Author: Momo Chan

I wrapped up a six-month business trip just before Valentine’s Day, rushing to a luxury watch boutique to order a custom timepiece for my husband. The sales associate smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. “Mrs. Hayes, you and Mr. Thorne really are on the same wavelength. He was just here yesterday and bought a matching couple’s set for Valentine’s Day.” I froze. Suddenly, a memory flashed in my mind. His personal assistant had posted a photo of that exact watch on her Instagram story last night. The caption was bold, almost mocking: He says my time belongs to him now~ My blood ran cold. I immediately dialed my husband’s number. But the voice that answered wasn’t his. It was a woman’s. “Hello? Who is this? Why are you calling in the middle of the night? The boss just finished… up… and is in the shower. Call back tomorrow.” I let out a cold laugh. “Who am I? I’m your boss’s boss.” “Tell him you’re both fired. Don’t bother coming in tomorrow.” Chapter 1 I hung up before she could respond. Without missing a beat, I turned to my secretary standing behind me. “Notify the front desk. Starting tomorrow, Mark Thorne and Chloe Mills are banned from the building.” “And freeze all assets under Mark’s name. Tell the lawyers to draft the divorce papers.” After my assistant left to execute the orders, I dragged my exhausted body back to the master bedroom. But the thought that Chloe Mills had been in this room made my skin crawl. I turned around and slept in the guest room. … The next day, I slept until the afternoon. When my phone screen finally lit up, it froze for a solid thirty seconds before flooding with notifications. Dozens of missed calls from Mark. Ninety-nine plus text messages. I deleted them all with a single tap—everything from last night’s tentative probing to this morning’s desperate, angry rants. After replying to a few work emails, I washed up and went downstairs for lunch. Before I could even sit down, the housekeeper hurried over with her phone. “Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Thorne is on the line. He insists on speaking with you.” Since the food wasn’t ready yet, I took the phone. Before I could say a word, Mark’s roar exploded in my ear. “Vivian! What the hell is the meaning of this? Do you have any idea how much you embarrassed me at the office today?!” His hysterical shouting instantly killed the good mood I’d managed to salvage from a rare full night of sleep. The rage I’d suppressed last night flared up. I scoffed. “Mark, get your priorities straight. The issue isn’t whether you’re embarrassed.” “If you ever use that tone with me again, I promise you’ll lose a lot more than just face.” I hung up on him. Five minutes later, the phone rang again. This time, Mark’s voice was still angry, but he was clearly trying to rein it in. “Viv, I went to the office this morning, and security blocked me. They said I was fired. What is going on?” I stirred the soup in my bowl, my voice flat. “Exactly what they told you. I let you run CloudTech because I was out of the country on business. Now I’m back. It’s only natural you step down.” “But what about Chloe? That girl beat out so many candidates to get that job. You’re firing her just because she didn’t use an honorific when she answered your call?” His voice rose, thick with righteous indignation. My tone dropped to zero Kelvin. “Her? I don’t recall hiring an assistant who wears matching couple watches with her boss and sleeps in his bed.” Mark choked. Silence hung heavy on the line for a long moment before he stammered. “You… you know?” “That watch was a company reward! And she stayed at our place because there was a thunderstorm. She’s terrified of thunder and didn’t want to be alone in the guest room. But I didn’t sleep with her! I slept on the couch!” I cut him off, my voice devoid of emotion. “And last night?” Mark immediately countered. “Last night was nothing! We had separate rooms after a client dinner. Her shower was broken, so she just used mine.” “Look, Viv, are you serious right now? Just because the girl asked who you were last night, you cussed her out and threatened to fire her? I’m a married man. I really didn’t…” “Ha.” I leaned back in my chair, impatience dripping from my voice. “Mark, do I look like a toddler to you?” “Scared of thunder? Put in earplugs. Shower broken? Call the front desk for a new room.” “Do you really think just because I was abroad for six months, I was blind?” Recalling the dossier my PI had sent over, my eyes narrowed. “The month I left, you bought her a condo downtown worth half a million.” “Three months ago, you bought her a Porsche.” “Last month, you used a ‘business trip’ as cover to take her on a private jet to the Caribbean.” “Mark, do you think I’m an idiot?” My anger spiked with every sentence. Finally, I delivered the ultimatum. “Tell her to return the car and the condo immediately.” “Or she goes to prison, and you get kicked off the family registry.” Mark tried to argue. “I didn’t give them to her! I just… lent them to her.” “Besides, Mom is waiting for us to have a baby so she can show off to her friends. If we divorce…” I interrupted him coldly. “What did you think was going to happen?” “If you hadn’t crossed the line, we’d already be signing papers at the courthouse right now.” I hung up before he could spew another excuse. Chapter 2 After lunch, I didn’t go to the office. instead, I grabbed my best friends and went on a shopping spree. Retail therapy works wonders. Or so I thought. The next morning, riding the high of my purchases, I pushed open my office door—only to be greeted by a sight that made my blood boil. My husband was on the office sofa, pinned beneath his assistant. Seeing me enter, Mark scrambled to push her off. “Honey! Let me explain!” Chloe hit the floor hard, her elbow cracking against the coffee table. She yelped in pain. But Mark didn’t have time to coddle her. He was desperate to prove his innocence. “Vivian, really, nothing happened! She just tripped and fell on me…” “Shut up!” I dodged his hand reaching for my bag, my voice icy. “Who let you in? Didn’t I make it clear you were both fired?” My secretary hurried in, dragging a terrified receptionist behind her. The receptionist was pale. “Ms. Hayes, I… I didn’t dare stop them. Mr. Thorne and Ms. Mills wouldn’t leave the lobby. When the partners from the merger arrived, Mr. Thorne pretended to be with them and walked right in. I really couldn’t stop them!” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. I waved them away. “Get back to work. It’s not your fault.” Once the bystanders left, I ignored Mark’s pleading eyes and scanned my office. The diffuser by the bookshelf reeked of lily—a scent I detest. The framed photo of Mark and me was gone, replaced by a Hello Kitty plushie. Even in the lounge closet, a dress that wasn’t mine hung boldly on the rack. Suddenly, Chloe burst into tears, wailing as if she were the victim of a great injustice. “Ms. Hayes, please don’t misunderstand! There’s nothing going on between Mr. Thorne and me. That dress is just there because I forgot to take it home last time I changed!” Mark immediately stepped in front of her, shielding her. “Vivian, that’s enough. She’s just a kid. Why are you scaring her?” “Her clothes got wet on the way to work, so I ordered her a new dress. I brought her here today just to let her pack her things. You can’t fire someone and not let them take their stuff… Hey! What are you doing?!” Slap! The sound echoed crisply through the office. I shoved Mark aside and delivered a backhand across Chloe’s face that cut off his sentence. “Vivian! Why did you hit Chloe?!” Mark roared, furious. I turned and slapped him too, looking at him with pure disgust. “Why hit her? You think you’re getting off easy?” “If her dirty mouth dares to twist the facts to make me jealous, she better be ready to get hit.” Chapter 3 We had important partners arriving for a meeting in the conference room upstairs. Chloe was sobbing and clutching her face. Mark had a handprint blooming on his cheek. It was a circus. I glared at Mark. “Do you want to keep humiliating yourself here, or come home with me?” Mark’s face was livid, but he gritted his teeth and followed me. In the parking garage, Mark took the keys and got into the driver’s seat. Chloe actually tried to open the passenger door. “Get out!” I barked. “My car doesn’t carry trash.” “Vivian! That’s too harsh!” Mark frowned at me. I scoffed. “Harsh?” “She has the nerve to seduce a married man, but she can’t handle being called out?” Chloe immediately lowered her head, looking pitiful. “I just wanted to come along to help clear up the misunderstanding… I never wanted to break you two up.” I didn’t even look at her. I stared daggers at Mark. Finally, under pressure, Mark got out and pulled Chloe away from the car. “Take a cab home. I’ll reimburse you.” Only then did she leave, reluctant and pouty. I didn’t want the staff at home to witness a scene, so I dragged Mark straight upstairs. He thought we were going to the bedroom until I walked past it toward the study. He rushed to block the door, looking guilty. “Maybe we should go somewhere else? You haven’t been back in so long, it’s probably dusty in there.” I ignored him, shoved him aside, and threw open the door. My scalp tingled with rage at the sight before me. My father’s portrait—his memorial photo—was on the floor. Smeared across the glass was a dark, unidentifiable solid. The desk, the floor, and scattered documents were stained with dried yellow puddles. The room reeked of ammonia and musk. I gagged, my voice trembling with fury. “Who did this?!” Mark scratched his head, looking mortified. “Well… Chloe might have been careless that day. She let her cat in…” “Careless?!” I grabbed Mark’s hand and dragged him to the doorway. “The study has a biometric lock. Only your fingerprint and mine can open it. You call this careless?!” “Honey, calm down.” Mark tried to explain. “Chloe’s cat is usually very well-behaved. She brought some files over for me to sign, and then she felt sick… we must have forgotten the cat when we left…” I pointed at the blank wall where the portrait used to hang. “There was nothing else on that wall. No shelves, nothing to climb. Tell me, how does a cat jump that high to knock a frame down?!” “And those documents.” I pointed at the ruined papers on the desk. “I locked those in the safe before I left. Why are they out here?!” Mark opened his mouth but couldn’t make a sound. Suddenly, Chloe appeared. She fell to her knees and started slapping her own face. “Ms. Hayes, I’m sorry! It’s all my fault! I’ll pay for the damages! Please don’t blame Mr. Thorne!” “Who let you in?” My voice was low, signaling the calm before the storm. Chloe flinched but couldn’t hide a flicker of triumph in her eyes. “B-before, it was inconvenient to ask the butler to open the gate every time I brought contracts. So Mr. Thorne added my fingerprint to the security system.” I let out a cold laugh and activated the smart home system. “Alexa, call 911.” “Okay Vivian, dialing 911 now.” “Stop! Alexa, cancel command!” Mark panicked the moment he heard ‘911’. He yelled at me. “Vivian, haven’t you made enough of a scene?!” “Chloe said she’d pay for the damages. Do you have to be so relentless?” “I know you’re just jealous because she was with me while you were gone. You’re taking it out on her.” “But I’m telling you one last time, Chloe and I are innocent. And I won’t let you use her as a punching bag!” Mark stood taller with every word. I grabbed a glass from the table and smashed it against the wall behind them. “Compensation? If I let an animal shit on your father’s memorial photo, would you take cash for it?” “Can she afford it? Do I look like I need her money?” Mark shielded a screaming Chloe, speechless. He rubbed his temples, annoyed. “Fine. You’re irrational right now. I can’t talk to you.” “Have someone list the damages. I let her in, so if she can’t pay, I will.” I sneered. “You’ll pay?” “Great. We’re heading to the courthouse to divorce right now. Let’s see how much of your own money you actually have to pay me!” Hearing the word divorce, Mark reacted like a cat whose tail was stepped on. “Why are you bringing that up again?” He sighed, sounding like he was doing me a favor. “Look, I get it. You just don’t like Chloe.” “I’ll take her away so you don’t have to see her. She’ll figure out how to pay you back. Okay?” “Just stop saying the D-word. Even I have limits to how much I can take.” With that, Mark didn’t wait for my response. He turned and led Chloe away, leaving me standing there alone. Chapter 4 Personal drama aside, I had a mountain of work waiting for me. When I arrived at the CloudTech building the next day, my access card wouldn’t open the elevator. “What is going on?” I asked the front desk, my face dark. Before the receptionist could answer, Chloe stepped out of the elevator. Seeing me, she covered her mouth in mock surprise. “Oh my, Ms. Hayes. You were kicked off the board. Why are you still here?” “Oh, right. Your secretary was fired for incompetence too. She probably didn’t have time to tell you.” I raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Excuse me? Kicked off the board?” Just then, Mark hurried over with a group of shareholders, fresh out of a meeting. Thinking I was harassing Chloe again, he shielded her and spoke coldly. “It means exactly what you heard.” “Vivian, you’ve been removed.” “Aside from you, every shareholder just voted. It was unanimous.” “So, Vivian, you don’t need to come in anymore. Just stay home and wait for your dividends.” I scoffed. “Removed? I built this company. I hold the majority shares. What right do you have to remove me without notice?!” The shareholders behind him looked down, avoiding my eyes. Mark looked impatient. “You have 40%, sure. But don’t forget, the other shareholders and I hold 60%.” “Four against six. The math is simple. Even if you were there, you couldn’t have changed the outcome.” I scanned the crowd of faces. I finally realized I was surrounded by wolves. When I was running things, these shareholders couldn’t embezzle a dime. But with me gone for six months and Mark’s lax management, they’d had a feast. They knew the good times would end the moment I returned. So when the chance to oust me appeared, they jumped on it. “Mark. Impressive.” “I accept it.” I started laughing. Laughing at myself for working myself into an ulcer for this company. Laughing at my naivety for sleeping next to a snake. Mark frowned. “Vivian, you just can’t vote on major decisions. Your dividends won’t change. Don’t act like we’re bullying you.” Then, his tone softened. “Besides, Mom wants a grandson. Now that you’re free, you can focus on preparing for pregnancy. I want to have a child with you.” I stared at Mark for a long time. “No thanks. Let’s divorce.” I turned and walked out of the building. I dialed the internal line for the legal department of Hayes Holdings—my family’s conglomerate. “Order from the top: Withdraw all Hayes Holdings investments in CloudTech immediately. Give them three days to return the capital with interest!” Then, I called CloudTech’s biggest competitor. “Mr. Sterling? It’s Vivian Hayes.” “Interested in joining forces to crush CloudTech?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386558”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I had been sponsoring a student for three years. When she finally got into college, she suddenly turned into a he. When I confronted him, this boy—who had stolen someone else’s spot—stood there with red-rimmed eyes and asked me: “Just because I’m a boy, don’t I have the right to be helped?” I scoffed. “If you want money that bad, go be a gigolo. You can earn from both ends that way.” Chapter 1 The boy stood before me in a crisp white shirt and jeans, looking down. His eyelashes fluttered nervously, and his fingers anxiously gripped the hem of his shirt. He looked like a delicate flower trembling in the cold wind. If he hadn’t been standing in the line of female students I was sponsoring, I might have appreciated the aesthetic. But right now, I just felt a surge of rage shooting straight to the top of my head. I tried to keep my tone even, though my pen tapped impatiently against the desk. “I remember sponsoring a girl named Lily Miller from Miller’s Creek. Are you Lily? Or…” The boy’s eyelashes trembled even harder. He spoke softly. “I… I’m Lucas Miller. Lily’s younger brother. My sister felt the academic pressure was too much, so she dropped out in her sophomore year to get married.” “Our family discussed it, and we didn’t want to disappoint you. So… so I took my sister’s place to continue her education. We didn’t want your expectations to go to waste.” I actually laughed out loud. “So, should I be thanking you?” Before selecting candidates, I had conducted a meticulous review to ensure every scholarship dollar went to a girl who genuinely needed it. I never imagined that under all those layers of scrutiny, a boy could impersonate his own sister to collect the funds. And he managed to hide it for two years, only getting caught when they came to thank me after high school graduation. My temples throbbed with anger. I didn’t even want to think about the corruption involved. How many deserving girls didn’t get this money? How many people who didn’t need help stole opportunities that weren’t theirs? Seeing my anger, Lucas rushed to explain. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Vance. It was my sister. She thought studying was too hard, but she was too embarrassed to say it, so she came up with this idea.” I looked at his brand-new clothes and pristine white sneakers. Then I looked at the girls next to him, wearing clothes that were clean but washed until they were faded and thin. “I’m truly sorry, Ms. Vance. Our whole family feels guilty about this. No matter how you scold me or treat me, I won’t complain.” Lucas’s eyes turned red, tears hanging precariously on his lashes. My expression remained flat. “I want you to pay back the money. And compensate me for emotional distress.” I waved my hand, signaling my secretary to take them away. Chapter 2 After getting everyone settled, my secretary, Sarah, came back to report. “The girls are all back at the hotel. The local specialties they brought are in your car.” “Only that Lucas Miller… he was lingering downstairs, refusing to leave. I had security escort him out.” “Did he think he was staying for dinner?” Sarah smiled, then pursed her lips seriously. “Is Lily the little girl who hugged your leg crying two years ago during our site visit, saying she wanted to go to school?” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “That’s her.” I, Evelyn Vance, clawed my way up from the bottom to get where I am today. I dropped out of school because I couldn’t afford tuition. I saved every penny for living expenses and tuition before returning to school, getting into college, and climbing the ladder step by step. I know what poor girls go through. So after I made my fortune, I discussed it with my partners and established a foundation dedicated solely to sponsoring girls. To avoid situations like today, I even took time out of my busy schedule to visit many of the families myself. And Lily… she walked ten miles of mountain road alone just to meet me when she heard the inspection team was in town. I still remember her clearly. She wore oversized, patched clothes. She was in junior high but looked as small and frail as an elementary schooler. She looked dusty and gray, except for her eyes. They shone. When I was about to get in the car to leave, she hugged my leg. Before she could even speak, tears started streaming down her face. I followed Lily to her home. Her mother had passed away early, and her father had broken his leg at a construction site. Her elderly grandmother was responsible for the whole family’s livelihood. The only breadwinner had fallen. Lily had to drop out, waiting for the family’s situation to improve before she could return to school. I asked her why she wanted to study. At the time, she looked lost and whispered her answer. “I don’t know. Our teacher said if we don’t study, we’ll be stuck in this village forever. I don’t want that. I want to see the world written in the books.” As long as she wanted to read, I would support her. Chapter 3 Lucas’s case was definitely not isolated. Being played for a fool felt terrible. I took Sarah and traveled overnight to Lily’s hometown. With a fire burning in my chest, I wanted to ask Lily face-to-face. Plane to train, train to bus, bus to a rickety three-wheeler. It took fifteen hours to reach Lily’s home. It took me fifteen hours to get here from the most prosperous city. But for a girl like Lily, it might take a lifetime to get out. I didn’t believe the girl who hugged my leg and begged for an education would choose marriage because she “couldn’t handle the hardship.” And I absolutely refused to let the money that countless women and I worked so hard for fall into the wrong hands. I followed the village chief and the local coordinator through the muddy path, trudging through the sludge. The chief knew me but didn’t know why we were here. Once he knew we were looking for Lily, he wouldn’t shut up about the Miller family’s situation. “Ever since you sponsored the Millers, Ms. Vance, their life has improved so much.” “It’s just a shame Lily is so disappointing. She didn’t want to study anymore in her sophomore year.” “Luckily, her brother has a brain. He’s made for studying. Always top of his class, and his SAT scores were great.” “If you ask me, boys are just better. Girls can’t hack it.” He rambled on, praising Lucas non-stop. The coordinator beside him chimed in too. “Lucas really did us proud.” “We have quite a few capable boys like Lucas in our county.” “Does Ms. Vance want to meet them this time?” These two chatterboxes reminded me of when I first started the foundation. My company had just taken off, and the liaison sent to work with me was a man. When he learned I only provided opportunities for girls, he tried to “educate” me earnestly. “Girls only do well in elementary school. Once boys hit their stride, they easily surpass girls.” “There are plenty of boys in the world who can’t afford to eat or pay tuition either.” “Ms. Vance, you’re a person of vision. Surely you won’t be swayed by that divisive gender rhetoric online.” “The country needs excellent men. You should sponsor more boys, Ms. Vance. Contribute to building the nation.” I have to say, men have a natural ability to advocate for their own kind. Even facing a superior with more money and status, they dare to fight for strangers of the same sex. And they spare no effort to suppress and exclude anyone who isn’t like them, cutting off their upward mobility and demeaning their character. I deeply admired that. It’s something I need to learn more about. So I kicked him out of my company. After communicating with his company’s higher-ups, a female executive who had climbed out of poverty just like me promised to give me an explanation. Soon after, I heard he was fired and saddled with a huge penalty for breach of contract. He spent every day working odd jobs to pay off his debt. We arrived at the Miller’s gate. Last time I was here, it was a mud hut. Now it was a red brick house with a tiled roof. My heart sank. The moment I entered the yard, I recognized the girl washing clothes in the center. Chapter 4 She was as thin and frail as ever. Hearing the noise, she turned to look. Those eyes that once shone were now dull, as if covered by a veil. When she recognized me, she lowered her head nervously, wiping her hands over and over on her tattered clothes. Lily’s voice was as thin as a mosquito’s buzz. “Ms. Vance…” I walked closer to her. Lily kept her head down, afraid to look me in the eye. The commotion in the yard disturbed her father inside. He dragged his leg, limping out. I scrutinized him. He looked energetic. Even with the bad leg, he didn’t look like the deathly ill man lying in bed a few years ago. In contrast, Lily, a teenager, wore clothes washed white with age. Her back was deeply bent. She didn’t look young at all. Seeing me, Mr. Miller froze, then greeted me awkwardly. “Ms. Vance… you’re here.” The village chief shooed away the onlookers and ushered us inside. Lily stood by the door. Mr. Miller sat aside, puffing on a cigarette. The room was filled with smoke, making me nauseous. Checking my phone to confirm the police were on their way, I didn’t bother beating around the bush. I slammed a stack of documents onto the table. “Explain this. How did the student I sponsored turn from a girl in freshman year to a boy in sophomore year overnight?” Mr. Miller glanced at the contract and stammered. “Ms. Vance, I’m sorry. Our family is just too poor. Lily’s grades were bad, and we were afraid she wouldn’t get into college. That’s why we came up with the idea of letting Lucas take the scholarship.” “We’ll pay you back! Just give us some time. Once Lucas graduates and gets a job, we’ll pay you back.” “If that doesn’t work, I’ll sell the house and land to pay you back.” I ignored his plea for pity, my voice flat. “Mr. Miller, do you take me for a fool?” “The agreement was to sponsor Lily. Even if she didn’t get into college and the money went down the drain, I wouldn’t care.” “If you wanted Lucas to have a scholarship, you could have found a foundation for boys.” “You deceived me for two years. If Lucas hadn’t run to me, were you planning to keep hiding it?” The village chief stepped forward, grinning to reveal yellow teeth. “Look at this mess. You just wanted to sponsor a student out of the goodness of your heart, right? Does it matter if it’s a boy or a girl? They’re both students.” “Lily didn’t want to study anymore. She was the one who brought it up.” “She said she couldn’t do it, that the family needed a scholar, and she was willing to support her brother. Old Miller beat her and scolded her, but the kid just wouldn’t go back to school. We couldn’t do anything.” “She’s saved up quite a bit working these past two years. The money she owes you will be paid off soon.” With that, he shoved Lily forward, forcing her to explain. Lily’s voice was hoarse. “Yes, my grades were slipping too fast. I couldn’t keep up with my classmates, so I dropped out voluntarily.” I had seen Lily’s records. She had always been top of her class growing up. Even in high school, she was consistently above average. How could she plummet in sophomore year? I didn’t believe a girl who believed she had a gift for reading and wanted to change her destiny through books would quit for no reason. Looking at this exhausted child, I asked softly. “Were you bullied at school? Or did something happen?” The village chief stepped forward, trying to pull Lily back. “What could happen to a kid? She’s just dumb. Not smart enough.” Lily opened her mouth to speak but was shut down by the chief. Seeing that the chief was intentionally silencing her, my face darkened. “I’m asking Lily. Do you think you can answer for her?” The chief looked embarrassed and reluctantly let go.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386557”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After high school graduation, I finally received my acceptance letter to the United States Military Academy at West Point. It was a dream come true. But just a few days into the semester, I was reported. By my best friend. He claimed my father was a drug addict and a dealer. I was pulled out of training by the administration for an investigation. The result? Not only was I cleared, but I was also guaranteed a spot in grad school. My best friend was stunned. Yes, my father was involved with drugs. But he was an undercover cop who died a hero. Chapter 1 When the acceptance letter arrived, my mom and I hugged and cried in front of the blank tombstone at the local veterans’ cemetery. We thought it was the beginning of a new chapter. I never imagined the nightmare that would start just days after I arrived on campus. The school received a formal complaint. It claimed my father was a junkie and a trafficker, and that I had no right to wear the uniform. The complaint demanded my expulsion and a public statement denouncing me. Simultaneously, a video detailing these accusations was posted online, sparking a firestorm on social media. I was at the shooting range when it all went down. I had no idea what was happening online. Suddenly, several administrative officers surrounded me. Under the gaze of the entire battalion, I was escorted away, utterly confused. In a massive conference room, the dean, several officers, and my tactical officer sat in a row, their faces grim. Their eyes scanned me like I was already guilty. I sat opposite them, barely daring to breathe. “Cadet Liang, the academy received a formal complaint regarding your background. are you aware of this?” I froze. My blood ran cold. “What? A complaint? Against me? For what?” Questions tumbled out of my mouth. I had been a model student my entire life. Being reported was foreign to me. The dean’s eyes bore into mine. “It claims your father was a drug addict and involved in trafficking. Is this true?” I was stunned. My father was a narcotics officer. His identity remained classified even after his death. It made sense they wouldn’t know. But before I could explain, I was cut off. “Don’t bother with excuses yet. We’ve notified your family. We’ll discuss this when everyone is present.” “Also, to the admissions department: How did this slip through? West Point only accepts candidates with impeccable backgrounds. If this is true and the media gets hold of it, who takes the fall?” The admissions officer looked baffled. “Sir, Cadet Liang’s file was vetted by the state board and verified by his local precinct. Procedurally, everything is clean.” My tactical officer frowned, his tone accusatory. “Son, how many people did you bribe to get in here? Do you understand the consequences if this proves true?” I knew the gravity of the situation, but my file was clean! “Sir, I didn’t hide anything! It’s complicated, I…” He raised a hand, silencing me. “Enough. Save it. We’ll know the truth when your family and the police arrive.” Sweat beaded on my forehead. I couldn’t just blurt out that my dad was an unsung hero. When he died, I wasn’t even allowed to attend his funeral for fear of cartel retaliation. Only after every member of that syndicate was behind bars could I finally kowtow at his grave. Chapter 2 Time ticked by agonizingly slowly. The conference room was dead silent. Finally, the door opened. Five men in police uniforms walked in. The one leading them had stars on his shoulders—a high-ranking official. Behind them came my mom. She was dressed in black, holding a framed photo of my father covered in a white cloth. I stood up instinctively, fists clenched, lips pressed into a thin line. I took a few deep breaths before calling out, “Mom—” She looked up. Her eyes were swollen like walnuts. My heart broke. I rushed over and hugged her and Dad’s photo. “Mom, why did you bring Dad?” She didn’t answer. She just stroked my hair gently and nodded. Then, in a steady voice, she announced, “I am Liam Liang’s mother. I brought his father today too. If you have questions, ask.” A young officer stepped forward. “This is Chief Marshall from the State Police.” The school leadership immediately handed the complaint letter to Chief Marshall. The dean started to speak, but my mom cut him off. “Wait. Since this complaint has caused such a public uproar, clearing my son’s name must be done publicly too.” Silence from the police and officials. Taking that as consent, the school’s official social media account started a livestream as per my mom’s request. By the time everything was set up, students had gathered outside the door, and over a hundred thousand viewers had flooded the stream. Then, two more people entered. A young officer, followed by… Evan Xu. Evan grew up in my house. He was an orphan, same age as me. My mom took him in out of pity. We ate together, slept in the same room. What I had, he had. I often felt he had it worse since he had no parents at all, while I at least had Mom. So I always gave him the best of everything. Getting into West Point was our shared dream. But he choked during the SATs and missed the cut. I thought he was brought in as family for the investigation. But the young officer’s words froze me in my tracks. “Chief, the whistleblower, Evan Xu, is here.” Chapter 3 My mom and I stared in shock. “Evan… how? Why? You know about Dad…” He kept a straight face, refusing to meet our eyes. He stood before the camera, his voice trembling with a strange excitement. “Because I know too much, I can’t let you continue this charade! West Point is sacred. I won’t let a criminal’s son tarnish it!” “If I let a drug dealer’s son slip through, how could I face the heroes who sacrifice everything for us?” Murmurs erupted outside the door. “Holy crap, how big is his backing to bypass the background check?” “You can’t hide forever. See? Caught in days.” “Liam Liang really screwed himself this time. And his mom bringing the drug dealer dad’s photo? Insane.” Rage boiled inside me. I pointed a trembling finger at Evan. “Evan Xu, you ungrateful wolf! My mom raised you for years! Did she feed a dog instead of a human?” Evan didn’t flinch. He stood taller, chin up. “Don’t try to guilt-trip me. I’ll pay back every cent I cost you once I start working. But! You can’t deny your dad was a dealer! You don’t deserve to be here!” My mom looked at the boy she had loved like a son, now stabbing us in the back. She gasped for air. “Evan,” she said, voice shaking. “I know you’re hurting because you didn’t get in. But you still have me! We support you retaking the exams. We saved money for your prep courses.” “You shouldn’t ruin Liam’s future just to vent your anger!” Evan scoffed, immediately distancing himself. “First, you aren’t my mom. You aren’t even my legal guardian. Since I found out your husband was a dealer, I cut ties with your family!” “Also, did you even file the adoption papers? Officer, I seriously suspect I was trafficked!” That accusation hit my mom like a physical blow. She swayed, nearly collapsing. She couldn’t understand how Evan had become a stranger overnight. Before this, we were brothers. He swore he’d treat my mom like his own. The livestream comments were exploding. “Righteous dude! Exposing his own family! This is exactly the kind of integrity West Point needs!” “If the school covers for Liam Liang, they’re failing every other student! Punish this fraud!” “Don’t worry, kid! If the Liang family cuts you off, the internet will crowdfund your tuition!” My mom clutched her chest, gasping. I helped her into a chair. Students outside were filming with their phones. “Look, she’s faking a faint. Guilty conscience.” “Imagine sitting in class next to a drug dealer’s son. Terrifying.” “Worse, imagine him graduating and infiltrating the military. A literal cancer in the system!” The malice was suffocating. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Shut up!” I roared. Silence fell for a second, then erupted louder than before. “A dealer’s son acting tough?” “Just wait! They should lock up your whole family!” I covered my mom’s ears and screamed back at them. “This is just Evan’s word! The police haven’t charged me! Who gave you the right to judge? This is cyberbullying!” “West Point doesn’t need students who jump to conclusions without facts!” They finally quieted down. Seeing the tide turn, Evan panicked. “Stop stalling! Do you dare tell everyone I’m lying? Do you dare say your dad was clean?” Seeing his smug, vicious face, my mom couldn’t hold back. She rushed forward and slapped him. Slap! “Evan Xu, from this day on, you are nothing to us!” Evan clutched his chest, feigning heartbreak. “Don’t worry, ma’am. I was going to cut ties anyway.” Chapter 4 The situation was spiraling. Chief Marshall cleared his throat loudly. He stepped forward and whipped the white cloth off my father’s photo. Gasps filled the room. The school officials stood up reflexively. Chief Marshall looked at the photo with deep respect for a few seconds, then called Evan forward. “Evan Xu, look closely. Is this man in the photo the person you reported? Liam’s father, Daniel Liang?” Evan glanced at it and nodded vigorously. “Yes, that’s him! Daniel Liang, the drug dealer.” He was so focused on the face, he ignored the uniform my father wore in the photo. And the badge on his chest. Chief Marshall stared at Evan sternly, then spoke with authority. “Evan Xu is correct! Daniel Liang was indeed involved in drug use, trafficking, and smuggling.” The students outside, who couldn’t see the photo, erupted. The livestream chat went nuclear. “BUT—!!!” I looked at Mom. She was caressing Dad’s face in the photo, eyes red. My heart felt like it was being stabbed. Chief Marshall raised a hand for silence. “This information was classified. But a martyr’s family should not be wrongly accused!” “Officer Daniel Liang was an undercover agent.” “His true identity was a highly decorated narcotics officer. Over a decade ago, during a major operation, he was tortured and killed by the cartel!” “To infiltrate the syndicate, Officer Liang risked everything. He provided critical intelligence that led to their takedown. Tragically…” Marshall choked up. He turned away to wipe his eyes. Dead silence. For ten full minutes, not a sound. Only my mother’s sobbing echoed in the room. “Danny… oh, Danny…” I turned away, clenching my fists until my nails dug into my palms. We were a widow and an orphan, bullied by the world without cause! If my father were alive, seeing us attacked like this would break his heart. He would never have let this happen! “Impossible! Daniel Liang was a junkie! How could he be an undercover cop?” Evan shook his head, refusing to believe it. “Did they pay you off? Yes, they must have bribed you!” “No! You’re just their protection racket!” Chief Marshall’s gaze sharpened, terrifying Evan into silence. “Son, watch your mouth. As the State Police Chief, I have lived a clean life. You want to report me? Go ahead. I welcome the investigation!” “But! Daniel Liang died for this country. I will not allow you to slander him for your own selfish gain!” Marshall walked over to my mom and saluted the photo. “Ma’am, I’m sorry you and your son had to suffer this. We failed to protect a hero’s family.” I rubbed Mom’s shoulder. She wiped her tears. “The country has taken good care of us. We are grateful. If my son hadn’t been slandered, if Danny hadn’t been insulted, I wouldn’t have troubled you to come here.” Marshall waved his hand dismissively, then took off his hat and covered his face, weeping. “Don’t say that. We were so focused on protecting his identity that we left you open to attacks like this. I am ashamed.” “From now on, if you need anything, come to me. Daniel Liang gave everything. His family will not be bullied!” “We cannot let our heroes bleed and their families cry!” The students outside, hearing this, turned beet red and hung their heads. The livestream comments flipped instantly. “Guys, not to be that person, but I knew Liam and his mom looked too decent. Evan looks like a weasel.” “Where are the people who were cursing Liam? Apologize now!” “Apologize! I live near the border. We are safe because of cops like Daniel Liang! I won’t stand for his kids being bullied!” Students started whispering and pointing at Evan. His face was gray. He screamed, jumping like a cornered rat. “You hypocrites! Why didn’t you say that earlier? Just because he says he’s a martyr means he is? I lived in that house for ten years! I know the truth!” Marshall barked a reprimand, then spoke gravely. “Narcotics officers are a special category of martyr. To protect their families from retaliation, they often have unmarked graves! You lived there for ten years—did you never notice that Liam and his mother never visited a grave on Memorial Day?” “Young man, you keep doubling down on your lies. What is your true motive?” Evan’s legs gave out. “Dean, ladies and gentlemen, Officer Liang’s file is at headquarters. If anyone has doubts, get a warrant and come check. But I will not tolerate slander against his family!” My mom and I teared up. It was an honor we couldn’t speak of. We endured years of side-eyes and gossip from neighbors. Mom composed herself and addressed the dean loudly. “Dean, my son’s identity is proven. I demand the school issue a statement restoring his reputation!” The dean looked ashamed. “I am unworthy to face Officer Liang. Please rest assured, I will handle this properly. Liam will be cleared. And we promise him a guaranteed spot in our graduate program. Is that acceptable?” Mom and I exchanged a smile. “Thank you, Dean. The school was just doing its due diligence. You didn’t know.” Suddenly, a voice shouted from the crowd. “Don’t let Evan Xu get away!” Everyone’s eyes locked onto Evan. He swayed, turning red from his neck to his ears. He looked around, seeing only hatred in everyone’s eyes. He stumbled back into a corner, swallowing hard. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know.” “I just heard some neighborhood aunties gossiping. I must have misheard.” I gritted my teeth. After all this, he claimed he misheard? I looked at Marshall. “Chief, do I have the right to sue him? Not just for the damage to me, but for desecrating my father’s memory.” Marshall nodded. “Absolutely! That is your right as a citizen!” Hearing “sue,” Evan broke out in a cold sweat. His face changed instantly. “Liam, please don’t sue me. I really didn’t mean it. Forgive me, I won’t do it again. I have to take the SATs again next year. If you sue me, my life is over.” I stared at him coldly. “You say you were impulsive? I say it was premeditated!” “You’re a selfish coward. You were jealous I got in and you didn’t. The law won’t protect you.” At this point, my heart was completely cold toward my former best friend. He lived with us for over a decade. He knew our character better than anyone. He waited until school started to report me, to maximize the damage. If he succeeded, I’d lose my spot and be attacked by the internet. I might have even ended my life. The young officer patted my shoulder. “Mr. Liang, if you wish to press charges, we can detain him right now.” Evan screamed. Seeing I wouldn’t budge, he turned to my mom. “Mom! Mom! Save me! Don’t let Liam sue me.” “I don’t want to go to jail. You raised me! You know I’m not bad! I’m just young and naive. Mom, say something!” My mom looked at him with dead eyes. “Evan, did you forget what you said? I’m not your mom. I’m not even your guardian. You cut ties with us.” Evan shook his head frantically, clinging to her arm. “No, no! I was angry! It wasn’t real! You’re the adult, don’t hold a grudge against a kid. I can’t have a criminal record! I won’t be able to get into West Point!” Murmurs of disgust rippled through the crowd. “He still wants to get in here? Shameless.” “With a mind like that, he’ll never get in.” Mom peeled his fingers off her arm, one by one. “It’s too late. Consider the last ten years the price of my own stupidity. You plotted to destroy my son. If I forgive you, I’m failing him.” Evan grabbed her leg as soon as she pushed him away. Mom finally snapped. “LET GO!” Her scream startled everyone, including me. My mom was known for her gentle nature. For her to shout like that meant Evan had truly broken her heart. Evan realized no one would speak for him. He collapsed on the floor, eyes vacant. Two officers hauled him up and dragged him out in front of everyone.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386556”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Chapter 1 I’m a world-renowned cardiothoracic surgeon. To facilitate my emergency surgeries across the state, the government issued me a specialized vehicle with the license plate “1111.” It’s authorized for my use only. Whenever this car hits the road, the traffic control system clears the way, giving me green lights and a police escort from start to finish. Since receiving the car, I’ve kept it at my fiancé, Julian York’s, garage for maintenance. Until today. I received an urgent call: a high-ranking official with top-secret clearance needed an emergency heart transplant. I rushed to the York estate to pick up the car. Just as I was about to leave, a strange woman yanked open the back door and slid inside. “First, drop me off at the mall for my manicure,” she demanded, not even looking at me. “Then pick up the gelato Julian ordered for me. If it melts even a little, I’ll kill you!” “This is my car,” I said, assuming she had made a mistake, keeping my voice calm. “I have an emergency and need to get to the airport. Please get out immediately.” She scoffed. “Pfft! A designated driver trying to act like an owner? Open your dog eyes and look at the license plate!” “You’re in the wrong here,” the housekeeper chimed in, eyeing me with disdain. “Everyone in the city knows Mr. Julian loves taking Miss Sienna out in this car. No one dares to mess with it.” I froze. My fiancé dared to use this car to take her joyriding? This was… catastrophic. … Using this car without my permission was tantamount to misappropriating government property. That’s a minimum three-year sentence. Not to mention using it behind my back to chauffeur another woman. That just added insult to injury. If the York family had any sense, they’d make Julian apologize profusely. For the sake of our engagement, maybe I could pull some strings and get him a lenient sentence. However… I looked at the woman lounging in the backseat like royalty. This Miss Sienna, whoever she was, was beyond saving. She refused to budge, and I didn’t have the patience to argue. I looked away, started the engine, and prepared to head to the airport. Saving a life was the priority. I’d make Julian explain this mess to my face after the surgery. The engine roared to life. I gripped the steering wheel, ready to go. “Are you insane?!” She screamed, lunging from the back seat to grab the wheel. “You dare drive without my permission?!” The car swerved violently toward the wall! At the last second, I slammed on the brakes and yanked the wheel back. We careened off the path and crashed into a flowerbed, the engine stalling. “Are you crazy??” I shouted, my heart pounding. “Who told you to touch anything!” She rolled her eyes. “Do it again, and I’ll chop your hands off! Bitch!” Ignoring her, I jumped out to inspect the dented hood. Thankfully, the engine seemed fine. A miracle in the chaos. Just as I was about to get back in, the York family bodyguards swarmed me, shoving me aside. Under the woman’s triumphant gaze, they hopped into the driver’s seat. “Offend Miss Sienna and think you can run?” they sneered. “We’ll skin you alive today!” I never expected the York family’s staff to obey her like trained dogs. “Who is she?” I asked the housekeeper, who was watching the drama unfold with a smirk. “You don’t know Miss Sienna?” She looked at me like I was a joke. “She’s the intern assistant the Young Master dotes on most! She’s only been at the company a month, and he’s already bringing her home every night. He even ordered everyone to call her the Mistress of the house. We don’t dare cross her. Who do you think you are?” Mistress of the house? I thought I misheard. Before I even married in, the York family already had a mistress? “Don’t you know Julian has a fiancée?” I couldn’t help but ask. “Pfft!” The housekeeper mocked. “The Young Master said ages ago that once that stupid woman marries in, she can get lost. He only recognizes Miss Sienna as the true mistress!” Sienna relaxed, looking at me smugly, deliberately flashing the diamond ring on her finger. I laughed in disbelief. The York family was truly shameless. If I had known Julian was this dirty, I wouldn’t have touched him with a ten-foot pole. I checked the time. Thirty minutes until the plane took off. If I didn’t leave now, I wouldn’t make it. “I’ll remind you one last time,” I said seriously. “You cannot afford the consequences of delaying my work. If you get out of the car now, I might put in a good word for you later.” Sienna’s eyes widened. “A little driver whose yearly salary can’t even buy one of my shoes!” she mocked. “Even if I beat you to death, I can afford to pay for your cheap life!” I didn’t have time to argue. Since she wouldn’t give up the car, I decided to leave and hail a taxi. I’d coordinate everything else on the way, hoping to make it to the airport in thirty minutes. Just as I reached the gate, a brutal kick landed in my stomach. My phone flew out of my hand. Caught off guard, I was knocked to the ground. My insides felt like they were being crushed. A metallic taste rose in my throat, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. Sienna sashayed over and planted her stiletto heel on my face. “Trying to leave without apologizing?” Chapter 2 Pain paralyzed my body. Sienna aimed her sharp heel directly at my eye. If she pressed down, my eyeball would burst instantly. Julian’s bodyguards stood around her, baseball bats in hand, looking at me with malicious intent. I was no match for this many people. “I… I’m sorry, Miss Sienna…” I gasped, swallowing my pride to save my life. A life was at stake; I had to compromise. “I really have a patient to save, please let me go…” A flicker of surprise crossed Sienna’s face. She smirked, suddenly bending down to grab my hair and slamming my head against the pavement. “Still lying when you’re about to die?!” She shrieked, “Think it’s fun impersonating a doctor? Even if you were a real doctor, let alone a driver, I could kill you as easily as stepping on an ant!” I struggled to protect my head with my hands. Sienna stomped viciously on my fingers. I screamed in agony, trembling as I repeated, “I’m sorry.” As a surgeon, my hands are my life. If they were damaged, I might never perform delicate surgery again! “Scared now?” Sienna sneered. “Too late!” She pointed at my car. “You wanted to drive, didn’t you? I thought of something even more fun.” With a glance from Sienna, the bodyguards swarmed me, tying me up and tethering me to the rear bumper of the car. Realizing what she intended to do, I shook uncontrollably. “I’ll die!” The fear of death made me hyperventilate. “You can’t—” Slap! A stinging slap across my face. Then, a stack of crisp hundred-dollar bills was thrown at me. “Twenty grand to buy your life,” they laughed. “Miss Sienna once drove this car without a license and killed someone. She only paid ten grand. You should be grateful!” Before I could process their words, the engine roared. Lying on the scorching pavement, I was suddenly jerked forward. Sienna, behind the wheel, deliberately accelerated and swerved, cackling with glee as I was flung into a thorny rose bush. My exposed skin was shredded by thorns, blood instantly welling up in long streaks. I was only wearing thin casual clothes. If this continued, I would surely die! Suddenly, the car stopped. Sienna hopped out of the driver’s seat. “Tsk, tsk. I thought you’d pee your pants,” she said dramatically. “I’ve used this trick on five people. You’re the most boring!” I couldn’t retort. The bodyguards had already taped my mouth shut. Satisfied with my silence, Sienna hopped back in and gunned the engine. She deliberately drove onto a gravel path. Tiny rocks tore through my skin, embedding themselves deep into my flesh. My elbows and ankles were ground down to the bone. The excruciating pain blurred my consciousness. I wished my heart would just stop, so the torture would end. Just as I was about to black out from shock, Sienna slammed on the brakes. Chapter 3 “Julian! You—” She squealed excitedly, rushing forward. I struggled to lift my eyelids, wanting to demand an explanation from my fiancé. But the man stepping out of Julian’s car wasn’t him. It was his secretary, Vincent. Sienna immediately pouted. “I was so upset today I didn’t even get my nails done, and he sends you to placate me? I don’t care, he has to come soothe me himself!” “The boss has to stay with the Old Master for his surgery,” Vincent explained. “So what! The doctor I hired is a foreign expert, nothing will go wrong!” Sienna stomped her foot. “He won’t even come to keep me company…” Vincent frowned. When his eyes met mine, his body stiffened. He rushed to my side, shock filling his eyes as he took in my bloodied, battered state. “The boss ordered me to take her to the hospital immediately.” He reached out to untie the ropes. Dying, I only felt the irony. Most likely, something went wrong with the Old Master’s heart surgery, and Julian wanted me back. That surgery was extremely risky. No one but me could pull it off. “Her?” Sienna stared at me in disbelief, eyes burning with jealousy. “No wonder you dared to enter the York house! You used being a designated driver as an excuse to provoke me!” She screamed, “Speak! You dared to seduce Julian behind my back! You slut!” She slapped Vincent’s hand away from the ropes. “Think you can climb the ladder?” She mocked, “I’ve seen plenty of women like you! Julian just plays around. Once he’s bored, he hands them over to me to deal with.” “Even if I torture you to death, he’ll only praise me for a job well done!” Consumed by jealousy, Sienna ran back to the driver’s seat like a madwoman. The engine roared to life. She floored the gas pedal! Vincent, who had been trying to save me, was left in the dust. In an instant, I felt the skin on my back being ripped off along with my clothes. My wrists were ground raw, bone visible. “AHHH!!!!!” Sienna suddenly screamed. Crash! The car stopped. Vincent had rammed his car into hers to force her to stop. “Enough!” His chest heaved. “Mr. York said to bring her!” “Doesn’t he love me anymore?” Sienna wailed. “He’d rather be seduced by this trashy mistress than comfort me…” While she threw a tantrum, I seized the chance. Summoning the last of my strength, I broke free from the frayed ropes. I lunged at Vincent and snatched his phone. My hands were ground to a pulp. I would never hold a scalpel again. The mission to save the official was impossible now. Bleeding out, I held on to my last breath. Enduring agonizing pain, I used fingers with exposed bone to type a text to the leadership in D.C.: “Student incompetent. Failed the country’s trust. Only death can atone.” Chapter 4 “What garbage are you sending? Delete it!” Sienna’s shrill voice pierced my ears. I had lost too much blood. Darkness swallowed me, and I collapsed. I didn’t know how much time passed before I hazily opened my eyes. I tried to breathe, but only coughed up blood. “Where is Hazel?” The blurry figure in front of me sharpened. I finally recognized him. Julian. He frowned, radiating hostility, looking like he came to settle a score. “Asking for her as soon as you get here? What’s so good about her?” Sienna whined, putting on a baby voice. “If you like her so much, go live with her! I promise I’ll leave quietly.” “Don’t be silly,” Julian’s voice softened, full of indulgence. Favored, Sienna smiled even wider. She took Julian’s hand and led him to me. Seeing me, the man’s eyes widened. His gaze locked onto my face, confirming it was indeed Hazel. His breathing grew rapid, chest heaving. But in the end, he said nothing. He couldn’t even bring himself to scold Sienna. “She bullied me on purpose today! She scared me to death!” Sienna showed zero remorse. “I just gave her a little lesson. You’re not mad, are you?” “You did all this?” Julian frowned, disbelief in his eyes. “Yeah.” Sienna nodded innocently, eyes clear as a child with a new toy. “When I removed the uteruses of those blind women who pestered you before, you didn’t say anything. She just has a few scratches, and now you’re distressed?” “You care about a little driver? I’m jealous!” Hearing Sienna casually admit to forced hysterectomies, even though I was prepared, shock still hit me. She and Julian had hurt so many innocent people during their time together. All because the York family enabled her. And the irony? The York family’s power came entirely from me. If that was the case, I didn’t want this marriage. Julian bent down, suddenly grabbing my mangled shoulder. I screamed involuntarily. “There’s a problem with Grandpa’s surgery!” He gritted his teeth. “Come back with me immediately!” If I had the strength, I would have laughed. But I didn’t even have the energy to smile. I could only twitch the corner of my mouth. “I… am a liar…” “I promised you… I wouldn’t touch the Old Master…” Old Master York’s heart transplant seemed simple, but the risks were infinite. Only I had the ability to handle it. But my hands had been destroyed by Sienna. Julian’s eyes were bloodshot, looking like he wanted to kill me right there. “I’m warning you, if you still want to marry me, you have to save Grandpa! You owe me this!” “Me?” I lifted my arms, displaying my hands before his eyes. The abraded wrist bones shone starkly in the sunlight. Not one of my ten fingers was intact. Even a slight movement sent drilling pain through my body. “What makes you think…” I gritted my teeth, “these hands… can perform a heart transplant?” Julian’s face went pale instantly. He finally noticed my hands were mutilated beyond recognition. Old Master York’s last hope had been destroyed by the girl he doted on! “Impossible—” He took a deep breath, eyes red. “You must have a way!” Suddenly, an urgent ringtone interrupted him. The voice on the other end was crystal clear: “The Old Master… he’s gone!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386555”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 “I’m going to kill myself! My husband doesn’t love me anymore!” The moment I stepped into the clinic, I heard the shrill, tearful scream of a woman. I looked toward the source. A girl in a fluffy pink designer dress was standing by the window, holding a diamond-encrusted box cutter against her wrist, threatening to slice it open. My colleague pushed me forward, clasping her hands in a pleading gesture. “Wendy, thank God you’re here. This is Mrs. Sterling, wife of the Sterling Group heir, Gavin Sterling. She’s demanding a therapist with a happy marriage. You’re the best we’ve got. Please.” “Who?” I asked, a frown creasing my forehead. My husband’s name was Gavin, too. But he wasn’t an heir to a billion-dollar empire. He was just a long-haul trucker. It had to be a coincidence. Same name, different world. I suppressed the unease rising in my chest and took the clipboard. I scanned the intake form. Name of Spouse: Gavin Sterling. Seeing those two words in black ink made my heart lurch. A bad feeling wrapped around me like a cold mist. “Ms. Shaw, please come with me to the consultation room,” I said, forcing my best professional smile. Luna Shaw saw me and immediately dropped the cutter. She ran over, linking her arm through mine as if we were old friends, tears streaming down her face. “Dr. Sage, you have to help me. My husband has changed. I can’t lose him.” Her movements were natural, the actions of a girl who had been pampered and spoiled her entire life. Once inside, Luna whipped out her phone and shoved a photo in my face. “Look at him. Isn’t he gorgeous?” She beamed with pride. “We grew up together. He’s been following me around since we were four, calling me his ‘wifey.’ He used to be obsessed with me. I said I wanted the stars, so he bought me a star registry certificate for ten of them.” “I said I wanted the moon, so he sponsored a lunar mission just to get me a vial of moon dust.” “No matter how busy he was, he was always there. But two years ago… he went missing for three months. When he came back, he was different. He’s always ‘busy’ now. He goes on business trips for days at a time. I tracked him to this city, but when I called him thirty minutes ago, he let it ring twice before answering…” Luna kept rambling, but her voice turned into a dull buzz in my ears. My world was spinning. I stared at the man in the photo, my vision blurring with tears. It wasn’t a coincidence. The billionaire heir, Gavin Sterling, was my husband of nearly two years. Two years ago, on a rainy night, I found a man unconscious on the street. He’d been hit by a car. When he woke up, he remembered nothing but his first name: Gavin. I felt sorry for him, so I took him in. For those three months, his entire world revolved around me. We fell in love. Hard. He treated me like I was made of glass. He burned his hands making my favorite beef stew. He delivered food day and night just to buy me a birthday gift. He took nine stab wounds protecting me from a violent patient at the clinic. That was the day I agreed to marry him. We didn’t have a wedding. Just a pair of cheap pawn shop rings and a marriage license that I now realized was probably fake. The first month of marriage was bliss. He couldn’t keep his hands off me. He’d whisper in my ear, “I can never get enough of you, Wendy. I’d die for you…” Then, he disappeared for a whole day. When he came back, he was different. Polite. Distant. Even our intimacy became restrained. He told me he got a job as a long-haul trucker. He was gone twenty days a month. It turned out, he had just regained his memory. The time he wasn’t with me, he wasn’t driving a truck. He was being the Sterling heir, pampering his little princess. “Dr. Sage? Are you listening? Do you think if I actually kill myself, he’ll love me again?” Luna pouted, wiping a tear. Then she looked at me. “Oh my god! Dr. Sage, are you crying? You feel bad for me too, right? You’re such an empathetic doctor!” I quickly wiped my face. I hadn’t realized I was crying. Before I could speak, the clinic door slammed open. Gavin Sterling stormed in, shoving a nurse aside. When his eyes met mine, he froze. The color drained from his face. But it only took him a second to compose himself. He shot me a glare—a silent warning—before rushing to Luna and pulling her into his arms. “Hmph! What are you doing here?” Luna struggled, pounding his chest. “You don’t love me anymore!” “You’re killing me, Luna! My love for you is written in the sky! You are my everything!” His voice was low, magnetic, charming. I dug my nails into my palms. My chest felt like it was stuffed with cotton—suffocating, painful. I hadn’t heard him use that tone in so long. The last time was when we were newly married, arguing over whether to buy a roasted sweet potato on the street corner because we were broke. He had hugged me and said, “Wendy, I’m sorry I’m making you suffer. I swear, when I’m rich, I’ll buy you an island just to grow your favorite food…” We never bought that potato. But I was so moved I cried. Now, my eyes burned. I turned my head away. “Baby, if I ever have a change of heart, may lightning strike me down…” Gavin raised three fingers, swearing an oath. Luna immediately covered his mouth. He kissed her hand, completely ignoring my existence. Luna giggled, her anger gone, and let him carry her out of the room. I stood there, frozen. My heart felt like it was being sliced into ribbons. I don’t know how long I stood there. Eventually, I pulled out my phone and called my mom in Vancouver. “Mom… I’ll do it. I’ll immigrate.” “Really? Oh, honey, finally! Bring your husband. Your stepdad and I can support you both until you get settled.” “He’s not coming. I’ll file the paperwork tomorrow. See you next month.” I laughed bitterly. The heir to the Sterling empire didn’t need us to support him. I hung up, packed my things, and walked out of the clinic. Gavin was waiting for me by the entrance. “We need to talk.” 2 He was leaning against a Maybach, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black slacks, holding a cigarette that was burning down to the filter. The smoke obscured his expression. I paused, curled my fingers into fists, and nodded. It was my first time in his car. The passenger seat was clearly Luna’s territory—custom pink leather, completely out of place in the sleek vehicle. There was a pillow printed with their wedding photo. Acid rose in my throat. I moved the pillow to the back seat. Top-tier billionaires apparently liked tacky romance too. But he hadn’t taken a photo with me in over a year. We drove in silence to a high-end French restaurant. I recognized it. I’d seen it on TV. I used to tell Gavin how much I loved the décor, and he promised he’d save up to take me here for our anniversary. We were here now, but there was no joy. Only dread. Gavin ordered in fluent French, snapped the napkin onto his lap, and finally looked at me. “When did you find out who I was?” His voice was calm. No love. No guilt. I gripped the hem of my dress under the table. “Today. When I saw you.” “Hm.” He poured me a glass of wine. “Keep quiet. Don’t let this get back to Luna, and I’ll consider keeping the status quo.” What? I stared at him, unable to process the words. “You… you want me to be your mistress?” “Mistress? I don’t have romantic feelings for you, and frankly, your body isn’t that appealing…” He scoffed, swirling his wine. “You took care of me. I was repaying a debt. But now? It’s unnecessary. Five million dollars. To buy out the ‘life-saving grace.’ Is that enough?” My heart stopped. Even expecting the worst, his words were daggers. To him, I wasn’t even worthy of being a mistress. “What about our marriage license?” I asked, biting my lip until it tasted like iron. “I had amnesia. I made up an identity. That license is legally void,” he frowned, looking annoyed. “The feelings I had when I lost my memory were real, sure. But look at us. We aren’t from the same world. If no one had popped this bubble, I might have kept playing house. But now? I don’t want Luna to be sad.” Tears welled up, but I pinched my thigh to stop them. The happiness I cherished was just charity to him. “Fine,” I whispered, swallowing the blood from my lip. “Five million. To buy out my saving your life.” I wasn’t going to be stupid. I deserved that money. To pay his medical bills back then, I worked three jobs. I sold the only thing my late father left me. If we were cutting ties, we were cutting them clean. Gavin nodded, satisfied. “I’ll have the lawyers draft it. Eat. Didn’t you always want to come here?” He brought me here on purpose? I picked up my knife and fork. The silence was deafening. I cut the steak, my knuckles white. Suddenly, his phone rang. It was a custom ringtone of Luna’s voice. “Hubby, pick up the phone!” He answered on the first ring. “Luna? Don’t be scared, I’m coming!” Panic flooded his face. He stood up immediately. He took two steps, then turned back and grabbed my arm. “You’re coming too!” “What?” “You’re a therapist. Luna had a nightmare. You need to comfort her!” He dragged me to the car and sped up the mountain to his private estate. He dragged me into Luna’s bedroom. She was crying hysterically. Seeing us, she ignored me and threw herself into his arms. “Gavin, I was so scared! I dreamt you left me!” He held her like she was precious porcelain. “I won’t leave. Don’t be silly. You are always in my heart. Look.” He pulled down his collar, revealing a tattoo under his left collarbone. An artistic letter ‘L’. “My heart only has you.” He guided her hand to the tattoo. The sight blinded me. I had always thought the ‘L’ was a stylized ‘W’ for Wendy. I used to cry while putting ointment on it, touching it tenderly while he slept. He must have been laughing at me the whole time. I turned to leave. “Where are you going?” Gavin’s voice was ice cold. “I told you to comfort her.” I wiped my eyes. “Sorry. Not my job.” “You don’t want your father’s watch back?” he threatened. I spun around. “You found the watch?” I had sold my father’s vintage watch to pay for Gavin’s surgery. It was my biggest regret. “Did you find it?” I asked, my voice trembling. He stared at me coldly. “Comfort her.” I compromised. I walked to the bed. 3 As soon as I got close, Luna threw a pillow at my face. “Why were you with my husband?” she shrieked. “I don’t want you near him!” Gavin hugged her tight. “Luna, shh. I thought you’d like a story from a professional. That’s why I brought her.” “I don’t want other women around you! Get her out! Get out!” She threw another pillow. “Okay, okay.” Gavin kissed her forehead, then turned to the bodyguards. “What are you staring at? Throw her out!” Before I could say a word, two men grabbed me and dragged me out of the villa. It was late autumn. The mountain air was freezing. I stood outside the gate, shivering. I couldn’t get a cab up here. I had to walk down. I remembered when we first met. We went to the mountains to volunteer. We missed the last bus. Gavin carried me on his back for two hours. His cheap shoes gave him blisters, but he didn’t complain. “Blisters heal, Wendy. As long as you’re okay. I’ll never let you suffer.” That Gavin was dead. My heel got stuck in a crack in the asphalt. I tripped, skinning my palms. Pain shot through me. I sat on the cold road and wept until I had no tears left. I limped down the mountain. By the time I got back to the city, the sun was up. I went straight to the immigration office and paid for the expedited processing. Fifteen days. Then I resigned from the clinic. Just as I walked out, Gavin called. “Go pick up Luna’s evening gown and bring it to me. I sent the address. You have forty minutes.” “Gavin, we’re done. I don’t work for you,” I said. He laughed. “Don’t want the watch? Luna knows about you now. Come apologize to her. Now.” He hung up. I gritted my teeth and went. I found them in the VIP lounge of the hotel. The door was slightly ajar. Gavin was on the sofa. Luna was straddling his lap, teasing him. “Luna, let me…” Gavin groaned, his voice thick with lust and love. “No! I’m still mad you were with that cheap woman, Wendy!” Luna sobbed. “I was ambushed by my brother, I had amnesia! I really didn’t know,” Gavin explained hoarsely. “Since I got my memory back, I only touched her once. And that was because I was drunk and thought she was you…” “She means nothing to me. I’m giving her money to disappear. Believe me, I only love you. If you don’t let me have you, I’m going to explode.” Outside the door, my face went pale. When he was with me, he never asked. He just took. He used to say, “Wendy, I love you too much, I can’t control myself.” I thought it was passion. It turns out, when he truly respects a woman, he begs for permission. “Just… just once then,” Luna whispered. I watched them. I listened to them. “What about Wendy? How should we punish her for stealing my husband?” Luna panted. “Whatever you want, baby. Make her your dog if you want. Just let me love you…” 4 My blood turned to ice. I bit my tongue until I tasted copper to keep from screaming. I placed the gown box on the floor and walked away. Around the corner, I collapsed against the wall, clutching my chest. It hurt. It physically hurt to breathe. I cried until I felt empty. Then I washed my face, fixed my makeup, and texted Gavin. I was getting that watch. “Wendy Sage! You bitch! Liar!” The moment I entered the ballroom, a slap echoed across my face. Luna stood there, furious. “You stole my husband! Were you laughing at me in the clinic?” “I didn’t know,” I said, holding my stinging cheek. “Until I saw him, I didn’t know. It was a misunderstanding.” “If I hadn’t come here and investigated, you two would have kept sneaking around!” Luna’s eyes were red. “You stole him! You deserve to die!” She signaled the bodyguards. They surrounded me. “What are you doing?” I backed up. “I hate when people touch my things. Especially my men. Wendy, get on your knees, slap yourself, apologize, and lick my shoes clean!” Luna demanded, chin high. “No. That’s unreasonable…” “She can do whatever she wants.” Gavin walked over, looking elegant and cruel. He wrapped an arm around Luna. “My Luna gets what she wants.” He nodded to the guards. They forced me down in front of Luna. I looked up at him. “I did nothing wrong. I won’t apologize. Gavin, I agreed to leave…” Slap. Luna hit me again. “Apologize!” I turned my head, refusing. She hit me again. And again. Gavin watched coldly. Only after the third slap did he catch her hand. “You feel bad for her?” Luna pouted. “Your hand is getting red. It hurts me to see you in pain,” he said tenderly. “Let the guards do the dirty work.” Luna giggled and snuggled into him. “Okay. Beat her until she apologizes.” Gavin smirked and nodded at the guard. The guard was heavy-handed. Two slaps and I tasted blood. But I wouldn’t break. Luna stomped her foot. Gavin narrowed his eyes and pulled a worn leather watch from his pocket. “Still won’t apologize?” He dangled it in front of me. My eyes burned. “Dad’s watch! Give it to me!” So he had it the whole time. “Give it back!” I screamed. Gavin looked at me without emotion. My strength left me. I slumped to the floor. “I’m sorry, Miss Shaw. Two years ago, I shouldn’t have saved him. I shouldn’t have loved him. It was my fault. I was wrong…” Gavin’s hand stiffened. His chest felt tight. Before he could speak, Luna snatched the watch. “Is that an apology or a demand? You want this trash?” She threw the watch into a large decorative display filled with cacti. “No!” I screamed, pushing past people, diving into the planter. Thorns pierced my skin instantly. “Whoever finds it first gets fifty thousand dollars! Find it and smash it!” Luna yelled. The crowd surged forward. I found the watch, curling around it to protect it. People stepped on me. They tore at my clothes. Thorns dug deeper. Blood soaked my dress. Someone ripped the watch from my hand. He ran to Luna, smashed it on the marble floor, and stomped on it until the face shattered into dust. My heart shattered with it. I truly regretted it. I regretted ever loving Gavin Sterling.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386554”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

Chapter 1 After graduation, I was stopped outside the basketball court by Luke Hayes. “Maya Lin, you ghost. You’re the reason my sister is a living corpse. How dare you show your face for graduation photos?” “If I could have it my way, I’d never see you again for the rest of my life!” I watched Luke brush past me, silently clutching the medical report in my hand. The doctor said I have a tumor in my brain. College isn’t in the cards for me anymore. Luke probably will never know— His wish is about to come true. After this summer, he’ll never see me again. … The cicadas were singing loud, summer in full swing. Standing by the basketball court, I took out my phone and snapped a secret photo of Luke and me at graduation. The lighting was spotty. I opened my notes app and used voice-to-text. [June 12, 2025, 10:00 AM. Took a graduation photo with Luke. No smile today, just hate in his eyes.] I suddenly forgot why Luke hated me. Scrolling up to the last note, the fragmented past came rushing back. A month ago, I went to karaoke with Luke’s twin sister, Lily Hayes, to blow off steam after finals. On the way home, we ran into some thugs. She shielded me and got stabbed in the heart with a broken beer bottle. She’s been in a coma ever since. The doctor said only a heart transplant could save her. Otherwise, she’d remain a “living corpse” forever. Thinking of the hate in Luke’s eyes, I knew there was a permanent scar between us now. I turned off my phone, ready to leave, when a basketball came flying out of nowhere. Thud. It slammed into my back. I lost my balance and hit the concrete, scraping my knee raw. A group of guys from our class walked over, looking down at me. “Maya Lin, you put Luke’s sister in the hospital. How do you have the nerve to show up here?” “It’s bad enough you’re trash, but dragging Lily down with you? How does our school have someone as toxic as you?” “Get lost. Or we’ll beat you every time we see you.” … After they left, I wiped the gravel off my knees and elbows and stood up. Looking up, I saw him under the blazing sun. Luke Hayes, tall and tense, casting a shadow over me. “Maya, stop with the pitiful act. It’s annoying. Lily is the one who deserves pity!” I endured the pain, explaining to him again and again, just like always. “That day, Lily told me to go get security, that’s why I ran… I didn’t think something would happen in just a minute… If I could, I’d trade my life for hers.” “Great! Wake her up, and I’ll believe you!” Luke’s eyelashes fluttered, his cold voice dripping with sarcasm. “Lily needs a heart transplant to wake up. Someone as selfish as you, would you give her your heart?” He turned and walked away. Watching his back, I whispered, “Yeah. I would.” Two years ago, the doctor found a tumor in my brain. If we couldn’t control it, college was out. I took the meds, did the treatments, fought hard to live. But fate had other plans. The tumor is growing. My memory is fading every day. Since I can’t change the ending, let my heart beat somewhere else. I left school and went straight to the Red Cross. “Hi, I’d like to sign a designated organ donation agreement.” The staff looked at me. “Sorry, we don’t accept living donations.” I pulled a crumpled medical report from my backpack. “I have malignant glioma. My grandmother and mother both died from it. The doctor says I won’t make it past this summer.” “So I want my heart to keep beating and help my friend get better.” After reviewing my documents, the staff handed me a form. “You’ll need a guardian to sign a document after you fill this out.” I shook my head. “My parents are dead. And I’m eighteen. I can be my own guardian.” I signed my name solemnly on the voluntary donation agreement. And on the beneficiary line, I wrote “Lily Hayes.” Chapter 2 After I filled out the form, the staff pointed to a blank space at the bottom. “You need to fill in an emergency contact here.” I hesitated for a moment, then wrote down Luke’s name and number. Luke’s biggest wish is for Lily to recover. When he finds out later, he’ll be happy, right? Leaving the Red Cross, my phone alarm reminded me it was time for my shift at the bubble tea shop. Walking down the street, I passed an internet cafe and saw my brother, Sam, sitting on the steps smoking with some other boys. His young face had dark circles that didn’t belong on a teenager. My heart tightened. I rushed over. “Sam, it’s Tuesday. Why are you skipping class again? Are you dropping out?” Sam saw me and stubbed out the cigarette. “What’s the point of school? Gaming pays better.” I grabbed his arm. “SATs are next year. How are you getting into college like this? Come back to school with me!” Sam shook me off, annoyed. “You can work, why can’t I? Maya, stay out of my business. Get lost!” He shoved me and slammed the door shut. I stumbled, nearly falling off the steps. I watched through the glass as Sam put on his headset and sat back down at the computer. The manager wouldn’t let me in. I had to leave, looking back with every step. Walking along, I opened my notes app again. [3:00 PM. Found my brother skipping class on the way to work. Smoking, gaming… doing everything a high schooler shouldn’t do.] [Mom and Dad died early. My brother is addicted to the internet. If I die, what’s going to happen to him?] Finished recording, I realized I was at the bubble tea shop door, but felt confused. Why was I here? I checked my schedule. Right, my part-time job. Just as I was about to enter, the manager walked out. “Maya, this is the sixth time you’re late. You’re fired. Here’s this month’s pay.” He handed me five hundred bucks. My face went pale. “Manager, I’m sorry. Please give me another chance. I really need this job.” I had to save enough money for Sam’s tuition while I was still healthy. But the manager shook his head. “I’ve given you too many chances. Go home. You just finished finals, you should rest up for college.” Dejected, I turned to go home, only to see Luke walking towards me, pushing a black mountain bike. The boy was tall and lean, glowing in the sunlight. I instinctively called out, “Luke…” Seeing me, Luke frowned in disgust, parked his bike, and went into the shop. “One strawberry milk tea. Less ice, less sugar, add sago and mochi…” Hearing his order, I vaguely remembered. That was Lily’s favorite—the Strawberry Deluxe. Every Saturday, Luke would buy one for her and bring it to the hospital. And today was Saturday. The door opened, and Luke came out carrying the tea. I opened my mouth, asking hoarsely, “Luke, can I come with you to see Lily?” Luke paused pushing his bike. “What right does the culprit have to see her? You want to see Lily? Unless you die. Move!” He shoved me aside and rode off. Thinking of my condition, I silently followed him. I knew if I didn’t find a chance to see Lily now, I never would. Not long after, the sky darkened. Storm clouds gathered. I looked up as the pristine sky started to drizzle, catching me off guard. I didn’t have an umbrella. I trudged forward like a stray dog through the puddles. Waiting at the bus stop, Luke rode past on his bike, laden with milk tea and flowers. His tires hit a puddle, splash, soaking me with muddy water. A gust of wind blew. I felt cold from head to toe, right down to my bones. Chapter 3 It took forever on the bus to get to the hospital. Outside the ICU, I saw Lily lying there, tubes everywhere. Luke put the strawberry milk tea and flowers on the nightstand. With gentle eyes, he started reading a romance novel to her. Watching this, my eyes welled up. Lily loved novels. She used to hug me and say: “Maya, you can learn stuff from novels. It says twins have telepathy.” “See? My favorite person is you, and my brother’s favorite person is you too.” But Lily, Luke doesn’t like me anymore. Do you still like me? Through the glass window of the ward door, I traced Lily’s face in the air. “Lily, the three of us promised to go to the same college. But you missed the entrance exams to save me…” “But it’s okay. In a little while, I’ll give you my heart. Then you and your brother can go to the same college.” I secretly watched Lily for a long time. Only when Luke got up to leave did I flee the hospital. Back home, still soaking wet, I went straight to the shower. Hot water ran down my head, easing the cold, sticky feeling a bit. Lying in bed after my shower, I hugged the robotic dog on my nightstand, just like always. It was mottled with age, a gift from my mom before she passed. She said it was loyal and would keep me company in her place. I pressed the record button. “Today, I lost my job at the bubble tea shop. It was hard to find, but I blew it.” “I went to the hospital to see Lily. She’s thinner now, like Sleeping Beauty…” “Too bad Luke won’t let me in. Maybe the day Lily wakes up is the day he’ll finally talk to me properly.” But by then, I’ll be six feet under. I talked to the robot dog for a long time before falling into a heavy sleep. Maybe because of the rain, I slept poorly. The next day, my head was groggy when the phone rang urgently. “Maya Lin! Your brother Sam skipped class and got into a fight. Get to school now!” I woke up instantly and rushed to school. Principal’s office. I saw Luke. His face was bruised and battered, standing opposite Sam. My heart jumped. Sam hit Luke? Seeing me, the principal got straight to the point. “Maya, your brother is a junior. Skipping class is one thing, but assaulting an upperclassman?” “Luke and other students have signed a petition to expel Sam. Here are his expulsion papers.” Hearing this, I looked at Luke in panic. “Luke, I’m sorry! I’ll pay for your medical bills. Please forgive him. Don’t let him get expelled.” Since our parents died, my brother went from an honor student to a delinquent. I failed him. Before I go, I can’t let him lose his education. Sam interrupted me, looking defiant. “Luke said nasty things! He deserved it! I don’t need you apologizing for me!” Luke wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, expressionless. “In that case, no forgiveness.” He walked up to me and whispered so only I could hear. “My sister couldn’t take the exams. Your brother doesn’t deserve to either.” With that, he walked out. Sam grabbed his backpack and stormed out after him. I bowed to the principal and chased after him. “Sam! Stop!” But Sam ignored me. He walked to the dumpster and threw his backpack in. “Who told you to apologize? He ruined your reputation. He deserved it.” “Expel me, whatever. I didn’t want to go to school anyway. I’ll work and pay for your college tuition.” He lit a cigarette casually and handed me a bank card. “This is money from leveling accounts in games. I’m grown. I can take care of myself and you.” Looking at the pain patch on his wrist and the dark circles under his eyes, my heart ached. Suddenly, my nose felt warm. A drop of blood hit the bank card. Sam froze. “What’s wrong?” I wiped my nose, but the blood kept coming. Seeing Sam’s panicked face, I felt helpless. “Sam, I don’t have a future. If you quit school now, what happens later?” “When I see Mom and Dad on the other side, what am I supposed to tell them?!” I tilted my head back to stop the bleeding and saw Luke standing under a ginkgo tree across the way, staring at me. I didn’t know how long he’d been there. Chapter 4 My heart skipped a beat. I quickly looked away. When I finished cleaning up the blood and looked back, Luke had turned and walked into the ginkgo avenue without a second glance. Sam looked at me nervously. “What’s wrong with you? Is it heatstroke?” I shook my head, not knowing how to explain my illness. Sam got annoyed. He threw the cigarette on the ground, crushed it, and waved me off. “If you’re sick, go home and rest. I’m going back to work.” I wanted to call him back, but he rode off on his bike and disappeared. I sighed. “Sam, what are you going to do alone?” When I was ten, Mom died from the torture of glioma. Two years ago, Dad died in a car accident on his way to buy Sam a birthday cake. Now… I’m dying too. I fished Sam’s backpack out of the dumpster, carefully dusted it off, and went home. My stomach was empty, my head spinning. I realized I hadn’t eaten all day. I cooked a bowl of tangyuan (sweet rice balls) and brought it to the living room. Looking at my parents’ photos, I put one in my mouth. The sesame filling burst, but I couldn’t taste any sweetness. “Mom, you used to say the sweetness of tangyuan could cover life’s bitterness. But why can’t I taste any sweet at all?” “Sam doesn’t want to study. I’m dying. My life… seems like a total mess…” Tears fell into the bowl, one by one, creating ripples. Wind blew the curtains against my cheek, gentle like a mother’s touch. After eating, I broke into a sweat. My head felt a little better. After resting, I started looking for summer jobs again. I had to save more money for Sam’s future. I asked shop after shop along the main street, getting rejected every time. Finally, at 2 PM under the scorching sun, I found a flyer distribution gig downstairs. In the stifling summer heat, I wore a heavy bear suit, weaving through the crowd handing out flyers. The suit was airless. Within minutes, I was soaked in sweat. A group of kids ran over, jumping around me. “Look, a bear! I want to play with it!” The lead boy yanked my tail hard. I lost my balance, stumbled back, and fell on my butt, flyers scattering everywhere. The other kids swarmed, kicking my legs, punching me. The fattest kid sat right on my back, yelling: “Giddy up! Ride the stupid bear…” The weight was crushing. My head throbbed. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out. “Hey! She’s not a toy!” The weight lifted instantly. The kids scattered. “You okay?” I sat up and took off the headgear, meeting a pair of amber eyes. “…Luke…” His face went cold instantly, seemingly surprised it was me inside the suit. “Maya, seriously? Doing this for sympathy again?” I blurted out, “No, it’s a summer job.” Luke’s mother walked up behind him and handed me a bottle of ice water. “Drink some water. Don’t get heatstroke.” I took it. “Thanks, Godmother.” She was silent for a moment. “You don’t need to call me that anymore. Just… take care of yourself.” My heart stung. I knew she was in more pain than I could imagine. Giving me water was already her greatest mercy. If only I hadn’t left that day. Or if I had let Lily leave first. “I’m sorry…” Besides those words, I didn’t know what else to say. Mrs. Hayes didn’t answer, eyes red. She walked toward the community gate with Luke. Just then, a black sedan pulled up. A person in business attire got out and handed a document to Mrs. Hayes. “Mrs. Hayes, the hospital found a matching heart. This is the donor’s information.” My breath hitched. Did they find out about my donation so soon?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386553”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I was being framed for shoplifting by the campus convenience store owner. Just as he reached out to “search” me—a thin excuse to rip my clothes off—I raised a wooden stick in rage, ready to smash this dump to pieces. But suddenly, a barrage of crystal-clear comments floated right in front of my eyes, stopping me cold. (Nora! Stop! Don’t smash anything! He’s trying to provoke you on purpose!) (Trust us, we’re here to help. This creep took money from the principal to humiliate you. If you trash the store, they’ll call the cops, you’ll get a record, and you’ll be expelled…) (That disgusting pig is trying to strip-search you! Get your phone out and record his ugly face instead! Let the internet see what he really is!) Thank god they stopped me. Otherwise, I would have been totally screwed. Chapter 1 I held the stick frozen in mid-air. The owner, a greasy man named Mr. Zhu, grew impatient and lunged to grab my shirt. I dropped the stick and started screaming like a banshee. “Back off! Back off! Eeeeek! Help!” While I channeled my inner screaming marmot, I frantically texted my roommates under the counter. Just as Mr. Zhu’s filthy hands were about to touch me, my five roommates burst in like the Avengers. “Let her go!” My roommate, captain of the cheer squad, Sam, launched a flying kick at Mr. Zhu. It looked cool as hell, but Mr. Zhu barely budged. He was built like a brick outhouse; I couldn’t blame her. Mr. Zhu swatted Sam’s leg away, knocking both of us to the ground. He spat, “Birds of a feather! Thief’s friends are probably thieves too. Probably stole half my inventory already.” “Little delinquents. I’ll teach you a lesson today…” I ignored his filth and scrambled up. Following the floating comments’ advice, I started my counterattack. My roommates and I had telepathic chemistry. One look, and they knew the plan. I acted terrified and begged for mercy, while they backed out of the store. Another roommate, Hannah—a beauty influencer with a decent following—had already quietly raised her phone to record. Mr. Zhu, chin up and lips curled in a smug sneer, pressed his advantage. “Hurry up! You stole from my store and won’t admit it? If you don’t strip to prove your innocence right now, I won’t let you leave.” I wailed loudly, clutching my clothes tightly. “Sir, I only bought three packs of ramen! I swear I didn’t steal anything!” Mr. Zhu stroked his chin, eyes leering. “I saw you sneaking stuff into your clothes. Who knows if it’s in your pockets or down your pants?” I feigned a mental breakdown. I frantically shook my pants and turned my pockets inside out. “See? Can you see now? I didn’t steal anything!” Mr. Zhu wouldn’t let up. He insisted on a full strip search. I screamed, “I’d rather die!” and threw myself toward the wall. The video cut there as my roommates rushed in to “stop” me. Mr. Zhu, seeing I hadn’t actually cracked my skull, continued to harass me. “Tsk tsk tsk. Thought you were gonna end it all? Why stop? Guilty conscience, huh? The stolen goods are in your pants, aren’t they? Take them off.” My five roommates were seeing red. They pointed at him and unleashed hell: “You look like a pig and think with your dick! Do the world a favor and drop dead!” “Look at that perverted face! Everyone knows what you’re trying to do! Disgusting!” “Karma’s gonna get you, old man. Watch your back.” “Everyone knows you’re scum. Charging twenty bucks for a ten-dollar item. Black-hearted greed!” “What? Can’t make money ripping people off anymore, so now you’re framing students? If you can’t afford to run a business, close it! Stop being gross!” Mr. Zhu flew into a rage. He grabbed a baton from behind the counter and swung it at us. I didn’t dodge. The baton cracked right against my forehead. Blood sprayed instantly. On my signal, Hannah uploaded the video to our class group chat. Students eating in the cafeteria saw it and exploded. They swarmed over like a tidal wave. They arrived just in time to see me get hit, blood pouring down my face. The rage was instantaneous. They roared for vengeance. Mr. Zhu, seeing thirty angry students, quickly hid the baton behind his back, pretending nothing happened. The basketball captain, Tyler, dumped his lunch tray right on Mr. Zhu’s head. “You dare touch my classmate? You must have a death wish! Get him, boys!” Chili oil dripped into Mr. Zhu’s eyes. He squealed like a stuck pig. Before he could wipe it off, the guys grabbed every bottle of Coke and Sprite from the shelves, shook them violently, and sprayed him down. He looked like a drowned rat. Meanwhile, I lay on the floor playing dead, waiting for the ambulance. Chapter 2 The video of Mr. Zhu humiliating me spread from the class chat to the whole school. One to ten, ten to a hundred. Within minutes, almost every student knew. Mr. Zhu was the only game in town, and he abused his monopoly. Ten bucks for a soda, fifty for a pack of pads. He had made plenty of enemies. Now, seeing him pull this crap? The students snapped. Impulse took over. Hundreds of students stormed the store. Seeing Tyler and the boys already engaging, the mob lost all restraint. They rushed in. Smash! Crash! “Eighty! Eighty!” In minutes, the convenience store looked worse than a landfill. The siren of the ambulance finally halted the chaos. Everyone watched as the paramedics loaded me onto a stretcher. The moment the ambulance doors closed, the students scattered like roaches in the light. Mr. Zhu, covered in footprints and sticky soda, couldn’t catch a single one. He pried open his swollen, chili-burned eyes to see his ruined store and let out another pig-like wail. Before he could finish screaming, the cops handcuffed him. That hit gave me a concussion. I was going to sue him for every penny. Sitting in the interrogation room, Mr. Zhu finally realized he had screwed up. He hadn’t provoked me into smashing the store; instead, he had assaulted a student. How would he explain this to the Principal? Desperate, he lied to the cops. He claimed I was “loose,” that I stole from him, and then called a gang to beat him up. He said he only grabbed the baton for self-defense, and accidentally hit me while protecting himself. He claimed my injury was just bad luck and had nothing to do with him. The cops laughed in his face. He didn’t know that the video of him harassing me was already trending on local news. Netizens were ripping Mr. Zhu and his ancestors to shreds. Principal Higgins was fuming in his office, cursing Mr. Zhu for being useless. I was in the hospital, so Higgins couldn’t touch me yet. In his rage, he took it out on Tyler and the boys. He called them to his office and screamed: “Nora Vance stole things! She had a conflict with Mr. Zhu! What does that have to do with you? You smashed his store! You’re all paying for it!” Tyler was smart. His retort nearly gave Higgins a stroke. “First: Nora didn’t steal anything. She’s the victim.” “Second: We didn’t smash anything. Don’t slander us without evidence. My aunt is a top lawyer. I’ll have my parents sue you for defamation if you’re not careful.” Tyler’s family was full of legal sharks. He wasn’t scared of a high school principal. The other boys chimed in: “Yeah, we saw Mr. Zhu had chili in his eyes. We just opened some sodas to help him wash it out! We were being good Samaritans!” “When we left, the store was fine. We don’t know anything…” Mr. Zhu had to eat the loss. He had turned off the surveillance cameras to frame me, so there was no footage of who smashed what. He literally played himself. Principal Higgins didn’t get to vent; he just swallowed more anger. Chapter 3 Lying in my hospital bed, I scrolled through the floating comments. From them, I learned this world was a novel. And I was just a stepping stone for the male and female leads’ romance. In the original plot, Mr. Zhu framing me and trying to strip me was all orchestrated by Principal Higgins. The reason? The school had two guaranteed spots for a prestigious study abroad program. They belonged to me and the male lead, David Chen. Principal Higgins’ daughter, Jessica Higgins—the female lead—wanted to go abroad with David. So she begged her daddy to get rid of me and give her my spot. But as long as I didn’t drop out, Higgins couldn’t touch that spot. So he resorted to this dirty trick to force me out. In the book, I fell for the trap. I was humiliated, smashed the store in rage, and got expelled. Jessica took my spot, went abroad to get “gold-plated,” and returned as a celebrated success story. Meanwhile, with an expulsion on my record, I hit wall after wall in society. I worked like a dog. Finally, I got into a decent company and was about to be promoted… When Jessica returned, parachuted in as my boss, and stole my position. She didn’t feel an ounce of guilt. Instead, she sabotaged me at every turn until I was forced out. If these comments hadn’t saved me, I would have lived through that hell. Just thinking about it made my chest ache with rage. Damn Higgins. Damn Zhu. And that trash female lead. I wasn’t letting any of them off. Chapter 4 After the injury assessment, I was discharged. Nothing serious. Mr. Zhu was still in lockup. I hired a lawyer for compensation. I definitely wasn’t settling. The moment I returned to school, Higgins called me to his office. Before I could enter, he had a female teacher frisk me to ensure I had no recording devices. Only then did he close the door and start his high-and-mighty lecture. “Why didn’t you report this to a teacher? Why did you have to be so barbaric?” “I know all about what happened with Mr. Zhu. It was a small misunderstanding that you blew up into a scandal.” “It takes two to tango. Why would Mr. Zhu accuse you for no reason?” “Reflect on yourself. Was it because you were dressed inappropriately?” He glared at me with his dead fish eyes, spouting victim-blaming nonsense. I cut him off calmly. “Principal, didn’t you see the video of him verbally sexually assaulting me?” Higgins scoffed. “He just used some improper language. You were the one who overreacted.” “Now Mr. Zhu is in jail because of you. Don’t you feel guilty? You’re stubborn.” “You need to sign a settlement and get him out. Otherwise, don’t blame me if this goes on your permanent record.” I sneered. “Are you threatening me, Principal?” Higgins bared his yellow teeth, thinking he had me cornered. “Threatening? I’m educating you! Sometimes you have to forgive and forget. Don’t be ungrateful.” I was disgusted. I fired back. “Since you’re so generous, why don’t you send your daughter, Jessica, over to Mr. Zhu for a ‘chat’?” “I have dignity. I can’t handle that kind of humiliation. Since you can, I hope your daughter meets a man like Mr. Zhu every day. My ancestors were shamans; my curses stick. Good luck to her!” Higgins slammed his desk. “You little bitch! Dare curse my daughter? I’ll make sure you never graduate!” “Get out! You’re done here!” I laughed loudly. “Why so mad? Weren’t you just preaching forgiveness? Now that it’s your daughter, it hurts?” “You hypocritical tyrant! You stab others but scream when you get pricked!” “Forgive and forget? You’re unreasonable, yet you argue. I’m right, so why should I forgive?” I didn’t hold back. I aired all his dirty laundry. Higgins took over three years ago. The previous principal, Mr. Shen, was an honest man who clashed with Higgins. Mr. Shen had a disabled son. With approval from the board and the education bureau, Mr. Shen hired his son to work in the print room. Minimum wage. Not taking a teacher’s headcount. The son cherished the job. In five years, he never missed a day. The moment Mr. Shen retired, Higgins fired the son, citing his disability. No severance. Mr. Shen had to sue to get the pension. Everyone knew Higgins was a scumbag for that. I threw that in his face. He nearly passed out from anger. Beep… beep… beep… … After thirty minutes of verbal combat, he couldn’t take it anymore. Panting like a cow, he kicked me out. The comments helped. For every sentence he said, they gave me ten comebacks. Chapter 5 Because I refused to settle, Mr. Zhu stayed in jail. His store was trashed and uncompensated. His family took a huge hit. Soon, they hired shady bot accounts to smear me online. They said I was an attention whore trying to become an influencer. That Mr. Zhu was innocent. Since the video only showed verbal abuse, they spun a story. They claimed students stole so much that Mr. Zhu was going broke. That he had an 80-year-old mother and a toddler to feed. That he snapped under pressure. Some business owners bought it. They started cyberbullying me. Higgins saw the tide turning and started dreaming again. He thought he could kick me out and send his daughter abroad. He was grinning ear to ear. I didn’t panic. I had the ace up my sleeve. A student filming from a distance had captured the entire incident and sent it to me. Before my roommates arrived, Mr. Zhu had said some truly vile things and physically groped me. I waited for the rumors to peak, then sent the full video to a local news reporter. The video dropped in the morning. The internet exploded by noon. The people who defended Mr. Zhu felt like idiots. Their shame turned to rage. They doxxed Mr. Zhu’s family. His wife got fired. His son, Zhu Jr., was stripped and humiliated on his way home from school. Don’t feel bad for the kid. He was a bully too. He once blinded a classmate in one eye with a ruler. Because he was ten, his parents just paid a fine. The blinded kid’s parents set off fireworks for a week when they heard the news.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386552”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My stray cat, whom I regularly feed, dragged in a half-dead white snake as a “gift.” I nearly fainted from shock, but then a barrage of floating comments appeared before my eyes: [No way! The snake-shifter male lead was supposed to be saved by the kind-hearted heroine! Instead, he got dragged in by a stray cat as a present for its human?!] [Damn it! That stray cat is useless! Bad kitty! Poor snakey!] [The biggest catch just fell into the villainess’s lap! This white snake guy is loaded. Whoever saves him gets the gold!] My eyes lit up instantly! I grabbed the snake and rushed inside. A snake that drops gold coins? Finders keepers! 1 After cleaning the white snake’s wounds, I placed him in a glass terrarium. Looking at the snake, which was nearly six feet long, I felt a shiver of fear. This is considered a pet snake? Someone clearly misunderstands the definition of “pet.” I thought pet snakes were supposed to be as thick as a few fingers. I rummaged through my kitchen and found a few pieces of raw meat in the freezer, tossing them into the terrarium. The white snake flicked its tongue, glanced at the frozen meat, and turned away disdainfully, coiling itself up. “It’s not gourmet, I know, but I’m broke. Since you’re my pet now—” Before I could finish, the white snake suddenly raised its head. [LMAO! Look at the shock in his golden eyes! Did he hear that right? Who are you calling a pet?!] [Male Lead: I was forced here! Forced! Do you understand?!] [Damn it, where is that culprit cat?] The culprit, a fat orange tabby named Garfield, ignored everything and happily crunched on kibble nearby. Crunch, crunch, yum, yum, crunch. Delicious. [Male Lead: I will not eat this cheap trash like that fat cat!] [I’d rather starve!] [What’s the point of living if I have to eat this garbage?!] This snake has some nerve. Being picky isn’t a good habit. I ignored the snake, went to the kitchen, made myself some instant noodles, cracked an egg into it, and added two leaves of lettuce. A balanced, luxurious meal! Just as I finished slurping, the doorbell rang. I shuffled to the door in my slippers. Through the crack, I saw my neighbors—Mr. Zhang and Mrs. Lee—armed with brooms and spatulas, looking fierce. “Daisy! Where’s the snake?!” “Don’t hide it from us! Someone saw that orange cat drag a snake into your apartment. You’re a girl living alone; we came to help!” Their eyes locked onto the terrarium in the living room. “That’s the white snake! Don’t be scared, we’ll kill it for you!” As they raised their weapons, the white snake panicked. It pushed the lid open with surprising force, its scales rustling against the floor as it slithered straight into my bedroom. Not the bedroom! Mr. Zhang and the others charged in after it. “Where is it?” Mr. Zhang rubbed his eyes. I pretended not to see the white coil on the ceiling light fixture. “It probably escaped,” I lied to Mr. Zhang. “That snake doesn’t bite. Besides, you know I love animals. I was thinking of getting a pet anyway.” Mr. Zhang dropped his can of bug spray. “A girl keeping a six-foot snake? Aren’t you afraid it’ll crawl into your bed at night?” I forced a smile, my fingers digging into the doorframe. “Just for fun. And… and for self-defense.” Mr. Zhang looked at me, exasperated. “Well, if that’s the case, then—” Crash! The ceiling light and the snake fell together. Before anyone could react, the white snake wrapped around my body, rubbing its head against my cheek affectionately. “See? I told you it makes a great pet.” 2 The comments scrolled by frantically, filling my vision with mockery directed at the male lead: [His arrogance lasted exactly one second.] [Slap in the face! Male Lead one second ago: I will never be a pet. Next second: Why can’t I be a pet?] [Look at how tight he’s holding on! He’s terrified Mr. Zhang will turn him into snake soup!] [I admit, I’m jealous of the snake. The villainess’s body is fire!] [Am I the only one looking at her waist? Drop the workout routine, sis!] … The neighbors left, shaking their heads. I tugged at the snake’s tail, trying to peel him off me. He wouldn’t budge. The white snake blinked curiously, as if discovering a new continent. Its tail rubbed against my skin. Its tongue flicked against my neck. The snake stared at me for a moment, then nuzzled into the crook of my neck. When its golden vertical pupils met mine, I swear I saw a faint blush. I sighed helplessly. “Um, can you get down? I can’t breathe.” Only then did the white snake slither down. On its way back to the terrarium, it bumped into the wall three times and the table leg twice. [Help! The snake boy is so satisfied his brain short-circuited!] [The virgin snake boy just experienced happiness for the first time in twenty-something years.] [Overheating warning! He was so arrogant wrapping around her, now he can’t even walk straight! Hahaha!] [So innocent? Did he already name their future snake babies just from that hug?] [Emergency! My snake seems to have concussed himself from happiness!] 3 Maybe it was my “self-defense” comment. Since that day. When I left for work in the morning, the white snake would be waiting at the door. When I came home, he would follow me everywhere. Eating at the table. Sleeping in the bed. My already cramped apartment felt even smaller. Maybe it was Big Data listening, but since I got the snake, TikTok only recommended snake content to me. Snake habits, snake species, even… snake anatomy… But I wasn’t interested in snakes. I was only interested in money. I kept scrolling. Suddenly, a video of a guy with abs flashed on the screen, tagged “Black Snake.” “Sister, do you like a black snake like me?” The shameful voice echoed in my apartment. I shivered. Okay, fine. I’m interested in money and men. My morals were hanging by a thread called “poverty.” Just as I hit “like” and opened the comments to type “Big Data knows me well,” the white snake slithered over. With a flick of its tail, it swiped the screen. It selected: Show less like this. Then, satisfied, it slithered over to the other side of my bed. I pondered his motivation. Hm. Probably the same reason Garfield hates when I feed other stray cats. Instinctive possessiveness. 4 News of my pet snake spread through the neighborhood fast. The aunties and uncles held a meeting and decided that relying on a snake for protection wasn’t a long-term plan. They concluded that a single girl living alone must be insecure to keep a snake. So the next day, they showed up with a stack of photos of eligible bachelors. “This one makes good money. Short, but his parents are locals. Not bad looking.” “This one is tall and handsome, but his job is unstable.” Auntie Sun asked me, “Daisy, what’s your type? You have a stable job, you’re pretty, and you don’t have parents to worry about this for you. We’re your family now. Tell us what you want!” I’m shallow. Life is already hard; if my husband is ugly, I might just give up. I looked at the photos. There was a guy named Simon Shen. Handsome, and younger than me. “Him. I like handsome guys.” Auntie Sun beamed. “Got it! Arranging it!” They happily planned the first date location and left. I closed the door and turned around to meet a pair of staring snake eyes. Under his gaze, I felt guilty, like a cheater. Auntie Sun quickly set up the date. As I was getting ready to leave, the white snake suddenly wrapped around my waist. “No. You can’t come.” Raising this snake was temporary. I had my own life, and I was serious about finding a boyfriend and getting married. Bringing a snake? Absolutely not. But the snake wrapped tighter, his eyes refusing to take no for an answer. I pulled hard on his tail to unwind him. “Stop it.” But seconds later, he was back. Helpless, I had to postpone the date.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386551”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After we got back together, Nathan became clingy. What I ate, what I drank, who I saw—he needed a full report on everything. One day, he called, his tone a careful probe. “Zack brought some girls over. We’re heading to the spa.” I just said, “Oh. Have fun.” The line went dead. Twenty minutes later, he was blocking my doorway, his voice a raw whisper. “You’d just let me go off with someone else?” I took a step back under his intense gaze. “Isn’t this the ‘boundaries’ you wanted?” My words hung in the air, and he froze. 1 “Are you done?” I asked, my voice flat. “If you’re done, you can go. I really don’t mind.” Fearing he might misunderstand, I added a thoughtful assurance. “Don’t worry, I’ll play my part perfectly for your parents tomorrow.” Nathan’s face instantly darkened. “Aria,” he bit out, “you’re really something else.” He slammed the door on his way out. The commotion had completely shattered my drowsiness. I curled back into bed and scrolled through my phone. At two in the morning, a few photos arrived from an unknown number. A young woman, clad only in a bikini, her pale skin gleaming, was straddling Nathan. Steam curled in the air around them. His arm was wrapped casually around her waist, only a thin slip of fabric separating their bodies. Hey wifey, I’m scared of the water so Nate’s holding me tight 😉 So jealous you have such a caring hubby!~ I stared at the screen, considering my options. Should I get up and go catch them in the act? But it was so late, my driver was off for the night, and getting a ride would be a nightmare. Well then… maybe write a long, scathing essay tearing Nathan apart? The weather was too cold; my fingers would freeze. Maybe I could just copy and paste one of my old rants from our chat history. As I scrolled through the archives of my own fury, I somehow drifted off to sleep. No wonder Nathan never read them. When you strip away the emotion, the words are just long, rambling, and utterly exhausting. Turns out, they’re a pretty effective sedative. The next day was New Year’s. We were at the Vanderwood family estate. I was making small talk with the elders when the doorbell chimed. When the door opened, the girl from last night’s photos stood there, a picture of shy audacity. She was clutching a pair of men’s underwear. “This… he left this at my place yesterday.” The style was young, bold. There was only one man in this house they could possibly belong to. The scene was painfully familiar. The year we got engaged, another girl had shown up just like this. I’d gone ballistic, grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground. Nathan had pulled me off her and left with the girl without a second glance, leaving me in a crumpled, humiliated heap on the floor. That night, the estate was in chaos. No one had a happy New Year. The old folks always say you shouldn’t start the year on a bad note. Sure enough, that was the year Nathan and I fought the most viciously. The living room fell silent. Everyone was waiting for my reaction. I immediately plastered on a smile and smoothed things over. “Oh, that’s my cousin. She grew up abroad, you know how wild they can be. We were all together for New Year’s Eve last night.” Nathan’s father let out a sigh of relief, but his mother’s eyes were sharp with suspicion. “Really?” “Of course,” I insisted, pulling the girl inside and shutting the door. The last flicker of hope in Nathan’s eyes died out. 2 On the drive back, I pulled the underwear from my pocket and tossed it at Nathan. He stammered out an explanation. “Last night wasn’t what you think. That girl is Zack’s sister, and I was drunk, I didn’t do anything…” I tore open a sanitizing wipe and began meticulously cleaning my hands. “You can just drop me here. I’m meeting Nancy for a poker game.” Nathan’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice softened. “I can pick you up when you’re done?” “No need,” I said, pushing the car door open. “You go do your thing.” I didn’t want to know what that pair of underwear had been through. I just didn’t want to be contaminated by any of it. At Nancy’s place, I took a long, hot shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes she’d laid out for me. Only then did the tight, suffocating feeling in my chest finally begin to dissolve. Nancy watched Nathan’s car drive away, then raised an eyebrow at me. “So, how was the battle? What was the body count? And why didn’t you call for backup?” I sank into her sofa. “There was no battle. Scaring away the man is a small loss, but what if I scare away the money tree?” That New Year’s Day years ago, the Vanderwood estate had been a war zone. Several elders had been so upset they ended up in the hospital. As I lay on the cold floor, it was Nancy who had finally come for me, bundling my mud-stained self into her sports car. As she turned the key in the ignition, she couldn’t resist a bit of dark humor. “Trying to live out a childhood dream, were we? Making mud pies at the Vanderwood estate?” The moment I opened my mouth, tears streamed down my face. “Nancy, how did it get like this?” She panicked, fumbling to wipe my tears away, but she had no answer. No one could have predicted that Nathan and I would end up in such a toxic mess. We were childhood sweethearts, friends since we were in diapers. To get into the same university as him, I’d woken up before the chickens and gone to bed after the dogs, pouring every ounce of my being into my studies. The day I got my acceptance letter, my mother was amazed. “If I’d known all it took was Nathan to make you work this hard, why did I spend a fortune on all those tutors?” Everyone just assumed that Aria and Nathan were meant to be. A package deal for life. But just as we finally grew up, no longer needing to share a single order of street-cart fries, he was the one who let go of my hand. He resented his family for mapping out his future, for forcing him to abandon his dream of music to take over the family corporation. That resentment found a new target in me when I joyfully accepted the engagement. Back then, I was too blinded by my own happiness, too caught up in the fantasy of finally marrying the man I loved, to notice that the love had long since vanished from his eyes. After the engagement, he was never home. I’d wake up to a phone flooded with “concerned” messages from well-meaning friends. Nathan had dropped a fortune on some model; Nathan was on a yacht surrounded by women; Nathan had thrown a mock wedding for himself somewhere… The messages were like mold in the rainy season—impossible to scrub clean. I used to scream, to demand answers, to lose my mind and make a scene for everyone to see. All it earned me was a deeper layer of Nathan’s disgust. “Can’t you have some goddamn boundaries? You don’t like it? Then go tell my mother to call off the engagement!” Nancy once accurately described our relationship as less like a married couple and more like a rebellious teenager and his overbearing mother. One desperately trying to escape, the other clinging on for dear life. I thought I would be tangled up with him like that forever. But then, somewhere in the middle of all the fighting, I just got tired. Friends like Nancy don’t need words. A single look is enough. Seeing my strange calm, she asked softly, “So, what’s the plan?” I took the warm water she handed me. “The London project… both our families have invested a lot. I’m going to go oversee it myself.” “For how long?” “Tentatively, three years.” She wrapped her arms around my neck, not wanting to let go. “Before you leave, we’re going to party hard. My treat.” “Don’t you worry,” I leaned against her shoulder with a smile. “You won’t get out of it.” 3 I was jolted awake late that night by the doorbell. Nathan was slumped against the doorframe, drunk, his tie hanging loosely around his neck. I glanced at my phone. The Do Not Disturb notification showed 99+ unread messages in our chat. So, he couldn’t reach me and just came over. A year ago, I would have been flattered that he’d even thought to come home while drunk. I would have bustled around, helping him inside, getting him water, fussing over him for half the night. But now? My hair was freshly washed and fragrant, my apartment was spotless, and the last thing I wanted was the stench of a drunk man tainting it. He saw I had no intention of letting him in and asked, his voice hoarse, “You’re just going to leave me out here?” “You’re at the wrong place,” I said calmly. “This is my apartment, not our marital home.” “I’ll call someone to pick you up.” As I looked down to find a number, he shamelessly pressed closer. “Aria… I want the soup you make.” I took a deep breath, pushing down the last lingering sting in my heart. “Really? You’ll leave right after you have the soup?” He nodded eagerly. I opened the DoorDash app and held my phone out to him. “Pick whatever kind you want.” He froze, the alcohol seeming to evaporate from his system. “Aria, you never let me eat this stuff…” He was probably remembering the early days of our engagement when I, determined to be the perfect wife, had hired a chef to teach me how to cook, starting from the very basics of chopping vegetables. But he never even glanced at the food I made, let alone tasted it. I would secretly post pictures of my carefully prepared meals on Instagram, hoping the likes and comments from our mutual friends would tempt him to come home for a taste. Instead, I overheard him laughing with his friends at a bar. “If you had a stage-five clinger like Aria, you’d think my life was a tragedy too. Why would I eat her pig slop when I have a world of delicacies waiting for me outside?” Amid the roar of laughter, I ran home and cried for three days straight. Nancy was both furious and heartbroken for me. “My darling girl, you’re the type of person who’d rather starve than turn on a stove! Why are you learning to cook for a man?! He’s out living it up while you’re turning yourself into a ghost!” That was my wake-up call. I never cooked for him again. “Mine doesn’t even taste good,” I said, pushing the phone closer to him. “Just order something.” He sighed and took the phone. As his fingertips brushed my palm, his other hand instinctively moved to wrap around my shoulder. I recoiled violently, my back hitting the door with a dull thud. In the dead silence that followed, he lowered his head and lit a cigarette. The tiny flame flickered in the dark, illuminating the sharp lines of the face I once adored. “Aria, I’m your fiancé, not a walking biohazard.” “You never know,” I countered, taking another half-step back. “I need to sleep. I have work tomorrow.” I don’t know when he left. The next morning, the hallway outside my door was littered with cigarette butts. 4 On the way to the office, waiting at a red light, my mind drifted back to the night I finally broke things off. Nathan had locked me out that night, too. But that was at our marital home. He and a crowd of people were partying inside. He’d even changed the security code. The deep winter wind cut like a knife. I pounded on the door, my hand instinctively cradling my stomach, my voice choked with sobs. “Nathan, open the door… something’s wrong… my stomach…” It was the same girl from the spa who answered me through the intercom. “Hey, you out there! Nate said the one he has to marry is the Vanderwood family, not him. You should probably go. He said you need to learn about boundaries.” I froze for a second, then started hammering on the door like a madwoman. The people inside must have found it amusing. They recorded me through the security camera. In the background, I could hear the spa girl’s sweet, cloying voice. “Nate, she says something’s wrong?” His voice, slurred with alcohol and thick with annoyance, came through crystal clear. “Ignore her. She’s just playing the victim.” In the video, I looked like a deranged mess, crying and screaming. Eventually, I stopped, picked up my suitcase, and stumbled away, disappearing around the corner. That video made the rounds in our social circle. Nathan only found out after a full day of people looking at him with expressions that screamed, You’re a real piece of work. He finally, confusedly, clicked on the link. He didn’t think it was a big deal. So what? He was having a good time at home and didn’t want her to come in and ruin the mood. But the Vanderwood elders were furious. They said his actions were disgraceful and had brought shame upon both families. So he came to me, wearing the sullen expression of someone forced to apologize. “I didn’t know you would… walk out alone so late. I heard about the video.” He looked at me, as if assessing whether I’d learned my lesson. “People are talking… saying I drove my own fiancée out onto the street… Aria, stop being so dramatic and come home.” He never knew what happened in the darkness after the video cut off. And I was done trying to explain. Lying on the hospital bed, I wearily turned over. “It’s not your fault.” On the surface, it seemed we had reconciled. But from that day on, I stopped caring where he slept or if he ever came home. I quietly moved out of our marital home and back into my own small apartment. 5 Saying it wasn’t his fault was a lie. I’m no saint. Giving up on someone you’ve loved for so, so long feels like tearing a part of yourself from your own flesh and bone. When the withdrawals hit, I’d lie awake all night, a gaping hole in my chest where my heart used to be, the icy wind from that winter night howling through it. Besides, my family’s fortune and the Vanderwoods’ were already deeply intertwined, like the roots of two ancient trees. Tearing them apart would have consequences neither side could bear. I knew better than anyone that in the face of family interests, the squabbles of two young people were as light as a feather. Maybe the pressure from his family scared him. Maybe he belatedly realized he’d gone too far. Whatever the reason, Nathan started to rein it in. No more all-nighters. No more ignoring my existence. Instead, he began reporting his every move to me, in excruciating detail. One day, I was in the middle of a high-stakes negotiation, finalizing the core terms of a nine-figure project. We were at the final impasse over profit-sharing. You could hear a pin drop in the conference room. All eyes were on me, waiting for my response. And that’s when his messages started flooding my phone screen, one after another. Something about an appointment with a famous wedding dress designer; he needed to know what style I wanted. When I didn’t reply, he started calling. Again. And again. The buzzing of my phone was deafeningly disruptive. The lead negotiator on the other side said sympathetically, “Please, take your time. It might be urgent.” I maintained a polite smile, nodded my apologies, and ducked into the restroom before finally answering, hissing into the phone. “What the hell do you want? Why are you blowing up my phone over something so trivial? Are you that bored? Can’t you have some goddamn boundaries?!” After my tirade, the line went dead silent. I was the first to snap out of it, rubbing my temples wearily. “I’m sorry. I’ve been pulling all-nighters for this project, I’m just exhausted. The style… you can just pick one for me.” On the other end of the line, Nathan was quiet for a long time before he finally managed a strained, “Okay.” 6 The car pulled up in front of the Vanderwood Corporation headquarters. I was here to consolidate some resources before heading back to my own company. In the breakroom, I overheard some colleagues gossiping. “Did you see? Mr. Vanderwood came in with her again this morning.” “I know! I heard he even left his underwear at her place last time…” “What is with that? Isn’t he engaged?” “Please, everyone knows how much he can’t stand Miss Aria. He’s always saying he wishes she would just disappear.” … Thanks to Nathan’s strict policy of never acknowledging our relationship at the office, I, Miss Aria herself, was privy to all the juiciest gossip. I lowered my eyes and sipped my coffee, feeling nothing. This little scandal was nothing. These people were amateurs. They’d never seen a female delivery driver show up late at night wearing a matching set of lacy lingerie underneath her uniform. They’d never had to deal with the mountains of explicit late-night texts on his phone. They’d certainly never been toasted at a family banquet by some random girl who called me ‘sis’ as if we were best friends. Nathan never said no to anyone outside our home, and I was always the one left to clean up his messes. A pair of forgotten underwear barely even registered on the scale of his transgressions. I fought the urge to go over and say something. Then I looked up and saw that the subject of the gossip was standing right in front of me. The girl from the spa—the one who was “afraid of water”—was clinging to Nathan as if she had no bones of her own. When Nathan saw me, he frowned and told her to stand up straight. I took a second look. Of all his flings, she had certainly lasted the longest. The girl pouted and shoved a file into my hands. “You’re the one from his house, aren’t you?” I took the file and met her gaze. “And you’re the one who sat on him in a bikini at the spa.” The breakroom went dead quiet. Her face paled. She bit her lip and demanded, “Can’t you just let him go?” I held up my hands in surrender. Don’t drag me into this, kid. I’m just trying to get my materials and get out of the country. In a moment of desperate inspiration, my voice rising an octave, I threw Nathan’s own excuse back at them. “You call him ‘bro,’ I call him ‘bro.’ What’s this about letting him go or not?” “Aria.” Nathan’s warning tone came from behind me. “What nonsense are you spouting now?” I waved the file in my hand and turned to press the elevator button. “Bro, deal with your own drama. Leave me out of it.” The elevator doors slowly slid shut, reflecting Nathan’s thunderous expression and the hurt look on the girl’s face beside him. Were they having another fight? Not my problem. I glanced down at the flight confirmation email on my phone. In twenty-four hours, I would be gone. 7 I’d partied too hard with Nancy the night before, so I was barely holding it together at Nathan’s grandfather’s banquet. I placed my prepared gifts on the table. The first was a rare bottle of aged whiskey, a toast to the old man’s good health. The second was the heirloom sapphire bracelet his grandfather had personally placed on my wrist at our engagement party. Today, I was returning it. The message couldn’t be clearer. I stood behind Grandpa Vanderwood and gently massaged his shoulders. “Grandpa, I’m begging you, please grant my request to break off the engagement with Nathan.” He grew agitated. “Did that boy force you into this?” I shook my head, my voice soft but firm. “This is my decision. The love is gone. This engagement is meaningless.” I added, “I will personally oversee the London project. I won’t let the interests of our two families suffer.” Grandpa Vanderwood looked at the sapphire bracelet, then let out a long sigh. “The Vanderwood family has wronged you.” He paused for a moment, then added, “For the London project, you will have full authority. On top of the original terms, the Vanderwood family will grant an additional five percent of the profits to you personally. Consider it a small token from an old man.” “Thank you, Grandpa,” I said with a small smile, not refusing the offer. I had earned it. My flight was in two hours. I offered a final toast and made my excuses to leave early. As the car pulled away, I took one last look at the grand estate where Nathan and I had grown up together, from innocent playmates to deeply entangled lovers. Now, the story was over, and I was the only one walking off the stage. As we turned the corner, I saw Nathan’s car pulling into the driveway. I could just make out the silhouette of the spa girl in the passenger seat. Our cars passed each other, going in opposite directions. Nathan, I hope you get everything you ever wanted. And I hope my future is limitless. 8 Nathan rushed into the banquet hall, but he couldn’t find the familiar figure he was looking for. He sidled up to his grandfather, feigning a casual tone. “What did Aria get you?” His grandfather swirled the whiskey in his glass, then pushed another velvet box toward him. Inside lay the solitary sapphire bracelet. The thing she had treasured above all else, now returned by her own hand. A knot of anxiety tightened in Nathan’s chest. “Where is she?” Grandpa Vanderwood took a sip of his drink, his voice betraying no emotion. “Gone. She said she’s setting you free. The engagement is off.” He glanced pointedly at the spa girl who had followed Nathan in. “You should be happy now.” Nathan stood there, stunned. His first feeling was an overwhelming wave of exhaustion. He thought of all his clumsy attempts to change—calling her even when he was drunk, learning to cook for her, even taking charge of the wedding dress selection… He had done so much, had bent so far. And she was still throwing a tantrum. A hot surge of anger, the anger of being played for a fool, rose in his throat. Knowing Aria, she was probably already on a flight to London. He furiously typed out a message to Nancy. [Was it fun playing games with me?] [Did you two get a kick out of watching me run around like an idiot, trying to change for her?] Nancy didn’t reply with a single word. Instead, she sent him a link to a surveillance video. It was from a convenience store not far from their marital home.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386550”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

At nine, I was caught in the shockwave of an explosion trying to save Greg. I’ve needed a hearing aid ever since. The guilt ate him alive. He was the one who insisted on the promise between our families, his eyes red as he swore to me, “Willow, I’ll take care of you for the rest of my life.” But when I was eighteen… To pass a test set by the school’s queen bee… He pulled out my hearing aid himself. In front of her and all his friends, his voice dripped with disgust. “You little burden. I’m so sick of you.” “I wish they’d never saved you when you were nine. I wish you’d just died.” I clutched the doctor’s report in my pocket—the one that said I was cured—and said nothing. When I got home, I quietly changed my college application choices. Then, I went with my parents to his house to break the promise. Greg, from that day on, our paths would diverge. We never needed to meet again. 1 “Willow, I wish they’d never saved you when you were nine. I wish you’d just died.” The moment Greg said it, the private room erupted. “Damn, Greg, you’re a savage!” “Next time, wait till her hearing’s fixed, then say it right to her face. I bet she’d cry. She’s always so meek and quiet, like some kind of saint.” “So what if she heard? Who’d want a cripple anyway? You’re the only one generous enough to put up with her, man.” I froze, my hand clenching the report in my bag until my knuckles were white. My parents had taken me to a specialist right after final exams. The surgery was a success. I didn’t need the hearing aid anymore. Today was my birthday party. I had planned to surprise Greg. To tell him my hearing was back, that I wouldn’t be his burden anymore. But my carefully planned surprise had unearthed a bloody, rotten truth instead. Greg’s words were a blade twisting in my heart, stealing the air from my lungs. Pain bloomed in my palm where my nails dug into my skin. I bit my lip and looked up at him, wanting to ask why. But he didn’t even seem to notice me. He was busy toying with the white hearing aid in his hand, a lazy, mocking smile on his face. “Alright, that’s enough,” he said. “She did save my life once. Watch what you say. Don’t let it get back to her.” The group caught his drift instantly. “Right, right. Our lips are sealed, bro.” “Tsk, for a shot at a guy like Greg? Being deaf for life is a small price to pay for her.” Another round of jeering laughter filled the room. “Okay, okay, guys, lay off,” Jessica said, stepping forward with a smile. She was the queen bee, the girl at the center of it all. “Willow’s a sweet girl, not a tomboy like me who can roughhouse with you guys. Don’t be too mean.” She turned to Greg, her voice full of theatrical gravity. “Greg, you passed my test.” “Now I believe you’re really not into Willow. So… we can go on that date tomorrow.” A slow smile spread across Greg’s face, his eyes so full of affection it looked like it could spill over. He murmured, “Okay.” I just stood there, my mind a complete blank. The world seemed to grind to a halt. The mocking laughter, the whoops and hollers—it all swirled around me, crescendoing into a sharp, painful ringing in my ears. “Hey, what are you thinking about?” Greg was suddenly in front of me, gently placing the hearing aid back in my ear. A smile played on his lips. “Speechless with joy?” I should have been. An eighteenth birthday, a confession from the boy I loved, our relationship made official in front of all our friends. It was like something out of a movie. But now, when I tried to speak, my throat was too dry, too tight for any words to escape. His friends jumped in, their voices a cheerful chorus of lies. “Willow, you missed it! Greg pulled out your hearing aid and whispered a ton of cheesy romantic stuff. We all got goosebumps.” “Man, I wish I had a childhood sweetheart.” “You lucky bastard,” Jessica said, slinging an arm over Greg’s shoulder and giving his chest a playful punch. “What did you do in a past life to deserve a girl as sweet as her?” 2 I didn’t say a word. My eyes scanned the faces in the room, one by one. They were all smiling, congratulating us, patting him on the back. A few even joked about saving the date for the wedding. Not a single crack in their performance. Their expressions were flawlessly, unnervingly natural. I suddenly remembered all the other parties, the other gatherings this year. There were so many moments just like this one. Greg would take out my hearing aid, his eyes soft, and say something I couldn’t hear. When he put it back, everyone would rush to tell me he was whispering promises, swearing he’d never let me down. If my hearing hadn’t been restored… If I hadn’t heard the shards of glass hidden in his honeyed tones, the utter ugliness of his words, I would have been trapped in that lie forever. “Oops!” Jessica suddenly exclaimed. She dropped her arm from Greg’s shoulder and turned to me with an exaggeratedly apologetic look. “Sorry, Willow! We’re just like brothers, always messing around like this. Don’t be jealous, okay?” Greg laughed. “Give me a break. You’re such a tomboy, nothing ladylike about you.” With that, they started chasing each other around the room, play-fighting as if no one else existed. Everyone watched, completely unfazed. I closed my eyes, took a breath, and turned to leave. But Jessica, quick as a flash, stepped in my way. Her eyes were filled with disapproval. “Everyone came here for you, for your birthday. You’re just going to walk out?” Greg came over and ruffled my hair, his voice laced with feigned patience. “You haven’t even opened your gifts yet. Come on, don’t be a princess.” I frowned and instinctively pulled away. Ignoring the darkness that flickered in his eyes, I told him, each word clear and deliberate, “We’re breaking up. Don’t ever contact me again.” Then I walked out of the room without a backward glance. 3 On the way home, my phone buzzed relentlessly. Greg was confused. “What’s with the drama now? Everyone worked so hard to come celebrate with you, to get you presents, and you just bail on them?” “Jessica was just excited. She’s not like other girls, all sensitive and complicated. She’s straightforward. That’s why she put her arm on my shoulder. She let go right away and even apologized, didn’t she?” Then the DMs started coming in from the group chat. “Willow, that was way out of line.” “You just stormed out for no reason. What did we ever do to you?” “Seriously? No good deed goes unpunished.” I almost laughed. A cold reply typed itself out: “Who was really out of line?” Then I blocked them, one by one, and left the group chat. When I got home, I gave my parents the short version of what happened. I bit my lip, the concern on their faces making the tight, aching knot in my chest swell. My voice cracked. “I don’t love him anymore…” “I don’t want to go to NYU with him. I don’t want to be with him. I don’t want to marry him.” My mom pulled me into a hug, wiping away my tears. “Oh, sweetie. That’s not the end of the world.” “Dad and I will go with you tomorrow to call off the engagement. You can apply wherever you want. We’ve got your back. We’ll always have your back.” My dad led me to the living room and placed the cake knife in my hand. “The cake never even made it to the party. Perfect. Now we can have a quiet birthday, just the three of us.” “Eighteen years ago, when you were born, I think I smiled so much my face cracked. Come on, birthday girl, no more tears. Make a wish. Cut the cake.” A watery smile broke through my tears. I made my wish to their chorus of blessings and blew out the candles. Just as I was about to cut into the cake, the doorbell rang. I composed myself and opened the door. It was Greg. A light drizzle had started, punctuated by rumbles of thunder and flashes of lightning. He was soaked to the bone, water dripping from his hair onto his shoulders, but he didn’t seem to care. He just smiled and held out a beautifully wrapped jewelry box. “See? I picked it out just for you.” “Stop the drama. Everyone’s still at the restaurant waiting for you. And don’t talk about breaking up again, okay?” I stared at the diamond bracelet inside the box. It looked familiar. Jessica had been wearing a necklace from the same brand today. I didn’t move, didn’t take it. Greg’s arm hung in the air, suspended between us. After a long moment, he finally lowered it, his patience fraying. “What the hell is wrong with you today?” he demanded. “You were crying with happiness when you accepted my confession. Now you just flip a switch?” “Willow, have you forgotten how sweet and obedient you used to be?” A lump formed in my throat. I didn’t even want to look at him. I had been living in a dream, believing he loved me, that we’d go to NYU together, build a life, and that after graduation, we’d get married and have kids. Today, that dream had been violently torn apart. I finally understood. He never loved me. To him, I was just the burden who had saved his life as a child, a nuisance he couldn’t shake. I took a deep breath and repeated calmly, “I’m not causing drama. I’m serious. We’re over. Don’t contact me again.” Suddenly, he snapped. He threw the jewelry box on the ground, his face dark with anger. “Willow, for fuck’s sake, when are you going to stop—” He was cut off. My dad stepped in front of me, his brow furrowed. “Greg, watch your language.” “You’re soaked. You should go home, take a hot shower, and get some rest. It’s late, we won’t ask you to stay.” My mom appeared with a slice of cake on a plate, her smile polite but distant. “Willow already made her wish. She doesn’t need the gift. Take this cake with you.” “Get home safe. You need to be careful when you’re out, too.” Greg stood there, stunned. I knew why. In the past, whenever he came over, my parents were warm and welcoming. They’d never, ever left him standing on the doorstep. He had no idea what had caused this sudden shift, and he opened his mouth to say something, but it was too late. The door clicked shut in his face. 4 I had no appetite. After a few bites of cake, I went to my room. My mom followed, sitting on the edge of my bed. “Willow,” she asked softly, “are you absolutely sure about this?” She knew me better than anyone. She knew how much I loved Greg. How much I had always loved him. I looked down at the white hearing aid in my hands. What was there to say? It was just… astonishing how much a person could change. When we were kids, just after my family moved into this neighborhood, I used to follow Greg around like a shadow, always calling him “big brother.” Our families were close, business partners. That day, we all went to a factory on the outskirts of town. No one saw the explosion coming. I remembered the emergency drills my parents had taught me and got out. But Greg was trapped inside. I saw the flames licking higher and higher, saw him frozen in place as the fire closed in. I don’t know where the strength came from. Before anyone could react, I ran back in and pulled him toward the exit. We were almost out. Then a secondary explosion threw me against a wall. I was knocked unconscious and didn’t wake up for a long time. When I did, the world was silent. My parents were quiet and grim. Greg’s parents hovered, their faces etched with guilt. I just lay in bed, listless, refusing to speak or interact with anyone. Greg stopped going to school. He brought me snacks and toys, but I ignored them. He decided the hospital was too depressing, so he snuck me out and took me to a shop where he had this hearing aid made for me. He drew a tiny fish and a stalk of wheat on it with his own hands. He was just a kid himself, but he fumbled to put it in my ear, his expression deadly serious. “Willow,” he promised, “I’ll protect you from now on.” “My tutor said wheat is strong, that it always grows back, no matter what. You’ll get better too, Willow.” “And the fish… well, they say fish have a seven-second memory, but I won’t. I’ll never forget you.” “I’ll always be your knight.” I was the only one who remembered that promise. If the nine-year-old Willow had heard the eighteen-year-old Greg say, “I wish you’d just died,” she would have cried for days. But over the years, I’d grown used to the whispers and stares my hearing loss attracted. So I accepted this change in him, too. People grow up. I saved his life, and his family had been trying to make up for it ever since. For years, they’d given our family’s company a nearly fifty-percent discount on all our joint ventures. That was more than fair. We didn’t owe each other anything anymore. And I was my own person, not an accessory to someone else’s life. I didn’t need anyone to survive. So I looked up at my mom, my voice firm. “I’m sure.” With my mom’s help, I changed my college applications. From NYU to a university in Boston. I thought I wouldn’t be able to sleep that night, but I slept like a rock. I woke up around noon, groggy, and instinctively reached for my phone. Two new voice messages from Greg were waiting for me. He must have used a friend’s phone. His voice was cold, laced with ice. “Willow, are you done with this tantrum? Block me, unblock me… how old are you?” “Jessica feels terrible about you leaving last night. She keeps saying she doesn’t know how to make it up to you. She even went up to the roof, threatening to jump. I had to talk her down.” “We still have a few weeks of summer left. I’m taking her and a few of the guys to Aspen for a ski trip to clear her head. Don’t be jealous. It’s partly your fault she almost did something stupid, after all.” His shamelessness made me laugh out loud. Jessica? Kill herself? Not a chance. At school, she was always bragging about being a “cool girl,” not one of those “fake, high-maintenance girls” who wore no-makeup makeup and acted all innocent. But she was the most manipulative person I knew. Four months ago, at my best friend Chloe’s birthday party, Chloe had picked out a special dress and done her makeup, hoping to get some beautiful photos. Jessica, of course, had to ruin it. The second she walked into the room, she’d started in on her. “Damn, Chloe, look at that body. You been sleeping around?” “Don’t be shy! We’re all friends here. Spill the tea.” When Chloe burst into tears, Jessica threw her hands up in mock surrender. “Jesus, can’t you girls take a joke? This is why I don’t hang out with girls. So. Much. Drama.” Another time, when we were all cramming for the SATs, exhausted and stressed, she went around snapping unflattering photos of everyone. She turned them into memes and posted them on the school’s gossip page with the caption: “Our junior class queen. Line up, boys.” It only stopped after half the class reported her to the principal. And I’d known for two years that she’d only joined the basketball team as “manager” to get close to Greg. I just hadn’t taken her seriously. Back then, I was arrogant. I thought no one could take what was mine. Now that she had, I had to admit it. I was a poor judge of character. I’d saved a snake. “Willow, if you have any conscience at all, you’ll come and apologize to everyone, especially Jessica…” The messages kept coming. I didn’t even listen to the end of the voice note. I just blocked the new number, too. Outside my door, my mom was calling for me. “It gets cold in Boston in the winter. Let’s go buy you some warmer clothes.” I nodded. I never expected that after buying a few sweaters on the second floor of the mall, we’d run right into Greg and his crew.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “386549”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel