Author: Momo Chan

The email confirming my resignation was barely in my inbox when Sabrina hit the ‘send’ button on her message to the all-hands chat. “Nolan is leaving us,” her text read, tagging every single member of the company. “He’s treating the entire firm to dinner tomorrow night. You all pick the spot.” I froze, phone in hand. The entire firm. Veridian Tech had over a hundred employees, and not a single person had given me a heads-up. The group chat instantly exploded. Hundreds of replies instantly scroll-flashed across the screen. “That new Omakase place, five hundred bucks a head. He won’t be our boss anymore, so why not bleed him dry?” “Seafood feast! Lobster and King Crab! Let’s eat back his project bonus—I heard he cleared a fortune last month!” “He’s already out the door. We have to make this final stab count!” Watching the torrent of messages, my expression didn’t change. I slowly typed in the address for the most exclusive, high-end fine dining spot in the city—The Meridian Penthouse—and hit send. Then I picked up my cell and dialed the travel agent. “I need a ticket to the Maldives. Tomorrow morning. As soon as possible.” 1 By the time I hung up, the group chat was already hysterical over the location I’d dropped. “Holy cow! Nolan is actually going to bankrupt himself!” “He’s been so quiet, but finally, he’s treating us right on his way out? It’s about time.” “Exactly! His commission from those last few mega-deals could cover ten dinners like this!” “@Nolan, what time tomorrow? I’m starting my fast right now!” I ignored the continuous stream of messages, flipped the phone facedown on my desk, and started cleaning out my cubicle. Three years. I’d given this company countless days and nights. I’d bought into the future Sabrina painted for me. “Nolan, you’re the only one who can carry this project…” “Nolan, just a little more effort, darling. It’s for our future…” “Nolan, you are my biggest asset and my greatest hero…” But when I submitted my application for promotion, the only thing I got back was a dismissive, “You need more seasoning.” The next day, the position I bled for was air-dropped to Brock, a golden boy whose spreadsheets looked like abstract art. That was when I knew: my three years of tireless dedication were just a gilded carpet, rolled out to pave the way for the man she actually cared about. And now, they still wanted to set me up. They wanted me to pay out of pocket to feed that venomous couple and a hundred parasitic colleagues who were thrilled to see me fall? Fine. If that’s the game, I wanted every single one of them to remember exactly what that meal tasted like. “Hey, Nolan.” The smarmy voice hit me from behind. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was Brock. “I didn’t know you had it in you, man.” He stood there, arms crossed, sizing me up with a fake, condescending grin. “I thought you’d be in Sabrina’s office right now, begging her to withdraw your resignation. Didn’t know you were such a shark.” “The Meridian Penthouse? She took me there once—it’s a mortgage payment on a plate.” I didn’t dignify his words with a response, focusing instead on packing my things, one by one. Being ignored didn’t seem to bother him. He reached out and placed his hand, not heavily but deliberately, on the folder I was organizing. “Hold up, man. Don’t be so hasty. I actually came here about something important.” He kept the phony smile on his face, pushing his laptop toward me with his other hand. The screen showed a disastrously formatted quarterly summary report. “Sabrina needs the department’s consolidated report first thing tomorrow. Just tweak it for me, will you? It’s easy for you.” I glanced at the corporate catastrophe on the screen. “Brock, a reminder: my resignation is final. What you’re asking for is outside the scope of my responsibilities.” The smile on his face dimmed a fraction. “Come on, Nolan. Don’t be like that. I know you’re upset about leaving, but this report impacts the entire department’s review. If it looks sloppy, Sabrina might think you didn’t complete a proper handover, right?” “The handover was confirmed with a signed checklist.” My voice was flat. I pointed out a few glaring, amateur errors in the presentation. “And these are basic mistakes. They have nothing to do with the handover process.” My bluntness finally shattered his facade. “Nolan! What the hell is that supposed to mean?” His voice rose. “I might not be as experienced as you, but Sabrina trusts me now. She gives me the important work, not you…” He grew more agitated. “You don’t like it? Tough. I’m the Project Manager now, and I’m the one who will be by Sabrina’s side later! You’re just a stepping stone for me, man! I don’t need your evaluation of my competence!” Colleagues around us glanced over. I couldn’t be bothered to watch his performance and kept packing. “Time will prove your competence, Brock. It doesn’t require my opinion.” “You—!” He choked on his next word, finger pointed right at my face. “What are you two arguing about?” 2 Sabrina’s irritated voice cut in. Her brow furrowed, but her gaze instantly softened when it hit the agitated Brock. “Baby, what’s wrong? Who’s upsetting you?” “Sabrina…” Brock instantly found his anchor, his face a mask of wounded fury. “I just asked Nolan to look over the report, and he… he insulted me, said I was incompetent, that my work was garbage… He said I stole his spot… I just want to do a good job. I don’t want to disappoint you…” He sounded utterly distraught, as if I had subjected him to some heinous abuse. “Sabrina, am I really useless? Should I not have taken this position? Am I making things difficult for you?” He was, admittedly, a master of gaslighting and revisionist history. Hearing his plea, Sabrina’s frown deepened. She patted Brock’s back reassuringly. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re doing great. This position belongs to you, and no one has the right to second-guess that.” She then turned to me, her face hardening, her eyes full of cold reproof. “Nolan, what is your problem? Can’t you leave quietly? Brock was asking for guidance. Even if you don’t help, you don’t get to insult him! Look at how upset he is! You will apologize to him immediately!” Her voice cut clearly through the quiet office area. Everyone looked over, their attention fixed on me, waiting for my reaction. I looked at the couple before me: one a talented liar, the other a willing, biased listener. For three years, similar scenes had ended with my silent retreat. Not today. “Sabrina, I’m not the one who needs to apologize.” My tone was final, my eyes level with hers. Sabrina seemed taken aback by my defiance. She stared at me for a long moment, then lowered her voice. “Nolan, come into my office.” She closed the door, cutting off the outside view. Leaning against her desk, she tried to soften her tone. “Alright, Nolan. It’s just us. Stop being dramatic.” “The dinner tomorrow—that was just a formality. A way for you to save face. I’d never actually let you pay that much.” “I know you’re hurt that Brock got the position. That’s why you impulsively resigned. Look, I’ll bump your salary by fifteen grand a year. How about that?” “You can stay on as Brock’s deputy. We’ll go back to how things were. I’ll value your loyalty, Nolan, and rely on you.” “With your competence, you can keep the projects stable. That keeps the team steady and the company secure.” She squeezed my wrist, her thumb stroking the back of my hand, adopting a posture of concerned patronage. I looked at her face and felt a wave of nausea. I pulled my hand back sharply, the touch feeling like something unclean. “Sabrina, my resignation was a thoroughly considered decision. I am not playing games.” Her practiced smile faltered. Her tone carried a hint of disbelief. “So, you’re telling me you’d rather drop a hundred thousand dollars on a dinner for the whole firm just to spite me?” She scoffed. “Nolan, who taught you accounting? Why would you want to be such a fool?” My voice was flat. “Sabrina, I’ve run the numbers. Some investments, when they’re guaranteed to fail, you just cut your losses.” “Cut your losses?” A muscle twitched in Sabrina’s cheek. She slowly raised a hand to adjust the collar of her suit jacket. “Fine. Very well.” “Since you’re so wealthy, why don’t you do one last good deed?” She leaned forward, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “The quarterly earnings for your biggest project—The Prescott Account—just give the credit to Brock. You’re leaving anyway, so you won’t get the commission. Why not leave a good impression?” 3 I stopped packing and just looked at her familiar face. The last sliver of hope I had held onto—that she might possess a single ounce of decency—shattered. “I spent eight months locking down The Prescott Account.” “The contract was finalized last week, and the first payment hit the accounts yesterday. By company policy, those quarterly earnings belong to me.” The faint smile on Sabrina’s face vanished. “Policy is policy, but people are people.” “Brock is taking over all your clients. If his first quarter looks terrible, how is he going to command respect? You’re leaving. Leave on a high note. It’ll be better for your reputation in the industry.” “Sabrina.” I cut her off, meeting her eyes. “I personally believe my reputation doesn’t require such a costly sacrifice.” My repeated refusal finally ripped away her mask of benevolence. The anger in her voice was barely contained. “Nolan! Don’t push your luck! I’m trying to give you an out! What are you without Veridian? Who in this industry hires a man who torpedoes his relationship with his old firm?” “What I am, I’ll find out after I leave Veridian. I don’t need your concern, Sabrina.” “As for that dinner…” I allowed a small, cold smile to curl my lips. “The address is sent. You set the time.” Sabrina had clearly never been defied by me like this. Her face flashed from red to white. It took her a moment to grind out the words. “Nolan, you have guts! Fine, we’ll see you tomorrow night! I’m eager to see just how generous you can truly be!” When I walked out of the office building, the evening sun was setting. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw a new message from Sabrina, again tagging the entire company. “Tomorrow at 6 PM sharp, everyone be there. Bring your families and friends—the more the merrier! Anyone who doesn’t show up is disrespecting Nolan, and disrespecting me! @everyone.” Beneath it was another rapid-fire stream of “Got it,” “Thank you, boss,” and excited emojis. I calmly swiped away the notification. No reply needed. I knew that however high they jumped tonight, they would fall that much harder tomorrow. At six the next morning, I walked through airport security with my suitcase. Sitting at the gate, I saw a self-righteous message pop up from Sabrina. “Nolan, you can still come back now. Apologize to Brock, finalize the Prescott handoff, and I’ll pretend yesterday never happened.” The same arrogant, exasperating tone. I hovered my finger over the screen for a moment, then swiped left and deleted the entire thread. Ten hours later, the plane touched down in Malé. The heavy, humid air of the tropics—salt and sun—hit me like a physical wave. I activated the local SIM card I’d purchased in advance. 4 The red unread numbers on the work group icon kept ticking upward. “Charge! I’m on the way! Eating back all his money tonight!” “I’m stuck in traffic! I’m so anxious—I want to be there early to order the most expensive dish!” “Who’s there already? Snap a picture of the wine list! I heard they have a $10,000 bottle of reserve Bordeaux?” “Screenshotting this! We’re eating him broke tonight!” Brock theatrically posted a mirror selfie. “Just tidying up a little. Can’t embarrass Sabrina.” Sabrina replied with a hug emoji. “You look handsome no matter what you wear, baby.” Below them, a string of “Perfect match” and “Power couple” messages followed. I continued to scroll, an amused expression on my face. “I’m here! Holy crap, this place is legit!” “Where’s Nolan? Has anyone seen Nolan?” “He’s not here yet, right? The lead always makes a dramatic entrance!” “Exactly. Maybe he’s at the bank. Eighty or a hundred thousand—he probably needs a whole briefcase of cash.” Sabrina sent a voice note. Tapping it, I heard her mocking tone. “What’s the rush? Nolan said he’s treating. He’ll show up. Go ahead and order. Get whatever you want. Don’t worry about the price tag today.” “You’re the best, Sabrina!” “I won’t hold back! Waiter, ten orders of the top-grade Kobe beef!” “Lobster! The biggest one you have!” “The wine! That $10,000 bottle—open two of them!” The chat was soon flooded with pictures of dishes: colossal King Crab, artfully arranged sashimi platters… Brock seemed to want more attention, posting a photo on his personal feed of himself and Sabrina clinking wine glasses, the glittering city lights spread out behind them. “Another evening of fine dining with my girl Sabrina. Life is good.” I glanced at my watch. It was four o’clock in the Maldives. Seven PM back home. The last message in the group chat was a direct question from Sabrina. “@Nolan, where are you? The entire company is waiting.” A faint smile touched my lips. I still didn’t reply. After all, the show was just beginning. I walked with my luggage toward the pre-booked ocean-view villa. The phone in my pocket vibrated a few times, but I ignored it. I changed into a comfortable pair of swim trunks, ordered two bottles of iced beer, and only pulled out my phone an hour later, settling into a lounger facing the ocean. By this time, the tone in the group chat had shifted. The food pictures had stopped. They were replaced by anxious inquiries. “What time is it? Is Nolan actually coming?” “Still going straight to voicemail. The phone’s off.” “No way he just stood us up, right?” “Don’t say that! How much is all that food and alcohol going to cost?” “I just discreetly asked the waiter… The current tab is already north of a hundred thousand dollars.” The messages started flying, punctuated with exclamation points. “The waiter just came by again asking who’s paying. He looked really uncomfortable…” “Should we… should we just split it? Let’s settle the bill and leave?” “Split it? A hundred thousand! I don’t even make that in six months!” “Sabrina said we could order whatever we wanted. It should be on her, shouldn’t it…?” The chat quickly devolved into a furious internal squabble and mutual accusations. The focus of the attack was shifting toward Sabrina. I took a long drink of the cold beer a server had just delivered. I took a photo of the stunning ocean view in front of me and dropped it into the group chat. Then I pressed the voice note button and spoke slowly. “My dearest former colleagues. I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to dinner.” “Sabrina said you could pick any restaurant. I did. The address was sent. As for who is paying…” I paused for a deliberate second. “You ordered it, you own it.” “Enjoy your meal, everyone.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388946”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Every year, Mom bought Savannah and me a piece of gold jewelry, saving them up for our future dowries. I’d always believed she treated my sister and me with perfect fairness, dividing everything down the middle. That illusion shattered when I overheard a snippet of conversation at the local jeweler’s. “I’m telling you, this mother is something else,” the clerk was saying. “She buys jewelry for both daughters every year, but one is solid gold, and the other is just gold-plated.” I froze. When I got home, I tried the online test I’d quickly looked up on the cuff Mom had given me last Christmas. It was solid gold. I was just starting to feel a familiar, gut-deep shame for having doubted her—for questioning the one constant in my life—when her call came through. “I mixed up your bracelet with Savannah’s,” she said, her voice tight with a sudden urgency. “You need to switch them back right now.” My throat constricted. I managed to ask, “Aren’t they exactly the same, Mom? Why do they need to be switched?” 1 The first thing I did after getting my first paycheck was drive out to the good jewelry store to pick out a necklace for Mom. Since we were kids, she had faithfully bought Savannah and me one piece of gold jewelry each year. She called them our “investment pieces,” our future bridal trove. Even when money was tight—and it was always tight—she never missed a year. “We don’t have much, Piper,” she’d always say, polishing the box. “But we can always find the money for these. They’re your security. They’ll make sure your in-laws never look down on you.” The irony was that in all those years, she had never bought anything for herself. I was determined to change that with my first salary. I was browsing the glass cases, trying to decide between a simple chain and a pendant, when I heard the low murmur of gossip from the staff counter. “That mother is seriously something else,” one voice whispered. “Buys jewelry for both daughters every year, but one is solid gold, and the other is gold-plated.” I stopped, the sound buzzing in my ears. I couldn’t help but listen. The other sales clerk asked, curious, “How do you know that?” The first explained, “I’ve worked here for years. She comes in every December. She picks out the solid gold one, and then she asks us to make an exact replica that’s just gold-plated silver.” “She says she’s building a dowry for her girls.” She sighed, a sound full of tired judgment. “But I guess some mothers just can’t treat their children equally.” My mind went blank. The situation she described—a mother buying gold jewelry for two daughters every year, but one real and one fake—why did it sound so much like my family? No. It can’t be us. Mom had always insisted she treated Savannah and me with perfect parity. Besides, this store was a good fifty miles from her house; she wouldn’t drive this far just for a necklace. “Ma’am? Ma’am, how do you like this piece?” The clerk was calling me back to reality. I gave her a weak smile and tried to focus on the display. But my heart wasn’t in it. The conversation kept looping in my head. I finally settled on a gold chain the clerk recommended and rushed out of the store. I drove home that weekend, eager to give Mom the necklace. When she saw me, her expression went oddly blank. “Piper? Why are you here? You didn’t call ahead.” “I wanted to surprise you.” But her reaction was chilly, distant. She didn’t smile, just stated flatly: “Well, you didn’t tell me, so I haven’t picked up any groceries. We’ll have to eat something simple for dinner.” I nodded, not arguing. Mom went into the kitchen, intending to make some pasta and a quick salad. Just as she started, the front door opened again. My sister’s voice, bright and familiar, rang out. “Mom, I’m home!” Mom instantly dropped her work and rushed out. Her face broke into a radiant smile as she looked at Savannah. “Oh, darling! You two both decided to come home today,” she cooed. “Sit down, relax. Tell me what you’re craving, and I’ll make it for you.” Savannah tossed her bag onto the sofa. “Oh, anything is fine, Mom. Don’t fuss.” Mom shook her head disapprovingly. “Nonsense. You work so hard. You need something hearty.” She went to the refrigerator. It was fully stocked—meats, fresh vegetables, organic eggs. Everything. It was nothing like the barren kitchen she’d described to me just ten minutes earlier. A profound, sickening coldness settled in my gut. 2 Mom finally called us to the dining table. The table was laden with food, a feast of rich, savory dishes. Every single one of them was Savannah’s favorite. Trying to sound lighthearted, I asked, almost joking, “I thought you said we didn’t have any food, Mom? How is it that the fridge is suddenly packed the second Savannah walks in?” Mom lifted her eyes and shot me a look of pure exasperation, then slammed her chopsticks down on the table. “You always have to pick a fight, don’t you?” she spat. “I do treat you two equally. I buy gold for your sister every year, and I never leave you out!” She leaned in, her voice rising. “Your sister came home with a stack of groceries and flowers, and look at you. You’re a working adult now, and you still walk in here empty-handed.” Savannah chimed in, glaring at me. “Seriously, Piper. Just eat. Why do you always have to start drama and try to compare yourself to me?” I realized then why she was so cold to me. I had committed the ultimate sin: I hadn’t brought a gift. I quickly pulled out the necklace. “I didn’t come empty-handed. This is for you, Mom. I forgot to give it to you earlier.” Her expression finally softened. She took the chain, sniffed, and gave a grudging, “Well, at least you have some conscience.” She waved me toward the table. “Now stop dawdling and eat.” The awkward moment seemed to pass, but my appetite was gone. All I could hear was the jeweler’s clerk: “One is solid gold, and the other is just gold-plated.” After dinner, I wrestled with the thought for hours before finally voicing it. “Mom, the simple cuff bracelet you bought us this year? I want to start wearing mine.” Mom’s movements stilled. She laughed, a short, bitter sound. “Aha. I knew that necklace wasn’t a spontaneous gift. You gave me a flimsy chain just so you could trade up for your more valuable piece. That’s a good strategy, Piper.” Her voice hardened. “Those are your dowry pieces. Are you that desperate to take possession of them already?” I swallowed hard. “But Savannah wears the jewelry you buy for her all the time.” “Piper, can you and Mom have a fight without dragging me into it?” Savannah burst out. She shoved her chair back and stomped off to her room, slamming the door. Mom gave me a disgusted look. “Honestly, Savannah finally comes home, and you just have to ruin it. Here,” she said, pulling the bracelet box from a high shelf and shoving it into my hand. “Take it. Are you happy now?” I drove back to my rental apartment first thing the next morning. I searched online again for the gold-plating test. I held the bracelet in my hand, frozen. If it was solid gold, I was the worst daughter alive, guilty of the deepest, ugliest suspicion. But if it was gold-plated… The clerk’s words had hollowed me out. I needed an answer. After a long, painful moment of indecision, I performed the test. I followed the instructions from the video exactly. The result came back: It was solid gold. A wave of relief and crushing guilt washed over me. I shouldn’t have doubted her. I owe her an apology. That’s when my phone rang. It was Mom. I answered, and her voice was a high, panicked edge of urgency. “I mixed up your bracelet with Savannah’s. Get back here and switch them immediately.” My throat tightened, a thick, metallic taste in my mouth. “Mom,” I managed. “Aren’t these bracelets exactly the same? Why do they need to be switched?” 3 There was a moment of silence on the line, a space where she was scrambling for an excuse. Then she gave up even trying. Her voice exploded in a sudden, furious burst. “Stop asking stupid questions! Just switch them back, like I told you!” I had my answer, but I needed to hear her say it. “Because the jewelry you bought for me all these years,” I pushed, my voice trembling, “is all gold-plated, isn’t it?” I had brutally broken the lie she had maintained for years, and in doing so, I had shredded the last thread of affection between us. Mom didn’t speak. My voice was barely a whisper. “You always said you treated Savannah and me with a perfectly level bowl of water. You always said we were equal.” “Why does she get solid gold, and I get plated junk?” Every slight I had ever rationalized, every ignored detail, rushed forward in agonizing clarity. In childhood, I wore Savannah’s hand-me-down clothes. Mom called it “fairness.” I was a better student than Savannah, so Mom poured money into tutors and expensive classes for her. “Savannah needs more help than you,” she’d explained. “If I don’t help her, it won’t be equal.” When I got into a university, Mom announced, “Your sister didn’t go to college after high school. If I pay your tuition, it would be unfair to her.” “You’ll have to figure out the tuition and living expenses yourself.” The examples were endless. She had never, not once, held the bowl level. I tried to keep speaking, but Mom had already hung up. That evening, I saw a new post on Savannah’s social media. The gold chain I had bought for my mother was now draped around Savannah’s neck. The caption read: My sister absolutely insisted on trying to steal my cuff. Thank goodness my mom is always fair and replaced it for me with a brand new necklace! I scrolled back through my contacts and found an account I had blocked long ago. The chat history held only a single, isolated message from years ago: Piper, can we meet? My father, Neil, had been trying to contact me for years. I had always refused, telling myself that meeting him would be a betrayal of the mother who “raised me alone.” This time, I agreed. I had one question he needed to answer. Neil and I hadn’t seen each other in over a decade. He tried to make small talk, but the awkwardness was crushing. I cut him off. “What was the real reason you and Mom divorced?” He paused, then sighed. “She said I didn’t treat you and your sister equally. She said I played favorites, and she demanded a divorce.” It was the same story Mom had told me—that she divorced him to protect me, because he favored Savannah. She always said I was supposed to live with him, but she fought tooth and nail for my custody because she feared I’d be neglected. But Neil added a detail my mother had carefully omitted. He did play favorites, he admitted—but the favorite wasn’t Savannah. It was me. Because Savannah wasn’t his biological daughter. The revelation hit me with a dizzying force. I had always assumed our different last names were just Mom keeping her maiden name for my sister and giving me his last name. I never dreamed this was the reason. They had been a blended family before I was born. Then I came along. Mom started arguing that he wasn’t giving Savannah as much attention, and they fought constantly. Finally, he said something that detonated their marriage. “I try to keep things level, but Piper is my biological daughter. I admit I might lean toward her slightly in my heart. But I have never financially cheated Savannah.” That was it. The argument that led to the divorce. He may have been painting a generous picture of himself, but I knew one thing was certain: Mom’s claim that she divorced him to protect me from his favoritism was a lie. I felt no sudden surge of fury or renewed pain. Only a cold, calm sense of recognition. Of course. I stood up to leave, but he stopped me. “Piper, we haven’t seen each other in years. Can’t we talk for a little longer?” I shook my head. He may have felt justified in the divorce, but he had still been absent for most of my life. Mom had been biased, but she had still raised me. He hadn’t paid a dime in child support. I said the thought out loud. He looked genuinely shocked. “Child support? I paid it every single month.” 4 “I’ve paid child support every month since the divorce,” he insisted. “She even made me pay extra every year—she said it was for the gold jewelry to build your dowry.” “And just a few months ago, she told me you were starting work and needed a down payment for an apartment near the city. I wired the money to her.” Now it was my turn to be stunned. Mom had always told me she never received a cent of support, that she had tirelessly raised us all on her own. But he was claiming he paid monthly support until I graduated college, funded the “gold dowry” jewelry, and most recently, gave her a large sum for an apartment down payment. I had never seen any of that money. My jewelry was gold-plated. I had paid for my entire university education with student loans and work-study. Seeing my disbelief, he pulled out his phone and showed me years of detailed wire transfers sent directly to my mother’s bank account. I don’t remember how I got home. Even with his bank records in my hand, a part of me didn’t want to believe it. What if he faked the records? What if he’s just trying to poison me against Mom? Then I saw Savannah’s new post on social media. It was a picture of a newly framed deed of ownership for a condo. The caption: So grateful to my amazing mom for the help. So excited to finally have my own place! #Homeowner My hand trembled as I held the phone. I remembered when I had first moved out for my job, I was broke and had asked Mom if she could lend me a little for a security deposit on a rental. She had snapped, “Where would I get that kind of money? You know our situation. Every cent I’ve ever earned has gone to you kids. I have nothing saved.” I ended up borrowing from a friend. She had no money to help me rent a tiny apartment, but she had hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy Savannah a condo. The post vanished a second later. She had blocked me. But I had already screenshotted it. Before I could figure out what to say to her, she called me first. “Piper, did you meet with that sorry excuse for a father today?” I didn’t deny it. “Yes.” The next second, her voice erupted in a violent rage. “I told you never to contact him! Don’t you remember what kind of man he is? He never cared for you after the divorce, never paid a dime! How dare you sneak around and meet him after everything I sacrificed to raise you?” She had used that narrative my entire life. That was why I avoided Neil—I thought seeing him would be a betrayal. But hearing the truth today, a terrifying possibility formed in my mind. She didn’t want me to see him because she was afraid the truth about the hidden child support would come out. I remembered the ferocious fights my mother had with my father over my custody. I had always convinced myself she fought for me because she loved me so deeply. That was the only thing that had allowed me to forgive her bias. But now, knowing Savannah wasn’t his… I realized Mom only fought so hard because my custody was tied to the constant, substantial child support payments from Neil. My mind drifted as Mom yelled into the phone, her tirade of accusations washing over me. Finally, she ran out of steam and hung up in a huff. Immediately, a notification popped up from the family group text. It was a photo of Neil and me sitting across from each other. Mom must have hired a private investigator. Below the photo, her message blazed across the screen. [Family, look at the daughter I raised with blood and sweat for twenty years.] [She knows that father never looked after her, never cared, yet she runs straight to him. She is an ungrateful wretch!] The barrage of relatives began, piling on the judgment. I smiled, a cold, hard finality settling in my chest. There was no going back now. I typed a single line, calm and absolute, and pressed send. [Then you can finally go back to pretending you don’t have this daughter.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388945”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

