Author: Momo Chan

My husband was worried I would be lonely while pregnant, so he brought home a Golden Retriever to keep me company. Instead of pampering her, I immediately handed her over to an illegal breeding mill, ordering them to force twelve litters out of her until her body completely broke down. In my past life, I poured my whole heart into this dog. I took her everywhere, cuddling her in bed every night. Within a single month, I aged until I looked fifty, my unborn baby lost its heartbeat, and I bled out on the operating table. When my soul floated away from my dead body, I watched my supposedly terminally ill best friend, Veronica, slip right out of the dog’s skin. She stood before my husband, glowing with radiant health. “It’s all thanks to that soul transfer spell,” she gloated. “Possessing the dog let me lick her every day and drain her life essence completely.” Garrett shrugged coldly. “Having her life stolen by you was her privilege. Dying saves us the hassle of getting rid of her ourselves.” Reborn back to the beginning, I smiled. Send them to prison? The law wouldn’t touch them without proof. But a bitch in heat? Sending her off to pump out a dozen litters was only fair. 1 “Find me an underground breeding mill. The dirtiest, nastiest place you can get, where they force dogs to pump out litters back to back. Hurry.” I gripped my assistant Linda’s wrist so hard my fingernails dug straight into her skin. Linda stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock. “Evie, are you serious? But Garrett bought that Golden Retriever specially for you…” “Just do it.” My voice was flat, so deadly quiet that even I shivered at the sound of it. From the living room, Garrett’s cheerful voice drifted down the hall. “Evie! Come out here, babe. Look what I brought you!” I let go of Linda, took a slow, icy breath, and pushed the door open. A Golden Retriever sat right in the middle of the rug, her coat glossy and bright, a pink silk bow tied around her neck. The second her eyes locked onto mine, a strange, knowing flicker passed through them. That was no animal’s gaze. It was human. It belonged to Veronica. In my past life, I died without ever understanding why my body gave out. It was only when my soul detached from my corpse, floating uselessly above the operating table, that the brutal truth slapped me in the face. Veronica and I had been best friends all through college. When she fell ill, I stayed by her hospital bed. When she ran out of money, I wrote the checks. During her supposedly terminal illness, I even encouraged my husband, Garrett, to visit her often so she wouldn’t feel alone. And how did she repay me? She traveled to Southeast Asia and picked up some dark soul swapping ritual. She stuffed her own consciousness into the body of this Golden Retriever and had Garrett bring her into my home under the guise of keeping me company while I was pregnant. Every single day, she licked me. Every single day, she drained my life essence. By the time I hit seven months of pregnancy, I looked like an exhausted fifty-year-old woman. My baby lost its heartbeat, and I bled out right there on the operating table. Floating up near the ceiling of the delivery room, I watched Veronica’s spirit slip out of the dog and glide back into her sickbed in the ICU. The body that was supposed to be clinging to life suddenly bloomed with radiant health. Garrett had wrapped his arms around her shell, whispering, “She’s dead. Her house, her savings, her studio, everything is ours now.” Veronica had giggled, her voice full of satisfaction. “Her money is nothing. I stole seven years of her lifespan. I get to live another twenty years because of her.” My ghostly fingers had clawed at the air, desperate to shred them to pieces, but I couldn’t touch a thing. Now, I was back. Right back to the very day Garrett brought the dog home. “Evie, what are you staring at?” Garrett wrapped an arm around my shoulder, pulling me close. “Veronica went through a ton of trouble to find this sweet girl for you. She said Goldens have the gentlest temperament, perfect to keep you company while you carry our baby.” The dog sat on the rug, looking up at me. The corners of her mouth curled upward into a sickeningly human grin. A dog was smirking at me. She pushed herself up, trotting toward me with her pink tongue lolling out, reaching toward my bare ankle. I took a sharp step back. In my last life, this was how it started. She licked my hands, my face, my swollen stomach, every single day. And every time she did, I felt a deep, invisible chill pull something vital right out of my core. On day two, my hair started going gray. On day three, my skin went slack. By the end of the month, my sight had gone dim and cloudy. When I lay in the ultrasound room, the technician searched desperately for a pulse before looking up with pity in her eyes. “Mrs. Vance, I’m so sorry. There’s no heartbeat.” Back then, I blamed myself. I thought my body was just too weak to carry life. Only now did I know the truth. This bitch had licked the life right out of my unborn child, breath by breath. “Evie?” Garrett frowned, searching my face. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing.” I forced a small, sweet smile. “What’s her name?” “We haven’t picked one yet. You decide.” I looked down at the Golden. She was wagging her tail enthusiastically, but her eyes were far too sharp, far too calculating. “Let’s call her Vee,” I said softly. Garrett grinned. “Cute name.” Vee. Short for Veronica. I wanted her to know that I knew exactly who she was, even if she couldn’t fathom how. Vee trotted over, rubbing her head against my calf and pressing her wet tongue against my ankle. A sudden, unnatural cold seeped straight through my skin. I stared down at her. She was still smirking. I crouched down and stroked the fur on top of her head. “Vee,” I murmured, smiling back into those creepy eyes. “You and I are going to have so much fun together.” A flash of smug triumph gleamed in her eyes. Behind me, Linda walked out of the hallway, her face pale as a sheet. When I had grabbed her arm earlier, I had scribbled three words onto her palm: Find a breeder. She knew I didn’t mean a licensed pet store. She knew I meant the kind tucked away in the backwoods, where rusty cages lined filthy sheds, where females were bred until their bodies broke, and where useless dogs were discarded like trash. I walked back into the bedroom, turned the lock, and pulled out my phone. In my past life, I was too soft, too trusting, so kind that I let them slaughter me without a fight. In this life, I was done being nice. Garrett knocked on the bedroom door. “Evie, why’d you lock the door? Vee hasn’t had her dinner yet.” “I’m exhausted, babe. I need a nap. Feed her for me.” Silence hung outside the door for a few seconds. “Alright, get some rest,” Garrett called out. I heard his footsteps fade down the hall, followed by his gentle voice speaking to the dog in the living room. “Your mommy’s tired, girl. Let’s leave her alone.” Vee let out a soft bark. Even through the thick wood of the door, I could hear the petty satisfaction laced in that sound. 2 Linda came back early the next morning. Deep dark circles bruised the skin beneath her eyes. She clearly hadn’t slept a wink. “I found a place,” she whispered, sliding her phone across the counter. “It’s a four-hour drive out into the country. The guy running it goes by Grizz. He takes any job if the money’s right.” I scrolled through the photos on her screen. Corroded wire cages. Stagnant water troughs. Photographs pinned to the wooden beams showing female dogs with numbers scrawled beneath them, tracking how many litters they had pumped out. “How much does he charge?” “Eight hundred a litter. Guaranteed hit. If you want… back-to-back breeding, he charges extra.” Linda’s hand trembled, but she didn’t ask a single question. She just kept her head down. “Ask him how much for twelve litters straight.” Linda froze. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before she typed it out. Three minutes later, the phone buzzed. Grizz says he’s never taken an order that crazy, Linda read off the screen. Twelve litters in a row will destroy the dog’s body. She won’t survive it. I took the phone and typed a quick reply: If she breaks, that’s on me. I’ll pay double. The reply came back almost instantly: Deal. I locked the screen and leaned back against the headboard. The morning light peeked through a crack in the curtains, casting a warm glow over my slightly rounded belly. In my last life, my baby died at seven months. In this life, my baby wasn’t even born yet, but I was already collecting the blood debt. Garrett’s voice floated in from the living room. “Come here, Vee! Let daddy brush your fur.” Vee gave a happy, high-pitched yip. I closed my eyes. Just wait. As soon as Garrett leaves for his business trip, her nightmare begins. Garrett brought up the trip two days later. “An investor summit in Chicago,” he said, tying his shoes by the front door. He leaned up and kissed my forehead. “I’ll be back in three days. Take care of Vee while I’m gone.” “I will.” “Call me if you need anything.” “I will.” He knelt down, patting Vee’s head gently. “Keep an eye on your mommy, okay?” Vee wagged her tail, pressing her snout affectionately against his palm. The front door clicked shut. I stood by the window, watching Garrett’s sedan pull out of the driveway and disappear down the street. I waited three full minutes to make sure he wasn’t turning back. “Linda,” I called out. Linda emerged from the kitchen, key fob clutched tight in her hand. “Get Vee into the travel crate and put her in the trunk.” Vee was sitting on the couch, tilting her head at me with her tail slowly swishing against the cushions. She had no idea what was coming. She still thought I was the same gullible idiot she had drained to death in another life. I walked over and crouched down, bringing my face level with hers. “Vee.” She stretched her neck, trying to lick my cheek. I didn’t move away. Her tongue brushed against my skin, wet and unnaturally cold. “Do you know what I hated most about you?” I whispered right into her floppy ear. “It wasn’t that you stole my life. It was the way you looked at me after every lick… like I deserved to be bled dry.” Vee’s tongue froze in mid-air. She tilted her head, her dark eyes filling with a sudden, sharp confusion. A real dog wouldn’t look confused like that. Only Veronica would. I stood up and wiped my cheek with the back of my hand. “Linda. Lock her up.” When Linda moved in with the heavy plastic crate, Vee started backing away, sensing the danger. She tried to bolt toward the hallway, but Linda grabbed her by the scruff and shoved her inside. Vee thrash violently, her claws scraping wildly against the hard plastic walls. I picked up the crate by the handle, carried it down to the garage, and threw it into the trunk. Right before the heavy trunk lid slammed shut, Vee stared at me through the plastic grate. Her eyes were no longer filled with smug superiority. They were burning with pure, unadulterated venom. Good. That was the look I was waiting for. That was the exact same look she gave me when she pressed her paws onto my stomach in my past life, crushing the last breath out of my baby. The engine roared to life. I sat in the passenger seat, setting the GPS destination: Grizz’s Farm. During the four-hour drive, Vee never stopped making noise. It wasn’t normal barking. It was a high, shrill, desperate screech that sounded horrifyingly human. Linda gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white. “Evie… that noise… it doesn’t sound like a dog…” “Just drive.” I closed my eyes and rested my head against the window. When I died on that operating table in my past life, my screams were a hundred times worse than hers. 3 Grizz was even nastier than his photos suggested. He was a short, thick-set man with a shaved head, a heavy gold chain resting over his stained shirt, and faded tattoos snaking up his thick forearms. He squatted down, peered into the crate, yanked Vee’s jaws apart to inspect her teeth, then checked her ears. “Decent build,” he grunted, standing up and kicking the side of the crate with his boot. “Bit on the older side, though.” “Can you breed her?” “Of course I can.” He grinned, revealing a row of crooked, yellowed teeth. “As long as she’s got a uterus, I can get her bred. You really want twelve litters out of her?” “Yes.” “Let me be real with you, lady. You can’t just do twelve litters all at once. You gotta space ’em out. If she recovers fast, that’s one litter every two months. Twelve litters means two full years. If she doesn’t recover well… she’ll probably break down by the sixth or seventh.” “What happens when she breaks down?” “Paralysis. Organ failure. Death.” He shrugged nonchalantly, as if talking about an old pair of shoes. I looked down at Vee through the grate. She was huddled in the back of the crate, shivering uncontrollably. She understood every single word. You drained my life for seven years, I thought. Asking you to pop out twelve litters over two years isn’t cruel at all. “I’ll pay extra,” I said coldly. “Keep breeding her until she literally can’t take it anymore.” Grizz chuckled, a dark, gravelly sound. “I like your style.” He motioned for two of his farmhands to drag Vee out of the crate. One guy pinned her neck to the muddy ground while the other grabbed her hind legs. Vee fought back with terrifying ferocity, her claws digging deep grooves into the dirt. Her head twisted around, her eyes locking onto mine with absolute fury. That look. It was no animal. It was a woman trapped in fur. It was Veronica. She stared at me through those yellow canine eyes, her jaws opening and closing, not to bark, but trying desperately to shape human words. I couldn’t hear a sound over the noise, but I could read her lips perfectly: You’re crazy. I smiled softly at her. “I’m not crazy,” I whispered, stepping closer until I was looking straight into her wild eyes. “I just stopped being stupid.” They dragged her screaming toward the rusted metal sheds at the back of the property. Grizz offered me a cigarette. I waved it away. “First round happens tonight,” he said, lighting up. “I already picked the sire. A massive German Shepherd. Produces big pups with heavy bones.” “Don’t worry about keeping the pups small,” I said coldly. “Use whatever male you want. Put multiple sires in with her if you have to. I care about quantity, not quality.” Grizz stopped, the cigarette hanging from his lip as he eyed me up and down. Then he grinned. “Got it. I’ll make sure we don’t hold back.” Linda stood behind me, her face pale as ash. “Evie… the way that dog looked at you…” “What about it?” “It didn’t feel like a dog.” I kept quiet. From deep inside the wooden shed, a sharp, ear-splitting shriek pierced the air. It wasn’t a bark or a howl. It was too high, too agonizing, sounding like a woman screaming for her life. Grizz scratched his head. “Damn, that bitch sure has a pair of lungs on her.” I ignored him, turning on my heel and walking back toward the car. Linda hurried after me. “Evie, are we leaving?” “No. We’re staying right here.” “Here?” “I want to watch,” I said, opening the passenger door. “Every single litter. I’m going to see it all with my own eyes.” Linda opened her mouth to argue, but seeing the cold resolve in my eyes, she quietly got into the driver’s seat. I leaned my head back against the headrest and rested my hand over my belly. A small, gentle kick fluttered against my palm. My lips curved into a real smile. “Don’t worry, baby,” I whispered to the dark. “Mommy’s getting justice for you.” Around midnight, a sound woke me from a light sleep. It wasn’t a scream. It was a low, desperate whimpering sound, squeezed out from the very bottom of a terrified throat. I stepped out of the car and walked toward the dimly lit shed. A single naked bulb hung from the ceiling, casting long, sickly shadows. Grizz wasn’t there, just two hands sitting on overturned buckets, smoking rolled cigarettes. Inside the rusted cage, Vee lay curled up in the corner, her back legs trembling violently. Her stomach was already noticeably swollen. The dark magic bound to her soul was reacting to the pregnancy, accelerating the process. The farmhand noticed me and tossed his cigarette butt onto the dirt floor. “All done, ma’am. That Shepherd took to her right away.” I nodded, stepping right up to the iron bars. Vee lifted her head slowly. Her eyes were bloodshot, the fur around her snout soaked with tears. Do dogs cry? They do when a human soul is trapped inside them. I reached out my hand and lightly poked her swollen belly through the bars. “Congratulations,” I whispered, my voice dripping with honeyed poison. “Litter number one.” Vee violently flinched, pulling herself deeper into the shadows of the cage. “Don’t be scared,” I said, standing up straight and looking down at her. “We’re just getting started.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536932”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 Karl’s plane went into a fatal dive. Over the emergency radio, he recorded his last words. “Babe, the will’s in the safe. Everything transfers to you. I set up a ten-million trust for our son.” Then the line reconnected. I was eight months pregnant, sobbing into the phone. Karl’s voice softened. “Hailey, my love… I’d give anything to come home to you two.” I froze. Hailey wasn’t me. She was my adopted sister. I called my childhood friend. He sighed. “Hailey was drugged at a bar, Fiona. Karl saved her. The pregnancy was an accident, but he stepped up.” My brother, who’d introduced us, grabbed the phone. “He would’ve married her years ago if not for you. Pretend you don’t know. It’s better for everyone.” Ice flooded my veins. Everyone knew. Everyone but me. … The sting of betrayal and humiliation spread through me like wildfire. I touched my lower abdomen, tears dripping onto the back of my hand, burning my skin with an unbearable ache. I had planned to share the wonderful news of my pregnancy the moment Karl returned from his night flight. Now, the very existence of this child had become a agonizing dilemma. Before I could think any further, I took a cab to Karl’s mother’s house. I was terrified she might see the crash news on TV and collapse from the shock. Karl had betrayed me, but his mother had done nothing wrong. Yet as I reached her front door, I overheard my best friend’s sympathetic voice from inside. “How is Hailey holding up? The second I heard about the lost aircraft, I rushed right over.” I froze on the landing. Through the crack in the door, I saw Karl’s mother wiping away tears. “Toby has a fever. She is in the bedroom taking care of him and does not know about the plane yet.” My best friend patted her shoulder comfortingly. “Karl kept Hailey and Toby hidden on the south side of town for five whole years just to keep that woman on the north side in the dark. They have suffered so much. Don’t worry, for the sake of his wife and son, Karl will come back safe and sound.” It felt as though the world had shattered around me. I could hardly believe my own ears. It was so absurd I almost wanted to laugh. Just last week was our seventh wedding anniversary. Karl said he was scheduled for an international flight and could not make it home. My best friend had personally bought flowers and a cake to celebrate with me, wishing us a long and happy life together. Karl’s mother had even called to reassure me, saying I was the best daughter-in-law she could ever ask for. Yet all along, they all knew Karl had built another family with my adopted sister, and they had conspired to keep me blind. I shoved the door open, forcing back a sob. “Where is Hailey?” Seeing me standing there, Karl’s mother and my best friend went pale. Both sprang to their feet at the same time. “Fiona? You know?” Before I could react, one rushed over to block my path while the other guarded the bedroom door at the end of the hallway. Karl’s mother grabbed my arm tightly, pinning me in place. “Fiona, I know this hurts, but you have to think about Karl too,” she pleaded, her grip firm. “You could not give him a child in seven years of marriage! In the old days, a woman like you would have been cast aside. You cannot just expect him to have no heirs simply because you cannot lay an egg yourself!” I stopped in my tracks, staring at her in sheer disbelief. I had gotten pregnant during our second year of marriage. But back then, Karl’s mother suffered a stroke and was bedridden. Karl was facing a critical evaluation for his captain promotion and could not take time off. I spent weeks without sleep, taking care of her in the hospital until I collapsed and miscarried. That miscarriage damaged my body so severely that doctors told me I might never conceive again. Back then, lying in her hospital bed, his mother had wept tears of remorse, saying her family owed me everything. Now, she was calling me a barren hen that deserved to be cast away. As I stood locked in a standoff with her, the front door swung open again. It was my parents. A wave of sorrow washed over me, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. “Dad, Mom, I…” They did not even glance at me. They brushed right past me, striding toward the back bedroom. “Hailey, sweetie, we are here!” my father called out cheerfully into the room. “Toby, look what Grandpa brought you! It is the new Transformer set you wanted!” My mother held a thermal flask that gave off the rich, comforting scent of chicken soup, a recipe I knew all too well. “Hailey, your appetite has been poor lately. I brewed some fish maw chicken soup to help build your strength.” The bedroom door clicked open. A five-year-old boy ran out, throwing his arms around my father’s leg with an excited squeal. “Thank you, Grandpa! You are the best!” My mother walked into the room naturally, softly instructing, “Come, drink it while it is hot…” I watched the scene, paralyzed by the sheer surrealism of it. I was like a ghost, completely invisible to the people who were supposed to love me most. My throat felt as bitter as gall, making it impossible to squeeze out a single word. My best friend cast a panicked, sympathetic glance toward me. Just as I opened my mouth to speak through my tears, Karl’s mother leaned in close, whispering with a cold, mocking smile. “Fiona, you see it yourself. Your parents treat Hailey and Toby like their true daughter and grandson now. You are just the aunt who stole Hailey’s husband. What right do you have to make a scene?” My mother guided Hailey out of the room. When our eyes met, Hailey flinched. “Fiona? What are you doing here?” my mother asked. My father followed her gaze, finally noticing my presence. “Fiona, have you finally come to your senses? Are you ready to accept Hailey and Toby now? Your mother and I were dying for a grandchild for years. Thank goodness Hailey fulfilled our dream.” I stared at them, my hands trembling violently. Hailey gathered her courage and stepped out from behind my parents, stopping right in front of me before bowing deeply. Her eyes were red, looking every bit like a helpless victim. “Sister, my feelings for Karl are real. I gave birth to Toby out of love. I just wanted a family of my own. I never intended to ruin your marriage. I beg you, please do not throw Toby and me out. I will give you back the house Mom and Dad bought for me. Please…” She looked on the verge of tears, attempting to pull the boy down onto his knees with her. My parents hurriedly pulled her back up, filled with distress. “What nonsense are you talking about? What is given to you is yours!” I looked at my parents in utter shock, my voice shaking uncontrollably. “Where did you get the money to buy a house?” Catching their guilty, evasive glances, my heart sank. “Did you use the money I deposited with you to buy her a home?” Years ago, my parents complained that they were getting old, had no savings, and worried about their future. Without a second thought, I transferred all my pre-marital savings to them and promised to support them for the rest of their lives. Yet behind my back, they had given every cent to the woman who stole my husband. Anger blinded me. I lunged forward, grabbing Hailey’s wrist. “Give my money back! That was never yours to take!” Hailey cried out in pain. Seeing his mother hurt, Toby rushed forward and hurled his heavy plastic toy straight at me. “Bad woman! Don’t hurt my mommy!” I let go instantly, clutching my lower abdomen in reflex. The heavy toy struck my wrist, causing it to swell instantly. The sharp pain made me gasp for air. Toby lunged at me again, tugging at my clothes and hitting me with his fists. “Bad woman! Get out!” A dull, thumping pain flared up in my lower belly. Instinctively, I pushed him away. The boy stumbled back, tripped, and tumbled onto the floor, bursting into loud, frantic wails. “It hurts! It hurts so much!” Everyone’s expression shifted dramatically. Hailey pulled him into her arms, sobbing as she yelled at me, “Sister, everything is my fault! Toby is innocent! How could you lay a hand on a child? Strike me, yell at me, but leave my son alone!” My father rushed forward in a rage, slapping me hard across the face. “Enough!” My mother pointed at me, her eyes red with fury. “How can you be so heartless? He is just a little boy! Are you trying to kill us with your malice?” My best friend chimed in as well. “Fiona, stop being so stubborn.” They stood tightly around Hailey and Toby, united against me, glaring at me as if I were the villain destroying a happy home. The strength to fight drained out of me completely. Holding my aching belly, I turned around and dragged my feet toward the door. “Fine. I will leave.” “Fiona!” As I opened the front door, I ran straight into Karl, who was rushing up the stairs. His clothes were torn and his hair was a disheveled mess. Taking in the scene, he realized instantly that the truth was out. He reached out and pulled me into a desperate, crushing embrace. “Fiona, when the plane went down, I thought I would never see you again. Thank God the rescue team arrived in time.” A sharp wave of grief crashed over me. He held me so tightly I could not push him away. “Fiona, surviving that disaster made me realize that being near the person I love is the most important thing in the world.” My heart flickered with a faint, fragile spark of hope, only for it to be instantly doused by his very next words. “I want to bring Hailey and our son home. The four of us can live together happily from now on, okay?” I stared at him in disbelief as he let go of me and pulled Hailey and Toby into his arms instead. This was the same man who had knelt before me during his proposal, crying as he swore I was the only woman he would ever love. Now, he was standing here, proposing a shared life with another woman. A bitter laugh escaped my lips, tears streaming down my face. I was nothing more than a complete fool. Seeing the deep sorrow in my eyes, his tone softened. “Fiona, I know you feel wronged. I promise I will make it up to you doubled. You will always be my wife. I will not give up either of you.” Hailey reached out to hold my hand, looking entirely innocent. “Sister, we will be a real family now. I will make Toby call you Mom too…” I yanked my hand back with all my strength. “I don’t need a bastard calling me Mom! I can have my own children!” Hailey lost her balance, stumbling backward down the stairs and dragging Toby down with her. Karl’s eyes narrowed in shock. He shoved me aside brutally, rushing down the steps to gather them into his arms. “Call an ambulance! Someone call an ambulance!” I hit the floor hard, the pain in my stomach multiplying instantly. As Karl carried Hailey inside, she clung to his shirt, whispering faintly, “Karl, it was my fault… I slipped… don’t blame Fiona…” Before I could recover from the searing pain, my mother stepped forward and delivered a stinging slap across my cheek. The force sent a ringing sound buzzing through my ears, the copper taste of blood filling my mouth. My mother’s voice shrieked with rage. “Hailey has yielded to you her whole life! She never tried to take anything from you! Why won’t you just let her go?!” Looking at her desperate defense of Hailey, I found it horrifyingly funny. “Is she not the one who crawled into my husband’s bed? Is she not the home-wrecker here? She didn’t want to steal anything? Then where did that child come from?!” I spat out, blood staining my lips. “She is a mistress who destroyed my marriage!” “Shut your mouth!” My brother and my childhood friend, Nate, arrived at that very moment. My brother pulled two divorce certificates from his coat and hurled them straight at my face. Nate coldly pulled two red booklets from Karl’s bag, holding them up before my eyes. [Issued: May 20, 2021. Cardholders: Karl Shen and Hailey Song.] Five years ago, they had registered their marriage behind my back. In the eyes of the law, I was merely Karl’s ex-wife. I stared at the date printed on those certificates, my eyes burning. My heart felt as though a blade was twisting inside it, suffocating me so completely that even the agony in my stomach faded into numbness. My brother looked at me and let out a sigh. “Fiona, I warned you. Making a scene will bring you no good.” Nate glanced sympathetically at Hailey’s pale face before turning cold eyes on me. “Now you are the mistress intruding on someone else’s marriage. Are you satisfied?” My mind went entirely blank. “Why… why would you do this to me?” My brother explained with a helpless expression, “Karl loved Hailey from the beginning. But Hailey knew you liked him, so she stepped back and even asked me to set you two up. She has suffered so much for you. Why can’t you just yield to her for once?” I clutched my chest, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. I thought I had found the love of my life, but it turned out my entire marriage was just a scrap of charity handed down by Hailey. Seven years of marriage, seven years of devotion, and in their eyes, I was merely a thief who had stolen Hailey’s man. I forced myself to stand up, fighting through the excruciating pain. I clenched my teeth, suppressing the sobs threatening to break from my throat. A warm liquid began trickling down the inside of my thighs. I looked down to see bright red blood pooling onto the floor, staining the tiles beneath me. Sirens wailed outside the building as paramedics rushed upstairs with a stretcher. Karl lifted Hailey into his arms, charging toward the medical team. One of the paramedics caught sight of the blood pooling around my feet and stopped Karl, frowning. “What happened to that lady over there? She is bleeding heavily…” Everyone crowded around Hailey, blocking the paramedic’s view. “Don’t worry about her! She is fine!” “Hailey looks pale! She might have suffered internal injuries from the fall, get her to the hospital!” “She has low blood sugar, hurry!” The crowd urged the paramedics down the stairs in a chaotic rush. My vision blurred, my body growing colder by the second. The pain in my lower abdomen felt as if my organs were being torn apart. I leaned against the wall, dragging myself step by step toward the elevator. Using the absolute last remnant of my strength, I pressed the button before darkness swallowed me whole. When I woke up, I was already inside an ambulance, saved by a kind neighbor who had found me. The gurney rolled frantically down the white hospital hallway, the harsh lights flashing overhead. The heavy doors of the operating room slammed shut. “Threatened miscarriage! Severe uterine hemorrhage! The fetus cannot be saved, prepare for an emergency D&C immediately!” “Get the family to sign the consent form! We are running out of time!” A nurse pulled out my phone, dialing one contact after another. After what felt like an eternity, someone finally picked up. The nurse spoke urgently into the receiver, “Is this Fiona’s family? She suffered a severe miscarriage and hemorrhage. She needs an emergency procedure immediately. Please come to the fifth-floor operating room to sign!” On the other end, amidst a chaotic background noise, Karl’s voice sounded deeply impatient. “What did you say?” Toby’s loud wailing echoed in the background, making Karl instantly anxious. “I don’t have time for this right now. Goodbye.” The call was abruptly disconnected. I bit my lip until it bled, holding out my trembling hand toward the nurse. “I will sign it myself.” Cold anesthesia surged through my veins, followed by the cold scrape of surgical instruments inside me. I closed my eyes as silent tears slipped into my hair. The baby was gone. Karl and I were over. Just as they all wished.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536931”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Alex’s desk was overflowing with love letters again. He pulled out his phone and sent me twenty dollars, just like he always did. “Hey, do me a favor and toss these?” I nodded quietly. That evening, I stood in the dim stairwell, gathering the envelopes to throw into the recycling bin. Right at the bottom of the pile, my eyes caught a soft pink envelope. The signature belonged to the girl Alex secretly liked. 1 The lighting in the stairwell was weak and flickering. I held the letter tightly, hesitating for a long time before tucking it into my bag instead of throwing it away. Sabrina had transferred to the school two weeks ago, placed in the class right next to ours. On her very first day, someone posted her photo on the student forum, and she effortlessly claimed the title of school beauty. Even a guy as proud and sought-after as Alex could not help admiring her. “She’s impressive,” he had remarked once while glancing out the window. A few days ago, I heard his friends teasing him in the hallway. “You’re so hard to get. What kind of girl actually catches your eye?” Alex leaned against the balcony railing, letting out a lazy, careless laugh. “Someone like Sabrina, I guess.” He was far too proud to ever make the first move, even when he genuinely liked someone. And now, Sabrina had written him a love letter. The next morning, I arrived at the classroom early. Alex was not there yet. We had been desk mates for two years. He was the one who had requested the seat arrangement. He liked that I was quiet, kept to myself, and never caused trouble. He also knew my family struggled financially. Once he realized that, he began asking me to handle small errands for him, using it as an excuse to hand me pocket money. Deep down, I always knew we belonged to entirely different worlds. He was born into privilege, effortlessly sparkling wherever he went. I was the dull stone sitting beside gold, destined never to shine. I waited a short while before Alex walked into the room. He did not look at me, heading straight to his seat and pulling out a practice test. My hand hovered inside my backpack. After a long internal struggle, I called his name softly. “Alex.” The pen in his hand paused. He lifted his eyelids lazily. “Stuck on a math problem?” I shook my head. “No.” I pulled out the pink envelope and slid it across the desk. “I missed this one when I threw them out yesterday. Do you want to read it?” In the past, Alex would have shaken his head without a second thought and told me to trash it. This time, his eyes fell on the name written across the front. His eyebrows lifted in surprise. He took the envelope, a subtle, rare spark of joy surfacing in his eyes. “Thanks,” he murmured. 2 A couple of days later, I noticed a bright blue hair tie wrapped around Alex’s wrist. Out of nowhere, he turned to me and asked, “What kind of gifts do girls actually like?” I froze, caught off guard. Before I could formulate an answer, a guy from the back row strolled over to our desks. “Dude, your desk mate is a total nerd. Asking her about romance is useless. You’re better off asking me.” Alex’s brow furrowed, his voice instantly turning cold. “Mind your own business.” I remained quiet for a moment before asking in a low voice, “Who are you buying it for?” He looked at me, pausing briefly before uttering a single word. “My girlfriend.” In that split second, all the strength drained from my body. He and Sabrina were already together. I stared down at the frayed hem of my sweater sleeve, swallowing the lump in my throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.” From that day on, I stopped initiating conversations with Alex. Guilt weighed heavily on my chest, telling me I had no right to stand so close to him anymore. Later that week, I hit a wall while working through a difficult geometry problem. Beside me, Alex spun his pen between his fingers and casually tilted his shoulder toward my desk. He was ready to explain the solution to me. It was a unspoken rhythm we had built over the past two years. He was always remarkably quick to spot my quiet moments of distress. Instead of sliding my paper over to him as I usually did, I turned around and whispered to the girl sitting behind me, “Do you mind helping me with this question?” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alex’s body go rigid. A second later, he shoved his chair back and walked straight out of the classroom. That evening, rain poured heavily over the campus. When I reached the ground floor, I ran into Alex standing by the main entrance. He stared at me for a moment. “Want to walk together?” It would not have been the first time we shared an umbrella. I shook my head politely. “No thanks. I left my umbrella in the classroom. I’ll just go back up and grab it.” Through the curtain of rain, Alex looked down at me, his voice heavy. “Is that so?” “I watched you pack your bag today,” he added coldly. “I didn’t see an umbrella in there.” “You missed it,” I lied quietly. He tightened his grip on the umbrella handle, nodding with an indifferent expression. “Right. Whatever you want.” We did not speak a single word to each other for the next few days. The silence did not last long, however. One afternoon as the final bell rang, I packed my books and stood up to leave, only to be blocked. Alex extended one long arm against the doorframe, effortlessly trapping me at my desk. I watched as the rest of the class trickled out until the room was completely empty. Only then did he lean down slightly, staring intently at my face. “Willow.” He rarely called me by my full name in such a serious tone. My heart skipped a beat. “Did I do something wrong?” his voice was quiet, almost dangerous. “What made you so unhappy with me?” 3 Alex had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had always taken exceptional care of me. Whenever someone gossiped about me behind my back, he was the first to shut them down. Whenever someone else asked him for help at the same time I did, he always prioritized me. To put it simply, I had always been his exception in this classroom. A girl from another class had even pulled me aside once to whisper, “Willow, why is Alex so protective of you? Does he have feelings for you or something?” I had shaken my head instantly. “No. Not at all.” She had smiled gently. “You know, if you pulled your hair back and pinned your bangs up, you’d be really pretty. Why don’t you try it? A guy like Alex only comes around once in a lifetime. Besides, you’re right next to him. Don’t you know what an advantage that is?” I had stayed silent back then. Now, sitting under his intense gaze, I pressed my lips together. “I’m not unhappy. I just have things to take care of, so I should go.” Without waiting for his response, I ducked under his arm and walked out of the classroom without looking back. Halfway down the stairs, I remembered I had left an important review sheet under my desk. I had no choice but to turn back. When I reached the hallway, I saw Sabrina standing outside our door. She was tall, striking, and held an exquisitely wrapped gift box in her hands. I had seen that brand online before. Their cheapest items cost at least five figures. “Thank you for the gift,” she said, her voice bright and sweet. Alex lowered his eyes. “Glad you like it.” Sabrina smiled, stepping a little closer. “I told my dad I want to transfer into your class. Can I sit next to you?” The faint moonlight spilled across the corridor. My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. Alex did not answer immediately. He knit his brows slightly, as if weighed down by a troublesome thought. “We’ll see.” Sabrina chuckled softly. “What, are you worried nobody will sit with your current desk mate? I heard she’s a total recluse.” I stood frozen in the shadows, not daring to stay and hear his answer. Turning on my heel, I hurried down the stairs as fast as my feet could carry me. 4 Two days later, Sabrina officially transferred into Class One. Our homeroom teacher had left for an administrative meeting, so Sabrina stood alone at the podium to introduce herself. She spoke with effortless confidence, describing her background with poise. A few guys in the back row immediately started whistling and teasing. “Hey Alex! The school beauty came all the way here for you! You taking her out for dinner tonight?” “Yeah, man, should we start calling her our sister-in-law now?” Alex let out a quiet, warning scoff. “Keep it down. Don’t freak her out.” Just then, the homeroom teacher walked back in. He scanned the room before turning to Sabrina. “There’s an empty desk in the front row. How about you sit next to Wyatt?” The entire classroom fell dead silent. Everyone in school knew about Wyatt. He was a wealthy, rebellious slacker who did not care about grades or rules. He spent his days causing trouble or sleeping face-down on his desk. Nobody dared to mess with him, and nobody ever voluntarily sat next to him. Yet he could be surprisingly unpredictable. A while back, after driving the teacher crazy, he was ordered to move his desk to the front row, and he had casually complied without a word of protest. A cool breeze swept through the window. I glanced at Alex beside me. He lifted his eyes, looking as though he was about to raise his hand and speak to the teacher. Before he could say a word, I stood up. “Mr. Davis,” I spoke up, my voice steady despite the racing pulse in my chest. “I’ve been struggling to see the whiteboard clearly from here. Can I swap seats with Sabrina?” I was usually the quietest student in the room. This was the very first time I had ever volunteered to speak in front of everyone. Rather than waiting for Alex to gently push me away for her sake, I preferred to take the initiative and step aside first. The teacher pondered for a moment. “Alright, that works.” At that exact moment, the pen in Alex’s hand slipped, clattering loudly against the floor. He made no move to pick it up. Instead, he turned his head to look at me, his eyes dark, carrying an unmistakable trace of mockery. In a voice so low only the two of us could hear, he whispered, “You’ve been acting so weird lately. Is all of this really because of Wyatt?” 5 Alex was normally distant, cold, and utterly indifferent to the world around him. He rarely showed strong emotions. It was the first time I had ever heard him speak to me in such a sharp, sarcastic tone. I stared at him for a brief second before answering quietly, “This has nothing to do with him. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me these past two years.” Hearing those words, Alex let out a faint, cold laugh. He turned his head away and stopped looking at me. I packed my books and moved straight to the front row. Wyatt glanced up at me, lifting a lazy eyebrow with an amused expression. “Willow?” I pressed my lips together, slightly startled. Wyatt almost never interacted with the girls in our class, nor did he add anyone on social media. I distinctly remembered a gorgeous girl asking him if she could watch him play basketball a few weeks ago. He had stared at her blankly for a long time before asking, “Sorry, who are you again?” Yet he remembered my name. I gave a small nod. “Yeah.” He withdrew his gaze without saying anything else. For the rest of the day, I forced myself not to glance back toward my old seat. But Alex and Sabrina were not sitting far from me. I could constantly hear her light, pleasant laughter, and even Alex seemed to talk far more than usual. I could not make out the details of their conversation, nor did I want to. When the final bell rang, I let out a long breath of relief. I gathered my things and headed downstairs. Halfway down the stairwell, someone slammed into my shoulder from behind. I lost my balance and tumbled forward, my forehead cracking hard against the iron railing. Pain shot through my head. I reached up to touch the spot, feeling warm, sticky blood on my fingers. I hissed softly from the stinging pain. The very next second, Sabrina’s sweet voice drifted down from above. “You fell on your own! Don’t you dare try to pin this on me!” Her voice was melodious, but the words carried a sharp, nasty edge. I wiped the blood from my brow and looked up at her. “You pushed me.” I held out my right hand, pronouncing every word clearly. “Pay for my medical bill.” 6 Sabrina froze, staring at me in utter disbelief. “Are you insane? You’re actually trying to extort money from me?” I cupped my bleeding forehead and stood up, preparing to confront her, when a familiar, crisp voice echoed from the top of the stairs. “What’s going on here?” I turned around and saw Alex standing a few steps away. He was holding a paper bag from a high-end bakery in one hand and a pink backpack in the other. I recognized that backpack. It belonged to Sabrina. The sight stung my eyes like acid. I forced myself to avert my gaze immediately. Beside me, Sabrina immediately put on a pained, spoiled expression, whining to Alex, “It’s all your fault for taking so long to buy pastries! Now I’m getting shaken down by your former desk mate.” Alex frowned. He looked at the blood running down my forehead, his eyes tightening slightly. He reached his hand out, instinctively moving to brush back my bangs to check the wound. Halfway there, his hand froze in mid-air. He pulled it back. Then I heard him speak in a quiet, measured tone. “Really? She’s not the kind of person who makes up lies for money.” He was defending me. Yet for some reason, the defense only made my chest ache with an overwhelming sense of humiliation. Sabrina pouted, thoroughly displeased. “Why are you taking her side? She literally just demanded money from me! I saw your phone messages with her, Alex. You’ve been sending her money constantly. Someone as desperate for cash as her wouldn’t hesitate to pull a scam like this!” Hearing those words, Alex’s eyes shifted. He looked at me, his gaze growing dark and distant. I shook my head, squeezing out a faint whisper. “It wasn’t like that…” He did not intend to listen to my explanation. Instead, he took a step back, putting distance between us. When he looked at me again, his eyes were completely stripped of warmth. “Was this really necessary, Willow?” Five short words. I understood exactly what he meant. He was asking me why I had sunk so low for money. He was telling me that even if I was facing a sudden financial crisis, as long as I asked him, he would have helped me out of pity for our past connection. I opened my mouth, desperate to explain myself. Opposite us, Sabrina casually took the bakery bag from his hand, pulled out a pastry, and took a small bite. “Mmm, so sweet,” she purred. Yes, she was perfect. Her entire life was sweet and easy. I came from poverty, and I had accepted so much of Alex’s charity over the years that it was only natural for people to look down on me. Whatever I did, it would always look pathetic in their eyes. So I said nothing. I gave Alex one final, quiet look, turned around, and walked away without looking back. 7 I went to the clinic alone. By the time the nurse finished cleaning and bandaging my forehead, it was already past ten at night. When I reached my small apartment, I pulled my phone from my bag and turned it back on. A notification popped up immediately. A little while ago, Alex had transferred one thousand dollars to my account. Below the transfer, he had left two messages. [Sabrina is a sweet girl. She doesn’t have bad intentions. Let’s just drop what happened today and never bring it up again.] [Even if we aren’t sitting together anymore, you can still handle errands for me. I’ll continue to pay you.] Staring at the screen, a numb chill spread through my chest. Truth be told, I owed him a lot. The tasks he used to assign me were always trivial things, throwing away letters, filling his water bottle, or picking up packages. Yet every single payout was enough to cover a month of my living expenses. I could no longer bring myself to accept his charity in such a humiliating way. After a long pause, I typed out a reply. [There’s no need. If you’re worried your girlfriend will misunderstand, you can delete my contact.] His reply came back almost instantly. [Misunderstand what?] A knot tightened in my throat. Right. To him, I was nothing more than a convenient classmate he pitied. I typed back: [Nothing. I’m going to sleep.] I waited for a few minutes until his final message appeared. [Okay.] I stared at that single word until my eyes burned with tears. The wound on my forehead throbbed with a dull, persistent ache. Just as a tear slipped down my cheek, a new notification popped up at the top of the screen. It was a friend request. [I’m Wyatt.] I blinked in surprise, tapping the accept button. He got straight to the point. [I heard you take cash to handle errands?] I paused, thinking it over. It was true, though I had never done it for anyone other than Alex. But an opportunity to earn money was not something I could afford to turn down. I typed back: [Yes. What do you need me to do?] Instead of texting, he sent an audio message. Through the speaker, his voice sounded lazy, carried with a casual, slightly careless tone. “Cool. Grab me breakfast tomorrow morning.” 8 The next morning, I arrived at the classroom holding two bags of breakfast. Alex happened to be walking through the front door at the exact same time. At first, his expression was distant and cold. But when his eyes landed on the breakfast in my hands, his eyebrows lifted slightly, the corner of his mouth curving into a subtle, satisfied smirk. He reached his hand out toward me. “Thought you said you weren’t doing errands anymore? Why’d you bother buying me break…” Before he could finish his sentence, Wyatt strolled past him. Wyatt reached out and effortlessly snatched the bags right out of my hand. He peeked inside, giving a low nod. “Not bad. Thanks.” Without glancing at either of us, Wyatt headed straight for his desk. Students were trickling into the classroom, chatting and laughing around us. Alex lowered his gaze, staring at me intently, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. His jaw tightened. “So… that was for him?” There was no reason to lie. I met his eyes and nodded. “Yes.” The moment the word left my mouth, Alex let out a sharp, cold laugh. He offered no further explanation, brushing past my shoulder and walking straight to the back row. I stood in the doorway, quietly staring at the floor. A moment later, a loud crash echoed from the back of the room. A chair had been kicked violently to the ground. It was Alex. He seemed to be snapping at someone nearby, his temper flaring dangerously. “The bell’s about to ring. Are you deaf?” I did not turn around to look, but I could hear two girls behind me whispering in hushed tones. “What’s up with Alex today? Why is he in such a terrible mood?” “Oh, I think a guy from Sabrina’s old class was sitting in his seat, chatting with her. Alex probably got jealous.” “Wow, even a guy as composed as Alex gets reckless when he’s in love? Is this what they call a prince falling off his pedestal?” I tuned out their voices, walking to my desk and pulling out my notebook. As I lifted my head, a small box of medical tape and a fresh Band-Aid appeared in front of my face. Wyatt leaned back in his chair, his tone offhand. “Hey, the cut on your forehead is bleeding through the old bandage. Change it out.” He did not ask me how I got hurt. He simply offered a solution without prying into my business. A sudden wave of warmth washed over me, making my eyes sting again. I took the Band-Aid from his hand and looked at him earnestly. “You’re a really good person.” Before this, I had been somewhat terrified of him, given his notorious reputation for having a short temper. Morning sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden rays across our desks as the teacher walked in. Amidst the soft rustle of textbooks, Wyatt gave a quiet, amused chuckle. “Right.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536930”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 For two months after adding Tommy to my credit account, strange charges appeared. Tess posted a $1,200 perfume: “Sis and future bro got me this!” Sarah shared a $2,000 sushi dinner: “Thanks Lindsey and Dr. Tommy!” That night, Tommy brought home cold eel rice, apologizing for swiping wrong. Over two months, $15,000 vanished. Then a $300 charge hit. Before I texted, three messages flashed: Mom: “I spent it. Don’t fight Tommy.” Tess: “School fees. I’ll repay.” Sarah: “Tight on cash. Tommy covered meds.” I’d said nothing. Heart sinking, I cabbed to the boutique. Serena stood at the register, sheepish: “Pregnancy brain! Forgot to log out of Lindsey’s account.” My family shrugged: “Family doesn’t grudge over dollars.” I rubbed my worn jacket’s hem. My hard-saved credit line was drained by everyone but me. … I walked inside. Tommy saw me first. His face went rigid, and he instinctively stepped in front of Serena, blocking half her body from my view. “Lindsey, Serena is pregnant. Control your temper.” My mother hurried over, speaking in a gentle, placating tone. “Lindsey, leave your sharp tongue at the door today. She’s expecting, you can’t be cruel to her.” Sarah and Tess grabbed me from left and right, holding my arms as if they were afraid I would attack her. Sarah, leaning heavily into her authority as a doctor, spoke with absolute conviction. “Serena is carrying Tommy’s child. You two haven’t had any luck in seven years. You wouldn’t want Tommy’s bloodline to end with you, would you?” I looked past Tommy’s shoulder. Serena hadn’t said a word or lifted a finger, yet she had turned everyone I loved against me in an instant. “Why?” My voice was dry and raspy as I turned to my mother. Five years ago, Serena took out illegal loans and put my brother Lucas’s name on the contract. Lucas was driven to jump from the roof of his building, leaving me with nearly a hundred thousand dollars in debt. I hadn’t slept a full night since. “Serena killed Lucas, Mom. You used to hate her. How can you stand next to her?” Serena clutched my mother’s sleeve, her face draining of color. My mother patted her hand reassuringly before turning to give me a pained, reproachful look. “Serena was only nineteen back then. What did she know about loan sharks? Your brother coaxed her into signing those documents. At the end of the day, it was Lucas’s fault.” She sighed. “You’ve been so wrapped up in your job that you never care for this family. Serena is the one who steps up and handles things around the house.” I stared at her in total disbelief. “Mom! I carry three thousand dollars in debt payments every single month because of her! Just because she scheduled a doctor’s appointment for you and picked up your prescriptions, you completely forgive her?” Tommy cut in, his patience wearing thin. “That’s enough, Lindsey. I know working to pay off that debt is exhausting. But she only spent a few hundred dollars today. Do you really have to make a scene over every single penny?” He pulled out his phone to process a transfer. “I’ll send the money back to you right now. She has a checkup this afternoon, so let’s talk about this later.” I grabbed his wrist tightly. “We talk about it right here! Right now!” I stared into his eyes. “Tommy, how long have you two been sleeping together behind my back?” Tommy’s brow twitched, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face. Sarah couldn’t stand it any longer. She pulled up Serena’s digital medical file and shoved the screen in my face. The medical record was crystal clear. Five years ago, after watching my brother jump, Serena began seeing Tommy for psychological trauma. For five long years, while I worked myself to the bone to pay off her debt, Serena had moved from his private therapy room straight into his bed. Yet Tommy had gotten engaged to me just last month, introducing me to all our relatives. Even yesterday, he had rested his palm against my stomach, smiling as he whispered that we should have a baby soon so I could finally leave Lucas’s shadow behind. “Lindsey, Serena tried to end her life back then. Tommy and I dragged her back from the edge,” Sarah argued, full of self-righteous pity. “She’s fragile. You can’t hold one past mistake against her forever.” I looked at Serena’s pale, innocent face and let out a bitter laugh. “Five years of my life ruined by debt. I’m not letting this go. I’ve already called the police.” Serena burst into tears on the spot. “Lindsey, I really didn’t mean to use your card! I just forgot to switch accounts when I paid with Tommy’s phone!” The veins on Tommy’s forehead thrummed with rage. “Lindsey! I already sent you the money! I’m apologizing on her behalf, isn’t that enough?” He grabbed a maternity dress off the nearest rack and slammed it onto the counter. “If you feel so deprived, I can buy you gifts too! Perfume, dinners, dresses, whatever you want!” I looked at him with a hollow smile. Once, he had carefully slipped a pair of polished heels onto my feet before my big interview, wishing me a path straight to the top. Now, he was tossing an ill-fitting maternity dress at me just to shut me up. I met the glare of every person standing in that store, refusing to budge an inch. When the officers arrived, I gave a detailed account of how Serena had repeatedly used my financial accounts without authorization. Just as the officer began writing up the incident report, Sarah stepped forward. “Officer, Tommy is Serena’s fiancé, and he has already reimbursed the funds,” Sarah said smoothly. “I strongly urge you to look into Lindsey’s credit profile. She owes nearly a hundred thousand dollars to private lenders. She’s desperate and opportunistic. She only called you to extort money from Serena.” I stared at Sarah, barely recognizing the hostility in her eyes. In college, when I was so poor I had to split a single pack of instant noodles into two meals, she bought my cafeteria tickets for an entire month. The girl who used to hug me and say, “It’s okay, you have me,” was gone. She avoided my gaze, reaching out to touch my hand. “Lindsey, I’m sorry. If I didn’t say that, they would have taken Serena away. She’s pregnant, and as a doctor, I couldn’t just stand by.” Serena bit her lower lip until it turned white. “Lindsey, you can hate me all you want, but please don’t take it out on Dr. Sarah or your mother!” Tess immediately shielded Serena, glaring at me with pure resentment. “Lindsey! Everyone feels suffocated around you because you count every single cent!” Tommy looked at me with cold disgust. “Serena never demanded a formal title. She even agreed to let you have the main wedding first while she took your hand-me-down dress and bouquet later. If anyone is suffering here, it’s her, not you.” He took Serena’s hand and walked her out of the shop. Inside my chest, nothing remained except a scorched wasteland. My brother’s life and five years of my youth had all become a tragic joke to the people standing in front of me. Sarah tugged gently on my arm, using the old gesture we shared whenever we reconciled after an argument. “Lindsey, you still have us.” “Sarah,” I said softly, stepping back. “We are no longer friends.” I hurried out of the store, choking back the sob rising in my throat. They weren’t worth my tears. I pulled out my phone, canceled the shared account completely, and dialed the number for the loan agency. I requested an immediate reassessment of my family’s joint assets. From this moment on, the debt would be split evenly. No one was getting out of this storm unscathed. When I got home, I gathered every single thing Tommy owned and dragged it out to the trash dumpster. The landlord stood by the doorway, offering an awkward, apologetic smile. “Lindsey, Mr. Tommy paid out the rest of the year’s rent plus a contract penalty. He asked that you move out immediately.” I was thrown out into the night, my bags piled up along the curb. Tommy drove up a short while later. He stepped out of the car, his thumb lightly brushing across my tear-stained cheek as he let out a heavy sigh. “You unlinked the card, Lindsey. Serena couldn’t pay at the coffee shop today, and people called her a thief in public.” He looked down at me. “Now that you’re getting cold looks from strangers, maybe you’ll understand what she goes through every day. I hate seeing her hurt, but I hate seeing you cry too. Why do you keep forcing me to choose?” I turned my face away from his touch. “You’re dreaming if you think you get to keep both, Tommy.” He drew his hand back, rubbing his fingertips together. “I kept my relationship with Serena a secret because I knew you’d make things miserable for her. Can’t you just leave her alone? She hasn’t had an easy life.” “In your dreams!” I snapped. The remaining tenderness in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy glare. “You really want to push me into a corner?” After a quiet standoff, he scoffed, tapped something into his phone, and got back into his car. He drove off without another word. A moment later, my phone chimed with a bank notification. My entire checking account balance had been wiped out to zero. My mind went completely blank, followed instantly by a sharp, agonizing headache. “Tommy!” I dialed his number frantically. “Lindsey,” his voice came through the speaker, soft and composed, yet ruthless. “If you don’t want me dropping details about your family’s debts to your employer, stay away from Serena.” The threat landed like a heavy blow to my spine. His gentle tone made the pain hit twice as hard. “Give it back, Tommy! Tomorrow is my loan deadline!” I crouched on the side of the road, sending frantic voice notes over and over again. Then my mother called. “Lindsey, stop bothering Tommy. He transferred your money to me, and I gave it to Serena. She lost her baby while she was suffering with your brother years ago. This money is her recovery fund. Our family owes her that much.” Tess chimed in over the line, shouting, “Lindsey, if you call the police again, you’ll be putting Mom behind bars! Just drop it!” My mother spoke again, her voice full of weary instruction. “Lindsey, money can always be earned back. If you don’t have a place to stay, just come back home.” I ran my fingers over the long scar on my wrist, the souvenir from when debt collectors forced me into oncoming traffic, snapping the skin open before it was stitched back together. “No,” I said quietly. “I don’t have a home anymore.” I immediately called Janice, a former colleague now working at a top brokerage firm in London. “Janice, you offered to recruit me for the London office a while back. I’m taking the offer. Process my onboarding as fast as humanly possible.” Then, I forwarded Serena’s private phone number directly to the head of the loan collection agency. The next morning, Tommy caught me right outside my bank branch. Without a word of explanation, he dragged me straight to the private lending firm’s office. The moment Serena saw him, she broke down in tears. “Tommy, I really don’t have the money to pay them back.” She cast a timid glance in my direction. “Lindsey, it’s all my fault. I’ll go sell my blood or my kidneys to pay them, okay? Just don’t be mad.” Tommy shoved me hard against the marble reception counter. My wrist slammed against the sharp edge with a dull thud. He flinched for a fraction of a second, but Serena’s dramatic sob instantly drew his attention away. He turned to the loan manager, his voice cold. “The person who owes you money is Lindsey. I cleared Serena’s debt four years ago.” The loan manager flipped through his thick ledger, letting out a greasy laugh as he looked at me. “That’s correct. Dr. Tommy paid off Serena’s ten-thousand-dollar share four years ago. But you still have seventy thousand remaining on your account, Lindsey. Signed in black ink. No getting out of it.” This debt, built on Serena’s lies, had crushed every aspect of my adult life. My mother was too old to work it off. Tess was still in school. For five years, I worked as a bank auditor by day and taught evening accounting classes by night. I had been terrified of borrowing a single dollar from Tommy, worried it would taint our relationship. Yet he had quietly cleared Serena’s debts during their second year together. “Tommy,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Four years ago, when we were crammed into that freezing basement apartment, you told me you couldn’t help me because you had lent all your savings to a friend in need.” I took a step closer to him. “I believed you! I worried you wouldn’t have enough to eat, so I worked until I collapsed just to support your medical practice! And all this time, that friend was her?” A flicker of sorrow crossed Tommy’s eyes. “Lindsey, Serena isn’t strong like you. She carries deep trauma and can’t hold a normal job. You work in banking. You have opportunities. You’ll clear the debt eventually.” I lunged forward, grabbing Serena by the wrist as I glared at the manager. “She took my money! Neither she nor I are leaving this room until this is settled!” The loan manager offered Tommy an uncomfortable smile. “Dr. Tommy, you have a residential property under your name worth well over eighty thousand. Why don’t you just cover Lindsey’s remaining balance?” “Absolutely not!” Tommy snapped instantly. “That house is reserved for Serena and our child.” I grabbed a glass of water off the desk and threw it right into his face. “Tommy! I used my employee discount at the bank to secure the mortgage for that house! That was supposed to be our home!” Tommy wiped the water from his skin, looking down at me with cold, pathetic pity. “The deed is already registered under Serena’s name. I only let you stay there because I felt sorry for you.” He adjusted his damp collar and turned to the manager. “Can I take her now?” The manager made a polite gesture toward the door. The heavy glass doors slid shut in front of me. Tommy placed a protective arm around Serena’s waist as they stepped into the elevator, leaving me behind without a second glance. Ten hours later, my mother and sister arrived to sign my release paperwork. My mother didn’t offer a single word of concern. Only harsh judgment. “Lindsey, you went way too far this time. Serena was so shaken up by your scene that she ended up in the emergency room last night.” Tess glared at me angrily. “Lindsey, why did you add my name to the list of liable guarantors? You have the capacity to work, why drag me down with you?” My mother’s face hardened. “You just can’t stand seeing Serena happy, can you? Before coming here, Serena, Tommy, and I talked it over. When the baby is born, it will take our family name. I’m transferring our old apartment over to Serena.” She looked at me coldly. “The car and my old jewelry will go to Tess. You’re on your own from now on.” She took Tess by the arm and walked away without looking back. I didn’t chase after them. Instead, I went straight to the hospital administration office and submitted a formal complaint regarding Tommy and Serena’s improper doctor-patient relationship. An hour later, I was on the hospital rooftop. Sarah was holding Serena tightly around the waist, pleading with her. “Serena, please don’t do this!” “Tommy is only under temporary suspension! Every doctor in the department can testify that he only stayed close to Lindsey to manage her severe mental instability!” Catching sight of me, Sarah raised her voice, screaming across the roof, “Lindsey, do you really have to drive her to her death? Her depression relapsed entirely because of you!” Serena was perched precariously on the edge of the railing, weeping hysterically. “I’m sorry, Lindsey! I seduced Tommy, I led Lucas on! I deserve to die! Just please, take back the report against Tommy!” I watched them quietly from a distance. I remembered the moment right before my brother jumped five years ago. Serena had stood near the ledge and told him: “Lucas, if you’re going to jump, do it already. Don’t drag me and my baby down with you.” When I reached the roof back then, that single sentence had wiped out the very last spark of hope in my brother’s eyes. And later, standing over his body, Serena had told the debt collectors: “I had a miscarriage yesterday. I have nothing to do with this man.” Now, watching her dramatic performance on the railing, my expression remained completely cold. “Jump then,” I said softly. “Go down to hell and keep my brother company.” Suddenly, someone yanked my arm back with violent force. A sharp slap cracked across my cheek. My mother stood there, her eyes swollen and red, glaring at me with raw hatred. “Lindsey! She’s sick! She’s paid for her mistakes over these past five years, what more do you want from her?” The burning sting on my face shattered the last tiny piece of longing I held for my mother’s love. Tess rushed over, grabbing Serena’s hand. “Serena, Tommy’s suspension was lifted! He’s on his way up right now!” Serena sobbed, shaking her head. “Lindsey will never let me live in peace. As long as I’m with Tommy, she’ll keep trying to destroy us!” My mother dragged me toward the edge of the roof, forcing my head down as her voice rang out colder than the wind. “Apologize to Serena right now! Promise you’ll leave Tommy alone so she can have this baby in peace!” I shoved her hands off me, opening my mouth to laugh at her ridiculous demands. Before I could speak, Serena’s body suddenly slipped backward off the ledge. She crashed hard onto the lower concrete ledge below. Seconds later, a dark pool of red began spreading beneath her legs. Tommy burst onto the rooftop just in time to see it. He cast a murderous glance in my direction before scooping Serena into his arms and sprinting toward the stairs. I stumbled back to the bank in a daze. The branch manager slammed a thick stack of disciplinary papers directly into my face. “Lindsey! As an internal auditor, you engaged in predatory loans and illegal gambling activities?” The credit account I had opened for Tommy had been turned into evidence against me. The accusation was that I used financial perks to bribe medical personnel while attempting to harm Serena out of personal malice. They had gone to incredible lengths just to avenge Serena. I was fired on the spot. When the loan collectors learned I had lost my job, their tactics turned ruthless. They held up their phones, showing me messages from Tommy and my family. “Your family made it very clear, Lindsey. They won’t pay a single cent toward your debt.” To force my hand, they dragged me to the rooftop of a high-rise downtown in the middle of the day. They stripped my jacket off and launched a drone to broadcast the scene live online. “Look at this top-tier university graduate! Got herself into debt, lost her job, and can’t pay it back! Let me see if her rooftop dancing earns enough tips to clear her balance!” They gave me a one-month deadline. If I couldn’t pay, they threatened to harvest my organs piece by piece. Just as I reached absolute rock bottom, an email notification popped up on my phone. Janice was crying on the other end of the line. “Lindsey, get on a plane to London right now. Money isn’t an issue. Our executive saw the livestream online, he’s taking care of the legal team to shut those collectors down.” I left everything behind and ran straight into the pouring summer rain. That very night, I boarded a flight bound for London. At Tommy and Serena’s formal wedding reception. The groom, dressed in a tailored suit, suddenly felt a sharp, hollow ache in his chest, as if a vital piece of his life had been ripped away forever. He held Serena’s hand, whispering softly to comfort her. “Honey, Lindsey was with me for seven years. She’s out there somewhere hiding from debt collectors, I just can’t stop worrying about her.” My mother sat at the head table, staring at a plate of braised pork, my favorite dish. A sudden wave of unease washed over her, and she pulled out her phone to check the date. “Today is the final day of her one-month deadline,” she murmured. “We played along with the collectors for so long just to teach her a lesson. Let’s go pay off the balance today and bring her back home.” Tommy dialed my old number multiple times, but every attempt led straight to an automated message stating the line was disconnected. Growing increasingly anxious, he called the loan manager directly. When he heard the answer from the other side of the line, his face turned completely white.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536929”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My best friend and I both got pregnant by accident at the exact same time. She was carrying her movie star ex-boyfriend’s baby, while I was pregnant with a high-society billionaire tycoon’s child. Since neither of those men seemed to want the kids, my best friend had a brilliant idea. “How about we keep the babies and ditch the dads?” “Deal!” I said. “Wherever you go, I go!” So, we packed our bags, fled the country with our baby bumps, and kicked off our dream life living together. Until three years later, when my best friend’s toddler went viral because he looked like a carbon copy of the famous actor. The camera accidentally caught my daughter and me in the background, too. That very night, a squad of men in black suits completely surrounded my lounge. I pulled out my phone to dial emergency services, but before I could touch the screen, someone bound my wrists behind my back with a leather belt. A powerful hand clamped around my waist, pulling me close as a ruthless voice rasped into my ear: “Go on, call them! Guess how many times I’ll break you before the cops even show up?” 1 Fresh off a messy breakup, my best friend Piper dragged me to a high-end lounge to drown her sorrows. She was just about to run her fingers over a boy toy’s sculpted abs when a towering figure materialized at the entrance. It was Harrison, the silver-screen heartthrob. Tucking his cap low, Harrison stormed over, his face dark as thunder. He glared at the young model who bore a striking resemblance to himself. “Who the hell is he, Piper? You using some cheap knockoff as my substitute?” Piper glanced up, a cold, mocking smirk playing on her lips as she stood up. “Why not? You replaced me with Serena. What makes you think I can’t find someone to replace you?” “Besides, your family’s precious heirloom bracelet is sitting on another woman’s wrist right now.” Harrison choked on his own breath, his face turning pale. “I told you, I didn’t give her that bracelet.” “Great,” Piper shot back, her voice sharp as glass. “Then go get it back!” Silence stretched between them like a suffocating blanket, cutting through the thumping bass of the club. Harrison stood frozen for a long moment before letting out a defeated sigh. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that.” Even though she had seen it coming, the mask on Piper’s face fractured. Her eyes rimmed with red, she grabbed her bag and gave me a quick nod. Then, she turned on her high heels and strode out of the lounge without looking back. Harrison gave me a tight nod before rushing after her. Knowing how easily he usually talked her round, panic surged through me. I yelled after her, “Piper! Don’t you dare go soft on him! This is a dealbreaker!” “Dump him for good this time!” I screamed until my throat was bone dry. Suddenly, a hand with long, elegant fingers reached out from behind, holding a slice of chilled watermelon. I stared at the hand, my mind wandering. Man, these young models really knew how to pamper a girl. I turned around with a bright smile. “Hey handsome, what’s your name?” The words died in my throat. My smile froze, and I turned entirely to stone. The handsome model sitting beside me had vanished. In his place stood Fred Pierce. He had razor-sharp facial features, a sculpted jawline, and an gaze so cold it felt like ice running down my spine. Terrified, I took a step back, but his firm grip caught my wrist instantly. Fred looked down at me, a dangerous, mocking smile curling his lips. “You like younger guys?” “Fine. Let’s go home. I’ve got plenty to show you.” 2 That night, Fred pinned me against the floor-to-ceiling glass window, showing no mercy until the crack of dawn. Outside, the glittering city skyline stretched endlessly, a playground for the impossibly rich. Without Fred, I wouldn’t even have the right to set foot in a penthouse like this. Of course, I wasn’t his girlfriend. At best, I was just his caged songbird. During my first year trying to break into the entertainment industry, a shady director tried to force himself on me. Despite my polite rejections at the dinner table, the guy kept pushing, his hand sliding toward the hem of my dress. That was when Fred stepped in. A single, quiet word from him was all it took to crush the director and pull me out of the fire. He was an untouchable billionaire tycoon, and I was just a nobody struggling at the bottom of the ladder. His pursuit wasn’t flashy. There were no grand, public declarations or overwhelming romantic gestures, but he quietly cleared every obstacle in my path. Paired with a face that could easily outshine any Hollywood A-lister, it was impossible not to fall for him. Still, I knew where I stood. A gilded bird was never the same as a real girlfriend. Deep down, I knew we were a dead end. Leaving was only a matter of time. “Distracted again?” Perhaps to punish my wandering thoughts, Fred’s thrusts grew heavier behind me. “What are you thinking about? Still daydreaming about those younger guys?” A sharp gasp escaped my lips. I reached back, my nails digging into his muscular arm as I bit my lip and shook my head furiously. My response failed to satisfy him. He flipped me around to face him, his eyes dark with possessiveness. “Even if you weren’t, you’re taking all of it tonight.” It felt like an eternity before the storm finally settled. Fred carried me to the master bathtub, wrapping his arms around me from behind as the hot water washed over us. As my senses slowly returned, I couldn’t help asking, “I heard your older sister, Victoria, is back in the country?” “Yeah.” Fred had been close to Victoria since childhood, and she held immense sway in the Pierce family. More importantly, rumor had it that Victoria hadn’t returned alone. She had brought a woman with her, the woman meant for an arranged marriage with the Pierce family. My chest tightened as I tested the waters. “Can I meet her?” Fred’s closed eyes snapped open. His piercing gaze searched my face, but his voice remained flat and distant. “There’s no need.” Just as I thought. A secret lover wasn’t worthy of meeting his family. I masked the pang of disappointment in my chest and forced a small smile. “Okay.” That afternoon, Piper, who had promised to call me, remained silent. It wasn’t until noon the next day that a text finally popped up on my phone. [Don’t worry. We didn’t get back together.] 3 I thought life would just drag on like this. Until a month later, when both Piper and I realized our periods were late. We went to the clinic together. The moment the ultrasound results came out, we stared at the words “Pregnancy Confirmed” on the paper, dropping into an absolute silence. Piper snatched my report, looking at me with pure frustration. “We agreed you’d just grab some industry resources and break it off! How could you not use protection?” “I did use it!” I argued defensively. Then, remembering how wild that night by the window had been, my voice dropped to a whisper. “It… might have broken.” Piper rolled her eyes, completely speechless. Now it was my turn to grab her report. I raised my voice. “You’re scolding me? What about you! You don’t even have a boyfriend! Who’s the wild daddy here?” Piper’s eyelashes fluttered nervously. She avoided my eyes, muttering under her breath, “Harrison’s.” “Whose?” I scowled, doubting my own ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and shouted right into my ear, “My ex! Har-ri-son!” My ears buzzed from the noise. I rubbed my ears and grumbled, “Fine, Harrison it is. Why are you screaming!” Piper was already broke up with him, and Harrison had his untouchable childhood crush, Serena. As for me? I was just a hidden mistress kept in the shadows, and Fred’s high-society fiancée had just arrived in town. We exchanged a look and let out a synchronized sigh. Neither of those men would ever welcome these babies. After a long pause, Piper grabbed my hand, hesitation in her eyes. “What if… we keep the kids and trash the dads?” I thought about it for a second. “Deal. Fred has been pretty generous over the years. Plus, with the money I saved from acting, we can easily buy a nice villa abroad.” “We’ll get a dog, a cat, two moms, and two babies in one big house.” Isn’t that the ultimate retirement dream for two best friends? 4 We moved fast. Even though Harrison kept bothering Piper, they were already broke up and living apart, so she could pack up and leave whenever she wanted. My situation was much trickier. I kept looking for the right moment to end things with Fred, but the opportunity never came. Until one night, Fred came home completely wasted. The moment the front door swung open, the smile froze on my face. Fred was leaning heavily on a stunning woman. I recognized her instantly from the news photos taken the day Victoria returned. It was Fred’s arranged fiancée, Samantha. “Hi there. You must be Sienna, right? Fred had a bit too much to drink, so I brought him back.” She looked at me with a warm, gentle smile. Unlike what I had imagined, Samantha seemed to know everything about my relationship with Fred. I managed a tight, polite smile and took Fred from her, helping him onto the couch. Samantha didn’t leave immediately. She looked around the spacious living room, smiling softly. “Could I trouble you for a glass of water?” I walked over to the kitchen island without a word. Behind me, her voice drifted over casually. “I heard you’ve been taking good care of Fred while I was away. Thank you.” “I’ve watched your movies, by the way. It’s really not easy for a woman to make it in the industry without a backing. Victoria and I actually admire you a lot.” “She mentioned wanting to invite you to the Pierce family dinner sometime soon. Did Fred tell you?” My hand holding the pitcher froze mid-air. I turned around and met Samantha’s gaze calmly. In her eyes, there was no mockery for my hidden status, nor was there any arrogant display of her wealthy background. There was only the quiet confidence of a true future mistress of the house. It was a kind of security I could never feel, no matter how long I stayed by Fred’s side. In that instant, the heavy boulder that had been weighing on my heart finally crashed down. I knew it was time to leave. That night, after Fred fell into a deep sleep, I packed up my belongings. Expecting this day to come eventually, I hadn’t kept much at his place. I left behind all the expensive gifts Fred had bought me, taking only a hand-woven red wristband. We had gotten a pair from a quiet chapel in Florence years ago, a prayer for safety and peace. I had spent so much time wondering how to say a proper, dignified goodbye. But maybe a face-to-face scene wasn’t necessary after all. On the gray silk sheets, Fred’s sharp features were as striking as the day I first met him. He always thought he was the one who pursued me. He never knew that I had fallen for him at first sight, too. A wave of bitterness and sorrow washed over me. I pulled out my phone and sent him one final text message. [I’m leaving. Our paths diverge here. May we never meet again.] Before stepping out the door, I blocked his number. Goodbye, Fred. I hope we both find peace in the lives ahead… 5 This was our third year living in Australia. Both Piper and I had given birth to healthy, adorable babies. Piper had a baby boy named Toby, and I had a baby girl named Penny. When the kids turned three, Piper started posting mommy vlogs online, though she always kept her own face off-camera. As for me, I opened a cozy little lounge near the beach. Life was sweet and relaxed. We had plenty of money, total freedom, and my bar even hired a few handsome young bartenders. Everything was perfect until one day, a comment suddenly blew up under Piper’s latest video. [Is it just me, or does little Toby look insanely like the movie star Harrison?] Harrison had once posted his childhood photos on social media years ago. The moment that comment dropped, curious netizens pulled up the old photos for comparison. The resemblance wasn’t just vague, it was practically a copy-paste job! Toby instantly went viral overnight! Countless users began tagging Harrison’s official account in the comments. Some asked Piper: [Who’s the baby daddy?] Piper couldn’t resist a snarky reply: [No dad. Asexual reproduction.] When netizens started questioning if she was a mistress hiding a bastard child, she fired back sarcastically: [If you guys knew who his father was, you’d realize I’m the one who got cursed here.] The very next second, a verified account named Harrison commented directly under her post. [Are you sure about that, Piper?] The username was Harrison, the avatar was Harrison, and most importantly, he called her out by her real name. Calling it a coincidence or a super fan seemed completely absurd now. Scared out of her mind, Piper deleted all her replies instantly and locked her account so only friends could comment. That night, she rushed to my lounge in a full-blown panic, terrified that Harrison would hunt her down and take Toby away. I tried to calm her down, pointing out that Australia was huge. Even if Harrison saw the videos, there was no way he could find our exact address from a few short clips. Seeing her still sick with worry, I promised to take her out for a day trip the following morning. 6 The next day, while we were walking the kids near a popular scenic spot, a street interviewer suddenly blocked our path. Given Toby’s sudden internet fame, we instantly declined the interview and tried to leave with the kids. But we couldn’t stop the video from being uploaded online later. In the clip, Toby’s face was crystal clear, and the camera caught both Penny and me in the frame as well. The internet went wild instantly. [Holy crap, from a passerby’s angle, the kid looks even more like Harrison!] [Is this Harrison’s secret kid? Honestly, nothing surprises me with celebrity scandals anymore.] [Wait, the little girl in the frame is gorgeous too! Did her mom use to act? She looks so familiar!] Seeing the online storm spiraling out of control, I sat down with Piper to brainstorm. “Maybe we should move to a different city. Business at the lounge has been slow anyway, I’ve been thinking of selling it.” Piper nodded repeatedly. “Sounds good! Wherever you go, I go.” Piper deleted her account entirely, while I posted a notice to sell the lounge. That very afternoon, someone reached out wanting to buy the place and asked to meet me that evening. I waited at the lounge past closing time, but the buyer never showed up. An eerie gut feeling crept up my spine as the night grew quiet. Suddenly, a heavy thud echoed from the entrance. The next second, the heavy wooden doors were kicked open with a deafening bang. Dozens of muscular guards in black suits rushed inside, completely surrounding the lounge. A cold chill shot up from the soles of my feet, almost paralyzing me. I forced my voice to stay firm. “Who are you looking for?” Silence. Nobody answered. My nerves snapped. I turned and bolted out through the back door. The moment I swung the back door open, I slammed right into a solid, towering chest. A familiar, cool scent of cedarwood enveloped my senses. Stumbling back a few steps, I frantically pulled out my phone to dial emergency services. But before the call could connect, a sharp pain shot through my wrist. My phone crashed onto the pavement, its screen flickering faintly in the dark. My arms were yanked behind my back, bound tight with a heavy leather belt. A powerful hand gripped my waist, pulling me backward into a hard, warm chest. A deep, familiar voice drifted into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Sienna… had a good few years?” It was a casual greeting, but I could hear the deadly chill lurking underneath. My spine turned to ice. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing my breathing to steady. “Fred, we broke up. This is Australia. Don’t do anything stupid.” “Broke up?” A dark, icy chuckle rasped against my ear. “Did I ever agree to that?” “And so what if I do something stupid?” Even after years apart, I still remembered how ruthless Fred could be. I closed my eyes, making one last desperate attempt to fight back. “I already called the cops!” Right on cue, the phone on the ground connected, and the dispatcher’s voice echoed faintly through the speaker. Fred leaned down, picked up the phone, and held it right against my ear. A low, arrogant laugh vibrated in his chest. “Go on, give him the address, sweetheart.” “Guess how many times I’ll break you before the cops even show up?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536928”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the eve of our wedding, news broke out that my fiancé’s mistress had given birth to his child, causing quite a stir. Before I could even confront Julian Sterling, he brushed it off with an incredibly casual shrug. “It was just an accident, Chloe. Just focus on getting the rehearsal dinner ready.” “Besides, your dad has late-stage stomach cancer. Calling off this alliance right now won’t do either of our families any good.” That night, he skipped our rehearsal dinner. Instead, he posted a photo of a newborn wrapped in a swaddle on his Snapchat story. When I FaceTimed him, he was literally bottle-feeding the baby. “I’ve been busy taking care of the baby lately, so I don’t have time to hang out with you. You know the Sterling family has always struggled with heirs. This baby is a big deal.” He wiped a smear of formula from the baby’s mouth. “But don’t worry. Once he’s a month old, I’ll send him to our private estate in Switzerland.” “You just need to show up as his mother for important public events. The title of Mrs. Sterling will always be yours.” I stared at the matching diamond ring on his ring finger and laughed out loud. “Julian, the wedding is off.” He sneered, “You’re throwing a tantrum over this? Don’t be so spoiled, Chloe.” I hung up the FaceTime immediately and dialed Charles Sterling’s private number. “I heard you’ve been looking for a new wife lately? Why not consider me?” I rubbed my stomach and let out a soft laugh. “After all, Vance women are famous for our fertility gene. I can give you as many heirs as you want.” Being the sole heir must be so lonely for Julian. I’ll make sure he gets a few new uncles to keep him company.

On the other end of the line, Charles’s slightly raspy voice came through: “Chloe, what kind of nonsense are you talking about?” I chuckled, my voice dripping with mockery. “You saw the news. Your precious adopted son is dirty, and he disgusts me. I’m serious. I want a replacement.” Silence stretched over the line for a few seconds before his voice trembled slightly. “We can’t talk about this over the phone. I’m coming to see you right now.” “Sure. I’ll be waiting at my place.” My lips curved up, a look of absolute determination in my eyes. Charles was only in his early thirties, but due to a genetic fertility issue in the Sterling family, all his IVF attempts had failed. That was why he had no choice but to adopt Julian from a branch of the family to groom him as his successor. And the only reason my family, the Vances, could secure an alliance with the Sterlings was because of our women’s legendary “fertility gene.” It was said that Vance women conceive almost instantly, often with twins or triplets. Regardless of whether my father was sick or not. This marriage was a tacit necessity for both the Sterlings and the Vances. I just didn’t expect Julian, whom I had dated for five years, to be stupid enough to knock up some girl right before the wedding and expect me to just swallow my pride. But I, Chloe Vance, have never been the type to suffer in silence. Shortly after I hung up, my doorbell rang urgently. Charles stood at my door, a complex storm of emotions in his dark eyes. Before he could even speak, I grabbed him by his tie and dragged him into my apartment. “Chloe, you…” Before Charles could finish his sentence, I sealed his lips with a kiss. My fingers traced the collar of his shirt, slowly sliding inside. My actions spoke louder than any words. No hesitation. No holding back. I was showing him in the most direct way that I meant business. I could feel his internal struggle, but in the end, he surrendered to his desires. A night of wild passion. Afterward, he held me close, his voice husky. “I have some urgent business to handle overseas. I have to leave tomorrow and might be gone for a while. Wait for me to come back.” “Then… what about the wedding?” He looked down at me, his eyes dark. “It goes on as scheduled. I’ll make sure to be back. You’re the only daughter of the Vance family, and the most suitable bride for a Sterling.” After Charles left, I wanted to go back to sleep, but my phone on the nightstand started buzzing. Julian’s voice came through, sounding incredibly entitled. “Chloe, get over here right now. Melanie is exhausted. Come help her watch the baby. I’m taking her to an auction to cheer her up.” Taking care of the baby he had with another woman? Had he lost his absolute mind? “Julian, I’m not your maid or your nanny. You’ve got the wrong person.” He paused, then sighed. “Chloe, Melanie went through so much pain to give birth to this child for the Sterlings. She did it for you, too.” “This baby carries Sterling blood. As the future lady of the house, isn’t it your job to learn how to care for him?” His logic was so absurd it was laughable. I let out a mocking laugh. “Julian, your logic is truly breathtaking. It’s giving me goosebumps.” “We are over. Who you have babies with or who takes care of them has nothing to do with me.” “Do not call me again.” Before he could say another word, I hung up. I lay back down, but the anger was boiling inside me. I opened my phone to browse the news to distract myself, only for a notification to pop up on Instagram: [Sterling CEO Spends Millions to Spoil His True Love at Luxury Auction!] I clicked it. The photo showed Julian holding Melanie at the auction. The way he looked at her was so tender—a level of devotion and love I had never seen on his face during our five years of dating. My heart twinged slightly. Over the years, for my birthdays, he would just have his assistant buy some random bag or jewelry on Amazon. He never picked anything himself, let alone spent this much effort to make me happy. They say a man’s heart is where his money is. It seemed Julian had never loved me from the very beginning. To change my mood, I decided to go try on my wedding dress. But when I pushed open the boutique doors, I froze.

In front of the full-length mirror, Melanie was elegantly twirling in a wedding dress. She looked dissatisfied, pointing at the bust area and telling the stylist: “Tighten it a bit more here. And the train—I think it would look better if it were three inches longer.” That dress was custom-designed. I had spent six months collaborating with the designer to perfect it. It was fully hand-embroidered, incredibly expensive, and held all my dreams for my future marriage. Pure rage surged into my brain. I took a deep breath, forced down my anger, stepped forward, and said coldly: “Take it off. That’s my wedding dress.” Hearing my voice, Melanie flinched, shrinking back tearfully behind Julian, who was standing right next to her. “Can you not be so aggressive? You’re scaring Melanie.” His tone was accusatory, as if I were some hysterical psycho. I almost laughed in sheer disbelief. “Julian, that is my custom gown.” “It took six months of hand-stitching to make! What right does she have to wear it?!” Julian’s expression flickered with a hint of guilt. “Chloe, of course she has the right. She’s the bride, so of course she’s wearing the dress.” I didn’t understand what he was getting at. “I’ll still sign the marriage papers with you. The alliance between the Vance and Sterling families remains valid.” He paused, glancing back at Melanie. His eyes softened. “But Melanie went through hell to give me a child. I can’t let her feel cheapened.” “So, I figured she should be the one to walk down the aisle at the ceremony. It’ll give her some status.” “You… what did you just say?!” I was shaking with anger. If I went along with this, my family and I would become the laughingstock of the high society. Julian seemed to think his arrangement was completely logical, his tone growing more confident. “Chloe, I know this isn’t entirely fair to you, but Melanie really had a hard time. For the sake of the baby, just…” “Julian, you absolute bastard. You expect me to play along with this circus of a wedding?” “I sign the marriage certificate, Melanie gets the wedding night, and then I have to play mother to your bastard child?” “Do you think I’m some beggar on the street begging for your scraps, Julian?” My voice grew louder, drawing stares from other customers in the boutique. Melanie began to sob softly. “Please don’t be mad, Chloe… I know my place. I just wanted to be a bride once. I know I don’t deserve it…” Julian frowned, giving me a warning look. “Chloe, my mind is made up. You’ll agree to this whether you like it or not.” “If it weren’t for my father’s sake, do you think I’d even marry you?” I let out a cold laugh. It seemed Charles hadn’t told him about the groom swap yet. “Fine.” I looked him dead in the eye, my voice icy. We would see. At the wedding, it wouldn’t be him swapping brides. It would be me swapping grooms. Julian’s brows knit together. He clearly didn’t expect me to agree so easily, and his face filled with suspicion. Hiding behind him, Melanie’s eyes flashed with triumphant glee. Over the next few days, photos of Julian and Melanie’s pre-wedding shoot trended on Instagram for three days straight. The media still promoted it as the Vance-Sterling wedding, but the bride in the photos was Melanie. To the public, everyone assumed she was the real heiress of the Vance family. My close friends called me in a panic, asking what was going on. The elite circle mocked me, whispering that I was such a desperate simp that I let a mistress steal my entire identity. But I ignored them all, focusing solely on taking care of my father. The doctor said his condition was deteriorating rapidly and he needed to be hospitalized. I stayed by his side 24/7. I carefully filtered out all news about Julian and Melanie, terrified that the drama would stress him out. Yet, Melanie actually had the audacity to sneak into my dad’s hospital room with Julian while I was briefly away. The moment I walked back in, I saw Melanie holding a fashion magazine, pointing at the wedding photos, and speaking to my father in a sickeningly sweet voice: “Mr. Vance, look at how beautiful these photos are. Julian and I worked so hard on them.” “But to marry him in this dress, all the hard work was worth it.” “On the wedding day, I’ll make sure you get the seat of honor!” My father’s face was pale as ash. His chest heaved violently, his hand clutching the bedsheets, his lips trembling as he tried to speak but couldn’t. The heart monitor next to the bed suddenly began to beep frantically. “Dad!” I let out a bloodcurdling scream, rushing forward to slam the emergency call button. “Chloe, don’t get so excited…” Melanie purred, but I shoved her away with all my might. “Get out! Both of you, get the hell out of here!” I roared, my eyes instantly filling with tears. “Quick! The patient is in critical condition! Prep for emergency resuscitation!” the doctor shouted as they rushed in. The nurses pulled me back. I could only watch in horror as my father was wheeled into the ER. Julian tried to step forward to comfort me, but I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me! You monster!” I pointed right at his face, screaming. “You knew my dad was sick, yet you came here just to torment him! What is wrong with you?!” Frightened, Melanie hid behind Julian, peeking out to say innocently: “Chloe, we just wanted to visit Mr. Vance and invite him to the wedding.” “Bullshit!” Like a madwoman, I scrambled up from the floor to lunge at Melanie, but Julian grabbed me in a death grip. “Chloe! Calm down!” “Calm down?! How can I calm down?! That’s my father!” I thrashed in his arms, my nails scratching deep into his forearms.

“It was just an accident!” Julian’s voice was filled with irritation and anger he could barely hide. “Besides, Melanie was only trying to be nice. Who knew he’d react this dramatically?” He glanced at Melanie with an obvious protective instinct. “Right now, the public thinks Melanie is the Vance heiress. If no one from your family shows up at the wedding…” “People will start questioning her identity. It won’t look good for the Sterling reputation.” My lips curled into a deeply sarcastic smile. “Julian, are you blind or just incredibly stupid? You know exactly what Melanie is!” “She has nothing to do with the Vance family! She’s just a homewrecking gold-digger who slept her way to the top!” Julian’s face darkened completely. He raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. My head whipped to the side, a sharp ringing echoing in my ears. “Even if you’re the one on the marriage license, Melanie is the only wife I will ever recognize!” “So keep your mouth shut.” Those words felt like a dull knife sawing back and forth across my already shattered heart. But louder than the pain was a volcanic wave of pure, unadulterated hatred. We had been together for five years, and yet he could be this cruel. “You don’t need to show up at the wedding in two days,” Julian said casually, though his voice carried a threat. “Just stay in the hospital and keep your dad company.” Without looking back, Julian waved at a few burly bodyguards standing at the end of the hallway. “Watch her. Do not let her take a single step out of this hospital.” The bodyguards immediately marched over, forming a human wall around me. I stared viciously at the direction where Julian had disappeared. He thought keeping me locked up in the hospital would let him marry Melanie in peace? In his dreams. I touched my stomach, pulled out my phone, and made a call… The day of the wedding. Melanie smiled triumphantly, stroking the luxurious silk of her gown. So what if Chloe was the high-born Vance heiress? In the end, she got absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, Julian stood in the grand reception hall, looking highly uneasy. He had sent out hundreds of VIP invitations. Given the Sterling name, the venue should have been packed to the brim. Yet, with the ceremony minutes away, only a handful of guests had shown up. The massive hall looked embarrassingly empty. Melanie noticed it too when she walked out. Frowning, she tugged at Julian’s arm, her voice trembling with anxiety. “Julian, where is everyone? Why is it so empty?” Julian’s anxiety spiked. He signaled a waiter to call the family butler over. But instead of the head butler, a low-level maid appeared. Julian’s temper flared instantly. “Where is the butler? Why isn’t he here?” The maid trembled slightly, keeping her head low. “The butler is busy managing the Chairman’s wedding. He can’t get away. He said if you need anything, I can handle it.” “My father’s wedding? Since when is my father getting married? To whom?” Julian’s voice faltered, his face turning pale. “To the Vance heiress, Miss Chloe Vance.” Julian’s face froze in absolute disbelief. He mumbled, “What? Say that again.” Terrified by his expression, the maid stammered out: “Right upstairs. The Chairman is currently holding his wedding ceremony with Miss Chloe Vance.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “459787”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I’ve spent my entire life happily living in my sister’s shadow. From the time we were kids, my absolute favorite thing in the world was catering to her—fetching her water, carrying her bags, grabbing her coffee. It was my chosen role, and I loved every second of it. So when Charlotte got into Columbia University, I pulled off a massive academic sprint, skipped a grade, and followed her right in. On move-in day, Charlotte rolled into our dorm suite with a security detail of eight men. My new roommates were practically bowing, whispering about “the campus princess,” while I was quietly smoothed out the silk sheets on her bed. Only Elma Marshall watched me with a dry, knowing smirk. “You don’t look like a roommate,” she murmured, loud enough for the room to hear. “You look like her lady-in-waiting.” I just smiled and kept tucking in the corners. Later that afternoon, Charlotte casually tossed her brand-new, blush-pink quilted Chanel handbag onto my desk. “This shade suits you better anyway,” she said. “Take it.” As I beamed and caught the bag, Elma was just walking past our open door, her eyes lingering a second too long on the gold chain. Over the weekend, while Charlotte was away on a trip to Paris, Elma and I were the only ones left in the suite. “Zoey,” Elma said, leaning against the doorframe, “do you have any idea what everyone in our class calls you behind your back?” I didn’t look up from my laptop. “Charlotte Harrington’s golden retriever.” The next morning, my boyfriend, Zach Caldwell—the golden-boy lacrosse captain—asked to meet me on the campus quad. Elma was already standing next to him, her eyelashes wet with tears. When Zach saw me walk up, his forehead creased into a deep, disgusted frown. “Zoey, can you please have some self-respect?” he snapped. “You’re selling your dignity for a purse?” “Elma comes from a modest background, and she still has more grace and pride in her little finger than you do.” Elma gently tugged at his sleeve, her voice soft and trembling. “Zach, please don’t. Don’t ruin things with Zoey because of me. I’m not worth the trouble.” I looked at their joined hands, and for a second, I actually had to suppress a laugh. Seriously? Had neither of them noticed that Charlotte and I shared the exact same last name? … I adjusted the Chanel strap on my shoulder and let out a soft laugh. “You’ve been holding that in for a while, haven’t you, Elma?” I said, looking her up and down. “What’s the matter? Do you want the bag too? Too bad you can’t afford it.” Elma’s face instantly flushed a violent red. Her lips trembled as she took a fragile step backward. Zach’s brow furrowed deeper, and he stepped forward, shielding Elma with his body. The disappointment in his eyes was palpable. “Zoey! I had no idea you could be this cruel.” I tilted my head. “Cruel?” “When did you become so incredibly petty and arrogant?” he said, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. “Elma doesn’t have much, and you’re using your hand-me-downs to mock her? Have you lost your mind?” He looked at me with pure distaste. I froze. Petty? Arrogant? My mind flashed back to a year ago, when Zach had stopped me outside the library. His smile had been as warm as mid-July. “Zoey, you’re the brightest, most genuine girl I’ve ever met,” he’d said, his ears turning bright red. “When you laugh, it’s like the whole campus lights up. Be my girlfriend? I want to spend every day making you smile.” I guess when the love is gone, being bright is just loud, and sunshine is just blinding. A sharp, sour ache bloomed in my chest. Elma pulled at Zach’s sleeve again, her voice thick with tears. “Zach, don’t blame Zoey. It’s my fault. I just… I wanted you to talk to her. I didn’t want her to keep letting Charlotte treat her like a…” She bit her lip, cutting herself off as if the word was too dirty to utter. “But she wouldn’t listen. She just started flaunting her things to make me feel small…” As her voice trailed off into a whimper, Zach’s expression softened into pure adoration and pity. By now, our little drama had drawn a crowd. Students walking across the quad began to slow down, whispering in small huddles. Some recognized the Chanel bag; others recognized Elma. “Isn’t that the girl who practically grooms Charlotte Harrington’s hair? Why is she carrying Chanel?” “Please, the maid gets a bonus and suddenly thinks she’s royalty.” “Keep it down. You don’t want the master coming after you.” “Oh, please. Her master is out of the country. Right now, she’s just a stray with no one to whistle for her.” The comments drifted over, sharp and precise, as if they’d practiced the volume just to ensure I’d hear every word. Some of them laughed. Others surveyed me like a piece of cheap merchandise. Zach stood right there. He heard every single word, and he didn’t say a thing to defend me. His eyes held the exact same judgment as the crowd’s. Elma buried her face against Zach’s arm, her shoulders shaking with faux-sobs. But from where I was standing, I saw the tiny, victorious curl of her lip. It was almost comical. It was just a Chanel bag. I had a closet full of them back home. I’d spent my freshman year keeping a low profile because I didn’t want the drama of being a “trust-fund kid,” but my silence had apparently branded me as a servant. Charlotte had insisted on me rooming with her only because she wanted to make sure I was eating well. I took a deep breath. “I’ll carry whatever bag I want, Elma. Why do you even care?” My indifference seemed to hit a nerve. Elma’s delicate facade cracked, and she suddenly yelled, “Zoey, who do you think you are to talk to me like that?” Her eyes were wide and swimming with tears, but her chin was tilted up in defiance. “Yes! I’m poor! My family doesn’t have money, and I’ve never owned a designer bag in my life. But at least I don’t sell my soul to get one. What gives you the right to look down on me?” The crowd’s eyes locked onto me like tiny needles. I almost laughed out loud. I hadn’t even started on her, and she was already playing the martyr. I took a step closer, looking down at her. “Elma, what makes you think I can’t afford this myself?” Before Elma could speak, Zach let out a sharp, cynical laugh. “Zoey, stop embarrassing yourself,” he said, his voice dripping with irritation. “Maybe you can fool these people, but you can’t fool me. You wear the same five outfits every week. You order the cheapest salad on the diner menu. Last month, you spent an hour on the phone arguing over a fifteen-dollar overage charge on your cell bill. Elma is at least honest about who she is. What do you have?” He gestured to my bag with a sneer. “A designer bag on you looks like a cheap knockoff from a street corner. Using someone else’s charity to humiliate Elma… aren’t you ashamed?” A low murmur of chuckles rippled through the crowd. The pain in my chest felt like a physical blow. Last month had been Zach’s birthday. He’d forwarded me a post of some influencer’s girlfriend gifting him a rare, limited-edition gaming console, adding a caption about how lucky some guys were. I wanted to buy it for him with money I earned myself. So, I took a job at a local espresso bar, standing for eight hours a day until my feet swelled so badly I could barely get my sneakers on. I took on a tutoring gig for a high school junior, spending two hours on a noisy subway after classes just to get to their apartment. I saved every single penny. But on his birthday, he’d barely glanced at the console before rushing out to a frat party with his boys. He’d probably forgotten about it the next morning. I swallowed the lump of bile in my throat. “Are you finished?” I asked, my voice deadly quiet. “Whether I can afford it or not is none of your business. Excuse me.” I turned to walk away. The crowd parted reluctantly. But I’d only taken two steps when Zach’s voice boomed behind me, sharp and furious, like a man whose pride had been wounded in public. Heavy footsteps crunched on the gravel, and then his hand clamped down hard on my arm. “Zoey, stop!” he snarled. “Elma had the decency to ask me to talk to you, and this is how you act? Who are you throwing tantrums at?” I yanked my arm out of his grip. His face flushed with rage. “You’re going to apologize to Elma right now, and then you’re going to give that bag back.” Give it back? It belonged to my family. Who was I supposed to return it to? I didn’t say a word. I just turned and kept walking. Behind me, Zach’s voice reached a desperate, angry crescendo. “Zoey! If you walk away right now, we are over!” The whispers in the crowd died down instantly. Everyone was waiting for me to turn around, to beg, to apologize. I paused for a fraction of a second. Then, without looking back, I took another step forward. When I got back to the dorm, I pulled my laundry basket from under the bed. Charlotte was coming back the day after tomorrow, and her sheets needed to be washed. I stripped her bed, soaked the linen in the basin with detergent, and knelt on the bathroom floor to scrub. The cool soapy water covered my hands, grounding me. The bathroom door creaked open. Elma walked in, carrying a bundle of dark sheets. When she saw me kneeling there, scrubbing, a small, ugly smile touched her lips. She walked over, and with a casual flick of her wrists, let her sheets drop directly into my soapy water. Suds splashed all over my face. I looked down. A dark, rusty menstrual stain was smeared across her sheets, bleeding into the clean suds of Charlotte’s linen. I slowly raised my head. “What do you think you’re doing?” Elma crossed her arms, her chin tilted up. “I started my period. My cramps are awful, and I’m too tired to wash this.” “Since you’re already doing laundry, you might as well do mine. You’re so good at washing other people’s things anyway.” She smiled, her eyes glittering with cheap victory. “We’re roommates, Zoey. Don’t be selfish.” I slowly stood up, wiping the suds off my hands with a towel. I looked at the blood-stained sheet floating in the basin, reached down, pulled it out, and shoved the dripping wet fabric right into her chest. “Wash your own damn sheets.” I knelt back down and went back to scrubbing Charlotte’s linen. The cold water soaked through Elma’s top, and she froze in shock. Then, her voice went shrill. “Zoey! What is wrong with you?” she screamed. “I’m in pain! Can’t you show some basic empathy?” I ignored her. Our other suite-mate, who had been studying in the common room, poked her head in. “Elma, starting your period doesn’t mean your hands are broken. Zoey isn’t your maid.” “Exactly,” another agreed from the doorway. “Why should she wash your blood?” Elma’s face turned an unsightly shade of grey. She bit her lip, her eyeswelling with tears, before she threw her wet sheets into her own basket and slammed out of the suite. Twenty minutes later, my phone buzzed three times in my pocket. I pulled it out. It was an unsaved number. Zoey, do you have to be such a bully? Would it kill you to help her wash a sheet? She’s on her period, for God’s sake. She’s sitting out on the bench crying her eyes out. How do you sleep at night? Another buzz. I never realized you were this cold-blooded. You won’t even help a roommate with a small favor. I am so incredibly disappointed in you. I stared at the screen and let out a dry laugh. I tapped the screen and typed a quick reply. If you want to wash her bloody sheets so badly, go do it yourself. You can lick them clean for all I care. Also, we’re broken up. You don’t have the right to be disappointed in me. I hit send. Then, I blocked the number. The screen went dark, and I went back to scrubbing. The next morning, I was woken up by a barrage of notifications. My phone was vibrating like a live wire. I squinted at the screen. My suite-mate had sent me a dozen messages, capped off with a link to the campus forum. The headline read: [EXPOSED: The Truth About Columbia’s ‘Lady-in-Waiting’—Is Zoey Harrington Actually a Fraud?] I was wide awake now. I clicked the link. The post had been uploaded at 3:00 AM. Remember Zoey Harrington? The girl who follows Charlotte Harrington around like a shadow and spent move-in day making her bed? You thought they were just close roommates? Think again. Her dad is actually a driver for the Harrington family. She’s literally domestic help. Turns out she’s just a glorified maid. The truth is finally out. Below the post was a laundry list of my “crimes.” This girl is obsessed with social climbing. She looks down on anyone from a normal background. It’s honestly embarrassing sharing a campus with someone this pathetic. At the very bottom of the thread, an anonymous user had commented: I’m her suite-mate. She never talks to any of us in the dorm. Probably thinks she’s too good for us because she gets the Harrington family’s scraps. That whiny, self-pitying tone—I could recognize Elma’s writing anywhere. The post had already gone viral on campus, with hundreds of comments rolling in. Makes sense. No normal person would be that subservient unless they were raised to do it. It’s disgusting how she acts so superior just because she gets to carry rich people’s bags. Wait, isn’t she dating Zach Caldwell from the lacrosse team? What does he see in her? Someone had tagged Zach’s account. I clicked his name and saw his public reply from an hour ago: We broke up. Thanks. Honestly, she was the one who kept throwing herself at me. The comment had hundreds of likes, with people praising him for “dodging a bullet.” Throwing myself at him? I guess he’d conveniently forgotten how he used to wait outside my lectures for hours just to walk me to the subway. I shut off my phone and stared out the window at the gray, overcast New York morning. Before I could even get out of bed, my academic advisor’s office called. “Zoey, please come to my office immediately.” Mrs. Albright pushed a stack of printed pages across her mahogany desk. It was the forum thread, with dozens of comments highlighted in bright yellow ink. She frowned, tapping her pen against the wood. “The entire university is talking about this, Zoey,” she said. “The allegations of elitism, harassment of low-income students… it’s reflecting very poorly on the department. The dean’s office is already asking questions.” She sighed, softening her tone slightly. “Look, if you just apologize to Elma, we can make this go away.” I let the word settle on my tongue. “Apologize?” “She threw a blood-stained sheet into my laundry basin, posted lies online claiming my father is a servant, and orchestrated a targeted harassment campaign against me. And you want me to apologize to her?” Mrs. Albright’s expression hardened. “Zoey, are you trying to make this more difficult than it needs to be?” I stood up, my chair scraping loudly against the hardwood floor. “Mrs. Albright, you don’t need to worry about this.” “Once my parents are back in the city, you can discuss this directly with them.” Mrs. Albright’s brow furrowed. “Fine. Let’s get your parents in here.” “I’d love to see what kind of parents raise a child to be this stubborn.” I looked her dead in the eye. “Richard Harrington. Mrs. Albright, would you like me to dial his personal office for you?” The pen slipped from Mrs. Albright’s hand, clattering onto the desk. Her lips parted, and she hurriedly pulled up the university’s donor directory on her computer. She stopped at a prominent name on the Board of Trustees. Her face went from irritation to a pale, ghostly white. “Richard… as in Richard Harrington?” she stammered. “You’re… his daughter?” “Why didn’t you say anything?” I didn’t answer. I turned, opened the door, and walked out. I was halfway back to my dorm when I saw two figures walking down the tree-lined path. Elma was clinging to Zach’s arm, her face pale and her eyes red-rimmed as if she’d been weeping for hours. Zach was leaning down, whispering something comforting to her, his expression gentler than I’d ever seen it. When they spotted me, Elma froze, then gripped his arm tighter. Zach’s face turned to stone. Elma spoke first. “Zoey… I’m so sorry. I didn’t think the post would get this big.” “I only complained in a private group chat. I have no idea who screenshotted it and put it on the forum.” “Please don’t be mad at me. I’ll apologize to you, okay? I’ll do whatever you want.” Tears began to spill over her eyelashes, perfectly timed. Zach immediately wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder. The practiced choreography of it made my stomach turn. I let out a cold laugh. “Elma, aren’t you tired of acting?” “You’ve been eyeing Zach since the day we met, haven’t you? Too bad he was my boyfriend then, so you had to play the fragile, pity-me card to get his attention.” Zach shielded her, his voice rising. “Zoey, shut up!” I ignored him, keeping my eyes locked on Elma. “Let me make something clear today.” “You went through all this trouble to steal a piece of garbage like Zach? You really shouldn’t have bothered.” “If you want him, take him. He’s a rotten apple anyway. Yours for free.” The air went dead silent. Then, Zach’s hand whipped through the air. My brain registered the movement too late to dodge. The slap landed squarely across my left cheek. My head snapped sideways. The force of the blow sent me stumbling backward, my knee slamming hard against the concrete step behind me. A sharp, searing pain shot through my leg. My cheek felt like it was on fire, my ears ringing with a deafening buzz. Zach stood at the top of the steps, looking down at me, his chest heaving, his fist still clenched. “Zoey, don’t you dare think I won’t put you in your place,” he breathed, his voice trembling with rage. “I’ve given you enough slack.” “Apologize to Elma right now. Don’t make me force you to your knees.” I slowly lifted my head, looking at him, then at Elma, who was trying to look terrified but couldn’t quite hide the smug satisfaction dancing in her eyes. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I let my eyes water, my voice cracking slightly as I dialed. “Dad… my ex-boyfriend just hit me.” “And he’s trying to make me kneel and beg for forgiveness.” A few onlookers in the crowd snickered. “Is your driver dad going to come down here and kneel with you?” Right then, the loud, rhythmic thrum of helicopter blades began to echo over the campus quad. “Who dares to bully my youngest daughter?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536352”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The torrential rain was drumming hard against the laboratory windows, and I’d been waiting by the entrance for Austin for three hours. Then my phone buzzed, and his voice cut through the static, casual and entirely dismissive. “Cathy used one of her privilege cards,” he said. “She needs me to pick her up. Grab a Lyft back, okay?” It was the sixteenth time this month. It didn’t matter if it was Valentine’s Day or my birthday. If Cathy called, Austin would abandon me without a second thought, running to her side. When they broke up years ago, they had left ninety-nine “relationship privilege cards” unredeemed. They were little handmade tokens of absolute entitlement he had gifted her during their honeymoon phase—coupons for “one free ride,” “one late-night ice cream run,” “one pass to skip an argument.” Now, she was redeeming them like currency, and Austin was paying the debt with my time, my dignity, and my heart. I looked at my rideshare app. There were over a hundred people ahead of me in the queue. I squeezed the handle of my umbrella, my fingers cold and stiff. “Austin, it’s pouring… Can’t you please pick me up first?” There was only a sigh of mild irritation on the other end. “I know it’s raining, Lila, but she said she can’t find a ride, and you’re in the opposite direction. It makes no sense to drive all the way to you and then back to her. It’s just a waste of time.” The line went dead. He had hung up on me. Once again, he chose her. He had sworn to me that Cathy’s last birthday card was the very last one. I guess promises to me were written in sand, while his debts to her were carved in stone. I stared at the screen, a dry, self-deprecating laugh escaping my throat. I closed the rideshare app, scrolled through my contacts, and tapped on my advisor’s name. “Professor Evans, I want to sign up for the three-year isolated Antarctic expedition.” The polar research vessel was scheduled to set sail in three days. … By the time I unlocked the door to our apartment, I was soaked to the bone. Water dripped from my hem, pooling in dark, silent stains on the hardwood floor. But the living room was bathed in a warm, amber glow, thick with a cozy, domestic intimacy that felt entirely foreign. Austin was standing behind the sofa, gently blow-drying Cathy’s hair. Cathy was holding up her phone, showing him something on the screen, and they were laughing, their shoulders brushing. Looking at them, I felt a familiar, dull ache in my chest. It was like stepping into a time machine, watching a movie of their past where I was never cast. Hearing the door, Cathy turned around. “Oh, Lila! You’re back.” Austin placed a hand on her head, gently guiding her back. “Don’t move,” he chided, his voice dripping with affection. “Otherwise you’ll complain I didn’t dry it right.” Then he looked up and noticed my dripping clothes. His brow furrowed in mild surprise. “Did you forget your umbrella?” The exhaustion of the last three hours swelled in my throat, but the words died before they could form. My eyes drifted to Cathy. She was wearing my silk loungewear—the matching set Austin and I had bought together. Cathy and I had grown up together. We were the same height, the same weight, with almost identical measurements. We had shared clothes since we were kids. Back then, we thought our matching tastes were a beautiful proof of sisterhood. Until we fell in love with the same man. That symmetry had curdled into something suffocating. I forced my eyes away, offering the same quiet, agreeable smile I always did. “Yeah… I forgot.” Austin didn’t offer an explanation for why he hadn’t picked me up. He just shrugged. “Well, luckily you’ve always had a strong immune system. A little rain won’t hurt you. Cathy’s different—she’s fragile. She actually wasted one of her privilege cards just because of a drizzle.” Cathy rolled her eyes playfully, nudging him. “I just needed a free chauffeur, and since it didn’t cost me a dime, why not?” They fell back into their easy, bickering rhythm, a practiced dance that seemed designed to keep their history casual and harmless. Without a word, I peeled off my wet coat and walked into the kitchen. On the stove, the pot of ginger tea I had brewed before leaving was stone cold. I poured a cup, intending to just drink it cold to soothe my scratchy throat. Just then, a soft sneeze echoed from the living room. Cathy was curled up on the sofa, clutching her stomach, her face pale, tiny beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Austin rushed into the kitchen, gently taking the cup of cold tea from my hand. He turned on the stove, carefully reheating it, adding a spoonful of brown sugar and honey. I suddenly remembered. It was that time of the month for Cathy. No wonder there was a pharmacy delivery box sitting by the entryway. He had ordered her preferred brand of heating pads. Seeing me standing idle, Austin spoke without looking up, his tone entirely matter-of-fact. “Lila, go help her rub her back, will you? I’ll boil some fresh water.” He handed me a freshly filled hot water bottle. The intense heat stung my frozen hands, a sharp, biting pain. But he didn’t notice. I smiled faintly, taking the bottle, and sat down beside Cathy, gently placing the heat source over her lower back. Austin came in with a fresh mug of tea, draping a soft throw blanket over her knees, fussing over her like an anxious mother hen. Cathy leaned her head against my shoulder, her pale face lighting up with a soft, sweet smile. “You know, when I broke up with him and practically pushed you two together, I knew I made the right choice.” She sighed happily. “Look at this. Now I have both of you to take care of me.” Hearing this, Austin let out a sharp, annoyed scoff, though there was no real heat in it. Cathy giggled, then turned to me, her voice softening into a whine. “Lila, I’m so hungry. I miss your cooking.” Austin straightened up, looking down at me. “Lila, go whip up a bowl of chicken noodle soup for her, okay? She’s really hurting right now.” Cathy weakly grabbed my arm, feigning protest. “Maybe later. She’s been out in the rain; she hasn’t even showered yet.” But Austin was insistent. “She can shower after she cooks. It’ll only take fifteen minutes, and if we eat any later, it’ll mess with your stomach. That’s bad for your digestion.” Before I could answer, he gently guided me toward the kitchen and shut the door behind me. The click of the latch felt like the boundary between two entirely different worlds. As I chopped the vegetables, my mind drifted. The knife slipped, slicing deep into my left index finger. A sharp, stinging pain made me gasp. A drop of bright red blood welled up, dripping onto the cutting board. From the living room, the loud, booming laughter of a comedy show drifted through the door. When the soup was finally ready, I heard Cathy call out from the sofa. “Austin, I’m too weak to move. Can you bring it to me?” Austin entered the kitchen. He picked up the bowl meant for Cathy and turned on his heel, leaving mine sitting solitary and cold on the counter. Cathy always said that those who come first plant the trees, and those who come later enjoy the shade. But this tree had grown entirely in Cathy’s image. The pale-yellow curtains in the living room, the fabric sofa, the kitchenware—all of it had been chosen by Cathy years ago. The branches of this relationship were thick and lush, but they didn’t leave a single inch of shade for me. I felt a sudden wave of dizziness. I walked out and sat on the far edge of the sofa. Austin and Cathy were engrossed in a movie. “Did you see this one? The main character was such an idiot,” Cathy pointed at the screen, laughing. “You insisted on dragging me to the theater for this, and then you slept through the whole thing.” They were sharing a past I had no part in, a language of inside jokes and shared memories. I sat beside them, a ghost in my own home. The air conditioning was blasting, and my wet hair made me shiver. Just as my vision began to blur from the rising fever, a warm cashmere throw blanket was draped over my shoulders. Austin leaned down, carefully tucking the edges around me. “How old are you, Lila? You still don’t know how to take care of yourself.” For a split second, I wanted to lean into that warmth, to believe that maybe I still mattered. But then Cathy rubbed her bare arms. “Brr, this movie is making me feel chilly too.” Austin’s hand on my shoulder stiffened. The next second, the blanket was pulled back. He took the majority of it, draping it over Cathy’s lap, leaving me with a tiny, useless corner that barely covered my knees. The cold air rushed back, and my head throbbed with a vengeance. I couldn’t take it anymore. I stood up. “You guys watch. I’m going to bed.” Before closing my bedroom door, I couldn’t help but look back. Austin had taken my spot on the sofa. Cathy’s head was resting naturally on his shoulder. They looked exactly like the couple in the movie—perfect, peaceful, and meant to be. I collapsed onto the bed, my head pounding like a drum. I don’t know how much time passed before the door clicked open. Austin walked in, muttering under his breath. “Cathy went home. It’s so late, and she refused to let me drive her.” He was staring at his phone, tracking her location. “Okay, she made it back safely. Thank god, otherwise—” He finally looked up and saw my flushed face. “Lila?” He reached out, pressing his palm against my forehead. “Jesus, you’re burning up.” He hurried to the bathroom and brought back a cold, damp cloth, gently laying it over my brow. His face was inches from mine, his eyes wide with a concern that didn’t look fake. A sudden, sharp ache rose in my chest. “Austin,” I whispered. “I’m leaving.” He paused, a soft, indulgent chuckle escaping him. “Are you delirious from the fever? Where would you go?” But when he checked the thermometer, his smile vanished. “103. This is too high. I’m taking you to the ER.” He scrambled to grab his car keys and coat. Watching his frantic silhouette, the icy wall around my heart cracked just a little. Maybe he did care. Maybe, if things got bad enough, he would choose me. Before he could even put his jacket on, his phone rang. It was Cathy. “Austin, Buster is gone!” Her voice was frantic, cracking with tears through the speaker. “I’ve looked everywhere. He must have slipped out…” Buster was the cat they had adopted together. When they broke up, Cathy kept him. He had become Austin’s permanent excuse to visit her apartment. Austin’s hand froze on his car keys. “Stay with me,” I said softly, looking at him with the very last shred of hope I possessed. “Please.” Whether it was going to the hospital or just staying in this room, I didn’t care. I just needed him to choose me, just this once. Austin avoided my gaze. “Take some fever reducers first,” he said, pulling a random box of pills from the medicine cabinet and shoving them into my hands. “Buster is like my kid, Lila. It’s pouring outside; he’ll be terrified.” He turned and practically ran out of the room, his departure so hurried it felt like an escape. The front door slammed shut. I looked down at the box of medicine in my hand. It wasn’t a fever reducer. It was Cathy’s prescription allergy medication. He kept it stocked here, always. I threw the box into the trash can, picked up my phone, and smiled. It was a clean, hollow feeling. I opened my email, pulled up the Antarctic research project agreement, and typed my signature at the bottom. After sending it, I stumbled out to the living room to look for actual medicine. My legs felt like lead, every step dizzying. I pulled open the drawer of the coffee table. Inside were Cathy’s hydrating face masks. Underneath were Cathy’s vitamins. Cathy’s hand creams. In this apartment that was supposed to belong to Austin and me, every corner was a museum of their shared life. I finally found some generic cold medicine, swallowing two dry pills. They scraped down my dry throat, leaving a bitter, burning trail. As I sat there, waiting for the medicine to kick in, I opened Instagram. There, at the top of my feed, was a post Austin had uploaded just minutes ago. It was a photo of Cathy holding a damp but safe Buster. Austin’s hand was resting gently over hers on the cat’s back. The caption read: The family is whole again. Mommy and Daddy will always love you, buddy. I stared at the words Mommy and Daddy for a long time. When I refreshed the feed, the post was gone. I didn’t know if he had customized his settings to hide it from me, or if he had deleted it entirely. I didn’t have the energy to care. Then, a text from Austin popped up. Still looking for Buster. It’s pouring out here, go to sleep. He didn’t even bother to coordinate his lies. The cat was safe, but he wanted to stay with her anyway. Are you staying the night at Cathy’s? I typed. A long pause, then: We broke up a long time ago, Lila. Don’t overthink things. I tossed the phone onto the nightstand. I lay back in bed, letting the low fever burn through me all night. When the sun finally rose, my pillow was damp with a mixture of sweat and tears I didn’t remember crying. The next morning, Austin shook me awake. “Lila, happy third anniversary.” He pulled open the curtains, letting the harsh, bright sunlight flood the room. “We’re going to the zoo today.” My head was still spinning, but he pulled me out of bed and led me downstairs. When we reached his car, I saw Cathy sitting in the passenger seat. “If I hadn’t reminded him, you’d be spending your anniversary getting yelled at,” Cathy said, stepping out of the car with a teasing smile. She stood close to Austin, fixing his collar. “He was never this forgetful when we were dating.” Austin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, slipping into the driver’s seat. Cathy took my hand, her smile bright. “Lila, you’re just too sweet to him. With guys like Austin, you have to keep them on a tight leash.” It wasn’t that I had never fought for us. In the beginning, Austin would apologize profusely if he was even ten minutes late for a date. Once, after our worst argument, he drove eight hours through a blizzard to the field station where I was doing research. He knelt in the snow, crying, swearing he would never make me wait again. I had laughed through my tears, and he had looked at me like I was his entire world. “Who else would I ever bend the knee for, baby?” he had whispered. But then Cathy returned, and the “privilege cards” started appearing. Our dates were constantly cut in half. Our dinners were interrupted. It became an unspoken rule: Cathy always came first. And today was no different. It wasn’t our anniversary celebration; it was just a trip Cathy wanted to take. The zoo was packed. At the main entrance, the crowd split into two paths. To the left was the Polar Pavilion. To the right was the Artificial Rainforest. Our group ticket required us to scan in at different gates. The Rainforest was hosting a special “Couples’ Challenge” today, requiring pairs to enter. Cathy looked at me, a delicate, apologetic expression on her face. Before she could speak, Austin made the decision. “Lila, you go to the Polar Pavilion,” he said, pushing me gently toward the left turnstile. “You’re always talking about wanting to go to Antarctica anyway. Plus, it’s cold in there—it’ll help bring your fever down.” He took the remaining two tickets and guided Cathy toward the Rainforest entrance. I stood at the gate, watching their figures blend into the colorful sea of tourists. The cold air of the Polar Pavilion hit my face, making my joints ache. I found a quiet bench in the corner and sat down, burying my face in my hands. A young couple walked past, holding hands. “Let’s go to the Rainforest next! They have that couples’ compatibility game.” “I heard the grand prize is that limited-edition plush penguin. You have to win it for me!” I stood up, walking slowly through the exit, and made my way around the massive park to the exit of the Artificial Rainforest. A loud, cheering crowd had gathered around a stage. As I drew closer, the sheer volume of the spectators pushed me toward the front. Above us, on the big screen, Austin was holding Cathy. They were locked in a deep, passionate kiss. The host’s voice boomed through the speakers. “Ten more seconds!” Austin’s hand was resting firmly on the small of her back, holding her protectively against him. Cathy was on her tiptoes, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, responding with equal fervor. “Three! Two! One!” The crowd erupted into wild applause. The host handed Austin the microphone. “Congratulations to our champions! Sir, do you have anything you want to say to your lovely lady?” Austin took the mic, looking down at Cathy with a tenderness that made my throat tighten. “You will always have special privileges,” he said, his voice echoing clearly. Cathy blushed, kissing his cheek. The crowd cheered again. Beside me, a teenage girl sighed. “Oh my god, they are so cute. He is totally head over heels for her.” I looked down, a quiet smile spreading across my lips. Yes, he was. He was just head over heels for the wrong girl. As the crowd dispersed, Cathy and Austin walked down from the stage. She was clutching the giant, limited-edition plush toy, her lipstick noticeably smudged. Seeing me, she didn’t look flustered at all. Instead, she reached into her bag and handed me a small, palm-sized keychain. “Lila! I knew you’d love this,” she said brightly. “I made Austin enter the contest just so we could get this little guy for you.” I looked down at the keychain. The stitching was crooked, and the price tag was still stuck to the plastic back. $4.99. The real prize, the one that required the kiss, was held tightly in her arms. Austin avoided my eyes. “I know you like those little trinkets,” he muttered. “Consider it an anniversary gift.” Our third anniversary. I waited three hours in a storm, only to be told to get an Uber. I suffered through a 103-degree fever, only for him to leave and find her cat. I was pushed into a freezing exhibit while he kissed her on a stage. And now, he was handing me a five-dollar leftover as an anniversary present. “What kind of contest was it?” I asked quietly. Cathy’s smile stiffened slightly. “Just a silly game. The host was just playing up the couples’ thing for the crowd. It didn’t mean anything.” Austin frowned, his tone dipping into irritation. “Lila, don’t make a scene in public.” I stared at him. Apparently, simply asking a question was now considered “making a scene.” I squeezed the cheap plastic keychain, the edges digging sharply into my palm. “Austin,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. “Let’s break up.” But right then, a massive, noisy parade float rounded the corner, the music blasting so loudly it shook the ground beneath our feet. My goodbye was swallowed whole by the noise. Austin squinted at me. “What did you say?” Beside him, Cathy was reaching up to adjust his collar, her movements so natural, so wifely. Suddenly, the fight drained out of me. It was just so incredibly exhausting. “Nothing,” I said. Austin let out a sigh of relief, turning back to Cathy. “Are you tired? Do you want to head back?” Cathy blushed, swatting his arm. “It’s your fault for kissing me so long.” They walked ahead, their shoulders aligned. This time, I didn’t follow. Half an hour later, a text from Austin popped up. The parking lot is a nightmare and there are no Lyfts. I’m going to drop Cathy off first. You grab a cab, okay? It was always the same sentence. I stared at the screen, and for the first time in years, I felt entirely light. Five hours later, I was sitting in the back of a taxi heading to the airport. Before blocking his number, I sent him one last text. Austin. I don’t want either of you anymore. Austin stayed at Cathy’s place until the following evening before he realized something was wrong. Lila hadn’t texted him once. When he tried calling her, the call went straight to voicemail. On iMessage, his texts were met with a chilling silence—and then, a red exclamation point. A sudden, heavy weight dropped in his stomach. He immediately dialed the number for her university laboratory. Her lab partner, Mark, answered. “Lila?” Mark sounded confused. “She accepted the professor’s offer yesterday.” Austin’s hand tightened around his phone. “What do you mean?” “She joined the three-year Antarctic research expedition,” Mark said. “She boarded the vessel. She won’t be back for three years.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536351”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I spent four million dollars on the house that was supposed to be our fresh start—a fully automated, state-of-the-art smart home. On my very first night there, my boyfriend remotely locked all the doors and windows from his phone and turned on the gas fireplace and stove. I woke up to the frantic sound of neighbors throwing themselves against the front door. By the time they dragged me out, I was barely conscious. At the hospital, the emergency room doctor told me that if I had been in there even five minutes longer, I would have ended up brain-dead. While I was still hooked up to monitors in the ICU, my boyfriend called. He didn’t ask how I was. He was annoyed. “Couldn’t you have just hung in there a little longer? Who said you could leave?” I stared at the ceiling, the sterile smell of disinfectant burning my nose, as his voice drifted through the speaker. “Bella was conducting a medical experiment,” Baron said, his voice entirely devoid of warmth. “She wanted to see how long a human subject could survive in a carbon monoxide-saturated environment.” He paused, a note of genuine disappointment creeping into his tone. “We were actually planning to light a match to see if it would ignite. Now that you ran out, the whole trial is ruined.” The day I was discharged, I drove straight back to the house. But when I pressed my thumb against the biometric scanner at the front door, the screen flashed red: “Access Denied.” My phone vibrated in my palm. It was Baron. “Bella needs a facility for her research,” he said, his tone flat and administrative. “Your place is spacious, so I told her she could use it. Go find yourself a rental for now, and don’t disturb her. This is for the adAdamsment of medicine. Try to show some grace instead of being so petty.” I didn’t argue. I didn’t cry. I simply hung up the phone and called a real estate broker to list the house for an immediate cash fire sale. The second the closing documents were signed and the funds cleared, I sent a message to the one person I hadn’t spoken to in years—my childhood rival. “Do you have a house? If so, let’s get married.” His reply came almost instantly. “A waterfront estate on Bainbridge Island. Twelve million. Consider it your dowry.” … “Twelve million,” Sean’s voice came through the receiver, carrying his usual dry, quiet confidence. “Okay,” I said, and hung up. My phone buzzed with a text notification from my bank. The wire transfer had cleared: $3,780,000. I looked up and offered a polite smile to the couple sitting across from me at the brokerage office. “The smart-lock code has been reset to six zeros. It’s all yours.” I walked out of the office and headed toward the parking garage. Before I could reach my car, my phone rang. Baron’s voice was like ice. “You’re really committing to this little act, aren’t you? You even hired actors to play the buyers.” I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off. “You think selling our wedding house is going to scare me? You’ve miscalculated, Lila.” His tone was infuriatingly condescending. “Tell your people to leave immediately, then come over and apologize to Bella. She’s literally crying right now.” “Crying.” I thought back to the ICU, to the moment the doctor told me how close I had come to dying. I had almost lost my life, and Bella was crying because her playground had been taken away. “The house is sold,” I said, my voice flatter than I’d ever heard it. “You both need to pack your things and get out before the new owner calls the police.” There was a brief pause on the other end. Then, Baron sighed, his patience entirely evaporated. “Enough. If you stretch this drama any further, no one is going to comfort you. You think you’re Bella?” He raised his voice, his irritation mounting. “Bella has a calling. She has intellectual pursuits. She isn’t like you—obsessing over domestic trivialities, throwing these cheap, childish tantrums.” I actually laughed. “Right. The medical experiment.” “Take it up with the new owner. See if they’re willing to let her play scientist in their living room.” I hung up. Less than a minute later, Baron’s name flashed on the screen again. His tone had shifted from anger to a tense, sudden panic. “Did you actually sell it?” I gripped the steering wheel. “A four-point-two-million-dollar cash purchase. One hundred and fifty thousand in custom renovations. I listed it at four million, and closed at three-point-seven-eight.” I articulated every digit with absolute clarity. “The money is in my account, the contract is signed, and the deed has been transferred.” The silence on the other end was heavy, like a wire stretched to its breaking point. Finally, he spat the words out through clenched teeth. “Lila, have you lost your mind? That was “our” house!” “I bought it. With my money. In cash.” “So what?” he interrupted, his voice rising in desperation. “You bought it for us! Half of it belongs to me. How dare you sell it without my consent?” “Did you ask for my consent when you let Bella move in?” Baron let out a harsh, bitter laugh. “So that’s what this is. A pathetic attempt to target Bella. You’re vicious, Lila. You’ve orchestrated this entire nightmare just to make a young girl’s life miserable.” “Vicious.” Because I survived. Because I refused to let them suffocate me in my own home. I hung up without another word. I walked down to my designated parking space in the garage, but the spot was empty. I opened my phone and pulled up the GPS tracker for my new car. The $72,000 BMW was currently parked in a neighboring city—specifically, in Bella’s hometown. Without hesitating, I activated the vehicle’s anti-theft lockout mode and called the police. The police were remarkably efficient. Within two hours, the car was towed back to the local precinct. A young man stepped out of the driver’s seat, looking utterly indignant. It was Bella’s younger brother, Dustin. He glared at me with pure venom. “My brother-in-law gave me this car! Who the hell do you think you are, calling the cops on me?” Before the officer could intervene, hurried footsteps echoed through the precinct lobby. A slim figure dressed in white rushed past, throwing her arms around Dustin. Bella’s eyes were red, tears streaming down her face. “Dustin has never even seen the inside of a police station,” she sobbed, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind. “And now he’s being treated like a common thief…” Baron walked in right behind her. He didn’t look at Dustin, and he didn’t look at the officers. He marched straight to me and grabbed my wrist. “Apologize.” I tried to wrench my arm free. “It’s my car. You gave it to him without my permission—” “It’s our wedding car!” he barked, tightening his grip. “I have every right to let anyone drive it!” I had bought the car a month ago. He had chosen the model and the color, but I had written the check. On the day we got the plates, he had taken Bella out for a test drive, leaving me sitting alone at the DMV for three hours. My chest heaved as the memory hit me. “I paid for it in full—” Before I could finish, a sharp crack echoed through the room. My head snapped to the side. I stood there, frozen. I had known Baron for ten years, and we had been together for five. Before Bella entered the picture, if he so much as raised his voice at me, he would lose sleep over it. Now, for the sake of another woman, he had slapped me in a public police station. Baron’s fingers began to tremble. He made a small, instinctive movement toward me, but Bella let out another choked sob. His expression instantly hardened again, the brief flash of regret vanishing behind a mask of cold authority. “Lila, all you care about now is money. You’ve become entirely materialistic, and it’s disappointing. This slap is a lesson. Don’t ever talk about money in front of others again.” I reached up and gently touched my stinging cheek. “There won’t be an ‘again’.” I didn’t scream. I didn’t cry. I calmly sat down with the officer, signed the paperwork, verified the vehicle recovery, and closed the incident report. As I walked out of the precinct, a hand caught my wrist again. Baron’s voice had softened, adopting that familiar, placating tone he used whenever he wanted to sweep things under the rug. “I booked a table at that Italian place you like. Your blood sugar is low, and you need to eat.” He squeezed my hand gently. “Just apologize to Bella over dinner, buy the house back from those people, and let Dustin keep the car. Be good, Lila, and we can go back to how things were.” The chill in my bones seemed to seep into my fingertips. I pushed his hand away. “We can never go back, Baron.” He frowned. I managed a small, empty smile. “I’m getting married.” The air between us went perfectly still. Baron stared at me for a moment, then let out a soft, dismissive chuckle. “I know you’re desperate to get married,” he said, shaking his head. “But if Bella is unhappy, I won’t agree to it. Your priority right now is making her happy.” Bella walked over, her expression cool and superior. “Lila, I know you’re desperate for a ring, but there’s no need to take your insecurities out on me. I’m not like you. I have goals. I don’t spend my life hovering over a kitchen stove.” She sighed, looking at me with pity. “But I suppose you wouldn’t understand that.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Never mind the apology. Just come with us to the DMV and transfer the title of the car to Dustin so he doesn’t feel uncomfortable driving it.” I didn’t stay to hear the rest. I turned and walked away. I rented a small, furnished apartment on the edge of the city. I had just lain down on the bed when my phone rang. It was the director of the upscale care facility in the suburbs. “Lila, Mrs. Channing had thirteen luxury physical therapy sessions added to her chart this month, totaling $7,300. We also need to process next month’s retainer. Should we charge the card on file, or do you have another preference?” Three years ago, Baron’s mother had suffered a severe stroke that left her partially paralyzed. Baron had just transitioned to a lower-paying job and claimed he was strapped for cash. I had linked my salary account to her facility fees. I had paid every single bill for three years, without fail, until today. “From now on,” I said clearly, “please contact Baron Channing directly for all of his mother’s expenses.” The administrator paused, caught off guard. “But—” “Also,” I interrupted, “please email me itemized invoices for every payment I’ve made over the last three years.” The next morning, I went to the hotel downtown where we had booked our wedding reception to cancel the reservation. The events manager looked at me with deep embarrassment. “Lila… the groom’s family and guests are already here. They’ve started dining.” I stared at him, dumbfounded. Before I could process this, the elevator doors slid open and Baron marched out, heading straight for me. “Why are you so late?” he demanded, his brow furrowed. “Go pay the balance on the banquet hall. And tell them to open up two more private rooms—Bella’s extended family just arrived.” The manager quickly stepped forward and handed over the invoice. $27,130. I pushed the paper back toward Baron. “What is the meaning of this?” Baron sighed, looking at me with a patronizing, weary disappointment. “Lila, this is your own doing.” He crossed his arms. “You made Bella so upset yesterday that she cried to my mother. My mother was devastated. You haven’t even married into this family yet, and you’ve already managed to offend your future in-laws. I had to invite them all to a nice dinner to smooth things over.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice as if he were doing me a favor. “Go in there, apologize to everyone, and make sure your attitude is sincere. Once Bella nods and my mother is happy, you’ll still have a place in the Channing family.” From the banquet hall down the corridor, the clinking of glasses and laughter drifted into the lobby. I looked at Baron and took a deep, steadying breath. “I don’t think I was clear enough yesterday, so let me say it again.” I looked him dead in the eye. “There is no ‘us’. The moment I sold that house, we were over.” Baron’s face darkened instantly. But before he could speak, a soft, sweet voice drifted from the doorway of the banquet hall. “I don’t think you’re in any position to be throwing around ultimatums, Lila.” Bella walked out, stopping beside Baron with a small, cruel smirk playing on her lips. “Baron told me all about you,” she said, her voice raised just enough to carry. “He told me how your parents were murdered in that home invasion years ago. And how the killer assaulted you before the police arrived.” The lobby went entirely silent. The hotel staff and a few guests standing nearby froze, their eyes instantly darting to me like needles pricking my skin. My blood ran completely cold. Bella tilted her head, her eyes shining with mock pity. “You’re damaged goods, Lila. Baron’s willingness to overlook your baggage is a miracle. I don’t understand why you’re playing hard to get. You’re just trying to manipulate him because you know no one else would want you.” My vision blurred with a sudden, hot rage. My hand rose instinctively, but Baron caught my wrist with practiced ease, shoving me back. “Bella isn’t an outsider,” Baron said, his voice cold and defensive. “She has a right to know everything about my life. You’re the one who forced this situation. Bella only spoke up because she cares about me. This is your fault.” A crushing, suffocating despair threatened to pull me under, but I fought to keep my voice steady. “Baron, let’s just end this cleanly. I have never done anything to hurt you—” “You were violated,” Baron interrupted, his voice dripping with disgust. “You call that not hurting me? Who’s to say you didn’t let it happen? Who’s to say you didn’t want it?” The world seemed to tilt. A high-pitched ringing filled my ears. I lunged at him, my fingernails tearing at his face in a blind, desperate frenzy. “Lila! Stop!” Two hotel security guards grabbed my arms, pinning me back. “Ma’am, please calm down! This is a respectable establishment!” Bella adjusted her collar, looking down her nose at me. “Are you reacting like this because I hit a nerve, Lila?” Just then, the elevator doors opened again. Mrs. Channing was wheeled out by two of Baron’s cousins. She didn’t look at me. Instead, she reached up to touch Baron’s face, her voice trembling with anger. “Baron, what is going on? Why are we being kicked out of the care home?” Baron blinked, confused. “Mom? What do you mean? Don’t you have physical therapy today?” Mrs. Channing’s voice was like gravel. “She canceled the funding. The facility discharged me this morning. They put my things in garbage bags!” Baron’s head snapped toward me, his eyes burning with an intense, furious hatred. “Lila! I tolereted your tantrums, but targeting my disabled mother is crossing the line!” Mrs. Channing let out a harsh, rasping laugh. “She hasn’t even married into the family and she’s already trying to control us with her money. Trying to play the heavy hand with her future mother-in-law!” She slammed her fist onto the armrest of her wheelchair. “I am not dead yet!” The cousins stepped forward, glaring at me. “An orphaned girl with no parents really has no breeding. She doesn’t even know the first thing about respect.” “Baron, you need to think long and hard about this. You can’t just let a woman like this into our family.” Baron took a deep breath, smoothing down his jacket. He turned back to me, extending his hand as if delivering a final verdict. “Lila. You’ve taken this too far. Apologize to my mother, write the check for the hotel bill, and reinstate the care home funding. Right now.” I took a step back, staring at the family I had spent five years trying to please. “No.” Baron’s face settled into an icy glare. “If you keep being this stubborn, don’t blame me for what happens next.” Bella let out a soft, mocking sigh. “Baron, why are you still pleading with her? You’re her fiancé. Her money is legally yours anyway.” Before I could react, Bella lunged forward, grabbing my purse to snatch my phone. I tried to pull away, but Baron stepped in, pinning my arms behind my back. I was held fast, humiliated in the middle of the lobby, as Bella grabbed my phone, forced it in front of my face to bypass the lock screen, and began tapping rapidly on the screen. Just then, the heavy glass doors of the hotel lobby swung open. A dozen men in tailored black suits entered in a silent, coordinated line, quickly blocking every exit. The hotel manager hurried forward, his face pale. “Excuse me, who are you? You can’t just—” The man leading the group briefly flashed a gold badge in a leather wallet. The manager’s jaw dropped. He immediately stepped back, bowing deeply, not daring to make eye contact again. The smug expressions on the Channings’ faces vanished. Baron’s grip on my arms loosened slightly as he watched several bodyguards flank me, cutting him off. “Who are you people?” Baron demanded, trying to sound authoritative. “This is a family matter. She is my fiancée—” The roar of a high-performance engine cut him off. A sleek, black town car pulled up to the curb outside. The rear door opened, and a tall man in a bespoke charcoal suit stepped out. He adjusted his cuffs, his dark eyes scanning the lobby before landing on me. He walked past the guards, stopping right in front of me. He leaned down, his thumb gently brushing a stray tear from my cheek. A slow, familiar smile touched his lips. “Crying on our wedding day?” Sean murmured, his voice low and steady. “I didn’t know you were that excited to marry me.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536350”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After Alex and I remarried, I finally made the decision to resign from my executive position and step back into the quiet shelter of domestic life. I wanted to build a sanctuary for us, to finally be the wife he deserved. To surprise him, I bypassed our townhouse straight from the airport and headed to the exclusive downtown club where he was closing a deal. But just outside the heavy oak doors, a young girl wrapped in a toxic aura of cheap entitlement was screaming at the bouncer. Her clothes were a loud mix of designer logos and distressed streetwear, and her winged eyeliner was drawn so aggressively it practically reached her temples. “Do you have any idea who the hell I am?” she shrieked, pointing a manicured finger at the man’s chest. “My boyfriend is Alex Hilbert! He could buy this pathetic excuse for a club and have you thrown out on your ass by tomorrow morning!” The bouncer scoffed, waving her off with a look of pure disgust. “Right, and I’m the King of England. Mrs. Hilbert is a class act. Elegant. Brilliant. You? You look like you crawled out of a strip club’s dumpster. Even if you stood naked in front of Mr. Hilbert, he wouldn’t spare you a glance.” Her face contorted with sudden, vicious malice. “Oh, please!” she spat, her voice rising to a glass-shattering pitch. “That elegant wife of his tried to pull him away on my birthday last year. I got so pissed off, I paid a dozen street thugs to teach her a lesson. Let me tell you, when they had her chained to the floor like a dog, she didn’t look very high-class! And Alex? He knew exactly what I did. He even put the footage on the dark web for ninety-nine cents to make a point, and he didn’t say a damn word to protect her! Now, you tell me—does he love me or not?” The blood drained from my face, freezing solid in my veins. My hands shook so violently I had to clutch my purse to keep from dropping it. My chest burned with a mixture of disbelief and defensive rage. I stepped forward, ready to tear into her for telling such disgusting, psychotic lies. But before I could speak, the club door swung open. Alex stepped out. He walked right past me, his eyes locked entirely on her, and grabbed her hand, pulling her against his chest. His voice was a soft, indulgent sigh. “You promised me you wouldn’t get into fights, you wild girl. Why the temper?” … My feet felt glued to the concrete. I stood frozen, as though I had been plunged into a deep, dark well of ice. Lexie yanked her hand out of Alex’s grip, pointing aggressively at the bouncer. “He said you didn’t love me! So I had to remind him of what I did to your wife—” “Enough, Lexie!” Alex’s voice dropped, suddenly sharp and dark. “I told you never to speak of that again.” It wasn’t loud, but the sudden coldness in his tone made her flinch. A look of deep grievance flooded her eyes, and they welled with tears. “Are you seriously raising your voice at me?” she yelled, her lip trembling. “If you care so much about that old woman, go back to her! Why did you even come back to me?” The angrier she got, the more she lashed out, kicking at Alex’s shins with her heavy boots. Alex didn’t move. He stood there, letting her vent her frustration on his body. When she finally grew tired, he sighed, pulling her back into a firm embrace. “Hey, stop it. Be good,” he murmured, stroking her hair. “It’s been over a year since I’ve even touched her. What is there to be jealous of?” Lexie let out a wet sniffle. “You’re lying! She’s your wife. How could you not sleep with her?” Alex smiled, a look of profound, gentle indulgence on his face. “A dirty woman like her? I’d never touch her.” A loud, rushing noise filled my ears, like a sudden explosion in my brain. I stared at the man standing just yards away from me, unable to reconcile his words with the husband I thought I knew. Hearing his answer, Lexie finally smiled through her tears. “Really?” Alex pulled a silver lighter from his pocket and lit a cigarette, taking a slow drag to steady his nerves. “I’m a neat freak, Lexie. You know that.” Through the thin veil of smoke, I stared at his face. A sharp, physical pain bloomed in my chest, and tears began to blur my vision. During our seven years of marriage, I had been a workaholic. I was building my career, climbing the corporate ladder, and I rarely had time to manage the household. People in our social circles used to whisper that Alex had married a ghost. But he never complained. Even when I hesitated over whether to accept a major promotion that would require heavy travel, he had gently held my face in his hands and smiled. “My wife is brilliant,” he had said. “Let them whisper. They’re just jealous of me.” To allow me to focus entirely on my career, the wealthy executive had spent his evenings cooking for me, planning my travel outfits, and even personally hiring and managing the nurses for my bedridden Nana. Even on our anniversary, when I was called away by the board before the appetizers had even arrived, I had apologized profusely. He had only smiled and said, “I understand.” I had truly believed we were living a quiet, beautiful love story. Until our seventh year, when he suddenly and flatly demanded a divorce. He told me he was tired. He said the distance had eroded his soul. In that terrifying moment, I realized I had taken the best man in the world for granted. I felt an overwhelming wave of guilt. After the papers were signed, I spent an entire year trying to win him back, enduring his hot-and-cold behavior, desperate to repair the damage I thought I had caused. Then came my birthday. I collapsed from sheer exhaustion at my desk and was rushed to the hospital. When I opened my eyes, Alex was standing by the bedside, holding a small cake, his eyes bloodshot and filled with tears. “Georgia, let’s go home. Let’s remarry.” I had wept with joy, believing my penance was over. That night, back in our old home, he had handed me a small vitamin pill and a glass of water. I swallowed it and fell into a deep, heavy sleep. When I woke up the next morning, the bedroom was a disaster. My body was wracked with a deep, tearing ache, and my skin felt bruised. Alex was standing by the window, his back to me, his shoulders incredibly stiff. At the time, I didn’t understand the physical trauma. I had simply smiled through the pain, assuming it was the result of a passionate, desperate reunion. But after we remarried, he never touched me again. He always claimed he was too stressed with work, or that our bond was spiritual and didn’t need physical validation to be real. Now, the horrific truth laid itself bare. “I don’t believe you!” Lexie’s voice cut through the air again, sharp and whiny. She threw herself back into his arms. “She’s dirty and you still kept her! That means you love her, not me!” Alex let out a long, heavy sigh. “Alright, listen to me.” “I divorced her for an entire year just to make you happy. What more do you want from me? The custom jewelry I ordered for you from Paris just arrived. Let’s go try it on.” Lexie pouted, but the mention of French diamonds seemed to appease her. She reluctantly let him lead her toward his car. But as Alex opened the passenger door, his body went rigid. He looked up, his gaze scanning the street, until his eyes landed directly on me. His breath hitched. A flash of pure terror crossed his features, but he quickly forced his expression back into a mask of gentle, composed warmth. “Georgia? What… what are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be in Chicago for the conference?” I didn’t answer. My gaze slowly fell to his hand, which was still firmly clasping Lexie’s fingers. Those hands had once held me, built a life with me, and promised to shield me from the world. A wave of violent, physical nausea hit me. “Alex,” I whispered, my voice sounding incredibly thin and hollow. “I want a divorce.” He froze for a few seconds, his face turning pale. He took a step toward me, his hands fluttering in panic. “Georgia, wait. You’re misunderstanding this. Lexie is… she’s the daughter of an old family friend. I was just giving her a ride—” He didn’t get to finish. Lexie completely lost her temper. She pointed a finger at my face and shrieked, “Alex! You just said you loved me! Why are you acting like a coward the second this old woman shows up?” She turned her venom on me. “If she wants a divorce, let her have it! Who cares? She’s nothing but a used-up piece of trash anyway. A dozen men have already—” The vulgar words rained down on me, stripping away the last of my dignity. My mind went entirely blank, my body trembling with a cold, violent rage. Before I even realized what I was doing, my hand swung outward, aiming straight for her face. But before my palm could connect, a massive force slammed into my shoulder, throwing me backward. I hit the concrete pillar of the club entrance hard. A sharp, blinding pain flared in my spine, and tears pricked my eyes. Alex had pulled Lexie protectively into his arms, his chest heaving as he stared at me with unbridled fury. “Georgia, you’ve gone too far!” he roared. “Lexie is just a girl! How could you put your hands on her?” I stared at him, my entire body turning numb. I couldn’t find a single trace of the boy who had once saved me from the dark. When I was seventeen, my family went bankrupt. My parents, unable to cope with the crushing debt, committed suicide. The wealthy, cruel boys who used to run in our social circles cornered me in a dark alley, intent on taking their amusement out on a fallen heiress. In my moments of absolute despair, a teenage Alex had thrown himself between them and me. He had fought them off, ending up bloodied and bruised, but he didn’t let them touch a hair on my head. Afterward, as my hands shook while wiping the blood from his cheek, I had cried and called him an idiot. But he had only smiled, gently pulling me into his arms. “Don’t be afraid, Georgia. I’ll protect you for the rest of my life.” But his “forever” had turned out to be incredibly short. Short enough that he was now standing as a shield for the girl who had orchestrated my ruin. Perhaps sensing the shattered look in my eyes, a flicker of guilt crossed Alex’s face. But Lexie, fueled by his protection, lunged forward to strike me. “You dirty bitch! How dare you try to touch me? Do you want me to call those guys back to take care of you again—” “Enough! Shut up!” Alex snapped, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. He sounded deeply agitated. Lexie froze, stunned by his sudden harshness. Tears began to stream down her face. “You yelled at me? You’re defending this bitch? We’re done, Alex! Don’t you ever speak to me again!” She turned and ran down the street, sobbing. Alex’s face flushed with panic. He looked at her retreating figure, then back at me. “Georgia, she has severe anxiety. She’s emotionally unstable. If she runs off like this, something terrible could happen. I’ll explain everything when I get home.” Without waiting for my response, he turned and ran after her, disappearing into the city lights. I watched him go. When his figure vanished completely, my knees gave out, and I sank slowly to the cold concrete. The tears came then—silent, heavy, and hot. When the worst of the pain subsided, my heart felt completely hollow, like a cavern scraped clean of all feeling. I wiped my face, pulled out my phone, and opened my email. I retracted my resignation letter. Then, I dialed a number I hadn’t called in years. “Help me file for divorce,” I said, my voice steady and cold. “That offer you made me before… I accept. But I don’t just want a clean break. I want Alex Hilbert to lose every single thing he owns.” After composing myself, I went back to the townhouse to pack my things. Only when I began sorting through the rooms did I realize how little of my own life remained in this house. The closets were stuffed with loud, oversized streetwear. The vanity was cluttered with heavy, expensive perfumes. Even the throw pillows on our sofa had been replaced with a dusty pink satin that I absolutely despised. No wonder he had always encouraged me to travel for business. Even when I did come home, he would insist on us staying at our suburban estate, claiming the air was better there. He was simply terrified I would discover that another woman had already moved into our home. But it didn’t matter anymore. This house, and the man who owned it, were no longer my concern. I packed until the early hours of the morning and finally fell into a dreamless, exhausted sleep. But at dawn, a loud crash shattered the quiet. The bedroom door was kicked open. Alex stormed in, his eyes wild with fury, and ripped the blankets off my body, dragging me out of bed by my wrist. “Georgia, how can you be so vicious?” he roared, his face contorted. “I told you I was going to come back and explain! How could you go to the police about what happened a year ago?” “Lexie is young! She made a mistake because she didn’t have anyone to guide her! Are you really going to ruin a young girl’s life just to satisfy your petty revenge?” Lexie stepped into the room behind him, leaning against the doorframe with a cold sneer. Her eyes were red, but her posture was defiant. “Alex, why are we even talking to this old woman? If she wants to put me in jail, let her! I’d rather rot in a cell than apologize to her!” Alex looked back at her, his heart visibly breaking for her. When he turned his gaze back to me, there was nothing but disgust in his eyes. “Georgia, apologize to Lexie right now.” “I had to pull every favor I had to get her out of custody on bail. Do you know she tried to cut her wrists in the holding cell?” He pointed to Lexie’s wrist, which was wrapped in a thick, white bandage stained with a small circle of fresh blood. I wrenched my wrist out of his grip, my voice hoarse. “It wasn’t me. I haven’t even filed a report yet—” Slap. The force of his hand struck my cheek with a deafening crack. My head snapped to the side, and a sharp ringing filled my ears. Alex stood there, his hand trembling, his eyes bloodshot and watery. “Georgia, stop lying! The police wouldn’t have shown up at her apartment with a warrant if you hadn’t handed over the files!” “Give me whatever evidence you have left, and apologize to her. Now.” My vision blurred, but I forced myself to look him in the eye, my voice shaking. “I have nothing to apologize for. I am the victim here, Alex. I have always been the victim.” A look of deep disappointment, mixed with utter revulsion, crossed his face. He pulled out his phone and tapped the screen. “You won’t apologize? Fine. Let’s see if your pride is worth letting the entire world see how pathetic you were a year ago.” Before I could comprehend his words, a video began to play right in front of my face. The screen showed a dark, filthy room. It showed me—vulnerable, terrified, and subjected to the worst kind of degradation. My mind went entirely blank. A suffocating silence pressed in on my chest. Alex leaned in close, his voice dropping to a cruel whisper. “Georgia, Nana’s heart is failing. She’s too weak to handle any shock. You think about whether you want to apologize, or if you want me to send this to her nursing home.” My jaw trembled, but no sound came out. Since my parents died, Nana was my only remaining family. She had raised me on her own, working extra shifts to pay for my tuition. My relentless drive to succeed in business was fueled entirely by my desire to give her a peaceful, comfortable end of life. And Alex knew exactly how much she meant to me. His thumb hovered over the send button. Just as his finger began to descend, a strangled cry tore from my throat. “No! Stop! I’ll do it… I’ll apologize.” Under his cold, unblinking gaze, I sank slowly to my knees in front of Lexie. “I’m sorry,” I whispered to the floor. “I’m sorry…” My voice grew numb as I repeated the words over and over, my tears dripping onto the hardwood floor. Alex finally looked satisfied. He stepped forward, reaching down to help me up, but Lexie suddenly whimpered. “Alex… my wrist hurts so bad…” With that single sentence, his attention snapped away from me instantly. He gathered her in his arms, his face pale with worry, and rushed her out of the room to go to the hospital. As the front door slammed shut, the last of my strength evaporated, and I collapsed onto the floor. It wasn’t until my attorney sent over the finalized divorce agreement that I managed to drag myself up. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a call from the private care facility. “Ms. Ames, you need to come to the hospital immediately. Your grandmother… she’s going into cardiac arrest.” My heart stopped. I ran out of the townhouse, driving like a madwoman to the hospital. When I sprinted into the ward, I noticed the nurses and staff whispering, pointing at me with looks of intense disgust. But I didn’t care. I grabbed a nurse’s arm, desperate. “Where is my grandmother? Which room?” The nurse violently yanked her arm away, looking at me as if I were a piece of garbage. “I don’t know. Find her yourself.” I ran through the hallways, searching for the emergency wing. When I finally found the surgical waiting area, I walked back toward the patient rooms to retrieve her medical chart. As I approached the door, Lexie walked out, looking entirely relaxed, a small smile playing on her lips. A dark, terrifying dread bloomed in my chest. I lunged forward, grabbing her by the collar, my voice cracking. “Why are you here? What did you do to my grandmother?” Lexie rolled her eyes, let out a soft chuckle, and shrugged. “Honestly, I didn’t do much.” “I just thought the old lady would want to see how popular her granddaughter is. I showed her the video. Who knew she’d be so fragile? She practically choked on her own breath the second she saw it.” A rush of heat flooded my brain. Every ounce of sanity, every shred of restraint I had spent my life building, dissolved in a single second. Before I realized what was happening, my hands were wrapped tightly around her throat. Lexie’s face turned bright red, her hands clawing desperately at mine as she choked. “Help… she’s… she’s crazy…” “Georgia! Let her go!” A furious roar echoed down the hallway. Alex materialized out of nowhere, slamming into me and throwing me off her. My head hit the hard linoleum floor, and a warm trail of blood began to seep into my eyes, blurring my vision. Through the red haze, I could hear Alex screaming at me. “Georgia, have you lost your mind? She was just trying to be sweet and visit your grandmother, and you attack her like a wild animal?” Lexie collapsed into his arms, sobbing hysterically. “If you hadn’t come… she would have killed me! I shouldn’t have come with you… I was just trying to be nice…” Alex stroked her bruised neck, his eyes filled with agonizing worry. I lay on the floor, screaming through my tears, “She showed Nana the video! She killed her!” “Enough!” Alex barked, his eyes ice-cold as he looked down at me. “Those videos only exist because you were loose and dirty to begin with. Don’t blame Lexie for your own trashy past. You clearly haven’t learned how to behave. I think a little discipline is overdue.” He waved his hand, and two of his personal security guards stepped forward, grabbing me by the arms and dragging me toward the service elevator. I thrashed against their grip, terror clawing at my throat. “Alex! What are you doing? Let me go!” Alex stood at the elevator doors, his voice devoid of any humanity. “Lexie is pregnant, Georgia. She deserves a beautiful, stress-free wedding, and I won’t let you ruin it. You’re going to stay in the basement of the estate until you learn some manners. Once the wedding is over, I’ll let you out.” The elevator doors closed on his cold face. An hour later, I was thrown into the damp, dark basement of his family’s suburban estate. The heavy iron door clicked shut, plunging me into absolute pitch-black darkness. Suddenly, I heard rustling in the corners. Shadows shifted. Dirty, rough hands reached out of the dark, grabbing at my ankles. “No! Please, no!” My screams echoed off the concrete walls. Outside the heavy door, Alex’s footsteps paused for a fraction of a second, but then his scoff drifted through the keyhole. “She’s still acting. There isn’t even a mouse down there.” But I wasn’t acting. In the suffocating dark, several men with foul breath and heavy, brutal hands pinned me to the floor, laughing softly. Inside, I screamed until my throat bled, my fingernails clawing uselessly at the rough concrete, leaving long streaks of blood. Outside, I could hear Lexie’s whiny, sweet voice. “Let’s go, Alex. You promised we’d go on our pre-wedding trip today.” Alex’s voice was incredibly tender. “Of course, sweetheart. Whatever you want.” Their footsteps faded into the distance. My world fell into complete, uninterrupted silence. A week later, after their lavish destination wedding, Alex returned to the estate to let me out. Lately, he had been feeling a strange, persistent anxiety in his chest. But he shook it off, telling himself that after a week of isolation, I would finally understand my place. As long as I promised to stay away from Lexie, he would treat me well. He unlocked the heavy iron door and swung it open. But the sight that met his eyes shattered his composure completely.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “536349”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel