Author: Momo Chan

My childhood friend’s lover was a thug. I was sitting in first class on my way back to the country when a blanket from the seat in front of me suddenly hit my leg. The flight attendant hurried over and crouched down, her face full of apology. “I’m so sorry, ma’am. Miss Joelle says she likes it quiet and really can’t stand any noise around her.” “She’s willing to pay 100 dollars to have you move to economy. Would that be okay?” I set down my water glass, smiled faintly, and threw the blanket back hard. “I’ll pay 101 dollars for her to move.” The blanket landed right on the woman in front, and she shot to her feet, pointing at me in anger as she cursed. “Who do you think you are, refusing to give me face? Do you know who I am?!” “Garcia, my boyfriend, owns this entire Harmony Airlines!” “Let me make this clear today. If you don’t move, I’ll have the whole airline blacklist you and make sure you never step on a plane again for the rest of your life!” I lifted my brows and smiled with interest. Garcia? Wasn’t that my childhood friend with a marriage contract? So the thug Christina’s mom had been going on about, the one she told me to come back and deal with, was her?

“Are you deaf? I told you to move to economy. Didn’t you hear me?” Seeing that I hadn’t moved at all, Joelle pointed at me in anger. I smiled. “Ma’am, I was sitting here perfectly fine. You hit me with a blanket and tried to insult me with 100 dollars. Why would I move?” “Besides, I offered you one extra dollar. Why don’t you move?” After hearing me, the flight attendant sucked in a sharp breath. “Ma’am, Mr. Garcia specifically told us to meet Miss Joelle’s needs. How about you name a compensation amount? We’ll definitely make it happen.” Joelle looked proud and haughty. “Did you hear that? I’m carrying the Stevens family’s baby now. The whole Stevens family has to cater to me!” I sat back down, covered my legs with the blanket, and put my earbuds back in. “This is my seat. I’m not going anywhere.” Joelle turned angrily to the flight attendant. “Are you blind? The first-class cabin is empty except for her!” “Use your heads and you’d know Garcia booked the whole cabin for me!” “Strip her naked and throw her out. Let her learn the consequences of trespassing in first class!” The flight attendant looked troubled. Even if Mr. Garcia had given instructions, this demand was simply too unreasonable. I looked up and stared at Joelle with a hint of provocation. “What? You think only you can get Garcia to book a ticket?” Joelle’s gaze paused for a moment. “W-What do you mean?” She turned to the flight attendant. “Check her ticket! If she’s not supposed to be sitting here, call the police and arrest her right now!!” The flight attendant quickly opened the system panel and typed my name in at speed. After that, she replied a little awkwardly. “Miss Joelle, Miss Sophia’s seat is normal. It also shows that it was booked through the Stevens family’s internal system.” I snickered to myself. Christina had booked this seat for me a long time ago. A hint of panic appeared in Joelle’s eyes. “Could you be Garcia’s… new mistress?” “How shameless! You dare seduce Garcia while I’m pregnant? I just got rid of one, and here comes another!” “This time I’ll make sure all of you sluts remember your lesson!” Her hand rose into the air, and it looked like it was about to land. I grabbed her wrist. “Isn’t Garcia’s engagement next month to someone else?” “You’d better figure out your own position before you talk!” I twisted her wrist and slapped her hard in return. The crack of the slap echoed through the entire first-class cabin. Joelle clutched her face in disbelief. No one had ever dared to treat her like that. “So what if Garcia has a fiancée? Only the unloved ones are mistresses!” “Even if his fiancée were here, I’d still say the same thing!” Her face flushed red as she thought about how to retaliate. At that moment, the flight attendant suddenly stepped forward to hold her back. “Miss Joelle, the plane is still taxiing, so you can’t move around like this. You’re pregnant, so please sit down and stay calm.” “There’s a rest area in the cockpit. Let me take you there.” The flight attendant knew neither side could be offended, so she had no choice but to separate us first. Joelle was escorted away while cursing nonstop. The first-class cabin was left with just me, and my ears finally got some peace. After the plane landed, I pushed my luggage along the VIP corridor when I was suddenly surrounded by a group of tall men in black. “It’s her! She slapped me on the plane. Lock her in the holding room!” Joelle appeared with this group of people. After hearing the order, the men in black immediately pressed my shoulders down hard, and I couldn’t break free. Joelle let out a mocking laugh. “These are all private bodyguards Garcia arranged for me. Every single one of them is a pro. Let’s see how you move now.” “Today I’m going to teach you sluts a lesson myself. I’ll slap you a hundred times and rip your mouth apart so you remember it!” Her face was full of vindication and smugness as she raised her hand high. Just then, a man’s voice rang out. “Stop!” It was Garcia.

“Honey, what happened? Why did you do it yourself?” Garcia walked up beside Joelle and said with concern, “You’re pregnant. Don’t upset the baby.” His gaze swept over me, surrounded by black-clad bodyguards, and his expression suddenly froze. “Sophia, why are you back?” Joelle asked in confusion, “Honey, who is she?” She stamped her foot, about to throw a tantrum, and Garcia quickly soothed her. “Honey, she’s just my childhood friend who has a marriage contract with me.” “She’s been abroad for three years, and I’ve already lost most contact with her. Don’t misunderstand.” Then he looked at me. “Sophia, perfect timing. Let me introduce you. This is my girlfriend, Joelle.” I looked at him, completely baffled. “Your girlfriend is Joelle? Then what am I to you?” “Did you forget? We’re supposed to get engaged next month.” A contemptuous smile flashed across Garcia’s face. “Sophia, you and I both know this is a business marriage.” “Since when does a business marriage ever have real feelings?” “Joelle is already carrying my child. She belongs to me.” “From now on, we can do our own thing. On the surface, we’re still one family. Isn’t that better?” I almost laughed myself sick at those words. Everyone knew the Franklin family had strict values and would never tolerate something like this. “Garcia, while I was gone these past few years, did a pig eat your brain?” With Garcia backing her up, Joelle’s face grew even more arrogant. “No wonder you were so smug. So you’re just the marriage partner, not the one he really loves.” “Baby, do you know? She even slapped me on the plane. Look, my face is still red.” Joelle pouted as if she had suffered some huge injustice. “There’s even something like this?” Garcia frowned. Joelle glared at me viciously. “You’re backing me up, so I want to get that slap back!” She raised her hand again, but Garcia stopped her once more. “After all, she’s the Franklin family heir. You can’t hit her.” “Besides, what if you hurt yourself and the baby?” Joelle rolled her eyes. “Fine, then I won’t hit her for your sake.” “Just have her apologize to me, then call me sis, and I’ll forgive her.” “Let her know who the real lady of the Stevens family is.” Garcia’s expression darkened, and he nodded. “Sophia, it looks like there’s some misunderstanding between you and Joelle.” “Just do what Joelle said. After that, once the misunderstanding is cleared up, our engagement next week will go on as planned.” I let out a cold laugh. “How about this? I’ll give her one chance. If she kneels and apologizes to me, I’ll consider letting her go.” Before I came back to the country, Christina had already told me how she planned to deal with her, and that method was a lot harsher than anything I’d imagined. Garcia’s voice turned sharp. “Sophia, don’t push this too far.” “Joelle is pregnant, and you hit her. You were in the wrong first.” “Joelle has already shown you understanding and made a concession. You should know gratitude and stop being ungrateful.” I shook my head. “Looks like you really don’t have a brain. Don’t even think about making me apologize.” Garcia’s face turned stern. “Sophia, if you insist, then I can only cancel the engagement.” His tone carried unquestionable authority. At those words, a flash of delight crossed Joelle’s eyes. I sneered inwardly. A business marriage wasn’t something he could just cancel so easily. I said coldly, “Garcia, did you forget that if you don’t marry me, you can’t inherit the family business?”

“Honey, is that true?” A trace of unease flashed across Joelle’s face, and she quickly looked up at Garcia. Garcia let out a contemptuous laugh, his voice full of scorn. “Sophia, don’t think you can threaten me with that.” “Not long ago, my own company was already making millions in profit.” “At this rate, within ten years, my assets will be close to the entire Stevens family’s.” “I negotiated every deal myself. I didn’t use a single bit of family resources or connections.” “I already have the ability to make my own decisions. I don’t need to rely on anyone anymore.” He lifted his chin, looking incredibly arrogant. I remembered one night last year when Christina suddenly contacted me. She said Garcia was insisting on starting his own business, and Christina was afraid his first venture would fail and he would lose confidence later, so she specifically reached out to me. She repeatedly told me not to reveal any connection to the Stevens family. I contacted classmates overseas, and my dad also asked some more distant business partners to work with Garcia. That was how I helped Garcia earn the first chunk of money for his company. Thinking about it now was ridiculous. “Garcia, does Christina know all of this?” A little more anger entered Garcia’s eyes. “Sophia, you’re trying to use my mom to pressure me again!” “You’ve been doing this since you were little. Besides this trick, what else can you do?” “I’ve been controlled by my mom since I was a kid, and I’ve had enough of you doing the same!” “From now on, none of the Stevens family’s business is any of your concern. And from now on, I decide who the lady of the Stevens family is!” Joelle’s eyes lit up with stars. “Baby, you’re a real man!” She looked at me provocatively. “Garcia is the Stevens family’s only legitimate grandson. If he doesn’t call the shots for the Stevens family in the future, then who will?” I lowered my eyes. Garcia’s father died early. Christina had struggled alone for so many years to keep the company going, and I saw it all. The Franklin family and the Stevens family had been in-laws for generations, and the friendship and interests between our families were too deeply tied together. If this engagement were ruined because of me, I’d never forgive myself. “Garcia, I’ll give you one last chance.” “Not only does Joelle need to kneel and apologize to me, you need to kneel and apologize too.” “Not just to me, but to the Franklin family.” “As long as you apologize, I’ll act like nothing happened today. Otherwise, don’t blame me for whatever happens next.” Garcia looked utterly disdainful. “From childhood until now, I already see right through you. All you know how to do is threaten people with your family. What else do you have?” I looked calmly at them both, took out my phone, and asked one last time, “Are you kneeling or not?” Joelle laughed out loud. “You’re just humiliating yourself.” She turned to Garcia. “Honey, she’s like a crazy dog. Let’s go.” I didn’t hesitate any longer and dialed the number. Into the phone, I said calmly, “Joelle really is, as you said, an idiot.” Joelle stopped walking. “She’s rude and brainless. She doesn’t belong in any rich family at all.” Joelle stared at me in disbelief, her eyes wide. “Just like you said, it’s best to cut out her tendons and throw her to Alaska, make her an illegal resident, and never let her come back.” Joelle flew into a rage, rushed forward, and snatched my phone away. She shouted into the phone, “Who the hell do you think you are!!” “Dare to say your name, and I’ll have someone deal with you tonight so you’re kicked out of Los Angeles forever!” “You’ll have nowhere to put your ashes even after you die!!” Garcia stepped forward and held her. “Honey, don’t get worked up. She’s just trying to scare you. As long as I’m here, no one can do anything to you.” I took my phone back and turned on speaker. The voice on the other end exploded like firecrackers. “Garcia! Is this the thug you found?!” “If you insist on being with her, then never come back to the Stevens family again!!” Garcia’s pupils widened, and after a long moment, a sound finally came from his throat. “…Mom?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459797”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After divorcing my ex-husband, I dated four boyfriends in a row. But every time we got close to the wedding, they would call it off. The moment we were about to exchange rings, their faces would twist with disgust, and they would point at me and curse me out. “I must have been blind to fall for you! I’m not marrying you!” The people around me would also look at me with disdain and tell me to stop clinging to them. “How dare you beg them to stay? You’re shameless!” “If I’d known you were this disgusting, I wouldn’t have come.” I couldn’t make sense of it no matter how hard I tried, and I begged them to tell me why. Then, at my fifth wedding, I heard my daughter Ford’s inner voice. [Even though I’m the bride’s daughter, I still can’t bear to do this.] [If my stepdad finds out that my mom spent last night in a hotel room with nine men while still wearing her wedding dress, this wedding will definitely be ruined.] I stood on the stage, looking at my eight-year-old daughter, Ford. The officiant was reading the vows. “Groom Wilson, do you take Shakira as your wife…” “Bride Shakira, do you take Wilson as your husband…” Sure enough, her inner voice rang out again. [Even though I’m the bride’s daughter, I still can’t bear to do this.] [If my stepdad finds out that my mom spent last night in a hotel room with nine men while still wearing her wedding dress, this wedding will definitely be ruined.] The guests below exploded at once. “What? Nine men?” “Oh my God, what does that mean?” “A child wouldn’t lie, this…” My future mother-in-law Bella’s face turned livid. She shot to her feet and pointed at me as she roared, “You filthy bitch! I knew you were rushing to get married because you’d been messing around outside!” She rushed onto the stage and raised her hand to slap me. But this time, I didn’t cry, and I didn’t panic. I calmly grabbed her wrist. “Wait.” My voice was very steady, so steady it even surprised me. “What did you hear?” Bella froze for a moment. “What your daughter just said. Are you still trying to deny it?” I turned to look at the guests below the stage. “Did everyone hear that?” “We heard it!” “That kid said her mom spent the night with nine men!” “Disgusting!” I nodded, then looked at Ford. She was looking at me with a completely innocent face, as if she knew nothing. But I knew she knew her inner voice could be heard by other people. She had been using that to ruin every one of my weddings. “Ford.” I crouched down and looked into her eyes. “What did you just say?” Ford blinked. “Mom, I didn’t say anything.” “Then why is everyone saying they heard you?” Ford pretended to be scared. “I don’t know, Mom. I really didn’t say anything.” The guests below started talking. “Was that the child’s inner thoughts?” “Little kids don’t lie.” “Shakira is way too much!” Bella rushed up again. “You’re still acting! Wilson cannot marry a woman like you!” [The baby in her belly isn’t Wilson’s at all. It’s a bastard she had with another man.] The entire room instantly went silent, and everyone stared at me in shock. Bella’s face changed again. “What? The child isn’t even my son’s?” “Are you trying to make my son raise another man’s kid like a fool?” Wilson’s hand froze in midair, and the ring almost slipped to the floor. “Shakira, what is going on?” “What Ford said…” “No!” I hurried to explain. “The child is Wilson’s!” But the whispers below had already started. “The child’s inner voice doesn’t lie.” “She said she saw it, so it must be true.” “This woman is terrifying. She’d actually do something like that.” Bella rushed over and tried to drag me to the hospital. “Come on! We’re doing a paternity test right now!” “If the child isn’t Wilson’s, this wedding absolutely cannot happen!” Wilson was also confused. “Shakira, let’s go to the hospital and check.” I looked at him, tears in my eyes. “Wilson, you don’t believe me?” Wilson hesitated. “I… I just want to confirm it.” “Do you need me to prove it with my death before you’ll believe me?” Everyone’s expressions changed. Right then, Ford started again. [Mom was still on the phone with that man yesterday, saying she’d show him the child after it was born.] [She also said she’d hide it from Wilson for the rest of her life. I heard it clearly.] The crowd below got even angrier. “That’s too much!” “How can a woman like that get married!” “Wilson, run!” I was backed into a corner, trembling all over. “I didn’t!” I shouted. “The child is Wilson’s!” “I can go do a paternity test right now!”

Bella sneered. “And you think we’d believe you?” “Maybe you already bribed the hospital!” Just then, I remembered something. In my past life, I had been too anxious and forgot to take out the evidence. I pulled out my phone and opened an encrypted folder. Because my four weddings had all been mysteriously called off, I had become much more careful. “I have a paternity test report issued by an official institution here.” I held up my phone. “This is a non-invasive DNA paternity test I had done at the hospital.” “The report shows that the father of the child is Wilson.” When the people below saw the report, the noise quieted down a little. But Bella still didn’t believe it. “That report could be fake too!” I said calmly, “There’s an anti-counterfeit code on this report, and you can verify it on the hospital’s official website.” “And I had this test done without telling Wilson, just so no one could question it.” Wilson looked at me in surprise. “Shakira, when did you do this?” I looked at him. “Last month. I was worried someone would question the child’s paternity, so I had it done ahead of time.” “I used the hair you dropped at my place.” Wilson remembered. “That night I stayed at your house, and the next morning you helped me comb my hair.” I nodded. “Yes, I kept a few strands of your hair and took them in for the paternity test.” Bella took my phone and carefully checked the report. The report clearly stated that the probability of paternity between the fetus and the alleged father was 99.99%. It also had the hospital stamp and anti-counterfeit code. Bella entered the code on the hospital’s official website, and the result showed that the report was genuine and valid. Seeing this, the guests below started talking again. “The report is real.” “The child really is Wilson’s.” “Then why would that little girl lie?” When Ford saw her lie had been exposed, her face turned ugly. [My mom’s pretty smart too. She knows to bribe the testing staff in advance, so even if they test it, they won’t find anything!] Ford’s voice rang out again, and everyone turned against me once more. Bella sneered. “You think we’d believe you? Maybe you already bought the hospital off!” I took a document out of my bag. “This is my pre-pregnancy health check report from three months ago.” I held it up high so everyone could see. “The report shows I don’t have any STDs, and there are no signs of any unclean behavior.” The whispering below quieted down a little. “If I really had been messing around like Ford said in her head, this report wouldn’t be this clean.” I took out another document. “This is a record of the first time Wilson and I met, four months ago.” “And the time I got pregnant was exactly three months ago. The timeline matches perfectly.” Wilson nodded beside me. “All of that is true.” Bella’s face began to waver. “But… but the child said…” I looked at Ford. “Ford, think again. Where was I last night?” Ford bit her lip and said nothing. I went on, “Last night, Wilson and I were at home preparing wedding supplies, and Ford was there too.” “The three of us ate together, watched TV together, and Ford didn’t go to sleep until ten at night.” “Wilson can testify to that.” Wilson immediately said, “Yes, Shakira was with me the whole time yesterday.” The guests below started whispering. “Looks like it really was a misunderstanding?” “But the child’s inner voice… could she have gotten it wrong?” I looked at Ford, and her eyes started to dart away. I went on, “I’m going back to the hospital right now for another paternity test. Who wants to come with me and witness it?” Bella hesitated. “I… I will.” Wilson held my hand tightly. “I’ll go with you.” Just then, Ford suddenly burst into tears. “Mom, I’m scared!”

She ran to me and hugged my leg. “Mom, I don’t want you to marry someone else!” Seeing this, the people below began to soften. “The child might just be scared of her mom remarrying.” “Kids are like that. They’re afraid of losing their mother’s love. Maybe that really was a misunderstanding.” I crouched down and hugged Ford. “Ford, even if I get married, I’ll still love you.” So Ford was just too attached to me. I felt relieved. Seeing this, Bella’s expression eased a little too. “Fine, maybe it really was a misunderstanding.” She looked at me. “But we still need to redo the paternity test.” I nodded. “Of course.” Ford suddenly looked up, a sly glint flashing in her eyes. Ford broke free from my arms and stepped back a few paces. [Could it be that Mom can also hear my inner voice now, and that’s why she’s prepared?] [She got married four times before, and every time it was a marriage scam. She took the money and then found a way to make the man call it off.] [Each time she got tens of thousands in breakup money. That’s how she got rich.] The room exploded at once. “What? A marriage scam?” “Four marriages were scams?” “Oh my God, and she abused the child too! This woman is terrifying!” Bella’s face changed again. “What did you say? She’s been married four times before?” My heart sank to the bottom. “No!” I hurried to explain. “I really did date four men before, but it wasn’t a marriage scam!” “They were the ones who suddenly called off the weddings!” The whispers below got even louder. “She admitted it! There really were four times!” “How can you trust a woman like that?” Just then, the back door of the venue was suddenly shoved open. Four men walked in. I recognized them. They were my four former fiancés: Peter, Mario, George, and Stuart. Why were they here? Peter pointed at me and shouted, “Don’t let her fool you! She’s a liar!” Mario followed. “When she was engaged to me, she took two hundred thousand from my family, then deliberately caused a scene at the wedding and forced me to call it off!” George said, “Me too! She took three hundred thousand from my family, then said my mother treated her badly and dumped me!” Stuart said, “She’s always done this. She makes money by getting married!” The guests below were completely furious. “So it really was a marriage scam!” “This woman is disgusting!” “Wilson, run!” Bella rushed over and tried to hit me again. “You liar! Did you scam Wilson’s money too?” I was backed into a corner, trembling all over. In my last life, I had no idea what happened. I just kept getting called off for no reason. I glanced at Ford and saw her giving me a smug smile. Now I finally understood. Someone had been controlling all of this from behind the scenes. But my four weddings had indeed failed before. That was a fact. I really had taken the money, and I had returned it all. “I didn’t scam anyone!” I shouted. “I returned all the money!” Peter sneered. “Returned it? You only returned it because you were forced to, right?” Mario said, “And you always asked for extra breakup money!” George said, “I gave you fifty thousand in breakup money!” Stuart said, “I gave you eighty thousand!” The crowd below got even angrier. “Breakup money too? That’s too much! That’s extortion!” Wilson came over to my side, but his face also looked terrible. “Shakira, what’s going on?” I looked at him, tears in my eyes. “Wilson, do you believe me?” Wilson hesitated. “I… I need to know the truth.”

Bella said loudly, “What other truth do you need? The witnesses and the evidence are all right here!” “You can’t marry a woman like this!” Ford stood nearby and pretended to be scared. “Mom, why are they yelling at you?” But I heard her inner voice, and it was only for me. [Mom, go beg Dad. Only Dad really loves you.] Dad? I suddenly realized that all of this had been planned. But I had proof. I pulled out my phone and opened an audio file. “Everyone, listen to this.” I played a recording. It was Peter’s voice: “Shakira, I can’t marry you. My parents don’t agree.” “But I’ll compensate you. Is fifty thousand enough?” My voice in the recording was crying. “I don’t want money. I just want to know why.” Peter said, “I’m sorry. I really can’t do anything about it.” “Then I’ll return the money to you.” Then came the sound of money arriving. “We’re even.” After the recording ended, the room was completely silent. Each recording proved that they had been the ones to break things off. The guests below started whispering. “So it doesn’t look like she was extorting anyone.” “It was the men who offered breakup money.” “Then why did they lie just now?” The four former fiancés all looked terrible. Peter stammered, “Th-these recordings might be fake!” I sneered. “Fake? Then let’s go to the police and have them forensically verified right now?” “Dare you? You don’t dare, because the transfers in your bank records all went to me, and I returned them all.” “If I really were scamming marriages, why would I give the money back?” The murmurs below grew even louder. “Exactly, if it was a marriage scam, why would she return the money?” “Looks like the problem really was with the men.” Mario got anxious. “Then why were you recording?” I looked at him. “Because I was afraid you’d back out, so I recorded every breakup talk to protect myself.” “I didn’t expect it to actually come in handy today.” George pointed at me. “You set us up!” I said calmly, “Set you up? You were the ones who first smeared me as a marriage scam.” “I’m just clearing my name.” Bella looked at the four men, and her expression changed too. “What’s going on with you all?” “Why did you lie?” Peter stammered, “We… we…” Just then, Ford suddenly spoke up. “Didn’t you say you’d help me?” The moment her words fell, the room erupted again. “What does she mean, help her? What is this kid talking about?” The four men’s faces grew even uglier. I crouched down and looked at Ford. “Ford, what did you just say?” Ford realized she had misspoken and quickly shook her head. “I didn’t say anything.” But everyone below had heard it. Wilson walked over and asked seriously, “Ford, what were they supposed to help you with?” Ford bit her lip and stayed silent. I asked again, “Ford, did someone teach you to say those things?” Ford’s eyes started to dart around. [Dad said I absolutely couldn’t let you know it was arranged by him.] The truth was finally out.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459796”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

When I was eight years old, my mother lost her life protecting me. My father hated me to the bone. He shipped me off to my uncle’s house, where I stayed for ten miserable years. He only brought me back because his adopted daughter said she felt “lonely.” But the very first thing he said to me when I walked through the door was: “You murderer. You killed your mother. How do you even have the nerve to still be alive?” To fulfill his wishes, I died in a car crash on the exact day I received my college acceptance letter. A bystander grabbed my phone from the asphalt and frantically dialed his number, only to be met with his raging voice: “If you want to die, Chloe, go die somewhere far away! Don’t do it here and eyesore your mother!” … I was floating in mid-air, watching a crowd of people gather around my lifeless body. For a moment, I couldn’t really process what was happening. Until someone picked up my phone—its screen shattered into a spiderweb of cracks—and dialed my dad’s number. “Hello? Is this the father of the phone’s owner? Your daughter has been in a terrible car accident, she’s at—” Before the man could even finish, my father’s furious voice cut him off: “A car accident? Is she dead yet?” “Chloe, if you want to die, go die somewhere far away! Don’t do it here and eyesore your mother’s memory!” “You made Daisy fall and break her leg, and now you’re faking a car crash to get sympathy? How can you be so shameless!” After that harsh, venomous roar, a faint, sweet voice drifted through the line: “What’s wrong, Daddy?” My father, who had sounded like a raging beast a second ago, instantly softened his tone to pure warmth: “Nothing, sweetie. Just a scam call…” The call disconnected with a mechanical beep. The stranger who tried to help stood there, stunned by the hostility. He muttered to himself: “Is that guy seriously her real dad?” He tried to redial, but the screen showed he had already been blocked. With a sigh, he decided to try the only other contact saved in my phone book. He tapped on it. “Hello? Is this Chloe’s high school advisor? She’s been in a car crash…” I had long grown used to my father’s hatred. His cruel words didn’t even cause a ripple in my heart anymore. When I was eight, my mom took me on a road trip. Our car was caught in a sudden, violent flash flood. She threw her entire body over mine, shielding me from the worst of the impact and the rushing debris. But she never made it off the operating table. My father and mother had been deeply in love for years. He couldn’t accept that his beloved wife was gone forever. So, he abandoned me at Uncle Jack’s house. He told me: “Every time I look at your face, I see your mother covered in blood, taking her last breath. You are a curse!” During my ten years at Uncle Jack’s, my father never sent a single letter or made a single call. I only heard through the grapevine that he had adopted a girl who had lost her parents in a natural disaster. Uncle Jack told me she was sickly, constantly needing shots and medication. My father had spent almost all his savings to cure her. The two of them lived together, relying only on each other. The kind stranger tapped my phone screen a few more times, but the device finally died. My phone didn’t have a passcode. Seeing strangers easily access my private life made me feel a surge of helpless anxiety, but there was nothing I could do. Fortunately, the ambulance arrived, and the man stopped messing with my phone. The paramedics in white scrubs lifted my broken body into the ambulance, rushing toward the hospital with sirens blaring. They hooked me up to all kinds of tubes. The advanced machines did their job, beep-beeping to report my vital signs. But it was useless. My soul was already floating outside. What medical miracle could possibly drag me back now? “The patient has absolutely no will to survive…” The doctor muttered under his breath. He watched as my shallow breathing slowly stopped. The monitor emitted a sharp, continuous flatline shriek. With a heavy sigh, he pulled the white sheet over my face. His eyes held a deep sadness for a young life cut short. Outside the operating room, the hallway was completely empty. The doctor frowned deeply. “Where is the family? It’s been hours. Why aren’t they here yet?” ### 2 Of course, my father was busy celebrating Daisy’s eighteenth birthday. After bringing her back from the disaster zone, he gave her a new name. Daisy. Bright, blooming, and full of hope. He placed all his hopes on her, completely throwing me—the useless, dirty weed in the gutter—to the back of his mind. “Happy birthday, Daisy! I wish you health and happiness forever!” My father lovingly presented a strawberry chocolate cake to her. On top of the frosting was a cute little piped bear. He rubbed his hands together nervously. “This is the first time I’ve ever baked a cake, sweetie. I don’t have much experience. If you don’t like it, just tell me…” Before he could finish, Daisy had already snapped a picture for Instagram and cut a huge slice. “Wow, Daddy, you’re amazing! It tastes so good, I can’t believe it’s your first time!” She smiled warmly, though there was a lingering paleness in her face from her chronic illness. My father turned around secretly, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. I floated in the air like a ghost, a thief peeking at someone else’s happiness through the crack of the door. My own eighteenth birthday was spent at Uncle Jack’s house. It was a weekend. His family of three was planning a trip to an amusement park. “You’ve been studying hard all week, Chloe. You should stay home and get some rest!” Aunt Sarah smiled warmly as she listened to my cousin Leo’s excited cheers. But the moment she turned to me, her face grew cold. “There’s no room in the car. Just stay home and watch the house.” They left early in the morning. The stove was cold; they hadn’t left a single bite of food for me. The fridge was packed, but I didn’t dare touch anything. If Aunt Sarah noticed even a slice of cheese missing, she would mock and scold me for days. Uncle Jack was caught in the middle. Occasionally, he would secretly slip me a ten-dollar bill so I could buy a cheap burger to tide me over. Living under someone else’s roof, I didn’t want to cause any trouble. I waited, starving, until late at night when they finally returned. Leo had a blast and was loudly bragging about his day. He walked over to the end of the attic hallway—where my makeshift bed was set up behind a cheap room divider—and tossed a half-crushed cake box onto my blanket. “Brought this back for you. Don’t go telling people we starve you!” In the dead of night, in the pitch black, I carefully opened that cardboard box. It was a strawberry chocolate cake. A huge, messy bite mark was clearly visible on the side. The chocolate frosting had melted in the summer heat. I dipped my fingertip into it and put it in my mouth. It was so sweet it made me want to cry. But I still ate every single crumb, because I didn’t know when my next real meal would be. Later, because Daisy casually mentioned she felt “lonely,” my father finally brought me back to his house. But he absolutely loathed my posture—how I always kept my head down, looking timid and terrified. “You murderer. You killed your mother. How do you even have the nerve to still be alive?” I knew then that this place would never be my home either. So, I tried my best to be invisible and obedient. I never left my room unless absolutely necessary. I did the laundry, cooked, swept the floors, and washed the dishes. I did everything perfectly. But that strawberry chocolate cake with the bite mark was forever burned into my memory. I craved it. One day, my father came home from work with a pastry box. He spoke to me with a rare, gentle tone: “Here. The cake you wanted.” My hands shook as I opened it. Could dreams really come true? Was I allowed to be this happy? The cake looked messy, not like something bought from a professional bakery. I took a bite. It tasted slightly burnt. But since he had gone out of his way to get it for me after a long day of work, I ate it happily. “It’s delicious. Thank you, Dad!” Suddenly, he burst into a cruel, mocking laughter. “That’s just the garbage Daisy made when she was practicing baking! I thought you hated your sister? Yet you gobbled up her ruined cake like a dog.” “You really are an idiot. So easy to fool!” My fork clattered to the floor. I knelt down to pick it up. Tears dripped from my chin onto the hardwood. It took me a long time to stand back up. “Oh. I see.” So, he hadn’t bought it for me after work. I had been tricked again. I was so incredibly easy to fool. Now, floating in the air, watching them laugh and sing the birthday song, I suddenly realized something. I had never actually wanted that strawberry chocolate cake. I just wanted what came with it. I wanted to have someone by my side on my birthday. I wanted the song, the blessings, the love. All I ever got was a melted, half-eaten leftover. My younger self had envied other kids’ big cakes. But what I really envied was how effortlessly they were loved. I wanted the cake because, to me, it was proof of being loved. But now I saw the truth. Leo didn’t have a cake because he was loved; he had a cake *because* he was loved. I had gotten the cause and effect all wrong. I was just too stupid. Too easy to fool. ### 3 Daisy blew out her candles, ate her cake, and then looked around the room. “Daddy, where’s Chloe? I want her to celebrate with me.” The familiar look of disgust immediately crept back onto my father’s face. “She’s just jealous of your birthday. She actually got someone to call me and claim she was in a car accident, hoping I’d leave you to go find her.” “She is so petty and selfish. Even on your eighteenth birthday, she has to cause drama. What a parasite!” But Daisy kept her sweet, angelic facade. She gently patted his arm to calm him down. “Dad, you should call her back and check. Chloe isn’t that kind of person.” My father glared at her, and for a second, I thought he might snap at her too. But Daisy just smiled sweetly and said: “Besides, I really want to see her college acceptance letter. You know how weak my body is, Dad… I’ll probably never get to go to college in this lifetime…” “Fine, fine. I’ll call her. I’ll call her right now!” My father waved his hand dismissively, giving in. Daisy smirked. She knew exactly which buttons to push to make him do what she wanted. *Ring… Ring…* The phone rang until it went to voicemail. Impatient irritation flared on my father’s face. But seeing Daisy’s hopeful eyes, he lowered his pride and dialed my number a second time. In this moment, I actually felt a wave of relief that I was dead. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to handle the agonizing pain of finally getting my college acceptance letter, only to have it snatched away. Ever since I returned to this house, the person I feared most wasn’t my father, but this stepsister I had never met before. Her weak body was her ultimate weapon. With an innocent, angelic face, she could effortlessly trigger my father’s explosive rage against me. “Chloe, I don’t want to steal Daddy’s love from you. I just admire you guys so much… I only need a tiny, tiny piece of his heart…” She would tear up, pinching her fingers together to show a tiny gap. And every single time she did that, my father would blow a fuse. “Who do you think you are, trying to steal things from Daisy?” “You jinx! If Daisy hadn’t begged me to bring you back, I would have happily let you rot in the streets!” “How dare you resent her? You should be kneeling at her feet in gratitude!” What followed would always be my father’s heavy slaps, or being locked in my room without food for days. The worst incident was when Daisy stood at the top of the stairs, smiling down at me. “Chloe, I really envy you.” “Even though you killed your mother and Dad hates you so much, he still plans to leave Elena’s old house to you in his will.” “Why do you get all the luck? Why does everyone look out for you, while the people who loved me are already rotting in the dirt?” “I’m sorry, Chloe. But I don’t want you to have a single thing.” With a sweet smile still on her face, Daisy threw herself backward down the stairs just as my father’s panicked footsteps echoed in the hallway. “Daddy… it hurts so much… am I going to die?” I remembered watching her cry in his arms, still managing to shoot me a triumphant, mocking smirk over his shoulder. When I lived with Uncle Jack, Aunt Sarah was cold, but she never laid a hand on me. She certainly never used such insane, self-harming tactics to ruin my life. After that day, my father’s abuse grew ten times worse. *Just get into college,* I used to tell myself. *Once I leave this house, I’ll be free.* But looking at things now, she never had any intention of letting me keep my college acceptance letter. If I hadn’t died in that crash today, what would have happened to me? Would I have had to stand by and watch her steal the fruits of my years of hard work, suffering in silence? Or would I have fought back? But did I ever really have the power to fight back? ### 4 The consecutive unanswered calls finally pushed my father over the edge. He was about to start cursing at his phone when the local news broadcast on the TV caught his eye. “We are reporting live from a horrific car accident downtown. A drunk driver has caused a fatal collision…” “The victim is a local high school senior who had just received her college acceptance letter. It is a heartbreaking tragedy…” “We urge all citizens, please, do not drink and drive…” My father’s eyes locked onto the screen. I followed his gaze. The mangled, bloody body on the asphalt was pixelated, but the cheap silver bracelet on the wrist was glaringly obvious. His face turned deathly pale. As if trying to convince himself, he kept whispering: “No… that’s impossible…” “It’s a coincidence. It has to be a coincidence!” He desperately clung to this excuse, like a drowning man clutching a piece of straw. “Daddy, what’s wrong?” Daisy’s confused voice came from behind him. “Nothing!” He forced a stiff smile. “I can’t get ahold of Chloe. Let’s not wait for her.” “Oh, okay…” Daisy pouted, looking slightly annoyed. For the first time in his life, my father didn’t notice her mood. He silently powered down his phone, as if he were running away from a ghost. I was confused. I was dead. Shouldn’t this be a dream come true for him? Why did he look like he was about to vomit from terror? Suddenly, a violent pounding erupted at the front door. My father stiffened. He stood there, frozen, refusing to move. The knocking grew louder and more frantic, turning into heavy thuds that shook the doorframe. Only then did he drag his feet over and open it. When he saw my high school advisor, Ms. Jenkins, standing on the porch, he visibly let out a sigh of relief. His tone instantly turned sharp and dismissive: “What is it? Chloe already graduated. Did she cause some trouble at school again?” “I’m busy celebrating my daughter’s transition into adulthood. I don’t have time to clean up Chloe’s messes.” Ms. Jenkins was a young woman, and his words made her shake with sheer rage. Tears welled in her eyes as she trembled. She slammed the hospital’s body identification form directly onto his chest. “Chloe is dead! And you’re here throwing a party? Are you even a human being?!” My father stiffened his neck, ignoring the paper that fluttered from his chest to the floor. “What nonsense are you talking about? Evil weeds don’t die that easily. How could she be dead?” “For the sake of the inheritance, she pushed her sister down the stairs and broke her leg. Now she’s faking her own death? Unbelievable. Has anyone told her that this trick only works once? Doing it again is just disgusting.” “Oh, I get it. She hired you to put on this show, didn’t she? To ruin Daisy’s birthday, she’ll really stop at nothing. Is this what your school teaches kids these days?” Ms. Jenkins had clearly never encountered such a shameless monster. Her finger shook as she pointed at him. “You…” “If that’s all, I’m closing the door. I don’t have time for her cheap theater.” Just as the door was about to slam shut, another voice cut through the air: “Is this the residence of Richard?” Two uniformed police officers stepped forward, blocking the door. “Yes. Can I help you?” They pulled out their badges. “Your daughter, Chloe, was involved in a fatal car accident today. She was pronounced dead at the hospital after emergency resuscitation failed. We are here to notify the family to identify the body.” My father let out a cynical chuckle. “Wow, Chloe really went all out. How much is she paying you guys to play along? I’ll double it. Now get the hell off my property!” The female officer’s expression immediately hardened. “Sir, watch your mouth.” She shoved her badge right in front of his face. “Look closely. We are real police officers.” “We are here to officially notify Chloe’s next of kin of her death. This is not a joke, and we were not hired by anyone!” This time, he couldn’t deny it. The badges, the uniforms, the police cruiser parked on the curb—they were all real. It finally sank in. Chloe didn’t have the money or the power to hire real police officers for a prank. Which meant… there was only one truth. My father’s face drained of all color, turning a sickly gray. He still muttered like a lunatic: “No… that can’t be… she’s lying to me…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459795”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The day before our sixth wedding anniversary, I saw a notification pop up on Ethan’s phone. It was a delivery confirmation for a luxury diamond necklace. I pretended I didn’t see it. That night, I dressed up and met Ethan for our anniversary dinner. But when the time came for gifts, he pulled out a small velvet box containing a pair of cheap, tiny cubic zirconia stud earrings. I stared at the earrings in shock. Before I could even ask, he checked his watch, stood up, and said he had to catch a flight for an urgent business trip. Later, sitting alone in our empty house, I opened Instagram. The first post on my feed was from my younger sister, Lily. “The one who truly loves you always knows exactly what you want! ❤️” “Celebrating our first international trip together! ✈️” In the photo, she was wearing the exact luxury diamond necklace from the notification. And the man she was passionately kissing was my “traveling” husband. I calmly turned off my phone. Thinking back on everything I had sacrificed for him over the past six years, I suddenly felt incredibly pathetic.

It was late at night a week later when Ethan finally came home, dragging his suitcase behind him. I was curled up on the couch, just finishing a movie. I glanced at him, sat up, slipped on my slippers, and headed toward the bedroom. As I brushed past him, he grabbed my arm. He stared at me with a complicated expression. “Chloe, are you just going to bed like that?” I looked back at him, confused. “What else should I do?” “It’s late. Why wouldn’t I go to sleep?” Did you expect me to stay up and ask about your romantic getaway, like you did with my sister? He looked taken spirit back. He probably expected me to behave like I used to—hurrying to take his luggage, cooking him a warm late-night meal, and asking him if his business trip was exhausting. Looking back at my past self, I realized how desperately foolish I had been. I gave him a flat look, pulled my arm away, and walked straight into the bedroom. A few minutes later, a warm, damp body slid into the bed behind me. His hand found its way to my waist. I scooted closer to the edge of the bed. “Don’t. I’m really tired today.” He got the hint and pulled his hand back. Then, he muttered impatiently, “You stay at home all day. How tired could you possibly be?” Oh, right. I’m sure I’m not as exhausted as you. After all, you have to manage a multi-million dollar company and find time to take my sister on secret overseas vacations behind my back. Sensing my coldness, Ethan rolled over with a frustrated sigh. I stared at his back in the dim light. He felt so close, yet his heart was miles away. I realized I had never truly held a place in his heart. I used to think that if I ever caught Ethan cheating, I would scream, cry, and fall apart. But seeing that photo of them kissing had only left me with a strange, hollow calmness. When I first saw that delivery text, I had foolishly fantasized that Ethan was finally fulfilling his promise. I remembered the day we got married. His startup was bleeding cash back then, desperately needing every penny. We couldn’t afford a real wedding. We just had a quick courthouse ceremony, wearing simple white shirts and cheap corsages, and hosted a small dinner for our parents. After everyone left, he held my hands in our cramped, rented apartment and promised me solemnly. “Chloe, one day, I will buy you the finest things this world has to offer.” When I saw the text about the necklace, I had excitedly waited for him to clasp it around my neck. I had even booked a table at the city’s finest restaurant just to celebrate. But he had rushed into the private dining room, devoured his steak without once looking up at me, and thrown a cheap red velvet box into my lap. “Happy anniversary,” he had said dismissively. Then he stood up. “There’s an issue with the European branch. I have to fly out tonight.” And just like that, he walked out. When I searched the house later, I didn’t find the necklace. Instead, I found the receipt in his study drawer. I touched the cheap earrings in my ears and laughed at myself. “So, these were just the free gift that came with the necklace.” I looked up at our wedding photo hanging in the living room, feeling a sudden sting in my eyes. The dull ache in my chest kept me wide awake. I opened Instagram to distract myself, only to see a new update from my sister, who had just landed. The location was marked at the airport’s VIP lounge. “The one who truly loves you always knows exactly what you want! ❤️” “Celebrating our first international trip together! ✈️” In the photo, she was wearing the diamond necklace. The man she was kissing in the background was my husband. My chest tightened as if a giant hand were squeezing my heart. I gasped for air, hating myself for still feeling the pain. I should have seen this coming. I should have known the moment Lily came back to the country. Lily was a world-renowned violinist. On the day she returned, the airport was swarming with reporters. Ethan had been caught in the background of a news broadcast, sitting in his car. It immediately became a trending topic on Twitter. Even though the image was blurry, I recognized his sharp profile and high nose bridge instantly. There were only five white-interior Rolls-Royce Phantoms in the entire city, and one belonged to my husband. I couldn’t have mistaken it. My husband had chosen the rightful owner of that necklace long ago.

My phone vibrated against the nightstand. It was a message from Valerie, my former college mentor who was now running a jewelry studio in Paris. [Chloe, all three of the jewelry designs you sent me won international design awards! Are you seriously still not considering moving abroad?] [I really want you in Paris as my partner. If you keep hiding behind your husband, your talent is going to be completely wasted!] I looked at the sleeping back of the man next to me and typed a firm reply. [Valerie, once I wrap things up here, I’m booking a flight to Paris.] [Don’t worry. I’ve made up my mind.] If this were the old me, I would have said no. … Ethan was raised solely by his single mother. Six months after we married, his mother was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. I quit my job as an assistant jewelry designer to take care of her full-time. After she passed away, Ethan’s company finally took off. He insisted that I didn’t need to work anymore and should focus on being a full-time housewife. During my free time, I would sketch jewelry designs and send them to Valerie to earn some extra money. My designs kept getting rave reviews from her high-end clients. Valerie had been begging me to join her as a business partner. And seeing my name on the international award list made my heart leap. Just like Lily loved her violin, designing jewelry was my life’s passion. Becoming a famous jewelry designer had been my dream since childhood. But back then, I couldn’t bear to leave Ethan and our young son. Ethan had no other family left, and I didn’t want to abandon him. I could never forget the Christmas Eve when Ethan was only eight years old. He was kneeling alone at his father’s funeral service. It was freezing. His small, stiff body stood straight, fighting back tears as he bowed politely to the guests like a mini-adult. While other houses were filled with laughter and holiday music, his home was filled only with his mother’s weeping. I was building a snowman down the street when I saw him watching me through the window. His little face was so solemn, so heavy with grief. I remembered my parents talking about his family that morning, and my heart had ached for him. “Poor kid. His dad died in a car crash. How is his mother going to raise him alone?” my mother had sighed. I had walked over and knocked on his window. “Ethan! Can you help me build this snowman? I’m really bad at it.” I handed him my little plastic shovel. He stared at the half-formed pile of snow, then slowly took the shovel from my hands. When I wrapped my red woolen scarf around the snowman’s neck, his tense, sad face finally broke into a smile. Later, I brought over a warm pot roast my mom had made, calling it a “thank-you gift” for helping me. He looked at his crying mother in the other room, patted his empty stomach, and accepted it. I stayed by his side through all his darkest years. We only separated when he became the high school valedictorian and went to an Ivy League university in another state, while I attended a college closer to home. But Lily, with her violin talent, was admitted to the same university as Ethan on a music scholarship. Every holiday, Ethan would be the one driving Lily home. The bright, sunny smile on his face was something I hadn’t seen in years. Even though we were the same age, he started calling me “older sister” just because Lily did. His phone background was a candid photo of Lily. I knew he loved her desperately, just as desperately as I loved him. But then, Lily decided to move to Europe to pursue her career, and the smile vanished from Ethan’s face. One winter night, I saw him standing under the streetlamp outside our house. Snow had piled up on his shoulders. I tried to walk past him quietly, but he called out my name. “Chloe, Merry Christmas.” “Yeah, you too.” I stood there, unsure of what to say. He pulled a small jewelry box from his coat pocket. “For you.” “Thank you.” As silence fell between us again, I turned to walk inside. But he suddenly asked, his voice dead serious, “Chloe, will you be my girlfriend?” I froze, my heart pounding wildly against my ribs. My face flushed hot. I panicked, ran inside, and threw myself onto my bed. When I opened the jewelry box, my heart sank. It was a beautiful platinum necklace. But under the light, the engraved initials “L” were painfully obvious. L for Lily. A bucket of cold water couldn’t have chilled me more. I clutched the necklace, ran back downstairs, and threw my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. “Yes, Ethan! I’ll be your girlfriend!” “But from now on, you can only have me in your heart. Promise me?” He stared at me. “I promise.” I forced back my tears and buried my face in his chest. I knew he didn’t love me. He was just using me as a bandage to forget Lily. He knew I had a crush on him, and he knew I could never say no to him. He did it on purpose. And I willingly let myself be used. Five years later, we got married. On our wedding night, he drank too much. He pinned me to the bed, his eyes red as he hugged me tightly. “I missed you so much…” I whispered sweet nothings to soothe him while undressing him. But then his phone lit up on the nightstand with a text: [Ethan, I miss you. — Lily] I turned off the phone and pretended nothing happened. I became the perfect, supportive housewife, the graceful Mrs. Sterling. A year later, on Ethan’s birthday. He was incredibly passionate that night, almost out of control in bed. He held me tight, refusing to let go for hours. Pantingly, I asked him, “What’s gotten into you tonight?” He didn’t answer. He just kissed my forehead gently, but his movements grew even more intense. I was so exhausted that I slept until noon the next day. When I woke up and opened Instagram, I saw Lily’s name trending. She had just announced she had a new boyfriend. Once again, I chose to play the fool, quietly taking care of Ethan’s life. But in the end, I was still the one being discarded. I stared out the window into the pitch-black night, feeling my heart shatter into a million pieces. Across the ocean, Valerie sent another message: [Wow, how did you suddenly decide to leave your husband? Did you guys have a fight?] After a long silence, she wrote: [But honestly, congratulations on finally waking up! A woman should live for herself! Chloe, Paris is waiting for you!]

The next morning, I was sketching on the balcony when Ethan walked out of the bedroom. He looked at the empty dining table and frowned. “No breakfast?” “I already ate.” “What about mine?” I looked up at him. “Is that my problem?” “You…” He took a deep breath, walking over to me. “Why aren’t you wearing the earrings I got you?” “They’re not my style.” Sensing my cold tone, he tried to soften his voice. “Do you want me to put them on for you?” “No need. They don’t suit me.” Losing his patience, he snapped, “Chloe, don’t you think you’re overreacting?” “I told you a hundred times, that was just a game!” “There were so many business clients at that party. I couldn’t just embarrass Lily!” “Intertwining our arms for a drink was just to keep the mood light.” “She’s a young girl trying to build her music career here. Without my support, she’s going to have a hard time!” Ah, he was talking about that. The day after Lily returned to the country, Ethan had vanished. He didn’t pick up my calls. Worried, I called his personal assistant and finally tracked him down to a high-end private lounge. The moment I pushed the door open, I saw him and Lily standing in the center of a cheering crowd, their arms locked together as they took an intimate “lover’s toast” drink. I had walked up and slapped him across the face. Ethan, looking at my tear-streaked face, had only muttered, “I had too much to drink.” Lily had looked at me with puppy-dog eyes, hiding behind Ethan. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. It’s my fault. Please don’t be mad at Ethan.” I wanted to laugh. You were the one drinking intimately with my husband! What right did you have to look victimized? The people around them tried to defend him. “Mrs. Sterling, don’t misunderstand! It was just a party game because they lost. Don’t take it seriously!” When I remained silent, Ethan snapped irritably, “There’s nothing to explain!” I had cried all the way home. When Ethan finally came back, he saw my swollen eyes and sighed. He pulled me into his arms. “Lily and I are strictly platonic. She’s just a friend.” But when I remained cold, he lost his temper and smashed a glass on the floor. “Chloe, drop it!” “Lily is better than you in every single way. If I wanted to be with her, you wouldn’t even be sitting in the seat of Mrs. Sterling right now!” “Stop making a mountain out of a molehill!” That fight had triggered a cold war between us. Until I saw that necklace receipt, which I had foolishly hoped was for me. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I looked at Ethan now and said calmly, “I’m not mad. You’re overthinking.” Then, I picked up my stylus and went back to my design. He froze, standing behind me for a long time. “Are you really not mad?” he asked suspiciously. “Why would I be?” “Unless… you have something else you’re hiding from me?” I asked, turning to look at him. A flash of guilt crossed Ethan’s face. He stiffened. “I have nothing to feel guilty about! Stop being paranoid!” He glared at me. “I won’t be coming home tonight.” “Okay,” I replied. “That’s it?” “Otherwise? Is there anything else?” I looked at him, completely unbothered. His face turned incredibly dark. “Fine, Chloe. You’re unbelievable!” He slammed the front door shut as he left. I stared at the closed door, bewildered. I wasn’t even mad at him anymore. Why was he the one throwing a tantrum?

Ethan didn’t stay out all night like he threatened. Instead, he came back the next afternoon, bringing our son, Leo, back from his summer camp. And walking right beside them was a slender, elegant figure. Lily gave me a dazzling smile. “Chloe! Long time no see!” She was holding my son in her arms, while Ethan carried her bags behind them. They looked far more like a happy family of three than I ever did standing in that living room. Lily walked in and made herself comfortable on my favorite spot on the couch, glancing at the jewelry design website on my laptop. “Chloe, you haven’t changed at all after all these years. Still playing with your little drawings.” “I really admire your patience.” Leo, who hadn’t even changed out of his camp clothes, eagerly snuggled into Lily’s arms. He looked up at her with adoring eyes. “Aunt Lily, there’s nothing to admire about Mommy!” “Mommy just stays at home doing nothing all day. She’s as lazy as a couch potato!” Five-year-old Leo also played the violin, and after hearing Lily perform once, he had become her biggest fan.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459794”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The boutique guesthouse right across from our campus just launched a couple’s promotion. If a couple stays there for three days and participates in their social media promotional photoshoot, they can win a luxury trip to Miami. I was so excited. I immediately shared the Instagram post with my boyfriend, Ethan, telling him how much I wanted to go to Miami. To “surprise” me, Ethan kept me in the dark. Instead of asking me, he signed up for the couple’s event with my best friend, Ashley. The two of them lived and ate together in that guesthouse for three days, successfully winning the vacation package to Miami. I stood there, clutching a promotional poster that showed the two of them passionately kissing, and confronted him. But Ethan just threw the two plane tickets right in my face. “Who do you think I did all this for?!” Today was my 21st birthday. I didn’t get a birthday dinner with my boyfriend. Instead, I saw my boyfriend, Ethan, and my best friend, Ashley, walking out of the guesthouse together. At first, my brain couldn’t process it. But when my eyes fell on the giant poster standing at the entrance, I froze. On the poster, Ethan and Ashley were holding each other tightly, looking like a deeply in love couple. In the bottom right corner, there was a cheesy slogan: [A love so deep, we’ll spend a lifetime sharing it.] Furious, I ripped down a flyer and went straight to Ethan. Before I could even open my mouth to demand an explanation, his phone rang. It was Ashley. The moment Ethan hung up, he turned to me and barked orders: “Chloe, Ashley has terrible period cramps. She’s in so much pain. Go run to the pharmacy and get some Advil right now. I’m going to go check on her first.” As he spoke, he frantically started searching his backpack for a heating pad. Seeing that I wasn’t moving, Ethan’s brows furrowed in annoyance. “Chloe, hurry up! Ashley is literally crying from the pain.” It was only then that he finally noticed the poster clutched in my trembling hands. His face instantly went pale. I unfolded the poster and pointed directly at the two of them kissing. “When did you and Ashley start sleeping together?” Hearing this, Ethan practically jumped in defensive rage. “Chloe! I can’t believe you would say something so disgusting!” He snatched two plane tickets from his pocket and threw them right at my face. “Who do you think I did all this for?! Didn’t you say you wanted this Miami trip?” “What do you mean, ‘sleeping together’? We are completely innocent! The photographer used a camera angle to make it look like we were kissing.” “Ashley is in so much pain right now. As her roommate, all you care about is throwing a childish tantrum! How can you be so selfish?!” He practically screamed that last sentence. I stood there, stunned into silence. He had never raised his voice at me like this. Clearly, he was the one who did something wrong, yet he was turning it around to make me the bad guy. After yelling at me, he turned on his heel and ran toward the pharmacy to buy medicine for Ashley.

I walked aimlessly through the campus, completely numb. Memories of Ethan and me kept flashing through my mind. We were high school sweethearts. We met on the school debate team. We used to prep for tournaments together and travel for competitions. Sometimes, practice would run late, and we’d miss the last bus. Since Ethan lived “near” me, he’d always offer to drive me home. Later, I found out from a mutual friend that Ethan’s house was in the exact opposite direction of mine. He wasn’t on the way at all. He drove thirty minutes out of his way just to get me home safely, then drove forty-five minutes back to his own place. I never called him out on it. Instead, I kept letting him drive me home. Whenever he bought Starbucks, he always brought an extra iced latte for me. When we went to a haunted house, he’d grab my hand tightly, looking even more nervous than I was. We had this beautiful, unspoken tension between us, neither of us brave enough to break the spell. Until the night after our high school graduation party. I had a bit too much to drink and tripped on the stairs. Ethan panicked. He rushed over, crying as he pulled me into his arms, and drove me straight to the ER. At the hospital, he asked the doctor three times to make sure I only had a minor scratch before he finally calmed down. Ethan knelt in front of my chair. At that moment, I saw the entire universe in his teary eyes. “Chloe, be my girlfriend. Let me take care of you forever.” I nodded eagerly, my heart bursting with joy. When our college admission results came out, my SAT scores were much higher than his. I turned down an admission offer from Boston University just so I could stay in our hometown and attend the local state college with Ethan. I thought our love was rock-solid. But I had been blind to the warning signs. Our relationship probably started rotting the moment Ashley entered the picture.

Ashley was my college roommate. She was sweet, gorgeous, and had a very bubbly, outgoing personality. Whenever Ethan bought things for me but couldn’t get into the female-only wing of the dorms, Ashley would happily volunteer to bring them up to me. I don’t even know when it started, but whenever Ethan bought me treats, he started buying an extra portion for Ashley. He’d tell her, “Thanks for taking care of my girl.” I didn’t think much of it. Ashley really did help me out a lot in daily life. Then, Ethan added her on Snapchat. Ethan told me that Ashley was an orphan and had no family support, so we should show her more care and warmth. I knew about this, and at first, Ethan didn’t hide it. He’d casually show me their Snapchat conversations. But gradually, he showed me less and less. Sometimes, when Ashley snapped him, he would turn his phone away from me. Once, Ashley and I both cut our hands during a gardening workshop. When Ethan found out, he rushed over and immediately took Ashley to the campus clinic. I had to walk there by myself. The moment I stepped into the clinic, Ethan glared at me, his voice laced with anger. “Ashley is hurt! Why did you get here so late? Didn’t I tell you to look after her? How could you let this happen?” I had never seen Ethan so angry at me. I took two steps back, completely shocked. It wasn’t until the nurse came over to bandage me that he realized my cut was much deeper and bleeding far worse than Ashley’s tiny scratch. In the end, he apologized, acted cute, and I let it go. In reality, I should have realized it long ago. Something was already broken between us. I was no longer his priority.

Since I was no longer his number one, why should I keep holding on to him? I turned around coldly and walked back to my dorm. When I opened the door, I saw Ashley sitting comfortably on her bed, happily eating a tub of Ben & Jerry’s. She didn’t look like she was in pain at all. My gaze shifted to the unopened box of Advil on her desk. So, she wasn’t even having cramps. Sensing my gaze, Ashley looked up. A smug, victorious smile spread across her face, and she let out a soft chuckle. “Honestly, Chloe, you are so dense. It took you this long to figure it out?” “Ethan and I are in love. You should do yourself a favor and back off.” “You saw it yourself. Ethan only cares about me now. We literally lived in the same room for three days. Except for actually sleeping together, we’ve done everything intimate couples do.” “You should have seen him. He was too guilty to touch me, but he was so turned on his face was bright red. I couldn’t bear to see him suffer like that, so I used my hand to help him out.” Deep down, I had already suspected their relationship wasn’t clean. But hearing Ashley say these disgusting things so casually felt like a rusted blade twisting in my chest. I forced back the tears threatening to spill. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was Ethan. “Chloe, come downstairs. I’m waiting outside your dorm.”

I don’t even know what I was feeling as I walked down the stairs. When I got outside, I saw Ethan wearing a ridiculous giant teddy bear costume, acting goofy. He was holding a bouquet of roses and two cute little plushies. Just like every other time we fought, he jogged toward me playfully. He spoke in a funny, high-pitched voice: “Ethan was bad. Ethan made Chloe mad. Let’s kick Ethan’s butt!” He threw one of the plushies on the ground and started stomping on it to make me laugh. Looking at him, my tears finally broke through. I didn’t even know what I was crying for. Maybe for the dead relationship we once had, or maybe for my own pathetic stupidity. In the past, whenever Ethan acted cute and apologized, my heart would instantly melt, and I’d forgive him. But not this time. His heart belonged to someone else now. He didn’t deserve my forgiveness. Suddenly, Ashley appeared out of nowhere. She pulled me up and gently wiped my tears. “Chloe, Ethan really went through a lot to get this Miami trip for you.” “The promotional poster required a kiss, but we put a piece of plastic wrap between our lips! It was just a camera angle.” “Even though we stayed in the same room for three days, every time Ethan felt tempted, he took a freezing cold shower to calm down. We absolutely did nothing to betray you.” Listening to Ashley’s pathetic excuses, which only served to confirm their emotional affair, my anger flared. I violently pushed her hand away. “Ethan! I sent you that post because I wanted to go with you! Who the hell told you to take another woman?!” Ethan rushed forward, catching Ashley as she stumbled back from my push. “Why?! I did it to surprise you!” Ethan yelled back, holding Ashley protectively. Seeing Ashley crying in Ethan’s arms made my blood boil. “For me? Cut the crap, Ethan. You did it for your own selfish desires. Don’t use me as an excuse.” “And what was that about taking cold showers because you were tempted? Did Ashley make you lose your mind that much?” “She literally just told me everything. Except for the actual sex, you two did everything!” Ethan’s face flashed with panic. He turned to ask Ashley, but before he could speak, Ashley’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted right into his arms. Ethan had no choice. He scooped her up and ran toward the campus health center in a panic. I watched their retreating figures, wiped my tears, and turned away without looking back.

I walked slowly to the campus sports arena, where the final spring Career Fair was being held. This was the last major recruiting event of the semester. I told myself I had to grab this chance. Thankfully, I had been preparing my resume and portfolio for months. The interviews went incredibly well. However, the final offers wouldn’t be announced for a few days. As I walked out of the arena, I ran into Professor Davis, my academic advisor. Seeing me, he looked shocked. “Chloe? You’re here for the career fair…?” My grades had always been top of the class. Last month, Professor Davis had offered to personally refer me to a Fortune 500 company in New York. But back then, my head was so full of Ethan that I didn’t want to leave him for a big city. So, I turned down the offer. Now, standing here, I felt incredibly embarrassed. I could only offer a sheepish smile. “Professor Davis, I thought about it. I’m still young. I should go to a big city, challenge myself, and get some real experience.” Professor Davis could tell I was hiding some pain, but he didn’t pry. He just patted my shoulder gently. “Young people should see the world. Whether it’s a job or a man, never tie yourself to just one option.” I nodded quickly, agreeing with every word. Taking advantage of the moment, I asked him for a three-day leave of absence. Since I was a senior and my credits were almost complete, he approved it instantly. Leaving the career fair, I didn’t go back to the dorm. Instead, I used my savings to book a flight to Miami. I needed a getaway. Ethan’s grades had always been mediocre. He had no ambition.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459793”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

After finally dropping down to 98 pounds, I took a photo of the scale and posted it on my Snapchat Story to celebrate. The very next day, a student’s mother showed up at my school to file a complaint. “She knows damn well I’ve been struggling with postpartum weight gain! Posting a triggering photo like that is a direct attack on me! She’s just trying to show off and seduce my husband!” She tried to force me to my knees to apologize in front of everyone, and she even wanted to slash my face, claiming she was saving other marriages from a homewrecker. But what she didn’t know was that I am the sole heiress to a multi-billion-dollar empire. Working at this private preschool was just my way of experiencing the real world. 1 “Brenda, it’s just a photo of a scale. Aren’t you overthinking this a little?” In the hallway of the preschool, Principal Mrs. Gable, who had rushed over, was trying to diffuse the situation as politely as possible. “I am not overthinking this!” Brenda’s face was flushed with rage. “Why else would she post something like that if not to thirst-trap the dads? I’m a woman, I know exactly what kind of cheap games she’s playing!” I didn’t want to make a scene, so I suppressed my anger and explained, “I was just tracking my personal fitness journey. It wasn’t directed at anyone.” “If it made you feel uncomfortable, I can just block you from seeing my updates in the future.” Before the words could fully leave my mouth, a heavy slap stung my cheek. The sheer force of it made my ears ring. I stumbled back several steps, barely keeping my balance. “How dare you talk back to me!” Brenda wasn’t buying any of it. “Block me? You just want to hide your stories from me so you can keep targeting the husbands, right?” “I’ve seen girls like you a million times. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get on your knees, beg for my forgiveness, and pack your bags. If you do that, I might let this slide.” “Otherwise, I will destroy you!” A few bystanders and parents nearby were starting to feel uncomfortable. “It’s just a picture of a scale. She didn’t even show her face. Who could she possibly be seducing? Aren’t you being a bit too sensitive?” one mom muttered. “What do you know?” Brenda glared at her, her voice dripping with contempt. “You have zero sense of crisis. Your husbands will be stolen right out from under your noses by foxes like her!” Then, she looked at the crowd like they were fools. “And what about you dads? Why are you so quick to defend her? Did you already sleep with her behind our backs?” “Brenda, stop projecting your insecurities on everyone else!” My blood was boiling, and I couldn’t hold back my anger anymore. “What? Did I strike a nerve?” Brenda sneered. She turned back to Mrs. Gable, her tone turning into an outright threat. “We pay thousands of dollars in tuition every year to send our kids here. We don’t pay you to hire sluts who corrupt our children and seduce their fathers!” “Fire her today! Otherwise, I’m reporting this school to the board and the state licensing department!” Mrs. Gable looked extremely stressed. “But Brenda, these are just wild accusations…” “Actually… they might not just be accusations.” Just then, my co-teacher, Chloe Bennet, stepped forward. She put on a conflicted, hesitant look. “Hailey does post a lot of provocative photos on her Snapchat… and she customizes the settings so only the dads can see them.” “She even tells the kids in class to go home and tell their dads that they want Hailey to be their new mommy…” The crowd erupted into whispers. I stared at Chloe in sheer disbelief. “Chloe! What kind of garbage is coming out of your mouth?!” “I’m not lying…” Chloe looked at me with a guilt-tripping expression. “I just can’t bear to watch these poor families be lied to anymore.” My hands shook with pure rage. “Making up rumors is a crime! Do you have any proof?!” Chloe and I had been co-teaching for over a year. I had always treated her like a sister. I often did her share of the work and always covered for her when she made mistakes. I never expected her to drive a knife into my back like this. 2 “I don’t have physical proof…” Chloe looked down, her voice trembling as if she were the victim. “You always delete those Snapchat stories after a few hours. I only found out because I accidentally saw your phone the other day…” “And since you’re the lead teacher, you control the classroom cameras. Every time you spoke to the kids, you made sure the cameras were turned off.” She shrunk back, acting terrified of me. “But whatever… just pretend I didn’t say anything.” Her act of “fear” only made the crowd believe her more. “Oh my god, really? She looks so innocent. I can’t believe she’s actually like that!” “Well, Chloe has worked with her for a long year. She wouldn’t make something like this up.” “Disgusting.” The parents’ gazes turned cold and judgmental. “See? I told you my instincts are never wrong!” Brenda looked like a victorious general. The look in her eyes turned wild and sadistic. “Leaving a girl like this around is a hazard to society!” “If you ask me, just getting her fired is too easy on her!” She looked around, spotted the security guard’s office, and dashed inside. A few seconds later, she walked out holding a sharp box cutter. “She needs to be taught a lesson. Let’s start by ruining that pretty face of hers so she can never use it to ruin another family!” I didn’t think she would actually go that crazy. My instincts kicked in, and I turned around to run. But before I could take two steps, someone tripped me. I fell hard onto the floor. I looked back and saw Chloe standing right there, a flash of malicious joy in her eyes. Still, she played her part, crying out hypocritically, “Brenda, please don’t do this! Don’t be impulsive!” “Even though Hailey did send some private, sexy photos to your husband… it’s not worth ruining her face over. Just let it go.” It sounded like a plea, but it was actually gasoline on fire. Brenda’s eyes turned red with rage. She lunged forward, pinning me to the floor. She raised the box cutter high, aiming straight for my cheek. She weighed over two hundred pounds. Pinned under her, I could barely breathe, let alone break free. The crowd of parents just watched. Some even pulled out their phones, whispering that she was doing public service. The cold blade grazed my cheek, leaving a thin, stinging line of blood. I closed my eyes in absolute despair. Just then, a sharp male voice cut through the noise. “What the hell is going on here?” Everyone turned to look. It was my boyfriend, Logan Carter. At that moment, I was incredibly relieved. I had left my lesson plans at home this morning and texted him to bring them over. Taking advantage of Brenda’s distraction, I wriggled out from under her, stood up, and ran behind Logan. “They’re insane! They’re making up lies and she has a knife! Call the police, Logan!” Before Logan could process what was happening, Chloe rushed over. “Don’t call the police! Brenda didn’t mean to do it, she’s just emotional!” “But honestly, Hailey brought this on herself. She shouldn’t have messed with Brenda’s husband…” Logan’s face immediately darkened. He spun around and grabbed my arm. “Is she telling the truth?” “Of course not!” I defended myself. But Chloe cut me off. “Of course it’s true! Why else would Brenda be this furious?” “She’s usually such a sweet, active parent in our school. She must have been pushed to her limit.” Logan’s face turned from pale to green. He violently shook my hand off his arm and stepped back with disgust. “No wonder… Every time I wanted to go out on a date, you said you were too busy with work.” “Turns out you were busy hooking up with the students’ dads!” “I did not!” I clenched my fists, my heart aching. “I’m your girlfriend! You’d rather believe a random coworker than me?” “I only believe the facts!” Logan sneered. Suddenly, he grabbed my shoulders and shoved me right back in front of Brenda. “You brought this on yourself. Seducing a married man and hurting a mother… you deserve whatever punishment she gives you.” 3 Brenda smiled triumphantly and raised the box cutter once more. But right before she slashed down, she paused. “Actually, I’m a generous person…” “If you apologize the way I want you to, I might just let you walk away.” “What do you want?” A dreadful feeling washed over me. “Strip naked, get on your knees, crawl around, and scream ‘I am a homewrecker’ ten times. Do that, and we’re even.” My eyes widened in pure disgust. “Go to hell!” “Then don’t blame me!” Brenda sneered, and the blade dragged across my right cheek, slicing a deep, agonizing line. The pain was blinding. Tears poured down my face. My body shook uncontrollably. Seeing her raise the blade for another cut, I had to buy time. “Wait! Wait! I’ll do it! I’ll apologize!” Brenda stopped, her face twisting into a sick grin. She took out her phone and started recording. “Go on then.” I forced down the humiliation. “Tell Logan to let go of me first.” Logan hesitantly released his grip on my shoulders, warning me, “Don’t try anything stupid…” The moment his grip loosened, I spun around and shoved him with all my might into Brenda. As they both stumbled and crashed to the floor, I bolted into the nearest empty classroom, slammed the door shut, and locked it. I pulled out my phone with trembling hands and dialed 91

Just as the operator picked up, the mob reached the door, throwing their bodies against it. “Hailey! Get the hell out here!” “Hailey, you promised you’d apologize! Don’t back out now! Just come out!” Chloe’s voice echoed. I pressed my back against the door and yelled back. “I’ve called the police! They’re on their way! You’d better stop!” My warning only enraged Brenda. She threw her entire weight against the wooden door. She was massive, and the preschool doors were cheap. Within two minutes, the lock gave way, and the door flew open. I was knocked to the floor as she burst in. Brenda’s eyes were completely vacant of reason. She mounted me, pinning my arms down, and began slapping me across the face with terrifying force. “You bitch! You think you can play games with me?!” My ears rang, and my face felt like it was on fire. The blood from my cheek smeared across her hands and got rubbed all over my face with every blow. I didn’t even need a mirror to know my face was a bloody mess. When she finally grew tired of hitting me, she panted heavily and began tearing at my shirt. “If you won’t strip yourself, I’ll do it for you!” I thrashed under her, but my shirt ripped open. Through the doorway, several parents were holding up their phones, recording the entire thing. My consciousness was slipping, and tears of utter helplessness rolled down my temples. Just then, the distant wail of police sirens echoed from the street. 4 “Who called 911?” I heard an officer’s voice outside the main entrance. Then, Logan’s voice replied, “Oh, nobody! No one called. It must have been a prank call.” “Yes, officer, everything is perfectly fine here. Just a false alarm,” Chloe chimed in, her voice sweet and helpful. The two of them lied through their teeth. And of all the parents and coworkers standing outside, not a single person spoke up to tell the police I was trapped in here. The officers seemed skeptical, but they sounded like they were preparing to leave. Panic seized me. I don’t know where the strength came from, but I reached up, grabbed Brenda’s arm, and sank my teeth into her flesh as hard as I could! “Ahhhhh!” She screamed in agony. The taste of warm copper filled my mouth, but I bit down harder, refusing to let go. “You bitch! Let go of me!” Brenda went wild, using her free fist to repeatedly hammer my head. But I held on. The commotion finally drew the officers’ attention. I heard heavy footsteps approaching the classroom. Chloe and Logan were still trying to block them. “Really, it’s nothing! Just a kid who fell and is crying!” “Yes, we’ve got it under control. Don’t waste your valuable time, officers.” Hearing them right outside the door, I finally let go of Brenda’s arm. With the last bit of energy in my lungs, I screamed, “Help! In here!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459792”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My niece, Lily, brought home a document she had picked up at her school’s charity flea market. “Look, Sienna. Look what I bought at school today.” I teased her, laughing, “Whose kid is so clueless that they sold their parents’ property deed? Their parents are going to lose their minds when they find out.” I smiled and opened the folder. But my smile froze. The address on the deed was identical to the house I had bought a year ago in preparation for my wedding. 101 Bayview Drive. But the owner’s name written on it was Nadia. My palms began to sweat. I unlocked my phone and sent a Snapchat message to my fiancé, Ashton. “Who is Nadia?” The screen showed “typing…” for a long time. “Just a single mom from my company.” “A colleague, that’s all.” Giving the house I bought to his “colleague.” Just a colleague? Since this colleague was apparently so important, maybe it was time for me, the fiancée, to step aside. “Oh.” He replied with just one word. Then he sent nothing else. I took a picture of the deed and saved it to my phone. But I didn’t confront him. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to. It was just that there was no point anymore. If he could casually give away a whole house to another woman, his heart was already gone. A few minutes later, Lily’s teacher posted in the class Snapchat group. She asked if anyone had seen a missing property deed and shared the contact information of the parent who lost it. I looked at the profile picture of the parent, a family portrait of three. I sent her a friend request. She accepted almost instantly. “Hi! Did your child happen to take a folder with a property deed to school? Let me know when is convenient for you, and I can come pick it up. I’m so sorry for the trouble. Kids really don’t know any better.” She was extremely polite. I didn’t reply right away. Instead, I tapped on her profile picture. The man in that happy family portrait of three was indeed my fiancé, Ashton. I had scheduled our wedding photoshoot three times, and he had flaked every single time. He was always “too busy at work” or “forced to do overtime.” Our wedding day was just around the corner, and we hadn’t even taken a single engagement photo. Yet, he had plenty of time to play family with someone else. I scrolled through her feed. The header photo on her profile was the exact same family portrait. Her latest post was from two days ago. “Leo had his school field day today. Huge thanks to a certain someone for taking a day off just to be there for him.” Attached was a photo. Ashton was lifting a little boy high in the air, his face glowing with a brilliant smile I hadn’t seen in months. That was the exact day I had asked him to try on wedding suits, and he told me he was too busy and told me to just go by myself. The post before that was from three days ago. “It’s my birthday today! I finally feel pampered and loved.” The photo showed a mango crepe cake. There was a handwritten card next to it. “Don’t just love our boy; remember to love yourself too. Happy birthday. I’m always here.” There was no signature. But I would recognize that handwriting anywhere. How ironic. That was the exact day Ashton brought home a small cake to apologize to me after we had a huge fight. Even my apology gift was just leftover scraps from another woman’s birthday. My eyes stung with tears. But I didn’t stop scrolling. I kept going until a photo from two weeks ago caught my eye. It was a random weekend. In the middle of the night, I had woken up with sharp, agonizing stomach cramps. I had called Ashton repeatedly, but nobody answered. In the end, I had to call an ambulance alone, endure a lonely ride to the hospital, and undergo emergency appendicitis surgery by myself. He hadn’t replied to a single text all night. He only sent a casual message the next morning. “Got too drunk last night and crashed at a hotel. Is something up?” But in this photo, the hospital wall clock clearly read 3:00 AM. Ashton was sitting by a hospital bed, gently holding a little boy who was hooked up to an IV. A hot tear dripped onto my screen. I sniffled, wiped the screen, and kept scrolling. I scrolled for a long time. An hour passed, and I had only made it through the last six months of her life. In every single post, they looked like a deeply devoted, loving family. And I was just a thief, lurking in the shadows, spying on their happiness. “Are you there?” Nadia messaged me again on Snapchat. “Yes, I am. Do you live at Bayview Drive now? I can drop the deed off to you sometime soon,” I replied. She replied instantly. “Yes, we do! That would be amazing. Thank you so much!” My heart sank. She had already moved in. Yet Ashton had told me the renovations weren’t finished. Every time I wanted to go take a look, he would say he wanted to keep it a surprise for when it was completely done. Once, he even snapped at me. “Sienna, do you think I’m trying to steal your house? Do you really trust me that little? If that’s how you feel, maybe we shouldn’t even get married!” I had apologized profusely and even bought him a pair of limited-edition Nike sneakers to make it up to him. But in reality, another family was already living in my house. “Your family must be doing really well. I could never dream of living in such an upscale neighborhood,” I messaged her. That neighborhood was the most exclusive area in the city. It had the best amenities and was zoned for the top-rated elementary school. “Oh, it was actually my partner’s idea to buy it! He surprised me with it, and honestly, I was shocked too.” Her happiness practically radiated off the screen. My lips curled into a bitter smile. “When are you free tomorrow? I’ll bring it over.” “We both have weekends off, so we’ll be home all day. Just shoot me a text before you come over!” They had weekends off. But Ashton had told me he had to work every Saturday. Where that extra day went was now painfully clear. “Sounds good.” I really wanted to see what my house looked like now.

The next morning, I dropped Lily off at my sister Claire’s house first. Then, I parked my car near the entrance of Bayview Drive and texted Ashton. “Where are you?” He took forever to reply. “At the office. Didn’t I tell you I have to work Saturdays?” His impatient tone practically screamed through the text. I looked up and saw Ashton walking out of the building. He was holding Leo in one arm and holding Nadia’s hand with the other. I let out a silent, bitter laugh. I typed a message to Nadia. “Hi, I’ll be there in about half an hour.” “Great, see you soon!” she replied. Thirty minutes later, I watched Nadia get out of the driver’s seat of a sleek Volvo. Seeing that familiar car, I couldn’t help but sneer. Six months ago, when I was away on a business trip, Ashton texted me saying he got into a massive pileup on the highway and the car was totaled. At the time, I was just relieved he was okay. It never crossed my mind how he could have survived a “totaled” car accident with only a tiny scratch. And within three days, he claimed he had sold the scrap metal. It turned out he didn’t sell it. He gave it to her. I took a deep breath, waited ten minutes, and walked up to the apartment. “Thank you so much for making the trip. Come in, have a glass of water!” Nadia welcomed me warmly. It was probably just polite small talk, but I walked right in. While Nadia was pouring water in the kitchen, I looked around the living room. It was decorated exactly like the mood boards I had spent hundreds of hours putting together. The cream-white sofa. The geometric black-and-white rug. The spacious balcony with a small swing and pots of colorful flowers. “Have a seat,” Nadia said, handing me the water. My hands shook slightly as I took the glass. “Your place looks amazing. Which interior design firm did you use? Could you recommend them to me?” I asked, pretending to be casual. Nadia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, I actually don’t know. My partner handled all of that. I can ask him for their business card later and send it to you.” I barely heard her. My eyes were locked onto the small four-leaf clover stud earrings she was wearing. Noticing my gaze, she touched her earlobe, looking a bit shy. “They look a bit old, don’t they? My partner gave them to me. He said they bring good luck.” A sharp, dull ache squeezed my chest. It didn’t make me cry, but it made it hard to breathe. Those were the very first birthday gifts Ashton had ever given me. I remember how gently he had put them on my ears, wrapping his arms around my waist. “Sienna, a four-leaf clover represents luck. I’m giving you all the luck in my life.” I had lost them a year ago and felt incredibly guilty about it. I forced myself to speak. “Your husband treats you so well.” Hearing this, her expression shifted slightly, looking a bit uncomfortable. “Actually, we aren’t married yet.” I pretended to be surprised. “Oh? But isn’t your kid already in elementary school?” She took a sip of water, trying to compose herself before speaking. “Leo is from my previous marriage. I was young and foolish back then.” She reached into a drawer, pulled out a thick photo album, and handed it to me. “But we’re getting married very soon! Here, look at our wedding photos.” I took the album. My fingertips were ice-cold. There, on the cover, was the groom in a sleek white tuxedo. It was Ashton. And the bridal boutique… it was the exact one I had chosen. The one he had stood me up three times for. I blinked hard, forcing the tears back, and flipped through the pages. “We actually just took these last month,” Nadia murmured happily. “He picked out the bridal shop himself. I didn’t have to worry about a thing.” Of course he didn’t have to worry. After all, I was the one who spent an entire week researching and planning every detail of that booking. The gorgeous, dramatic white ballgown with the long train, the dream dress I had fallen in love with, was now draped over another woman. I had shared that exact dress with Ashton. The message was still pinned in our Snapchat chat history. “Ashton! Look at this dress, it’s so beautiful! I absolutely have to wear this when I marry you!” His reply, sent hours later, was a simple: “Whatever you want.” I took a quiet breath. “Have you set a date? When is the wedding?” “In two weeks.” Ha. The day before my own scheduled wedding. Ashton, you really are a piece of work. “Can I come?” I asked. 3 Nadia looked taken aback. “I’m getting married soon too, and I’m super nervous. I’d love to watch a ceremony beforehand to get a feel for how it goes,” I lied smoothly. “And about the deed…” “Don’t worry, my niece just brought it home by accident.” Nadia smiled in relief. “Of course! You’re more than welcome to come.” I smiled back. “I’ll make sure to bring you a very special wedding gift.” She made some more polite small talk, but I didn’t stay long. I excused myself and left. As soon as I got home, I downloaded all of Nadia’s social media posts onto a USB drive. Then, I sat alone in the dark, staring into space. Ashton and I had been together for five years. He always told me that his twenty-something years of being single were just a prelude to meeting me. And for a long time, I believed him. After all, he remembered every single thing I liked. No matter how late or how far, a single phone call would bring him to my side. Whenever I traveled alone for work, he would stay on FaceTime with me until I fell asleep. I thought I could finally let my guard down and rely on someone. But it was all a lie. That evening, Ashton came home carrying a bouquet of blue baby’s breath. “Sienna, I got your favorite baby’s breath! Don’t be mad at me anymore, okay? I booked a bridal appointment for us tomorrow.” It had been months since he last bought me flowers. But even though they were baby’s breath, they reeked of a distinct lavender perfume. How pathetic. I took them and tossed them onto the table. “Ashton, do you really want to get married?” A flicker of guilt flashed in his eyes, but he quickly pulled me into his arms, slipping a necklace around my neck. “Did you hear some stupid rumors or something? Hmm?” “I only love you. No one else even comes close.” I inhaled the faint lavender scent on his collar, and my throat tightened. Just as I was about to speak, his phone buzzed. The caller ID was a red heart emoji. Ashton immediately pulled away to answer it. The price tag on the necklace, which he hadn’t bothered to remove, scraped against my skin. I winced in pain. “What? Don’t open the door! I’m coming right now!” he panicked into the phone. “Put me on speakerphone so whoever is at the door can hear my voice!” He rushed out the door without casting a single glance back at me. I wanted to laugh. But as I looked down at the necklace on the floor and noticed the “Free Gift with Purchase” sticker on the back of the tag, tears began to stream down my face. Five whole years. It felt as though a dull knife was carving slowly into my chest. There was no blood, but the pain was agonizing. I had truly believed I could spend the rest of my life with this man. Ashton didn’t come home that night. And I didn’t bother to ask where he was. The next morning, my phone rang. It was him. I expected him to cancel our wedding dress appointment. Instead, his voice was filled with angry accusations. “Sienna! I just saw your contact info on Nadia’s Snapchat. Why did you add her? I told you, she’s just a colleague! Can you stop being so insecure and dramatic and leave her alone?” I replied coldly, “Did you actually read our chat history?” He paused for a second. “No. But Nadia has had a hard life. If you have a problem, come to me. Don’t go harassing her.” He was defending her so openly. In the background, I heard Nadia’s voice. “Who is it, babe?” “Nobody, just a telemarketer.” The call went dead. The dial tone echoed in my ear, leaving me completely cold inside. A minute later, Ashton sent a text. “Don’t overthink it. I just feel bad for her because she’s had it rough.” “Something came up at the office, so I have to go on a business trip for a week.” “Go try on the wedding dresses by yourself.” “Okay,” I replied. I immediately called the bridal shop and cancelled my deposit. Then, I texted my parents and Claire, telling them the wedding was off. When they frantically asked why, I only told them that I would explain everything soon. But Ashton, don’t worry. I will definitely show up to your wedding on time. 4 For the next week, Ashton stayed true to his word and didn’t show up. Yet, he still texted me every day, acting like the perfect, caring fiancé. On a rainy day, he texted to remind me to bring an umbrella. But when I opened Instagram, I saw a picture Nadia had posted of Ashton carrying her into his car in the pouring rain. I didn’t say a word. I just saved the screenshot. A week later, Ashton returned home right on schedule, even bringing me local treats from his “trip.” His laundry smelled heavily of lavender laundry detergent. I pretended not to notice. I threw the treats into the trash and kept acting normal. Until the day of their wedding. I didn’t wear makeup or a fancy dress. I dressed casually and sat quietly in a dim corner of the reception hall. From the lighting to the coordinator to the entrance music, every single detail of this wedding was something I had planned. Ashton stood on the altar in a custom-tailored designer suit I had paid for, staring toward the entrance with immense adoration. The heavy double doors swung open. Nadia walked down the aisle in a strapless, diamond-encrusted ballgown with a massive train. It was breathtaking. It was the exact dress I had ordered a month ago. I had spent three sleepless nights adjusting the placement of those diamonds. It fit her perfectly now, meaning she had already altered it to her size. But when my eyes fell on her veil, the blood in my veins turned to ice. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms to keep from screaming. That was my grandmother’s veil. The one she had hand-sewn for me on her deathbed. It featured two tiny hand-embroidered figures, representing my grandmother and me. Before my grandmother passed, Ashton had knelt by her bedside, placed that veil on my head, and sworn to heaven that he would love me and only me for the rest of his life. And now, he had put it on another woman. How could he? How dared he do this to me! I squeezed my hands into tight fists as a single tear escaped my eye. Leo walked behind Nadia, holding her long train as they made their way up the altar. Under the glowing lights, they looked like the perfect, beautiful family. The ceremony began. It was time to exchange rings. “This is a custom-designed ring that a man can only purchase once in his lifetime,” the officiant announced. “The engraving of their initials inside symbolizes a love that is truly one of a kind.” The giant projector screen displayed a close-up of the ring, clearly engraved with “N & A”. I slipped off the simple ring on my own finger, squeezing it tightly in my palm until it bruised. Then came the vows. Ashton took the microphone, his eyes shining with tears. “Nadia, after all this time, it’s still you.” “I was young and stupid, and I lost you. I let you suffer so much in this world. But now that fate has brought you back to me, I promise to cherish you forever.” His voice cracked with emotion, and his eyes welled up. The guests around me began to whisper. “Ashton is such a great guy. I heard he even paid to build a house for Nadia’s family back in her hometown.” “Yeah, and Nadia’s ex-husband used to abuse her. Ashton was always there to protect her. One time he almost got seriously hurt defending her.” “They’ve been through so much. I’m so glad they finally got their happy ending.” Sitting in the dark corner, I felt like the villain in a movie, the one trying to steal someone else’s happily ever after. Yet, inside my purse, I still had a stack of wedding invitations with Ashton’s name and mine on them. The lights in the hall dimmed. On stage, Ashton lifted Nadia’s veil and leaned in for a soft, passionate kiss. My hand slowly moved to my chest. To my surprise, it didn’t hurt anymore. Instead, my heart was racing with a cold, thrilling adrenaline. I pulled the microphone I had prepared out of my purse and stood up. “Now, everyone, let’s take a look at the love story of the groom and his other fiancée.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459791”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I made a living as a divorce facilitator, helping people fast-track their paperwork. Today, I landed a massive client. Fifty thousand dollars. The divorce had to be finalized within three days. But I never expected that the client would be Cole, my boyfriend, who was currently sharing a moldy basement apartment with me. “I played a bit too hard before. Accidentally registered a marriage with another girl. I’m marrying my girlfriend next week, and I can’t let her find out.” Right after, he sent another message: “Honestly, I wanted to play around for another two years. But Julian is coming back to the States. He used to date my girlfriend, and I don’t trust him.” “You know how it is. You get it, right?” I stared at the screen and laughed. Oh, I was taking this job. “Bro, you online?” Today’s client was incredibly impatient. Before I could even reply, he spammed my Snapchat with over a dozen messages. I took a sip of my coffee and quickly typed back. “I’m here.” I drank too fast. The hot liquid burned my tongue. I took a sip of ice water to numb the pain. “I can book you a court date for two weeks from now. Guaranteed done.” He replied instantly. “I need it finalized in three days. Can you pull strings?” “Money is not an issue.” I did have connections to expedite emergency filings, but I usually saved those slots for women desperately trying to escape abusive marriages. Looking at this guy’s recent Instagram stories, he didn’t seem desperate. Last night, he was casually partying at a Michelin-starred restaurant. This was not a man suffering in a toxic marriage. Seeing my silence, he grew anxious. “No way. You can’t do it?” “They said you’re the best fixer in the city. Damn it!” After three minutes of silence, he seemed to realize something. If I couldn’t get it done, no one in New York could. Throwing money at a problem always worked best. And he knew I was desperate for cash. “Flat rate. Fifty thousand dollars. Can you get it done?” “If yes, I’ll PayPal you a ten-thousand-dollar deposit right now.” My hands shook. It took me thirty seconds to type a single word. “Yes.” The moment the notification popped up on PayPal, my eyes welled with tears. With this extra cash, I could finally afford a decent apartment downtown. Cole wouldn’t have to live in that damp basement anymore. Lately, the mold had been terrible. His allergies were acting up so badly that his back was covered in scratch marks. I quickly texted my real estate agent. “Sarah, that apartment we looked at last week? Keep it for me.” I transferred a five-thousand-dollar deposit, and my heart finally settled. If I weren’t so busy dealing with clients, I would have called Cole immediately to share the good news. Our hard times were finally over. I decided to wrap this up quickly. “Please send over the names and personal info. I need them for the filing.” The next second, the smile froze on my face. The message on my screen read: “Cole Brooks.” My broke boyfriend of two years.

I switched to my personal Snapchat account. Two hours ago, my pinned contact had sent me an update. “The gig is starting soon. Just letting you know.” He sent a group photo. “It’s just the band guys. All dudes. You can relax now.” “Once the Boston gig is over in three days, I’ll get paid and come straight back to marry you.” “Wait for me.” I searched “marry” in our chat history. The results spanned pages. “You look like my future wife. Want to get married?” “I wish I could wake up and be of legal age already, so I could marry you.” “I turned legal today.” “I want to get married so bad. I want to marry Iris.” “…” The most recent mention was just last month. Was someone playing a sick joke on me? But who would spend fifty thousand dollars just for a prank? I switched back to my business account. “I need the wife’s information too.” He replied with an OK emoji. “Hold on, let me ask her.” A moment later, he sent two voice notes. Amidst the loud background noise of a club, a sweet, playful female voice drifted out. “The name is Chloe.” “By the way, Cole, after the divorce, do I still get your bedtime service? The kind where you carry me to bed?” Then, a familiar male voice cut in. “Why do you always blab everything? I’ll deal with you later. Let go.” The voice notes were quickly recalled. I sat frozen for a long time. I bit down on the blister on my tongue, completely numb to the pain. Chloe. I remembered that name. Every time Cole’s indie band finished a gig, she would send him a bouquet of red roses. “I can’t shake her off. She’s so annoying.” That was how Cole described her to me. “Cole, after the divorce, do I still get your bedtime service? The kind where you carry me to bed?” And that was Cole in her world. When did it start? Suppressing the rising nausea in my throat, I started baiting him. “You guys sound pretty ‘intimate.’ Why even divorce?” “Once I book the court date, you aren’t going to back out, right?” The ‘typing’ indicator bubbled for two minutes. But his reply was simple. “No.” I replied: “I’ve had clients change their minds and ask for refunds. It wastes my time. Especially for a big order like this…” “I run a small business. I need some reassurance.” Thinking he would never cross paths with this random fixer in real life, Cole stopped holding back. “Just book it. I’m in a rush!” “I got drunk and married this girl for fun. Damn it! I didn’t know getting a fast dissolution in New York was this hard.” “I’m marrying my girlfriend next week. I can’t let her find out.” “Honestly, I wanted to play around for another two years. But Julian is coming back to the States. He used to date my girlfriend, and I don’t trust him.” “We’re both men. You get it, right?”

Julian. The name instantly locked in my mind. No wonder I always saw glimpses of Julian in Cole. They were brothers. Before we broke up, Julian had proposed to me too. A diamond ring under one carat, which had cost him his entire salary during his internship. He ate nothing but cheap bread for a month. Yet every night, he still had the energy to listen to me complain about the toxic people at my office. “That girl, Linda, wears the same Lululemon leggings for a week, yet she had the nerve to call my outfit trash in front of everyone!” “And Rebecca is such a snake. She makes me translate her documents and runs straight to the boss the one time I say no.” “Damn it, I spent weeks on that pitch, and Kevin just signs his name and takes all the credit!” As I ranted, I crouched on the floor, overwhelmed. Tears streamed down my face. “Iris, if New York makes you this miserable, let’s just go back to my hometown.” “We won’t make crazy money, but we won’t have to deal with this drama. We can live a quiet, simple life.” Julian had suggested moving back to his hometown more than once, but I had always brushed it off. Only that one time, blinded by frustration, I lost my ability to think. I buried my face in his chest and gave a muffled, “Okay.” His hometown was remote, only accessible by long-distance buses. At the crowded station, most people were young couples with children. One baby strapped to the chest, another toddler in hand. They pushed battered suitcases that looked ready to fall apart, clutching cheap plastic bags. Except for the kids, that was exactly how I looked when I first arrived in New York. I looked down at my 20-inch carry-on, stuffed to the brim just to maintain a shred of dignity. Suddenly, a wave of panic hit me. A dead-end job, endless family drama, getting married, having kids, turning into a haggard housewife gossip. The future in that small town was crystal clear. I refused to live that life. I would rather die in New York. So, I ran. I thought Julian had long since settled down with some local girl in his hometown, married with kids. I never expected that three years later, he would appear on the cover of a major financial magazine as the sole heir to the Brooks Group. If we met again, what would I feel? Guilt? Remorse? Humility? Thinking about it, none of the above. Actually, I felt Julian should thank me. If I hadn’t broken up with him, how would he, a guy who grew up with a single mother, have been motivated to reclaim his place in the Brooks family? The man on the magazine cover looked effortlessly elite. The watch on his wrist could buy an entire building. His cold eyes seemed to mock my past choices. The Amtrak train to Boston slowly began to move. Feeling annoyed, I stuffed the magazine into the seatback pocket. Drowsiness washed over me, but my mind was a mess. Sitting by the aisle, I had to stay alert in case someone needed to get by. Half an hour later, the other shoe finally dropped. “Excuse me, I have the window seat.” I opened my eyes and saw the person I least wanted to see.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459790”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

On the day his mistress pushed me down the stairs and caused my miscarriage, I received a FaceTime call. It was from Ethan Vance. But he was calling from three years ago. He looked at me through the screen, his eyes bright with excitement. “Chloe. How are you? Are we married now?” “Do we have kids?” I didn’t say a word. I clicked play on an audio message I had just received. Ethan’s heavy panting filled the quiet room, mixed with another woman’s soft, breathless moans. The young Ethan on the screen froze. “I’m not doing well at all,” I said, my voice dead and flat. “The Carter family went bankrupt. My parents jumped from the penthouse of our Manhattan building.” “And I just lost our baby because of another woman.” “While you sent me a recording of you with her.” “Ethan, I’m going to divorce the future you.” The sound of a man’s heavy breathing echoed from my phone. It was a voice I knew all too well. And the Ethan from three years ago, on the other end of the screen, knew it even better. It was his own voice. From the future. “Ethan…” Then, the woman’s soft moan chimed in. The young man on the screen couldn’t take it anymore. He covered his ears, the blue veins on his forehead bulging in anger. “No. That’s impossible. I love you so much, Chloe. How could I ever do something like that in the future?” He stumbled to his feet. He walked over to his bedroom door, but he consciously softened his footsteps, trying not to make a sound. He gently cracked the door open. Inside, the three-years-younger version of me was fast asleep. He looked at me sleeping on the bed, his gaze so tender it could melt ice. Afraid to wake me from my dream, he whispered to the camera. “Look, Chloe. We love each other so much.” “Affairs? Miscarriage? None of that makes sense.” “You’re just making this up to scare me, right?” I looked at his desperate expression and let out a self-deprecating laugh. “I wish it were a lie.” “But just today, Sienna Brooks pushed me down the stairs.” “And the future you? He’s by her side right now.” “He even sent me this recording.” Ethan and I got married two years ago. I had prayed for this baby for so long. But today, it was gone. My husband had helped the killer to her feet while I lay on the floor, bleeding out. He had merely ordered his assistant to call an ambulance for me. Then, he carried Sienna in his arms and rushed to the hospital. The young Ethan’s eyes widened, tears slowly rolling down his cheeks. “But Chloe… I’m already planning my proposal to you.” “If I’m destined to treat you like this in the future…” “Should I even ask you to marry me?” I leaned against the cold hospital bed, staring at him. I didn’t know the answer either. Or rather, if the me from three years ago knew what today would look like… Would I still choose to marry him? The doorknob rattled from the outside. I panicked and hung up the call. The door opened, and the present-day Ethan walked in. He sat down opposite me. He looked at me, his eyes devoid of any warmth. “Sienna wanted to apologize to you.” “But she sprained her ankle, so she couldn’t walk over.” “She didn’t mean to do it today.” “She wants you to not be mad at her.” I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t even have the strength for that. “You were standing right downstairs today, Ethan. You saw it, didn’t you?” I stared into his eyes, desperately begging for a sliver of truth. “You saw her push me.” “And now she says she didn’t mean to?” “Are you not only lying to yourself, but trying to lie to me too?” “That was your baby too!” I placed my hands over my lower belly. The slight bump was completely gone now. Our baby had vanished from my world forever. Ethan took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose in exhaustion. “Stop making a scene, Chloe.” “She said it was an accident.” “I believe her.” “Besides, she hurt her ankle too.” “There’s no way she would risk her own safety just to hurt you, right?” My face froze. Tears blurred my vision. I couldn’t believe my ears. In his mind, Sienna’s sprained ankle was comparable to the loss of our child. I looked at the man before me, and suddenly, I had my answer. If the me from three years ago knew today would come… I would never, ever marry Ethan Vance.

He stood up, as if he had run out of his very last drop of patience. “I’m leaving. Get some rest.” “No one is watching Sienna upstairs. I’m not comfortable leaving her alone.” “I’m going to go take care of her.” He paused at the door. Then, he turned back to look at me. “Don’t be too sad.” “We can have other babies.” “Crying all the time isn’t good for your recovery.” With that, he left without a single backward glance. I stared at the empty, sterile hospital room and sank weakly into the bed. I was alone in this room too. But the only person he cared about, the only person he couldn’t leave alone, was Sienna. Two weeks later, I was discharged. During those two weeks, Ethan never came to see me. Even though Sienna and I were in the exact same hospital, he couldn’t spare a single minute for me. He only ordered his housekeeper to send over some soup twice a day. I didn’t even look at it. I dumped it all down the drain. Last night, Ethan sent me a text saying he would pick me up today. I waited until 5 PM, only to receive another message: “Working late. Go home by yourself.” I put my phone down and put on my coat. I should have stopped expecting anything from him a long time ago. When I unlocked the front door of our penthouse, the lights inside were blindingly bright. He and Sienna were in the living room, wrapped tightly in each other’s arms. Sienna was wearing one of his oversized white shirts, leaving her legs completely bare. He was holding her up, one arm wrapped around her waist. Her arms were looped around his neck. Their bodies were pressed so close there was no space between them. The sound of the door opening drew their attention. When Ethan saw me, he instinctively let go of her. Without his support, Sienna swayed and almost fell. Panic flashed across Ethan’s face, and he immediately grabbed her back into his arms. Then, he turned to me, offering a hasty explanation. “Sienna’s ankle still hasn’t fully healed. I was just helping her practice walking.” I didn’t say a word. I just walked past them. He hesitated for a second before adding, “My late meeting got canceled. I forgot to text you.” “Sorry.” Sienna stood on one leg, letting the hem of the shirt ride up provocatively. She looked at me with a pitiful, teary expression. “Chloe, are you okay now?” “I swear, what happened that day was a total accident.” “And I got hurt too. Thank God Ethan has been taking care of me 24/7.” Ethan helped her sit on the sofa and gently rubbed her back. “I already told her,” he whispered to Sienna. “Don’t worry. No one is blaming you.” Then, he turned his cold gaze back to me. “You’re back just in time.” “Sienna’s dress got dirty, so I let her borrow my shirt.” “Her dress is soaking in the sink. Go wash it for her.” I looked up, meeting his perfectly entitled expression. “Ethan, I literally just got discharged today.” “My body is still recovering. I can’t touch freezing water right now.” “Do you not know that?” Ethan’s brows furrowed in annoyance. “Sienna’s ankle is hurt, she can’t do it.” “And that dress is delicate silk. The washing machine will ruin it.” “Why are you being so dramatic? It’s just one dress.” I sat on the opposite armchair, motionless. “I won’t wash it.” “I am your legal wife, Ethan. Not your hired maid.” Ethan sneered, his voice dropping to a cold whisper. “A maid?” “Don’t flatter yourself, Chloe.” “The Carter family is bankrupt. You eat my food, spend my money, and live in my house.” “You used to be a big deal in New York high society, but if I throw you out of this house, it won’t look pretty.” “Be smart. It’s just a dress.” I walked into the bathroom and plunged my hands into the basin. The ice-cold water rushed over my fingers, and a sharp, biting pain shot through my joints. I bit my lower lip, rubbing the silk fabric gently. My tears dripped into the water, making tiny splashing sounds. After hanging the dress to dry, I went back to my bedroom. My hands were bright red and completely numb from the cold. Ethan was right. When you live under someone else’s roof, you have to bow your head. But I refused to live a life worse than a maid’s any longer. I sat at my desk and hesitated for a long time. Eventually, I pulled up a contact number hidden deep in my notes. It was the last card my parents had left me before they died. “Hello? Is this the butler of the London townhouse?” “I’m planning to move in. How long will it take to get the place ready?”

Ethan didn’t come home again until a week later. The moment he walked through the door, he handed me a garment bag with a designer evening gown. “It’s my dad’s birthday tonight. Come home with me.” I took it and turned to walk into my room. In his eyes, this was probably the only value I had left, acting as his perfect trophy wife for family events. It didn’t matter. It would all be over soon anyway. I followed Ethan back to the Vance family mansion. His father, Jason, was sitting on the sofa watching TV. His mother, Mandy, was busy in the kitchen. When she saw me walk in, she barely spared me a glance. She didn’t say a word. But the moment Sienna stepped out of the kitchen, everything changed. Mandy warmly took the platter from Sienna’s hands, her voice dripping with affection. “Oh, Sienna, sweetheart, don’t do all this heavy lifting.” “We don’t want you getting tired.” Jason stood up as well. “That’s right. Ethan is here now.” “Go sit down and talk to him.” I stood in the middle of the living room, feeling like an absolute stranger. Dinner was served at a small table near the kitchen corridor. The four of them sat face to face. I had to pull up a stray chair and squeeze in at the very edge, my plate barely fitting on the table. Mandy glanced at me, then deliberately asked, “Sienna, how are your parents doing?” Sienna smiled brightly. “They’re doing great, thank you for asking.” “They miss you guys so much.” Mandy nodded and scooped some steak onto Sienna’s and Ethan’s plates. “I wanted Ethan to marry you years ago.” “But this boy just wouldn’t listen.” “They say marriage should be between equals.” “Look at us now. Some families go bankrupt, lose all their status, and have nothing left.” “What a disaster.” I kept my head down, poking at the food on my plate. Since the Carter family went bankrupt, I had heard enough of these insults. I was used to it. Ethan paused, then cut a piece of steak and placed it on my plate. “Just eat,” he said. I was surprised and looked up at him. Mandy raised her voice. “What? Am I not allowed to tell the truth?” “If you hadn’t lost your mind back then, we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Ethan remained silent. Mandy’s gaze then drifted to my left wrist. I was wearing a vintage diamond bracelet that she had gifted me when we got married. “Chloe, that bracelet is a Vance family heirloom.” “I don’t mean anything by this, but…” “I’m just worried that your parents might have left behind some unpaid debts.” “If you end up selling that bracelet to pay off creditors, I wouldn’t be able to face Ethan’s grandmother in the afterlife.” I looked up. Everyone’s eyes were locked on me. The bracelet on my wrist suddenly felt like a ton of bricks. When Ethan and I married, my family hadn’t gone bankrupt. I was still the coveted heiress of New York. His parents hadn’t liked me, but they hadn’t openly opposed the marriage either. Now that the Carters were ruined, they immediately showed their true colors. I grabbed the clasp and yanked the bracelet off. The rough edges scratched my skin, leaving a stinging red mark. I placed it gently on the table. Mandy snatched it up immediately and handed it straight to Sienna. “Sienna, this suits you perfectly.” “Take it as a little gift from me.” I stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the hardwood floor. “Enjoy your dinner. I’m leaving.” As I reached the grand front door, I heard Ethan’s footsteps chasing after me. I hadn’t expected him to defend me in front of his parents earlier. And I certainly hadn’t expected him to run after me. I stood in the driveway, wiping my tears in a rush. When I turned around, he stopped in front of me. But instead of comfort, his first words were an accusation. “Chloe, do you have to make a scene and embarrass everyone?” I froze, my hand hovering in mid-air. It felt as if a lump was lodged in my throat, choking out any words I wanted to say.

“I told you, today is my dad’s birthday,” Ethan snapped. “Who are you throwing a tantrum for?” I stared at him in disbelief. “Did you not hear her?” “Your mother insulted me and my dead parents with every single word.” “You said this was a family dinner, yet Sienna is here.” “Your mother demanded her bracelet back just to give it to her.” “Does your family have no shame at all anymore?” Ethan looked at me, his eyes completely cold. “Chloe, do you have any idea how much of a mess your parents left behind?” “Everywhere I go, people laugh at me.” “They say I married into a ruined family.” “And you still have the nerve to throw a fit?” I let out a long breath, forcing my tears back. “Fine.” “I embarrassed your family.” “I’m an eyesore to your parents. I’ll leave.” “They like Sienna anyway.” “Perfect. The four of you can enjoy your family dinner.” With that, I turned around and walked into the night. Ethan didn’t come home that night. Whether he slept at the mansion or went to Sienna’s, I didn’t care anymore. My flight to London was in two days. Over the next forty-eight hours, I finalized all my travel arrangements. I packed my remaining belongings. I signed the divorce papers. Only the space next to my name, reserved for Ethan’s signature, remained blank. On the day of my departure, I received another FaceTime call from the Ethan of three years ago. He had dark circles under his eyes, and he looked completely exhausted. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. I looked at him and smiled. “Ethan, I’m leaving.” “I’ve decided to divorce the future you.” He offered a weak smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Chloe… I’ve also decided to propose to the you of three years ago.” “I realized I can’t stop myself from loving you.” “I’m sorry. You might think I’m selfish.” “But no matter what the future holds, I want to try.” I nodded. “Okay. Then I wish us both luck.” “I hope you find your love.” “And I hope I find my freedom.” His eyes drifted to the table on my side of the screen. The bold letters “DIVORCE AGREEMENT” seemed to burn his eyes. A tear slipped down his cheek without warning. “Chloe, can I ask for one last favor?” “Give the future me one more chance.” “Put those papers in front of him.” “What if… what if he regrets it?” “What if he doesn’t want to lose you?” I checked my watch. I still had enough time before my flight. I picked up the papers, grabbed my suitcase, and walked out. “I promise you.” I hadn’t stepped foot in Ethan’s corporate headquarters in almost two years. The receptionist’s face turned pale when she saw me, and she rushed over in a panic. “Mrs. Vance! Do you have an appointment with Mr. Vance?” “Please wait in the lobby. Let me check if he’s free first, okay?” I shook my head. “I don’t mean to make your job difficult.” “But I’m in a hurry.” I pushed open the heavy oak doors of his penthouse office. Ethan was sitting in his executive chair. Sienna was sitting on his lap, wrapped securely in his arms. He saw me, but he didn’t move. A smirk played on his lips. “What are you doing here?” Then, his eyes caught the suitcase by my side. His smirk widened. “What’s this?” “Stalking me to my office now?” “Good to know you finally realized your mistake.” “I’ll come home tonight.” “Don’t do this again. There are too many people in the building. It looks bad.” I walked up to his desk and slid the divorce papers over. My signature was already neatly signed on the left. “I came to drop this off. Ethan, let’s get a divorce.” The smirk on his face completely vanished.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459789”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The day my appendicitis flared up, I was in agonizing pain. The doctors said I needed immediate surgery, but they required next-of-kin authorization on the insurance paperwork, and I was in too much pain to think. I called my husband, Ethan, dozens of times, but every single call went unanswered. It wasn’t until my best friend, Sarah, rushed over from thirty miles away that I was finally wheeled into the operating room. When the anesthesia wore off, I lay in the hospital bed, pale and drained. My phone buzzed. An Instagram notification popped up with a video from Melody. In the video, Ethan’s eyes were flushed with excitement as he cheered loudly for Melody, who was shining on stage. He was even holding a pink light-up wand with her name on it. No wonder I couldn’t reach him. While I was writhing in pain on a hospital bed, fighting for my life, he was busy playing the devoted fanboy at his first love’s comeback concert. Whenever Melody needed him, Ethan would drop me in a heartbeat. I looked up at the ceiling and let out a bitter, relieved laugh. This marriage was truly over. I dialed my brother, Sebastian. “I’m coming home. I’ll take over the family empire.”

The moment I hung up, the hospital door was pushed open. Ethan, still wearing that ridiculous pink bunny headband from the video, rushed in. He was holding Melody’s hand, looking frantic as he knelt by my bed. “Chloe, why didn’t you tell me you were having surgery?” I didn’t tell him? I had sent him over a hundred messages. He just didn’t care enough to look. Seeing my silence, a flash of guilt crossed his face. “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have been so busy. Does the incision still hurt?” Busy? He had all the time in the world for Melody, but not a single second for me. I looked at him with cold sarcasm. “Your first love’s comeback concert is obviously way more important than my life. I don’t blame you.” Ethan froze, panic flickering in his eyes. Before he could explain, Melody interjected in her sweet, high-pitched voice. “Chloe, please don’t get the wrong idea. Ethan was just helping me out. I was so nervous about my show.” “If it bothers you, I won’t ask him for help ever again.” Her faux generosity made me look like the petty, jealous wife. I sneered. “Did I ask you?” Melody’s sweet smile stiffened. Her eyes welled up with tears instantly, looking like a kicked puppy. “I know you’re mad at me for taking up Ethan’s time. Fine, I’ll stop seeing him altogether.” “Ethan, I’m clearly not welcome here. I should just go back to Europe.” With that, she turned and ran out. Ethan’s eyes went red. He quickly grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “With me here, nobody dares to make you feel unwelcome.” He whipped his head back to face me, his brow furrowed in anger. “What is wrong with you? I just went to a concert! Why are you throwing a tantrum over nothing?” The stitches in my abdomen throbbed, sending a jolt of pain through my nerves. I couldn’t hold back my pain and anger anymore. I screamed at him. “Ethan, don’t you dare yell at me!” I had never raised my voice like that in our entire marriage. Ethan, who was gently wiping a tear from Melody’s face, paused. He looked like he wanted to say something. But a second later, Melody’s soft, fragile voice pulled his attention right back. “Ethan, Chloe is just emotional right now. Don’t fight with her because of me.” “Actually, some fans wanted us to take a couple of backstage photos. Let’s do that first and come back to see Chloe later, okay?” Ethan glanced at me instinctively, then grabbed her hand and walked out without looking back. The empty ward was silent, save for the dripping sound of my IV. This wasn’t the first time Ethan had abandoned me for Melody. Whether it was something as big as her having a mild fever, or something as trivial as her cat running out of food or her faucet leaking… Ethan would always choose her without a second thought. Just two nights ago, I had a severe allergic reaction to mangoes and ran a dangerously high fever. Meanwhile, Ethan was sitting in a movie theater with Melody, watching a romance film. I once asked Ethan to go bungee jumping with me, but he refused, claiming he was terrified of heights. “Chloe, you should go with your friends. My vertigo is too bad for that kind of stuff.” Yet, I saw countless photos on Melody’s Instagram of Ethan bungee jumping with her. They were pressed tightly against each other, and Ethan had the most genuine, blissful smile on his face. It turned out he wasn’t afraid of heights. He was just only willing to conquer his fears for her, not me. When Ethan and I first got together, he was the one who chased me. He knew I loved Ed Sheeran, so he practiced guitar for days and nights just to play for me. He knew I was allergic to pollen, so he hand-crafted 999 paper roses for my birthday. For him, I defied my family and moved to New York all by myself. I truly believed Ethan loved me with all his heart, just like everyone said. Until one day, I found a locked notebook in his study. I remembered the silver necklace Ethan always wore, the one with a scratched-up pendant of numbers that he never took off. Using those numbers as the code, I opened the notebook. Inside were hundreds of photos, and every single one was of Melody. Crying, laughing, sleeping, eating. He had documented every moment of her life. As it turned out, the pendant he never took off was their couple’s necklace from college. No wonder he was so reluctant when I wanted to buy matching wedding bands. “What’s the point of wearing those? We’re already married.” That was the moment I realized… It was Melody who loved Ed Sheeran. It was Melody who was allergic to pollen. Even the love Ethan showered me with was just a cheap imitation. He only loved me because I shared some similarities with Melody. He married me simply because Melody had moved abroad, and he felt it didn’t matter who he ended up with. I didn’t throw a fit back then. We had been married for eight years. I believed even the coldest stone could be melted. I was confident I could make him love me. But today, as I lay dying in a hospital bed, Ethan’s heart was entirely with Melody. He took me for granted because he believed I would never leave him. That was why he was so shameless. Thinking about this, my heart felt like it was being pierced by a thousand needles. I knew it was time to step off the stage. I called my brother, Sebastian. “Sebastian, I want the Miller Group bankrupt within three days.” Ethan, I don’t think I ever told you. My father is the most ruthless billionaire tycoon in New York.

I didn’t wait for my incision to fully heal before discharging myself from the hospital. Ethan felt guilty, so he texted saying he would come pick me up. But I waited at the hospital entrance for two hours, and he never showed up. The freezing wind was biting, and then, a Snapchat video from Melody popped up on my screen. Ethan was holding her in a bridal carry, looking down at the crying woman in his arms. “Ethan, I told you not to touch my hair! It’s all your fault. If you hadn’t suddenly messed with my hair, I wouldn’t have tripped!” Ethan laughed, looking at her with a tenderness I had never seen before. “Okay, okay, you’re always right. I promise I won’t let you get hurt ever again, deal?” The woman snuggled deeper into his chest, giggling happily. “That’s more like it…” The wife who had shared Ethan’s bed for eight years had just undergone surgery, her wound still fresh, waiting for him in the cold. Yet, he was sweating with anxiety over Melody’s pathetic, staged fall. Looking at the video, no matter how cold the winter wind was, it couldn’t compare to the iciness in my heart. The rain started mixing with snow. I got drenched on my way home. The cold rain soaked through my clothes, and my incision began to bleed, but my body was too numb to feel the pain. When I reached the front door, the warm air from inside carried the sound of a man and a woman laughing through the gap. On the living room sofa, Ethan was gently massaging Melody’s ankle. There wasn’t a trace of impatience on his face. I recalled the morning I burned my hand with hot oil while frying eggs for him. I had shown him the burn, wanting a little comfort. But he had just frowned, his eyes filled with annoyance. “Chloe, don’t complain to me about such a tiny scratch, okay? I’m busy with work. Try to be a little more understanding.” I pushed the door open. Ethan looked up and saw me. I was soaking wet, shivering, with blood seeping through my clothes, a complete mess. A flash of worry crossed his eyes. He let go of Melody’s foot and rushed over to grab my cold hands. “What happened to you? Didn’t we agree you’d wait for me at the hospital? I was going to pick you up as soon as I finished here.” His voice carried a hint of panic. I looked at his familiar yet completely stranger face. My heart felt absolutely nothing. On the sofa, Melody was smugly enjoying my pathetic state. I slapped Ethan’s hand away as he reached out to dry my hair. “Ethan, let’s get a divorce.” “The divorce papers will be delivered tomorrow. Just sign them.” Ethan froze, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. “Divorce? Chloe, stop joking. Marriage isn’t something you can just throw away because you’re throwing a tantrum!” He paused, convinced I was just trying to get back at him. “Alright, stop it. I know I messed up by not picking you up.” “But I don’t have superpowers. I couldn’t just leave Melody on the street when she was hurt, could I?” I laughed, looking him dead in the eye, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “So, for her, you left your wife, who just had major surgery, waiting in a freezing storm for two hours.” My firm stance and repeated mention of divorce finally sent a wave of panic through Ethan. He tried to grab my hand again. But Melody limped over, crying as if I were the bully here. She made me look like an unreasonable, jealous monster. “Chloe, please don’t be mad at Ethan. He was just being nice.” “If you hate me that much, you can hit me or yell at me. I won’t fight back.” She sounded so sincere, as if she wasn’t the one who had sent me the provocative Snapchat video just hours ago. I smiled at her. “Sure. Since you asked for it.” I raised my hand to slap her. But a crushing grip clamped down on my wrist, squeezing so hard I felt my bones might break. “Chloe, stop being so unreasonable! I’ve told you a thousand times, there is nothing going on between Melody and me!” “Do you have to ruin everything for us? She’s already hurt, and you still want to hit her!” Ethan’s face was twisted in anger, his cold glare stabbing into me. It was colder than the winter storm outside. A thousand times? From the moment I was hospitalized until now, I had sent him over a hundred texts, and he had only offered that one cheap explanation over the phone. He was too stingy to type a single extra word to me. Yet on his Instagram, he had personally typed a thousand-word post to promote Melody’s new single. He seemed to completely forget that I was the one who was injured, ignoring the blood slowly soaking through my shirt. Right now, Ethan’s mind and soul belonged entirely to Melody. I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper. With tear-filled eyes, I raised my other hand and slapped Ethan hard across the face. “Ethan, we are over!” Seeing my tear-streaked face and bloodshot eyes, Ethan seemed to realize he had overreacted. But he was still convinced I was just acting out. He cast a tense look at Melody, then, without hesitation, picked her up and carried her back to the sofa. “Be good. Chloe and I have some things to sort out.” Then, he turned to me with a guilty look and dragged me upstairs by the wrist. He looked like he wanted to appease me, but his words cut deeper than any knife. “Baby, please just cooperate. You know Melody’s parents fought constantly when she was a kid. Let’s not scream in front of her.” He dragged me into our bedroom without giving me a choice. My tears finally fell. Even when he was trying to comfort me, his every thought was about Melody. He shoved me into the bedroom, making sure the soundproof door was shut tight. I wiped my tears, looked at him with absolute finality, and exposed everything.

“I’ve already read the notebook in your study.” “Can you stop being so hypocritical? It makes me sick.” Ethan’s face turned instantly pale. He clearly hadn’t expected me to crack the lock. He reached out to grab me, flustered. “Chloe, listen to me. That was from years ago when Melody and I were dating. Don’t misunderstand.” “You know we broke up. We’re just friends now. I can’t just ignore her when she needs help.” I let out a bitter laugh, my tears and anger finally exploding. “So, you keep a beautifully wrapped notebook of a ‘just friend’ for eight years?” He had even put a custom leather cover on the notebook, and every single photo of Melody was carefully laminated. He was so afraid they would get damaged. Meanwhile, the wedding anniversary gifts I bought him every year were thrown carelessly into some dusty corner of the house. “You say she’s just a friend. Fine. Throw that notebook into the fireplace right now.” At those words, Ethan’s face darkened, and his remaining patience evaporated. “Enough, Chloe! Be reasonable! Everyone has things from their past they keep. It’s just a notebook, it doesn’t mean anything!” “Can you stop making a scene over nothing?” Making a scene over nothing? When Melody asked him to wear that ridiculous pink bunny headband, something he despised, he complied with nothing but indulgent smiles. But when it came to me, all I wanted was an explanation. An explanation from my husband, and it was labeled as “making a scene”? I didn’t understand, and honestly, I didn’t want to understand anymore. I let out a long sigh, feeling utterly exhausted. I stopped arguing, turned away from him, and started packing my clothes into a suitcase. Realizing what I was doing, Ethan panicked and rushed forward. “Okay, Chloe, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I lost my temper.” “Stop packing. Melody is still downstairs. What will she think if she hears us?” In his heart, everything I did was just a tantrum. But Melody’s manipulation was considered graceful and refined. I slammed his hands away. My cold, hard attitude made him freeze. “Don’t touch me!” Before Ethan could say anything else, Melody appeared at the doorway, limping and leaning against the frame. Her eyes were red, looking incredibly pitiful. “Ethan… my mom is pressuring me to get married again. She wants me to bring a boyfriend home today.” “Otherwise, she’s going to force me to marry that creepy old businessman who’s ten years older than me.” She looked so fragile, a perfect damsel in distress. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.” Ethan lost any desire to comfort me. He pushed me aside. I lost my balance and fell hard against the ceramic vase on the balcony. Ethan’s mind was so consumed by Melody that he didn’t even realize how hard he had shoved me. He scooped Melody up in his arms and rushed downstairs, throwing a final warning over his shoulder. “Chloe, stop throwing tantrums. My patience has its limits. Don’t push me.” His patience with Melody was infinite. But with me, every single word I said was a test of his limits. I pushed myself up from the floor, my eyes burning red. I sprinted down the stairs, caught up to him, and slapped the divorce papers right onto his face. “You’re not leaving this house until you sign this!” I grabbed his arm with all the strength I had left. My eyes were filled with pure, unyielding resolve. Ethan froze, unable to move forward. Melody began to cry even louder. Her weeping finally pushed me over the edge, releasing all the rage I had suppressed for years. I glared at her, bypassed Ethan, and slapped her across the face with everything I had. “Are you done acting yet? You and I both know damn well nobody is forcing you to marry anyone!” “Ah! Ethan!” Melody shrieked and hid behind Ethan’s back. “What did I do to make Chloe hate me this much?” She cried hysterically. Suddenly, a massive force struck my cheek. The impact sent me crashing to the floor. My hands landed right on the decorative cactus by the door, the needles burying themselves deep into my palms. “Have you lost your mind? You’re pure evil! Melody is being forced into a marriage, and you have the audacity to hurt her!” “You absolute monster!” He pointed a finger at my face, screaming at the top of his lungs. But then, he saw the trail of blood trickling down the corner of my mouth. His voice died down. His eyes flickered with a brief moment of hesitation, but his voice remained harsh. “This is a lesson for you. Keep your hands to yourself and stop bullying Melody.” The front door slammed shut. The stinging pain in my palms reminded me of the brutal truth: Ethan, the man I had dated for three years and been married to for eight, had just laid his hands on me. The last spark of hope in my heart died. I looked at my phone. A Snapchat message from Sebastian was on the screen. “Everything is ready. Just say the word, and the Miller Group is gone.” I let out a soft laugh. “Do it. Destroy him. And Sebastian, do me one more favor. Send some reporters over.” … On his way to the office, the image of Chloe’s final, despairing look kept flashing in Ethan’s mind. His chest tightened with an uneasy, suffocating feeling. Thinking about the slap he had impulsively given her, he pulled at his collar, feeling incredibly frustrated. He pulled out his phone and texted her. “Chloe, I bought your favorite strawberry cake. I’m sorry about earlier. Let’s talk when I get home.” The moment he sent the message, a red exclamation mark appeared. His mind went completely blank. Chloe had blocked him. Before he could process the panic rising in his chest, Melody grabbed his arm anxiously. “Ethan, why are there so many employees gathered outside the office?” Then, his assistant’s phone call came through, sounding like a death toll. “Mr. Miller, we have a massive crisis.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459788”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster