Author: Momo Chan

The night my wife tried to drown herself in the river, they pulled her out naked and shivering. “Jack… I’m so sorry,” she sobbed, her body wracked with cold. “I gambled it all away.” I stripped off my coat and wrapped it around her, my fury a furnace inside my chest. “You’re going to put our daughter on the table,” I said, my voice dangerously calm. “And you’re going to win it all back.” 1 My wife, fifteen years my junior, clung to me, her sobs shaking her entire frame as she shook her head frantically. “No, Jack, please, no… Our little girl is only three months old. I know I was wrong, please…” she pleaded. “I’ll never gamble again, I swear. Just forgive me.” I’d made my money in a life I’d left behind long ago. It wasn’t a fortune, but it was enough to settle down in this quiet town and marry a woman who was little more than a girl. I adored her. I showered her with jewelry, designer bags, a brand-new BMW. But the pampering had gone to her head. She’d grown arrogant, flaunting her new life for everyone to see. And now, somehow, she’d found her way into a high-stakes poker game and lost everything, right down to the clothes on her back. “It’s too late for that,” I told her, my voice hard. “We have nothing left. The only chip we have is our daughter.” A strangled cry escaped her lips, and she began to weep with a raw, desperate terror. It tore my heart out, but I kept my face a mask of stone. The bags, the jewelry, the car… it added up to nearly half a million dollars. She was a naive twenty-year-old; she would never have the nerve to play for those kinds of stakes on her own. This was a setup, plain and simple. Fine. I’d use this opportunity to scare her straight, to teach her a lesson she’d never forget. Maybe then she’d learn to keep a lower profile and stop attracting the attention of sharks. “Don’t sell our baby,” she begged, her eyes wild. “Please, I’ll… I’ll sell myself to pay the debt.” Her words sent a fresh wave of rage through me. I could live with them taking my money; God knows it wasn’t all clean. But to strip my wife naked, to humiliate her and drive her to the brink of suicide? They had crossed a line. We went home. I dressed her, picked up our sleeping three-month-old, and hailed a cab back to the underground casino where she’d lost it all. Lily’s face was chalk-white, drained of all color. I forced a smile. “Don’t be scared. Just show me the table. I want to have a little chat with them.” We found it easily enough. Three people were sitting there: my wife’s so-called best friend, Tiffany; her husband, AJ; and a bald brute with a gleaming gold tooth. Tiffany’s eyes lit up when she saw Lily. “Well, well, look what the cat dragged in! Can you believe the nerve?” Tiffany and AJ ran a hair salon downtown. Lily had met her while getting a perm. Tiffany was always sweet-talking her into trying new, expensive styles, and I’d warned Lily to keep her distance. But Lily, in her innocence, just figured the woman was trying to earn a little extra money. Now, it was clear what she’d really been after. The bald man, Goldtooth, stood up, a nasty sneer on his face. “You back for more, bitch? The deal’s the same. No cash, you pay with your body.” I recognized him. My memory is photographic. I’d seen him years ago working as a bouncer at a major outfit in the city. Seeing the three of them together, the whole picture snapped into focus. Tiffany found the mark, AJ reeled her in, and Goldtooth ran the crooked game. A classic con, and they’d run it on my family. Lily was trembling too much to speak. I stepped forward, my smile placid. “My wife isn’t feeling well. Mind if I take her seat?” Lily grabbed my sleeve, her fingers digging into the fabric. “Jack, let’s just go home. Please.” I shot her a sharp look. “Home? What home? You lost it, remember?” Her eyes filled with tears, and she fell silent. Goldtooth sized me up, his expression dripping with contempt. “You want to play? You got the buy-in? Your wife still owes me ten grand. If you can’t pay, she can spend a few months in my bed.” He let out a greasy laugh. “Or hell, make it six months. I’ll even stake you the ten grand myself.” This was the animal who had tried to force himself on her, who had stripped her and left her with no choice but to throw herself in the river. “I have the buy-in,” I said, my smile never wavering. I scooped up our three-month-old daughter and placed her right in the middle of the green felt. “Call your manager. Let’s get a price.” This was a black-market joint. If a player was crazy enough to put it on the table, they were happy to take it. In that moment, a surreal tableau of despair unfolded. My daughter, startled, began to wail from on top of the table. My wife, below it, collapsed to her knees, her own cries swallowed by the smoky air. The sight was a knife in my gut, but I had to see this through. I had to burn the horror of this night into her memory forever. The floor manager, a man with dead eyes, came over and casually peeled back the corner of the baby’s blanket. “A girl,” he said, his voice flat. “We can give you a hundred and fifty thousand in chips. If you don’t buy her back in 24 hours, she’s ours. No questions asked.” I looked Goldtooth dead in the eye. “Give me fifty thousand. The other hundred is to clear her debt to you.” Goldtooth was genuinely stunned. Then, a slow, ugly grin spread across his face, flashing his namesake. “Well, damn, kid. You got balls. Have a seat. Let’s play.” 2 Tiffany claimed she was “just a lady” and sat out, leaving the three of us at the table. Goldtooth, eager to get his hands on my chips, reached for the deck. I held up a hand. “Hold on. My wife lost a fortune. I’ll deal first.” AJ’s face darkened, but Goldtooth just chuckled. “Makes no difference to me. You deal, I deal, it’s all up to lady luck. Go ahead.” Tiffany shot AJ a look, a silent command. “Where are your manners? Her husband’s trying to win back what she lost.” AJ mumbled an apology and nodded. I hid my smirk. They were already trading signals. I pretended not to notice as I dealt the cards. The rules were simple: a hundred-dollar ante, with a five-thousand-dollar betting cap per round. As the dealer, I looked at my cards and pushed out a hundred dollars. AJ, to my left, didn’t even glance at his hand. He shoved five thousand into the pot. Goldtooth immediately matched it. “Five thousand, blind.” He then fixed me with a challenging stare. Tiffany let out a little snort of amusement. The play was obvious. Since I had already looked at my cards, the rules required me to double their bet to stay in. I’d have to put in ten thousand, but I only had forty-nine thousand nine hundred left after the valuation. I didn’t have enough. They were squeezing me out on the very first hand, a blatant, legal way to bleed my stack. Tiffany patted AJ on the head. “Honey, you’re not being very fair. The man’s a little short-stacked.” AJ had the grace to look embarrassed. “Ah, my bad, man. I forgot. Tell you what, we’ll take it easy on you. Next hand, we’ll cap the bets at a grand.” He reached out to collect my hundred-dollar ante. “Wait,” I said. “I’m in. Ten thousand.” Goldtooth’s grin vanished. “What, you gonna pay with air, pal? You don’t have the chips.” AJ chimed in, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Yeah, and I’ll raise you a million imaginary dollars.” Lily grabbed my arm. “Jack, he’s right! We’re short by five thousand!” Without a word, I pulled her to her feet and pushed her toward the table. “Manager! How much is my wife worth?” “No… no, no, no…” Lily’s last shred of hope shattered. She broke down, sobbing hysterically. The manager checked her ID. “Twenty years old,” he announced coolly. “Sold to the trafficking rings down south… she’s worth a million. We’ll even handle the shipping. 24-hour redemption window.” Sold to the rings. A one-way ticket to being drugged, used, and then parted out for organs. A crowd of gamblers had gathered around our table, their whispers a low hum in the background. “Another one who’s lost his mind. First the kid, now the wife.” “He’s a damn lunatic.” Lily clung to me, her screams raw with terror. “Jack, no! I know I was wrong, please stop! Let Goldtooth have me! Just take the money, get our daughter back, and find someone new!” I pried her hands from my arm, my own heart feeling like it was being ripped in two. “You want me to stop now? Why weren’t you this clear-headed when you were throwing away our future? The moment you sit at this table, you have to be ready to lose everything. Understand?” She crumpled, clutching our daughter and weeping, snot and tears streaming down her face. It was agony to watch, but I had to maintain this cold facade. I needed her to see, to feel, the terrifying reality of what she had done. The contract was signed. A million dollars in chips were pushed my way. I slid ten thousand into the pot. “I call. And I raise.” Goldtooth stared at me, his jaw slack. “You… you crazy son of a bitch. You’re really coming after me.” “You cleaned out my entire life,” I said, my voice like ice. “Did you think I was going to play nice? Your turn, AJ.” AJ frowned, hesitating for a few seconds before tossing his cards onto the table. “I fold.” He had no idea what I held, and with the hand being my deal, he wasn’t willing to risk it. Goldtooth folded too. The first pot was mine. Ten thousand, two hundred dollars. Goldtooth snatched the deck, his teeth grinding. “I lost. My deal.” “As it should be,” I agreed. He glared at me, rubbing his gold tooth with his thumb. “Alright, psycho. You want to play hardball? Let’s take the limits off this hand. What do you say? You got the guts for that?” “Fine by me,” I said. It was exactly what I was waiting for. “Jack, no!” Lily cried, shaking my arm, her face a mask of fear. She was terrified I was about to lose her in a single hand. “Does a piece of property get a say in the matter?” Goldtooth sneered. “Yeah, this is men’s business,” AJ added. “Shut your mouth.” “He didn’t stop you when you were playing with no limits, did he?” Tiffany piled on. Before I could speak, they had ganged up on her. I feigned anger, shaking her hand off my arm. “Get off me! This is all your fault! Say another word and I’m walking out of here with the money!” Lily went silent, her body trembling. Goldtooth dealt the cards. As the dealer, he immediately shoved a hundred thousand dollars in chips into the center of the table. “A hundred grand, blind. You in?” he taunted. I pretended to hesitate, to agonize over the decision. Then, with a theatrical sigh of resolve, I said, “I’m in. A hundred grand.” AJ, without missing a beat, pushed a hundred thousand in as well. I let out a slow breath. The trap was set. 3 Goldtooth dealt the hand, which meant my cards were almost certainly garbage. If I looked at them, I’d have to fold and lose my hundred grand. If I didn’t look, I’d have to keep matching their bets. They planned to bleed me dry, round by round, in a slow, torturous death by a thousand cuts. Several rounds later, the pot had swollen. Each of us had over a million dollars on the table. The action was on Goldtooth. He was out of chips. He glanced at my stack; I still had a hundred and fifty thousand left. He let out a low, predatory chuckle. Clack. He tossed the keys to my wife’s BMW onto the pile. “Your wife said this car is worth three hundred grand,” he announced. “I’m all in. You don’t have enough to call. Time to fold, my friend.” He crossed his arms, leaning back like a king on his throne. “Sorry, but that’s the game. Don’t blame me for being ruthless.” He then pulled a set of chains from under the table. “Manager! Get the crate ready for his wife!” He reached for the mountain of chips in the center. “Wait,” I said calmly. “Who said I was folding?” “What are you gonna bet with?” Goldtooth sneered. “Myself.” I called the manager over again, ready to sign my own life away. But Lily lunged forward, grabbing my hand with surprising strength. “Stop, Jack, please! Don’t sign it. Let’s just walk away.” I squeezed her hand. “Lily, if I don’t sign this, there’s no way to win you and our daughter back.” Her voice was a choked sob. “It’s not too late to fold! We can borrow money from friends, we can buy our daughter back! Forget about me! This is all my fault, I deserve this!” But I shook my head, my voice low and steady. “No. We see this through. I won’t let our daughter grow up without a mother.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393506”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 “Let’s try dating if we’re both single at twenty-eight.” Because of his first love’s drunken promise, he rejected my proposals eight times. When I learned the truth, I gave up. “Dad, Mom… I’ll come home. I’ll marry him.” Their relieved voices crackled through the phone. “Nina! As Tang Corporation’s heir, you can’t wander forever. How about a January 19th wedding? When can you meet him—” The bedroom door burst open. “Whose wedding?” Nicholas frowned. I hung up, deadpanning: “A friend’s. She wants me as bridesmaid.” He shrugged. “Go ahead. I’m too busy to join you.” “Fine.” My quick agreement surprised him. As he showered, his jacket buzzed. I pulled out his phone. A message from “Aria” glowed on the screen. “You still remember what I said back then? Don’t tell me you’re actually planning on marrying me, haha.” My hand froze. I swiped up. The message Nicholas had sent her just minutes before stared back at me. “Aria, in thirty-three days, it will be your twenty-eight birthday. Do you remember what you promised me?” I laughed. A drunken joke, and he had been waiting all these years. In thirty-three days, Aria would turn twenty-eight. It was also the day I had chosen to break up with him, go home, and get married. I hoped he got his wish. The bathroom door opened. Nicholas walked out, toweling his hair, and sat beside me. “Your phone buzzed a few times,” I said calmly. He quickly dried his hands and grabbed the phone, his eyes scanning the screen with an intense focus I rarely saw. “Who is it?” I asked lightly. His usual calm demeanor vanished. He stood up abruptly. “It’s work. I need to take care of this. You go to bed first.” I saw the defensiveness in his eyes, the poorly constructed lie, and a bitter self-mockery welled up inside me. I simply nodded. As he disappeared into the study, I turned off the lights and lay down. Hours later, the faintest of footsteps creaked in the dark room. A softly glowing phone was placed on the nightstand, and an arm gently wrapped around my waist. I waited until his breathing became deep and even before I opened my eyes, reached over, and took his phone. The chat was still open. He had added a single, four-word reply. “Never forgotten, never will.” A simple phrase, yet I could picture him typing it. Lips pressed together, eyes glued to the screen, carefully composing and deleting, weighing each word. Desperate for his feelings to be known, yet terrified of revealing too much. He only ever showed this kind of cautious devotion to Aria. A bitter smile touched my lips. I opened his social media profile. The background was a stark black image. But if you looked closely, you could see a single line of text at the bottom. “What you never forget, you will one day have.” When we first got together, I’d asked him about it. He’d brushed it off, saying it was just a random picture he found online. Now I knew the truth. It wasn’t random at all. It was a calculated, heartfelt declaration. He was waiting for her twenty-eighth birthday. Waiting for Aria to finally say yes. I lay awake all night. As dawn broke, he started to stir. I opened my eyes. “Let’s get off work early today.” He paused, fastening his cufflinks. “Why? Is something wrong?” “It’s your birthday,” I said quietly. “Did you forget?” He froze for a second. His mind had been so consumed with Aria’s twenty-eighth birthday promise that he’d forgotten his own. “Let’s just cancel it,” he said. “Keep it simple.” For years, I had been the one to plan his birthdays, pouring my heart into lavish parties just to see him smile. He never appreciated it. So, hearing him say that now, a wave of self-pity washed over me. “It’s already planned. Everyone’s coming. It’s too late to cancel.” I’d started planning this party three months ago, back when I still believed I was the only one. He didn’t argue further. He just grabbed his phone and left the room, a slight frown creasing his brow. I looked down, whispering to myself, “Not anymore.” I would never plan another birthday for him again. 2 The first thing I did at the office was hand in my resignation. The news sent a shockwave through the department. “Nina, you’re leaving? Just like that? Do you have another job lined up?” “So sudden! Don’t tell me you’re going home to inherit a billion-dollar fortune!” a coworker joked. I smiled. “I’m going home to get married.” That explanation satisfied most of them, but my closest work friend, Chloe, pulled me aside. “Nina, did he finally propose? I thought he avoided the topic of marriage like the plague.” I didn’t want to explain. “Thanks for everything all these years. Dinner’s on me tonight.” After a two-hour dinner with a few colleagues, it was already eight o’clock by the time I reached the hotel for Nicholas’s party. As I approached the private room, I heard voices from within and paused. “It’s freezing out. Who did Nick go to pick up?” “Who else? Aria, of course. She said she was coming back today, and he ran off like an eager puppy.” “So he must be thrilled, right? It’s his twenty-eighth birthday today, and she’ll be twenty-eight in a month. She’s not really back to fulfill that promise, is she?” “But if they get together, what about Nina? It’s been seven years, and she doesn’t even know who Aria is. She’s completely devoted to him.” “What can you do? Nick’s been hung up on Aria forever. If she says yes, Nina’s out. It’s just bad luck. At least she doesn’t come from a powerful family, so it’ll be easy to pay her off.” “I know she’s been great to us and to Nick, but we’re his friends. We have to be on his side. When they break up, we should handle it for him. Give her a car, a condo… a nice severance package.” I listened, feeling a strange sense of detachment. Now that I had a plan, the pain from a few weeks ago was gone, replaced by a dark amusement. He was going to have his friends break up with me on his behalf. What kind of relationship had I been in for seven years? Too bad for them. They wouldn’t get to see me humiliated. This time, I was the one leaving first. A waiter pushed a cart of drinks past, and the door swung open, silencing the conversation inside. I walked in, a practiced smile on my face, greeting everyone as if nothing had happened. A few minutes later, Nicholas returned with a woman I’d never met. She looked vaguely familiar, a stranger who shared three or four of my features. He introduced her around the room before finally bringing her to me. “This is my childhood friend, Aria.” Aria extended a hand gracefully. Nicholas hesitated for a beat before introducing me. “And this… is a friend of mine, Nina Collins.” 3 The party roared back to life. Aria was an extrovert, easily charming everyone in the room. She held court, playing drinking games and laughing loudly, leaving the few other girlfriends in attendance on the sidelines. At one point, she was holding cards and wanted a piece of watermelon. Without a thought, Nicholas speared a piece with his own fork and fed it to her. She took it just as casually, then grabbed his wine glass and took a long drink, leaving a bright red lipstick stain on the rim. I watched from a few feet away as Nicholas held that glass, his thumb tracing the lipstick mark, and drank from that exact spot, again and again. Finally, it was time for the cake. The room quieted. I rose and pushed the cart forward, lighting the candles. Staring at the number ‘28,’ Nicholas rubbed his temples as if trying to clear his head. His gaze, hazy with alcohol, swept the room and landed on Aria. He held up a finger. “This year, instead of a wish, I have a question.” His finger curled, pointing directly at her. His voice was thick but his eyes were burning. “Aria, you’re almost twenty-eight. I want to ask you… do you have a boyfriend right now?” A stunned silence fell. Then, Aria, after a slight pause, answered. “Right now? No.” A collective “Whoa!” erupted, and the room exploded. His drunk friends mobbed him, singing and dancing. I sat perfectly still, a silent observer playing the part of the clueless “friend.” The party finally ended in the early hours of the morning. I helped a very drunk Nicholas into the car. He collapsed against my shoulder, his inhibitions washed away by alcohol and joy, and poured out his heart. “Aria, don’t go. Stay with me, please?” “Why can they have you, but I can’t, Aria?” “Aria, do you know how much I love you?” “I’ve waited for you for so many years…” The female driver kept glancing at us in the rearview mirror, smirking. As she helped me get him upstairs, she remarked, “Your boyfriend really loves you, Aria.” I smiled faintly. “He does. But I’m not Aria.” The next morning, hungover and remembering the previous night, Nicholas rushed to explain. “Nina, I was so drunk last night. I probably said a lot of stupid things. Don’t take it to heart.” I hadn’t expected him to remember, or to come up with such a flimsy excuse. Still, I played along. “It’s okay. I know.” My placid reaction seemed to unnerve him. He changed the subject. “I’m sorry I ignored you last night. Let’s go on a date after work today, okay? To make it up to you.” “I’m not angry. But I have plans this afternoon. I can’t.” My refusal only made him more insistent. I finally relented. That evening, as I was getting ready, a text from Chloe popped up. “Nina, you didn’t tell your boyfriend you quit? He just came by looking for you. He seems really mad.” Before I could finish reading, his call came through. His voice was laced with fury. “Your colleague told me you quit your job? To get married?” 4 “I told you, I have no plans to get married right now!” he continued, his voice rising. So that’s what this was about. He thought I was trying to force his hand. “It was just a joke with my colleagues,” I explained patiently. “They must have taken it seriously. I quit because I was tired and wanted a break.” His tone softened. “Don’t make jokes like that again.” He asked where I was, offering to pick me up. I was about to give him the address when I heard a faint laugh in the background. It sounded exactly like Aria. I remembered seeing a selfie she’d posted from inside a car just moments before. She was with him. The “okay” on my lips turned into a “no need.” He hung up quickly. Too quickly. If he really wanted to pick me up, he wouldn’t have been in such a rush. It was just an empty gesture. I hailed a cab and went to the restaurant we’d agreed on. The hostess led me to a private room on the top floor. The table was laden with food, but the room was empty. “Mr. Chen called ten minutes ago,” the hostess explained. “He said you should start without him, as he was delayed by an urgent matter.” An urgent matter. Of course. He was with Aria. I suppose it wasn’t a lie. To him, anything involving her was an urgent matter. I sat down. The table was filled with seafood. I’d grown tired of it during my years in Europe. In the past, I would have forced myself to eat it for his sake. Not anymore. I waved the waitress over and had her clear the entire table. “Ma’am,” she hesitated, “Mr. Chen has already paid for this. It’s quite expensive, and we don’t offer refunds.” I handed her my card. “I know. Just charge the new order to this.” He never showed up. I finished my meal, paid, and went home. On the way, he texted. “Nina, can you stay somewhere else tonight?” “Aria’s back suddenly, and her old place isn’t ready. The lights are broken.” “She’s afraid of the dark. I want her to stay here for the night. Is that okay?” Juggling his precious Aria while trying to keep our relationship a secret from her. How amusing. This time, I didn’t play along. “Why do you have to hide our relationship from your ‘friend’? How long are you planning on keeping this up?” His reply came much later. No explanation. Just a date. “January 18th.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393503”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At my daughter’s one-month celebration, I caught my best friend in my husband’s arms. “Edward,” she whispered, “your idiot wife still doesn’t know I switched our babies?” “Not a chance,” he chuckled. “She dotes on our daughter daily. Where’s the child she actually bore?” “Got bored after a month,” she shrugged. “Drowned it. You’re not angry?” “Married her for the money,” he scoffed. “Who cares?” I wiped a tear and pretended not to hear. For twenty years, I raised their child as my own. When their daughter returned from abroad, I transferred all my shares and assets to her at a press conference. That’s when they approached with a paternity test. “Hospital mistake,” my best friend declared. “Shelley is ours. Time to return her.” My husband slid divorce papers and a $5,000 debit card toward me. “Sign this so we can be a family.” I smiled coldly. “Alright.” 1 “Honey, I noticed you had a bit of a cough yesterday, so I woke up early to make you some pear soup. Here, drink it while it’s hot.” Edward, my husband, gently placed the bowl in front of me, his eyes overflowing with what looked like pure, unadulterated love. “Dad, you’re so good to Mom,” our daughter, Shelley, chimed in from the breakfast table. Yes. He was good to me. Everyone could see it. He was always the first to notice when I was down, showering me with comfort and surprises. He’d nurse me devotedly when I was sick. In our most intimate moments, he would hold me tight and whisper that marrying me was the greatest blessing of his life. If I hadn’t overheard that conversation all those years ago, I never would have believed this sensitive, caring man was a monster. I took the soup and drank it without a word. Soon, the doorbell rang. “It must be Godmommy!” Shelley squealed, jumping up to answer the door. There stood my best friend, Amelia, laden with shopping bags. Her face lit up when she saw Shelley. “Shelley, darling, it’s getting colder. Godmommy bought you some new winter clothes.” She set the bags down. “And I know how much you love my pastries, so I made some more for you.” Shelley’s eyes curved into crescent moons. “Thank you, Godmommy! You’re the best!” Amelia pulled the girl into a warm embrace. “Of course, I am! You’re my precious little treasure. I’d give you the world if I could.” She led Shelley to the table, then looked at me. “Cassandra, Shelley mentioned her school has a parent-teacher conference today. Do you mind if I go?” Her voice took on a pitiful tone, her eyes flitting between Edward and Shelley. “You know, I’m not as lucky as you. I didn’t marry a wonderful man and have a perfect daughter. A scumbag got me pregnant, and my little… my little one… she drowned in the tub. I’ll never get the chance to go to a parent-teacher conference…” For years, she had used her dead child as an excuse to overstep every boundary. It wasn’t just daily visits. She organized Shelley’s birthday parties every year. She took her out for holidays, attended her school’s family events. On Mother’s Day, she would take Shelley out for the entire day, plastering their photos all over social media. Her excuse was always the same. “My poor baby died so young, and I don’t think I can ever have another. We’re best friends, Cassandra. I just want to love Shelley as if she were my own.” Before I could even respond, Edward jumped in. “Honey, Amelia’s been through so much. It’s a tragedy. Why not let her experience what it’s like? Just this once.” The three of them stared at me with expectant eyes. I managed a small smile. “Of course. I’m busy today, anyway.” Amelia’s face broke into a satisfied grin. Shelley clapped her hands in delight. After breakfast, Amelia eagerly whisked Shelley off to school, with Edward tagging along, saying he’d give them a ride. I watched the three of them leave, a happy little family, and said nothing at all. 2 Perhaps because I was so easy to fool, so oblivious, Amelia grew bolder. At first, she would only meet Edward in secret when I was at the office. Now, she found excuses to come over even when I was home. “Cassandra, I’ve been teaching myself to cook! I came to show off my new skills.” “Cassandra, I just got back from the countryside and brought you some fresh produce.” “Cassandra, my pipes burst! Can I stay with you for a few days?” … I knew she was only here for Edward and Shelley. But I never refused. I welcomed her politely, agreed to every request. Edward reveled in it. His lips would curl into a smile the moment she walked through the door. Sometimes, he’d exchange flirtatious glances with her right in front of me. Even Shelley grew closer to Amelia, buying her a special pair of slippers to keep at our house for her frequent visits. This continued until Shelley’s college entrance exams. The day the scores were released, Amelia was at our house first thing in the morning. When Shelley’s abysmal scores appeared on the screen, Edward feigned outrage. “How could you score so low?” Shelley shrugged. “We’re rich. Why should I work myself to death studying? Mom can just buy me a degree, can’t she?” Edward shot me a look. When I said nothing, he continued his act. “Even if your mother spoils you, she can’t let you be this reckless! It’s not easy for her to run the company alone. You need to step up! How else will you help her? How can she trust you with the company?” Amelia quickly interjected, “Cassandra is Shelley’s mother. Of course, she’ll take care of her.” “Exactly,” Shelley added. “I’m her only daughter. She’s not going to let me starve with all her companies, is she?” Amelia gave Shelley an appreciative glance, then turned to me. “Cassandra, Shelley is a good girl. You can’t let her go to some diploma mill. What if she gets bullied? Why don’t you make her a general manager at your company? Let her learn the ropes.” The truth was, Shelley, spoiled rotten by Amelia and Edward, was lazy, arrogant, and completely incompetent. She wasn’t even qualified for an internship at my company. But I didn’t say that. Instead, I said seriously, “General manager isn’t enough. She’s my only child. She deserves to inherit everything.” “I have it all planned out. First, I’ll send her abroad to study. When she returns, I will hand the entire company over to her.” Amelia’s eyes lit up. She laughed heartily. “Yes, yes! A brilliant girl like Shelley deserves to be a CEO, looking down on everyone. I always said she was born for a life of luxury, so much better than that short-lived little brat of mine!” Edward and Shelley nodded enthusiastically, their faces beaming. Watching the three of them laugh, so smug and triumphant, I smiled too. They laughed at my stupidity. I laughed at their naivety. 3 While handling the paperwork for her studies abroad, I brought Shelley to the office every day, patiently teaching her the ins and outs of the business. The day she left, Amelia rushed to the airport, loaded with gifts, fussing over her as if she were her own. The scene was touching, a perfect portrait of a mother’s love. Long after the plane was a tiny speck in the sky, Amelia stood there, tears in her eyes, before reluctantly leaving. With Shelley gone, Amelia’s visits became less frequent. But Edward started going out more. He would come home looking drained, hollowed out. He’d claim he was out with friends, or that he’d joined a gym. When he ran out of excuses, he’d sigh dramatically. “I raised Shelley. She’s never been away from me before. I miss her so much. If I don’t keep busy, I think I’ll fall apart.” I ignored the cloying scent of Amelia’s perfume that clung to him and pretended to comfort him. “She’ll be back soon. Then our family can be together again.” Edward gave a faint, knowing smile. “Yes. Soon, our family of three will finally be reunited.” Three years later, Shelley returned. Amelia, whom I hadn’t seen in ages, was at our house early, ready to go to the airport with us. The moment she saw Shelley, she lost all control, rushing forward to pull her into a tight, tearful embrace. After their emotional reunion, Shelley walked straight up to me. “Mom, I’m back. When are you handing over the company?” Seeing her impatience, I smiled faintly. “Let’s go. I’ve already called a press conference. I’m about to give you everything, in front of everyone.” 4 The press conference was packed. Media, journalists, business tycoons—everyone had gathered to witness the transfer of power at the colossal C&S Group. Under the glare of the spotlights, I announced that my daughter, Shelley, would be succeeding me as CEO. With lawyers and cameras as my witnesses, I signed the share transfer agreements, handing over all my personal assets and company shares to her. The room erupted in thunderous applause. People marveled at our mother-daughter bond, their eyes on Shelley filled with envy. And at that precise moment, Amelia, arm in arm with Edward, made her grand entrance. Under the confused and startled gazes of the crowd, she held up a paternity test report and announced, “Cassandra, Edward and I have been in love for a long time. We had our daughters at the same time. There was a mix-up at the hospital. Shelley is our biological daughter. You’ve had her for long enough. It’s time to give her back.” The room exploded. “Isn’t that Amelia, Cassandra’s best friend? She was sleeping with her husband? And they have a child?” “Wait, Amelia’s baby died after a month! If there was a mix-up, doesn’t that mean… Cassandra’s real daughter is the one who died?” “That’s monstrous! She steals her husband, and lets her real daughter die? What kind of monster is she?” “And she reveals this right after Cassandra gave her daughter all her money? Is she even human?” Amid the outrage, Edward spoke up, his voice ringing with self-righteousness. “For years, I was trapped in a loveless marriage. I tried to be a responsible husband. But I’m a human being! Night after night, I asked myself, is this the life I want? Cassandra has been good to me and Shelley, but Amelia is the one I truly love. All I want is to pursue my true love. Is that so wrong? Marriage is for happiness, and so is divorce. It shouldn’t be a cage. I hope you can all wish us well!” He sounded like a tragic hero, breaking free from the chains of a miserable marriage. I ignored him. I looked straight at Shelley. “What do you think?” Shelley glanced at the share transfer agreement in her hand, then looked at me calmly. “Mom… this is the last time I’ll call you that. You raised me for twenty years, but you’re not my real mother. Blood is thicker than water. Please, don’t stand in the way of our family’s reunion.” Amelia smirked. “Have some dignity, Cassandra. Just because your own daughter died young, don’t cling to someone else’s.” Edward slapped a divorce agreement and a debit card on the table. “Let’s get this over with while everyone’s here. There’s five thousand dollars on the card. A little something for your years of service and the divorce settlement.” The crowd was incensed. “Like father, like daughter, like mistress. What a disgusting family.” “After everything Cassandra did for her? Raised her like a princess, gave her billions, and she just ditches her for her real mom?” “Five thousand dollars? Is he serious? That’s an insult!” “I can’t even watch this! Cassandra, don’t listen to these animals!” “They’ve gone too far!” Everyone was on my side, some even offering legal help to get my assets back. Through it all, Amelia and Edward remained calm, as if they were prepared for anything. But amid the storm of outrage, a dark, knowing smile touched my lips. “Alright.” As the entire room stared in disbelief, I signed the divorce papers. Amelia and Edward looked stunned, not expecting me to agree so easily. They snatched up the documents, checked them carefully, and only then did they relax, their faces breaking into triumphant smiles. As they were basking in their victory, I spoke again. “Since you’ve given me such a big surprise,” I said, my voice carrying across the silent room, “I have a gift for you in return.” 5 Edward looked baffled. “A gift? What gift?” Everyone’s eyes turned to me. Under the intense scrutiny of the crowd, I produced a box made of exquisite golden nanmu wood. I handed it to Edward. “Even though Shelley disowns me as a mother, I raised her for twenty years. In my heart, she will always be my only heir. This is my family’s heirloom. I give it to you. May your family live in harmony forever.” Edward’s eyes widened. He took the box, opened it cautiously, and pulled out an ancient, priceless jade archer’s ring. The crowd was dumbfounded. “Is that really the C&S family heirloom? Is Cassandra insane? Giving it to these scumbags?” “She must have snapped. The shock was too much.” “It’s tragic. The husband and daughter she loved for years… one betrayed her, the other wasn’t even hers and took all her money. And her real daughter is dead. Who could handle that?” “But that’s no reason to enable them! If it were me, I’d want to kill Amelia!” The crowd looked at me with a mixture of pity and contempt. Amelia started clapping. “Cassandra, I always thought you were just a rich fool. But today, you’ve truly impressed me. You’re not just a fool. You’re a born doormat. The most pathetic, groveling woman I have ever seen.” Shelley wrinkled her nose in disgust. “Thank God you’re not my real mother. I would die of embarrassment.” Edward rolled his eyes. “Being married to you, Cassandra, is the greatest shame of my life. Don’t you ever say you know me again. I can’t afford the humiliation.” With that, he wrapped his arm around Amelia, and the three of them strode out of the press conference. I became an instant headline. The entire event had been live-streamed. The whole country had witnessed what happened. The internet exploded. “Is there something wrong with this woman’s brain?” “Her own daughter is dead, and she’s giving her blessing to this family of vipers? Is that something a human being does?!” “I’m so frustrated I could scream! How can such a spineless, stupid woman exist in this world?” “Can we please stop trending these infuriating stories? It’s bad for my health!” The internet seethed. There was outrage, there was pity. Some well-meaning people even contacted me, offering to help me capitalize on the drama, to do livestreams, play the victim, and earn some money back. I refused them all and went home. When I arrived, Amelia was moving her luggage in. Edward and Shelley were throwing my belongings out like trash. Seeing me, Edward tilted his chin up, his eyes full of loathing. “Cassandra, this house belongs to Shelley now. We’re divorced. Take your junk and get out. Don’t interrupt our family reunion.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393502”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Victoria was pregnant with her male assistant’s child. On our ninth wedding anniversary, she brought him home. Her instructions were delivered with an air of casual indifference. “Alex has a picky palate. From now on, his three meals a day can’t be repetitive.” “He’s a light sleeper, and you snore too loudly. Pack your things and move to the guest room.” I didn’t say a word. I just picked up the suitcase I had already packed and walked calmly toward the front door. The butler tried to intervene, but a cold sneer from Victoria stopped him in his tracks. “Let him go,” she said, her voice dripping with contempt. “He’ll come crawling back like a dog within three days.” Her words drew laughter from our guests. Right there, in front of me, they made a ten-million-dollar bet on how long I would last. The consensus was that I wouldn’t even make it through the night before I was back, begging her to let me in. But they didn’t know. They didn’t know that the Maybach, sent by the one person who still cared, was already waiting for me just beyond the gate. This time, I was really leaving. 1. As I was about to step out the door, Victoria’s voice cut through the air. “Samuel. Leave your bracelet. Alex has been having nightmares lately.” The jade bracelet was the last thing my parents left me. She met my reddening eyes, her own gaze as cold as ice. “Name your price.” What was the price of nine years of a marriage that had ground my dignity into dust? I couldn’t be bothered to calculate it. I only knew the consequence of refusing her last request—when I’d refused to give Alex my ski goggles on the slopes, her bodyguards had stripped me bare and left me to freeze on the mountainside. I slipped the heirloom from my wrist and slid it onto Alex’s. “I wish the three of you a lifetime of happiness,” I said, my voice even. “And peace.” For the first time all night, Victoria seemed to offer an olive branch. “Samuel, if you just learn to behave, our child can be your child, too.” The words had barely left her lips when the bracelet on Alex’s wrist suddenly slipped, shattering on the marble floor. A shard sliced into his leg. “Alex!” Victoria cried out, rushing to his side, her face a mask of panic. She barked at the butler to call the family doctor. The other guests watched the scene unfold, their faces painted with amusement at my expense. It wasn’t just them. I found it laughable, too. Just last night, my chronic heart condition had flared up. As I collapsed, gasping for breath, Victoria was on her way out to go stargazing with Alex. She stepped right over my convulsing body without a second glance. The last thing I heard before I lost consciousness was her order to the butler. “Have the entire living room disinfected. Alex is coming home tomorrow, and I won’t have him smelling this filth.” My hand tightened on the handle of my suitcase. I turned to leave, but she grabbed my wrist, her face a thundercloud. “Apologize.” “What—” Before I could finish, she shoved me to the floor in front of Alex. My knee landed on the sharp fragments of jade, and blood bloomed against the white stone. Seeing the blood, Victoria released me with a look of disgust. “You deliberately broke Alex’s bracelet and got him hurt. Don’t you think you owe him an apology?” “I’m sorry.” The words had become my mantra in this marriage. The soup is too bland, I’m sorry. I worried you were drinking too much and texted you, I’m sorry. I accidentally saw a text from Alex asking you to a hotel, invading your privacy, I’m truly sorry… I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, then forced myself to my feet. I bowed deeply to Alex—once, twice, three times. Then I turned my dead eyes to Victoria. “Is that enough?” I asked softly. She saw the blood on my lips, and her chest heaved with a sharp breath. “Samuel, the Old Man isn’t here to protect you. Who are you putting on this pathetic, disgusting act for?” Before I could answer, the doctor rushed in. Victoria pushed me aside like an inconvenient piece of furniture and led him to Alex. While her world revolved around him, I walked out the door. The moment I cleared the villa, I heard a sharp double honk. Seeing the silver sedan outside the iron gates, I quickened my pace. But before the gates could open, two bodyguards appeared out of nowhere, grabbing me and dragging me back inside. They threw me into the study. Victoria had me tied to a chair. She ordered the doctor to insert a needle—one as thick as a child’s arm—into my vein. Through the half-open door, I heard the doctor’s frantic whisper. “Ma’am, Mr. Lee and Mr. Fang both have the rare RH-negative blood type, but Mr. Lee has a history of heart disease. Forcing a blood transfusion could induce acute shock. We should go to a hospital…” “I don’t need your advice,” Victoria cut him off, her voice glacial. “Your only job is to make Alex well. I’ll handle the rest.” I heard her footsteps approaching and closed my eyes. “Does it hurt?” Her voice was uncharacteristically gentle. “Just bear it a little longer. It’ll be over soon.” I turned my head away, unwilling to waste another word on her. After they had drawn 800cc of my blood, my lips were turning blue. Just then, Alex, lying in the master bedroom, let out a weak cough. At the sound, Victoria’s hand shot out, stopping the doctor from removing the needle. “Take more. Double it.” The doctor, sweating profusely, pleaded with her. “Ma’am, any more and you could kill him!” She hesitated for two seconds. “Alex’s health comes first.” “But—” “Just do it,” I interrupted the doctor, my voice a hollow rasp. “Finish it, and let me leave.” Victoria stared at my bloodless face, her eyes flashing with a cold fury. She opened her mouth, about to demand if I was done with my tantrum, if I was really going to leave home over such a small matter. But then, a frail voice drifted from the bedroom. “Tori~” And just like that, she was gone. Two days later, I woke up in a hospital bed, having been admitted for shock. The first thing I saw was Victoria, sitting in a chair by my bed, reviewing a stack of documents. Our eyes met and held for a long moment. Expressionless, she brought a bowl of porridge to my lips. I shook my head. “I can do it myself.” She watched me quietly eat half the bowl before asking, “Are you feeling unwell anywhere?” I ignored her question. “Please give me my phone.” My tone must have been too distant. She froze for a few seconds before calling the butler to have my phone brought over. She noticed the screen lit up with missed calls. “Who was that?” she asked sharply. She never used to ask so many questions. A flash of annoyance crossed my mind. “Someone you don’t know.” She undid the top button of her silk blouse and looked down at me, her eyes cold. “Samuel, how long are you going to keep up this childish act? You think you can walk all over me now?” In the past, her anger would have sent me scrambling to appease her, to figure out what I’d done wrong. Now, I just pointed at her own vibrating phone. “It’s Alex.” A smile touched her lips. As was her habit, she stepped out into the hallway to take the call. The moment she left, my phone rang. I answered. Before I could speak, the anxious voice on the other end burst out, “You said you were coming! Samuel, did you change your mind?” “No, I didn’t. There was just… an incident.” “An incident? What happened to you? That’s it, I’m flying back right now—” I cut him off, my voice low. “Just give me a few more days.” Victoria returned to the room just as I ended the call. She saw the faint, unfamiliar smile on my lips, and a strange tightness constricted her chest. But she had just promised Alex she would go pick out a crib with him. There was no time to ask who I was talking to. It must be that cousin of his, she thought. He’s the only one left who still talks to him. She gathered her files. “Samuel, something’s come up at the office. I’ll be back tomorrow,” she said coldly, not even glancing back as she left. She didn’t come back the next day. Or the day after. But thanks to our mutual “friends,” my phone was constantly flooded with photos and videos of her and Alex. She took him to banquets and business dinners, acting like a teenager in the throes of first love, eager to show off her new partner to the world. The day I was discharged, Victoria posted a nine-photo collage on her social media. In it, she and Alex were kissing passionately in a hot air balloon against a romantic sunset. I left a comment: 【Wishing you both a long and happy life, and a healthy baby soon.】 Ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was her. I didn’t answer. Half an hour later, after finishing my discharge paperwork alone, I saw them. They were standing outside the obstetrics and gynecology department. I overheard a young nurse at the reception desk say to her, “Mrs. Fang, your husband is so good to you! He’s here for every single appointment. He even warms up the ultrasound gel in his hands so you won’t get cold.” The other pregnant women in the waiting area looked on with envy. I remembered, against my will, that we once had a child, too. A child Victoria had aborted in secret. The day she did it, Alex sent me a voice message. “Tori lost a bet to me. Does this mean she can only have my children from now on?” Before I could even process it, Victoria herself had called me, not to explain, but to scream at me for being petty and stupid. “Samuel,” she had spat, “a pathetic waste of space like you, what makes you think you’re worthy of having my children? If I’m going to have a child, it will be with someone who has good genes!” … Snapping back to the present, I was about to take a different route when Victoria spotted me. “What are you doing just standing there?” she demanded. I looked down, instinctively explaining, “I wasn’t following you. It’s just a coincidence. Sorry to disturb you.” “Wait.” As the word left her lips, a flash of jealousy crossed Alex’s eyes. He tightened his arm around Victoria’s waist and smiled at me. “Mr. Lee, thank you so much for the blood. I was feeling so dizzy, but now I’m all better. Tori, why don’t we let Mr. Lee come home with us? Please?” Victoria gave Alex a look of pure adoration. “Anything for you, my sweet, kind Alex. Whatever you say.” Since I needed to get my luggage anyway, I didn’t refuse his “kindness.” Inside the spacious, dark car, I soon found what Alex wanted me to find. Tucked in the crevice of the seat was a pair of lace underwear. “Oh! How did this get here? Tori, I must have forgotten to clean up…” Alex feigned embarrassment, snatching the underwear and carefully tucking it into his pocket. Victoria playfully punched his chest, all the while watching my face for a reaction. When she saw none—no anger, no pain—the tightness in her chest from the hospital returned, stronger this time. “Samuel, you’ve been staring at your phone since we got in the car,” she said, her tone sharp with an unfamiliar jealousy. “Are you talking to your cousin? Or someone else I don’t know?” I had just finished booking my flight. I turned off the screen. “Just reading the news.” Her brow furrowed even deeper. In a swift motion, she snatched the phone from my grasp. “What’s the password?” she demanded. “My birthday.” Nine years of marriage. Such a simple six-digit number. She tried over and over until the phone locked her out. She never got it right. The rest of the ride was silent. The car had barely stopped at the villa when Victoria felt a wave of morning sickness. Alex helped her back to the master bedroom. He played the part of the man of the house perfectly, ordering the chef to prepare all of Victoria’s favorite foods. As she came downstairs later, she saw my lonely figure heading toward the guest room. After a moment’s thought, she told the chef, “Make a few of Mr. Lee’s usual dishes as well. And set the table for three.” In the guest room, I opened my suitcase. All my clothes had been slashed to ribbons. Thankfully, my passport and other documents, tucked in an inner layer, were untouched. I gathered my papers, ready to leave for good, but Alex was blocking the doorway. He held a black canister, his eyes raking over me with contempt. “Samuel, you have more patience than I thought. I’ve moved into your house, humiliated you in front of our entire social circle, and you’re still clinging to her like a leech.” “Then again,” he sneered, “that old hag grandmother of yours finally kicked the bucket last month. Without her protection, I guess Tori is the only lifeline you have left.” A cruel memory sparked in his eyes. “You know, that day you were crying, begging Tori to send the helicopter to take you to the hospital to see your grandmother one last time? Do you know why she refused?” He grinned. “Because she had promised to take me to the beach to watch the sunset.” He held up his phone. “This picture of us kissing? We took it right then.” Smack. I knocked the phone from his hand. My own hands, moving before I could think, closed around his throat. The canister fell from his grasp, and the acrid sting of gasoline filled the air. In the struggle, Alex frantically fumbled with a lighter and ignited the fuel on the floor. Flames erupted. Thick smoke filled the room. Weakened from my hospital stay, I was quickly overcome, my body going limp as I collapsed. Through the roaring fire, I heard her voice. “Samuel!” It was followed by the frantic shouts of the staff. “Ma’am, it’s too dangerous! You can’t go in! Wait for security to bring the fire extinguishers!” “Get out of my way! Samuel is in there!” She burst through the flames. But then she saw him. She saw Alex, also on the floor. “Tori, save—” He didn’t need to finish. She ran to him without a moment’s hesitation, scooped him up, and turned to leave without a single glance in my direction. Half an hour later, after she had soothed and settled Alex, Victoria searched the entire villa. She couldn’t find me. That night at the airport, I mailed a package, then boarded a flight to London, my lungs aching with each cough. Just before takeoff, I received a text from her: 【I don’t have time for your hide-and-seek games. Alex has a check-up at 10 AM tomorrow. You be there too. For a lung scan.】 I didn’t reply. I simply removed the SIM card and turned off the phone. Victoria, from this day forward, we will never meet again. …

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393501”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Fred insisted I get a hysterectomy to cement our child-free commitment. It was our ultimate pact. Ten years later, he surprised me with adopted twins to raise. I devoted myself completely. Eighteen years later, they got into Ivy League schools. At their acceptance party, Fred slid asset transfer papers toward me. My mother grabbed my arm in panic. “You can’t give them everything! We don’t even know their origins!” I calmly replied, “I trust my judgment.” When my father’s slap cracked through the hall, shouting “Disgrace!”, I still signed. Fred’s triumphant grin appeared as he embraced another woman. She smugly presented divorce papers. “Thank you for caring for my family,” she cooed. My slow smile matched hers. “Of course.” … Eighteen years ago, Fred, the man who had sworn we’d walk through life hand-in-hand, just the two of us, came home with those twins. They were a little scrawny, a bit dark-skinned, but they had these infectious giggles that charmed everyone instantly. He told me he’d found them at an orphanage. From that day on, I became a mother. I was there for every scraped knee, every feverish night, every nightmare. I nurtured them, guided them, and eighteen years later, they had Ivy League acceptance letters in their hands. The news that I was transferring my entire fortune to them at the party sent shockwaves through our social circle. Friends and family descended on me, all pleading for me to keep something for myself, a safety net. I ignored them all. I signed the papers. The moment the documents were in his hands, Fred couldn’t contain his joy. A loud, booming laugh escaped him as he strode through the crowd, pulling a woman I knew all too well toward me. Together, they presented the divorce papers. The terms were simple: I would leave with nothing. My world tilted. A roar filled my ears as I stared at him, the sense of betrayal a physical blow, a shard of ice piercing my heart. This was the man for whom I had sacrificed my womb, my ability to ever bear my own children. For years, I had been the perfect wife, the doting mother—a role model in our community. And now, this. My voice, when it came, was a ragged scream. “Fred! You and Vivian… you were together all along!” Vivian. A cunning, ambitious woman who had started as a junior employee at my company and, with a few well-placed smiles and manipulations, had climbed her way up to director. She just smiled, a picture of poise. “Don’t be angry, Lana. If you truly love Fred, you should be willing to sacrifice for his happiness.” Fred’s voice was sharp with impatience. “Just sign it already. What are you waiting for?” We met in college. Fred came from nothing, a kid from a dirt-poor town who could barely afford tuition, let alone food. He used to hide in his dorm, surviving on stale bread. Malnutrition had left his hair thin and his skin sallow; he walked with a perpetual stoop. I found him collapsed on the athletic field one day and carried him to the campus clinic myself. That’s when I learned about his struggles. I started covering his expenses. One thing led to another, and we fell in love. Vivian was his high school sweetheart, a flame I thought had long been extinguished. I was wrong. They had reconnected and conspired behind my back. The whispers in the ballroom started to swell. “My God, can you believe this? The moment she signs the assets over, he drops the act.” “I heard they swore to be child-free. Then he just shows up with two kids. Now we know why.” “I bet those twins are his and that homewrecker’s.” “You think? It’s obvious! Why else would he push Lana to give them everything?” “Poor Lana. Played for a fool for almost two decades.” My mother’s face was slick with tears. “Lana, you see? You walked right into their trap. Your father and I warned you. We told you that man was a shark, that he was only with you for the money. We told you something was off about those kids, but you wouldn’t listen!” My father, who had returned, his face pale with fury, spat, “How did I raise such an idiot? Throwing away a family legacy for a man like that!” The noise, the accusations, the pity—it all swirled around me. I kept my head down, staring at the divorce papers. No one could see the smile playing on my lips. “Don’t blame me, Lana,” Fred said, trying to sound reasonable, as if justifying his affair would soothe his conscience. “I’m a normal man. You couldn’t have children. I had to find someone who could.” I finally looked up, a bitter laugh escaping me. “You were the one who begged me to have the surgery! You said it would protect us from ever changing our minds. I did that for you.” “That was then! The reality is, you’re barren. I wanted my own legacy, so I went to Vivian.” Vivian nodded in agreement. “Exactly. What’s the point of a woman building an empire if she has no one to leave it to?” A murmur of assent rippled through the hall. My mother, her voice trembling with memories, turned on Fred. “You came from nothing! Your family was so poor they couldn’t even afford to eat, let alone send you to school. Your own mother was dying, and you didn’t have a penny for her treatment. If it wasn’t for Lana’s family stepping in, you and your mother would be dead!” “We didn’t ask for a dowry. We gave you a house and a car when you married our daughter.” “You loved sweet and sour ribs, so Lana hired the best chefs and even learned to make it perfectly herself. Your brother was jobless for years, his own family had left him, and Lana’s father gave him a managerial position with a six-figure salary!” For a moment, the three of us were lost in the past. “We gave you everything,” my mother whispered, her voice breaking. “And you repay us by stealing our family’s fortune.” Fred was silent for a beat, then a cold smile spread across his face. “What’s the point of bringing all that up now?” He looked at me. “Alright, Lana. Are you going to stare at those papers all night?” “It doesn’t matter if you sign or not,” he continued, his voice dripping with condescension. “The assets are already in the children’s names. All that’s left in our joint account is a few thousand dollars. Consider it a parting gift for your years of service. For your retirement.” The crowd buzzed again. “He’s right. Without Lana, his mother would be dead and he’d be nothing.” “Her father was too generous. He let a viper into his home.” “And look at him now, so smug…” Hearing them, Fred’s grin widened until it looked like it might split his face. CRACK! My father, moving faster than I’d seen him move in years, lunged forward and slapped Fred hard across the cheek. “You animal!” To see his daughter’s life savings stolen, to know she’d sacrificed her body for this snake—it was too much. “Security! Get this old man! Teach him a lesson!” Fred bellowed, his face contorted with rage and humiliation. The same guards who had been bowing and scraping to my father just an hour ago now closed in, their expressions menacing. “You dare touch me?” my father thundered, his old authority still carrying weight. The guards hesitated, but Vivian, emboldened by their new power, surged forward and struck my father herself. My father froze, stunned. He was a respected figure, the former president of the state’s business association, a man who mingled with governors and billionaires. To be struck by this… this nobody… was the ultimate insult. He was about to explode, but I pulled him back. The guests were aghast. “They hit Mr. Gable?” “The man has donated millions to charity, built schools for the poor… and they treat him like this?” “You can’t blame them entirely. It’s his daughter’s fault. She chose this path. Didn’t she know a man can have kids at eighty, but a woman’s choice is final?” “It’s always the children who squander the family fortune. If I had a daughter like that, I’d disown her!” “What a pair of vipers. They deserve a special kind of hell. But here they are, the richest people in the city…” The crowd seethed with a mixture of pity for me and contempt for them. “Had enough?” Fred snarled, his glare sweeping across the room, silencing the chatter. He turned his cold eyes back to me. “Lana. Yes or no? Are you signing?” “I’ll sign.” The agreement was brutally simple. A few thousand dollars. I was being thrown out with less than nothing. I picked up the pen and, with a steady hand, scrawled my name. Fred snatched the document, his eyes scanning the signature. A wave of relief washed over him, replaced by a sneer. “Excellent, excellent. Thank you, Lana, for the generous gift of a multi-billion dollar fortune. Our family won’t have to work for generations! You truly are our greatest benefactor.” Vivian raised a champagne flute. “You’re like a second mother to me! I have to toast to that!” she crowed, downing the glass. I smiled. Oh, really? Let’s see who has the last laugh. My father watched them, gloating and triumphant, the legacy his great-grandfather had built now in the hands of thieves. Suddenly, he choked, a spray of blood erupting from his lips as he collapsed to the floor. His heart was weak; my hysterectomy years ago had nearly killed him from the stress. “Dad!” “John!” My mother and I, along with our relatives, rushed to his side, a frantic scene of chaos and fear. Fred noticed a man who was helping us, his brow furrowing. “Ethan? What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’ve got a thing for this washed-up old hag.” Ethan and Fred had grown up together, two poor kids from the same town. Fred never missed a chance to mock him, calling him a country bumpkin. Ethan just gave a small, unreadable smile and said nothing. My father regained consciousness, and they helped him to a quiet room to rest. “Where are their precious Ivy League twins?” someone whispered. “I heard they went to pick up their official acceptance letters.” Just then, two figures in school uniforms appeared at the entrance. They were a bit overweight, but they walked in with a sunny, confident air. When they saw me, their faces twisted in disgust. They walked straight past me to Fred. “Dad! Aunt Vivian! We got them!” the girl, Maya, chirped. Fred beamed, pulling them close. “From now on, you’ll call her ‘Mom’.” “Mom.” “Mom.” The word, from the children I had raised, directed at another woman, was a knife in my gut. “Good children,” Vivian cooed. “Now Mommy doesn’t have to sneak into your school just to see you anymore.” My own mother was shaking with rage. She pointed a trembling finger at them. “Maya! Mason! Your mother raised you for eighteen years! Is this how you repay her?” “Mason, you were such a sickly child, always running a fever. One night, it spiked to 104. Your mother drove you to the hospital herself in the middle of a thunderstorm!” “And Maya! In high school, you fell in with that punk crowd. They were going to drug you at a party, but your mother showed up with help just in time. She was stabbed ten times protecting you! You would have been ruined if not for her!” “She was the one who taught you what to do when you got your first period, for God’s sake!” The two teenagers fell silent, a flicker of something—shame, perhaps—in their eyes. It was all true. I had given them everything. After a moment, Maya tossed her head. “Whatever. It’s not like she’s our real mom.” Mason chimed in, “Yeah, look in a mirror. You were never good enough to be our mother, Lana.” He then threw a piece of paper on the table in front of me. A paternity test. It confirmed what everyone already suspected: they were Vivian’s children. A collective gasp went through the room, even though it was an open secret. “My God, the rumors were true.” “It was obvious from the start. A man who wants to be child-free suddenly adopts twins? Please.” “Lana is the biggest joke in the city. She raised her husband’s illegitimate children, gave them her fortune, and now they call another woman ‘Mom’.” All eyes were on me, a mixture of morbid curiosity and pity. They were waiting for the breakdown, the hysterics. Instead, I pulled out a document of my own. “Maya, Mason,” I said, my voice clear and steady. “Since we’re clearing the air, let’s sign this. A formal disownment.” The room fell silent. Eighteen years of devotion, thrown away just like that? Maya let out a shrill laugh. “You’re disowning us? We couldn’t be happier!” They signed the papers without a second’s hesitation and went to sit with Fred and Vivian. The four of them beamed at each other, a perfect, happy family, finally out in the open. “Excellent,” I said, a genuine smile spreading across my face. I had given them a final test of character, a chance to show a sliver of loyalty. They failed. Some people, like the sun, are impossible to look at directly without being burned. No one in that room could possibly understand why I, a shrewd businesswoman with a billion-dollar empire, would willingly walk into such an obvious trap. “Lana, this party has nothing to do with you anymore. You can leave,” Fred announced, the lord of the manor. “And please have yourself and your parents out of the house by tonight. The deed is in my children’s names now.” “I’m not going anywhere just yet.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393500”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Eight years into our marathon of love, Ava Harrison said she was finally ready to announce our engagement to the world! Overjoyed, I called my mother, telling her to come to the city for our engagement party. To ensure she wouldn’t be looked down upon by my future in-laws, my mother took out all her savings to buy an exquisite, custom-tailored silk dress and got ready with the utmost care. But when the moment of the announcement arrived, Ava stood on the banquet stage, her arm intimately linked with her male assistant, Ryan. “Tonight, besides celebrating a major new project for the company, I have another wonderful piece of news to share,” she announced, her voice ringing through the hall. “I have decided to marry… Ryan!” As her words fell, every head in the room turned to me. Their eyes were filled with mockery, pity, and contempt. My mother, confused, stood up and asked, “Marcus, didn’t you say tonight was your engagement party with Ava?” I looked at Ava, hoping for an explanation from her own lips. But in the next second, her voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. “A country bumpkin thinking he can marry a princess. Utterly ridiculous.” 1 After she spoke, Ava didn’t spare me another glance. She and Ryan descended from the stage, mingling warmly with the guests who were now laughing at my mother and me for not knowing our place. I was left standing there, paralyzed by grief, while my mother began to blame herself. “Son, is it our fault? Did we hold you back? Is it because of your humble beginnings that they look down on you?” I wanted to comfort her immediately, to tell her no, that even though we came from the countryside, we had built our own wealth with our own two hands and were no less than any of them. But suddenly, my mother clutched her chest and crumpled to the ground, her face so pale it trembled. As she fell, she accidentally bumped into a woman in a tight black dress standing behind her. It was Ryan’s sister, Chloe. “Hey! You old hag! How dare you bump into me and spill wine all over me!” Chloe’s face was a thundercloud. When she looked down at my mother, her voice was pure venom. “Oh, it’s you, the pathetic pauper!” “What, your son isn’t good enough to marry my sister-in-law, so now you’re playing dirty behind her back?” “Do you have any idea how expensive this dress is? It was custom-made for me by Ava herself! You’ve ruined it! You’re going to pay for this!” Before I could stop her, Chloe slapped my mother across the face. “Chloe, stop it!” “I’ll pay for the dress, but my mother didn’t do it on purpose. You apologize to her.” The commotion we were making was loud enough to attract Ava’s attention from across the room. She stormed over with security guards in tow, her face dark. Without even asking what had happened, she began to yell at me. “Marcus, must you ruin everything for me?” “This was supposed to be a perfect evening, and you’ve completely destroyed it!” In her rage, Ava threw the contents of her wine glass in my face. Seeing this, my mother’s self-blame only intensified. She tried to stand up to apologize for me, but the pain in her stomach was so severe she couldn’t even speak. “Ava,” Chloe whined, “it was his mother! She threw wine on me on purpose and said my brother stole you from him!” Hearing Chloe’s blatant lies, my anger boiled over. “You’re lying—” “Apologize!” Ava roared, cutting me off. We had done nothing wrong. We would not apologize. Right now, my only concern was my mother. I knew her chronic stomach condition was flaring up; I had to get her to a hospital. Seeing that my mother had no intention of apologizing, Ava’s fury reached its peak. She ordered the security guards to seize me, trying to force my mother to apologize to Chloe. “Marcus, make your mother apologize to Chloe right now! Everyone is watching!” “Are you determined to humiliate me?” “Ava, my mother’s stomach condition is acting up! Tell them to let go of me! I need to take her to the hospital!” Ryan sauntered over, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, what a coincidence. No stomach problems before, no stomach problems after, but the moment she’s asked to apologize to Chloe, she suddenly has a flare-up. You must think we’re idiots.” “So that’s it! You’re just trying to make a scene!” I started to explain, but Chloe interrupted me. “Since she won’t apologize, let’s just give her a taste of her own medicine.” She suddenly produced a pair of scissors and started walking towards my mother. I struggled frantically, terrified, but I couldn’t break free from the guards’ grip. 2 SNIP! Chloe snipped at the silk of my mother’s dress, tearing at the fabric with her hands. “Ava, make her stop!” This humiliation was worse than death for my mother. She cried and struggled, but she was in too much pain to even resist. In that moment, I felt a profound despair. I had wanted her to come here and celebrate, to be happy. I never imagined she would be subjected to such casual, brutal cruelty. Ava Harrison, I was so wrong about you. A crowd was gathering, but Ava just watched, unmoved. She even leaned back into Ryan’s arms, ignoring my desperate calls. My mother, overwhelmed with shame, gave me one last, deep look, and then the pain became too much, and she fainted. Perhaps sensing the icy chill that emanated from me, Ava finally pulled away from Ryan. She glanced down at my unconscious mother and told Chloe to stop. I kicked the guards away and rushed to my mother’s side. I touched her face, my hands trembling with fear, terrified that something was terribly wrong. I scooped her into my arms and ran. Ava chased after me, blocking my path. “Marcus, I had my reasons for what happened tonight.” “Take Mom home first. I’ll come back later and explain everything.” As Ava turned to leave, I called out to her. “Ava, I don’t care what your reasons are. My mother has fainted. We don’t have a car. You need to drive us to the hospital. Now.” All I wanted was for my mother to be safe. Nothing else mattered. Ava seemed about to agree, but Ryan walked over and wrapped his arms around her. “Ava, don’t go,” he pleaded. “Don’t leave me to face all these guests alone.” Ryan’s plea was all it took. Ava chose to stay. No matter how much I begged, she turned and walked away. Since she was so cold, so indifferent, I stopped begging. I carried my mother out into the night. We were on a hillside, and it was hard to find a taxi. By the time I finally flagged one down and we reached the hospital, my mother had stopped breathing. The doctor said she was brought in too late. If we had arrived just a little earlier, they could have saved her. That night, I held my mother’s body and cried until dawn. Looking at the regret etched on her peaceful face, my own guilt was a crushing weight. I know you can’t turn back time, but I wished with all my soul that I could. Just then, Ryan updated his social media. It was a picture of him and Ava, exchanging engagement rings, locked in a passionate kiss. “I finally get to marry the most beautiful and wonderful woman in the world!” I saw that Ava had liked the post, giving her silent approval. My heart turned to ash. I took the matching ring she had given me years ago and threw it out the window. Then, I left a comment under Ryan’s post: “Wishing you a happy marriage and a long life together.” After that, I turned off my phone. I handled my mother’s funeral arrangements alone, then took her ashes back to our hometown to be buried. Once everything was settled, I returned to the city. There were still loose ends to tie up. When I turned my phone back on, I saw hundreds of missed calls from Ava. My messaging apps were flooded with her texts. I deleted them all. The moment I was done, Ava’s call came through. 3 “You finally turned your phone on! I was starting to think you were dead!” Even through the phone, I could feel Ava’s nervous excitement, and beneath it, a hint of relief. When I didn’t speak, she softened her tone. “My engagement to Ryan… it was because he helped me land a huge project. His only condition was that I agree to an engagement.” “Don’t worry! It’s just an engagement. We’re not actually getting married.” “So you don’t need to be angry anymore. You’re such a jealous one.” I gripped my phone so tightly the veins on the back of my hand bulged. That project—I was the one who had secured it. The client had insisted on a drinking contest with hard liquor. I drank with them until my stomach felt like it was bleeding, but I got the contract signed. While I was recovering in the hospital, Ryan had swooped in and claimed the project as his own. I never had a chance to set the record straight because Ava had announced she was going public with our engagement, and in the excitement, I’d forgotten all about it. What infuriated me even more was that if she had agreed to Ryan’s demand, why didn’t she tell me sooner? I never would have brought my mother to that party. Now, after my mother’s death, I’d had a few days to think. A lot of things had become painfully clear. “Ava, it doesn’t matter. Even if you do marry him, I have no objections.” Ava’s voice immediately rose, her tone sharp. “Marcus, don’t push your luck. I’m not playing these games.” “And stop with the sarcasm. If you don’t, I might just make this engagement real, and you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.” Regret? I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. The biggest regret of my life was ever being with you. It cost my mother her life. “Fine. I’ll support you completely. I won’t stand in your way.” “And now, I’m breaking up with you.” Ava was stunned into silence. This was the first time since we’d met that I had spoken to her with such coldness, the first time I had ever suggested breaking up. Suddenly, Ryan’s voice, smug and close, came through the phone. “Ava, can you bring me my underwear from the bed? I’m completely naked over here.” “You don’t expect me to walk out like this, do you?” I had already guessed they were living together. This casual, intimate request only confirmed it. I could hear Ava walking over, the rustle of fabric, and then Ryan’s playful voice again. “Why don’t you help me put them on, Ms. Harrison?” Ava agreed without a moment’s hesitation. Then, her voice turned cold as she spoke into the phone. “Marcus, you want to break up? Fine. I’ll grant you that wish.” “But you remember this. When you come crawling back, full of regret, I won’t take you back—” I hung up before she could finish. I didn’t need to guess what they would do next. But for the first time, I felt no pain, no heartbreak. Ava never returned to the home she once claimed was her sanctuary. She used to be so clingy. When I cooked, she would wrap her arms around my waist from behind and wait for her meal. Now, when I looked at the kitchen, all I saw was a cold, empty space. The laughter and joy that once filled it were gone, vanished without a trace. Ava, I’m giving up on you. I rolled up my sleeves and began to purge every trace of her from my life. When I was done, I took a shower and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. The next day at the office, my colleagues looked at me strangely. 4 “Director Cole, you’re finally back!” “You’re still calling him Director? Be careful Director Pierce doesn’t hear you. He’ll have you fired. Didn’t he warn us?” “Marcus’s just Ryan’s assistant now. You should get his title right.” Hearing these whispers, I realized that Ava, for Ryan’s sake, had demoted me without my consent. She had given Ryan my position and made me his assistant. A rage unlike any I had ever felt before surged through me. I stormed into the conference room where Ava was leading a meeting. I dragged her out into the hallway. “What is the meaning of this?” Ava bit her lip and pulled her hand away, unable to meet my eyes. “I just think Ryan is a better fit for the position.” I laughed, a strangled, incredulous sound. From the day this company started, I had worked like a dog for her, tirelessly building the business. Where was Ryan then? He was nothing but a useless parasite who relied on women to get ahead. And now she wanted me to be an assistant to that waste of space? Was he even worthy? If it hadn’t been for her, I would have accepted a high-paying position at a major corporation years ago. But I turned it down to help her build her dream. And for what? So Ryan could reap the rewards. “Come on, it’s not so bad being Ryan’s assistant.” “How about this? When things slow down, I’ll go back to our hometown with you to see Mom. I’ll apologize to her.” I stared at her as she prattled on, and the woman before me became more and more of a stranger. The love I once felt for her scattered like stardust, gone forever. “Ava, my mother is not fortunate enough to receive a visit from you.” “And when I said I was breaking up with you that night, I meant it. And my resignation, right now, is also real.” Ava froze, then her brow furrowed in annoyance. “Marcus, how long are you going to keep this up?” “I’m not keeping anything up. I’ve just seen things more clearly. Isn’t it better for me to get out of your way?” Ava’s face flushed with anger. Just as she was about to speak, Ryan walked out. “You can’t leave yet. The project is secured, but someone still needs to manage it.” “If you walk out, I’ll fire every single employee who came up with you.” “I’m sure you wouldn’t want to see them all unemployed, would you?” I narrowed my eyes, my gaze sharp and dangerous as I looked at Ryan. “And you? Do you agree with this?” I said, my words directed at Ava. She didn’t speak. Her silence was a clear endorsement of his threat. In that second, my heart turned completely to ash. For the sake of my colleagues, I swallowed my pride and stayed. Seeing me relent, Ava smiled, relieved. “That’s better. Just work hard under Ryan. When he gets promoted to manager, I’ll give you your director position back.” “Come on, don’t be angry. I’ve already had a designer create a new custom dress for Mom. I’ll give it to her myself.” After that, Ryan treated me like a dog. One moment he was demanding coffee, the next he was forcing me to give him a massage. When Chloe came to visit, she would join in, ordering me around as well. I kept telling myself to stay calm, not to be impulsive. Because I was secretly contacting the company that had tried to recruit me years ago. I recommended all my former colleagues to them. If Ava didn’t appreciate their talent, I would find them a better stage on which to shine. The other company, recognizing their skills, agreed without hesitation. After I had arranged everything, I received a video call from Ryan. The moment I answered, the sound of grotesque, labored breathing filled my ears. On the screen, Ava had shed her usual icy demeanor. She was writhing beneath Ryan, lost in a shameless act of passion. Strangely, I felt no anger. Looking at her, I felt only a profound sense of calm. It was as if she were a complete stranger. Ryan had sent this to provoke me, to make me lose control and cause a scene, to make Ava hate me even more. But he miscalculated. At that very moment, I was sitting in an airport lounge, about to embark on a journey I had long dreamed of. I blocked and deleted all of Ava’s contact information. By the time Ava and Ryan returned to the office, her new assistant, Chloe, ran up to her. “This is bad, Ava! Marcus and all his people just quit! They didn’t even take their final paychecks!” “And the client for the new project is here. He’s saying he’ll only continue to cooperate if Marcus is managing the project.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393499”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 Four years into our marriage, my husband, Leo Williams, who never posts anything, broke his social media silence with a new story. 【What a greedy little kitten.】 The picture was of a girl wearing a pink cat-ear headband, her cheeks flushed red and tongue stuck out from the spice of the hot pot she was eating. It was Holly, the new streamer at his company. Less than a minute later, a comment from a mutual friend popped up: 【Bro, you forgot to switch accounts!】 And just like that, Leo’s new post vanished like a phantom. But it reappeared moments later on Holly’s own social media page. Then, his call came through. The old me would have already screenshotted it, called him first, and launched into a tirade. It would have ended in a screaming match, no question. But this time, I was thoughtful enough to let the call ring until it went to voicemail. … By the time Leo got home, I was nearly asleep on the sofa. He slipped off his jacket and bent down to change his shoes. “Why didn’t you answer my call?” Leo rarely prodded like this unless he knew, deep down, that he was in the wrong. “Fell asleep,” I mumbled without lifting my head. “Didn’t hear it.” “Had to work late unexpectedly. You don’t always have to wait up for me. You don’t have to make yourself so pathetic.” The old me would have shot back, insisting loudly that I did it because I loved him. But there was no point in arguing anymore. Leo handed me a square velvet box, gesturing for me to open it. Today was the day his company went public. To celebrate, I had done what I always did: left work early, bought groceries, cooked his favorite meal, and waited for him to come home. But I had waited half the night for a man who had promised he’d be home early, and he never came. I pretended not to notice the thick, greasy smell of hot pot clinging to his clothes as I took the box and set it aside on the coffee table. I’d seen this box before. The last time was when he’d missed my birthday. The logo, the floral pattern—it was identical. Leo stared at the box for a moment, his brow furrowing. His voice dropped. “Sienna, can you stop being so childish?” Buying me jewelry was Leo’s standard way of offering an olive branch. As long as I accepted the gift, the unpleasantness between us would be swept under the rug, never to be mentioned again. But this time, I had no intention of taking his olive branch. And that, naturally, made him angry. “Let me put it on for you.” Not giving me a chance to refuse, he opened the box and took out the bracelet inside. He reached for my wrist, but his hands froze when he saw the identical bracelet already clasped there. “Just leave it,” I said, pulling my hand back and rising from the sofa, ready for bed. “It’s late. We both have work tomorrow.” “I’ll have my assistant take you to pick out something new another day.” “No need,” I replied, my voice as cold as ice. 2 Perhaps out of guilt for the duplicate gift, Leo suggested we drive to the office together the next morning. My body ached, and I didn’t feel like driving, so I didn’t refuse. Leo stood in front of his car, his brow knitted so tightly the lines almost touched. At some point, he had started to despise me riding in his car, especially in the passenger seat. He’d even pushed me to buy my own car to avoid it. It was probably because I used to fight with him like a maniac over my right to that seat. He’d grown tired of it. But now, for Holly’s convenience, his car was a shrine to her. It was filled with cat-themed plush toys and decorated with cute, hand-drawn stickers. He’d even had the passenger seat professionally redesigned, just to make sure the petite Holly was perfectly comfortable. Seeing me waiting, however, he finally pulled the door open and started moving the mountain of plush toys to the back seat. Watching him go back and forth, I frowned. “You know what? I’ll just drive myself.” He tossed the last stuffed cat into the back. “No, let’s go together. Holly’s just… whimsical. She loves these little trinkets. Don’t mind them.” I stared at the pink, custom-fitted seat, a piece of a different world dropped jarringly into the car’s sleek interior. I refused. It was, I decided, deeply unsettling. I reached for my own car door, but Leo shot forward to block me, sliding into my driver’s seat instead. “I’ll drive. I said we’d go together.” I watched him for a long moment, not missing the flicker of discomfort in his eyes. So, he did know how inappropriate it was to transform his passenger seat for another woman. Leo looked like he wanted to explain, but I cut him off. “We’re going to be late. Just drive.” He pressed his lips into a thin line and started the car. While we were stopped at a red light, his phone rang. It was a custom ringtone, one I didn’t recognize. A pitiful, whiny voice came through the speaker, punctuated by faint sobs. “Leo… my tummy hurts so bad… I think it was something I ate yesterday. Can you please come take me to the hospital? Please, Leo? You’re the best.” After he hung up, Leo didn’t even glance at me. He didn’t say a word. He just yanked the steering wheel, pulled over to the curb, and quickly unbuckled my seatbelt for me. His tone was final, leaving no room for argument. “An employee isn’t feeling well. I have to go check on her. We’re almost at the office. You can walk the rest of the way.” I hadn’t even had time to close the door before he hit the gas and the car peeled away, leaving me standing in a cloud of exhaust. 3 Honestly, at this hour, almost no one walked to work. When the light turned green, the driver of an e-scooter, probably not expecting a pedestrian in the crosswalk, rounded the corner and slammed right into me. My hands, knees, and forehead were scraped up to varying degrees. The nurse cleaned my wounds, placed a large bandage on my forehead, and gave me instructions. “Try to keep it dry for the next few days. No baths. And apply this ointment on schedule.” I took a cab from the hospital to the office. The driver had two phones mounted on his dashboard. One was for navigation. The other was streaming Holly’s live broadcast. The comment section was flooded with messages of concern. “Aww, thank you all for caring so much! Your kitty is fine, I promise. It’s a good thing Leo got here so quickly! I don’t even need to go to the hospital anymore.” “Nooo, I haven’t confessed my feelings to him yet! Stop saying that, you guys! He’s sitting right here watching. Yes, he’s super, super sweet.” I looked down at my own phone. Two messages from Leo sat there, seething with anger and impatience. “My assistant said you missed the project planning meeting today. Where were you? Get to the office now.” “I ask you to walk a few blocks and you throw another one of your fits? What is wrong with you?” The hypocrisy was staggering. That evening, I had just finished applying ointment to my cuts and was curled up on the sofa watching TV. The sound of the front door’s keypad broke the silence, followed by Leo’s mocking voice. “And here I thought you’d finally learned your lesson. You’ve been so quiet these past few days. Turns out you were just waiting for this.” The TV must have been too loud for him, because he strode over and ripped the plug from the wall. “Sienna, do you have a brain in your head? We’ve been preparing for that project meeting for two weeks! Do you have any idea how much money the company loses when a project is delayed?” I looked up at his face, contorted with disgust. Then I saw him freeze. His gaze locked onto the bandage on my forehead, then traveled down to the raw scrapes on my hands and legs. He frowned. “What happened to you?” I broke his gaze, my voice casual. “It’s nothing. Just got hit by a vehicle on my way to work.” Leo’s eyes flickered, and a hint of guilt crossed his face. He stepped closer, trying to inspect my injuries. “Why didn’t you call me?” I flinched away from his touch, a humorless smirk on my face. “It’s just a scratch. Nothing important. I’m sure your employee was a higher priority.” Was there any point in calling him? He’d answer the phone and, without asking a single question, launch into a tirade of baseless accusations and complaints. Did he ever actually care what I had to say? He never came when I called before. Why would today be any different? My words stung him. He straightened up, a cold sneer on his face. “Sienna, do you have to be so sarcastic? It was wrong of me to leave you on the side of the road, I admit it. But are you a child? You can’t even walk down the street without getting hit by a car?” I stared at him, speechless. You see? Even a simple statement of fact was twisted into sarcasm, immaturity, a childish taunt. I had no intention of engaging with him. I got up and started for the bedroom. Noticing how much pain I was in as I walked, Leo’s expression softened slightly. He sighed and came over to help me. “I’ll sleep with you tonight. That way I can take care of you.” It had been a long time since Leo had come to bed before midnight. Holly had claimed that the constant harassment from viewers on her stream was making her anxious, that she was afraid of becoming depressed. She insisted he stay with her during her broadcasts. So every night, Leo would go to his study, half-working, half-watching her stream. He would frequently join her on camera for a “sweet interaction.” I had fought with him about it, cried, screamed—nothing changed his mind. Leo was adamant that it was “just work.” He finally threatened me with divorce, and I had no choice but to back down. I didn’t refuse his offer. But as he reached out to pull me into his arms, I spoke softly. “Leo, let’s get a divorce.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393498”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The annual company gala was just around the corner, and a memo dropped: every department had to perform. The moment the news hit, our department’s group chat exploded. 【I signed up for a job, not a circus.】 【Why should we have to dance like monkeys for our corporate overlords?】 I pleaded with them. 【Come on, guys. I just got every single one of you a ten-thousand-dollar bonus and a week of paid vacation. Can you just help me out on this one?】 【That’s a separate issue. Don’t think just because you’re the manager and you throw us a few scraps, you can order us around!】 【Yeah, what she said! Let’s all just quit! Time for Gen Z to fix this toxic workplace!】 And so, I signed their resignation letters. “You want to quit? Fine. Approved.” 1 【To my dearest team: Per upper management’s request, the annual gala will feature a talent competition between departments, with prizes for the winning teams. Please feel free to share any and all ideas for our department’s performance.】 After sending the message, I waited, my stomach in knots. Ten minutes passed. The chat remained a digital graveyard. 【Look, I know getting on stage is a big ask for some of you,】 I typed, trying a softer approach. 【But it’s a directive from the top, so we don’t have much of a choice. How about we do something simple, like a group poetry reading?】 【I’m not aiming for any awards. We just need to get through this. There are a lot of us, so each person would only have to say a line or two. What do you think?】 After another agonizing silence, a single message broke the stillness. 【I’m here to work, not to be part of a talent show.】 That one sentence was a stone tossed into a still pond, and the ripples turned into a tidal wave. 【Exactly. We’re employees, not court jesters for a bunch of soulless suits.】 【Even zoos have banned animal performances. Are we supposed to be less than animals, parading around for their amusement?】 【I’m not a monkey. I’m not doing it.】 【Me neither!】 【Count me out!】 … I kept my cool, patiently trying to reason with them. 【This performance is a chance to showcase our department’s teamwork and unity, to show the higher-ups what we’re made of. I hope you won’t see it as a burden.】 【Ariel, if you want to go up there and sing a solo, be my guest. Just don’t drag us down with you.】 【I’m completely tone-deaf,】 I admitted, 【and the company requires full participation. But don’t worry, I’ll be right up there on stage with you all.】 【Slaving away nine-to-five is exhausting enough. Now we have to play the dancing monkey after hours to entertain the bosses?】 【What a garbage idea for a gala. No way I’m making a fool of myself like that.】 They spoke without a shred of restraint, completely ignoring the fact that I, their manager, was in the chat, reading every word. An icy chill crept from my heart out to my fingertips. I had expected some grumbling, but I never imagined such vehement opposition. Still, an order was an order. It had to be done. Left with no other choice, I humbled myself, practically begging. 【I’m just a worker bee like you guys. Please, don’t make this impossible for me.】 【I sympathize, Ariel, I really do. But sorry, I’m not getting on that stage.】 【Please, guys… think about the week-long, all-expenses-paid vacation I got for you, and the ten-thousand-dollar bonus for each of you. Just do this one thing for me. As a favor. Please?】 2 Though I was a department manager, I never pulled rank. I treated my team like friends, always going to bat for them, fighting for every possible perk and bonus. In the first half of the year, I’d secured that paid vacation for the entire department. In the second half, I’d wrangled a $10,000 bonus for every single person. These were benefits no other department received, extras that I had fought tooth and nail with the CEO for days to get. I knew their jobs were demanding, so I seized every opportunity to reward their hard work. Honestly, compared to other managers in the company, I was as good as it got. I believed that by fostering a friendship with my subordinates, they’d be more cooperative at work. I was wrong. 【That was then, this is now,】 one message read. 【Don’t think just because you’re the manager and you do us a few ‘favors,’ you can just boss us around!】 The person who sent that, Cassie, had once accidentally sent a client our internal cost sheet instead of the official price quote, a mistake that cost the company a fortune. The board wanted her fired. She came to my office, sobbing, begging me to intervene. At the management meeting, I took full responsibility. I offered up my entire year-end bonus to give her a second chance. I vividly remember how she cried with gratitude after the official penalty was announced, swearing she’d look up to me like an older sister forever. 【Yeah, you chose to fight the boss for that bonus. We didn’t force you. That’s your job. Stop acting like you’re doing us some grand charity.】 This came from Leo. He came from a poor family, and during his internship, his meager salary barely covered his rent, let alone the money he sent home for his father’s medical bills. To save money, he’d hide away at lunch to eat dry bread. When I found out, I started ordering him a proper meal every day, paying for it out of my own pocket. I covered his lunch for his entire final year of internship. He never once said thank you. And now, he had the gall to say something so cruel. 【That vacation and bonus were what we deserved for our hard work. It wasn’t a handout from you.】 And this from Audrey. She’d gone through a nasty divorce, and her ex-husband’s family had shown up at the office to cause a scene. She hid in my office, terrified, while I went out and faced them down. I even got a resounding slap across the face from her ex for my troubles. After the divorce, when she had nowhere to go, I let her stay with me for over six months. All my kindness, all my support… what did it get me? A bloody, brutal knife in the back. A sharp pain, like a needle piercing my chest, made my hand tremble as I held my phone. 【If you make me perform, I’ll quit!】 【That’s right! We’ll all quit! We’ll show these capitalists that the little guys have teeth!】 【I support this! Gen Z is here to fix the workplace!】 My fingers shaking, I typed out a single sentence. 【But you’re putting me in an impossible position.】 【Then you go talk to the execs, Ariel! Tell them we refuse to perform! Fight them just like you fought for our bonuses! Yell at the CEO! He’ll cave and cancel the whole thing!】 Each heartless word was like a bucket of ice water dumped over my head, chilling me to the bone. I took a deep, shuddering breath and closed my eyes, forcing myself to find some semblance of calm. If they had no regard for me, then I had no reason to indulge them any longer. I replied: 【I am not going to pick a fight with the CEO over something so trivial. The gala performance is happening. Every single person is required on stage. No exceptions, no excuses.】 3 After sending that message, I walked out of my office and found a quiet corner on the rooftop to sit. Of all the department managers in this company, I was the only one who ran my team this way. The others were all martinets, ruling with an iron fist, barking orders, and using performance metrics as a weapon. Their departments were pressure cookers of anxiety, where employees tiptoed around in fear of making the smallest mistake. But not mine. I had always been gentle, cultivating a relaxed and cheerful atmosphere. I never held metrics over their heads. When our team achieved something, I was the first to bang on the CEO’s door demanding rewards. When someone made a mistake, I would rather take the hit myself than see them punished. If someone needed time off, I always approved it. I never, ever asked them to work overtime if a task could be completed during work hours. They were my subordinates, yes, but I treated them like my friends. We worked together, we joked together, and I genuinely cared for them. Sometimes, even the CEO, Nolan, couldn’t stand it. “There’s an old saying, Ariel,” he’d warned me. “Give them an inch, and they’ll take a mile. The kinder you are, the more entitled they’ll feel. Be careful they don’t walk all over you one day.” Back then, I didn’t believe a word of it. I even argued back. “No way, Nolan. I believe people are fundamentally good. Kindness begets kindness.” Today, I finally learned the truth. Kindness does not always beget kindness. In their eyes, your kindness is weakness. Your compassion is an invitation to be exploited. In their minds, your position as manager automatically places you on the opposite side of the battlefield. How stupid I was. I let out a bitter laugh. So, so stupid. The sun was too bright, making my eyes water. I tried to wipe the tears away, but they just kept coming, soaking the palm of my hand. My phone buzzed incessantly in my pocket. The group chat was still lighting up. I pulled it out. They were now seriously discussing a mass resignation. The ringleader was a Gen Z girl, Iris Quinn. 【Hah, calls herself one of us? A ‘worker bee’? Look at her now, toeing the corporate line. Helping the boss push us around.】 【See? I told you her ‘niceness’ was all an act! She plays the good guy to win people over, but the second there’s a problem, she throws us under the bus! The mask is off!】 【Her Majesty is tired of this pathetic job. I quit.】 【This is just heartbreaking. I’m out too.】 【Let’s all walk out together. We’ll see how the company functions without us.】 I scanned the chat history. It was Iris who first brought up the idea of a mass resignation, and she was the one fanning the flames. It was also her who sent the first inflammatory message after my initial announcement: 【I’m here to work, not to be part of a talent show.】 I remembered her. A young girl, fresh out of college. She’d flubbed her first interview, she was so nervous. She had begged me for another chance, and my heart softened. I arranged a second interview for her, and that’s how she got the job. Because she was so young, I’d always looked out for her, even running interference and taking drinks for her at company functions. I never thought that the same girl who called me “sis” every day would be the first to plunge the knife into my back. And then encourage everyone else to give it a twist. You really can’t judge a book by its cover. And so, I typed one last message into the group chat. 【Fine. For those of you resigning, please submit your formal letters.】 The chat went dead silent. They probably expected me to do what I always did: coax them, plead with them, give them an easy way out. They thought I would march into the CEO’s office and fight their battle, forcing him to cancel the performance. That would have been their victory. But they never, ever imagined that this time, I had no intention of playing their game. 4 As I walked back from the rooftop, I could hear the commotion from my office before I even reached the door. “So we quit! What’s the big deal? It’s time for us worker bees to unite and fight back against these ridiculous rules!” It was Iris, riling everyone up again. I frowned. What was she trying to achieve by pushing everyone to quit? What was in it for her if the entire department walked out? Another, more timid voice piped up. “I don’t know… quitting over something like this seems a bit extreme. I actually like my job here.” Iris’s voice boomed. “What are you afraid of? Ariel is just bluffing. She’d never dare to actually sign off on our resignations. We’re just calling her bluff, threatening her.” “How can you be so sure she won’t sign them?” “Trust me. I know Ariel. She’ll come groveling, begging us to stay. Think about it: if we all leave, who’s going to do her work? The department will grind to a halt, the higher-ups will come down on her, and she’ll be the one getting fired.” “She’s right. Ariel can’t afford to lose us. The company can’t afford it either!” “Let’s all hand in our letters together! That’ll scare the hell out of them!” Amid the roar of righteous indignation, a softer female voice emerged. “Actually… I don’t think we should be doing this. Manager Shaw has always been really good to us.” I was taken aback. I never expected anyone to speak up for me at a time like this. “She’s one of them, a corporate stooge! All that ‘goodness’ is fake, just a way to manipulate us. Julie, don’t let her get in your head.” “No, that’s not true! Think about it. Our department gets better bonuses and more perks than anyone else in the company. Those are real benefits. If she was just faking it, why would she go out of her way to piss off the CEO and fight for us?” “That’s her job as a manager, isn’t it?” “Have you all forgotten? The team-building hike last year? She bought every single one of us a pair of expensive running shoes with her own money. And on Valentine’s Day, she gave us all the day off against the CEO’s direct orders and got chewed out for it.” A warmth spread through my chest, chasing away the chill. My eyes began to sting. “And this year,” Julie’s voice grew thick with emotion, “she got us that ten-thousand-dollar bonus. Last year it was six thousand. Nobody else in the company gets that. If she didn’t genuinely care about us, why would she do all that extra work?” “She benefits too, obviously! When we get bonuses, she probably gets a bigger one. She’s not doing it for us, she’s doing it for herself.” “That’s not true! She doesn’t get a cut of those bonuses. They’re only for us. I overheard her telling the CEO that she didn’t want a bonus for herself, she just wanted the company to give more to her staff. You can ask someone in finance if you don’t believe me.” I was deeply moved. Julie Reed. The quiet girl who always sat in the corner, a virtual unknown. It turned out she was the only one who had been paying attention, the only one who remembered everything I’d done. Iris turned on her. “What’s your point, Julie? We bust our asses all year, and now we’re being forced to perform like circus animals for the bosses. You think that’s fair?” Julie was flustered. “That’s not what I mean! Ariel said everyone who performs gets a prize, and she’d even give us extra cash from her own pocket. I just think… getting on stage for a few minutes isn’t that big of a deal.” “Looks like you’ve been brainwashed so long you can’t even stand up straight anymore.” “Ariel is just an employee, too! If we have a problem, we should take it up with the CEO. Why are we making her life miserable? It’s his order, she can’t defy it!” “She’s in that position, she gets that salary, so she has to deal with our pushback!” “Yeah! Pushback! Pushback!” As the chants of protest reached a fever pitch, I walked in as if nothing was wrong and calmly took my seat at the head of the conference table. My gaze swept across the room. My voice was cold steel. “For those of you who wish to resign, I’m accepting your letters now.” 5 They had never seen me like this, so stern and unyielding. Fear and confusion flickered in their eyes. “I’m quitting!” Iris Quinn stepped forward from the crowd, slapping a piece of paper onto the table in front of me. “This company has no respect for its employees. It’s inhumane. I wouldn’t want to work here anyway.” “Good for you. Points for having a spine.” I picked up her resignation letter and looked at the others. “Anyone else?” “Don’t be afraid, everyone! Even if we leave, the world is a big place!” The others exchanged uncertain glances, hesitating. Iris’s voice rose again. “Don’t worry! My uncle just started a new company. It’s brand new, and they’re desperate for people. The pay and benefits are way better than here! If we really get fired, I can get all of you jobs at my uncle’s company.” Her words were like a magic pill, calming their frayed nerves. A flicker of understanding sparked in my mind. I finally understood why Iris was so eager to incite a mass exodus. I said nothing, just watched her with a faint, knowing smile. My stare seemed to unnerve her. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple, but she stood her ground. “Don’t be scared, everyone! Show some backbone! They won’t dare fire all of us!” Her words ignited their passion once more. “I quit!” “Me too!” One by one, the resignation letters piled up on my desk. After everyone else had submitted theirs, one last person slowly shuffled forward. “Julie, you’re quitting too?” “Manager Shaw… I’m so sorry, I didn’t want to pressure you…” I waved a hand dismissively. “You don’t have to explain. I know.” Iris stood there, wearing a triumphant smirk. “Well, Ariel? All of us have resigned now. What are you going to tell the CEO?” “That’s not your concern.” Cassie couldn’t help but chime in. “Manager Shaw, we’re not trying to force your hand. All we want is for you to cancel the gala performance. That’s a simple request. Surely you can do that for us?” I chuckled. “Oh, I can. But I don’t want to.” A flicker of panic crossed Cassie’s face. “Why not?” “Because you’re not worth it.” A notification pinged on my phone. I glanced at it, then neatly stacked the pile of resignation letters, stood up, and walked out of the room. I tried to project an aura of calm control, but no one knew that the moment I stepped out of that office, my knees nearly gave out. The message was from the CEO. And everyone knows the CEO Law of Texting: the shorter the message, the deeper the trouble you’re in. His text had only two words: 【My office.】 Seeing those two words, my vision swam. A single thought screamed through my mind: “I’m screwed.” What was I going to tell him? How could I possibly explain this? I took a few deep breaths, trying to steady myself. And then, an idea began to form.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393497”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 At the university’s centennial gala, I ran into my first love, Seraphina Gilbert. After giving her speech as the alumni representative, she turned to me in front of everyone and held up a diamond ring. “You once said you would make me a wedding ring from a thorned rose. Now, it’s my turn to propose. “Evan, will you marry me?” The auditorium erupted. Everyone was waiting for me to nod tearfully, to say yes. After all, my pursuit of her back in the day had been the stuff of campus legend. But they seemed to have forgotten. They forgot that my senior thesis project had been exposed for plagiarizing Julian Croft. They forgot that Seraphina, who knew the truth, had publicly accused me of being the plagiarist. At the press conference, as the representative for the brand that was sponsoring my project, she had announced the termination of our contract and called for me to be blacklisted by the entire industry. The day my name was dragged through the mud, I fled the country. Now that I was back, her friends were all trying to persuade me. “Sera has been waiting for you all these years. Even after you humiliated her, you were still the only one in her heart. She even stormed the dean’s office, fighting to get you your diploma. Evan, she truly loves you.” “Can you put your phone down and give me an answer?” Seeing that I was completely unfazed by her words, Seraphina’s friend, Summer, was getting annoyed. I calmly set my phone down and met her gaze. “Sera may come from a wealthy family, but she hates it when people treat her differently because of it. Even though her father is on the Board of Trustees, she never used his position for her own gain. But for your diploma, she raised hell in the dean’s office! She almost got a formal demerit on her record! “Evan, do you even have a heart? Do you feel nothing at all?” Summer spoke with a righteous indignation, as if my lack of emotion was a cardinal sin. I frowned slightly, glancing around. The other alumni who had been watching the spectacle quickly looked away, pretending to be busy, but their ears were clearly still tuned in. The plagiarism scandal had been huge. So huge that even seven years later, I could still see the disdain and mockery on the faces of these onlookers. Today was no different. I had just been heading backstage to prepare for the gala when Summer intercepted me with this barrage of nonsense. I didn’t know if she was doing this out of loyalty to her friend, angry that I had disappeared without a word seven years ago, or if she had been sent on a mission. But to me, none of it mattered anymore. I sighed softly. “What am I supposed to feel? It’s all in the past.” My answer clearly wasn’t the one Summer was expecting. Her brow furrowed as she stared at me, completely baffled. I understood her confusion. During our freshman year, my three-month, all-out pursuit of Seraphina had been the talk of the entire university. When I found out she loved watching the stars from the observatory, I went to incredible lengths to find a meteorite fragment and personally craft it into a star-shaped necklace for her. To spend more time with her, I risked disciplinary action for breaking curfew, camping out at the law library for three straight months, just so I could “coincidentally” run into her and walk her home after her late-night study sessions. One stormy night, I heard she had a fever. I scaled the campus wall to buy her medicine and ended up fracturing my right hand. When she asked about it, I just laughed and said I was testing the limits of human endurance. Seraphina knew exactly why my hand was in a cast, but she quietly listened to my ridiculous lies. That was the day she agreed to be my girlfriend. After we got together, she gave me a matching moon bracelet, saying we were a perfect pair, destined for each other. To stop my “coincidental” late-night encounters, she gave up her habit of studying at the library after dark. And to make sure I, with my broken hand, could still eat my favorite sweet and sour ribs, this heiress who never set foot in the cafeteria, braved the greasy, crowded hall to wait in line for me. Each of these small gestures took root in my heart, growing into a towering tree. I thought this tree of love would blossom and bear fruit. But the appearance of Julian Croft caused it to wither and die. At first, Seraphina was clear: Julian was just a business arrangement, an arranged marriage prospect forced on her by her father. She told me I was the only one in her heart. As the sole heiress to her family’s fortune, she had the power to refuse anything she didn’t want, and she told me not to worry. I believed her. I never saw Julian as a threat. But then, she started being late for our dates. She started forgetting our anniversaries. After she began to take over her family’s business, she was frequently seen with Julian at high-profile events, completely unconcerned by the suggestive headlines in the news. After I protested, she pulled back a little. But then I saw a new report: a photo of her adjusting Julian’s shirt backstage at a jewelry exhibition. On Valentine’s Day, she promised to make it up to me, but then she stood me up for an “emergency meeting.” I waited at the revolving restaurant until closing time, only to see Julian post a photo on his Instagram story. It was a selfie of him and Seraphina, sitting side-by-side in business class, smiling for the camera. Looking at the flood of congratulatory comments beneath the picture, I lost all courage to even confront her. The next day, Seraphina came to the design department with my favorite mint milk. Seeing my red, swollen eyes, she showed no concern. Instead, she slammed the bottle down on the table, her patience gone. “Evan, I have promised you so many times that you’re the one in my heart. Julian and I are just compatible business partners. Is it really necessary for you to cry over this endlessly? Don’t you understand? When you’re like this, I can’t breathe!” Tears welled in my eyes. I looked down and asked, “I never even said why I was crying. Are you admitting you’ve been getting close to Julian?” Seraphina froze, her brow tightening. “You’re being impossible!” 2 That fight was ugly. All the students who had never supported us took the opportunity to kick me while I was down. Gold digger, social climber, manipulator—every nasty label they could think of was thrown at me. I was worthless. For the next week, I didn’t contact Seraphina. In the end, it was Summer who played peacemaker, telling each of us a different story to get us in the same room. The moment I saw Seraphina, my first instinct was to leave. But it seemed she had composed herself over the past week. She blocked my path with a wide smile, and before I could protest, she pulled me into a hug in front of all her friends. “Don’t be angry anymore. I know I was wrong.” I tried to pull away, but a cold chain settled around my neck. “A belated Valentine’s gift,” she whispered. “I made it myself. It’s a set with the star necklace you gave me.” Her gentle voice, the exquisite gift—it soothed my wounded heart. As my anger subsided, I was willing to talk. I pulled out my phone, showing her the news articles, Julian’s Instagram story. “You said you were just business partners. Do business partners need to be so physically intimate?” With one arm still around my waist, she took my phone. “Oh, that was a huge misunderstanding! He said he thought there was a stain on his shirt and asked me to check so he wouldn’t be embarrassed in front of the reporters. I didn’t even touch him! You know I have bad eyesight, honey. I just leaned in a little to see.” A smile was already forming on my face, but I pressed on. “And the Instagram post? You lied about a meeting and went to dinner with him. How do you explain that?” Seraphina turned me to face her, cupping my face in her hands and placing a soft, reverent kiss on my lips. “Honey, I swear, the client changed the meeting time at the last minute. It was Julian who insisted we go to dinner. He said his stomach hurt because he hadn’t eaten all day.” I playfully slapped her hands away, but I couldn’t hold back my smile any longer. I was about to let it go with a light warning when the door opened and Julian walked in. He came straight towards me, his eyes already red. “Summer told me you two were fighting because of me, so I rushed right over. Evan, I know Sera and I have a marriage arrangement, but we’re just friends. If it really bothers you that much, I can ask my father to speak with Mr. Gilbert. We can call off the engagement. I’ll even leave the country so I’m not in your way.” It must have been raining hard outside, because he was soaked. After his dramatic speech, he shed a few tears and turned to leave. I clearly saw a flash of pity in Seraphina’s eyes. She let go of me and hurried after him. Right there, in front of me, she used her bare hands to wipe the water from his face. Her friends, seeing me standing there with a dark expression, started whispering among themselves, their words dripping with criticism for me, accusing me of being a bully. Julian shot a timid glance in my direction. In that moment, I felt like I was the one who should be leaving. That night, I barely ate two bites before saying I felt unwell and leaving. I thought Seraphina would stay to comfort Julian, but she ran out into the rain after me, grabbing my arm. She pulled me into the nearest coffee shop, placed a hot drink in my hands, then ran back out into the storm to buy a towel to wrap around me. “Evan, don’t be mad at me. Julian’s family is extremely strict. If I really let him go home and ask his father to break off the engagement, he would face severe punishment. I only see him as a friend, that’s why I’m a little more protective of him. Don’t overthink it. My heart and my eyes are only for you.” Seeing me shiver, she sat closer, hugging me tightly and rubbing my hands to warm them. Even as my heart wrestled with doubt, her meticulous care convinced me to quell my fears and trust her again. But in the end, she betrayed that trust. After that day, Julian became a constant, blatant presence by her side. They discussed business strategies, jewelry exhibitions—they were so in sync they looked like a perfect couple. It wasn’t just the other students; even I started to believe they were dating. Julian certainly acted the part. He came to me with the swagger of a victor. “Evan, Sera sees me as a friend now. Soon, she’ll see me as a lover. Just you wait.” I couldn’t find the words to argue back. I just watched him walk away, a triumphant smirk on his face. 3 It was a weekend. Seraphina had told me she was going to play badminton with her friends to relax. I called her last minute and asked her to come see me. She was furious. “Didn’t I tell you I was playing badminton? Now I have to flake on my friends. It makes me look so bad!” I was full of anger myself. My voice was sharp as I told her everything Julian had said. Hearing this only made her attitude worse. “You dragged me all the way over here for this? How many times do I have to promise you that Julian and I are just friends? Evan, do you have any idea how exhausting it is to be in a relationship with you? At this point, should I just get your permission before I even breathe? Would that make you happy?” “You don’t believe me?” Her words cut deep. I bit my lip, my eyes filling with tears. Seraphina met my gaze, and after a long moment, she sighed. “Okay, look. I get it. Insecurity is a common problem for guys. If you don’t like Julian, I’ll find a chance to make things clear with him. But Evan, I’m begging you, can you please stop tormenting me over this? The pressure from my dad is already immense. I finally get a little time to relax. Can you please just give me a break?” It was almost graduation. Her father was forcing her to give up her passion for law and take over the family’s jewelry business. The two of them were in a cold war over it. Her father already disliked me, so I couldn’t offer much advice. All I could do was give her space. “I’m going to be very busy with graduation coming up,” she said. “Let’s not talk for a while.” Then, she turned and walked away. Watching her back retreat, a chill spread through me. For the first time, I had the thought: she wasn’t worth it. For a long time after that, she didn’t contact me. But I would often see her and Julian studying together late at night in the library. I even found out from Summer that she had decided to give up law and go abroad to study jewelry design. The next time I saw her was when my senior thesis project was selected by Elysian Jewels. They wanted to sign a contract with me for mass production. But as we were about to sign, a mob of reporters suddenly surrounded me, cameras shoved in my face. “Mr. Fang, we’ve received a tip that your graduation project is a plagiarism of Julian Croft’s work. Is this true?” I was stunned. I backed away, trying to explain. “No, I didn’t! You’re slandering me!” Just then, Julian appeared, his eyes red-rimmed as he accused me. “Evan, you’ve copied my designs for your homework before, and I let it slide. But this project… the ‘Thorned Rose’ collection… I designed it specifically for Sera’s birthday. She even helped me revise it. How can you still lie and say you didn’t copy it?” Instantly, all the cameras turned to Seraphina, waiting for her answer. I looked at her too. Seraphina avoided my gaze. She spoke to the cameras, her voice clear. “The ‘Thorned Rose’ was indeed Julian’s idea. I saw him drawing the designs with my own eyes when we were studying together at night.” I was frozen solid. I walked toward her through the blinding flashes, stared into her eyes, and asked, “Are you sure I’m the one who plagiarized?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393496”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 My wife, Vivian, lost a herd of cattle while she was out grazing them, leaving us with a fifty-thousand-dollar debt. I loved her, so I spent three years pinching every penny, working every odd job I could find, until I finally scraped the money together. But when I arrived, holding the stack of wrinkled, hard-earned bills, ready to pay off Vivian’s boss, I saw her. She was locked in a passionate kiss with Leonard, her childhood friend. The boss, a man named Miller, was standing beside them, practically groveling as he offered Vivian a drink. “Ms. Hawthorne,” he said, his voice slick with deference, “your husband will be here any minute with the money. Should I take it?” Vivian, still wrapped in Leonard’s arms, laughed. “Of course, you should. Why wouldn’t you?” She stroked Leonard’s cheek. “I just bought Leonard that five-million-dollar ranch down in the valley. A little fifty-thousand-dollar top-up will be nice, don’t you think?” My world tilted. In a daze, I pulled out my phone and searched for the company that had just purchased the ranch. The legal owner listed was one Vivian Hawthorne. Her corporation was valued at over a billion dollars. I covered my face, hot tears seeping through the cracks of my calloused fingers. A year ago, she told me she’d lost a herd of prime cattle in a freak accident and owed fifty thousand dollars in damages. I’d emptied my savings, sold our family’s small plot of land, and worked myself to the bone for three years to pay it back. And now I find out that the company I was paying, the one holding me in debt, was her company all along. Miller was still fawning over her. “You’re brilliant, Ms. Hawthorne. Not only do you not have to give Ethan a dime, but you’ve trained him to be as loyal as a dog.” He chuckled. “I heard when you pretended to be lost in that blizzard on the mountain, he crawled for miles up the pass on his knees, praying for you. Hahaha.” I squeezed my eyes shut, the pain in my heart sharp and blinding. On her company’s website, there were photos of her and Leonard, laughing as they skied on that very same mountain. She’d told me she was trapped by a sudden blizzard while herding. I’d nearly lost my feet to frostbite searching for her, digging through snow until my hands were raw. When I couldn’t find her, I’d made a desperate pilgrimage, crawling up that mountain road on bleeding knees, praying to the old spirits of the plains to bring her back safely. And it was all a lie. A sick, twisted game. Vivian took the drink from Miller, her voice careless. “What else can peasants like him do for me, besides pray to their dirt gods?” How could she mock the faith of my ancestors, the only thing I had left? A fresh wave of pain washed over me, and I stumbled, knocking against the doorframe. Leonard spotted me first. “Well, look who’s here, Miller. The money has arrived.” By the time I stepped inside, Vivian had already composed her face into a mask of timid helplessness. “Honey, you’re here! I was just asking Mr. Miller for my paycheck.” I never knew she was such a good actress. Miller leered at her. “I’d rather not pay a broke-ass woman like you. And you,” he sneered at me, “did you bring the fifty grand?” I clutched the strap of my satchel, the weight of three years of sacrifice heavy inside it. Vivian saw me hesitate and put a comforting arm around me. “Honey, I know you’ve worked so hard. We’ll make more money. Once we move the herds to the summer pastures, I promise, we’ll build a good life together.” I stared at the ceiling, fighting back tears. She bought the ranch for Leonard, which meant I had to move my small herd, the one I was raising to pay her debt. We were forced to wander, the sun and wind beating down on us day after day. The animals grew thin, and I couldn’t get a good price for them. I’d had to beg, to grovel, to endure countless humiliations just to scrape together that fifty thousand. And now, she wanted to take it all. But the debt was real, and the IOU had my name on it. Swallowing my pride, I handed over the money. Miller counted it, a look of dissatisfaction on his face. “It’s been three years. There’s thousands in interest, you know. You didn’t bring the interest.” He grinned maliciously. “But tell you what. My friend Leonard here is feeling generous. Get on your knees and apologize to him, and I’ll forget about the interest.” I looked at the smug faces around the room, a pack of wolves enjoying their kill. A tear slid down my cheek. Humiliated, I knelt, my forehead hitting the floor with a dull thud. “Hahaha! Look at the poor fool!” Miller roared. “Crawl over there and kiss the sole of Leonard’s boot, and I’ll give you two hundred bucks!” Vivian crouched down beside me. “Honey, just do it. It’s two hundred dollars. We could use that for the move to the summer pastures.” I couldn’t take it anymore. I scrambled to my feet, ready to flee. But Miller kicked my legs out from under me, sending me sprawling. “Looks like you need to be taught a lesson!” He grabbed the back of my head and shoved my face down, pressing my cheek against the dirt-caked leather of Leonard’s boot. The room erupted in laughter. Tears of shame streamed down my face. Back in the simple tent that served as my home, I signed the divorce papers. I had to leave. I looked around at the barren space. For three years, I had lived in this tent because we had no money. I remembered one night, a fierce gale had ripped the tent from its moorings, sending me tumbling across the plains. Meanwhile, Vivian was in her luxurious penthouse apartment, comforting a frightened Leonard. He had pointed out the window and said, “It’s so scary when a storm hits a flimsy place.” The next day, she transferred three hundred thousand dollars to his account, and he began construction on a new luxury guesthouse. At the time, I’d just marveled at how much money Leonard’s family must have. Now I knew the truth. It was my wife who paid for it all. And I, like a fool, had spent my days mucking out stalls for pennies, saving for three months just to buy her a pair of warm gloves. 2 The next day, I saw those gloves on the paws of Leonard’s Tibetan Mastiff. All those years of love, all that sacrifice—it was all a lie. I finished packing my few belongings. Vivian finally showed up, looking unconcerned when she saw my bags. She probably thought I was just preparing for the move to the summer pastures. She held out a piece of fried chicken. “Honey, I brought this for you.” Any other time, I would have hugged her, overcome with gratitude, and insisted she take half. Now, I just felt a profound, aching confusion. Why? Why had she treated me like this for so long? I remembered the calf I was raising to sell for her debt. It had gotten frostbite, and I’d stayed up all night, holding it against my own body to keep it warm, nursing it back to health. The next day, Vivian slaughtered it and made beef jerky for Leonard. I remembered walking ten miles every day to haul water for extra cash, my feet covered in bloody blisters. That same week, Vivian paid to have the entire dirt road to Leonard’s family property paved with asphalt because he’d tripped and scraped his knee. I used to think her devotion to him was just a local custom, something to do with them being childhood friends. Now, looking at her face, her mask of feigned love, I finally asked the question I’d been too afraid to ask for years. “After the bonfire festival that year… why did you get so angry with me?” Everything changed that night. Now that I was leaving, I needed to know why. Vivian’s face tightened, a vein throbbing in her temple. “Shut up!” she screamed. She grabbed a mug of coffee from the small table and hurled it at me. It shattered against my forehead. Blood trickled down my face. Vivian froze, a flicker of shock in her eyes. “Why didn’t you dodge…?” she whispered. Before she could say more, her phone buzzed. A message from Leonard. Just like every other time, she turned and left without another word, abandoning me for him. I wiped the blood from my eyes and silently loaded my handmade crafts onto my bicycle. I used to have a white horse named Snowdrift, a gift from my mother. I’d sold him to help pay Vivian’s debt. Now, to make ends meet, I had to pedal to the market. The bus would be here in three days. That’s when I would leave for good. Today, I just needed to clear out my remaining stock. I had just laid out my blanket when I saw them. Vivian was leading a horse, with Leonard riding proudly on its back. “Vivi, thank you for the horse!” Leonard chirped. “Another fine addition to the ranch you gave me.” I looked closer. My breath caught in my throat. The horse he was riding was Snowdrift. She had bought back the horse my mother gave me, only to give it to Leonard. Vivian smiled, ruffling Leonard’s hair. “Anything for you, Leonard. You know I’d buy you the world.” Then she saw me, and her smile vanished. “What are you doing here?” A bitter wave of nausea washed over me. What was I doing here? I was here, breaking my back for three years, earning money for her fake debt, and she didn’t even know. Leonard noticed my stall. “Oh, Vivi,” he said with a smirk, “I forgot to tip the stable boy for saddling up my new horse.” He gestured to the small pile of cash in my collection tin. “That looks like just enough.” Vivian snatched the money from my stall. When I tried to stop her, she shoved me to the ground. “If it weren’t for Leonard, Miller would have charged you interest. What’s the big deal if I take a little of your money?” She turned and started handing my earnings out to the other vendors as “tips” from Leonard. He stood over me, his expression triumphant. I only had eyes for Snowdrift. His intelligent, dark eyes were fixed on me, full of a sad recognition. “Recognize him? He’s mine now,” Leonard gloated. “If you hadn’t seduced Vivian in college, she would be mine right now!” He snatched a sharp leather-working awl from my stall and, without warning, plunged it into Snowdrift’s flank. The horse screamed in pain and bolted, with Leonard clinging to the reins. “Snowdrift!” I cried out in horror. Vivian rushed over, her face a mask of terror. “Leonard!” “Vivi, help me!” Leonard shrieked as the horse bucked wildly. Vivian grabbed the antique hunting bow I kept at my stall for decoration and aimed it at Snowdrift. I threw myself at her, wrapping my arms around her. “No! Please! I can whistle for him! He’ll stop if he hears me!” She hesitated. I put my fingers to my lips and let out the familiar, sharp whistle. Snowdrift’s ears perked, and he began to slow. But Leonard wasn’t finished. He secretly jabbed the horse again with the awl. Snowdrift went berserk. Ignoring my pleas, Vivian ripped herself free, drew the bowstring taut, and let the arrow fly. It struck Snowdrift in the neck. He collapsed with a sickening thud. “No!” I screamed, scrambling to his side. “Snowdrift!” His head rested gently in my arms, and then he was still. As I sobbed, my body shaking with grief, Leonard ran to Vivian’s arms. “He tried to kill me!” he wailed, pointing a trembling finger at me. “I was just letting Vivi lead the horse, and he stabbed him with that tool! He wanted me to get thrown!” Vivian held Leonard protectively, her eyes blazing with fury. She kicked over my bicycle, scattering my crafts in the dust. “I’m out here trying to make a little extra money for us, and you pull a stunt like this out of jealousy? You’re pathetic!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “393495”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel