood everything. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. The crack echoed through the silent hall. Ethan covered his face, eyes wide, staring at me. Before he could speak, the doors moved again. A second woman walked in. “I object too.” A third. “I also object.” Fourth, fifth, sixth… Over thirty women walked in one after another. Five of them were visibly pregnant. They lined up in three rows in front of the stage, all staring at Ethan. The entire venue exploded. People stood up, some screamed, some held up their phones to record. Ethan’s face was deathly pale, his whole body trembling on stage. He shouted at security: “Get them out! All of them out! Security!” Security rushed up to remove the women. The women struggled, screaming “scumbag” and “liar,” their voices sharp and piercing. Ethan grabbed the microphone, his voice shrill and panicked: “Continue the ceremony! Ignore them! Continue!” I smiled. I took off my ring and threw it hard at his face. “No need to continue. I object too.” I turned to face everyone below the stage, saying slowly and clearly: “I organized this wedding to expose this scumbag.” The big screen lit up. Ethan’s expression changed instantly. He rushed over frantically: “Turn it off! Turn it off now!”

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The day my SAT scores came out, several Ivy League admissions officers showed up at my house, all competing to recruit me. My high school teacher, Ms. Peyton — a woman who worshiped male students — deliberately said when she learned I’d gotten a perfect SAT score: “Jenna, I’m so happy for you! I can’t believe you actually slept your way to getting the test answers and still managed a perfect score! Oh my, I’m just joking. It slipped out. Don’t mind me. Just tell me quietly — how many test writers did you sleep with this time?” In my past life, I cried and explained that I’d studied hard for the exam myself. She sneered: “Right, right, you studied for it yourself. If you didn’t seduce male teachers and get the answers ahead of time, then why are you so upset right now?” That statement made the Harvard and Stanford admissions officers suspicious, and they rejected my application on the spot. In the end, I wasn’t accepted by any university. Three years of hard work went down the drain, and I eventually died from depression. Meanwhile, the male student Ms. Peyton favored most stole my admission spot. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the Ivy League admissions officers came to school. Without hesitation, I chose to call the police: “Officer, I’ve been assaulted, and the witness is my high school teacher.”

The moment those words left my mouth, Ms. Peyton’s expression changed instantly. She never expected that I — usually introverted and timid — would actually call the police in front of so many people. She lunged at me, reaching for my phone. I stepped back, and she nearly fell to the ground. “Jenna, what are you doing? It’s such a small matter. Is it really worth calling the police?” “What witness? I just heard it from someone else. I can’t testify for you!” I froze, staring at her intently. “A small matter? Spreading sexual rumors about me and accusing me of cheating — that’s a small matter?” “You knew the Ivy League admissions officers were coming to my house today. Why would you say something like that?” Ms. Peyton looked as if I’d exposed her, her face turning ugly. But the next second, she laughed dramatically, accusing me of being too sensitive. “I didn’t know the Ivy League admissions team was coming to your house today. I didn’t mean to bring up your… impropriety.” “I’m just worried that if you got into an Ivy League school through these means, you won’t be able to handle the academics there. Your teacher is just looking out for you!” “After all, you’re a girl who became the top science student in the state. Who knows what underhanded methods you used?” She cleared her throat and suddenly raised her voice. Everyone’s attention was drawn back to her, even my mom looked at me with suspicion. “Dear admissions officers, I know this child, Jenna. When she first enrolled, she was at the bottom of the class. Then she transferred to the science class — which was full of male teachers — and suddenly her grades shot up.” “Don’t you think that’s strange? And I’ve caught her going in and out of hotels with male teachers multiple times. As her teacher, it’s hard for me not to think in that direction!” In my past life, Ms. Peyton said exactly this, making the admissions officers deeply disappointed in me. She relied on her position as my high school teacher, knowing no one would question a teacher’s character. She made everyone believe her lies, and no one wanted to hear my explanation. Not only did the Ivy League schools reject my file, preventing me from attending any college. Even my parents were implicated and ridiculed by relatives and friends. Three years of hard work were destroyed. They disowned me. I couldn’t defend myself. In the end, I died from depression. When I opened my eyes again and returned to this day, there was no way I’d let her play her tricks and ruin my college dreams again! “A hotel?” My mom looked at me in disbelief, her lips trembling slightly. “That’s right, Jenna’s mom. You didn’t know, did you? Jenna is a regular at the hotel by the school gate. The first time I saw it, I couldn’t believe she was that kind of person!” After saying this, Ms. Peyton quickly covered her mouth, pretending it was an accidental slip. “Wait, no, no. Oh my! Why did I say that out loud? Just pretend I was talking nonsense. Don’t overthink it!” “I came here today to celebrate Jenna getting a perfect SAT score and bringing honor to our school, even though her methods were a bit… unclean…” All the admissions officers exchanged glances and began discussing among themselves. “I can’t believe she’s that kind of person. Our school can’t admit someone like this…” Even my mom didn’t trust me, frowning as she questioned me: “Jenna, is what Ms. Peyton said true?” “Did you really go to that kind of place? Tell me. How many times did you go?” A trace of delight flashed in Ms. Peyton’s eyes, but I showed no sign of panic. “Ms. Peyton, are you sure you saw me? Then I must have been drugged unconscious, because I don’t remember it at all!” “When the police arrive, you must clearly state the time and location so they can catch the person who assaulted me as soon as possible!”

Ms. Peyton was stunned. The current me was completely different from the me she knew. She never expected I’d be so serious about this — not only showing no shame but practically wanting the whole world to know. “Dear Ivy League admissions officers, I believe Ms. Peyton’s words. She must not be joking!” “But I truly don’t remember any of this. I definitely wasn’t there willingly. With Ms. Peyton here, she can definitely find the culprit and clear my name!” I gripped Ms. Peyton’s hand tightly, speaking earnestly. She recoiled in disgust and immediately shook me off. “You — what nonsense are you spouting, child?” “How shameless can you be? Tell the truth. A month ago, did you or did you not check into the hotel by the school gate?” “And you weren’t the only one who checked in! Admissions officers, if you don’t believe me, you can check the registration records. I swear on my twenty years as a teacher!” At those words, all the admissions officers’ gazes fell on me like countless knives. “Miss Lynn, did you really use despicable means to get the SAT answers and score so high?” “No wonder she scored more than ten points higher than second place. In twenty years, no one has scored this high. So that’s how…” The fruit platter in my mom’s hands fell to the floor, fruit scattering everywhere. She looked at me with tears in her eyes, her voice filled with anger and shock. “Jenna, tell your mother. Is what Ms. Peyton said true? Did you go to a hotel?” “Did you — did you really use those methods to get your grades today? Say something! Are you trying to kill your mother?” “Your father and I poured everything into raising you. How could we have raised a daughter like you?” Ms. Peyton looked at me triumphantly, a smug smile on her lips. I suddenly remembered that before the SAT, I did go to the school hotel. Dylan Cooper had asked me to meet him there. But as soon as I entered and went upstairs, I sensed something was wrong and left through the back door. Only now did I understand — this was a trap set by Ms. Peyton and my classmate, Dylan Cooper. She was determined to have Dylan Cooper take my perfect SAT score. After all, the school’s reward for the top student was a full hundred thousand dollars! To achieve her goal, she was willing to stake her twenty years of teaching reputation. Ms. Peyton knew exactly how to manipulate teachers and parents. She understood that the truth didn’t matter — public opinion was enough to crush a person. Once the admissions officers left, they would spread the news. And then what awaited me would be slut-shaming. In this life, not only would I be unable to attend college, I’d even repeat the tragic fate of my past life. “I did go.” Three words slowly left my mouth. My mom nearly fainted from anger on the spot, and the admissions officers clamored to leave. “However, I didn’t enter any room. I left through the back of the hotel.” Ms. Peyton burst out laughing: “Ha ha ha, who would believe that? Jenna, you usually look so pure and honest, but only I, as your teacher, truly understand what kind of person you are!” “I didn’t deliberately smear you in front of the admissions officers. I just don’t want to see you go down the wrong path and make mistake after mistake!” “As long as you admit your error, we’ll void this year’s results, and you can prepare properly for the SAT next year. I’m willing to tutor you for free!” She spoke with such sincerity, like a good teacher. Only I knew how much she worshiped men and loved spreading sexual rumors about female students. In high school, Ms. Peyton treated male and female students completely differently. When male students asked for leave, she’d approve without checking the reason. But when female students were in so much pain they fainted, she’d just think they were faking. When male students didn’t wear their uniforms properly, it showed boldness and masculinity. But if a female student dared take off her jacket, she was a shameless slut trying to seduce men. She would spend an entire class period scolding female students, treating all the girls in class like enemies. I took out my phone and called the hotel by the school gate: “Could you please check the back door surveillance footage from around 8 PM a month ago?” The front desk quickly sent me the surveillance from that time. It clearly showed me entering through the front door and leaving through the back door less than a minute later.

Everyone watched the surveillance footage. Ms. Peyton’s face showed a moment of surprise, then she also called the hotel front desk. A few minutes later, a year’s worth of check-in records was displayed for everyone to see. “Jenna, the surveillance video only proves you didn’t go this time. It doesn’t mean you never went before!” “This is the check-in record from the past year that I just had the front desk send me. Look for yourself — how many times have you checked in this year?” “Tsk tsk tsk, so shameless at such a young age. I’m truly ashamed for you as your teacher!” “Dear admissions officers, look at what kind of person she really is! Tell me, how could a student like this possibly get a perfect SAT score through her own efforts?” Suddenly, my dad, who had just returned home, saw all of this. He raised his hand and slapped me: “You — how could you do something so disgraceful!” “Go turn yourself in right now, or I don’t have a daughter like you!” My face immediately burned with pain, half of it swelling up. My parents were both furious and shocked. The way they looked at me was complicated. I covered my face, holding back tears. Ms. Peyton’s smile grew even more triumphant. I’d studied hard for three years, finally going from the worst student to the top student, and even my parents didn’t believe me. “Don’t — don’t hit the child! I’m sure Jenna just had a moment of confusion. Otherwise she wouldn’t have done such things for six years!” “I only found out about this from her middle school teacher. Otherwise I wouldn’t dare believe I’d have such a student!” My dad clutched his chest in anger, his face flushed red, pulling out his belt and pointing it at me. “Jenna Lynn! You — you did this disgraceful thing for six whole years! Let’s see if I don’t beat you to death today!” He charged at me with the belt. I ran everywhere to escape. My mom’s tears wouldn’t stop flowing, her eyes red from crying: “Jenna, you’ve disappointed your mother so much!” Seeing me getting beaten, Ms. Peyton almost laughed out loud but forcibly suppressed it, pretending to stop my dad. “Jenna’s dad, don’t get so worked up! No matter what, you can’t hit your child!” The admissions officers also shook their heads in disappointment at the scene. “Miss Lynn, we have doubts about your SAT results and cannot approve your application.” I froze and immediately explained: “Do you believe what she’s saying too? The SAT is fair and secure. How could the answers possibly be leaked?” “Mom, Dad, calm down! Think carefully — I’m just an ordinary student. How could I possibly know the test writers?” “And leaking SAT answers is a criminal offense with a ten-year prison sentence. Who would dare leak them?” My dad lowered the belt in his hand. My mom stopped crying too. Everyone realized this wasn’t realistic. The SAT had military-level security. Even the most powerful person couldn’t get the answers. Suddenly, Dylan Cooper walked in: “Then how do you explain this?” He pulled out a report. My parents were shocked when they saw it. “Jenna, you — you’re pregnant? Early intrauterine pregnancy, six weeks! What do you have to say for yourself?” Ms. Peyton quickly snatched the report and hid it, scolding Dylan Cooper: “Why did you come here? I wasn’t planning to tell them about this. After all, it’s not honorable for a girl…” “Everyone, just treat this as fake, as a joke. Don’t believe it!” Dylan refused to back down: “Why not? Why should someone like her be the top student!” “Jenna Lynn is a shameless slut. She’s always taking birth control pills at school. The whole class has seen it!” With those words, the whole room exploded. My dad wanted to kill me. My mom had a heart attack and fainted on the spot. The admissions officers turned to leave. “How did I give birth to a slut like you! You’re even — even pregnant with some bastard’s child!” My dad grabbed a kitchen knife and came at me like a madman. The scene descended into chaos. Ms. Peyton and Dylan calmly watched the show from the side. “I’m not pregnant! They forged that report! They’re deliberately trying to harm me. Dad, please calm down! Admissions officers, don’t leave!” I desperately explained, completely despairing, but now no one was willing to believe me. My dad couldn’t hear anything. The knife came straight at my neck. The next second, a large number of police officers burst through the door. “We heard a report about SAT answer leaks? I’m the SAT inspection team leader. This matter is serious. We immediately launched an investigation upon receiving the report.” “After examination, student Jenna Lynn’s results are legal and compliant. The test writers and papers were all under strict monitoring, with no leaks whatsoever.” “We are now lawfully arresting Peyton and Dylan Cooper for spreading rumors. Please come with the police.”

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Right after giving birth, I stumbled upon a post: “My wife just had a baby, but I don’t want to help take care of the kid. What should I do?” Someone replied with advice: “Hurry up and apply for an overseas assignment with your company. Best if it’s for about three years.” The poster was puzzled: “Why?” The advisor explained: “Are you stupid? These three years are when kids are the hardest to take care of. Find a legitimate excuse to get out and you can avoid all the hassle, right?” “Plus, kids have no memories of their first three years. By the time you come back from your assignment, it won’t affect you being a good father later.” “If your wife ever fights with you about it, just tell her how hard you worked making money those three years abroad.” “It’s a win-win situation!” The poster immediately responded gratefully: “Thanks, man.” I stared in disbelief, thinking what awful people these two were. The next second, a message from my husband popped up: “Cedric, the company is assigning me overseas for three years.”

I stared at those words, somewhat confused. Why did Morant’s message sound exactly like what that post had suggested? After a moment of shock, I replied: “Overseas assignment? Why so sudden? Where are you going?” The typing indicator above the chat box appeared and disappeared intermittently. Morant’s message finally came through: “It’s a new project in the Southwest.” “Cedric, this is a rare opportunity. The company values this project highly and specifically requested me to lead the team. Once this is done, I’ll definitely get promoted and get a raise when I come back. Our lives will be so much better.” Morant sounded earnest and sincere. In the past, I probably would have supported his career. But I’d just finished my postpartum recovery period. My parents had died in an accident two years ago, and Morant’s parents were unreliable. If he left now, I’d be the only one managing everything at home, inside and out. I told him what I was thinking: “I don’t want you to go.” “The baby is still so small, I really can’t handle it alone.” “And when my maternity leave ends, I have to go back to work too. Who will watch the baby then?” “If you leave now, you’re dumping all the burden on me.” Morant replied almost instantly: “Cedric, I know how hard this is on you. I don’t want to leave you and the baby either.” “But we need to think long-term. This separation now is for a better future.” “As for taking care of the baby, there’s always a way.” “You can take the baby to work with you. Lots of moms do that, don’t they?” “Just tough it out for a few years. Once I’m back, everything will be fine. You’ll just have to work hard these few years, and when I return, everything will be better.” I frowned, laughing bitterly. How dare he say such things, casually telling me to sacrifice while he wanted to be a deserter? I couldn’t hold back and confronted him: “Easy for you to say. How am I supposed to work and take care of a baby at the same time? Carry the baby to the office? Or should I split myself in half?” He paused for a moment this time, then dropped a bombshell: “If it doesn’t work out, just quit your job.” “I can definitely support you and our daughter, no problem.” “You can focus on taking care of the baby at home. Isn’t that great? Many families arrange things this way.” I stared at those lines, instantly furious, my chest tightening with frustration. I didn’t even want to type anymore. I sent angry voice messages instead. “I’m not willing to do that.” “Before we got married, I made it clear to you that I wouldn’t be a housewife. It hasn’t been that long, and you’re already going back on your word.” “You leaving for three years isn’t fair to me, and it’s not fair to Ellis either.” “The child needs a father. You have parenting responsibilities too.” He defended himself pitifully: “Then what do you want me to do?!” “I’m doing all this for—” “Enough!” I cut him off. “We can’t talk clearly on the phone. Come home early tonight. We need to discuss this face to face.” This time, a full two or three minutes passed before his message finally appeared: “I can’t tonight. There’s a project kickoff meeting. I have to have dinner with the leadership. It’ll definitely be late. Don’t wait up, get some rest.” “I’ll come home early tomorrow and we’ll talk properly, okay?” I was exasperated. Ever since the baby was born, he’d been leaving early and coming home late, suddenly becoming a workaholic. I didn’t think much of it before, but after seeing that post, something felt off. I didn’t give him room to negotiate. “Tonight. I’ll wait for you. We must talk this through.” After a long while, he finally replied with a simple “okay.” I let out a deep sigh. On impulse, I clicked back into that post. Surprisingly, it had been updated.

Just over ten minutes ago, the poster had a new problem: “My wife won’t agree to my overseas assignment. She says there’s no one to help take care of the baby. So annoying. Women are so short-sighted.” The advisor quickly replied: “That’s easy. First, work it out with your mom. Have your mom come help out.” “Once you leave, then have your mom find some excuse to bail.” “By then you’ll already be overseas. What can your wife do about it?” “The kid will be tied to her. She can’t just abandon the baby, can she? In the end, she’ll have to deal with it herself.” The poster was ecstatic, sending a string of praise emojis: “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! You really get it! I’ll do exactly that!” I felt my hands and feet go cold. This was a coordinated attack against women. Some netizens who couldn’t stand it started cursing: “Have some humanity!” “Your wife just gave birth to your child and you’re scheming against her like this? Did a dog eat your conscience?” “What a time to be alive, even animals can pretend to be human now.” “Red flag! Stay away from this scumbag!” Facing the criticism from netizens, the poster didn’t immediately respond. I thought maybe he felt guilty and didn’t have the nerve to show his face. But after a while, he replied. He shot back at those criticizing him: “What do you know?! Easy for you to talk when it’s not your problem!” “Do you know how much pressure there is in the workplace these days? I’m going out there to advance my career for this family!” “Isn’t it a woman’s natural duty to take care of children? Isn’t it tiring for me to earn money to support the family?” “My mom worked hard her whole life. Helping out is a favor, not an obligation. What’s wrong with that?” “You say I’m scheming? I’m rationally allocating family resources. You’re just jealous!” His comments became more and more extreme and absurd, drawing even more angry criticism from netizens. The thread grew rapidly, quickly turning into a fierce flame war. Until one reply appeared: “Screenshot taken. Everyone, stop arguing. The most important thing now is to make sure his wife knows about this.” “You’d better pray your wife never sees this post.” After this reply, the previously arrogant poster suddenly went silent. A few seconds later, I refreshed the page. The screen displayed: “Sorry, the post you’re trying to access has been hidden or deleted.” He panicked. I clicked into his profile page. It was completely blank, with default avatar and username. There was no useful information to be found. But I wasn’t worried. Those who should slip up will slip up eventually.

At seven in the evening, Ellis started fussing before bed. I held her and paced back and forth in the living room, humming an off-key lullaby. At eight, Morant sent a message: “Meeting’s running long, will be a while longer. You eat first, don’t go hungry.” I didn’t reply, just kept pacing. Ellis’s crying quieted down, turning into pitiful whimpers. At nine-thirty, he sent another message: “Had a few drinks with clients, won’t be back that soon. Just go to sleep.” At eleven, I finally heard keys turning in the lock. He pushed the door open and saw me sitting on the sofa. He froze for a moment: “You’re still up? Didn’t I tell you to sleep?” He walked toward me, trying to hug me. A faint, unfamiliar perfume scent wafted over. I moved aside to avoid him. He looked awkward. I got straight to the point: “Let’s talk about the overseas assignment.” He sat down and began explaining: “Cedric, I know you were upset today.” “This assignment really was too sudden. I had no idea the company would arrange things this way.” I didn’t respond, just looked at him. Seeing my silence, he continued: “Look, raising a kid is so expensive now. Education costs will be even more astronomical later.” “My current position isn’t great—stuck in the middle, and the pay is just so-so. When I come back…” He went on and on, painting a picture of his promotion and raise. But I was too lazy to listen anymore. I asked him: “Did you actively apply for this assignment?” He froze for a moment, his eyes flickering briefly before returning to normal: “How could that be? Of course the company arranged it. If I refused, wouldn’t that make me ungrateful?” “Is that so?” I stared at him, my gaze sweeping across his slightly open collar, where there seemed to be some inconspicuous glitter. “Are you going alone or with someone else?” He turned his head, avoiding my gaze: “My secretary is going too.” His secretary was named Ilysis, a pretty young woman. I understood, and smiled. He was baffled by my smile and quickly changed the subject: “Cedric, I know it’ll be hard for you to take care of the baby alone. I’ve already thought it through—we can have my mom come help.” Hearing this, my heart sank. This line… Morant thought his idea was great, his voice brightening: “My mom’s still in decent health. She can definitely handle taking care of the baby.” “With her helping out, won’t that make things easier for you?” As he said this, his expression was frank and his tone sincere. If I hadn’t seen that post, I might have been fooled by his act. The last bit of hope in my heart disappeared. It really was him scheming against me. I didn’t rush to expose him. Under his gaze, I gently nodded. “Fine, then go.” Since he dared to scheme against me, he couldn’t blame me for what came next. Morant’s face instantly lit up. “Cedric, you really agree?” He seemed to want confirmation, his voice barely containing his joy. “Yeah.” I lowered my head, looking at my fingers twisted together, not wanting to see his nauseating expression. “When are you leaving?” “Next week! Next Wednesday’s flight!” He blurted it out, then seemed to realize he sounded too eager and softened his tone: “The project timeline is tight, they’re pushing hard over there. I wanted to spend more time with you and Ellis, but I really have no choice.” I smiled bitterly. He really didn’t want to stay a moment longer. “But,” he leaned in closer, trying to hold my hand. I shifted slightly, avoiding him. He didn’t seem to mind and continued: “I’ve arranged everything. I’ll call my mom in a bit and have her pack up and come as soon as possible.” “Also, I told Torres that while I’m gone these three years, he should look after you two.” “If there’s any heavy work, hard labor, or anything that needs a man’s help, just ask him. He’s my best friend, totally trustworthy.” I knew Torres—Morant’s childhood friend who grew up with him. They both joined the same company. Morant became a minor manager while Torres remained an ordinary employee. He was pretty helpful. Morant mentioned him often. I didn’t know if this was part of his scheme. But since he’d already made all these arrangements, how could I not go along with his wishes? I said okay. Morant breathed a sigh of relief, hugging me tightly and thanking me for understanding him. This time I didn’t avoid him. I rested my chin on his shoulder and sneered. Morant, it was too early to thank me.

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When I was eighteen, after Brooks and I had sex for the first time in our rental apartment, he proposed to me with a cheap ring. At twenty-four, he was found by the Davis family and became the heir to a prestigious and powerful household, but he secretly got engaged to someone else behind my back. On the day of our sixth anniversary, I wanted to surprise him and came home early. I happened to overhear his friend mocking him: “Why are you still living in this dump? Are you really going to refuse the marriage alliance with the Tony family for your first love?” Brooks laughed while biting his cigarette. “How is that possible? I’m just playing around. Alexis doesn’t have the status to be worthy of me now.” The door was slightly ajar, and the words hit me without warning. I froze at the entrance, looking up at the people inside the rental apartment. Aside from Brooks, they were all playboys whose shoes alone cost more than my annual internship salary. Hearing Brooks’s words, they laughed even more mockingly: “Those worthless trinkets she gives you—I’d be embarrassed to carry them in my pocket.” “Yeah, it sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.” My eyelashes trembled as I clutched the gift I’d prepared, having saved up for three months, feeling utterly humiliated. It was already the best thing I could offer Brooks. “When are you planning to break up with her?” Cigarette smoke blurred Brooks’s expression. I couldn’t see clearly, only hearing his indifferent voice: “It’s just an engagement, no need to break up. She’s really stupid—she won’t find out.” The room erupted in derisive laughter again: “She really is stupid, completely played by you.” “But what about Laurient? Can you hide it from her too?” Laurient—I’d heard that name from my colleagues. A genuine heiress. Playful and manipulative, she’d boasted that there wasn’t a man in all of Los Angeles she couldn’t catch. But I’d heard that this time, the man she was pursuing was her social equal, and she was serious about marriage. Brooks showed no emotional reaction to hearing that name. He stubbed out his cigarette and started ushering them out. “Are you done? Alexis is coming home early today.” The group left. I hid around the corner, listening to them complain about how remote and shabby this place was as they walked. Then I heard them say that the engagement between the two families was set for next month. Next month… In the stuffy corridor, I suddenly felt cold enough to shiver. I slowly pieced it together. So the person the Davis family found a year ago—the one whose return was celebrated throughout the city—really was Brooks. I remember looking at Brooks in the kitchen back then and asking regretfully, “You’re both named Davis, why couldn’t it be you?” Brooks asked back with amusement, “Why would it be me?” I looked at him without blinking. “Because… you’re really different.” Brooks didn’t know. When my mom married into that town and brought me along, the first time I saw Brooks, I felt he didn’t belong there. He was smart, aloof, yet strikingly handsome—nothing like that alcoholic, abusive stepfather. Brooks didn’t say anything more at the time. But that very night, the online post was deleted completely. After that, nothing related to the Davis family appeared in my life again. From that moment on, the person I’d loved for eight whole years had already been lying to me. The corridor gradually darkened, the endless darkness seeming ready to swallow me whole. I suddenly felt an urgent need to escape this place. Anywhere would do—I didn’t want to face Brooks. But the moment I stepped around the corner, I locked eyes with Brooks, who was standing at the door. In just a few seconds, Brooks had already guessed what happened. The guilt and regret I’d imagined never appeared on his face. He laughed once, showing that familiar expression somewhere between troubled and annoyed. I knew that look too well. It was exactly like the expression Brooks wore when he used to witness my stepfather about to hit me—troubled, impatient, yet forced to deal with it. Back then, he’d glanced at me coldly, showing no intention of coming over. But in the end, he still pulled me behind him. Later, he protected me with a cold face, time and time again. He was very young then too, no match for an adult’s strength. So he always ended up covered in blood. I’d cry while holding Brooks, soaking half his shoulder with tears. After my mom died, he was the only one who protected me. Brooks always said I was useless, asked how I’d survive without him, but never said he’d abandon me. Memory and reality overlapped as I watched Brooks sigh and walk toward me like he used to. Actually, I was terrified. In that moment, I even blamed myself for not hiding well enough. I wanted to completely disappear and avoid this confrontation. But in the end, under Brooks’s gaze, I asked him numbly, “You’re getting engaged?”

Along with the thunder came Brooks’s voice. He looked down at me and admitted it frankly. “It’s a marriage alliance arranged by the family. I can’t refuse.” “They would never accept someone as worthless as you into the Davis family. You understand that, don’t you?” “But Alexis, I won’t leave you,” his fingers slowly wiped away my tears. “I’ll still protect you, just like before—” I sensed something was wrong. “What do you mean?” What did he mean by “won’t leave me”? What did he mean by “just like before”? Brooks’s eyes were pitch black. Through those eyes, I saw my own wretched, pitiful reflection. I actually had so many questions I wanted to ask. But now I couldn’t get a single word out. I looked at Brooks and asked him slowly, word by word: “Brooks, you want me to be your mistress?” Brooks didn’t deny it. From the moment the Davis family found him, he knew they would never accept me. He agreed to the marriage alliance while continuing to act out this charade with me here. Just like he said, I was so stupid I’d believe anything he told me. I tried hard to keep my eyes open to stop the tears from falling, but I just couldn’t control them. The corridor window was half-open, rain pouring down wildly. Years ago, I’d confessed to Brooks in the pouring rain, and now I had to end it in the rain too. But Brooks didn’t take my words about breaking up seriously. He calmly watched me finish my tantrum, then brought me back to the living room and casually asked what I wanted to eat. He seemed certain I wouldn’t refuse him, much less leave him. Not until I shook off his hand and started packing did his eyes finally show some emotion. “Alexis, does it have to be this way?” I didn’t answer. Brooks’s grip on my wrist only tightened. He looked at me quietly, as if genuinely not understanding: “I said we can still be like before. I can give you anything you want now. Do you really want to go back to those hard times?” I looked at him numbly. “Brooks, I won’t be a mistress.” “I can survive without depending on you.” “Without depending on me?” Brooks laughed. “Alexis, why are you still so naive?” “Without me, could you have graduated safely from under that perverted school administrator’s hands?” “Without me, could you have so coincidentally met that specialist during your surgery?” “And,” Brooks leaned closer to me, his tone mocking, “If you really care so much about what others think, why did you fall for me back then, confess to me, even kiss me—your nominal brother?” My whole body went cold as I slowly raised my head to meet Brooks’s gaze. So mocking and sharp, landing on me like a knife that cut to the bone. “Alexis,” Brooks looked at me with a smile, “stop pretending.” “You’re not as pure and noble as you claim to be.” Brooks said I was really stupid, that every choice I’d made since childhood was foolish. From enduring my stepfather’s beatings without resistance before, to leaving him now—it was all the same. He swore that within a week, I’d definitely come back to him. This week was probably the hardest week of my life. I hit walls everywhere, work went poorly, I couldn’t even find a place to rent. At critical moments, someone would always show up with more money to outbid me. I had no choice but to temporarily stay at my college friend’s place, but this morning, she told me she couldn’t let me stay anymore. My eyes fell on the phone clutched in her hand. I said softly, “Brooks contacted you, didn’t he?” She sighed. “Even if you broke up, he shouldn’t go this far, right?” She didn’t know much about what happened between Brooks and me. I didn’t want to drag her into this any further. I had to move to a hotel. Before I left, Sophia insisted on transferring me some money. “I know your internship salary isn’t much. Use this for now, pay me back when you get your full-time position.” I didn’t accept it. But the news about my full-time position was indeed supposed to come today. When I arrived at the company, though, the atmosphere was strangely off. Many people looked at me with complex expressions. My heart raced as an ominous premonition arose. Before I could think it through, my boss called me over. The office was silent. My boss took a sip of tea and told me straight out. Among this batch of interns, I was the most qualified for the full-time position, but not anymore. “The company landed a once-in-a-lifetime deal, but that company has one requirement.” I met my boss’s gaze, my heart sinking. “…What requirement?” My boss took another sip of hot tea and spoke slowly: “They require that we fire you.”

On the way back to the hotel, it started raining. The rain felt so cold it seemed to pierce into my heart. Brooks was already waiting at the hotel entrance. When he saw me, he got out of the car with an umbrella, his face wearing its usual smile. “Alexis, when will you break the habit of forgetting your umbrella in the rain?” I stared at the hand holding the umbrella. Brooks was still wearing the ring from when he proposed to me. I found it laughable, but I was too exhausted to laugh. The wet, sticky coat clung to my body, making my voice tremble when I spoke: “Brooks, how far do you have to go before you’ll stop?” “I used to like you, depend on you, but I never did anything to hurt you, did I?” “On our anniversary, I’d been preparing for quite a while.” “The gift I got you—I saved up half a year’s salary for it.” “Back then I even thought, I’m about to get my full-time position, and once things stabilize, we can move to a slightly bigger place.” “Why,” I looked up at him, “why do you have to treat me this way? Why does it have to be me?!” Brooks didn’t respond. His eyes fell on my hand instead. “Where’s the ring?” The ring he’d proposed with in the rental apartment. I’d worn it for six whole years. It wasn’t that he’d never bought me new rings, but I just loved that one. “I lost it.” I turned to walk back inside. “Do whatever else you want, Brooks. My answer won’t change.” Unexpectedly, Brooks backed down. He said he could stay out of my employment situation, but he had one condition. “What?” He gestured at the increasingly heavy rain. “It’s cold. Can we go inside to talk?” The hotel I’d found on short notice was very basic. Brooks waited until I changed out of my soaked coat before speaking. He sent me an address, saying there was a reception tomorrow night and asking me to come for a final goodbye. But on the way there the next day, for some reason, my heart suddenly started pounding violently. It was a high-end club, the kind of place I wouldn’t normally even glance at. Brooks’s private room was on the top floor. I saw many people inside. I saw that the bottles of alcohol they casually opened could buy my cheap rental apartment. In that moment, I finally had a concrete sense of Brooks’s current status and the gap between us. There, I also saw Laurient from the Tony family. She sat beside Brooks, beautiful and radiant. Before I could figure out why Laurient was there, I suddenly heard her say she had a surprise for Brooks. Vaguely, I seemed to hear my name. I suddenly tensed up. Laurient knew about my existence. I watched her casually make a phone call to someone. After a few brief sentences, the smile on her face grew even brighter, carrying the satisfaction of a successful prank. She tilted her head, studying his expression as she asked, “I accidentally got Alexis fired. You won’t blame me, will you, Brooks?” I stood there numbly, feeling coldness slowly penetrate my limbs. Until it climbed to my heart, bringing sharp, tingling pain. So Laurient’s “surprise” was destroying the job I’d just gotten today. Brooks sat beside her, watching her calmly. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t blame Laurient, didn’t even change his expression. I’d never found that indifferent face of his so disgusting. He’d clearly promised me he wouldn’t interfere with my work. I suddenly remembered what I’d said yesterday. I remembered that inscrutable smile on Brooks’s face before he left yesterday. I’d thought that because of what I said, he was slightly moved, had the tiniest bit of pity for me. But there was nothing. When Brooks smiled then, was he laughing at me like I was a pathetic, ridiculous clown? A clown who used to be played by him, yet was busy planning an impossible future with him. But now this clown still had to go find him. Because I saw Laurient reach out and pull a jade pendant on a black woven cord from around Brooks’s neck. I slowly blinked. Finally seeing clearly what was in her hand—it was the pendant my mom left me, my only keepsake of her. So when Brooks suggested going to my hotel room yesterday, it wasn’t because he was cold, and it wasn’t because he was actually willing to back down. It was to find this.

Brooks was as accommodating to Laurient as he once was to me. He casually removed the pendant and tossed it to Laurient. The last tightly wound string in my mind suddenly snapped. I had nothing left now. I’d even lost my job. I couldn’t lose this last memento of my mom too. I pushed hard on the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “Brooks—” I saw Brooks look up. Under the brilliant lights, through the glass, he just looked at me quietly with his usual smile, showing no intention of opening the door. I immediately understood—everything he said yesterday was a lie. He was angry I’d talked back to him, angry I’d thrown away the ring. He was warning me, punishing me, using the jade pendant to force me to compromise. Separated by a door, the hallway was quiet, but the music blasting inside the room was deafening, drowning out my voice. I was nearly breaking down as I spoke: “Brooks, I… I don’t want the job anymore!” “I’ll find the ring and return it to you today!” “Please, please give me back mom’s jade pendant!!” A week’s worth of pent-up emotions exploded. I shouted like a madwoman, drawing the attention of many people in the hallway. But Brooks still didn’t move. The music happened to reach its final few seconds of quiet outro, and everything fell silent. Through the glass, I watched helplessly as Laurient took the jade pendant and tossed it up and down with distaste. Then she accidentally fumbled it, and the pendant fell from her hand. After a crisp, cheap-sounding crack, Brooks suddenly stood up. He stared at the cracked jade pendant, his expression changing beyond his control. The scene suddenly descended into chaos. They seemed to be saying something, but my head was buzzing and I couldn’t hear anything clearly. I don’t know how I got back to the hotel. I only came to my senses when I realized I was completely soaked by the rain. Someone equally drenched stood at my door. That face was familiar—one of Brooks’s friends. “Brooks was taken back by the Davis family. He told me to make sure to tell you that things aren’t what you think. He didn’t mean to destroy the jade pendant.” “About your job, Brooks will handle it. Something came up with the Davis family, but as soon as he can get out, he’ll come find you right away. Don’t…” Before he could finish, I slammed the door shut with a bang. Silence returned to my ears. Water dripped from my sleeves, tap tap tap. I stared silently at the broken jade pendant in my hand for who knows how long before my phone suddenly vibrated. A notification popped up—I’d been fired, along with a transfer for severance pay. The full-time position really was Brooks playing me. Laurient couldn’t tolerate my existence, and Brooks condoned her tantrum. It was all lies. I’d never believe Brooks’s fake sympathy again. After blocking Brooks on all platforms, I bought the earliest ticket out of Los Angeles. I never wanted to come back.

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As a single mother, to scrape together tuition for my daughter to study for her master’s degree in the UK, I worked three jobs a day. I even had an accident while working the night shift at a factory—the machine severed two of my right fingers. But the day she got her UK visa, she was at the airport clinging to a wealthy businessman twenty years her senior, crying and laughing. “Daddy, if you hadn’t sponsored me to go abroad, my trash-collecting mom would have ruined my whole life.” I stood behind a pillar in the departure hall, holding up my freshly bandaged hand that was still bleeding through the gauze, frozen in place. I stepped forward to call out to her, but her friend Isabella wrinkled her nose in disgust and shoved me away. “Where’d this old hag come from? Get lost before you dirty Laura’s designer clothes!” I looked at my daughter. She wore exquisite makeup, and her eyes held no trace of guilt—only an icy warning. In front of the rich man, she pulled out two hundred-pound notes from her purse and threw them in my face like she was dismissing a beggar. “Take the money and get lost. I only have a sugar daddy—I don’t have some bottom-feeder poor mom!” People around us pointed and whispered. The wealthy man patted her shoulder approvingly, praising how sensible she was. I didn’t pick up the money. I just calmly watched her go through security and board her flight. Then I turned around and dialed the embassy. “Hello, I’d like to file a formal report. Someone has falsified academic credentials and may be involved in illegal immigration.”

After hanging up with the embassy, I didn’t look back at the security checkpoint. I walked straight out of the departure hall. When the spring breeze hit me, I realized I was soaked through with sweat. The gauze on my right hand was saturated with blood, and fresh pain shot through the wound. In the emergency room, the doctor unwrapped the bandage, his brow furrowing tightly. “What happened? The fingers we just reattached have torn open again!” “Did you get into a struggle with someone? If you keep this up, this hand will be permanently damaged!” I was drenched in cold sweat from the pain, but I just shook my head. “Please, just wrap it tighter for me.” After getting my wound treated, I returned home and pushed open the rusted iron gate. The musty smell of the basement hit me in the face. The room was a complete mess. Before leaving, Laura had used scissors to shred all the old clothes she didn’t want, and thrown them everywhere along with old shoes. Looking at the chaos on the floor, waves of bitterness washed over me. To let her wear decent clothes like other children. I worked three jobs a day to earn living expenses, and even took night shifts at an unlicensed factory to pay for her tutoring. But she broke my heart and trampled my dignity. My eyes grew moist, but in the end, no tears fell. I pulled out a black garbage bag and swept the shredded fabric into it. I stuffed this garbage along with the designer bag I’d bought with money from my first blood donation into the bag. Then I carried these two black bags and mercilessly threw them into the dumpster outside the complex. Just as I finished throwing away the trash, my phone vibrated. It was a reply from the embassy: [Hello. Regarding your report about Ms. Laura’s suspected academic fraud and unclear visa funding sources, we have initiated a joint investigation with customs. Thank you for your cooperation.] Looking at the words on the screen, my lips gradually curved upward. Almost simultaneously, my phone rang. It was Laura. The moment I answered, Laura’s shriek came through: “You old bitch! Did you report me?! Why did customs detain me?! They said my visa has been frozen and they’re going to investigate Daddy’s financial records!” Hearing her voice crack as she screamed, I felt nothing but satisfaction. “Yes. You’re my daughter. I won’t let you sell your body!” “Are you insane?! I’m your daughter! You’re ruining my future! I’ll kill you—” Before she could finish cursing, I hung up and blocked her number. Back in the basement, I looked at the passbook on the table containing my work injury compensation and took a deep breath. This money was originally meant to be her living expenses abroad. Now, I would use it to move out of this basement and start my real life.

The next afternoon, the basement’s iron door was kicked open with a bang. Laura burst in with her suited sugar daddy. Her friend Isabella followed aggressively behind them. “Smack!” A visa rejection letter was thrown in my face by Laura. “You poisonous old witch! Are you satisfied now?! My visa’s been revoked! I’m banned from entering the UK for three years!” Laura pointed at my nose, her eyes bloodshot. “You’re bottom-feeding trash rotting in the mud—fine! But why do you have to drag me down with you!” Isabella beside her covered her nose, her face full of disgust as she fanned the flames. “Exactly! Laura accepted Mr. Osman as her daddy. She was going to become a real lady of status.” “You’re just jealous that Mr. Osman has more money than you, so you sabotaged her, didn’t you? You poverty-stricken lunatic!” Mr. Osman stood with his belly protruding, looking down at my room condescendingly. He pulled a stack of cash from his briefcase and threw it on the table. “Ten thousand pounds. Go to the UK embassy and withdraw your report. Tell them you were having a psychotic episode and talking nonsense.” Mr. Osman flicked ash from his cigar, his tone arrogant. “Women are so short-sighted. Your daughter will live the high life with me. You should be grateful.” I looked at the ten thousand pounds on the table and laughed coldly. “Mr. Osman is so generous.” Then I raised my head and stared at Laura. “She paid someone to take her exams for her.” “Mr. Osman, you don’t really think Laura’s a genius, do you?” “Are you sure she can bring you any value if she goes abroad?” Laura’s expression changed drastically. She screamed in humiliation and rage: “Shut up! Daddy, don’t listen to this crazy woman’s nonsense!” She looked around frantically, then suddenly spotted the passbook I’d placed under my pillow. It was my severed finger injury compensation! “What’s this?!” Laura’s eyes lit up. She pounced over and snatched the passbook. Opening it, her eyes went wide. “Three hundred thousand?! You’ve been hiding three hundred thousand from me!” She reached under the pillow and pulled out my ID card, viciously stuffing it into her own pocket. “Is the password my birthday? Even if you don’t tell me, I’ll figure it out!” My expression changed. I rushed forward to grab it back. “Give it back! That’s my severed finger compensation! That’s my lifeline!” “What do you mean YOUR money? You ruined my dream of going abroad—consider this compensation for my emotional distress!” Laura clutched the passbook and ID card, backing away self-righteously. I lunged and grabbed her wrist, but she yanked hard. My freshly bandaged right hand slammed heavily into the iron bed frame. The wound hadn’t healed at all yet. “Rip—” Sharp pain instantly spread from my fingertips. The gauze was stained red with blood, dripping onto the cement floor. I collapsed to my knees in pain, my whole body convulsing uncontrollably. “Oh please, are you trying to scam us?” Isabella rolled her eyes from the side. Osman snorted coldly and gave a look. His two bodyguards immediately stepped forward and roughly shoved me against the wall, escorting Laura out. “Mom, I’m taking this three hundred thousand.” “You can just rot in this moldy basement and fend for yourself!” Laura waved the passbook and ID card, linked arms with Osman, and strutted away in her high heels. I lay in my own blood, watching their retreating figures, biting my lip until I tasted blood. Laura, since you’re going to be so ruthless, don’t blame me for being merciless.

I endured the severe pain and shakily dialed the police with my left hand. The police arrived quickly, but when they learned that the person who’d stolen my belongings was my own biological daughter whom I’d carried for ten months, they showed helpless expressions. According to regulations, the police could only temporarily classify it as a domestic property dispute and needed further investigation before filing a case. The officer in charge saw me lying in a pool of blood looking pitiful. After taking my statement, he immediately took me to the relevant department. He helped me file emergency reports for a lost ID card and freeze the passbook. The three hundred thousand couldn’t be recovered immediately, but at least I’d secured the money in the account so Laura couldn’t squander it. By the time I returned to the basement after getting my wound re-stitched at the hospital, it was late at night. My right hand was wrapped in gauze, each throb accompanied by stabbing pain. Just then, my phone started vibrating crazily. Hundreds of abusive text messages from unknown numbers flooded my inbox. I opened a short video platform and found that on the homepage feed, Laura had posted a five-minute accusatory video. In the video, she wore fake no-makeup makeup, tears streaming down her face as she tearfully accused me of being an evil mother. She lied to the camera, claiming I’d tried to sell her for bride price money to pay gambling debts, even slandering that I’d deliberately self-harmed my severed fingers to extort money from her. She also played the victim, saying I was jealous she’d received sponsorship to study abroad, so I maliciously spread rumors to ruin her future. Oh my god, how can such an evil mother exist? Unfit to be human! Poor girl, what bad luck to have a mother like that. Support the daughter cutting ties! People like this should just die! The comment section was outraged. Even my former coworkers at the factory believed the lies and sent me messages cursing me out. You always seemed honest, but I never knew you were so vicious, harming your own daughter. Disgusting! Facing the online mob, I didn’t cry. I looked coldly at Laura’s face on the screen, methodically saving her defamatory video with my left hand. Then I took screenshots and screen recordings of all the vicious comments and personal attacks the video had attracted. Next, my gaze fell on the laptop in the corner. It was an old computer Laura had disdained as too outdated to take with her. Laura was careless. She thought emptying the recycle bin solved everything. But she didn’t know that as long as the hard drive wasn’t destroyed, data could be recovered. I spent the whole night using my left hand to control the mouse, using recovery software I’d found online to gradually excavate the secrets buried deep in this computer. When the progress bar reached one hundred percent and I opened the hidden billing statements and chat records that had been recovered, I broke out in a cold sweat, then laughed out loud in the basement. Mr. Osman’s several trading companies were all shells used as fronts for overseas fraud syndicates to launder money! The funds Laura had been dreaming about for going abroad all came from dirty accounts. Not only that, I also recovered several eye-burning videos. The protagonists of the videos were actually Osman and Laura’s friend Isabella, who kept calling him sugar daddy! This seemingly innocent Isabella wasn’t just a business partner—she’d been sleeping with Osman all along. Laura had become a tool Isabella used to please her benefactor. I extracted those money laundering flow statements, along with the exam proxy transfer records and pornographic videos, and organized them into categories. As morning sunlight filtered into the basement, I pressed send. I sent them in encrypted compressed file format to the Economic Investigation Division’s verified report email, copying the tax bureau. Laura, it’s time to wake up from your dream of marrying into wealth.

Three days later, to whitewash her reputation, Laura held a high-profile banquet at a luxury hotel in the city center. She announced publicly that although her mother’s interference had temporarily prevented her from going to the UK, Mr. Osman had already arranged for her to enter a prestigious domestic academy. The banquet hall was brightly lit. Many of Osman’s business associates attended, along with Laura’s classmates. Social media influencers she’d invited for publicity filled the hall. I pushed open the banquet hall doors wearing old clothes, my right hand wrapped in thick bandages. The entire venue instantly fell silent. “Oh my god, that’s the evil mother from online, right?” “How does she have the nerve to show up? Dressed so shabby.” “Probably saw her daughter made it big and came to extort more money. So disgusting.” The guests pointed and whispered, their contempt undisguised. Laura stood on stage in a gown. Seeing me, a flash of triumph crossed her eyes, then she put on a wronged expression. “Mom, what are you doing here? Haven’t you hurt me enough?” She held the microphone, her voice choking. “But no matter how evil you are, you’re still my mom.” “As long as you admit your mistake in front of everyone today, I’m willing to forgive you.” Isabella sneered from the side, stirring things up: “Who apologizes standing up? If you’re truly repentant, you should kneel and apologize to Laura!” “Right! Kneel and apologize!” Several people who’d been bribed started jeering from below the stage. Just then, Osman stood up from the main table, holding documents, looking down at me condescendingly. “Since you’re here, just sign it.” Mr. Osman threw the documents on the floor in front of me. He used a threatening tone to make me sign that notarized statement admitting to slander and severing the mother-daughter relationship. Laura walked to the edge of the stage and threatened me in a voice only we could hear: “If you don’t sign today, I’ll have my online team destroy your reputation so you can’t survive in this city!” “Sign it, and I’ll give you back half the money from the passbook.” Give me back half? Using my lifeline money to threaten me? I looked at the humiliating document on the floor, then at that face on stage that resembled mine yet looked so hateful. I calmly bent down and picked up the pen with my left hand. “Fine, I’ll sign,” I said flatly. Laura and Isabella exchanged glances, smiles of triumph on their faces. Mr. Osman also exhaled a satisfied puff of smoke, watching me submit. I held the pen and walked up to the stage step by step, standing before Laura and Mr. Osman. Then, under everyone’s expectant gaze waiting for my submission, I used both hands and tore the document in half. Then I continued tearing, shredding the document to pieces. With a swoosh, I violently threw the handful of confetti into the shocked faces of Laura and Mr. Osman! Paper scraps fluttered to the floor. Laura screamed: “You crazy old woman, what are you doing?!” “What am I doing?” I looked at them, a cold smile curving my lips. My voice carried through the microphone across the banquet hall: “Laura, Osman. Did you really think that during these past few days when I didn’t fight back, all I did was make one phone call to the embassy?” As soon as I finished speaking, the guests in the hall who’d been ready to watch me humiliated looked at each other. Everyone fell silent. Laura paused, then covered her mouth and sneered: “Phone calls? Who else could you call? The psychiatric hospital?!” “You old hag, are you so traumatized you’re having delusions? Everyone look, this woman’s gone insane! Quick, get security to drag her out!” Isabella beside her joined in the mockery: “Exactly! Wearing rags to a five-star hotel pretending to be rich.” “Mr. Osman, look how pathetic she is. She’s probably money-crazy and daydreaming!” Osman crushed out his cigar, his expression dark, and barked: “A toast refused means a forfeit drunk! Someone, hold this crazy woman down!” “This agreement—she’ll sign it whether she wants to or not!” Two bodyguards immediately lunged toward me. Just as Laura and the others looked triumphant, BANG! The banquet hall doors were pushed open from outside!

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