On the eve of our wedding, Chloe Vance fell from a building and died. Everyone was convinced that I, the devoted fiancé, would follow her in death out of grief. But I didn’t shed a single tear. Three years later, I met her again. Not only had she come back from the dead, but she also had amnesia. “You’re my former fiancé? Haven’t seen you in years, how did you get so shabby? For old times’ sake, I can spare you one day a week to serve me.” I didn’t even spare her a glance. Chloe didn’t know that on the night she fell, I received a video recording. She also didn’t know that during the three years she pretended to have amnesia and traveled the world with Liam Black, I had gotten married. And the person I married was her biological sister. Chapter 1 In the private VIP room, the crowd hadn’t noticed me standing at the door yet. Someone suddenly brought it up. “Chloe, it’s been three years. What do you plan to do about Julian Sterling?” Chloe brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, indifferent. “It’s been three years, no rush. Let’s talk about it after I marry Liam.” The crowd laughed and chimed in. “If you ask me, that Julian Sterling is such a simp. Seeing Chloe again after three years, he’ll probably be shocked stupid!” “I heard he’s been living in squalor these past three years. Without Chloe, his life is indeed crap.” The room was filled with an air of merriment, the mockery in everyone’s voices undisguised. Just as I was about to leave, someone spotted me and shouted: “Julian Sterling!?” I was exposed to everyone’s gaze. The person who was making the most noise just now scratched his head awkwardly, trying to smooth things over. “Julian, Chloe is still alive. We didn’t tell you because she lost her memory and we were afraid of agitating you.” I glanced at them with disgust. Before I could speak, Chloe looked me up and down. “So you’re my fiancé? Why do you look so shabby? They say your living standards plummeted without me these past three years?” Chloe was still as arrogant and spoiled as ever. But I no longer had the tolerance I once did. Now, facing her, I felt only endless annoyance. Seeing my silence, Chloe wasn’t angry. She leaned lazily into Liam’s embrace, her index finger circling on his chest. Liam smiled and held Chloe’s mischievous hand, casting a provocative glance at me. “Julian, haven’t seen you in three years. How did you end up like this? No wonder Chloe forgot you. Who could remember you like this?” I frowned tightly, hands instinctively clenching into fists, disgusted by their debauchery. Chloe mistook my reaction for pain at their display of affection and looked smug. “Alright, don’t be so jealous. If you want to continue being with me, you have to adapt to this relationship. Don’t worry, I’ll save one day a week for you.” As soon as she finished, the people around immediately surrounded me, jeering with schadenfreude and belittlement. “Oh Julian, look, Chloe still has feelings for you. Even with amnesia, she keeps you in her heart, saving a day a week for you!” “As long as you serve Chloe and Liam well, won’t your life be better than before? Look at your shabby state. Had enough of the poor life? You have to seize this opportunity!” Liam leaned back on the sofa, legs resting on the coffee table, holding Chloe in his arms. He clicked his tongue. “No choice, Julian. You’ll have to suffer a bit for now. After all, the person Chloe loves most now is me.” Chloe chuckled at this. She admired her fresh manicure and glanced at me indifferently. “What’s there to feel aggrieved about? He loves me to death. He should be secretly happy to have even one day.” Hearing this, my heart clenched painfully. Chloe was so strange now I dared not recognize her. Years ago, she loved me so much. Once, when I had a high fever of 104 degrees that wouldn’t break for days, she dropped all her work to guard me day and night. She even personally climbed Mount Wuling, taking 9,999 steps, kowtowing every step, to pray for a safety amulet for me. Back then, looking at her swollen, bleeding forehead and bloody knees, I was too heartbroken to speak, calling her silly. But she held my face lovingly with both hands. “As long as you are safe and healthy, it’s worth it even if it costs my life.” Everything from the past was vivid in my mind, but reality had long changed. Turns out a person can change so much. Chapter 2 I suppressed the surging emotions, met Chloe’s moist eyes, showed the wedding ring on my hand, and tried to keep my tone calm. “You’ve mistaken me for someone else.” “Also, I’m already married.” The room fell silent instantly. Everyone looked at each other, exchanging glances, before bursting into laughter. Chloe raised an eyebrow faintly, glancing indifferently at the ring on my hand. “Married? Married which old auntie?” “Look at your shabby state. Did you buy that ring at a dollar store? What, thought this would stimulate my memory of you?” With that, she stood up quickly and yanked the ring off my ring finger. I had been exhausted from working on a project these past few days and couldn’t dodge in time. Liam stepped forward to examine the wedding ring carefully, then suddenly laughed out loud. “Chloe, why does this ring look so much like the ‘Heart of Eternity’ wedding rings your sister bid for in France three years ago?” “Don’t tell me Julian says he married your sister, Aria Vance?” Liam looked at me sideways, playing with the wedding ring in his hand. The private room became even livelier. This was too absurd for them. After all, Aria Vance was the primary heir of the Vance family now. Ruthless and decisive, she was the Ice Queen no one dared to offend in the business world. Yet such a person suddenly flash-married a mysterious man three years ago and loved him to the bone. For three years, no matter how the media dug, they couldn’t find a trace of information about her husband and daughter. “Julian, you’re not trying to say you’re that mysterious man no one could dig up for three years, are you?” Liam tossed the ring high and caught it, the diamonds flashing dazzlingly under the lights. “Oh, I have to say, the craftsmanship of this fake is really good. Which factory did you find to imitate it?” Their successive mockery made me impatient. “Don’t touch my ring, it’s real…” Before I could finish, Chloe slapped my face to the side. My cheek burned with pain instantly. “Julian Sterling, have you lost your mind? You dare spread rumors about my sister! Who doesn’t know she loves my brother-in-law to death? Even I haven’t seen his true face, and you dare to impersonate him. Who gave you the guts?!” I licked my dry lips, slowly turned my head, and met Chloe’s gaze. Perhaps my look was too terrifying; Chloe shrank back. Seeing this, Liam immediately jumped in. He shielded Chloe behind him and pointed at my nose, cursing: “Julian, how can you be so ungrateful? Chloe already promised to accompany you one day a week. It’s fine if you don’t cherish it, but now you dare to impersonate her brother-in-law. Who in the capital circle doesn’t know Chloe’s sister’s weak spot is her mysterious husband? Are you doing this to make her sister angry at Chloe? How vicious is your heart!” Hearing this, I felt a sense of daze. Once, Liam couldn’t tolerate me anywhere and had to suppress me in everything. He even smeared me in front of Chloe every day to break us up. But back then, Chloe didn’t believe him at all and even punished Liam severely for his malicious slander. But now, the person who used to defend me the most stood with Liam. She held Liam’s hand and slammed a stack of cash onto my face. “Enough, stop pretending. For old times’ sake, I won’t pursue this. Look at your shabby state; this money is enough for you to live it up for a month.” The sharp corner cut my face, oozing beads of blood. I ignored it, just looked up and stared dead at Chloe. A trace of guilt and panic inexplicably flashed across her face. Seeing this, I chuckled and bent down. The guilt and panic on Chloe’s face faded, replaced by mockery again. “Thought you had some backbone…” The next second, her words halted. Under Chloe’s dull gaze, I found the ring among the pile of red bills. Chloe paused, blocking me before I left the room. “Why are you still pretending even now? Any bill on the floor is enough to buy dozens of your broken rings!” Her expression was complex, with a hint of anger upon closer look. Ignoring her mood swings, I slapped her hand away fiercely. Chloe’s hand froze in mid-air, her teeth grinding audibly. “Fine, you’ve grown bold. Poverty really gives you a temper. My wedding with Liam is in three days. My sister is returning to the country that day too, and she’ll bring my mysterious brother-in-law. If you have the guts, come to the wedding!” Chapter 3 Hearing the word “wedding,” Liam’s eyes lit up, and he quickly added: “Maybe he’s afraid of being exposed and won’t dare to come.” I didn’t want to entangle with them anymore. I turned and strode away, leaving one sentence behind. “I’ll be there in three days. I hope you’ll still be this confident then.” Walking out of the club quickly, breathing fresh air, the nausea in my stomach finally subsided a lot. I took out my phone and watched the video I received three years ago again. In the video, the woman nestled in Liam’s arms, smiling lazily and wantonly. “Julian Sterling is too boring. Although I love him, he can’t give me the feeling I want.” “This fake death, I’ll go back when I’ve had enough fun. He’s good for settling down. But with this stunt, knowing his personality, he might want to die for love. You guys have to watch him.” The day I got the death certificate, I did think about ending it all. It was her friends who kept stopping me from doing anything foolish. Thinking back now, their distorted crying sounds were clearly them trying hard to hold back laughter. I put away my phone and looked at the dim streetlights. Whether Chloe is dead or alive, in my heart, there has been no place for her since three years ago. Three days later, I arrived at the wedding venue as promised. When Chloe saw me step into the venue, her tense expression suddenly relaxed. I withdrew my gaze and prepared to sit down unhurriedly, but someone tripped me hard, and I fell onto the nine-tier cake beside me. The decorations and cream crashed down. My tailored black suit was covered in cream, and I looked wretched. The wine glass also fell to the ground, the splashing glass shards scratching my face, blood oozing from my forehead. The venue was instantly in an uproar, everyone’s eyes glued to me. Cream blurred my vision. I struggled to get up, but before I could stand steady, I was pushed down heavily again. Liam’s angry roar came from above. “Julian, what do you mean? We kindly invited you to the wedding, you didn’t even give a gift, fine, but you deliberately sabotaged our wedding. Can’t stand to see us happy, can you?!” Many people came to this wedding, mostly hearing that Aria Vance would attend with her mysterious husband, rushing to curry favor with her sister. “What kind of people exist nowadays? Daring to bully Aria Vance’s sister, making a scene at her wedding. Let’s see how he ends up!” “Hey, look at the ring on that man’s hand. Why does it look so much like the ‘Heart of Eternity’ Aria Vance bid heavily for three years ago? How bold is this person!” “Who doesn’t know Aria loves her husband to the bone? Daring to be an imposter in such a setting, he must be tired of living!” Chloe also heard these words. Her chest heaved violently with anger, her beautiful eyes seeming to spit fire. “Julian, you jinx! I must have been blind to like you back then. You even wear this fake broken ring. Do you want my sister to deal with you personally when she arrives?!” With that, she lifted her skirt and ran towards me, then stomped on the ring finger of my left hand, grinding hard. Severe pain shot from the base of my finger. Ten fingers connected to the heart; I felt like thousands of sharp blades were piercing my heart. Seeing I wanted to struggle, Liam immediately shouted for everyone to hold me down. For a moment, I couldn’t move. Cream covered my vision. I wanted to struggle but couldn’t, finally roaring: “Aria Vance is my wife!” Chloe laughed upon hearing this, as if hearing a fantasy. Her foot pressed down harder, the heel tip about to break my ring finger. “Still thinking of being an imposter even now. Wait till my sister comes, see how you explain! She loves my brother-in-law so much, just wait to die!” Seeing Chloe was relentless, I felt despair in my heart. I tried my best to break free but was pinned down firmly by the crowd. I gritted my teeth inwardly. When the time comes, I won’t let any of these people off! Chloe applied force again, the sound of breaking bone clearly audible. I groaned in pain, but suddenly my body felt light. The crowd ignored me, hurriedly getting up to tidy their appearance, looking forward with burning eyes. The waiters opened the hall doors, and Aria Vance walked in with a daughter, surrounded like the moon by stars.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388944”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Lucas left me behind on that rainy night. He thought I’d show up the next day like nothing had happened, just like I always did. But I forgot everything that happened after I was sixteen, including him. I went back to the small town in my memories and opened a flower shop. Later, a reality show came to film in the town. Under the gaze of cameras and passersby, This top celebrity, eyes red, ran towards my flower shop without a care for his image. Chapter 1 I had been in the hospital for a week. I tried multiple times to tell the doctor I was perfectly fine. But he insisted I must have amnesia. I laughed out of frustration. Wouldn’t I know if I had lost my memory? I said, “Doctor, listen to me. I remember where my home is. I remember my classmates from elementary, middle, and high school. How could I have amnesia?” “I want to be discharged. I’m really fine.” Seeing him unmoved, I cried, “Doctor, please have mercy on me! I don’t have much money left in my bank account, my phone is broken, and my family must be worried sick.” He looked at me silently for a long while, then nodded helplessly. “Fine!” Walking out, I took a deep breath of fresh air. I couldn’t stand the smell of disinfectant anymore. The midday sun was warm. I scratched my head, looking at the somewhat unfamiliar surroundings. Asking for directions along the way, I went to a store and bought a new phone. I stared blankly at the device in my hand. Only then did I remember that I had thrown away the crushed old phone along with the SIM card long ago. I asked for directions again and went to get a new phone plan. At that moment, a large screen on the International Trade Center building was playing an interview with a celebrity. Many people were standing in front of it. I passed by them. Some fans were excitedly explaining to older people who asked who he was. “Ma’am, Sir, his name is Lucas Sterling. He’s the new top star. He’s handsome and a great actor. Please support him.” Hearing this, I looked up curiously at the big screen. The host smiled and said, “Now let’s look at the most frequent question in the comments: Does someone as handsome as Lucas Sterling have an unrequited love?” The man was very handsome, with distinct eyebrows and bright eyes. He smiled slightly and said, “For now… no.” The girl sitting next to him covered her mouth and giggled. She had a fresh, girl-next-door look. She said, “I thought you were going to say yes! Give me some gossip.” People around me whispered about how well they matched. I blinked, feeling the man looked somewhat familiar, then shook my head. Who doesn’t find celebrities familiar? I continued walking without stopping. Chapter 2 After the interview, Lucas returned backstage. He looked around but still didn’t see me. His face darkened as he asked his agent, “Where is Mia?” The agent looked troubled. “I don’t know. I can’t reach her either.” “Did something happen to Mia?” Hearing this, Lucas felt a moment of panic. But then he remembered how he had left me alone at the hotel that day. He thought I was probably just throwing a tantrum again. Thinking of this, he relaxed and told his agent, “Text her. If I don’t see her tonight, I never want to see her again.” After buying everything and settling my affairs, I looked at my empty hands. Was I robbed while traveling? I bought a plane ticket back to Salt Lake City and sat waiting to board. I lowered my head to download and log into necessary apps on my phone. A commotion came from the entrance. I turned to look. It was a big scene. Many people were surrounding something in the center, while others filmed with phones and cameras. Seemed like someone famous. I lowered my head again. Suddenly, the doctor’s words echoed in my mind: You definitely forgot something. Forgot something? Forgot what? It seemed I really did forget something. It felt like a section was missing from the tape of my memory. I looked at the big star again. He was going through security. When he took off his mask and sunglasses… I felt like I should have seen him somewhere. Oh, it’s that new top star, Lucas Sterling. Chapter 3 A few months later, I was lying on a rattan chair in the flower shop. The midday breeze was warm as I watched the students with youthful faces just getting out of school. After returning to my grandparents’ home in my memory, the house was empty. Only two black-and-white photos of the elderly couple smiling kindly hung on the wall. Looking at the empty house, a wave of bitterness surged in my heart. It turned out I had lost my memory after age sixteen. My memory stopped at my freshman year of high school, when my grandparents were still cooking my favorite dishes at home, waiting for me to return from school. I forgot those memories. I didn’t know where I worked as an adult or if I was married. But I didn’t want to think too deeply about it. Something deep inside told me it wasn’t necessary. Because during the days I was in the hospital, no one came to visit me. So I opened a flower shop in this small town. Opening the shop, selling flowers, listening to stories, watching the sun rise and set, watching the waves roll. The TV in the shop was playing entertainment news. The host announced clearly: “Top star Lucas Sterling clarified his relationship with actress Chloe Summers from the drama ‘Coward’ in an exclusive interview this morning. Lucas stated they are just partners and hopes everyone views it rationally.” … “Lucas, are you crazy?” The agent pointed at him, cursing in exasperation. Although the drama had finished airing. But clarifying the rumors publicly without communicating with the other artist’s team would drive the fans who shipped them crazy. Lucas lowered his head, staring blankly at the chat page between him and me. It showed a message he had just sent: [It’s really a misunderstanding between me and Chloe. We were just cooperating for the drama promotion. You’ve been throwing a tantrum for so long, it’s time to come back.] This was the first time he bowed his head to me. But after a long time, I didn’t reply a single word. Seeing he wasn’t listening at all, the agent turned off his phone screen in anger and raised his voice: “Lucas, listen to me. If you want your career to continue, stop causing trouble. Look at how many people are eyeing your position? If you go down, someone new will replace you immediately.” “As for Mia, keep your feelings in check.” He gasped for air, glaring at him with disappointment. “Maybe she left and found a better path. You can’t expect a young girl to just be a dead-end assistant forever!” His heart shrank in pain. “Then why didn’t she tell me…” “Oh please, with your usual attitude towards her, if I were her, I would have walked out long ago. Tell you? Tell you my ass!” Lucas’s face gradually turned pale. He didn’t believe I would leave him. I had said from the beginning that I would stay with him forever. I liked him so much; how could I leave without a word? He thought I must be angry because he left me behind that rainy night. He also thought I misunderstood his relationship with Chloe. Now that he clarified it, I would be back soon. Chapter 4 Clearwater Town is by the sea, and my flower shop faces the ocean. Every day, I put the flowers outside and lie on the rattan chair inside, waiting for couples to buy flowers and take photos. These days, I still remembered nothing. Just then, a few elementary school kids walked in. They squatted in front of my shop, eyes wide, discussing what flowers these were. I walked out slowly with a fan and told them, “That’s a daisy, that’s a blue rose, that’s a rose…” “Wow!” They looked at me with admiration and applauded enthusiastically. “You’re amazing, sister! You know so many flower names.” Children’s thinking is always imaginative. A little girl said, “I want to open a flower shop like sister when I grow up.” “I want to be an astronaut.” “I want to be a big star, and you be my assistant.” A girl with two buns raised her hand and pointed to a boy with a bowl cut next to her. The boy nodded heavily. “Mm-hm, I want to be a big star’s assistant.” Watching them laugh, a blurry scene and dialogue suddenly rushed into my mind. In the scene, a girl rested her chin on her hand and said to a boy, “You will definitely be a big star in the future. I want to be your first fan.” The boy lowered his head to do his homework and didn’t respond. The girl wasn’t angry but continued cheerfully, “No, I decided I want to be the big star’s assistant.” … It hurts! I clutched my head and sat back in the shop in pain. When I recovered, my chest was heaving violently. Who was the boy in my mind just now?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388943”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My mother once dumped the richest man in the city. Eight years later, I beat up the billionaire’s son, and my teacher forced my mom to kneel and beg for forgiveness. The billionaire pushed open the door: “I used to treat you like a princess, afraid you’d melt in my mouth, and you’re on your knees for this?” “Sarah, whose face are you throwing away?” Chapter 1 I’ve never had a dad, nor have I ever met any relatives. It’s always been just my mom raising me. She works the night shift at a convenience store and often comes home very late. So she asked Mrs. Higgins next door to add a bowl for me when she made dinner for her granddaughter. Of course, it wasn’t for free. Mom paid Mrs. Higgins for the meals every month. But Mrs. Higgins took the money and turned around to buy milk and fruit for me. She often sighed about how hard my mom worked and told me not to tell her. I nodded, and she praised me for being a good girl. Actually, I just felt that if I were a little better, Mom could be a little more relaxed. In school, I was the most inconspicuous student in the class. Although I listened carefully in class, I never showed off. Classmates sometimes called me “The Mute” because they thought I didn’t like to talk. Actually, I just liked to eavesdrop on them. The topic most talked about by third graders was their families. Some classmates even told everyone about their dad having hemorrhoids or their mom fighting a mistress. There was a boy in class named Liam Black, a new transfer student. He always complained about his CEO dad. He said his dad had a temper like a dog every day, and his face was as cold as a widower’s. He said his dad had no time for him, and basically only the driver and nanny were at home every day. He said his dad only had money in his eyes, and for his birthday, he asked his secretary to pass on a black card. … In short, he didn’t like his dad. But I envied him for having a dad. I don’t know why, but among all the kids in the class, the one I wanted to be close to the most was Liam. Because I didn’t have a dad, and it was said that Liam didn’t have a mom. To some extent, we were the same kind. Walking in line after school, Liam complained that his dad’s cooking was terrible. I couldn’t help but chime in: “My mom makes delicious desserts.” As long as he talked to me, I could bring him desserts made by my mom. But Liam turned his head and glared at me fiercely: “What do you mean?” I looked at him in confusion. “You’re mocking me for not having a mom, right?” Liam pushed me hard, his face full of hostility. I fell to the ground, still dazed, when the homeroom teacher, Ms. Foster, shouted from behind: “Lily Evans, do you have eyes? You disrupted the line discipline, get up immediately!” I had to slowly get up from the ground and pat the dust off my clothes. Since I talked to Liam after school, I inexplicably became a thorn in his side and his followers’. Every time he passed by my seat, he would pinch my arm through my clothes. If we met head-on, he would also slam into my shoulder hard. Not to mention, he always had a large group of followers with him. Every time I passed, they would shout inexplicably: “Lily Evans, the little mute, so shameful.” Then they would make weird noises with their mouths. I mustered up the courage to tell the teacher. However, when I went to Ms. Foster’s office, she was sitting cross-legged with her phone, talking to someone unknown, calling him “Mr. Black” repeatedly, her eyes and brows full of smiles. I stood at the door for ten minutes, and she didn’t notice me. The bell rang; the next class was English. I had to go back. The English teacher taught an essay today, titled “My Dad”. I didn’t know how to write it, so I sat dryly for a whole class. The sky outside the window was gray, as if it was going to rain, making people feel heavy-hearted. However, Liam was very happy. He told everyone that his dad would come to pick him up today. After school, it really started to pour. Unexpectedly, in the huge campus, only Liam and I were left unpicked in the end. The security guard took us to the security room. Liam looked very bad, shouting at the smart watch on his wrist: “I don’t care! I don’t want to hear any excuses! You just have to come pick me up!” Then he put down his watch and stomped on the floor “bang bang bang”. I thought he really looked like a grumpy and unreasonable monkey. I don’t know how long it took, but the driver of Liam’s family finally appeared outside the security room. “I don’t want you, where’s my dad?” The little bully threw a tantrum at the driver outside the window. The driver made a call in embarrassment. Not long after, a man walked over unhurriedly holding a huge black umbrella. The sky was still gloomy, and the wind was howling outside the window— Although the umbrella brim covered his face, it could be seen that the man had an upright posture, a calmness that feared no wind or rain. Liam had already jumped up, rushed out of the security room, and ran quickly into the man’s arms. The man extended a hand and firmly grabbed Liam’s collar. Those were hands that looked powerful and safe—broad palms, distinct knuckles, just like a pair of hands a father should have. The man put Liam down, holding the umbrella in one hand, tilting most of the brim towards Liam. Then mercilessly, he patted Liam’s head. That crisp hit, like patting a watermelon, made me stare blankly. Liam didn’t mind. Instead, he suddenly turned his head and gave me a smug and gloating smile. “Poor thing.” He provoked me with a grimace, “Keep waiting by yourself!” Chapter 2 I simply stayed in the guard room. I almost finished my homework before the rain stopped. The security guard, Uncle Lee, even shared his dinner with me—a basket of delicious buns. After thanking him, I walked back to the apartment I rented with my mom. I simply mopped the floor and read “The Adventures of Bacteria World” before Mom finally came back. The bedroom door was pushed open, and Mom smiled and leaned half her body in from the door: “Baby, why haven’t you slept yet tonight?” I noticed the other half of her hand hidden behind the door at a glance. “Mom! Is your left hand hurt?” She scratched her head: “Sharp eyes, kiddo, worthy of 20/20 vision.” I asked her what happened. “Hit by goods,” she sighed, “Now it’s great, can’t use my left hand for half a month.” “Then can you rest at home for this half month?” I asked carefully. “Where are such kind capitalists? Giving you ten days or half a month off, do you still want the job?” I lowered my eyes, a little unhappy. “Ta-da—look what this is?” Mom suddenly raised her voice, quickly taking out the roast duck and a can of beer hidden behind her back to divert attention, “This is a gift from the stingy boss.” “Were you planning to eat it yourself?” I asked faintly. She scratched her face: “Am I that kind of person?” I had to help her recall the old cases of her hiding in the living room drinking milk tea, eating barbecue, and watching TV dramas alone after I fell asleep… Under the dim light, we shared the roast duck. I suddenly remembered Liam’s dad I saw today, so I whispered: “Mom, what kind of person was my dad?” I knew Mom didn’t like talking about Dad. But she was silent for a moment and actually told me: He had a bad temper, spent all his time on work, and only knew how to stuff black cards to solve problems… “Then what did he look like? Were his hands big?” “Pretty big, and quite tall.” Mom chuckled, “Why do you ask this?” I wanted to hear her say more, but Mom said emotionlessly: “Kiddo, knowing this is useless, he’s already dead.” I had to ask one last sentence eagerly: “Did Dad love me when he was alive?” She touched my head and said softly: “Sleep, baby.” I don’t know why, but I felt sadness on her smiling face. The next day, I arrived at school early and started making up the essay homework I didn’t finish yesterday. As a result, after handing in the essay, Mr. Lewis actually read mine aloud as a model essay in front of the whole class. “My Dad” My dad often keeps a straight face, always looking unhappy. My dad is always busy and can’t take care of me, but I know he is always by my side. My dad is the best dad in the world. Whenever it rains, he will drop all work and come to school to pick me up. His hands are so big, just like his big black umbrella, able to shield Mom and me from the wind and rain of the whole world… After school, Liam found me, his face full of anger: “You thief! You clearly wrote about my dad.” He reached out to push me. I quickly ran back, but he caught up instantly and pinned me against the wall at the back of the classroom, shouting fiercely: “Thief!” I suddenly got angry and pushed him forward hard. Actually, I was taller and stronger than him. He was pushed to the ground by me, his face turned black immediately, and he started cursing. I had never heard so many vicious words! New hatred piled on old grudges. Instead of letting him go, I rode on him. For every curse, I punched him. When I came back to my senses, Ms. Foster had already rushed to the classroom. She screamed, pulled me off Liam, and hugged him to comfort him for a long time. Liam cried pretentiously a few times, still shouting emotionally: “Ms. Foster, my dad entrusted me to you. I always treat you as my mom. I only have you now, boohoo.” Ms. Foster turned her head and stared at me fiercely: “Lily Evans, now, immediately, right now, ask your mom to come to school!” Chapter 3 “Does your daughter have violent tendencies?” Ms. Foster’s voice was shrill. “Look at how she beat up Liam!” Liam immediately groaned, pretending to be in great pain. Ms. Foster said to him softly: “Liam, be good. I called your dad, he’s coming.” Mom had her left arm in a cast, still wearing the green vest of a salesclerk and a cheap hat with the store logo. She seemed to have run over in a hurry, her bangs blown messy. She looked at me and said anxiously: “Lily is usually very good, she wouldn’t hit people for no reason.” Ms. Foster raised her voice: “Are you saying I’m slandering your daughter?” “I didn’t mean that.” Mom said quickly, “I just want to hear what the child has to say.” “Lily Evans,” Ms. Foster turned to ask me coldly, “Tell me yourself, where did you go wrong?” I pursed my lips stubbornly. Ms. Foster seemed angry: “Fine, if you won’t say it, I will.” “When standing in line, you didn’t follow the discipline.” “Other classmates don’t like you either. You don’t have any ability to integrate into the group.” “Now you’ve even learned to beat up classmates.” “Just now when the teacher asked you, you didn’t say a word. You’ve also learned to deceive.” “I just want to ask you, do you still have any respect for me as your homeroom teacher?” My mom looked at me and moved her lips: “Ms. Foster, maybe there’s some misunderstanding…” Ms. Foster showed a contemptuous smile: “Since you insist on turning a blind eye to your daughter’s mistakes, I have nothing to say.” She slammed the thermos cup in her hand heavily: “I can’t teach her. You find another famous teacher. Ask around yourself, which homeroom teacher in the school is willing to accept her, just transfer her out.” As soon as these words came out, my mom’s face turned pale. Although she didn’t usually act like a mother, she was very strict about education. Usually, if I scored less than 80 on a test, she would treat me to a “bamboo whip stir-fry pork” without mercy. What’s more, education has always been more important than life to her. “No.” Mom panicked a little, she begged quickly, “Ms. Foster, give Lily another chance. She’s young and ignorant.” Ms. Foster turned her head, snorted coldly, facing the wall. Mom continued to beg bitterly, saying almost all the good words. But no matter what Mom said, Ms. Foster just told her to find someone to transfer me to another class. But in a school, which homeroom teacher would take over a student that others didn’t want? “Please have mercy.” Mom raised her injured hand, “I will definitely educate Lily well when I go back, don’t throw her away.” Ms. Foster turned back, but still picked: “How can I trust you?” My mom paused, as if she had made up her mind: “Ms. Foster, I’m busy with work and don’t have time to care about Lily’s psychological state. She has always been alone, and no one taught her what to do and what not to do.” I looked at Mom blankly, the first time seeing her speak so seriously. Mom held the handle of the chair and slowly knelt down, begging again: “Ms. Foster, the one who is wrong is actually me, the mother. It’s me who didn’t teach her well, not Lily’s fault. Please give her another chance.” After speaking, her usually thin and straight shoulder blades folded deeply. I stared at her blankly. The one who usually laughed and didn’t act serious was my mom; the one kneeling on the ground, humbly begging the teacher not to abandon me, was my mom; the one who taught me to be honest and study hard was my mom… Hard life never crushed her, but at this moment, she gave up her dignity for me. I couldn’t hold on anymore and immediately hugged Mom’s shoulder and knelt beside her. “I’m sorry, it’s my fault, Mom, not your fault.” I had never felt so regretful for doing something. Tears gushed out of my eyes, and I felt my heart shattered into pieces. Ms. Foster seemed startled too, pressing her voice: “I didn’t mean that…” “I’m sorry Ms. Foster.” I cried too, “I won’t hit anyone again.” Amidst the noise, Liam suddenly shouted excitedly: “Dad, you’re finally here.” Ms. Foster was startled, quickly pushed us away, bent down and quickly fixed her lipstick in the small mirror on the desk. I heard a cold voice first: “Liam Black, tell me yourself, what trouble did you cause again?” The office door was pushed open, footsteps approached from far to near, and the man’s voice seemed to carry some fatigue and boredom: “Confess voluntarily, don’t make me do it.” I felt Mom’s figure seemed to stiffen a bit. She turned her head to look and immediately lowered her head, as if seeing something unbelievable. For a moment, I felt as if she wanted to hide under the desk chair. “Mr. Black.” Ms. Foster stood up with a smile, “You misunderstood, today Liam is the one being bullied, don’t criticize him.” The man stopped casually behind us: “Bullied by whom?” “Her.” Ms. Foster pointed at me and sighed, “This girl has some mental problems.” I didn’t dare to refute, so I could only turn around, lying on the ground and saying: “I’m sorry.” The man squatted down. He looked at the bruise on Liam’s face, his tone flat: “Got beaten? Does it hurt?” Liam quickly gave a pitiful “Hmm”. The man frowned, but said mercilessly: “Useless.” After criticizing Liam, his sharp eyes swept over me: “A girl, liking to fight at such a young age, didn’t your parents teach you manners?” Glared at by his gloomy eyes, I was almost scared to cry again, so I bit my lip tightly. “She indeed has no upbringing at home.” Ms. Foster said quickly, “I just taught her a lesson, her mom knelt down to apologize, sigh… Mr. Black, how do you think we should handle this?” “Handle this?” Mr. Black repeated slowly, anyone could hear the coldness in his tone. Hearing this, I immediately straightened up and grabbed the hem of his suit in panic: “Uncle, I didn’t mean to, I swear, I won’t provoke him again.” Mr. Black looked down at me and suddenly frowned. He pinched my chin with one hand, his eyes even revealing some confusion and puzzlement: “Why do you… look so much like…” He didn’t finish the rest, silenced for a while, just shook his head: “Ms. Foster, forget it.” Liam screamed: “How can we forget it?” “Then what do you want?” Mr. Black’s tone was impatient. “I want Lily Evans to apologize to me in front of the whole class tomorrow.” Liam’s mouth chattered, “She mocked me for not having a mom last time.” Mr. Black’s face turned black as a pot bottom, and my mom’s face turned completely white. She secretly looked at Liam, her eyes mixed with pain and division. She seemed to want to say something, but bit her lip, lowered her head even more, and her body trembled a little. I was worried and quickly clenched Mom’s hand. “Enough, you little brat.” Mr. Black raised his hand and grabbed Liam’s collar, “I think you really need a beating.” “It’s shameful enough to lose to a little girl, do you want the whole class to laugh at you?” Ms. Foster didn’t seem to expect the matter to end like this. She pursed her lips and said: “Since Mr. Black won’t pursue it, Lily Evans’s mom, then you apologize to Mr. Black.” Mom didn’t say a word, but trembled even more. Ms. Foster waited impatiently: “Lily Evans’s mom? Is being mute hereditary in your family?” Mr. Black seemed to finally notice a woman kneeling on the ground. He turned his head casually, and froze at a glance. He let go of Liam’s collar and stood up straight instantly. “I’m sorry.” Mom finally whispered, her head still buried low. The man’s lips parted, seeming to use great strength to shout a name: “Sarah… is that you?” I don’t know how he knew my mom’s name. “You mistook me for someone else.” Mom immediately turned her face away, but her left hand in a cast clenched painfully into a fist, as if enduring something. “It is you.” Mr. Black stared at Mom, the expression on his face unknown whether crying or laughing, hating or happy, the whole face twisted terrifyingly. “Sarah——” He seemed to chew the name apart, his eyes stared at Mom: “When did you come back?” Mom turned her head away, not meeting his eyes. Even Ms. Foster saw something was wrong, her face changed instantly: “Does Mr. Black know her?” “More than know.” He seemed to be furious, unable to endure anymore, pulling Mom up from the ground with one hand. “Eight years no see, you look like this poor and ridiculous appearance?” “Sarah, I used to treat you like a princess, afraid you’d melt in my mouth, and you damn well kneel here for someone today?” “Whose face are you throwing away?” “Get up!” After being pulled up, Mom quickly held my hand, seeming to want to take me away quickly. But Mr. Black still tightly held Mom’s thin wrist. Under everyone’s gaze, this tall and mighty man’s eyes actually turned red: “Sarah, haven’t seen you for so many years, you won’t even look up at me?” He seemed to realize something and suddenly looked at me: “How old are you?” I inexplicably met a pair of incredulous eyes, the owner of the eyes asked angrily: “Sarah, is she our—” “Lily is seven years old this year,” Mom interrupted him, “She is the daughter of me and my husband. Adrian Black, she has nothing to do with you.” She paused, her voice seeming to suppress great pain as she continued: “You also have no standing to question me now, whether I am a beggar or whatever.” I looked nervously between them. Actually, I am eight years old this year. I don’t know why Mom lied about my age. But I think Mom must have her reasons. Mr. Black listened to her words, only asking desolately: “You… got married?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388942”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My roommate was a fragile, petty, and possessively toxic piece of work. If I saved a seat for another classmate in a lecture hall, she’d cry, accusing me of betraying her. If the cafeteria lady gave me one more meatball than her, she’d report the woman for “discrimination” and get her fired. Even when my boyfriend invited me home for Thanksgiving break, she threw a fit. She claimed she’d never experienced a “real family holiday” and guilt-tripped us into letting her tag along. Once at my house, she treated my parents like servants, ordering them around. She even hinted that my boyfriend should warm up her bed because “it was cold.” The final straw was my birthday dinner. Because I didn’t serve her food first, she flipped the hot pot table. Scalding soup ruined my face. In the chaos that followed, she pushed me down the stairs. I died. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back in my freshman dorm room on the very first day we met. Chapter 1 “Why did you skip me?” My roommate, Tilly, suddenly threw her chopsticks on the floor and burst into tears. My boyfriend, Ethan, snapped, “What is wrong with you now?” Tilly pouted, her eyes red and swollen. She looked at me with pure venom masked as grievance. “Harper, you served everyone else but me. The tripe is all gone, and I didn’t get a single bite. Do you all look down on me that much?!” Tears the size of beans rolled down her cheeks. My grandparents, soft-hearted as always, immediately flagged down the waiter to order two more plates of tripe. “Child, don’t cry. It was our oversight.” My parents looked baffled. But after three days of her tantrums during the holiday break, they were getting used to it. They sighed, their patience wearing thin. This scene happened at my birthday dinner. My family was happily eating hot pot and singing songs. Ethan had just cut the cake, and everyone was about to sing “Happy Birthday.” But Tilly, the roommate who insisted on tagging along for Thanksgiving, ruined everything. She flipped the boiling pot of spicy broth right onto my face. I screamed in agony as the searing liquid burned my skin. Through the pain, I saw that everyone else was fine. She had aimed the pot specifically at me. My parents and grandparents frantically called 911. Ethan exploded: “Tilly, are you insane?! We treated you like family, gave you food and shelter, and this is how you repay us? You want to kill her?!” Tilly didn’t show an ounce of remorse. She sat there, arms crossed, staring me down. “I’ve been burned by oil before. Relax, she won’t die.” “She has a perfect family and a happy life. Why does she look down on me? Why didn’t she serve me food?” I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I screamed through the pain: “Get out! Get out of my house right now! We are done. I’m requesting a dorm transfer the second school starts!” Chapter 2 Hearing that I would no longer tolerate her because of her “pitiful background,” Tilly’s expression twisted into something evil. She lunged at me and slapped my burned face. My parents and Ethan had run downstairs to settle the bill and guide the ambulance. No one was there to help me. My grandparents tried to pull her away, their frail hands trembling. Tilly screamed like a banshee: “You said you’d be good to me!” “You lied! You’ll pay for this!” The slap stunned me. My face, already blistering, throbbed with excruciating pain. My grandparents, both over 80, couldn’t withstand the shoving of a young woman who grew up doing farm work. Grandma was pushed to the floor. Grandpa clutched his chest, gasping for breath. “Pills… pills…” I was shaking with rage, tears streaming down my face. “Tilly, you ate my food, wore my clothes, used my money, and now you hurt my family? You have no conscience! You deserve every beating your stepfather gave you. You deserve your miserable life!” Mentioning her abusive stepfather was the trigger. She lost all reason. She reached out and choked me. I wasn’t as strong as her. She backed me to the edge of the stairs. In the struggle, I fell. My neck snapped. I died on impact. When I opened my eyes again, the dorm door creaked open. Tilly dragged a massive woven sack into the room, looking timid and awkward. I was making my bed on the bottom bunk. She was small, her skin rough from sun exposure. She whispered cautiously, “Um, excuse me… I’m afraid of heights. Could I maybe have the bottom bunk?” When I didn’t respond immediately, she added, “If not, it’s okay. Sorry to bother you.” Her voice was as quiet as a mosquito. In that moment, I knew. I was reborn. Reborn to the first day of freshman year. Chapter 3 In my past life, my bleeding heart got the better of me. I treated her too well. That only made her greedy and entitled. This time? Absolutely not. Without even turning my head, I said: “Sorry, I’m afraid of heights too. Ask someone else.” She didn’t give up. The pity play started immediately. “Please… I’m from a rural village. I’ve never lived in a building before, never even taken an elevator. High places terrify me. Please, I’m begging you.” Before I could speak, a voice cut through the air. “If you’re that fragile, go rent an apartment. It has a living room and kitchen, no bunk beds.” It was Morgan, the girl with the short, edgy haircut on the top bunk opposite me. She jumped down from her bed. Morgan was straightforward and sharp-tongued. In my past life, her bluntness allegedly “drove” Tilly to almost jump out the window from depression. I was the one who pulled Tilly back, comforted her for hours, and used all my patience to “heal” her. Because of that, the other roommates isolated us. I stood by her side, and she repaid me with murder. This time, I was going to hug Morgan’s thigh tight. She was going to be my voice of reason. Tilly started sobbing. She squatted on the floor, looking like a drenched koala. Just then, our fourth roommate, Chloe, walked in. Chloe was a wealthy, straight-A beauty. In my past life, she kept her distance until Tilly stole her mother’s vintage Chanel dress, ruined it, and tried to sell it on Depop. That was when Chloe finally snapped and moved out. I looked at Chloe. This was the heavyweight ally I needed. I smiled at her. “Hey, you want this bottom bunk? The one near the door is drafty. You look delicate; I bet I can handle the cold better than you.” Chloe looked at me suspiciously, then at Tilly crying on the floor. Her brain was working fast. She wasn’t one to pick sides without info. And honestly, she probably thought this drama was beneath her. Chapter 4 Hearing that I’d rather give the bed to the “princess” than to her, Tilly snapped. She ran out crying, acting like she’d been assaulted. She came back with our Resident Assistant (RA), Sarah. “Guys, we don’t discriminate here. We’re all adults. Tilly is from a different background, yes, but she hasn’t done anything to you, right? Let’s try to get along.” Morgan scoffed. “Who bullied her? Show me the evidence.” “If she says we murdered someone, are we going to jail tomorrow just because she cried?” The RA wasn’t expecting a freshman to be this tough. She softened her tone. “Look, fate brought you all to Room 303. Let’s compromise. Take a step back, and the sky is wide, right?” Tilly felt empowered. She nodded vigorously behind the RA like a bobblehead. “Yes, Sarah is right!” She turned her hopeful eyes to Chloe. “Classmate, could you please give me the bottom bunk? I really have a phobia.” Chloe looked at Tilly, then at the RA staring at her expectantly. It was a classic moral kidnapping setup. But Chloe was rich enough not to care. She pulled out a wad of cash—two thousand dollars. She tossed it at Tilly’s feet. “Go see a therapist.” Tilly’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean?!” Morgan chimed in perfectly: “She means if you’re sick, go to the hospital. Don’t try to guilt-trip us. We don’t buy it.” I almost applauded. God, I love Morgan. I declared internally: Morgan is my best friend in this life. I will make up for my blindness in the last life.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388941”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was taking a breather on a cruise ship in international waters when I stumbled upon my stepsister surrounded at a poker table. Her two childhood friends stood opposite her, flanking a delicate-looking girl, sneers playing on their lips: “What’s wrong, Miss Vance? Can’t afford to call? Weren’t you tough before? Daring to ask Chloe for three million for a scarf?” “Folding is fine too. Just sign over your 15% of the Vance family shares to Chloe tomorrow.” My sister’s knuckles were white, her eyes rimmed with red. Someone laughed and loosened his tie: “No money, little girl? How about this, take off a piece of clothing, and I’ll give you five hundred in chips.” Whistles erupted around us. “Strip naked, and all my chips are yours.” I stood in the shadows of the high balcony, slowly turning the ring on my pinky finger. Not showing my face for a few years, these trash must have forgotten that although my sister took her father’s surname, she is still a Sterling. Touch a Sterling girl, and you pay with your life. …… The special assistant beside me held his breath, whispering carefully: “I’ll call the cruise manager right away and have him apologize to you.” I looked down at the poker table, my voice icy: “No rush. Let’s see what tricks they’re playing.” Those who dare to touch my people under my nose, no one on this ship will have a good end. Chapter 1 Liam Carter looked at my sister, who was surrounded by men, with a sneer on his lips: “Luna, why are you scared to strip? I have your private photos here. Why don’t I sell a set and add to your bet?” Before he finished speaking, he tossed a USB drive to a staff member. The next second, the big screen lit up. High-definition photos of my sister in compromising states were projected for all to see, igniting imaginations. “The eldest Miss Vance, usually acting so high and mighty. Who knew she had such a body underneath!” “Just seeing this makes me hard. If she strips, I might die on top of her.” Filthy language continued as Noah Reed threw another USB drive, laughing sinisterly: “I have more here. If you don’t dare to strip for chips, I’ll help you. Adding another bet for you!” The crowd roared in approval, the atmosphere heating up instantly. “The two young masters are generous! Giving us such a feast for the eyes!” My sister trembled all over, tears streaming down her face: “We grew up together… how dare you treat me like this?” “Now you know how to cry? Where was this pitiful act when you forced Chloe to pay for your scarf?” “We’re kind enough to help you raise money, why are you so ungrateful?” My sister retorted urgently, “She ruined the scarf on purpose! That was a gift from my sister…” Hearing this, the girl named Chloe, sandwiched between the two men, suddenly knelt down with a thud, tears streaming: “Sister, I know I was wrong. I’ve even bet myself. I beg you, please have mercy and stop following the bet!” Liam slammed the table and stood up: “Luna, relying on your money, will you only be satisfied when you drive Chloe to death?” Noah pulled Chloe up from the floor and held her in his arms, saying sternly: “Since you dare to bully Chloe right in front of us, don’t blame us for being ruthless!” Chloe comforted softly, “Don’t blame Luna. Blame me for upsetting her.” She turned to my sister, eyes flashing with calculation, “Luna has no money left. I heard she works eight jobs a day just to eat. If she doesn’t follow this hand, I’ll stop here.” I laughed in anger. Looking at the chips on the table, my sister had bet her entire fortune, even the shares our grandfather gave her privately. If she stops now, she will have nothing and carry a huge debt. I stared at Chloe. She was wearing the custom dress I had made for my sister, the Patek Philippe watch I gave my sister on her wrist, and even the emerald necklace our mother left for my sister around her neck. And my own sister was wearing old clothes washed white, with patches on her pants. When did my sister, a Sterling, fall to this state? My sister bit her lower lip hard, tears winding down her pale face, looking like she would collapse any moment. It seemed what Chloe said was true. “Investigate!” I ordered sternly. The special assistant understood immediately and left. I had been expanding the market abroad for the past few years and rarely went home. But I contacted my sister monthly. Why was there no sign of anything wrong? My sister suddenly looked up, her voice broken: “Why? We were childhood friends. How could you use candid photos of me as chips?” Liam played with the chips, sneering: “If you don’t want to exchange, admit defeat. Give all these to Chloe as an apology.” Noah didn’t even lift his head: “Cut the crap. Either exchange or go over there for a nude loan and strip right here!” Lecherous jeers erupted around them: “Strip, princess!” “How about sleeping with me for a night? I’ll bet for you!” My sister was surrounded, trembling all over. Just when everyone thought she would yield, she suddenly looked up, a desperate light in her eyes: “I’ll continue to follow!” The whole audience was in an uproar. Chapter 2 I was stunned, my fingers unconsciously tapping the railing. I knew my sister’s assets clearly. What was on the table was everything she had. Looking at her thin figure, I felt a pang of heartache. She trembled as she took out her phone, switching between a dozen loan apps. It took a whole hour to barely scrape together a hundred thousand dollars. “That’s it?” Noah sneered, slamming his glass down. “Chloe makes more than that in one spa treatment.” Chloe covered her mouth and chuckled: “Luna, admit defeat. I’ll be merciful and let you go.” Liam pushed his chips to the center of the table: “Call, and double it!” My sister’s face turned instantly pale. “Seeing how short of money you are, let me help you again…” Noah suddenly pressed a remote control, and the big screen lit up. It was an AI deepfake video with my sister’s face! The actions were bold, the voice coquettish, just as if my sister had filmed it herself. “That voice is amazing, so soulful. I’m hard instantly.” “Worthy of a rich girl, she’s got flavor in bed!” “I’ll pay two million for the full set!” My sister stood up abruptly. She trembled all over, looking at her two former childhood friends in disbelief. But they only had eyes for Chloe, gently draping a coat over her shoulders. “Turn it off! Turn it off immediately!” she screamed hoarsely. But the frenzied bidding drowned her out completely. A waiter bowed and handed over a tablet: “Miss Vance, do you want to sell the video rights?” “Otherwise, you either continue to follow or admit defeat!” My sister’s face was ashen. She covered her face with her hands and began to cry, “I… I really have nothing left…” The men around her had greedy lights in their eyes, like a pack of hungry wolves staring at dying prey, ready to swarm the moment she admitted defeat. My knuckles turned white as I clenched my fists, about to stand up. But then I saw my sister trembling as she took a dusty gray stone out of her worn pocket and carefully placed it on the waiter’s tray: “Use this for chips…” Laughter exploded instantly. Chloe laughed so hard she trembled: “Oh my god! Is Luna crazy from poverty? Trying to exchange a random stone for chips?” The waiter respectfully took the stone away. In less than three minutes, he returned pushing neat stacks of five million in chips to the table. “Miss Vance, your chips.” The hall fell dead silent instantly. Chloe’s expression could no longer be maintained: “That broken stone is worth five million?!” Liam stood up abruptly: “Are you kidding?!” Noah overturned his chair: “Call the appraiser!” Chapter 3 I narrowed my eyes, tapping the armrest lightly. That stone was no ordinary stone. That was my Sterling family’s private seal. One seal could mobilize one hundred million in funds. If not driven to desperation, my sister would never have taken it out. But these idiots only exchanged it for five million? The cruise owner knelt trembling before me, sweat dripping onto the carpet, daring not wipe it. Downstairs was already in an uproar. “Upon appraisal, this is the private seal of the Sterling family from the Capital, valued at one hundred million,” the manager’s voice trembled. “Currently discounted to five million.” “The Sterling family?” Someone gasped. “Those few have a death wish daring to offend the Sterlings?” Hearing “Sterling family,” Chloe suddenly reddened her eyes: “Grandpa Sterling has been seriously ill for a long time. Dad gave me all the family assets…” She turned to my sister, “Luna, I even sold a kidney. I really have no money left. We’re sisters, why must we fight? Letting others laugh at us.” The wine glass in my hand shattered. “Sisters?” My special assistant whispered, “Chloe is the illegitimate daughter Mr. Vance acknowledged half a year ago. Even did a DNA test. He dotes on her the most.” Good, very good. Arthur Vance, you’ve done well. Just because I haven’t been home for a few years, you dare to pull this behind my back. Guess I wasn’t ruthless enough before. I’ll settle accounts with him when I get back. The priority now is to solve my sister’s problem. Liam looked furious, “Luna, since you are so vicious, don’t blame us for being cruel.” “Call! Five million!” Liam slammed the table, only to be told he had insufficient chips. He and Noah exchanged a glance, gritting their teeth to bet their family shares. “Double!” They pushed the chips to Chloe. “Let’s see what you call with!” Chloe smiled triumphantly, mouthing silently to my sister: You’re finished. My sister trembled, her bloodless face filled with despair. Double the chips meant ten million. Once placed, it cut off all her retreats. If she folded, everything on the table would belong to Chloe, and she wouldn’t even be able to leave this cruise ship. But to continue betting, she couldn’t produce any more chips. Someone shamelessly reached out to my sister, “Little beauty, sell the photos and videos, and you’ll have chips, won’t you?” “Shameless!” My sister slapped the man. “Bitch!” The man sneered. “You’ll be begging soon enough!” Noah played with chips, smiling cruelly: “Want to call? Bet double again.” Chloe finally tore off her innocent mask, eyes flashing with malice: “Sell your body, Luna. Your body… is still worth something.” A dozen men surrounded her, their gazes slimy like venomous snakes, rubbing their palms and shouting, “Strip! Strip! Strip! Strip!” “I’ll sign a donation agreement.” My sister’s voice was soft, but it exploded like thunder. The whole venue was in an uproar. “Crazy?” “This girl is ruthless! Doesn’t even want her life!” “Is her body worth twenty million?” Chloe shrieked with laughter: “Luna, what are you thinking? Even if you sell your whole body in parts, it’s not worth twenty million!” Before she could finish, a waiter slowly walked over pushing twenty million in chips. The hall was in chaos, everyone dissatisfied. “Rigged!” “I’m strong and healthy, and only got five hundred thousand! How is she worth twenty million?” “If you don’t give an explanation today, we’ll smash this broken ship!” Chapter 4 “Everyone, please calm down.” The manager raised his hand to suppress the commotion. The big screen suddenly lit up, displaying my sister’s medical report! My pupils contracted sharply. My sister was born with rare Rh-null blood, known as “Golden Blood.” This blood type is extremely rare in the world, almost impossible to find. Wealthy families offer sky-high prices to find this blood type but still come up empty. From the moment my sister was born, her medical report was classified as top secret. I guarded this secret carefully, fearing that leaking it would bring her unnecessary trouble. However, now these people have pushed her to such a desperate situation. It’s simply too much! Especially the Carter and Reed families. Considering they grew up with my sister, I treated their families with some favor. But now, for that woman of unknown origin, they openly bullied my sister! “Chloe, don’t panic!” Liam’s face was dark as he comforted Chloe. “Don’t be afraid, this is her last stand. We’ll make her lose everything then to vent your anger!” Noah also comforted. Both frowned and began desperately pooling money. Mortgaging antiques, real estate, looking everywhere for loan sharks. But to win against my sister, they needed forty million. I watched them struggle calmly. They gritted their teeth. Not only did they make Chloe sign a donation agreement, but they also signed agreements themselves, managing to scrape together sixty million. “We bet it all!” The two men stared viciously at my sister. These two really have malicious intentions. Not only do they want to wipe my sister clean, but they also want to consume the Vance family and dig a piece of flesh from my Sterling family. I didn’t expect the dogs I raised for my sister back then would bite today! My sister’s eyes had lost hope. She hesitated and opened her mouth several times, finally asking her two childhood friends for help. “Liam, Noah, for the sake of us growing up together, please let me go…” Her voice carried a sob. The two men were slightly moved, subconsciously wanting to reach out to help her. However, Chloe beat them to it. While slapping herself hard, she knelt down to apologize to my sister: “Sister, all the mistakes are mine! It’s all because I’m poor and couldn’t afford to pay for that two million dollar scarf. I’ll work like a cow or horse to pay you back later… You can do whatever you want to me, please don’t make it difficult for the two brothers!” The eyes of the two men, who had softened slightly, instantly turned cold. My sister was completely desperate. She didn’t even want to reveal her cards and prepared to leave in a trance. I waved my hand slightly, and my special assistant left silently. However, before my sister could take two steps, she was pinned back to the poker table by bodyguards. “Either call or admit defeat! Otherwise, don’t think about leaving the table!” The surrounding bodyguards were ready, waiting to control my sister as soon as the game ended. At this point, the game had reached a life-or-death moment. Both sides had bet everything. The dealer covered the cards in both hands and sealed the deck. The whole audience held their breath waiting for the reveal. But at this moment, my sister, sitting at the table with a face like dead ashes, suddenly looked up at me on the balcony. She instantly straightened her spine and shouted, “I continue to call, double!” The whole venue fell into dead silence instantly. “Miss Vance,” the waiter’s voice was tight, reminding coldly, “You have nothing left to bet.” A crisp sound of a black card slapping on the table exploded. My sister shouted firmly, “I have money! I continue to call!” Liam and Noah’s faces changed instantly, staring dead at that card. “Luna, where did you get that card? You clearly have nothing on you!” Chloe said with red eyes, “Luna, don’t fool people with a fake card. This isn’t a joke; this really costs lives!” But before she finished speaking, gasps were heard one after another. “How is this possible?” Liam and Noah stood up abruptly, looking at the screen, faces full of disbelief: “How can this be?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388940”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I bought a used laptop online. I was expecting a beat-up machine. Instead, I received the brand-new, latest model. I opened it up. The wallpaper was a photo of me. The password? My birthday. Just as I was wondering if this was some secret admirer’s surprise gift… My phone blew up. The seller was spamming me: “Girl, I messed up! I mailed you my sister’s new laptop!” “That wasn’t the one for sale! OMG, she’s going to end me.” “Did you see the guy on the wallpaper? That’s my brother-in-law. She’s obsessed with him.” “For the sake of a hopeless romantic, can you please send it back?” 1 My four-year-old laptop finally gave up the ghost. Blue screen of death. No coming back. I was broke, waiting on my next paycheck, so buying brand new wasn’t an option. I decided to go second-hand. High risk, high reward. I spent four days scrolling through Marketplace until I found “The One.” It fit my budget perfectly, and the seller seemed chill. In the spirit of saving every penny, I decided to play the game. I pulled out the big guns and sent a message that would make any seller cringe: “Would you take $200?” A brave lowball offer from a broke man, praying for a miracle. I was ready for her to curse me out, block me, and roast me on Reddit. Instead, she replied instantly: “Sure. I’ll cover shipping too.” Mom, I think I met an angel. I was so moved I almost cried. I copy-pasted a wall of generic, flattering blessings to her default avatar: “You’re a queen,” “Manifesting wealth for you,” “You’re too kind, good karma is coming your way,” “May you win the lottery, get a promotion, have eight kids, and marry your crush.” She didn’t reply to any of that until the last one: “I claim that energy.” Of course. Everyone wants to win the lottery. Me too. I paid and filled in my address. She messaged: “We’re in the same city. Can you pick it up?” “Sure.” A while later, she texted back: “Sorry, something came up. I have to go out of town tomorrow. I can’t meet.” I quickly typed: “I can come grab it now. Where are you?” She seemed cautious and didn’t drop the address. “Too far. I’ll have my family courier it to you tomorrow.” The next afternoon, I didn’t have classes. I got home, and the package was waiting. Excited, I tore open the box. My smile froze. Something was wrong. Very wrong. This laptop was Rose Gold. The one I bought in the pictures was Space Gray. And looking at the sleek design, this was the latest flagship model. The price tag on this thing was at least ten times what I paid. Confused, I turned it over in my hands. My finger accidentally brushed the power button. The screen lit up instantly. A familiar face stared back at me. I froze. It was a photo of me. In the picture, I was standing under a cherry blossom tree, holding an ice cream cone, waving at the camera with a goofy grin. Based on my outfit, I was in high school. I looked young, energetic. Alive. Unlike now—working a 9-to-5, running on fumes, basically quiet quitting life. Why would a stranger have my photo as their wallpaper? A thought crept in: Was this a surprise gift from a friend or family member? I did just complain on my Instagram story about my laptop dying. I looked at the password prompt. I typed in my birthday. Click. Unlocked. The desktop background was me, too. The laptop was pristine. No apps installed. Just the wallpaper change. My theory solidified. I grabbed my phone to text the seller, intending to ask which friend put her up to this so I could thank them properly. But before I could type, a barrage of notifications flooded my screen. “Girl, I am so sorry. I sent the wrong one. That’s my sister’s new computer.” “It’s not the one I sold you! Ahhh, she’s going to kill me!” “Hello? Are you there? Please reply!” “I’m begging you. I was helping her ship stuff, I was half asleep, I grabbed the wrong box!” “Did you see the hot guy on the wallpaper? That’s her future husband. She cries if she doesn’t see him for a day. She’s obsessed.” “For the sake of a hopeless romantic, can you please return it?” 2 I stared at the phone in silence. The “future husband” on the wallpaper didn’t even know he had a girlfriend. I tried to rationalize it. I’m a decent-looking guy. Maybe the photo got out online and became a stock image or a meme, and the seller just happened to use it. As for the birthday… plenty of people are born on the same day. Coincidence. The seller’s panic seemed genuine, albeit dramatic. “She cries if she doesn’t see him.” Sounds like something a middle schooler would write in fanfiction. I texted back: “Okay. I’ll return it.” I knew it was a mistake. My first instinct was to give it back. I didn’t want them calling the cops. I just started my tenure-track teaching job. I needed stability, not a grand larceny charge. The seller sent a string of crying emojis and “Thank yous.” “You’re a lifesaver!” “I’ll wait for you at the mall near the Elementary School. It should be close to you. Call me when you get there.” “Deal.” I grabbed the expensive laptop and headed to the mall. I scanned the entrance but didn’t see anyone matching the seller’s vibe. I was about to call. Then I saw her. Lily Bennett. One of my students. She was staring at her oversized pink smartwatch, stomping her foot, looking nervous as hell. Seeing her triggered a memory from this morning. She had cornered me during recess, whispering: “Mr. Hayes, do you have a girlfriend?” I shook my head. “No, Lily.” She clapped her hands and dragged another boy, Noah, over to me. She looked up with dead serious eyes. “Mr. Hayes, I have two options for you…” She paused, checked a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket, and continued. “Option one: You become my brother-in-law. Option two: You become his uncle-in-law. Pick one.” I didn’t process it immediately. Then I remembered Lily is Noah’s aunt. Noah chimed in, waving his arms. “Yeah! My aunt is super pretty, super nice. She’s tall, like 5’9″, she’s a cop, and she’s got a great… personality!” I laughed. They were trying to set me up. But I didn’t take a third grader’s matchmaking seriously. I held up two fingers. “I’ll give you two options. One: Double homework. Two: Triple homework. Pick one.” They went silent. Lily’s face paled at the mention of homework. She grabbed Noah and bolted. Now, seeing her at the mall, I wanted to hide. Lily was a chatterbox. I didn’t need another “Choose your own adventure” dating proposal. I turned around, pretending to inspect the sky, then my shoes. Don’t make eye contact. “Mr. Hayes!” Too late. She sprinted toward me on her short legs, waving frantically. “What a coincidence, Mr. Hayes!” Then her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “You’re not waiting for a girlfriend, are you?” I rubbed my temples. I looked around. No parents. It was 7:30 PM. Sun was setting. I crouched down to her level. “What are you doing here? Where are your parents?” Lily flashed her smartwatch. “I may look like I’m loitering, but I am actually protecting my sister’s love life… and my own life!” She was so dramatic. “Does your mom know you’re here? It’s getting dark.” Lily pointed to a sleek luxury car parked by the curb. “It’s fine. The driver is right there.” I nodded. Then I remembered why I was here. I hadn’t found the seller yet. I dialed the number from the chat. The next second. Lily’s smartwatch started ringing. 3 I have never seen a child’s face cycle through so many emotions in five seconds. Lily stared at the laptop in my arms. Her jaw dropped. Her eyes widened. Then, realization hit her like a truck. Her voice trembled. “Mr… Mr. Hayes? You bought the computer?” “I… uh… I was just making stuff up on the app!” I handed the laptop to her. “Here. Take it.” I paused. “Lying isn’t a good habit, Lily. Also, tell your sister to refund my money.” Lily panicked. “Teacher! I can’t refund it! If the money disappears, she’ll know I sold it to you! She’ll kill me!” She rubbed her face, fake crying. “Boohoo, she hits really hard. You don’t want me to come to school with a black eye, do you?” “I thought you said she was a cop? Cops beat people up?” “What? Oh! No! She doesn’t hit people. She only hits me. No, wait, she doesn’t hit me either. She’s actually really nice! A total sweetheart! Mr. Hayes, please…” Her lie was falling apart. I sighed. “Lily, listen. You haven’t given me the other computer—the one I actually paid for. If I don’t get a computer, I need a refund. That’s how math works.” Lily wiped her dry tears and looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. “Mr. Hayes… can you come to my house and get it?” 4 I followed Lily into her house. Everyone in the living room turned to look at us. Lily greeted them politely. “Hi Mom, hi Dad.” “Sis… you’re back?” I followed her gaze to a woman resting on the sofa, eyes closed. This must be the older sister. She wore a casual T-shirt and sweatpants. Her skin was a healthy tan, and even relaxed, I could see the definition of muscles under the fabric. She had long legs, sharp features, and an undeniable aura of cool. Lily didn’t mention her sister looked like a supermodel. I stared. I couldn’t help it. Lily tugged on my sleeve. “Mr. Hayes, you’re drooling.” “I am not.” I coughed awkwardly and whispered, “Just get me the computer.” Lily ran over to the sleeping woman and shook her arm. “Riley! Wake up! Emergency! Big emergency!” The parents intervened. “Lily, stop it. Riley just got back from a case. She’s exhausted.” The parents walked over to me, looking confused. “And you are?” I was confused too. Lily’s “parent” added me on social media right after the school year started. They liked all my posts. I post a lot. Selfies, rants, food. There’s no way they wouldn’t recognize me. But they looked at me like a total stranger. I smiled professionally. “Hi, I’m Lily’s homeroom teacher, Harper Hayes.” Before the parents could react, the woman on the couch snapped her eyes open. She looked straight at me. Her gaze was sharp, tactical. Police eyes. I quickly looked away to avoid being caught staring. “Oh! Mr. Hayes! Come in, come in!” The parents ushered me in. Lily, meanwhile, was ignoring the mission. She was bargaining with her sister. “Tank! Buy me the big Lego tank! Or else…” Riley Bennett covered her ears, grabbed Lily by the collar of her uniform, and tossed her aside like a sack of potatoes. “I said no tank until you pass Math. Be quiet.” I sat on the sofa. Lily’s mom brought me tea. “Mr. Hayes, did Lily get in trouble? She is a handful. If she’s bothering you, let us know.” “No, no,” I waved my hands. “Lily is great. I actually… bought a computer from Lily. Or rather, from Riley. I’m just here to pick it up.” “Riley? Why are you just standing there? Go get Mr. Hayes his computer.” Riley stood up, frowning slightly. Her eyes—beautiful, almond-shaped—seemed deep in thought. She walked past me without a word, heading to her room. Lily punched the sofa cushion. “She won’t buy it. She’s a villain. Riley Bennett is a villain.” I decided to make small talk to break the tension. “Lily is actually a good student. Very talkative. She’s already talked three desk-mates into requesting a seat change…” Before I could finish, a slice of orange was shoved into my mouth. “Mr. Hayes, you talk too much. Eat some fruit. My sister peeled it.” I looked down at the little menace. She was glaring at me. Lily hopped off the sofa and dragged the expensive laptop onto the coffee table. She opened it. The screen lit up. My face, under the cherry blossom tree, beamed at the whole family. Lily went “Whoa!” Her parents leaned in. Then looked at the screen. Then at me. Riley walked out of her bedroom at that exact moment. Lily made a dramatic ‘O’ shape with her mouth. “Oh my god, Riley! Why is Mr. Hayes on your wallpaper? That’s so… specific.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388939”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was reborn on the day my fiancée embezzled company funds to bankroll her lover’s lavish lifestyle. This time, I didn’t bankrupt myself to fill the hole in her accounts. Instead, I handed the evidence straight to the FBI. While she was taken away for investigation, I did three things: I canceled the engagement. I blocked her number. And I vanished from her world completely. Why? Because in my past life, I gave her thirty years of unconditional love. In return, she never gave me a single smile. She accused me of trapping her into marriage. She tried to harm our daughter. And in the end, when the earthquake hit… I held up a concrete slab to save her and the child. But once they were safe, they stopped the rescue team from digging me out. My daughter, the girl I spoiled like a princess for twenty years, called Liam Tate “Dad.” She looked at the rubble crushing me and said: “If you hadn’t used your money to force Mom to marry you, we could have been a happy family with Liam years ago!” Chloe Vance threw herself into Liam’s arms, weeping tears of joy. “Finally. Now we can be together openly.” So, in this life? I’ll let them have their “happy ending.” 1 “Mason, do you have any cash on hand? Can you wire me five million dollars right now?” “Just think of it as an advance on the wedding budget!” The familiar voice snapped me back to reality. I was back. In my previous life, seeing my hesitation, she stole public funds. When she got caught, she cried and begged me to fix it. I couldn’t bear to see her go to prison so young. I emptied my savings, sold my assets, and even borrowed from loan sharks. Only later did I find out… She didn’t steal the money for a family medical emergency. She stole it to win a bidding war at an auction, just to impress her high school crush, Liam Tate. This time? I wasn’t going to be the sucker. I hung up the phone. Then, I forwarded the transaction records directly to her CFO. The next day, Chloe Vance was escorted out of her office by federal agents for wire fraud and embezzlement. A colleague leaned over, whispering nervously: “Mason, I heard the boss say if Chloe can pay back the five million, they won’t press charges.” “She is your fiancée, after all. Are you going to help her? If not, she’s looking at fifteen years in federal prison.” I shook my head, feigning helplessness. “I wish I could, but I’m tapped out. Five million isn’t pocket change. Even if I sold both my kidneys on the black market, I couldn’t cover that.” My colleague nodded sympathetically. “That’s true.” Walking away, memories of my past life flooded back. I had ruined myself financially to save her. Her parents were so grateful they pushed for an immediate wedding. But Chloe believed I had orchestrated the whole thing to trap her. To get revenge, she carried on a decades-long affair with Liam behind my back. She even had a daughter with him. The same daughter I raised, loved, and protected for thirty years. The same daughter who, standing outside the ruins of the earthquake, told the rescuers to leave me to die. She said I was the villain who used money to separate her “true parents.” And my beloved wife? She didn’t defend me. She joined in. “Mason, if you hadn’t guilt-tripped me, I never would have married you. I’ve only ever loved Liam.” “You disgust me. Every time you touched me, I felt sick. You stole thirty years of my life. Now, my daughter and I just want to be with Liam.” They walked away, arm in arm with Liam, a perfect family of three. Leaving me crushed under the rubble, filled with rage and despair, until I suffocated alone. Thank God for second chances. This time, I won’t lift a finger. Let’s see if Liam saves her like she claimed he would. 2 Chloe tried to contact me from the holding cell. I ignored her calls. So, she had the nerve to call my parents. “Chloe says she made a mistake. She invested the money hoping to make your lives better after the wedding.” “Mason, you two are about to be husband and wife. You need to stick together. If you can help, help her. Your dad and I have some retirement savings…” I cut my mother off immediately. “Mom, Chloe is lying to you. She embezzled that money for another man.” I told her everything. The truth, ugly and raw. My mom was silent for a long time. “But… we watched Chloe grow up. Is there a misunderstanding?” “No misunderstanding, Mom. Please, don’t worry about this. I handled it.” After hanging up, I booked my parents a month-long luxury cruise to Europe. I needed them out of the country. I didn’t want them caught in the crossfire. A week later, I ran into Chloe at a mutual friend’s gathering. She had signed an agreement with her company: repay the funds within two weeks, or go to jail. She was out on bail. Everyone at the party knew, but no one said a word. They looked at us with awkward smiles. I didn’t care. But when I locked eyes with Chloe, I felt a chill. The hate in her eyes was palpable. My intuition screamed: She remembers too. She’s reborn. Suddenly, the door to the VIP lounge was kicked open. Liam Tate stormed in, his face twisted in fake outrage. “Mason Carter! Are you even a man?” “Your fiancée was locked up for a week, and you didn’t even visit her!” “Thank god you aren’t married yet, or you would have ruined her entire life!” I glanced at the furious man, then at Chloe. Her eyes, usually cold when looking at me, lit up with adoration when they landed on Liam. In thirty years of marriage, she never looked at me like that. She only pretended to care when she needed something. Usually something for Liam. “Mason, can Liam stay in our rental property for free?” “Mason, can we invest our savings in Liam’s startup?” “Mason, Liam needs a liver transplant. You’re a match.” I always thought if I loved her enough, she’d eventually love me back. I was an idiot. You can’t warm a heart made of stone. My silence infuriated Liam. He grabbed me by the collar. “Did you hear me? Chloe is facing prison time! Do you have no heart?” The room began to whisper. “Mason usually treats her like a queen. Why is he so cold now?” “True colors show when disaster strikes, I guess.” I realized what they were doing. They were trying to use public pressure to shame me into paying her debt. Too bad I don’t care about my reputation anymore. I shoved Liam off me. “You seem very concerned for an outsider,” I said, my voice ice cold. “No wonder my fiancée embezzled five million dollars just to buy you gifts.” 3 The room went dead silent. Everyone stared at Chloe and Liam. Chloe’s face shifted. She looked at me with pure disgust. “So, you found out.” I took a sip of my drink. “If I hadn’t found out, were you planning to trick me into paying off your debt?” In my last life, I didn’t know about the affair until our wedding night. Liam had shown up at our bridal suite. He put a diamond ring on her finger—a ring bought with my money—and sneered at me. “You don’t mind, do you Mason? You paid for it, after all.” That’s when I learned the “bad investments” were just gifts for Liam. Chloe told me it was the “price” I had to pay for separating true lovers. If that’s the case, I hope they stay together forever this time. I thought exposing them would end the charade. But Liam pointed a shaking finger at my face. “Mason, you are scum!” “Chloe only embezzled that money because you said you liked those vintage rings at the auction! She wanted to surprise you for the wedding!” “Now that she’s in trouble, you’re trying to pin it on us? You coward!” Chloe looked at me with teary, accusatory eyes. I had never said I wanted those rings. But our friends didn’t know that. The tide turned against me. “Mason, that’s low.” “Poor Chloe. Trying to be a good fiancée and getting framed for it.” “Chloe, dump him. He’s toxic.” Chloe sobbed, thanking everyone for their support. It was a masterclass in gaslighting. In their narrative, I was the villain. I ignored the noise. Real friends wouldn’t doubt me. The rest? I didn’t need them. When I didn’t crack, Liam lost his patience. He slapped the glass out of my hand. It shattered on the floor. “Mason! You ruined her life and you’re sitting here drinking juice?” I stood up, wiping a splash from my shirt. “Chloe embezzled money for you. The auction items are in your apartment. Why is this my fault?” Liam sneered. “If you didn’t want the rings, we wouldn’t have gone! And those items are in your future marital home!” “You’re just trying to use Chloe as a shield. You’re pathetic.” Chloe stood up and slapped me across the face. Smack. “Mason, I am so disappointed in you. The engagement is off!” Her friends rallied around her. “You can’t just break up, Mason. You caused this mess, you pay for it.” “Yeah, don’t be a deadbeat. Be a man.” “How can you sleep at night knowing she might go to jail?” I ran my tongue over my cheek. It stung. I looked at Chloe. She was smirking. She thought she had won. I pulled out my phone and connected it to the karaoke screen in the room. “Since we’re sharing stories, let’s watch a movie.” A video started playing. High definition security footage from the auction house parking lot. Chloe was hanging off Liam’s arm. “Liam, are you happy tonight?” “I am, baby. But… how are you going to put back the five million?” “Don’t worry. I have Mason. He’s such a sucker. I’ll cry a bit, beg a little, and he’ll fix it. He always does.” “You’re the best, Chloe…” They started making out. Passionately. The room froze. I looked at Chloe’s pale face and smiled. “I accept your proposal to break up. As you said… I don’t want to be a sucker.” I turned and walked out. 4 The first thing I did after waking up was hire a private investigator to get that footage. It cost a fortune, but it was worth every penny. I left the bar, but I heard the aftermath. The silence was broken by awkward coughs. Then, the ridicule started. “Wow. We defended you, and you played us like fools.” “I guess Mason wasn’t the only sucker in the room.” “Hey Chloe, instead of plotting, maybe you should figure out how to pay back that five million. Prison food sucks.” Everyone left. Chloe and Liam were left alone with the bill. I texted both our parents: The engagement is off. I didn’t do it in person because I knew Chloe’s parents would never approve of Liam. Liam was an orphan, unemployed, and a grifter. Without my money, Chloe was drowning in debt. The auction items had huge markups; reselling them would only cover half the debt. The rest would bankrupt her parents. In my last life, she hated me for “using money” to keep them apart. So this time, I stepped aside. No money. Just true love. Good luck with that. I heard Chloe was frantically trying to sell the jewelry. She and Liam were fighting daily. A few days later, Chloe’s parents knocked on my door. They looked ten years older. “Mason, we know Chloe hurt you. We apologize on her behalf.” “She’s just confused. Can you forgive her one last time?” I loved her parents. They treated me like a son. But I couldn’t do it. “Mr. and Mrs. Vance, I can’t accept your apology.” “Chloe didn’t make a mistake. She just doesn’t love me.” “Forcing us together will only create tragedy.” Mrs. Vance grabbed my hand, weeping. “But you love her, Mason! And she loves you, she just doesn’t realize it yet!” I gently pulled my hand away. “I used to love her. But once I knew her heart belonged to someone else, I let go.” “Love can’t be forced. I just want her to be happy.” Mr. Vance sighed, defeated. “Let’s go, honey. It’s over.” I drove them home out of respect. As I was leaving their driveway, Chloe and Liam walked up, hand in hand. Chloe saw me, and her face twisted into a scowl. She shoved me away from her front door. “What are you doing here? Coming to laugh at me?” “Or did you regret leaving me and come to suck up to my parents?” I looked at her. I felt nothing. No anger. No love. Just pity.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388938”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

“Max, I’ve taken care of you for two years. Now that you’re finally awake, will you marry me?” He took the flowers calmly. Standing in the corner, I stiffened, lamenting that my two years of devotion were all for someone else’s benefit. But then, Max kicked her away. “No! Get out! I was in a coma, not dead.” “You want me to marry you? Keep dreaming. No, wait! Don’t even dream about it!” 1 I took care of Max Sterling for two years after the car accident that left him in a coma. Today, he finally woke up. At the entrance of the Sterling Estate, I was blocked. Serena Cross looked down her nose at me and sneered: “Nora, you can’t compete with me!” “So what if you took care of Max for two years? Do you believe me? If I go propose to him right now, he’ll say yes without hesitation. Don’t forget, I’m the one he loves.” I believed her. Max and Serena were childhood sweethearts. They grew up together, the golden couple of the city’s elite. Before the accident, Max gave Serena whatever she wanted. It wouldn’t be strange for him to accept her proposal now. But I had cared for him for two years. I wanted to see him awake with my own eyes. While the family doctor examined Max, I stood quietly in the corner, watching. As the exam finished, the double doors opened. Sunlight flooded in, and Serena, dressed in a white gown and holding a bouquet, walked toward Max bathed in light. “Max, I’ve taken care of you for two years. Now that you’re finally awake, will you marry me? Let’s be together forever.” Max rubbed his eyes and didn’t speak. Serena continued her heartfelt confession: “Max, I love you so much. You slept for two years, and I cared for you for two years. I did everything personally, never leaving your side. I finally waited for you to wake up. We should have been married two years ago. It’s not too late now. My suffering has finally turned to joy. It’s wonderful!” Max stopped rubbing his eyes and reached out to take the flowers from Serena. Sure enough, Max agreed. Just as I was thinking my efforts were wasted on someone else… Max suddenly sat up and kicked Serena in the chest. “Joy my ass! Serena, I was in a coma, not dead! How do you have the nerve to say you suffered?” “You took care of me for two years? You’re a damn liar. You come here proposing while pregnant with someone else’s kid… do I look like a fool to you?” “Get the hell away from me!” Me: …Wow. 2 Serena was stunned. She probably didn’t expect Max to be so fierce. “Max, what… what are you saying?” “Can’t you understand English? Do I need to repeat what you said while moaning with your boyfriend in my hospital room?” “Max, I didn’t! Let me explain!” “Didn’t?” Max’s face flushed red with anger. He was probably dizzy from sitting up too fast and lay back down. “Wasn’t it you who brought guys to hook up in my room? Wasn’t it you who said it was more exciting doing it next to me? Wasn’t it you who got pregnant? Wasn’t it you who called me blind and stupid behind my back? And now you propose to me? Do you have no shame? Isn’t this embarrassing?” Although Serena was Max’s childhood sweetheart, she never visited him after the accident. I thought she just wanted to steal credit for my work, but I didn’t know she had done that. The amount of information was overwhelming. I was dumbfounded. Serena’s face turned green, then white. Even now, she refused to give up and tried to pin it on me: “Max. It wasn’t me! Nora did those things! I love you so much, how could I do that? I’m Serena! The Serena you loved!” “I know you’re Serena. If I didn’t know you well enough, I wouldn’t be sure it was you. Besides, liking you before was my karma catching up to me.” “Max…” Serena wanted to say more, but Max cut her off. “If you don’t leave, I’m releasing the hounds.” 3 I realized Max truly loathed Serena now. Serena was terrified of dogs. Max used to keep his favorite Doberman in the basement just to accommodate her. He would only let the dog out after she left. Later, Max’s dog had puppies. Serena came over when Max wasn’t home, saw the puppies, and had them thrown out. They froze to death. Max was furious, but even then, he never threatened to set dogs on her. Now, he wasn’t holding back. “I’m serious!” “Waking up to see Serena… my eyes hurt.” “No, go buy ten vicious dogs right now! If I see this woman again, sick them on her!” “And throw out all the sofas, cabinets, curtains, and furniture nearby. Disinfect the room ten times. Who knows if she has a disease?” Serena looked unwell but only dared to whisper a complaint. “Max, we’ve known each other since we were kids. There’s no need to humiliate me like this!” “Of course there is! This is humiliation?” Max scoffed. “Did I hook up with someone in front of you? Who’s humiliating whom?” “I…” Max ignored her and shouted to the butler standing by. “Alfred! Go get Buster! Let him loose!” Alfred, who had watched Max grow up, immediately went for the dog. Terrified, Serena gathered her skirt and ran, shooting a glare at me before she left. She was probably going back to the Cross family to tattle, claiming I poisoned Max against her. I didn’t stop her. The show was over. It was time for me to leave. I tried to slip away from the corner unnoticed, but Max caught me. “Nora?” I froze. He called my name. I was nervous. In the fourteen years I lived with the Cross family, I was completely ignored. Max only ever had eyes for Serena. I only dared to like him from the shadows. I thought he might say he didn’t know me, or ask if I was Serena’s sister. But he fidgeted as he walked toward me, complaining: “Nora, my head hurts. Why didn’t you come hug me? Do you not like me anymore?” He made a pitiful face. “And Nora, why didn’t you kick that gold digger out? I slept for two years, and the first thing I see is her. I almost fainted again. Do you know how much I wanted to see you? But you tried to run away. Do you only like me when I’m lying still?” “If you really prefer that, I can go back into a coma. But can you say yes to my proposal first?” Me: “…” Did Max sleep himself into a love-struck fool? He stopped in front of me, leaning against the wall for support. “Nora, I love you. I want to marry you!” Me: “?” I couldn’t understand why Max was proposing to me. He just rejected Serena, and we barely interacted before his accident. He seemed to sense my confusion and started explaining. “Nora, I know you took care of me for two years. I know you like me. I remember you crying in my ear when Alfred wasn’t around. You wiped my hands with warm towels, put lotion on me, and washed my face.” “When I was conscious but couldn’t wake up, I decided right then. If I ever woke up, I would be with you, spoil you, and marry you.” “Now I’m awake. My legs are a bit weak, but give me some time. Once I recover, let’s get married immediately, okay? Then we can cuddle. Hehe.” He looked a bit ridiculous leaning against the wall, body trembling. I reached out to steady him. He leaned his weight on me, beaming with joy. “I knew Nora cared about me. Here, take these flowers. Serena is awful, but she has good taste in flowers. They look good on you.” Me: … I suspected Max had been body-swapped. The old Max was calm and cool. He would never talk like this. “Nora, why aren’t you talking? Will you marry me?” I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. Max frowned and lifted my chin. “Nora, what’s wrong with your voice?” I remained silent. 4 Max dragged me to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor’s diagnosis was the same as before. Vocal cord damage from the car accident two years ago. Loss of voice due to lack of timely treatment. Hearing this, Max’s eyes turned red. “Nora, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. If not for me, this wouldn’t have happened. I should be the one suffering!” Seeing him so distraught in his wheelchair, I thought back to the accident. Max truly loved Serena then. She had returned from a dance competition abroad, and Max drove to pick her up. My father, Richard, ordered me to tag along to carry Serena’s luggage. That day, a storm hit. On the highway, a truck with failed brakes flew straight at us. Before I blacked out, I thought I was dead. But I woke up. Investigators said Max’s reflexes saved me. If he hadn’t swerved at the last second, I would have died. Instead, only my vocal cords were damaged—something treatable if caught early. But Max fell into a coma. My mute state wasn’t his fault. He saved me. I took his hand and typed on my phone screen: It’s not your business. It’s not your fault. I only lost my voice because I wasn’t treated in time. He was still sad, but his focus shifted quickly. “If it was treatable, why didn’t the Cross family treat you? You’re both daughters. Serena gets a seven-million-dollar piano, but they wouldn’t fix your voice?” The Cross family wasn’t short on money, and Serena and I were indeed sisters. But I was the invisible one. To comfort Serena, who was sad about Max’s accident, they completely ignored me. Perhaps they didn’t even know I couldn’t speak. Max didn’t know my thoughts, but he held my hand, angry yet determined. “Nora, I will fix your voice. Every bit of suffering the Cross family caused you, I will make them pay back!” I was about to tell Max about my history with the Cross family when Richard called.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “388937”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel