Author: Momo Chan

My family went bankrupt, so the “fake heiress,” Chloe, and I were sent to the wealthy Sterling brothers to pay off the debt. I ended up with the older brother, Julian. She ended up with the younger brother, Caleb. We were living the life of kept women. Even a quick trip for boba tea was enough time to complain about our sugar daddies’ endless energy at night. Later, Caleb’s “white moonlight” first love was returning to the States. Chloe asked, “Are you running?” Me: “I’m down for whatever. It’s up to you.” Chloe: “You go first or me?” Me: “Let’s go together.” As a result, we were caught red-handed that very night because we were too conspicuous. The older billionaire brother sneered, “He has a first love returning. I don’t. Why are you running?” 1 My family went bankrupt, and Chloe and I were sent to the powerful Sterling family in New York to pay off the debt. I was with Julian, the older brother. She was with Caleb, the younger brother. Life at the Sterling estate was pretty good. The brothers treated us surprisingly similarly. The monthly allowance was generous, but they barely looked at us. We were happy with the arrangement. Even a quick trip for boba tea was enough time to complain about our sugar daddies’ endless energy at night. But recently, Chloe seemed distracted during our venting sessions. I poked her arm. “What’s wrong? Did Caleb keep you up all night again?” She snapped back to reality and sighed. “Caleb’s ‘white moonlight’ is coming back.” I let out an “Ah.” I couldn’t really complain about this topic. Because on this point, the brothers were different. Julian had always been the ascetic type. Rumor had it that before me, there wasn’t even a female mosquito around him. Caleb was similar. But rumor had it there was always a first love he couldn’t forget. Chloe continued to sigh. “I think I should leave, to avoid running into her.” I took a sip of my milk tea. “Where to? I’ll go with you.” Chloe seemed to make up her mind suddenly. “I’m planning to run away. Are you in?” I didn’t hesitate. “If you run, I run.” Actually, Julian treated me pretty well. But sisters before misters. Who cares if he’s good or not? Chloe looked relieved. “So, you go first or me?” I thought about it. “Let’s go together.” Although Julian didn’t have a “white moonlight,” who knows if an arranged marriage partner would pop up someday? I should indeed plan ahead and take this opportunity to run away together. Chloe immediately agreed. “Okay! Let’s run together!” Next, she roughly outlined the escape plan: “I’ll be responsible for buying tickets and preparing supplies for the escape. You’re responsible for making the plan.” She paused. “If you slack off on the planning like before, don’t even think about coming with me!” Saying this, she clenched her fist, the threat obvious. I nodded frantically. “Don’t worry, don’t worry. I’ll do it tonight. I’ll make a PowerPoint and a text version!” After all, this wasn’t a normal trip. I had to be serious. Getting my assurance, Chloe nodded in satisfaction. 2 That night, back at the estate, we tacitly rejected our sugar daddies’ invitations for intimacy. She said she had a stomachache; I said I was dizzy. Watching the two men leave, I scrambled out of bed, opened my laptop, and started typing out the escape plan furiously. Halfway through, Julian came back with medicine, and I quickly jumped back into bed to play dead. He reached out and touched my forehead, murmuring, “Why are you sweating?” He tried to pull down the covers for me. I pulled them tighter, pretending to be cold. Julian checked my temperature again and found it had gone down a bit. Only then did he leave with relief. As soon as he closed the door, I took out the overheating laptop from under the covers. I was sweating buckets, but I didn’t care. I opened the laptop and continued writing. Throughout the night, Julian came to check on me every so often. As soon as he entered, I closed the laptop and pretended to sleep. Repeating this until dawn, I finally finished. I hit save, tossed the laptop aside, and fell into a deep sleep. 3 When I woke up again, Chloe was sitting by my bed. She looked even more haggard than me. Seeing me awake, she immediately reached out for the escape plan. I opened the laptop to show her. And asked, “Why do you look so bad?” Chloe scrolled through the screen and sighed faintly. “That idiot Caleb saw through my act, so he dragged me to do that all night.” Saying this, her suppressed anger flared up again. “Damn it, if I don’t run, I’ll die sooner or later.” I was drowsy. She finally finished reading and sent the plan to her own laptop. I yawned and asked, “Are you ready on your end? When do we run?” Chloe’s eyes were cold. “I heard that ‘white moonlight’ is coming back in three days. The Sterling brothers will both attend the welcome party.” “Running away that night is perfect.” I nodded. “Okay, whatever you say.” Whatever she said went. Chloe returned the laptop to me. “We’ll finalize the remaining details when they’re not around. I’m going back to sleep.” As soon as she closed the door, I covered myself with the quilt and continued sleeping. I slept until Julian came back. He took off his watch and touched my forehead again. “How are you today? The maid said you slept all day.” His hand was a bit cold, and I flinched. “I’m better.” With Chloe’s lesson in mind, I was afraid he would see through my act. Julian started unbuttoning his shirt. “Then sleep early.” I had PTSD from his unbuttoning action. I was so scared I stuttered, “Um, actually I’m not fully recovered yet. Let’s just sleep properly.” Julian reacted for two seconds, raising an eyebrow. “If we don’t sleep properly, what else are you planning to do?” What else could we do? He knew perfectly well. I blushed and covered my head with the quilt again. “Nothing, just sleep, sleep.” Julian didn’t say anything more. He reached out and pulled me into his arms, falling asleep quickly. Having slept all day, I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. My mind was full of the escape plan and where it needed improvement. Staring until dawn, I finally felt sleepy. I could only hear Julian getting up; my eyes wouldn’t open at all. I don’t know how long passed, but he leaned over and kissed my forehead, and then there was no movement in the room. To lower the brothers’ vigilance, Chloe and I canceled our afternoon tea vent sessions. We stayed in our rooms every day to perfect the plan. Finally, the day the “white moonlight” returned arrived. 4 Early in the morning, Chloe picked a fight with Caleb over some excuse. Then she locked herself in her room, refusing to open the door even when I called. Caleb was convinced she was throwing a tantrum and stormed out in anger. My gaze fell on Julian, who was leisurely drinking tea on the sofa, and I was secretly anxious. Didn’t he say he was going to the welcome party? Why wasn’t he leaving yet? If he didn’t leave, we would miss our flight. I was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. Finally, Julian stood up. I was delighted and prepared to tell him to be careful on the road. Unexpectedly, Julian glanced at me and frowned. “Why haven’t you changed yet?” I froze. “Huh?” He looked at his watch. “Aren’t you going to the welcome party tonight?” Of course not! Feeling his gaze, I had a flash of inspiration and squeezed out two tears. “I’m feeling a bit unwell again today, so I won’t go.” I thought saying this would be enough. But Julian paused putting on his jacket. “Then change your clothes. I’ll take you to the hospital.” I was so anxious I almost caught fire. I waved my hands repeatedly. “No, no, no, I don’t need to go to the hospital. Just sleeping a bit will do.” Julian’s tone brooked no refusal. “No, you’ve been feeling bad for so many days. You must get checked.” I shook my head. “The welcome party is important. You go ahead, we can go to the hospital when you come back.” By the time he came back, Chloe and I would have successfully escaped. Julian didn’t buy it at all. “It’s just an irrelevant person. Go get checked first. Be good.” Seeing that he was really going to drag me out, I quickly grabbed the sofa armrest. “Actually… actually I lied to you. I’m not sick.” Julian clearly didn’t believe it. He loosened his grip a little but looked displeased. “No matter what you say, you must go for a checkup today.” I broke out in a cold sweat. Thinking for a moment, I grabbed his sleeve. “I really am not sick. I just want to stay home with Chloe. She’s very sad today, and I’m worried about her.” Julian looked at me suspiciously. I continued, “You know, she’s one of the most important people to me in this world. I don’t want to leave her alone.” Julian probably remembered the romantic entanglement between the “white moonlight” and Caleb. He let go of my hand and nodded. “Alright then, keep her company.” I was overjoyed. I threw myself at him and kissed his lips. “You’re so good. Drink less tonight. Bye!” Julian held my waist and looked down. “She’s one of the most important people. Who are the others?” Actually, there were no others. Chloe was the closest person to me. But I didn’t mind coaxing him to make him relax his vigilance. “Of course, it’s you! Just the two of you, no one else.” The corners of Julian’s mouth turned up. “Smooth talker.” He lowered his head and kissed me. My legs went so weak I could barely stand. Afraid he would lose control, I quickly pushed him. “You’re going to be late. Go quickly.” Only then did Julian let me go. “Don’t sleep tonight.” To send him away, I dared to agree to anything. Watching his car disappear from the courtyard, I breathed a sigh of relief. Taking steps two at a time, I went upstairs to find Chloe. 5 Just as I knocked on the door, Chloe quickly opened it a crack and pulled me inside. I looked at the four huge suitcases in front of me and fell into contemplation. “You… are running away with this?” With such cumbersome luggage, we’d be caught as thieves before even leaving the Sterling house, right? Chloe clapped her hands, not thinking anything was wrong. “Yeah. Taking these things saves us money later.” “Once we’re out, we can’t use their cards. We have to save where we can, right?” I was silent. “…” Whatever, as long as she was happy. We dragged the suitcases downstairs while the servants were eating dinner. But because the boxes were too heavy, they made quite a bit of noise. I had a flash of inspiration and pretended to be angry. “Buying all this junk every day! I’m going to throw it out for you!” Meeting my eyes, Chloe instantly understood what I meant. She dragged the suitcase and walked quickly towards the outside. “Don’t act like the lady of the house with me!” “Fine! Throw it!” “I’ll help you throw it!” The servants stared dumbfounded at our sisterly feud, unable to react for a long time. Seizing the opportunity, I also walked outside. “Fine, I’ll throw it all away for you!” We pretended to argue all the way out of the villa. I put the two suitcases in my hand next to the trash can and pulled Chloe into the car we had booked in advance. Chloe looked back every three steps. “Wait, my stuff!” I yanked her. “What stuff! Leaving it there makes them believe we were really fighting!” Only in this way could we buy time to escape. Otherwise, they would see through it before we even left the villa area. Chloe adjusted instantly. “Right! Trash should be thrown away with trash men!” We didn’t dare delay at all. Once inside the airport, we dug out clothes from the suitcases and changed. While changing, I urged her, “Hurry up! Before they come back from the party, we have to transfer a few times!” Chloe in the stall didn’t respond for a long time. I thought she was waiting for me outside, so I tidied my clothes and walked out. But as soon as I left the restroom, I saw Julian standing not far away, his expression cold. My brain crashed on the spot. Before Julian came over, I put on my hoodie hood and tried to slip away with my head down. Just a few steps along the wall, someone grabbed my hood. I shivered and buried my head lower. Wait, how did he catch up so fast? Shouldn’t he still be drinking at the party right now? I looked down. Julian reached out and pinched my chin, forcing me to look up. He spoke with a half-smile, “Faking illness, acting coquettish, refusing to go out with me… was this your plan all along?” I dared not answer, nor look at him. Determined to play dead. Julian took a deep breath, his tone softening slightly. “Tell me, why run?” “What made you unhappy?” I whispered, “I don’t know.” Running with my sister, did I need a reason? Julian repeated, “Don’t know?” I felt guilty. “She ran, so I ran…” Anyway, I couldn’t leave Chloe. Julian laughed in anger. “She ran because my brother has a ‘white moonlight.’ I don’t. Why are you running with her?” I didn’t dare make a sound. Julian’s tone grew heavier. “Speak!” I shivered, about to cry. “I can’t betray my sister. She’s running, what would I stay for?” Julian didn’t expect this answer. He was so angry his breathing became heavy. After a long time, he adjusted his mood. “Go home.” I spoke cautiously, “Can I have my phone back first?” Since coming out of the restroom, I hadn’t seen Chloe. Nor Caleb. So she should still have a chance to escape. I wanted to text her, remind her to change her route. Julian glanced at me. “Want to tip her off?” I shook my head decisively. “No! I just want to check the time.” Julian extended his wrist in front of me, letting me look at his watch. “Look.” I choked on old blood. I grabbed his hand and put it down. “Just let me use the phone for a second, please.” Julian wrapped his arm around my waist, his tone cold. “No need. She was caught too.” He paused, staring at me with a sneer. “Her fate tonight shouldn’t be better than yours.” I panicked instantly. “What are you going to do?” “It’s clearly your brother being ambiguous with someone else. What’s wrong with Chloe running?” “Neither of you brothers is any good!” The more I spoke, the more agitated I got, watching Julian’s face darken. But since things had come to this, I might as well let my mouth be happy before I die. I was full of imposing manner. “What are you staring at? Let us go if you have the guts!” Julian tightened his grip, leaning close to my ear. He sneered in a voice only we could hear, “I don’t have the guts to let you go. But I have the guts to kill you in bed tonight.” My face instantly turned pale. Trembling, I said, “I withdraw. I didn’t say anything.” I got too carried away just now and forgot Julian wasn’t a good person either! Julian’s expression didn’t change. “Too late.” 6 Tormented by Julian all night, I woke up with a voice so hoarse I couldn’t speak. Supporting myself on the wall with trembling legs, I walked shakily to Chloe’s room. She looked bad, her eyes swollen. I took out the bank cards hidden in the lining of my pajamas. “These were all given to me by Julian. Transfer them to your account. You run first this time, don’t worry about me.” Last night I tentatively asked Julian why he found us so quickly. He said it was because two people together were too conspicuous. Plus, two inseparable people suddenly quarreling and dragging suitcases away from home was even more conspicuous. Almost the moment the servants called to report, he figured out why. Thinking about how I lied to him yesterday made him even angrier. I shook my head, shaking out the useless thoughts. I looked at Chloe seriously. “You run yours. When you settle down, I’ll find a way to meet you.” Originally I ran away just because I didn’t want to be separated from Chloe. So if she ran, I ran. But after last night, I made up my mind completely. I can’t stay by Julian’s side for long! Chloe’s eyes reddened. She shook her head. “Can’t run. Caleb took all my documents.” I hurriedly pulled tissues to wipe her tears and asked what happened. Chloe sniffled. “He said I had no right to be jealous of a ‘white moonlight’ and could only stay by his side for the rest of my life.” I clenched my fists. Damn scumbag. Thinking for a moment, I looked into Chloe’s eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll get the documents for you.” Chloe couldn’t hold it back anymore, hugged me and cried loudly. I sighed and patted her back.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390733”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The second day after I returned to the States, I was dragged to a college reunion by my old classmates. There, I met my first love, Ethan Cole, whom I hadn’t seen in five years. In front of everyone, he pulled out a diamond ring and proposed. The private room erupted in cheers. Everyone assumed I would immediately say yes with gratitude. After all, I was the one who chased Ethan shamelessly back in the day. Everyone seemed to have forgotten. At our graduation ceremony, Ethan publicly accused me of plagiarizing my thesis for another woman. He even used fake evidence to accuse me of cheating on exams and bullying classmates. In the end, the university revoked my diploma, and I was kicked out of the ceremony under the watchful eyes of the entire school. After that day, I left the country alone. Now that I’m back, his best friend tells me: “After you left, Ethan used his family connections to get your diploma back for you.” “Even though you did so many wrong things, he never forgot you. He’s been waiting for you. He said as long as you’re willing, you’ll always be his wife.” 1 “Chloe, I’m talking to you! Are you listening?” “You know better than anyone how much Ethan hates relying on the Cole family. He didn’t use a cent of their money when he started his business. But for your diploma, he bowed to his father!” As soon as I appeared, Ethan’s best friend, Mark, sat next to me and bombarded me with words. He looked impatient, yet somewhat urgent. The eyes of the other classmates in the room were all on me—some curious, some mocking. Honestly, hearing the name “Ethan Cole” again after five years felt strange. My once passionate love for him had long been drowned in the torrent of time. Five years ago, I left the country without a word. So very few people back home knew I was already married. I didn’t know if Mark was saying these things on his own accord or if someone put him up to it. But it didn’t matter anymore. I pursed my lips and spoke slowly: “Ethan and I are ancient history. What you’re saying to me today has no meaning.” Not just Mark, but everyone present looked at me in shock, as if they hadn’t expected this answer. After all, I had chased Ethan passionately and crazily for three whole years. The commotion almost alerted the school board. Rain or shine, I delivered hot breakfast to Ethan every day. When his stomach acted up, I ran through a snowstorm to every pharmacy in the city just to buy him medicine. Whenever a girl confessed to Ethan, I was the first to appear and declare sovereignty. When he wanted to start a business but lacked funds, I not only gave him all my savings but also sold the 18th birthday gift my parents gave me—a vintage Cartier watch. Where no one could see, I, who had never suffered a day in my life, ate instant ramen for a whole semester. Finally, under my relentless efforts, Ethan agreed to date me. He was like every thoughtful boyfriend. He brought me hot chocolate and heating pads when I had cramps. He carried me on his back when I was tired of walking. When people called me a “simp” or “desperate,” he stood up to defend me. Even when he signed his first contract, he envisioned a future with me. I once truly believed he was my destiny, that we would grow old together. Until senior year, when Lily suddenly appeared. She was Ethan’s childhood friend who had just returned from abroad and transferred to my class. At first, I didn’t care, and even tried to get along with her. But slowly, Ethan stopped coming to see me whenever he was free. Sometimes, even when I asked him out, he would find excuses to decline. On my birthday, he stood me up again. He told me something came up and he had to go to a neighboring city for business. Suspicious, I quietly went to his company. And there I saw Lily. She was surrounded by employees in the center of the office. Some even loudly called her “Sister-in-law.” But they all knew I was Ethan’s girlfriend. What made me angriest was that Ethan, who told me he was on a business trip, was right there in the office. Hearing everyone call Lily “Sister-in-law,” he didn’t correct them. Instead, he watched with a smile. My heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. 2 Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. When Ethan saw my red eyes, there was no shame or guilt on his face. He just frowned and asked indifferently: “Why are you here?” I had been pampered by my parents since childhood and never let myself be wronged. I pointed directly at Lily and questioned him: “Is your so-called business trip just partying in the office with her?” I wasn’t angry or blaming, just asking calmly. Ethan suddenly frowned and said impatiently: “Lily is coming to intern at the company. I’m just throwing a welcome party for her.” “Can you stop being jealous over nothing? You’re really suffocating me!” I froze on the spot. I never thought the person who called me “baby” a few days ago would criticize me so ruthlessly in front of so many people. Perhaps my expression was too shocked, because Ethan quickly realized his words were inappropriate. Panic flashed across his face, and he apologized hurriedly: “Chloe, sorry, I misspoke. I didn’t mean that.” I gripped my handbag tightly, looked into his eyes, and asked word by word: “Then what did you mean?” “And why did you lie to me about going on a business trip today?” Ethan walked over and held my hand. “I didn’t lie to you. I really planned to go, but the client changed the time. I just didn’t have time to tell you yet!” His tone was intimate and natural, easily dispelling much of my dissatisfaction. But that “Sister-in-law” still stuck in my throat. I huffed: “Then why did your subordinates call Lily ‘Sister-in-law’?” “Just a joke between colleagues. Besides, who here doesn’t know their boss’s girlfriend is a big jealous pot?” Speaking, Ethan squeezed my palm. “Baby, don’t be mad, okay? It’s your birthday today. I’ll take you to a nice dinner tonight.” Just as I was about to warn Ethan not to make such jokes in the future, Lily ran over in a panic. She looked at me pitifully, her tone carrying a hint of submission: “Chloe, sorry to make you unhappy. If you really mind, I… I won’t intern at Ethan’s company. Just please don’t fight because of me.” Saying this, she even shed a few tears. Others saw this and assumed I was bullying her. They dared not speak up, so they all looked at Ethan. Seeing Lily cry, Ethan let go of me and walked over. He comforted her gently, his movements soft. That night he didn’t stand me up. He really took me to a nice dinner. But the food tasted like ash. Because although he was with me, every word he said was about Lily. “Lily grew up with me. She’s like a sister.” “Her parents asked me to arrange an internship for her, so I put her in my company.” “I was afraid you’d overthink it, so I didn’t tell you.” “If there was really something between us, we would have been together long ago. Why wait until now?” “Chloe, I know how good you are to me. You are the only one in my heart.” Ethan sounded sincere, and I couldn’t keep harping on it, so I nodded. He took out a pair of couple rings. After putting on the men’s ring, he slipped the women’s ring onto my finger. “Chloe, with my current conditions, I can only afford these cheap rings. Sorry for making you suffer.” “But don’t worry, when I make big money, I’ll bring the world’s most expensive ring to you.” Leaning in his arms, looking at the ring on my finger, the uneasiness in my heart finally dissipated. But in the end, he broke his promise. After that day, Ethan no longer hid it. He openly came and went with Lily. Rumors started spreading on campus that Ethan had dumped me for Lily. Before I could find the source of the rumors, Lily came to me directly. Changing her usual weak demeanor, she said to me arrogantly: “Chloe, do you know what kind of woman is the cheapest? It’s women like you who chase men!” “Ethan loves me. Be smart and quit!” I clenched my fists, not wanting to dignify Lily’s provocation. But she smiled slightly, eyes full of determination. “Since you’re deceiving yourself, let me help you face reality.” After Lily left, I immediately told Ethan about this. But I never expected that he wouldn’t believe me. On the phone, his voice was so impatient: “Chloe, I’ve already explained to you that there’s nothing between Lily and me. Why are you always so paranoid?” “I grew up with Lily. I know what kind of person she is. Why slander her like this?” “I slander her?” My voice rose sharply. “Ethan, am I that kind of person in your eyes?” The person on the other end fell silent. I don’t know how long it took before he spoke again: “If you really don’t like it, I’ll let Lily leave after her internship ends.” “But Chloe, company matters are already giving me a headache. Even if you can’t help me, please don’t add to my troubles right now, okay? I’m really tired.” “You also have to work on your graduation thesis recently. Let’s not meet for a while. Let’s both calm down. We’ll talk properly after your graduation ceremony.” With that, he hung up. Listening to the dial tone, I felt cold all over. He would rather suspect me of slandering Lily than believe she actually said those words. That was the first time I felt Ethan wasn’t worth it. It was also the first time I gave him the silent treatment. Ethan kept his word. For the next month, I didn’t contact him. He didn’t contact me either. 3 Sometimes even when we bumped into each other on campus, he turned a blind eye to me. Until the day of the graduation ceremony. Just as I was about to take the graduation gown from the counselor, the department head suddenly found me. In front of all the students and teachers, he asked me directly: “Student Chloe, your graduation thesis is identical to Lily’s. Who copied whom?” I looked at the head in shock: “Sir, it’s impossible. I wrote my thesis myself.” Lily also came to the head’s side, eyes red, saying: “Sir, I didn’t copy anyone. I wrote every word of my thesis myself!” “If you don’t believe me, you can ask senior Ethan. He can testify for me.” For a moment, everyone’s eyes fell on Ethan. I also looked at Ethan. Ethan avoided my gaze directly. At this point, if I still didn’t understand what happened, I would be hopelessly stupid. I habitually put my finished thesis and some important documents in the shared cloud drive Ethan and I used. So it was self-evident who gave my thesis to Lily. The department head’s scrutinizing gaze fell on Ethan. Ethan took a deep breath and said to the head: “Sir, Lily is interning at my company now. I’ve seen her working overtime on her thesis.” With Ethan’s testimony, the plagiarist naturally became me. Enduring everyone’s contemptuous gazes, I walked up to Ethan, looked into his eyes, and asked him word by word: “Ethan, are you saying my thesis was copied from Lily?” I saw hesitation and struggle in Ethan’s eyes. But I waited for a long time, only to hear him say: “I only know Lily wrote her thesis herself.” Hearing this, I actually laughed out loud. This was the man I loved with all my heart for four years. If I could, I really wanted to go to the eye doctor right now and fix my blindness. Seeing me like this, a trace of intolerance flashed across Ethan’s face. Just as he was about to speak, Lily beat him to it: “Chloe, although you are Ethan’s girlfriend, you can’t force him to perjure himself for you!” “I know you don’t like me. Usually you bully me, fine, but you even forced me to pass you exam answers.” “If I didn’t listen to you, you hired thugs to bully me.” Saying this, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing arms covered in bruises. “If Ethan hadn’t arrived in time that day, I might have been violated by those thugs.” Hearing Lily’s accusations, I even suspected there was something wrong with my ears. Otherwise, why did I understand every word she said? 4 But put together, I didn’t know what she meant. What do you mean I bullied her? What do you mean I wanted to copy her answers and sent thugs to bully her? “Lily, if you have persecution mania, please see a doctor. Don’t pin it on me.” Before Lily could speak, Ethan suddenly roared: “Enough!” He looked at me, guilt gone from his eyes, replaced by anger and disgust: “Those thugs confessed. You paid them to bully Lily!” “Chloe, I always thought you were just jealous, but I didn’t expect you to be so vicious.” “Lily is a girl. Did you ever think you were driving her to death by doing this!” I stood frozen, and after a long time, I whispered: “Ethan, so you’d rather believe Lily and those thugs than me?” Ethan was silent for a while before saying: “I only believe what I see with my own eyes.” I stood there in a daze, my heart trembling. Only the contempt and ridicule of others remained in my ears. The department head scolded me directly: “I didn’t expect to have a student of such bad character in my department!” “I don’t think you meet the requirements for graduation. You don’t need to attend this graduation ceremony today.” “As for your punishment, I will notify you after reporting to the school. You can go now.” I ignored the head’s words, just staring blankly at Ethan. But he looked away, frowning and scolding lightly: “Chloe, go back first. Don’t make a joke of yourself here, and don’t disturb other students’ graduation!” “As for us, we’ll talk in private!” I stood there in humiliation, my voice trembling: “Ethan, treating me like this, are you sure you won’t regret it?” But Ethan ignored me and turned away heartlessly with Lily. From then on, I became the laughingstock of the entire school. Even classmates who were once close to me avoided me like the plague. My heart died completely. I bought a plane ticket to find my parents abroad. Before boarding, I took off the ring and mailed it back to Ethan. The memory ended. I looked at Mark and the other classmates: “If you asked me here today just to tell me this, then I’ll take my leave.” Mark blocked my way directly, his tone urgent: “Chloe, wait. Ethan is coming soon. Let him tell you himself!” I frowned slightly: “I don’t think there’s anything left to say between us!” “Besides, I’m already married!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390732”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On a dating show, I was bullied by all the cast members because I rejected the confession of a rich, entitled playboy. They isolated me and framed me. They forced me into becoming the internet’s punching bag. I argued with the production team, but they doubled down on the malicious editing, telling me to get out of the entertainment industry. I sought help from my agency, but they sued me, demanding an astronomical penalty fee. “Ethan Sterling can have any woman he wants, yet you dare to reject him? Who gave you the audacity?” I was cyberbullied and canceled. Red paint was thrown on me in the streets. They cursed me: “You’re a bitch born of dogs and pigs, a descendant of animals!” In response, I started a livestream to confront all the cast members and trolls. Against a backdrop of a wall full of medals, I questioned them word by word, tears streaming down my face: “My grandfather was a decorated WWII veteran! My grandmother dedicated her life to the Manhattan Project! My father died defending our borders! My mother was a frontline doctor! I am a protector of intangible cultural heritage! I ask you, how much audacity does it take to reject a playboy’s confession? Is the dignity of my country enough?” 1 “Lily Vance is really good at playing hard to get. She looks innocent, but she’s actually quite promiscuous in private.” “You can’t really blame our Ethan for not seeing through her ‘pick-me’ act; her skills are indeed high-level.” “However, she’s playing with fire. She wanted to create a ‘cool beauty’ persona by rejecting Ethan, but it backfired.” “If it weren’t for the show’s surveillance footage, we might have been played by her too.” “Don’t mention her name. Hearing it makes me sick.” The production team of Destined to Love connected with the four other cast members. Two men and two women talked freely in the livestream. They didn’t shy away from malicious discussions about me. It successfully attracted a hundred thousand viewers. In the comments section. Trolls were also sparing no effort to slander and smear me. But I had never done any of the things they accused me of. All along, I was the victim, the one being bullied. Trolls said I deliberately dressed revealingly to seduce the male guests. It was because a female guest cut my dress when I wasn’t looking. I wore that dress on camera without knowing, which led to a major wardrobe malfunction. Trolls said I was a “pick-me girl” who only stirred up trouble between genders. It was also because a female guest failed to frame me and accidentally caused a male guest to suffer in silence. I tried to restore the truth in front of the surveillance cameras, but they stood together to denounce and slander me. Clearly, I was the victim, the most innocent one. In the end, I became the perpetrator in the mouths of the five guests. Trolls said I tried to sleep with the show’s executives for money and fame by any means necessary, which was even more absurd. When I went to the executive’s office, I was dressed cleanly and neatly. I just hoped the production team would be decent and stop tolerating the other guests bullying me. But the production team didn’t take me seriously at all and continued their malicious editing. Using editing tricks, they turned me into a complete slut. I had no choice but to go to my agency, hoping they would clear my name. But what did the agency say? “Ethan Sterling can have any woman he wants, yet you dare to reject him? Who gave you the audacity?” “It’s not too late to regret. Go find Ethan, suck up to him, and make him forgive you.” “Maybe Ethan is willing to let you off, willing to give you a chance to turn things around. You might even become famous because of this!” I recorded everything the agency said to me. And posted it online. Since I couldn’t rely on others, I would rely on myself. I didn’t believe Ethan Sterling could cover the sky with one hand and turn black into white. I stand tall and walk straight; I firmly believe I can wash away the dirty water they threw at me. But as soon as the recording appeared online. Ethan had already bought off all the media, telling the public that the recording was just me staging a show. “You dare to bring out fake stuff! Do you really think you’re a fairy descending to earth, and Ethan can’t live without you?” “With Ethan’s wealth and status, is it necessary for him to engage in such petty tricks to slander you?” “Know your place, get out of the entertainment industry! Disgusting thing.” That night. The topic “Lily Vance Get Out of Entertainment” shot to number one. The door of my rental apartment was blocked by piles of trash. Walking on the street, people spat on me. I was bullied by hooligans in broad daylight. Even if I called the police, even if one hooligan was caught, there were others waiting for me, and more spit waiting for me. “Miss, it’s not that we don’t want to help you, but we have no evidence that the Ethan Sterling you mentioned is directly connected to these people hurting you. We can’t determine if these hooligans were instructed by someone or if they were malicious troublemakers acting on their own.” I was too scared to go out. I cut off all social interactions. But even when picking up a delivery at home, I could get splashed with red paint by strangers. Of course, the delivery bags I ordered couldn’t contain normal food. They were filled with either feces, scary toys, or various insulting texts and pictures. I hid at home, hugging the snow globe my parents gave me, trembling all over, tears flowing uncontrollably. I didn’t understand how the world my parents insisted on protecting had become like this. So cruel, so dark. Running contrary to the “justice” my parents instilled in my mind. “Mom, Dad, Lily is so scared! So sad! Why, why are they bullying me!” “Mom, Dad, Lily misses you so much, really, really misses you.” Despite this. Those people still didn’t intend to let me go. Just now. A group of people led by Ethan pried open my door. 2 After rushing in, they smashed my apartment. They tore my clothes and took a bunch of videos and photos. And threatened that if I didn’t apologize publicly to Ethan Sterling, they would drive me out of New York. My face was stepped on by Ethan. My body trembled uncontrollably. In my ears were extreme threats and warnings. “Lily, I was willing to be a couple with you on the show. Instead of being grateful, you dared to reject me. Am I, Ethan Sterling, a man you can reject?” I resisted with all my might, but I was too weak to move him even a bit. He used a small knife to scratch one side of my face. “Such a beautiful face, scratched like this, I really feel a bit of heartache. Why do you have to be so stubborn? Wouldn’t it be better to be obedient?” He smiled, looking like a demon from hell. “Little Lily, I’ll give you one last chance. Publicly apologize, admit you seduced me, and express your most sincere love to me. Maybe I’ll let you go.” He dropped the bloody knife and squatted down. “Don’t think about calling the police. After all, do you have evidence? Without evidence, no one can make decisions for you!” My face was covered in tears, my eyes full of blood. Beside my hand lay the snow globe Ethan had smashed. This was a gift from my parents for my 12th birthday, and also the last gift I received from them. I treasured it like a gem for nearly ten years. Now, broken, shattered. Only residue remained. He pinched my chin, wild and charming: “The stronger and more unyielding you are, the more it itches my heart. Little Lily, tonight in the livestream, I’ll wait for your confession.” Ethan left arrogantly with his people. I gathered the remains of the snow globe. The shards cut my fingers. Amidst the dripping blood, I seemed to see my dad. Covered in wounds, draped in the Stars and Stripes, walking towards me from the fire. His gaze was incredibly firm, his steps powerful. “A soldier’s will is harder than steel. A soldier’s child should be firmer than a rock, straighter than a pine, braver than fire! Lily, don’t be afraid, Dad is always with you.” Standing closely behind Dad were Mom, Grandpa, and Grandma. “Lily, don’t be afraid, be brave.” My tears flowed freely. Before my eyes were scenes of my parents and grandparents sticking to the front line. How terrifying Ethan was to me. But. Compared to the enemies on the battlefield, the invaders on the border, the radiation in the laboratory, the diseases in the hospital. What did Ethan’s mob count for? “Wow, Ethan is here!” “Ethan, you came just as our stream was about to end. Were you heartbroken by Lily? Forgot the time?” “Ethan, don’t be so pure. Lily isn’t the only woman in the world.” “Yeah, Ethan, wanna check out my sister? She’s just turned 20, pretty and pure, and most importantly, reliable character.” Ethan appeared in the livestream. A string of donations fell from the sky. The livestream, originally watched by a hundred thousand people, surged to a million because of Ethan’s arrival. Ethan in the lens was elegant, looking like a gentle noble, with none of the hostility from just now. He pursed his lips slightly, reserved and lazy: “Actually, Lily called me just now. She said a lot of apologies to me. I actually don’t believe a little girl could be that bad, so I gave her a chance to come to the livestream too and tell everyone her heartfelt words.” The others booed. “Ethan, can you not be so kind.” “There’s a kind of person called incorrigible. Even if she admits to the dirty things she did, it doesn’t mean she’ll get better.” “But, Ethan, if you let her come to the livestream, she might not dare to come.” The comments were full of mockery. [If Lily dares to show up, there’s a ghost!] [If she shows up, I’ll do a handstand and eat shit!] [If she dares to show up, I’ll curse her until she does a handstand and eats shit!] [What kind of thing born of a pig father and dog mother is she, descendant of animal grandparents!] [If I were her, I would have jumped into a river, ocean, or off a building! How could she have the face to appear in the livestream!] 3 But the ones without face weren’t me, it was the group of five sitting in the livestream! The ones who should die weren’t me, it was those keyboard warriors manipulating right and wrong! I wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. I rummaged out the metal box from under the bed. Then. I opened the box. I took out the items inside one by one and hung them on the white wall behind me. When all this was done. I turned on the camera and applied to join the livestream. “Whoa, Lily really came? She applied to join, let her in?” “She’s got guts. If she dares to come, what are we afraid of?” “Let her in, let the babies in the livestream see the pick-me girl’s performance.” Ethan maintained his proper noble act: “Don’t talk about Lily like that, she might have difficulties…” “Ethan, we know. When she comes, we’ll talk to her nicely too, won’t target her.” “Ethan, rest assured, we will definitely let her say everything she wants to say.” “But Ethan, don’t be deceived by her acting again.” Ethan gave a bitter smile. That hurt expression made the fans in the livestream heartache endlessly. [Ethan, don’t be sad, you deserve a better girl.] [Ethan, starry eyes, so handsome, rich and considerate, Lily is blind.] [Ethan is the handsomest, Ethan I love you.] With my arrival. The livestream, originally watched by a million people, doubled in number. The screen was full of homophonic insults directed at me. “Lily, things have fermented until now, we don’t seem to have heard a word of apology from you to the public!” “Now you should show your attitude. If you refuse to admit your mistakes like before, your future path will be difficult!” I adjusted the phone camera. The screen immediately showed my wretched face. Tear stains and bloodstains crisscrossed. [She’s putting on that expression again, as if she’s been so wronged!] [Disgusting, she probably thinks all men can be manipulated by a few tears like Ethan.] [So good at acting, why go on a dating show, go act in movies!] I sniffled and looked straight at the camera. “I’m very sorry for occupying a lot of public resources because of my affairs.” As soon as I finished speaking. The guests in the livestream made very disdainful mocking sounds. “Lily, an apology needs sincerity. You think these two understated sentences count as an apology?” “Otherwise? How should I apologize?” I asked back. “Don’t even know how to apologize? Shouldn’t you specifically talk about the harm you caused to the five of us!” I shook my head: “I never caused you harm, instead you have been hurting me! Except for apologizing to the uninformed audience, I haven’t wronged anyone, not just you five, but also the keyboard warriors indiscriminately in the comments! You should apologize to me!” The four guests in the livestream exploded. “Damn, Lily, you’re really something!” “Really planning to stick to being right, huh?” “I really shouldn’t have let you into the livestream. Alright, kick you out now!” “Wait.” Ethan suddenly spoke, his gentle eyes immediately becoming sharp, “Lily, I advise you to think clearly. Miss this opportunity, and you may never have a chance to turn things around. Think about your parents, your family. You definitely don’t want them to be stigmatized because of you…” I couldn’t help pulling up the corners of my mouth and laughing out loud. Ethan is really fake. Acting like this in public, but devoid of conscience in private. He forced me to apologize, forced me to confess to him, wasn’t it just to better control me and play with me in the future! But, Ethan, you calculated wrong! A hero’s child will never easily kneel to evil forces! [Why is she laughing? How does she still have the face to laugh!] [Ethan is still too kind!] [Block her, let her and her family be pointed at by thousands when walking on the street! Pick-me bitch!] I laughed and laughed, and tears came out. “Ethan is right, I should cherish this opportunity, at least say everything I want to say!” Then. I stood up. I pointed the camera at the white wall behind me! On the wall, a whole wall of medals! Golden, shining. Different sizes, different shapes. Some engraved with unique patterns, some inlaid with brilliant gems. Each one tells a thrilling story behind it. 4 [What are these?] [Medals? Oh my god, so many medals!] [Mother of god, what did I see? The Medal of Honor! That’s the highest military honor!] [Impossible! How can Lily have so many medals? Must be fake!] [You said only veterans have these, how old is she, how could she have them!] “Yes, these things don’t belong to me, but are things left by my parents and grandparents!” “You said my family would be pointed at by thousands. I want to ask, why would heroes of the people be pointed at by thousands!” “You said I’m a thing born of a pig father and dog mother, a descendant of animal grandparents. I want to know, why should heroes of the people suffer such insults from you!” I spoke word by word, tears streaming down my face. The other people in the livestream were all stunned. Even the comments went blank for a moment. Ethan frowned tightly, his handsome face dark as if dyed by the bottom of a pot. “Lily, what tricks are you playing again?” Then, those trolls started attacking me unscrupulously again. [Must be a performance, must be fake!] [So many medals, how could they appear at the same time! And different categories!] [Lily lies without drafting, cows are flying in the sky!] They still didn’t believe it. Keyboard warriors attempted to cover up the voices speaking for me with short texts. “You can choose not to believe, but this is the fact! My grandfather, a lifetime in the military. This is the Silver Star he received for spotting an enemy squad first. This is the Distinguished Service Cross he received for capturing a platoon. This is the Medal of Honor he was awarded for taking out an enemy commander single-handedly!” I touched the yellowed medals, responding word by word, sonorously. My hands touched the next medal. The Presidential Medal of Freedom! “My grandmother participated in nuclear research, sealed in a secret base for ten years, calculated countless drafts, and suffered radiation leakage to cover her companions during experiments, leading to the later success!” “My father, a border defense soldier, thirty years like one day, braving wind and dew, determined to guard the defense line, fighting to the death with invaders! Awarded the highest military honor in peace time! The Medal of Honor!” “My mother, a great doctor, risked her life to fight against diseases and saved countless lives!” “I am not a great person. I couldn’t fight invaders like my grandfather and father, nor could I dedicate myself to science and medicine for the people like my grandmother and mother. But I always remember the spirit of dedication they taught me, so I became a protector of intangible cultural heritage. Going on the show was only to promote intangible cultural heritage! This is the Heritage Medal awarded to me by the organization!” “And these are my whole family’s party badges!” My voice was hoarse, tears streaming. I shouted with all my might to everyone in the livestream: “My grandfather was a WWII veteran! My grandmother dedicated herself to nuclear research! My father was a martyr defending the border! My mother was a frontline doctor! I am a heritage protector! My whole family served this country! What right do you have to bully me without distinguishing right from wrong!” “The production team asked me, who gave me the face to reject Ethan Sterling’s confession! Let me ask, how much face does it take to reject a playboy’s confession? Is the face of the Party and the country big enough!” “An hour ago, Ethan Sterling brought people to my house, smashed everything I had, stepped on my face, forced me to apologize, forced me to confess to him! This is the noble young master you talk about! In this world, can one do whatever they want just because they have money! Can they easily trample me to death just because they have power!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390731”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I’m different from most people. I have three sets of parents. My biological parents abandoned me because I was a girl. My adoptive parents abandoned me because I wasn’t their own flesh and blood. They all threw me away like trash. Only Mom and Dad—the ones who chose me—loved me unconditionally. Years later, when I made a name for myself, those first two couples came knocking on my door, eagerly calling me their “darling daughter.” I just smiled. “Who are you?” 1 That winter, the first snow fell on the small town of Oak Creek. My adoptive mother, Mrs. Turner, went to the creek behind the house to wash some rags and saw a bundle floating downstream. In that narrow creek, whenever the water rose, unwanted things would float by. The bundle looked thick, made of expensive fabric and cotton. She hooked it with a stick, thinking she’d bury whatever was inside but keep the cloth and cotton. Muttering a prayer, she dug a shallow pit in the frozen ground. Just as the dirt was about to cover me, I kicked my tiny legs and let out a weak cry. She was startled and quickly picked me up, wrapping me tighter. She and Mr. Turner had been married for five years without children. They wanted a boy to carry on the family name, but back then, adoption was expensive. She put me in a laundry basket, took me home, and fed me a bowl of warm oatmeal. After I finished, I grinned at her. Under the dim light, Mr. Turner smoked his cigarette and stared at me for a long time, finally sighing, “Forget it, maybe this is fate.” “Let’s call her Lana.” A plain name, easy to keep alive. Mr. Turner was a big, silent man; Mrs. Turner was petite but had a fiery temper. He took me around to neighbors, begging for formula or milk. The town elders said I grew up on the “charity of a hundred families,” destined for a tough but lucky life. In the summer, when they worked in the cornfields, they put me in a basket under the shade of an old oak tree. When the ice cream truck drove by, Mr. Turner would buy two popsicles. One for me, one for Mrs. Turner. She would scold him for wasting money, then break off a big chunk of mine to give to him, claiming I ate too slow and it would melt. I thought every day would be like this forever. But when I was four, Mrs. Turner got pregnant. 2 As her belly grew, the neighbors would tease me: “When your mom has a baby boy, they won’t want you anymore.” “You’re just a girl, and you were picked out of a river!” I didn’t believe them. I ran home, wanting my parents to tell me I was their child, their darling forever. Crossing the porch, I tripped and fell flat on my face. Sadness and fear made me wail loudly. I cried for a long time, but no one came. I wiped my tears and heard laughter inside the house. I sobbed and walked in. Mrs. Turner was leaning tiredly on the bed, looking at the baby beside her with a gentle love I had never seen directed at me. She gave birth to a son. Wrapped around my brother was the same blanket I had arrived in. The question stuck in my throat. I didn’t dare ask. I swallowed it down. Mrs. Turner couldn’t touch cold water while recovering, and Mr. Turner didn’t do “women’s work.” The job fell to me. It was winter. I hugged a laundry basket almost as tall as me, filled with the whole family’s clothes. I had to wash them in the unheated garage. The water in the tub was freezing. Winter clothes were thick and heavy when wet. After washing, my shirt was soaked with sweat, but my hands were freezing red and swollen, like ten raw carrots. I tried my best, but Mrs. Turner scolded me with a frown: “I feed you and clothe you, and you can’t even get a stain out?” No more eggs for breakfast. Mr. Turner stopped buying me candy. I was moved from my small bed in their room to a cot in the drafty utility room. The wind howled through the cracks, carrying the sound of my brother crying and my parents gently soothing him. I fell asleep crying. When I woke up, my pillow was ice cold. Some questions didn’t need to be asked anymore. Growing up happens overnight sometimes. I didn’t dare be naughty anymore. Feeding the chickens, washing clothes, cooking—I was the most obedient child in Oak Creek. But even so, Mrs. Turner found countless reasons to blame me. My brother caught a cold? My fault. Mr. Turner slipped on ice? My fault. The crops had a bad harvest? Still my fault. Hungry and cold, I lived walking on eggshells. That December, a social worker and the school principal knocked on the door. I was six. They came to persuade the Turners to send me to school. This was the third time. They had refused before, saying I was too young. This time, the social worker threatened them, saying truancy was illegal and they could be fined or even investigated for neglect. 3 That night, the Turners argued. The thin walls couldn’t block Mrs. Turner’s sharp voice: “School supplies cost money! Wouldn’t it be better to save that for the baby?” “The state said it’s illegal not to send her.” Her voice lowered to a whisper: “What if we just… lost her?” The next morning, I opened my eyes to find Mr. Turner sitting by my cot. He stared at me for a long time and said heavily: “Get up. Haven’t you always been curious about the big city?” “Today, Dad will take you to Seattle.” I had only seen the Space Needle on TV. However, the city wasn’t full of wonder like I imagined. The weather was gray, and the wind off the Puget Sound cut like a knife. Ignoring my refusal, Mr. Turner bought me five packs of candy and some snacks at a convenience store. There was a stone bench outside a busy market. He pressed me down on it. “I’m going to buy something. Wait here. When you finish eating these, I’ll be back.” Not far away, a homeless man was holding a sign: “Puppies for Sale.” In the bustling crowd, I locked eyes with a black puppy lying on the cold pavement. Its eyes were wet, like it was crying. Mr. Turner turned to leave. I grabbed his sleeve, begging in a low voice: “Dad, I’ll be good. I’ll take care of you when you’re old. Don’t forget to come back for me.” He turned back, touched my face with a trembling hand. His eyes were red. Then he brushed off my hand and disappeared into the crowd. I waited until dusk. No one bought the puppy either. The man dragged it away, cursing and kicking it. But the black dog kept wagging its tail, following happily. Before leaving, it panted at me, tongue out. Look, even a dog was happier than me. I stood in the cold wind all day without eating. When the last sunlight faded and the city lights blurred into a haze, I blacked out. 4 I thought I would freeze to death in that biting winter. But I woke up in a warm bed. Mrs. Miller, the owner of the convenience store where I was left, had taken me in. She had a loud, enthusiastic voice. She made me a bowl of hot soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. “Eat it while it’s hot, honey!” I ate silently. She combed my hair briskly and promised to take me to the police station in the morning. I looked at the nightstand. The unopened candy lay there. I whispered: “I have no home. They don’t want me anymore.” Soon, Mr. Miller, who had been closing the shop, came upstairs. I closed my eyes, pretending to sleep. Mrs. Miller pulled him to the bed and whispered: “Ben, look at her. Doesn’t she look like Lily?” Mr. Miller rubbed his hands, silent for a long time before saying: “We take her to the police station tomorrow, Sarah.” Early the next morning, Mr. Miller drove me to the precinct. The police contacted the Turners. I waited on a cold metal bench for a whole day, but no one came. Near closing time, Mrs. Miller was pacing outside the glass doors. I looked at her, smiled gently, and lowered my head. Ten minutes later, she pushed the door open and grabbed my hand: “Come on, let’s go home for now.” Mr. Miller was watching the store. He looked at us and frowned: “Why did you bring her back?” Mrs. Miller wasn’t afraid. She patted my head: “We aren’t short of a bite of food.” I stayed at the Miller’s convenience store. As Christmas approached, business was busy. I tried my best to help, stocking shelves and sweeping. There were many snacks in the store. Mrs. Miller let me take whatever I wanted. But I didn’t touch a thing. At night, Mrs. Miller hugged me to sleep, warming my cold feet. When they were too busy to cook, she made me mac and cheese. She always gave me the fresh boxes. If I tried to eat the ones nearing expiration, she would snatch them away. Unlike Mrs. Miller’s warmth, Mr. Miller rarely smiled. I was scared of him. On Christmas Eve, after the last delivery truck left, he called me. “Hey, kid. Wait.” I shivered, looking at him timidly. He pulled a pair of pink mittens out of his pocket: “Here.” I refused in panic, but he stuffed them into my arms forcefully. Mrs. Miller unwrapped them and put them on me: “Wear them. Your hands are always red from the cold.” The warmth made my skin tingle. My heart felt like it was soaking in a hot bath, sour and full. Two days later, their son came back from boarding school. Kyle. He was fifteen. When he arrived, it was already dark. I tried my best to smile at him, but he just looked at me coldly: “Mom, Dad, Lily is dead. You can’t just replace her with some stray kid.” He was angry, arguing with them behind closed doors. I sat on the stairs. His voice hammered into my ears. “Raising a child isn’t like raising a pet! You’re getting older, your health isn’t great. Is she going to be my responsibility later?” “You adopt her without asking me if I want a sister?” “Send her away tomorrow!” … “Where? CPS, an orphanage, back to the boonies, anywhere but here.” 5 Sure enough, the love I received wouldn’t last. The argument continued. The Millers were good people; I shouldn’t make things difficult for them. I took off the pink mittens, placed them neatly on the table, put the candy in my pocket, and went out into the snow. The streets were wide and empty. Christmas lights twinkled in every window. The world was so big, yet there was no place for me. I walked aimlessly until I reached the bridge over the river. The dark water surged below, waving at me. Six years ago, my adoptive mother fished me out of a river. Maybe the water was where I truly belonged. I climbed the railing and opened my arms. In this moment, I felt like a bird. Fly. I leaned forward. Just then, strong arms grabbed me tightly, dragging me from the railing to the hard pavement. Kyle’s angry voice exploded in my ear: “Are you crazy? What are you doing?” “If you die, what happens to my parents? What happens to me?” I felt helpless. Even my death would cause trouble for others. “I didn’t mean to.” I stood up slowly, enduring the pain. “Excuse me, which way is the orphanage?” Kyle panted heavily, staring at me. After a long time, his shoulders slumped, his voice hoarse: “Don’t get too close to the river. Lily… she drowned.” He grabbed my wrist and dragged me forward. “This isn’t the way to the orphanage…” I whispered. “You’re too old. The orphanage is full.” Near home, we passed a bakery. Through the window, a girl in a party dress blew out candles on a cake, surrounded by family. She looked so happy. I slowed down involuntarily. Kyle looked back. “Haven’t you ever had birthday cake?” I shook my head. “When is your birthday?” “I don’t know. I was found. My mom said the day she found me, the first snow of winter fell.” Country kids were content with being fed. Cake was a fantasy. God must have pitied me. As soon as I spoke, large snowflakes began to drift from the sky. Kyle reached out, catching a flake: “It’s snowing.” 6 “This is the first snow of the year. From now on, the first snow of every year is your birthday.” He pulled a handful of Hershey’s Kisses from his pocket and handed them to me: “Happy Birthday, Luna!” After we got home, Mrs. Miller returned, covered in snow. She scolded me while hugging me and crying loudly. Kyle ran out and came back a moment later with a giant cupcake. “Too late to order a real cake. Make do with this.” Mrs. Miller cooked me a steak dinner. Mr. Miller clapped clumsily, humming “Happy Birthday.” I blew out the candle. The room plunged into darkness. But I was no longer afraid. Because a light had been lit in my heart. Mrs. Miller bought me new clothes. After dinner, they gave me an allowance. I had never owned money before. Kyle gave me a gift: a piggy bank. It rattled. He said coolly: “I put five bucks in there for you.” After the holidays, Mrs. Miller enrolled me in school. She held my hand, helping me fill out the forms. Name: Luna Miller. Every time Kyle called from school, he would chat with me. When he came home, he always brought gifts. Happy days passed quickly. It was time for Kyle’s SATs. I had a nightmare that he failed. I begged Mrs. Miller to go to the city to cheer for him. She agreed. We stayed in a motel near the testing center, cooking nutritious meals on a hot plate so he wouldn’t have to eat cafeteria food. It turned out that a roommate of his got food poisoning from street food the night before the exam. Kyle didn’t eat it because he was full from Mrs. Miller’s cooking. While others were sick during the test, Kyle was fine. Later, he got into Stanford. My brain wasn’t as sharp as his. But Kyle insisted I participate in art competitions. I won first prize in the state, and my painting was shown on TV. This award got me a scholarship to a prestigious private middle school in the city. Mrs. Miller was overjoyed. She threw a block party for the neighborhood. “Luna got into the best school! She’s our lucky star!” At dusk, everyone was eating and laughing. Mr. Miller handed me a plate of ribs. “Sit and eat.” I sat on a stool, listening to the neighbors chat. “Business is getting worse every year,” a neighbor sighed. The laughter faded. The city was building a new mall and bypass, diverting traffic away from our street. Many shops were closing. Someone offered to buy Mr. Miller’s store for a low price. They asked my opinion. I was just a kid. But I didn’t want to leave. Mrs. Miller sighed: “Let’s think about it.” Before they could decide, a luxury car pulled up. 7 The Parkers. My biological parents. I used to fantasize about them coming to save me. Now, here they were. Driving a Mercedes, wearing designer clothes, carrying art supplies. They hugged me and cried. “Elara, we finally found you.” They showed me a photo of a girl, my sister Chloe, who looked just like me. They saw my art award on TV and tracked me down. Years ago, my grandmother had taken me away because they wanted a boy, and abandoned me. My bio-mom cried about her regret. But they had another daughter a year later. “Come back with us to Chicago. We’ll make it up to you.” I was silent. “Did you look for me before?” Bio-mom froze. “We… asked around.” “If I go back, won’t it affect your reputation?” “We own our own company now. No one controls us.” They stayed at a hotel. Kyle flew back from Stanford overnight. When he arrived, Mrs. Miller was crying, trying to persuade me. “Business is bad here. They can give you a better life… You’re born to be a princess.” My heart shrank. Was I a burden? Kyle walked in. “Mom, have you asked her what she wants?” He squatted down, looking into my eyes. “Luna, you will always be my sister. Just tell me your truth.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390728”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When my aunt kicked me out of the house, the Sterling family’s heir took me in. He brought me into his mansion and became my deskmate at school. He was notoriously difficult, the most unmanageable student on campus. I walked on eggshells around him, terrified of provoking him. Mrs. Sterling, who had always dreamed of having a daughter, held my hand happily and said, “Sweetie, how about I become your godmother? Caleb happens to need a sister.” Beside us, the heir’s handsome face darkened. He smashed a bowl on the floor and laughed in anger: “Who said I wanted her as a sister?” 1 When my brother knelt on the ground begging my aunt not to kick us out, I was happily holding a bag of steamed buns, planning to bring them home for him. School was far from home, but I didn’t take the bus because the money I saved could buy four big meat buns for my brother. The buns were still steaming hot, but as soon as I turned the corner, I heard my brother’s pleading. “I’ll go, but… sister is good, please, please don’t kick her out.” He was kneeling at the gate, luggage scattered at his feet. My brother’s clouded eyes were full of anxiety. He rubbed his hands helplessly and kowtowed. “Auntie, sister needs to study, needs to go to college. I’ll leave, don’t kick sister out.” He then crawled over to grab the man’s pant leg, begging, “Uncle, I won’t contact sister, please don’t kick her out.” Neighbors poked their heads out to watch the commotion. The man felt embarrassed, a flash of disgust in his eyes, but he still put on a façade of kindness. “Uncle has no choice. We’ve done our best raising you for so long. We’re just relatives. We don’t ask for gratitude, but you can’t just leech off us forever. We have our own son to raise.” My brother stubbornly held onto the man’s pant leg. A boy kicked my brother hard and said impatiently, “Dad, why talk so much to a retard? Does he understand? He’s so dirty.” My brother was kicked to the ground but didn’t dare say it hurt. He scrambled up and smiled ingratiatingly. “I can do a lot of work. Sister goes to school, I go wash dishes at restaurants, make money.” 2 My brother was born intellectually disabled, but he never forgot to love me. When he was eight, he gave all the candy in his pocket to five-year-old me. When he was thirteen, afraid that his scavenging would embarrass me, he held back tears on the street and refused to admit he knew me. When he was sixteen, for a few cookies, he listened to my aunt’s son, crawled on the ground barking like a dog, and let them beat and scold him. In the end, with a bruised face, he held the cookies out to me like a treasure. That day, my eyes turned red with anger. I threw the cookies on the ground. “Who asked you to beg them for cookies?” Usually meek, I fought with my cousin for the first time. My aunt rushed over and pushed me far away. She hugged my cousin distressedly. Without listening to any explanation, she started scolding me, “Harper, this is your cousin! Why don’t you know how to yield? How can you be so heavy-handed at such a young age?” I clenched my fists tight. “He brought people to bully my brother first.” My aunt looked at my brother without any apology on her face. “Ava, your brother is an idiot. What does he understand? He’s trouble to begin with, so you should be more sensible. What’s wrong with letting your cousin win?” I didn’t speak, but the light in my eyes dimmed significantly. They all thought my brother was stupid, so they could bully him wantonly, but my brother felt pain too. But my brother and I were unwanted children. No one cared if we hurt. 3 My mom got cancer when I was five. The day she left, my dad sat at the hospital entrance all night, cigarette butts scattered on the ground. At dawn, he took us home. He never mentioned Mom’s name again, but the extremely suppressed sobs always came from his room late at night. Back then, Dad said his biggest wish in life was to raise us healthy. Although we were poor, the love my brother and I received was no less than anyone else’s. But when I was ten, Dad went to prison. My aunt was abused by her husband for a long time. Our grandparents passed away early, and as her brother, Dad couldn’t stand seeing his sister bullied. He stood in front of her with a wooden stick. But that day was too chaotic. The abuser was beaten into the hospital by Dad and ended up in a vegetative state, never waking up. To fight for custody of my cousin, my aunt gave up the forgiveness letter from the abuser’s parents, and my dad was sentenced to 15 years. The day Dad went to prison, my aunt hugged me and cried, “Ava, I’m sorry, it’s my fault. I harmed your dad. But Auntie is a mother. Your cousin is still too young; he can’t live without me. A child without a mother will definitely be bullied.” She said she was apologetic to us, but she turned around and remarried with my cousin, moving into our house under the guise of taking care of my brother and me. She pulled my brother and me aside and repeatedly instructed, “Your uncle is a good man. He’s willing to live with you two, so you must be sensible and obedient. Remember your uncle’s kindness and be filial to him when you grow up.” Our luggage was moved into a small, dilapidated utility room, while the master bedroom was taken by my aunt as their new room, and my cousin lived in the second bedroom. Although my brother didn’t understand anything, at the door of the utility room, he held my hand tightly and spoke slowly, “Ava don’t be scared, brother protects you.” My cousin never hid his hostility towards my brother and me. He thought we killed his father. So he often took pleasure in bullying us. He didn’t let us eat at the table, saying my brother was an idiot and sitting with us would make him stupid too. Afraid my cousin would cry, my aunt quickly held a bowl and coaxed him, “Okay, okay, we won’t eat with them. Mom will tell them to eat after you finish. You are still growing, don’t starve yourself, Mom’s heart aches.” So, their family sat happily together, using our bowls and chopsticks. My brother was very good. His clouded eyes could understand everyone’s disgust towards him. For me, he compromised countless times. He put all the little food left into my bowl and rubbed his stomach. “Ava eat, brother is so full, can’t eat anymore.” Chronically malnourished, he was skin and bones, not convincing at all. 4 My brother and I didn’t fight or snatch, hoping to find a place in this house that wasn’t a home, because we had nowhere else to go. I did all the housework, and my brother was forced by them to do odd jobs, but now they weren’t even willing to let us live in the utility room. I clenched my hands tight and quickened my pace. “Brother!” I ran over to help my brother up. My brother hung his head and refused to look at me, like he had done something wrong. I looked straight at the scattered luggage. “Is Auntie trying to kick us out?” Embarrassment flashed across my aunt’s face. “Ava, what are you saying? How would Auntie kick you out? Auntie just thought your brother is 20 years old, and it’s really unreasonable for us to keep supporting him.” My brother nodded quickly. “I go, I can go, sister stays.” My brother could hardly take care of himself. If he left, how could he survive? But now he only thought about letting me stay. Sourness rose in my heart. I patted the dust off my brother’s hands. “Brother, you are not allowed to leave me.” Hearing this, my aunt frowned tight. “Ava, do you still want me to support your brother? You know how hard it is for our family. You can’t be so selfish. Auntie always knew you were sensible.” I looked up at her, eyes red. “Sensible? I’m tired of pretending.” More and more people were watching. I straightened my back. “Auntie seems to have forgotten that my dad bought this house. We have lived here since we were young. The ones who should leave were never us.” Stung by my gaze, my aunt, who knew I was always soft-tempered, was shocked by my words. Her chest heaved with anger, looking like she wanted to eat someone. “Harper Vance! I am your aunt! What do you mean by saying such things? We raised you for so many years, shouldn’t this house be ours? People need to know gratitude!” My cousin fanned the flames on the side. “Mom, I told you, they aren’t good things. Look, Harper Vance can’t pretend anymore, she’s an ingrate. Should have kicked them out long ago.” My aunt was furious. She picked up a wooden stick from the corner, her voice piercing. “Seems I spoiled you too much usually. You still want the house? Auntie will teach you a lesson on behalf of your dad today.” My brother blocked in front of me. The wrist-thick stick fell, and the skin on my brother’s back split open instantly. I quickly supported him, tears streaming down my face. I was so useless. At such a critical moment, my tears couldn’t stop flowing. I couldn’t cry. Crying would lose momentum. I finally toughened up once. But the stick was about to fall again. I closed my eyes waiting for the pain. But this time, the stick didn’t fall on me for a long time. I looked up. A large hand with distinct joints appeared above my head, firmly catching the falling stick. A deep, pleasant male voice sounded, but with a hint of coldness. “Harper Vance, who allowed you to be bullied like this?” 5 Luxury cars drove into the alley one by one. More than a dozen tall bodyguards poured into the yard and surrounded my brother and me. The sun was setting. The tall boy blocked the sunlight above my head, his posture lazy and cool. I froze slightly and called him softly, “Caleb Sterling.” He looked at me lazily, his eyes darkening for a moment, lips curling up. “Not bad, you remember my name.” He was famously difficult. How could I not remember? Caleb Sterling, the only heir to the Sterling family, the most unmanageable figure in school. Also, my new deskmate. Before today, becoming deskmates with Caleb Sterling was something I didn’t even dare to imagine. Caleb stood on the podium with his hands in his pockets, wearing the ordinary school uniform in a wild and rebellious way. Caleb, who had always been idle, suddenly changed his nature and wanted to study. The Sterling parents were so excited they donated three buildings to the school. The teacher wiped the sweat from his forehead, screaming internally. Who dares to manage this young master transferring to our class? But on his face was a kind smile. “Student Sterling, where would you like to sit?” Caleb lifted his chin, his gaze landing on the corner of the classroom, and said casually, “I can choose anywhere?” The teacher wiped his sweat again. This was the school’s God of Wealth; no one dared to offend him. “Of course, of course. Wherever Student Sterling is happy.” Caleb nodded, shouldering his bag and walking off the podium with satisfaction. His tall figure stopped at my desk. I, who was buried in questions, paused my pen. No way, did he fancy the seat next to me? Looking up stiffly, my gaze fell on that handsome face. High nose bridge, dark eyes. Indeed very fierce. After meeting his eyes, I quickly looked away. The pen in my hand was almost snapped by me. But Caleb looked straight at me, his gaze falling on the deformed pen in my hand. He smirked. “Classmate, mind if I sit next to you?” Snap. The pen broke. I mind! I mind so much! But he looked so fierce, I didn’t dare say it. I stiffly pulled out the chair next to me, smiling forcedly. “Don’t mind, please sit.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390727”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In the sixth year of secretly loving my childhood friend, he fell for my roommate. I acted as his wingman, listening to him pour out his love for her. All I got in return was his casual remark: “Chloe, please don’t ever fall in love with me.” At a party, he publicly confessed his feelings. My roommate’s gaze swept over me with a hint of a smile: “I don’t date guys who are entangled with other girls.” Eyes from all around pricked me like needles. Ethan anxiously tried to explain: “Chloe and I are just…” I raised my hand, smiling as I showed off my promise ring. “I’ve had a boyfriend for a long time.” 1 Vanessa went clubbing with someone else tonight. I scrolled through the fresh Instagram story she posted three minutes ago. Under the dim, ambiguous lights, she was sandwiched between a group of young, beautiful people. Still strikingly beautiful. Ethan sat on a bench by the campus lake. Looking as depressed as a puppy with drooping ears. “…I asked her out, but she said no…” “Then I saw her post this story tonight…” It was a bit chilly by the artificial lake at night. Couples walked past in twos and threes. I gave Ethan an annoyed look. “So? Is this why you dragged me out of the library?” Ethan looked up. He was born with good looks—almond eyes, thin lips, naturally looking like a flirt, yet stubbornly devoted. For twenty years, he only ever stumbled over Vanessa. The corners of his eyes were slightly red as he pounced on me for a hug: “Chloe, Chloe…” “I know you’re the best to me… We’ve known each other for over ten years… You’ll help me, right?” I stiffened all over. Ethan didn’t notice, nuzzling like a big dog: “Please… Chloe.” “…” I pushed him away with one hand. “Stop getting so touchy-feely.” “Eh…” Ethan blinked, his almond eyes looking innocent: “We’re friends.” “Friends forever.” 2 Friends, my foot. I had ulterior motives. Even rabbits don’t eat the grass around their burrows. But I just had to fall for my childhood friend. Ethan and I have known each other since we were kids. Inseparable, childhood sweethearts. He clung to me, and I clung to him. As we grew up, the boy gradually stretched out and matured. Becoming more and more handsome, tall, and long-legged. Many girls in school chased him. Ethan had a flirtatious look, appearing like someone with a harem of girlfriends. In reality, except for me, he hadn’t even held hands with another girl. Every time someone confessed to him, he would reject them with a smile. Call him innocent. Yet occasionally, this guy would say some incredible romantic lines. For example, when I asked him why he didn’t accept girls’ confessions. Ethan took a sip of his milk, resting his hand directly on my shoulder. The refreshing scent of his body wash mixed with the sweet smell of strawberry milk lingered around my nose. He grinned and said: “They’re not as good as you, Chloe.” “If I have to like someone, I’ll just like you.” I only remember my ears turning red then. Pretending to be calm, I told him to shut up. Actually, my heart was like shaken soda. Bubbling with joy, ready to explode in that instant. —I thought time was on my side. Long enough for me to stay by his side until he realized his feelings. But I didn’t expect. He would fall in love at first sight with my roommate, Vanessa. 3 “Got it,” I said. “I’ll help you.” Ethan’s eyes immediately curved into crescents: “You’re the best, Chloe.” I pushed him away: “It’s getting late, I’m going back to the dorm.” “Okay!” Ethan obediently let go: “Get home safe.” He didn’t walk me back. The campus at night was much quieter than during the day. I walked slowly along the path, but was suddenly pulled into a corner. The cool, woody scent of the person invaded my senses, wrapping me in his jacket, his higher body temperature leaning over me in an instant. “Seeing my girlfriend hugging her roommate by the lake late at night.” “Chloe, do you think I should post this on the campus confession wall?” Liam’s voice was lazy, his warm breath brushing the top of my head. “Go ahead,” I buried my face in his chest. Liam chuckled lightly, planting a kiss on my forehead: “Can’t bear to.” “So even if you cheat on me, I’ll accept it.” “Crazy,” I pinched his waist. 4 Dating Liam was purely accidental. He was always a campus celebrity, and I had only met him a few times. Liam’s looks were on par with Ethan’s. But this guy felt too frivolous. Like a fox. His eyes seemed affectionate yet heartless. But somehow, even his heartlessness was charming. Acting as Ethan’s wingman, I organized a group outing with Vanessa. Young men and women, drinking and playing games, the atmosphere heated up quickly. I drank a few glasses and went to the restroom to sober up. When I came back, the private room was empty. My stomach felt terrible. Squatting at the bar entrance, I called Ethan. Called seven or eight times, he didn’t pick up. I messaged Vanessa. She replied quickly with a voice message: “Drank too much, craved BBQ from the south side, Ethan took me there.” “Sorry, forgot to tell you.” Her tone was casual, and in the background, I could hear Ethan’s happy voice: “Vanessa, I lined up and got…” I was so angry I almost threw my phone. Looking up, I saw Liam leaning against the door watching me. Tall and long-legged, looking down at me with smiling fox eyes. “I…” “You’re really pretty.” Liam’s eyes curved: “Want to date?” “…” I thought I must be drunk, otherwise I would have definitely gotten up to punch him. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe sadness, or maybe Liam was just too good-looking. “I have someone I like.” “Doesn’t matter.” The young man’s tone was smiling, his eyes captivating: “I don’t mind.” “…Fine then.” I thought at the time. Let’s just have some fun. 5 Then we “played” for three months. Existing in a weird but stable way. Kissing and hugging like a boyfriend and girlfriend, but neither seemed sincere. Liam liked my looks. I had someone else in my heart. The kind of situation where if posted on the confession wall, we’d be cursed as scumbags for two hundred comments. I admit I was cheap. The only thing in this world that can turn a person into a cheapskate, doing thankless tasks, is feelings. But if it were easy to let go. It wouldn’t be called feelings. Liam walked me to the dorm building. I was wearing his jacket and tried to take it off to return it. He held my shoulders, smiling: “Give it back later, the stairwell is cold too.” I didn’t refuse. Liam kissed my cheek: “Free tomorrow?” I shook my head: “Tomorrow I’m being Ethan’s wingman.” The curve of Liam’s lips deepened, his fingers pinching my cheek: “…Really not afraid I’ll get jealous.” He leaned down, using his height to impose a bit of pressure. Yet bit my cheek like a puppy: “Day after tomorrow, you’re mine.” “…Deal.” Sometimes I felt Liam and I were freaks. Clearly not in love. Yet truly no different from loving couples. Because we didn’t love. So we didn’t fight. Instead, we were more stable. 6 Vanessa hurried back just before lights out. Glancing at the clothes hanging by my bed, she smiled ambiguously: “Went on a date?” “Yeah.” I put my phone face down. On the screen was a pitiful emoji from Ethan. “With Ethan?” “No, with my boyfriend.” Vanessa scoffed lightly, clearly not believing it. “Free tomorrow?” I spoke up: “Ethan said he found a lounge bar, very beautiful, goes well with that dress you bought.” Vanessa put her bag on her desk, looked at me, eyes holding a bit of mockery and condescending pity: “You’re pathetic, Chloe.” I suppressed the irritation in my heart. “…Acting as a wingman for the guy you like, enduring my sarcasm.” “Even making up a boyfriend… Say, does Ethan know?” Vanessa’s eyes curved into crescents. Carrying a natural malice. But even so, she was damn beautiful. “Or maybe…” “Is this a tactic to get his attention?” “…Vanessa,” my tone was a bit cold. Vanessa smiled: “Just kidding, why the rush.” “I’ll go.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390726”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When we were most in love, Ethan Cole told his boys that if his bride wasn’t me, they shouldn’t attend his wedding. Later, Ethan got married, and the bride wasn’t me. True to their word, his friends were nowhere to be found. After the ceremony, Ethan confronted them. But the one who always seemed to dislike me punched him in the face, eyes red with rage. “Ethan, people who betray true love deserve to die.” “So why did Sarah West have to die instead?” 1 On the day I died, Ethan Cole announced his wedding date with Lily Parker. Except for Ethan’s three best friends, everyone else sent their blessings. The ballroom was packed, romantic red roses paving the way from the entrance to the stage. It was even more extravagant than our engagement party. Lily held Ethan’s arm, looking a bit aggrieved. “Ethan, where are your friends?” “Do they not like me? They didn’t even come on such an important day.” Ethan glanced at his watch and dialed their numbers one by one. None connected, but plenty of spam calls came through. Frowning, Ethan blocked the spam numbers. Lily’s face fell. Ever since she appeared by Ethan’s side, his three best friends had been lukewarm towards her. She thought they would show up for an occasion like this. After all, they had been brothers for over a decade. I followed behind Ethan, scrutinizing Lily. How stupid was I not to notice the signs from the moment she appeared? Lily bit her lip, clutching her phone behind her back. The screen showed her chat with me. [Sarah, so what if it’s been ten years?] [My wedding with Ethan is in seven days. Come if you dare.] I lowered my eyes, my soul passing through her body. I really wanted to reply: I dare to come, but do you dare to see me? But I was dead. 2 The banquet ended. Surprisingly, Ethan didn’t take Lily home but drove her to her apartment. In the car, Lily grabbed Ethan’s collar, offering her lips. “Lily, I’ve been drinking.” “Be good, you don’t like the smell of alcohol.” Ethan pushed her away, showing no intention of going up with her. Lily clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and got out of the car. Before the door closed, her eyes reddened. “Ethan, the wedding in seven days will proceed as planned, right?” Men are suckers for vulnerability. In the end, Ethan followed Lily up to her apartment. I sat on the roof of the car watching their ambiguous tug-of-war. The summer night breeze couldn’t warm my cold soul. Weakness, coquetry. These were things Ethan used to despise. My gaze fell on their clasped hands. I was forced to follow Ethan into the elevator, all the way to Lily’s apartment. Ethan tossed his suit jacket onto the sofa. Lily couldn’t wait to hug him from behind. “Ethan, I’m scared.” Scared? I looked at Lily in surprise. Since I met her, I had never heard the word “scared” from her mouth. Ethan turned around, his unbuttoned shirt revealing his chest. Lily stood on tiptoes and kissed him. “Scared of what?” Ethan rubbed the top of her head, letting her hands roam. “Scared Sarah will change her mind.” “Scared you’ll suddenly leave me.” “Scared I’m not good enough for you.” Ethan chuckled, full of doting. “No, Sarah won’t change her mind.” 3 Ethan’s certainty dazed me. Back when we were most in love, Ethan was just as certain. He said, “No, I, Ethan Cole, will never fail Sarah West in this lifetime.” That day, I thought I would be happy forever. From middle school desk mates to high school sweethearts, from college romance to starting a business together—sixteen years. We got engaged when the company was on track. If nothing had happened, we would have gotten married this year. But in the sixteenth year of knowing each other, the tenth year of loving each other, Ethan changed. When did he start changing? Probably when he stopped texting me to ask how I was, when he couldn’t stop smiling at his phone sitting across from me, when he started texting Lily good morning and good night every day. Sincerity changes in an instant. So when we broke up, he took all the blame, protecting Lily well. I granted his wish and didn’t reveal the evidence of Lily’s provocations. Actually, when Lily first appeared, I didn’t think much of it. The daughter of a business partner, wanting to gain experience in our company. To close that deal, Ethan asked for my opinion. He suggested putting Lily in the secretary’s office, away from core business. I believed him. But Ethan made Lily his personal secretary for a whole year. And he tried every way to convince me to expand the market abroad, where I stayed for another year. When I returned, Lily was known as the future Mrs. Cole. I became Ethan’s ex-girlfriend. Before I could confront Ethan, he came to me. He pushed a resignation letter towards me, along with a share transfer agreement. “Sarah, we once said if we met someone who moved our hearts more, we would break up peacefully.” “You remember, right?” 4 When Ethan and Lily tumbled into the bedroom, I hid in the living room. Thank god. I could keep some distance from Ethan and didn’t have to witness those disgusting scenes. Even though Lily had already sent me their photos and videos. Ethan’s phone was on the living room table, buzzing non-stop. I leaned closer. The caller ID was mine. My mind exploded. I stood frozen in shock. My fingers trembled imperceptibly, and the scenes before my death played back frame by frame. Fear, helplessness. I remembered, I died very undignified. After agreeing to Ethan’s breakup conditions, I left the company. Lily found me, wanting to talk. What was there to talk about? I looked at her, but she sneered. “Aren’t you curious why I chose Ethan?” “Why?” I asked, following her lead. Lily took me to a coffee shop near the company. “I just wanted to see how deep Ethan’s love for you was. Turns out, not that deep.” I didn’t want to get entangled with her. But as soon as I walked out, I was dragged into a van by several men. The car bumped along, from the city to the suburbs, from day to night. Until the mountain wind howled, and twigs scratched my exposed legs and arms. “Did Lily send you?” I asked, forcing calmness. The four men in front of me looked haggard, eyes sunken, emitting a foul stench. They didn’t speak but rushed up, pressing me to the ground in the dark to vent, from night till dawn. Because I struggled fiercely, my head was smashed open. Blood flowed all over the ground. When I opened my eyes again, I was standing behind Ethan, watching him hold Lily’s hand, announcing the wedding date. Calculating the days, his wedding date was the seventh day after my death. 5 At 1 AM, Ethan walked out with a towel around his waist. He picked up the phone on the sofa, pupils shrinking when he saw the missed calls. I curled up on the sofa, trembling, my mind full of images before my death. Lily’s voice came from the bedroom: “Ethan, what’s wrong?” Ethan suppressed his emotions, deleted the call log, and walked towards Lily with the phone, pulling her into his arms. The smooth way he deleted the log reminded me of how he acted that year when I rarely came back to see him. When I first went abroad, Ethan would video call me all the time. He would complain about how busy the company was, acting coquettish, saying he wished I were there. I would handle documents while responding to him. “You don’t like me acting cute, why are you doing it yourself?” “Whining like a baby.” I thought I was just teasing, but his face turned pale instantly. Later I learned. When two people are together for a long time, they unconsciously start talking like each other. Early the next morning, Ethan came out of Lily’s apartment. Before leaving, he kissed Lily gently on the cheek. “Sleep a bit more, you don’t need to go to the company today.” I found it a bit funny. In the past, Ethan valued time the most. Rain or shine, he would drag me out of bed, afraid of delaying the day’s work. Even for dates, he wouldn’t wait a minute for me. Sixteen years, I got used to the habits he made me get used to. It turns out his habits could be broken, and the exception was only for a specific person.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390725”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After my parents divorced, my younger brother with “supermale” syndrome found out that our dad had hooked up with a billionaire heiress in Manhattan. Wanting to become a third-generation elite, he kicked me and our mom aside, grabbing our dad’s hand: “Dad, I want to go with you.” I helped my mom up and stood quietly by her side. In our past life, my brother stole Mom’s diary and discovered that our grandmother was the matriarch of a top-tier political family in D.C. To wield power in those circles, he insisted on staying with the mother he disliked. He didn’t expect that Mom wouldn’t return to her wealthy family. Instead, she worked as a cleaner by day and sold hot dogs by night, raising him alone. For the convenience of his schooling, Mom gritted her teeth and rented a terrible studio apartment for $2,000 a month, meaning he couldn’t have meat every meal. He grew resentful. Meanwhile, because Dad became the famous live-in son-in-law of a wealthy Manhattan family, I lived a life of luxury. With access to top resources, I not only became the top scorer in the state for STEM but also the world’s number one Go player and race car driver. My brother’s jealousy twisted him. When I returned to the States for a friendly match, he took advantage of my post-race exhaustion and stabbed me seven times in public. When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn on the day our parents divorced. Seeing my brother make the opposite choice from his past life, I knew he was reborn too. A six-year-old child looked at me with smugness and malice, as if saying, In this life, I’m winning. But he didn’t know he had chosen a life worse than a dog’s. 1 I lowered my head to hide my hatred. I heard Ethan ask: “Liam, do you really want to go with me?” Ethan was actually more satisfied with me. Like Liam, when he pursued Mom, he coveted her status as a D.C. princess. He wanted to be a wealthy son-in-law. Unfortunately, Grandma had sharp eyes and saw his low character, forbidding Mom from marrying him. While Mom hesitated between family and love, Ethan got her pregnant and took her away, thinking Grandma would soften. But Ethan was disappointed. After confirming Grandma disowned Mom, Ethan started cheating. He pretended to be a romantic, carefree painter, hooking up with powerful heiresses everywhere. He chose to divorce this time because he hooked up with my stepmother from my past life, Victoria Sterling. As a Manhattan princess, Victoria was the center of attention and lived freely, but she couldn’t escape her mission—marriage alliances. After being diagnosed with infertility, she became an outcast in her family. While being coldly treated, she seemingly played with one male model after another but actually plotted to devour the family business step by step. Now over thirty, with her power secured, she wanted to marry a man with a son. Ethan didn’t hesitate to put Liam and me up for competition. After screening by Victoria’s expert team, I was deemed more suitable to be her heir. In my past life, I didn’t know Ethan’s conspiracy and obediently went with him. Arriving at the Sterling estate, Victoria threw me directly into a crocodile pool: “Leo, if you want to be my son, you have to learn to survive. The crocodiles will be released in three hours. Get ready.” “No!” I splashed in the water, screaming in fear. “Don’t let the crocodiles eat me! Mmph…” The elegant lady spoke gently: “Leo, you have to survive on your own.” 2 I cried for help to Ethan, who was hiding behind Victoria: “Dad! Quick, save me! I…” Ethan ignored my fear and sided with her: “Leo, Mom is right. You have to be obedient. For Dad, you have to survive the crocodiles’ mouths!” I cried out: “She’s not my mom!” Victoria bent down slightly, lifting my chin: “Leo Hart, if you want me to have a motherly heart for you, you must completely forget Grace. Be good. If you pass the test, you can take the surname Sterling.” I didn’t answer but instinctively bit her wrist hard. Ethan squatted down anxiously, trying to pry my mouth open: “Leo Hart! You little wolf cub! Let go!” Victoria remained calm: “Leo Hart, even if you bite through my hand, the crocodiles will appear behind you in 160 minutes.” That sentence made me realize I was powerless to change my fate. After releasing her, I swam to the cage, enduring my fear, trying to observe the crocodiles lurking in the water and the surrounding environment. I had to survive. Fighting wits and courage with crocodiles for three days, Victoria killed them, but without giving me a chance to breathe, she locked me in a dog cage and made me eat raw meat. Her domestication of me never stopped… Growing up, I became excellent enough. Outside, she needed me to keep up appearances and would be consistently gentle. But if I underperformed and didn’t meet her expectations, she would find ways to punish and torture me. Therefore, even though I was called an “all-around genius” by the outside world, my heart was deformed. If Liam hadn’t killed me, sooner or later, I would have perished together with Victoria. Since I was reborn, of course, I would fulfill Liam’s wish and let him go be Victoria’s dog as he desired. I wanted to stay by Mom’s side and heal myself. 3 Liam, afraid of missing the chance to change his fate, hugged Ethan’s leg and nodded heavily: “Dad! I want to go with you! You treat me well, and I want to treat you well!” Ethan hesitated. Just then, Mom knelt on one knee, looking me in the eye, and asked gently: “Leo, what about you? Do you want to go with Mom or Dad?” I answered without hesitation: “Mom.” Mom was disappointed with Liam, but my stance moved her. She hugged me, promising solemnly: “Leo, I will make sure you grow up healthy and happy.” I also poured out my heart: “I will always be by Mom’s side.” In my past life, Mom gave Liam all her motherly love, but Liam didn’t cherish it. In this life, I will cherish it properly. Ethan suddenly shouted: “Grace, I haven’t agreed yet. What right do you have to decide to take Leo?” Mom ignored him, whispering to me to take Liam to our room to pack our luggage. I nodded obediently. Then, I walked to Liam, held his hand, and tried my best to mimic a seven-year-old’s tone: “Liam, come upstairs with big brother.” A flash of malice unsuitable for his age crossed the six-year-old’s face. He thought he hid it well and nodded perfunctorily. I hid my hatred for him. While leading him up the stairs, I thought about how to escape. After a few steps, he pushed me. In a flash, I thought of a plan. So, I followed his force and fell backward, deliberately letting my forehead hit the sharp part of the railing. Unfortunately, a six-year-old body isn’t as mature as my mind. After falling completely, the pain all over my body made me wail. Liam also ran to me, wiping fake tears: “Brother, how did you fall! Boohoo, I’m so scared…” Mom called 911 immediately. Ethan roared at me: “Leo Hart! How dare you fall like this! What if it leaves a scar!” Victoria was an extreme perfectionist. She treated her adopted son as a work of art to show off, so naturally, scars were not allowed. Seeing Ethan jumping anxiously, I knew I had successfully dodged a bullet. 4 Mom scolded Ethan: “Ethan, what are you yelling for! Get out! Leo stays with me, don’t boss him around!” Ethan dared not state his scheme explicitly, afraid he couldn’t even take Liam. He could only stall: “Since Leo is hurt, treat him first! We’ll talk about splitting the kids after he’s discharged.” Mom was too worried about my injury to argue with him: “Fine.” Ethan went out to smoke as an excuse, actually calling Victoria. Liam knew the situation was set. He tugged at Mom’s sleeve, speaking with childish innocence: “Mommy, Brother was dancing around on the stairs, fell by himself, and almost tripped me. Mommy, when Brother gets better, you have to…” Mom interrupted his instigation: “Go sit over there for a while.” Ethan received instructions from Victoria and changed his face immediately: “Grace, I’ve decided. I’ll take Liam, and you raise Leo. From now on, unless necessary, let’s not contact each other.” Mom was decisive: “Okay.” Like in the past life, Mom and Ethan decided to sell the marital house, and Mom took $80,000 cash in advance. Ethan had Victoria backing him, so he paid quickly. While I was hospitalized, Ethan couldn’t wait to fly Liam to New York for Victoria to inspect. I looked forward to their fate. After I was discharged, Mom left the sad place and chose to live in Chicago. She still worked as a cleaner by day and sold hot dogs by night to support my schooling and raise me. I didn’t despise her work but tried every way to share her burden. In my past life, the only benefit of Victoria’s domestication was making me excellent. Mom’s love healed me. From resisting memories, I started showing my IQ from the past life day by day. I became the top scorer in the high school entrance exam, and the school awarded me $10,000. Mom cried. She asked me cautiously: “Leo, is Mom’s job not respectable? If you become the top scorer in the college entrance exam later, with so many reporters interviewing, will you say your mom is a cleaner?” I comforted her: “Of course! I want to tell the world that it hasn’t been easy for Mom to raise me all these years. Without Mom, there would be no me.” Mom choked up: “Leo, you are my pride.” 5 With some savings, under my suggestion, Mom decided to open a spicy duck stew restaurant. It was summer break, so I helped in the store. For the first three days of opening, everything was 90% off, and the store was bustling. On the fourth day, the discount was canceled, and the store was much quieter. I just finished prepping ingredients when I saw Ethan and Liam walk in. Suddenly, Ethan and Liam in suits appeared in the store. I rushed over, blocking them: “What do you want?” Liam adjusted his suit, looking at me with disdain: “Leo, stop pretending to be high and mighty! Do you know that even if your mom runs this shop for a lifetime, she can’t afford one of my ties!” Liam clearly adapted to and enjoyed the lavish life very much. With his IQ, even being reborn, he probably couldn’t pass Victoria’s nearly perverted tests. How did he do it? Just then, Ethan warned Liam in a low voice: “Don’t forget the business. Don’t upset your mom.” He smiled at me again: “Leo, I’m Dad. Your mom opened a shop, so I brought Liam to support. We haven’t seen each other for years…” I interrupted: “Mom and I are doing very well. We don’t want to see you. Please leave.” Liam shouted angrily: “Leo, cut the crap!” I shouted back: “Get out!” Ethan blocked between Liam and me to soothe me: “Leo, don’t mind Liam. Here’s the thing, your Mom Victoria invited you to our home. She likes you very much.” Victoria was actually willing to tolerate the scar on my forehead to trick me into the Sterling family. How bad was Liam’s aptitude! Then why did she keep him? “What are you thinking about! Leo, it’s your blessing that Mom let you go home!” I was cold: “I only have one mom, her name is Grace. I don’t have a dad or a brother either.” Ethan said sheepishly: “Leo, reconsider? Your Mom Vic… no, Auntie, really appreciates you.” I refused: “Not considering. Not going.” Ethan completely broke down: “Don’t think you’re hot stuff just because you’re the top scorer in the entrance exam! The Sterling family’s wealth rivals a nation. Besides today, what chance do you have to climb up in this life!” I was unmoved: “Can’t climb that high.” Liam raged: “Dad, don’t take Leo back! He’s just a top scorer! There are plenty in the country! Mom can totally sponsor other more cooperative ones and train them well! Leo is working part-time now, can’t focus on studying, and is so arrogant. Three years later, he definitely won’t beat me in the college entrance exam!” Ethan spat at me: “Ungrateful wolf cub!” He turned back to Liam: “Let’s ask your mom first.” They left. I turned around and saw Mom sitting on a chair, dazed, tears streaming down her face. “Leo, Mom is sorry. Actually…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390724”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The night I covered my best friend’s shift at the hotel front desk… A homeless man reeking of alcohol came to book a room. My best friend had repeatedly instructed me to give him the room in the furthest corner. Thinking he might cause a drunken scene, I followed her request and handed him the key. But the next day, I was trending online, cyberbullied by thousands calling for my blood. Only then did I learn that the room was already occupied by a young girl, and the homeless man, given the wrong room number, had raped her that night. Unable to bear the humiliation, the girl jumped from the balcony and died. I tried to defend myself, but my best friend jumped out to testify against me: “I’m a receptionist at this hotel, and I can testify that she was jealous of the girl’s beauty, so she deliberately gave the homeless man the wrong key to let him rape her!” Cornered by angry netizens, I fled everywhere, only to be hacked to death by the girl’s emotionally collapsed family members. After my death, my best friend married my husband, and they became a loving couple. Opening my eyes again, I was back to the day my best friend asked me to cover her night shift. 1 “Front desk! Get me a room! I’m staying here tonight!” The familiar voice of the homeless man rang in my ears. I jolted awake, staring at the familiar hotel lobby decor. Glancing at the time on my phone, I was certain—I had been reborn. Reborn to the day my best friend, Zoey, asked me to cover her night shift. In my previous life, I agreed to Zoey’s request and followed her instructions to give the homeless man the room in the furthest corner. It turned out that room was already occupied by a young girl. Because I gave the room to the homeless man, he took the opportunity to rape the girl. In the end, unable to bear the humiliation, the girl jumped from the highest balcony of the hotel, ending her young life. The incident escalated quickly. That very day, I was trending online, subjected to intense cyberbullying. I tried to defend myself, saying I was just doing a favor and following instructions, but Zoey, who caused me to give the wrong room number, stood up to accuse me: “I am a receptionist at this hotel, and Emily is my colleague. I testify that she was jealous of the victim’s beauty, so she deliberately gave the wrong room number!” “For your own selfish desires and jealousy, you killed a girl in the prime of her life. Don’t you feel ashamed? I am ashamed to work with you!” Zoey’s words completely ignited the netizens’ anger. I was besieged by passersby whenever I walked on the street. Eventually, I was caught by the girl’s family and hacked to death. My husband, Mark, firmly stated that I deserved to die and even issued a letter of forgiveness to the girl’s family. After my death, before my bones were even cold, he proposed to Zoey, and they lived happily ever after. Opening my eyes again, I was back to that day. Remembering everything from my past life, I couldn’t repeat the same mistakes. So I decisively rejected the homeless man’s request: “I’m sorry, sir, but we are fully booked.” 2 Hearing my rejection, the homeless man at the counter said discontentedly: “Bitch, are you playing me? I booked on your hotel app, and it clearly said there were vacancies. Why won’t you let me stay!” He pointed angrily at the successful booking confirmation on his phone: “Let me tell you, I’m staying in your hotel tonight! No one can stop me!” The scene of being hacked to death flashed through my mind again. I gritted my teeth and said: “I’m sorry, sir. The app is glitching. The rooms are really full!” But the homeless man didn’t listen to my explanation. He relentlessly dialed the customer service number listed on the app: “If you don’t give me a room, I’ll call customer service and report you!” The call connected, and Zoey’s voice came from the other end: “Hello, how can I help you?” The homeless man replied: “I booked a room on your app, but your front desk insists there are no rooms and won’t let me check in. I don’t care, you have to solve this for me!” “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll handle this. Please hand the phone to the front desk staff. I’ll speak with her!” Following Zoey’s instructions, the homeless man handed the phone to me. I just said “Hello” when Zoey’s accusatory voice came through: “Emily, what’s going on? You can’t discriminate against customers and refuse to give them a room just because of their appearance! I see vacancies in the system. Give him Room 301!” At this point, I had no choice but to agree: “Okay, I understand. I’ll check him in now!” Seeing my agreement, the homeless man hung up. However, I didn’t listen to Zoey and give him Room 301. Instead, I gave him Room 312, which was far away from 301. While operating the system, I turned on the screen recording on my phone to ensure everything I did was recorded. After the homeless man took the key card and left, I saved the video. The heavy stone in my heart finally dropped. While sighing in relief, I thought, this time, the little girl’s safety and my life are preserved. During this time, my husband, Mark, messaged me several times on WeChat, repeatedly telling me to do a good job on my shift. After getting my reply, he seemed completely relieved and told me he would take me out for a big meal tomorrow. Looking at his messages, I couldn’t help but sneer internally. According to what I learned after my death in my previous life, Zoey couldn’t come to work today because she was having an affair with Mark. His messages were just to ensure I couldn’t go home to catch them in the act and that his and Zoey’s plan could proceed smoothly. Three years of marriage, what I thought was a loving couple, turned out to be him conspiring with my closest friend to push me to my death. Only after I died did I clearly see how much the two people I trusted most wanted to get rid of me. The next day, when it was time to change shifts, I packed my things and prepared to go home. Unexpectedly, as soon as I walked out of the hotel entrance, a woman in black rushed towards me, pushed me hard to the ground, and slapped me fiercely before I could react. Her expression was full of grief and anger: “Bitch, you killed my daughter!” “If you hadn’t given the wrong room number and let that homeless man in, how could she have jumped off the building because she couldn’t bear the humiliation!” “Go to hell! Pay for my daughter’s life!” The force of her slap knocked me into the door. My ears were ringing, and I was dizzy. Trying to gather my wits, I saw two strong men behind the woman carrying a girl’s body. I stood up in fright and took two steps back. This woman was the girl’s mother who hacked me to death in my previous life. The girl still committed suicide? But this time, I clearly gave the homeless man a different room number. Why was the result the same as in my previous life? What the hell is going on! I felt like my brain was going to explode! 3 Before I could say anything, I saw my husband Mark and best friend Zoey appear in my line of sight and walk up to me. Mark looked at me, his face livid, and shouted accusations: “Emily, how could you cause a young life to be lost because of a wrong room number?” “How could you be so muddled!” Just like in my previous life, Mark couldn’t wait to start blaming me, trying to brand me with the crime. I straightened my clothes and looked at Mark coldly: “I don’t even know what happened, and you’re rushing to convict me. People would think I’m not your wife, but your enemy!” My words were direct and sarcastic. A flash of unnaturalness crossed Mark’s face, but not wanting to lose face, he hardened his tone: “It’s all over the internet. I woke up this morning to see the news trending that you gave the wrong room number, leading to a little girl being violated and committing suicide!” Zoey, following behind Mark, also chimed in: “Emily, people have come to your door. Are you still going to deny it? The damage is done. You might as well have a better attitude, make amends, and apologize. Don’t be stubborn!” I looked at the two of them coldly. The distance between Zoey and Mark was intimate; they subconsciously leaned towards each other. Do they think I’m dead for sure, so they don’t even bother pretending anymore? Zoey looked at me with a hint of triumph, like looking at a defeated opponent. I remembered then, it was the same in my previous life. In follow-up interviews with reporters, Zoey firmly told everyone that I deliberately gave the wrong room number because I was jealous of the girl’s beauty. Her words completely sealed my fate, leaving me no chance to turn things around. These two were disgusting. I retorted directly: “The truth hasn’t even been determined yet, and you’re so eager to play internet judge with the netizens? Listening to the wind and assuming it’s rain, blindly following others without using your brains? Are you in such a hurry to take my place?” My words caused Zoey to panic. She hadn’t expected me to choke her so bluntly. Seeing Zoey’s eyes turn red from my retort, Mark looked at me even more angrily: “If you didn’t do anything wrong, why would the victim’s mother come to find you? Zoey is just concerned about you, and you bite the hand that feeds you. When did you become so unreasonable!” I looked at the two of them expressionlessly and retorted: “I won’t admit to things I didn’t do. Don’t try to condemn me from the moral high ground at every turn!” Hearing my firm denial, the victim’s mother became even more enraged: “You bitch, still won’t admit your mistake? Fine, I’ll beat you until you admit it!” “My daughter just participated in the semi-finals of an international piano competition. She had a bright future ahead of her, but lost her life because of your mistake!” “I worked so hard to raise her, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but you destroyed my only hope. I’m going to kill you!” She rushed up to strangle me. I hurried took out my phone and shouted: “Because the homeless man was drunk, I was afraid of an accident, so I recorded a video while processing the room number and check-in registration to prove I didn’t give the wrong room number!” “I can prove my innocence, but I also want to call the police. I suspect the person who exposed me is connected to the truth of this matter. Plus, Zoey insisted I cover her shift yesterday. I have reason to suspect Zoey is connected to the homeless man and deliberately conspired to frame me!” Hearing my words, Zoey’s face turned pale: “I didn’t! Emily, don’t spit blood!” I gave her a cold look: “We’ll know the truth once the police bring the homeless man here for questioning!” 4 After the call, the police arrived quickly, bringing the handcuffed homeless man with them. I glanced at the homeless man, then turned to the police officer beside me: “Officer, I’d like to ask this man a few questions.” The officer nodded. I looked at the homeless man and asked: “I clearly gave you Room 312 yesterday, which is far from Room 301 where the girl lived. Why did you have the key to 301 and enter to assault her?” This was something I couldn’t understand after changing my actions in this life. While I was questioning him, Zoey beside me looked extremely anxious. It seemed this matter had something to do with her. Facing my question, the homeless man squinted at me and said casually: “I don’t know anything about 312. I entered the room number you gave me. I was drunk yesterday. When I went in and saw that woman, I thought she was my wife. What’s wrong with sleeping with my wife?” Hearing the homeless man’s words, Zoey breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said to me: “Emily, what else do you have to say? He said he entered the room number you gave him. If you really gave him Room 312, how could he enter 301 with the key!” “You’d better confess quickly. Don’t waste everyone’s time here. Confessing early might get you a lighter sentence! Look how pitiful the girl’s mother is. Doesn’t your conscience hurt?” The girl’s mother became extremely agitated hearing this and rushed up to hit me: “Bitch, the facts are in front of you, and you still want to argue? I’ll beat you to death to pay for my daughter’s life!” “You ruined my dozen years of effort. My daughter died with hatred before seeing a better world. You must go down and apologize to her!” She was about to rush over and hit me. The police reached out to stop her. I stepped back a few paces, held up my phone, and shouted: “The video on my phone can prove I didn’t give the wrong room number! I gave the homeless man Room 312 and the key card for 312!” Zoey fanned the flames: “Videos can be forged. The homeless man already said he entered the room number you gave him and opened the door with the key card! Are you still struggling because you don’t want the deceased to rest in peace?” Sure enough, her words ignited the mother’s anger. She struggled violently to break free from the police’s restraint to attack me. My survival instinct made me dodge to a safe place. During the chaotic struggle, the white sheet on the girl’s body slipped down a bit. My gaze was drawn to it, and I sharply noticed several anomalies. While dodging the mother’s attacks, I pointed loudly at the girl’s body: “Didn’t you say she died by jumping off a building? Then what is this?” Everyone looked in the direction I was pointing and gasped in shock at what they saw. 5 On the girl’s body, there was a deep strangulation mark on her neck, and finger marks on her arms. “The strangle marks on her neck are already turning black, and the marks on her hands prove she struggled fiercely before she died. If she had such a strong will to live, why would she jump off a building?” I made a judgment based on the marks. This was a crucial opportunity to clear my name, and I had to seize it. So I continued: “I request the police to perform an autopsy to find the girl’s true cause of death and catch the real murderer, so the deceased can truly rest in peace!” The police agreed to my request and immediately contacted the medical examiner to wait at the station. So our whole group was taken back to the police station. After we gave our statements, the medical examiner brought the results to the interrogation room: “We examined the deceased’s body. There were multiple injuries on her hands and body, indicating she was cruelly abused before death. In the final struggle, she was strangled to death by the murderer. So the fatal wound is the strangulation mark on her neck.” “Besides that, the head injury from the fall and other multiple fractures on her body were caused post-mortem! The skin tissue remaining under the deceased’s fingernails came from the homeless man!” The medical examiner’s results proved my deduction correct. The homeless man was the real murderer. Originally, raping the girl would only result in a rape charge, but with these results, he would face charges of intentional homicide! The result shocked everyone present. The girl’s mother was devastated. She thought her daughter had committed suicide by jumping, but the truth was she was strangled after suffering inhumane abuse. The mother couldn’t hold it back anymore. She rushed over and slapped the homeless man hard several times: “Damn you! My daughter was only eighteen! How could you treat her so cruelly!” “If this hotel receptionist hadn’t wanted to prove her innocence, my daughter would have died with injustice!” The mother looked at Zoey again, as if realizing something, then walked over with a fierce look and slapped Zoey: “And this bitch who kept stirring up trouble, trying to pin the blame on the receptionist, using my daughter as a tool for gossip. Are you in cahoots with this homeless man!” At this point, Zoey couldn’t care less about pinning the blame on me: “I just wanted the murderer to be caught so badly, to give the girl justice. I don’t know this homeless man!” Her tone was anxious and flustered; she didn’t admit any relationship with the homeless man. Just then, my phone rang. The information I asked a friend to investigate had arrived. This morning, I discovered that Zoey hadn’t logged out of WeChat on the front desk computer. Inside was a conversation between her and a person named Ms. Chen. One sentence: “Rest assured, I will definitely get rid of your opponent and show you my sincerity!” It caught my attention. The time this sentence was sent was exactly after the girl checked into the hotel. So I said to the police handling the case: “I have evidence investigated by a friend. Zoey was in contact with the daughter of a local wealthy businessman, Mr. Chen, a few days ago. Mr. Chen’s daughter happens to be an international piano competition contestant just like the deceased girl. They were competing for the same promotion spot!” “Zoey wanted to curry favor with Mr. Chen, so her sincerity to Mr. Chen’s daughter, I suspect, was letting the homeless man rape the girl!” I handed the video sent by my friend to the police. It clearly showed Zoey communicating with the homeless man.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390723”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

For six months of marriage, my husband Julian Thorne and I were respectful guests to each other. But I was faking it. Every day, I plotted my escape. Until the day I was fully prepared, I walked in on him questioning thin air: “My wife loves me so much, how could she be faking it?” I pretended nothing happened and postponed my plan. But that night, Julian became wild and rough, pinning me down and bullying me endlessly. “Wife, you’ll stay by my side forever, right?” 1 At 7:00 AM, Julian Thorne woke up on time. He wasn’t a morning person. As usual, he hugged me and snoozed for another two minutes before getting out of bed. After washing up, he would go to the home gym for an hour of boxing. 8:30 AM was his breakfast time. But today was strange. It was 8:40, and Julian hadn’t come downstairs yet. I went to the bedroom to find him and discovered him in the walk-in closet. His collar was turned up, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. He was frowning at some empty spot in the air, questioning coldly: “My wife loves me so much, how could she be faking it?” I stopped at the door, subconsciously taking half a step back. Julian suddenly turned his head, his eyes sharp and chilling like a honed blade. But in a second, he reverted to the gentle demeanor I was familiar with. He smiled at me and called out somewhat pitifully: “Wife, can you help me tie my tie?” I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, pretending nothing happened, and walked over briskly. Skillfully tying a Windsor knot for him, I stood on tiptoes and planted a kiss on the corner of his lips: “Why the delay today? Breakfast is getting cold.” Before I could withdraw my hand, he grabbed it. Without warning, Julian cupped the back of my neck and kissed me hard. Forced to endure it, I tilted my head back, retreating step by step, my breathing chaotic, lips and tongue slightly numb. Until my back hit the wall, his calloused hand slipped under my shirt, roaming urgently. I shrank back, pushing against his chest with both hands. “Julian!” The air stilled for a moment. Julian withdrew his hand but still pressed against me, his heavy breathing brushing past my ear. I pushed him gently, reminding him softly: “You have an important shareholder meeting this morning, did you forget?” Julian looked at me without a word, desire and irritability swirling in his eyes. Since our marriage, he hadn’t been this close to losing control for a long time. Suppressing my wild thoughts, I curved my lips slightly, looking at Julian with eyes full of tenderness. After a long time, he raised his hand to embrace me, slowly pressing me into his arms. Resting his chin on my shoulder, his voice revealed attachment and unease: “Wife, you truly love me, right?” I raised my hand, hesitated for a moment, then put it down. “Mm.” 2 Julian left without breakfast, looking listless. I watched his car drive out of the villa gate. Then I turned and jogged back to the bedroom. I dug out the divorce agreement I had prepared for a long time. Just as I was about to tear it up, a cold electronic voice sounded in my head: [Host, you don’t have much time left.] I paused. Staring blankly at the tear on the divorce agreement. [System, do you think Julian will agree to a divorce?] [Yes, he always listens to you, doesn’t he?] I scoffed. [Always? Haven’t you seen him point a gun at me?] Five years ago, I transmigrated into this mission world. The System told me to conquer Julian Thorne. An illegitimate son used as a tool by his family. The Thorne family held immense power, dabbling in both legitimate and shady businesses. The clean businesses were handed to the eldest son, Adrian Thorne, while the grey industries were dumped on Julian. They pushed Julian into the mud, letting him rot, just to cultivate Adrian, the pristine, gentle, orthodox heir. All the danger, responsibility, and filth were shouldered by Julian. When I met Julian, he had already become a mad dog everyone avoided. I approached him carefully, had guns pointed at me, and was pushed away countless times. Finally, it took nearly five years for him to willingly bury his ruthlessness deep in his bones, becoming the gentle, always-smiling Julian Thorne he is today. The day he broke free from the Thorne family, he proposed to me. I thought this was the final step to max out his affection points, so I agreed. That night, I passed out from Julian’s torment. I woke up thinking I had left the mission world. But the next second, I saw Julian’s face. And the next second, the damn System told me I conquered the wrong target. The real target was my childhood friend, Adrian Thorne. I had eight months left. I had seen the fate of those who betrayed Julian. So I could only obey him on the surface while secretly plotting. I pretended to have a low sex drive for three days, but on the fourth night, I broke down and begged for mercy. I went back to live with my parents for a few days, and when I returned, I tactfully expressed that my parents disapproved of this marriage. As a result, Julian sent them abroad for retirement on a private jet. They were only brought back after we got our marriage license. Thus, my situation worsened. I started faking chest pains, telling Julian I didn’t have long to live, urging him to find someone else soon. As a result, he brought in a medical team to give me a full body checkup. I resigned from Julian’s company. Before leaving, I hired many younger, prettier girls, tacitly allowing them to approach Julian, while I secretly prepared the divorce agreement. However, more than six months passed, and apart from when he was with me, Julian was like an ascetic monk. This divorce agreement never found a chance to be presented. But this morning, Julian’s behavior was truly abnormal. [System, do you think he sensed my intentions?] [So what? I need to remind you, you have less than two months left.] [Then do you think if I propose a divorce directly, he’ll agree?] After two seconds of silence, the System said: [Just run away. Adrian returns in three days. Contact him to pick you up.] I found it absurd. [Reason? Why would Adrian want anything to do with a married woman?] [You and he are childhood sweethearts with over ten years of emotional foundation. You can tell him Julian abuses you, that you regret it, are in pain, and need his help.] Even more absurd. I smiled bitterly: [But Julian treats me very well.] The kind who would give me the moon if I asked for the stars. [Then wait for death.] The System replied coldly. […] After a long silence, I put the crumpled divorce agreement back in the drawer. [I’ll contact Adrian.] 3 At 10:00 PM, Julian still hadn’t come home. He hadn’t called me either. He never came home later than eight before. I couldn’t help but overthink. [System, do you think Julian had an acci…] [He’s right in your garage,] the System interrupted me, [He’s been there for two hours.] [Is he… alone?] [What else?] [Oh.] [Are you happy? You haven’t really fallen in love with him, have you?] [No… no, you’re overthinking.] The cold System huffed and went silent. I turned off the light, ready to sleep. Half an hour later, the bedroom door opened, footsteps approached. Julian went straight to the bathroom. Ten minutes later, the mattress dipped slightly. Julian lay down and pulled me directly into his arms. “You’ve been drinking… mm…” Julian rolled over and pressed on me, kissing fiercely and heavily. My pajama buttons were torn open in an instant. My legs were pinned, unable to move. “Julian…” “Wife, I missed you.” Julian was urgent, as if holding back anger, not holding back at all. I gradually couldn’t take it anymore, reaching out to push against his hip bone: “What’s wrong with you tonight… didn’t we just… last night…” Julian pinned my hands above my head, ignoring everything. Until I whimpered, he suddenly stopped. I called him softly. The hand gripping my waist gradually loosened, his arm wrapping around my back, turning into a hug. Julian’s body was trembling slightly, along with his hot breath. I slowly raised my hand, touching his sweat-dampened face: “Julian, what exactly is wrong, can you tell me?” After a long stare, Julian spoke in a hoarse voice: “Wife, do you want to divorce me?” My heart skipped a beat. I looked away, flipping my hand to wipe his sweat: “No.” In the silence, the gloom in Julian’s eyes melted away bit by bit. He caught my hand, interlacing our fingers. “Wife, you’ll stay by my side forever, right?” I forced a smile: “Right.” Julian stopped talking, his hand slowly stroking my brow, my eyes, then my hair. His dark eyes were like a bottomless cold pool. I couldn’t help but push him: “Can you… be gentler?” Julian seemed not to feel it, cupping my face and kissing down without explanation. Became gentle. More torturous. Julian whispered in my ear: “Wife, I love you.” “…I know.” The next morning at ten, Julian had already gone to the office. Not long after I woke up, a message popped up on my phone. [Wife, does what you said last night still count?] After hesitating for half a minute, I replied: [It counts.] After clicking send, I suddenly thought of something. I immediately got out of bed and ran to the vanity. The moment I opened the third drawer, my blood ran cold. The divorce agreement was gone. 4 I went downstairs absentmindedly. The housekeeper reheated breakfast for me and mentioned that the plate of red bean cakes was made by Julian personally. I inexplicably wanted to laugh. The first gift I ever gave Julian was red bean cakes I made myself. [System, Julian knows I planned to divorce him, but he seems… to have chosen to give me another chance.] [So what? Don’t tell me you choose to stay by his side and wait for death.] My hand holding the red bean cake paused, and I pursed my lips: […I didn’t think that, just… I feel it’s hard to make a move now. Julian seems to be able to read my mind.] The System sighed: [He’s cheating.] [Huh?] [This was originally a novel world. Maybe… you know about things like ‘bullet screen comments’?] [I know. What… did Julian see?] The System sighed again: [Let me show you one: “Your wife doesn’t love you at all, you’re about to become a wild man nobody wants~”] […] I rubbed my forehead: [Can’t we stop those people from posting comments?] [Can’t. They are esteemed VIPs. My reach isn’t that long.] […Then I’m screwed? Everything I do is like a live broadcast…] [Cheer up. Severe spoilers are automatically blocked by the backend.] [Like what?] [Like you running away. And, I will help you.] [How?] [I can act as a communication simulator to help you send messages, avoiding your phone being monitored by Julian and leaking information.] I took a bite of the red bean cake, chewing slowly. Julian made it much better than I did. Soft and sweet, sweet to the heart. [System, please send a message to Adrian. Just say… when he returns, I want to see him.] [Jenny (original name: Jiang Ningyi)! What can these few words accomplish?] The System’s tone was full of disappointment. I poked the red bean cake, feeling guilty: [Let’s test his attitude first. If it really doesn’t work… I’ll think of another way.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “390722”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel