Author: Momo Chan

My mother-in-law just had a baby. She expects us to legally adopt him, put him on our health insurance, and raise him as our own. Why on earth should we? It’s not like Ethan and I can’t have kids. When I refused, she threatened to kill herself. But here’s the kicker—I’m pregnant too. Then, she hired a “night nanny” who was a little too perfect. She didn’t just take care of the baby; she breastfed him. She even slept with him in her arms every night. She didn’t act like a nanny. She acted like the baby’s biological mother. And then, I uncovered the sickening truth. They were actually trying to force me to abort my own baby! I suddenly got a call from my mother-in-law, Brenda. “Stella, come pick me up from the hospital. I’m going to stay at your place for a while.” Brenda was in the hospital? Why hadn’t Ethan mentioned a single word about this to me? I quickly packed my things and rushed to the address she gave me. St. Mary’s Women’s Hospital. I frowned. This didn’t fit Brenda at all. She was almost sixty. Having a baby? Was this some kind of sick joke? Following Brenda’s directions, I walked up to the postpartum ward. The door was ajar. Brenda was sitting on the bed in a hospital gown, a soft beanie on her head. And in her arms, she was holding a newborn! A baby! Where did a baby come from? “Brenda, whose baby is this?” Brenda’s tone was sharp and impatient. “Whose do you think? Mine! Since you refused to give me a grandchild, I had to make one myself to carry on the family line. Now he’s yours to raise.” What?! What kind of twisted logic was this? My anger surged straight to my brain. Using every ounce of self-control, I demanded, “Brenda! You had a baby? Where is Richard? Does Ethan know about this?” Just then, my father-in-law, Richard, walked in. “Honey, we’re good to go. The discharge papers are all signed.” Brenda immediately started bossing me around, telling me to pack her bags. I was too stunned by the sight of the baby to react. I completely missed the calculating, greedy looks Brenda and Richard exchanged. I quickly stepped out and called my husband. “Ethan, your mother just had a baby. Did you know about this?” Ethan stammered, instantly giving away that I was the only one kept in the dark. “So… what is she saying now?” he asked nervously. “She wants to move into our house! Did you guys plan this together?” I raised my voice on purpose. If he dared to agree to this, I was going to lose it. But before Ethan could even reply on the phone, Richard started yelling at the top of his lungs in the hallway. “Stella! What is your problem? Your mother went through so much pain at her age just to give you guys a child, and you’re planning to just abandon her?” Brenda chimed in dramatically, “Exactly! If you dare kick us out, you’re heartless! I’ll sue you for elder abandonment!” Her voice was strong and loud. She didn’t sound like a woman who had just given birth at all. But I was so blinded by rage over this sudden “brother-in-law” that I didn’t notice how weirdly energetic she was. I took a deep breath and roared into the phone, “Ethan! Get to the hospital right now! If you don’t explain this to me, we are done!” But all I could do was vent my anger on Ethan. Did I dare to actually scream back at his crazy parents? We had been married for two years, and I had long known how unreasonable his parents were. I hated myself for being so blind to marry Ethan in the first place. He was a total mama’s boy. If his mother told him to jump, he’d ask how high. Their whole family was a bunch of Oscar-level actors. Fortunately, Ethan had always been sweet to me, and we didn’t live with his parents, which was the only reason we had managed to keep the peace. But a baby is a human being, not some stray puppy you can just take in on a whim. Richard got in my face, pointing a finger at me. “Stella, how dare you speak to Ethan like that? Do you have any respect for your husband? Is this how you treat him at home?” “Exactly! In our family, the husband is the king. A wife like you just needs to be taught a lesson!” Brenda added. I finally got it. She had clearly never been put in her place. “Richard, Brenda, this is between Ethan and me. Please stay out of it.” Interfering in their son’s marriage—didn’t they feel any shame? “What did you just say?!” Richard puffed out his chest, trying to intimidate me. “We are family! I am your elder! What’s wrong with teaching you a few rules? A woman shouldn’t be shouting at her husband like a maniac!” He was trying to play the dominant patriarch, but right then, Ethan finally arrived.

How did he get here so fast? I looked at him with suspicion. Ethan rubbed his nose uncomfortably—his classic tell when he was lying. “Uh, I was just meeting a client nearby, so I came right over. Are we ready? Let’s go.” He reached for the bags. I didn’t have the energy to argue with him right then. “Fine! Let’s drive your parents back to their house!” Brenda immediately bolted upright from the bed. “Of course we’re going to your place! I need to recover. Who’s going to cook and look after me at my house?” I stared at Brenda. She suddenly shrunk back, hiding behind Richard as if she was scared of me. Richard chimed in, “Where else would we go? Your apartment is huge and has spare rooms. Plus, the baby is so small and Brenda is weak. How can she manage alone?” I saw right through them. This was a carefully planned ambush. They knew I would never agree if they asked beforehand. Ethan looked incredibly torn. “Babe, look at her. It’s going to be a disaster if they go back to their place. My dad’s back is bad, so he can’t help. They’re my parents. I can’t just leave them to suffer.” Richard let out a few timely, theatrical coughs. It’s always easy to let trouble in, but impossible to get rid of it. “No!” I said firmly. “We both work full-time. We don’t have time to take care of a newborn. If they stay with us, the baby will cry all night, and we won’t get any sleep. How are we supposed to work?” Richard’s face darkened as he stared at Ethan. “Ethan, this is your mother and your baby brother.” I had no choice but to compromise slightly. “We’ll hire a professional night nanny! We’ll pay for it!” “No way,” Brenda snapped. “Nannies are strangers. We don’t trust them. Besides, a nanny can’t handle both me and the baby. It’s too much work.” Then what about Richard? He was perfectly capable of moving around. Why couldn’t he help his wife of thirty years? Before I could object further, a nurse walked in to clear the room. “Room 18, we need this bed cleared for the next patient. Please pack up.” Ethan grabbed my hand. “Babe, please. Let them stay for just one month so my mom can recover. I’ll hire a nanny to do all the work so it won’t bother you. We’ll just be there to help out in case of emergencies.” Seeing my icy expression, Ethan quickly added, “Just one month. I promise, they won’t bother you. Once the month is up, they go home. I swear.” With the nurse pushing us out, I couldn’t resolve this right now. I had to swallow my anger and let them come to our place first.

Because of this baby, my life was turned completely upside down. The moment we walked through the door, Brenda headed straight for our master bedroom. “This room is nice and big, has great sunlight, and a king-sized bed. Perfect for us.” I took a step forward to stop her. Ethan quickly pulled me back. “Babe, it’s just for a month. Let them have it. For the sake of peace, let’s not fight over this.” Fine. I would endure it. Richard didn’t lift a finger. He sat straight down on our sofa, turned on the TV, and didn’t say a word. Ethan and I had to unpack all their bags, make the bed, and arrange the baby stuff. We worked for over an hour. During that time, Richard didn’t move an inch. He actually ordered Ethan to pour him water twice and wash some fruit for him. He was acting like a king in my own home. “When is dinner ready? Are you trying to starve me?” Richard grumbled. That did it. I grabbed the remote and slammed the TV off. Ethan quickly stepped between us. “Dad, we’re really busy here. Why don’t you go downstairs and grab some takeout? We haven’t eaten either.” Richard held out his hand. “Give me cash.” Ethan pulled out a hundred-dollar bill and handed it over to get rid of him. I went into the kitchen to make some simple oatmeal. Just then, the baby woke up and started wailing. I didn’t know how Brenda was soothing him, but the crying wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t help but walk over to check. Brenda was holding the baby, clumsily patting his back, but the baby was screaming hysterically. “Brenda, is he hungry?” “Uh… I don’t know,” she muttered. She didn’t know? Her son Ethan was thirty years old, and she didn’t know how to tell if a baby was hungry? This family was utterly useless. “Ethan! Go make some formula!” I called out and walked away. They were clearly trying to bait me into taking care of the baby, but I wasn’t going to fall for it. Soon, I heard Brenda’s voice from the room. “Oh, Ethan, you’re a man. How do you know how to do these things?” I ignored it, shut the kitchen door, and focused on cooking. They could play their games all they wanted, but I was going to eat and go to work. They had calculated everything. But if I refused to play along, let’s see what they would do. I made up my mind right then. For the next month, I would work late every single day. I was not touching that baby. I quickly made a vegetable soup, fried some rice, and set the table. As I went to call them for dinner, I heard Brenda whispering to Ethan. “Ethan, she’s not helping at all. What do we do? You can’t expect me to actually look after this kid. My back is killing me.” “Mom, give it time. Don’t rush. Stella isn’t heartless. Once she sees how much you’re struggling, she’ll step in. Don’t worry.” *Wow. Thank you, Ethan. So because I’m not ‘heartless,’ I’m supposed to play maid to your whole family?* I didn’t even bother calling them to eat. I ate my portion, packed my bag, and got ready for work. Just then, Richard finally returned. It took him longer to buy takeout than it took me to cook a meal. He was holding a bottle of whiskey in one hand, a box of fried chicken, and some sides in the other. He was incredibly selfish. “Richard, my mother-in-law can’t eat fried chicken and heavy food right now.” “Hmph! That’s what you’re here for, isn’t it? You expect an old man like me to cook for her?” I didn’t even want to look at him. I walked to the bedroom. “Ethan, I’m leaving. I have a lot of work to finish at the office this afternoon.” The door flew open. “Babe, wait! I have to go to work this afternoon too!” “And? I already made dinner. Your mom can eat that.” Ethan’s face instantly brightened. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. “You’re the best, babe. Thank you so much.” I gave him a tight smile and left. At that moment, I was incredibly grateful that I had a career. When we first got married, Ethan’s family tried to pressure me to quit my job and focus on getting pregnant. I refused. Having a job didn’t stop me from getting pregnant. Plus, we were young, and there was no rush. His parents had been extremely passive-aggressive about it—until I showed them my pay stub. I made a third more than Ethan. Before that, Ethan made $9,000 a month, which his parents bragged about to all their relatives, acting like I had struck gold by marrying him. But when they saw my $12,000 monthly income, they finally shut up.

I didn’t rush home after work. I had just taken on a new project and needed to write a proposal. I decided to work overtime in the peace of my office. At 7:00 PM, Ethan called. “Babe, when are you coming home?” I sipped my coffee. “I’m working late tonight on a big project. Don’t wait up for dinner.” I hung up. At 8:00 PM, Ethan called again. “Babe, it’s getting late. It’s not safe. Please come home.” I looked at the clock. “Oh, it’s already past eight? I’m so exhausted. This project determines my year-end bonus, Ethan. I have to finish it.” Ethan went silent. I thought he had hung up, but then I heard the baby screaming bloody murder in the background. All he said was, “Okay… don’t push yourself too hard.” I would rather suffer at work than go home and be treated like a slave. At 9:30 PM, Ethan called yet again, sounding panicked. “Stella, the baby has a fever. I have to take him to the ER. Can you please come home right now?” Hearing that the baby was sick, my heart softened. I guess it was just natural maternal instinct. “Don’t panic. I’m on my way.” But the moment I unlocked the front door, a wave of fury hit me so hard I wanted to burn the whole place down.

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When my son was rushed to the ICU after being kidnapped, he was crying, begging to see Ethan one last time. But when I called Ethan, his ex-girlfriend, Chloe, was the one who answered his phone. “Ethan is busy right now. If there’s anything, you can just tell me.” I didn’t care what they were doing. I could only scream in panic, “Leo is dying! Put him on the phone!” Finally, Ethan’s voice came through the receiver. He snapped impatiently, “I’m just helping Chloe take her dog to the vet. Do you really have to curse our own son just to get my attention?” With that, he hung up. When I tried to call back, his phone was already turned off. That was the day my son died in the emergency room. “Mommy, they all say Daddy doesn’t want me anymore. Is it true?” “Am I going to die?” “I want to see Daddy…” Looking at my son lying on the hospital bed, covered in blood, I panicked. He was completely fine when he left for school this morning. How could he have been kidnapped and beaten so badly in just half a day? I hadn’t even received a ransom call from the kidnappers. Why did they hurt him like this? Choking back my tears, I squeezed his cold little hand. My voice trembled as I promised, “Hold on, sweetie. Mommy is going to find Daddy, okay?” Leaning against the hospital wall, I called Ethan three times before the call finally went through. But it wasn’t him. It was Chloe. Her voice was disgustingly sweet. “Ethan is busy right now. You can talk to me.” I had no energy to care about what they were doing, nor did I have the patience for her petty provocations. “My son is dying! Let Ethan talk!” Ethan’s voice finally came through, filled with annoyance. “I’m just at the vet with Chloe. Do you really have to curse our son like this?” I could hear Chloe whining in the background, “Ethan, your wife wants you home. You should go. Don’t worry about me.” She even squeezed out a couple of fake sobs. “Chloe, I don’t have time to play games with you! Let Ethan talk to me! Leo is really dying!” Ethan let out a cold sneer. His next words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head. “Isn’t he your son too? What, can’t you even buy a grave yourself?” That was his own flesh and blood! After saying that heartless line, he hung up again. When I redialed, his phone was off. I collapsed against the corridor wall, staring at the bright red “In Operation” sign. Tears streamed down my face. My mind kept replaying my son’s hopeful, pleading eyes. I slapped myself hard across the face, forcing myself to calm down. Chloe’s dog was an expensive, pampered breed. She only ever took it to one high-end pet hospital. They had to be there! Dragging my weak body up, I rushed to the pet clinic as fast as I could. And there they were. Chloe was leaning into Ethan’s chest, tears in her eyes. Ethan was gently wiping her face with a tissue. They looked so loving, as if they were the married couple, and the patient undergoing surgery inside was their own child. I didn’t care about their display. I ran straight toward them.

Hearing my hurried footsteps, Chloe immediately wrapped her arms tightly around Ethan’s shoulders. “Ethan, are you going to leave me?” When Ethan looked up, all the warmth in his eyes vanished. He stared at me with pure disgust and coldness. “Are you seriously throwing a tantrum here? Aren’t you embarrassed?” His tone was so harsh, as if I were some pathetic stalker desperate for his attention. I didn’t want to play the role of the jealous wife. My mind was filled with my dying son. In a frenzy, I grabbed his arm. “Come with me, now! Leo was kidnapped this morning. He’s in the hospital. The doctor said he might not make—” Before I could finish, a sharp slap echoed through the hallway. Ethan shoved me away, his face twisted with rage. “I drove Leo to school myself this morning! Can you stop lying about everything? You’re disgusting, do you know that?” My brain went numb. I couldn’t even feel the burning pain on my cheek. Chloe stepped in, placing herself between Ethan and me. “Clara, he’s your son. How could you say such horrible things about him just to get Ethan home?” Her words only fueled Ethan’s hatred toward me. He put his arm around Chloe’s shoulders and glared at me. “Stop embarrassing me. Get the hell home and act like a proper wife.” Tears blurred my vision. Thinking of Leo lying in that pool of blood, I lost all my pride. I fell to my knees, grabbing Ethan’s hand, crying hysterically. “Ethan, I can lie about anything, but how could I lie about our son? I beg you, please come and see him one last time!” Seeing him stand there unmoved, I bowed my head to the floor. “If you come with me, I’ll agree to anything. Divorce, no alimony, nothing! I’ll sign whatever you want! Ethan, he is your son!” Maybe my sheer desperation finally shook him a little. Ethan’s expression softened for a split second. But just as hope flickered in my chest, Chloe extinguished it with a few soft words. “Clara, your acting is getting too realistic. If your son were really dying in the hospital, wouldn’t the doctors have called Ethan directly?” “I know you hate me, and I don’t want to ruin your marriage. Ethan is just staying with me for the dog’s surgery. Is that really so hard for you to accept?” “Why do you have to be so selfish?” She picked up her purse, pretending she was about to leave. “Ethan, don’t worry about me. Just go with her.” “It’s all my fault. I don’t want to cause trouble between you two.” What a manipulative bitch. She sighed and shook her head, making me look like a hysterical, pathological liar. The image of my son’s pleading face flashed in my mind. I lost control and screamed at her, “Shut the hell up!” Hearing this, Chloe immediately burst into tears and hid in Ethan’s chest. “She’s yelling at me… Even you’ve never raised your voice at me.” Ethan’s face darkened instantly. “Have you had enough? Get the hell out of here before I lose my mind.” Then, he kicked me. He kicked me away like I was a piece of trash. The physical pain in my chest was nothing compared to the agony in my heart. His voice was freezing. “Clara, I am done with you. We are getting a divorce the moment I get back.” He walked away with Chloe. No matter how loudly I screamed and begged, he never looked back. Their figures disappeared around the corner. I collapsed on the floor, my heart feeling like it was being ripped out of my chest. Just then, my phone rang. It was the hospital. “Ms. Clara, you need to come back right now! Your son… he isn’t going to make it. Come say your last goodbyes.” I shook violently. I tried to stand, but my legs gave out, and I fell again. Somehow, I dragged myself back to the hospital. Leo was hooked up to countless tubes, his tiny body looking so fragile on the massive hospital bed. I was so useless. I couldn’t even fulfill his very last wish. I wanted to apologize, but when I opened my mouth, no sound came out. Leo’s tiny fingers weakly curled around mine. “It’s okay, Mommy…” “Don’t… don’t forget me…” “I know… Daddy doesn’t love me… but having Mommy… is enough.”

My son’s breathing slowed down, then stopped completely. I threw myself over his little body, crying until I couldn’t breathe. Eventually, darkness took over, and I passed out. When I woke up, he was already lying in the cold morgue. I called Ethan again. As expected, his phone was still off. So, his own son couldn’t even compare to his ex-girlfriend. Maybe it was for the best they didn’t meet. He had barely cared about Leo all these years anyway. Ethan and I were college classmates. At first, we were like parallel lines. He was the rich, handsome campus heartthrob, while I was just an ordinary girl who faded into the background. But during our junior year, I was severely bullied. A group of girls cornered me in an alley, kicking and punching me. I was too terrified to even scream for help. That was when Ethan appeared. To me, he was the light that saved my life. I knew I wasn’t good enough for him, but he pursued me relentlessly. Naturally, I fell hard. I loved him with everything I had and married him right after graduation. It was only when Chloe returned to the country that I realized why he had chosen me. I looked remarkably like Chloe. I was nothing but a placeholder. But back then, I was too foolish. I thought, *So what if I’m a substitute? We have a child and a family now. I can endure it.* But as time went on, everything crumbled. He was no longer the gentle Ethan I knew. He would stay out all night just because Chloe couldn’t sleep. He would abandon our son at his parent-teacher conference because Chloe wanted to try a new restaurant. Nothing could stop him from running to Chloe. I could have endured it forever for the sake of our son. But now, my boy was gone. Tears soaked my collar once again. Staring at my son’s pale, lifeless face, I forced myself to stand. I had to handle his funeral arrangements alone. I made one last call to Ethan. Still turned off. I had done everything I could. Whether he would regret it or not had nothing to do with me anymore. When I walked out of the crematorium, my son was reduced to a small, heavy box in my arms.

I took him to the cemetery I had chosen. But at the entrance, I ran straight into Ethan and Chloe. When Ethan saw me, a flash of guilt crossed his eyes, quickly replaced by anger. “I can’t believe you’re this petty. It’s one thing to lie about our son’s death, but to stalk me all the way here?” “Chloe’s dog didn’t survive the surgery. I’m here to help her bury it. Grow up, Clara.” Ethan grabbed my arm roughly. “Stop throwing tantrums.” “Go home. Stop ruining my day.” I stood frozen, letting him drag my arm, my face completely expressionless. Chloe walked over, playing the saint again. She took Ethan’s hand. “Ethan, let’s just bury my dog first.” She threw me a triumphant smirk, looking like a victorious peacock. In the past, I would have been furious. I would have argued and screamed. But now, I didn’t even want to speak to him. Ignoring them, I turned and walked toward the cemetery. For the first time, I walked away from him without a single trace of hesitation. Ethan was stunned. He probably thought I was still playing games. He caught up in three long strides, his face red with anger. “I told you to go home! Did you not hear me?” Just then, a gust of wind blew by, lifting the black cloth covering the urn. Ethan’s voice stopped abruptly. His pupils contracted as he stared at the box in my hands. “What is that?” When I didn’t answer, he grabbed my shoulders, shaking me. “I asked you, what is that!” I let out a cold laugh. “It’s your own son. Can’t you recognize him?” For some reason, saying those words gave me a sick sense of satisfaction. Ethan’s eyes widened in horror. He took a massive step back, but his gaze remained glued to the urn. The only sound around us was the chirping of the birds. Chloe’s face turned pale behind him. After a long silence, Ethan seemed to snap out of it. He glared at me, refusing to believe it. “Stop lying to me! You’ve gone too far this time. I only stayed out for a few days, and you’re pulling a sick stunt like this? You bought a fake urn?” “If you want to curse yourself with bad luck, leave me out of it!” He still thought I was lying. If he had cared even a little bit, if he had called the hospital or even his secretary, he would have known the truth. But he didn’t. He lived in his own selfish world. I felt a dark anticipation for the moment he finally realized the truth. I shouldn’t be the only one suffering the pain of losing a child.

I looked at him blankly. “Let’s divorce, Ethan.” Ethan gave me a bizarre look. “You’re insane.” “I’m going to call Leo right now and let him know how his mother is using him to lie to me.” “Let’s see if he still wants you as his mother after this.” To prove his point, Ethan pulled out his phone and dialed the number to Leo’s smartwatch. His fingers were shaking. I knew there would only be silence on the other end. No one was going to answer and call him “Daddy” ever again. The sweet little boy who used to jump into his arms was now a pile of ashes in my hands. As the call kept ringing with no answer, panic finally crept onto Ethan’s face. He looked up at me, then at the box. He muttered, “No… that’s impossible. How could my son be dead?” Ethan lunged forward to grab the urn. I held onto it tightly, refusing to let him touch it. In the struggle, the urn slipped. *Smash.* The box hit the concrete floor and shattered. The gray-white ashes spilled out across the ground. My mind went entirely blank. Instinctively, I dropped to my knees, desperately trying to scoop the ashes back up. But God was cruel. A gust of wind swept through the courtyard. The ashes scattered into the air, flying away. My heart shattered into a million pieces. I screamed on the ground, “No! No! Please, no!” The ashes slipped through my fingers. I watched them disappear into the wind, just like how my son had died in my arms. I looked up at Ethan, who was standing there, paralyzed. Our eyes met. His face was ghostly pale, his voice trembling. “You’re lying to me… where is Leo?” Even now, he was in denial. He was the accomplice who killed our son, and now, he wouldn’t even let him rest in peace. A raging fire consumed my chest. I lost all sanity. I wanted to kill this monster. I grabbed Ethan’s collar, raised my hand, and slapped him across the face over and over again. Ethan was too dazed to even fight back. “He’s right here, Ethan! Are you blind? Can’t you see him?” I kicked him hard in the chest. “You scattered your own son’s ashes!” I screamed until my throat bled. Ethan finally seemed to realize what he had done. His body stiffened, and he began to shake violently.

“No… no… I don’t believe you. You’re still tricking me.” Looking at his pathetic, terrified face, my anger boiled over. “Call the nanny! Call his school! Call your secretary! Anyone can give you the answer!” I had never yelled at him like this before. He was so terrified that he couldn’t even hold his phone. He fumbled with it until Chloe finally helped him dial the number to Leo’s teacher. Ethan opened his mouth, but no sound came out. It took several prompts from the other end before he could squeak, “Hi, this is Leo’s father. Did Leo make it to school today?” The teacher went silent for a moment. Then, her voice came through, heavy with grief. “Mr. Ethan… please accept my deepest condolences.” “No! That’s not true!” Ethan shook his head violently, refusing to accept it. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Ethan. Please stay strong.” The confirmation drained all the color from his face. The phone slipped from his hand, shattering on the ground. Ethan looked down at the scattered ashes on the floor, his voice cracking. “Why didn’t you tell me?” “I didn’t even get to see him one last time!” Even at this moment, he was blaming me. He was still deflecting. My eyes pierced through him. “Stop acting, Ethan. To you, Chloe is a hundred times more important than your own son.” “I might be an outsider, but Leo was your own flesh and blood!” Ethan was the one who killed him. If he had just come to the hospital, or even picked up a FaceTime call, Leo wouldn’t have died thinking his father hated him. Ethan bent over, falling to his knees in agony. Who was this performance for? I grabbed him by the throat, forcing him to look into my eyes. I whispered every word like poison. “When your son needed you most, you were with Chloe and her dog.”

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I was with my boyfriend for five years when he cheated on me with my best friend. They orchestrated an “accident” and left me to burn alive. Twenty years later, my boy toy—who is over twenty years younger than me—brought me home to meet his parents. When I saw that trashy couple again, I gasped and covered my mouth in mock shock. “Oh, so Ashton is your son?” My ex-best friend, looking like a worn-out, haggard housewife, stared at me. Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull as she took in my still-flawless, youthful face. “You’re not dead? And you seduced my son?!” The fire raged around me. The thick smoke choked my lungs, making it impossible to breathe. “Arthur, save me…” My trembling hand reached out, only to be violently slapped away. A pair of polished leather shoes stepped right in front of me. Arthur was wearing the designer suit I had bought him, looking down at me as if I were already a corpse. “Yvonne, don’t blame me. I’m sick and tired of being called your leech. I’m done living under your shadow. It’s better if I take everything you own and run the show myself.” A pair of red high heels stepped up right next to his black leather shoes. My best friend, Lynda, giggled as she leaned against Arthur, casually admiring her freshly done manicure. Just yesterday, I was the one who paid for those diamond-encrusted nails. Now, she slapped me hard across the face. The diamonds on her nails tore into my cheek, leaving deep, bleeding gashes. “Yvonne, you’ve lived in paradise for far too long. It’s time you let us have a taste of that sweet life.” My consciousness began to fade. I pointed a trembling finger at the couple in utter disbelief. “You… you guys…” “Why?” I couldn’t accept this! I refused to die like this! Arthur was just a poor, small-town boy who came to the big city with nothing. The night he got scammed out of his last penny and was about to jump off a bridge, I was the one who saved him. After that, I gave him opportunities, funding, and helped him build his own empire. But he turned around and confessed his love to me, claiming he wanted to be the man behind my success—asking for neither fame nor money, only my love. I gave him my love, along with countless opportunities to elevate himself. He refused them then, yet now he claims he hated being my leech and wants to rob me of everything! Lynda used to be severely bullied in high school. For various reasons, she was isolated and targeted. I was the one who stepped in. She grabbed my sleeve, begging me to save her, and I dragged her out of that living hell. Since then, I never hesitated to give her whatever she wanted, all for the sake of our friendship. Now, she had seduced my boyfriend and kicked me right back into the very abyss they had crawled out of. Watching my despair, Lynda smirked, rubbing her stomach triumphantly. “Sorry, babe, but I’m pregnant with Arthur’s baby. If I want a bright future for my family, you have to be sacrificed. Besides, you never saw me as a real friend anyway, Yvonne! You were always just handing out charity! We never needed your pity!” Lynda ground her stiletto heel into my hand, twisting it back and forth until my skin tore open and my knuckles were a bloody mess. “Arthur, the fire isn’t big enough. Go pour some more fuel.” Arthur nodded. He cast a brief, reluctant glance at me before hardening his heart and turning away. “Yvonne, thank you for your love and financial support all these years. But honestly, dying for my sake is a good ending for you. We’ll make sure to buy you a nice tombstone.” Once Arthur walked away, Lynda knelt down, grabbing my jaw, glaring at me with pure venom. “Do you know how much I envied you? You were born with a silver spoon. But now, I’m carrying your man’s child. I’m going to give my baby everything—just like the life you were handed.” Lynda was beautiful, but right now, she looked utterly psychotic. She burst into laughter again. “To commemorate your contribution, why don’t you name our baby?” “Yvonne, what do you think he should be called?” At the brink of death, a raging tempest of hatred consumed me. Using my very last ounce of strength, I lunged forward, grabbed Lynda’s hair, and bit down on her cheek as hard as I could, tearing off a piece of flesh. As Lynda screamed in agony, I laughed like a demon rising from the underworld. “Name him Ashton! The product of your burning betrayal, conceived while I burn to ashes! I curse you! I curse that both of you will die by his hands!”

My final memory was Lynda swinging a heavy pipe at my face, the raging flames engulfing everything, and the front door being kicked open as Arthur suddenly burst into tears. “Quick! Save my girlfriend! Hurry! Yvonne! I can’t lose you!” “Ah!” With a sharp gasp, I sat bolt upright in bed. The space beside me was empty, save for the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. I finally managed to calm my racing heart. Calm down, Yvonne. Don’t be afraid. That was twenty years ago. Now, they are the ones who should be terrified of you. The phone on the nightstand buzzed. Wearing my young boyfriend’s oversized T-shirt, I slid out of bed and picked it up. “Yvonne, your new identity is ready. Go get your revenge. I’ll always have your back.” Before I could reply, a pair of strong arms wrapped tightly around my waist from behind. My twenty-year-old boy wrapped himself around me, pressing warm kisses against my ear. “Babe, who are you talking to?” I smiled as I looked out at the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. I turned around and tapped his handsome nose. “Behave, Ashton.” We were on the 52nd floor of a luxury hotel. Ashton and I leaned against the glass, admiring the glittering, neon-lit city below. “Babe, come meet my parents with me. I can’t wait anymore.” His large, warm hand slipped up under the hem of the oversized shirt, instantly melting my bones and making it hard to stand. “Ashton, do you realize I’m twenty years older than you? Not two years, not twelve.” I gave him a playful push, but my sultry tone and the red-nailed fingers brushing against his chest only served to tease him further. “Your parents will never approve of us. They’ll throw me out and tell me to stay away from you. Honestly, they might even want to kill me for corrupting their precious son.” Ashton brought my fingertips to his lips, playfully nibbling them like an obedient puppy. “I don’t care, Yvonne. I’ll protect you.” “If they don’t accept you, they don’t accept me.” “I’ll handle them. Trust me.” Before I could protest, my words were swallowed by his passionate, almost obsessive kisses. In my eyes, Ashton was like a wolf pup. Young, but possessing immense strength and sharp instincts. He definitely inherited his parents’ best genes. Naturally, he inherited their worst traits, too. But that depended entirely on whether he was willing to be my weapon. His warm, wet tongue traced my earlobe and slid down to my collarbone. My forty-year-old body was covered in the marks he had left behind—a constellation of red and purple bruises marking our wild nights. Ashton nipped at my tongue, murmuring against my lips, “Babe, we haven’t tried it against the window yet.” “Be a good girl and play along. Let’s put on a show for the whole city, okay?” “It’ll feel amazing.” It was incredibly thrilling. I had no reason to refuse. Instead, I bit down on his tongue just hard enough to draw blood. “Let’s get one thing straight. In bed, I’ll play along. But once we’re out of bed, you’re the one who has to be my obedient little dog.” Ashton chuckled hoarsely, a sound that sent a shiver straight down my spine. He agreed without a second thought. “Fine by me. I’ll only ever be your dog.” Amidst our heavy breaths, a layer of condensation fogged up the glass window. Before I drifted off to sleep, Ashton held my waist tightly, whispering in my ear as if terrified I’d forget. “Tomorrow, please come meet my parents. I’m begging you, Yvonne.” I finally nodded. “Oh, believe me… I can’t wait to meet them either.”

The next day, I dropped Ashton off at his college campus. The boy was incredibly clingy, wrapping his arms around me at the campus gate and kissing me as if we couldn’t bear to part. Finally satisfied after our wild night, he slipped a ring onto my ring finger that matched the one on his own hand. “It’s a promise, Yvonne. We’re going to my house tonight. I’ll come find you right after my afternoon class.” I smiled and nodded, finally sending the boy on his way. The moment he walked away, I got back into my car. Within thirty seconds, another man slipped into the passenger seat Ashton had just vacated. “Don’t touch the seat adjustment. Ashton will notice, and he won’t be happy.” The man raised an eyebrow and turned to look at me. “What? Did you actually fall for your little revenge tool? Yvonne, let me remind you, you’re twenty years older than him!” Kaden was barking like a jealous dog in my passenger seat. It was incredibly annoying. With a sharp screech of the brakes, I pulled over. Unable to take his whining any longer, I grabbed Kaden by his collar and slammed my lips over his noisy mouth right there on the side of the street. “I don’t love him. You’re the only one I love, Kaden. Now shut up.” The kiss worked instantly. Kaden shut up, a deep blush creeping up his neck all the way to his ears. “Then… why can’t I adjust the seat? This is really uncomfortable…” Kaden shifted uncomfortably, his furious glare replaced by a kicked-puppy look. “Ashton is a psychopath. He’s incredibly observant. If you adjust the seat, he’ll notice immediately, and it’ll ruin my plans.” Only then did Kaden shut his mouth. He was my uncle’s adopted son, only five years younger than me. Twenty years ago, he was the one who braved the roaring flames to drag my half-dead body out of that burning villa. He was also the one who helped me fake my death, accompanied me abroad to rebuild my life, and spent two decades preparing for this sweet revenge. “I just want to remind you that I’m the one who has been by your side this whole time. I gave you everything you have now, and all I’ve ever wanted is you. No matter what your plan is, you can’t abandon me.” Kaden whined, looking thoroughly pathetic. I nodded absentmindedly. “I’ve waited twenty years for this revenge, Kaden. I promise you, once this is over, you’ll be the only man by my side.” “What are you so worried about?” Kaden snorted. “That’s more like it.” “Where are we going now?” I restarted the engine and drove toward the nearest shopping mall. “To buy gifts for Ashton’s parents.” Kaden scoffed in disgust. “Arthur and Lynda? They don’t deserve shit.” I smiled. “They don’t. But you have to give a little to gain a lot, right?” “Is my new identity officially in the system?” Kaden pulled an ID badge from his pocket. “Marketing Director of WTU Global Trading, Andy. That’s your new identity.” “Arthur’s company is practically on life support. Neither he nor Lynda has any business sense. They’ve spent the last twenty years squandering all the assets you left behind. Now, they’ve set their eyes on WTU. If they can secure WTU’s international trade contract, it’ll save Fletcher Enterprises from bankruptcy. So when they meet you, they’ll literally beg for your help.” Kaden’s tone turned wicked. “I wonder if they’ll still be able to play their cards when they see your face. Haha, do you think they’ll wet themselves in terror?” I rolled my eyes at Kaden, staring at the slightly photoshopped portrait on the ID badge. Slowly, a dark, satisfied smile spread across my face. That afternoon, I went to pick up Ashton. The second Ashton got into the car, his eyes narrowed. “Yvonne, did someone else sit in your car after I left?”

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After my sister fell into the lake, she became a completely different person. She kept babbling every single day about how she was “the Chosen Female Lead” of some destined romance novel. She believed her sole purpose in life was to save a tragic, broken male lead. And she was willing to sacrifice our family’s entire fortune, and even our lives, just to end up with him. In my past life, as we stood before the cold corpses of our parents, I shook her shoulders and screamed, asking why she had ruined us. She answered by driving a knife straight into my chest. Cowering behind her tragic lover, she smiled at me with fake pity. “I’m sorry, Serena. Our family owed Logan. He is the fated male lead, and I am the selfless female lead who has to sacrifice everything for true love.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back in our childhood. We were at the foster home, and our parents were letting us choose a boy to bring home as a companion. Just like in my previous life, Chloe pointed at Logan Vance, who was standing a few feet away with a predatory look in his eyes. She cried and threw a tantrum, begging our parents to adopt him. The next second, I stepped forward and kicked Logan right in the ribs, sending him face-first onto the dusty floor. I let out a cold laugh and looked at Chloe. “If we’re choosing someone to protect us, we should pick someone who isn’t a total weakling. I don’t want this scrawny loser.” With that, I pointed my finger toward a dark, brooding boy sitting quietly in the far corner. “We’re taking him.”

When I opened my eyes again, I stared at my tiny hands and feet in absolute disbelief. I had actually reincarnated! The sharp, phantom pain of a knife piercing my heart still lingered in my chest. Still half-dazed, Mom took my hand and helped me out of the car. Our car was parked in front of the private youth care home. Word had gotten out that Robert Miller, the billionaire tycoon, was coming to pick a child to sponsor. The director, Mrs. Gable, had been waiting at the entrance with her staff since early morning. Anxiously, I squeezed Mom’s hand. She looked down at me and gave me a warm, gentle smile, which instantly put my racing heart at ease. It seemed even God couldn’t stand the injustice. He had actually given me a second chance to start over. Thinking of the monster who had destroyed my family in my past life, my expression hardened. I turned around to look at my younger sister, Chloe. Chloe was a year younger than me, but right now, she looked strangely mature. Standing with her hands clasped behind her back, she looked down her nose at the facility director, treating everyone like they were beneath her. In my past life, I hadn’t paid much attention to this. I had simply thought Chloe was mature for her age. Now, a cold sweat broke out across my back. She had been acting weird even back then. Dad was still trying to reason with her, looking highly conflicted. “Chloe, sweetie… you already have Serena. Why are you so obsessed with getting a brother?” Chloe’s small eyes darted over to me, and she let out a loud, mocking snort. “I don’t want a useless, childish sister like Serena! I want a brother! I want a brother right now!” Watching Chloe throw a temper tantrum, Mom and Dad exchanged a helpless, weary look, then glanced down at me. Oh, so that’s how we’re playing this? In my past life, I had always listened to my parents and put my sister first. Naturally, I hadn’t said a word, letting Chloe bring Logan back to our house. But in this life, since you want to act mature and throw tantrums, I’m going to play the fragile, innocent victim. As Mom and Dad looked at me, my eyes welled with tears. I squeezed them back, pretending to be brave. “It’s okay, Mom, Dad. I’ve always been a bit slow and clumsy. It’s okay if Chloe doesn’t like me. Maybe… maybe I’m just not good enough to be her sister…” My voice was soft and trembling, the perfect picture of an innocent, hurt child. Compared to Chloe’s bratty behavior, my parents instantly felt a wave of deep pity and affection for me. Mom knelt down and gently kissed my cheek. “Don’t cry, Serena. Chloe didn’t mean it. Tell you what—since she wants a brother so badly, how about you be the one to choose him?” “No way!” Chloe shrieked immediately. “He’s going to be my brother! I should be the one to choose!” Before she could finish her tantrum, Dad gave her backside a firm, warning pat. “Who taught you to be so selfish? Apologize to Serena right now!” Chloe puckered her lips, her eyes instantly filling with tears. Unlike me, who possessed the soul of an adult, she might have awakened some memories, but she was still ultimately a child. To get what she wanted, she had to play along. She walked over with a fake pout and grabbed my hand. “I’m sorry, Serena.” I gave her a tight, joyless smile and squeezed her hand back with every ounce of strength I had in my little fingers. Seeing us “reconcile,” my parents’ expressions softened, and they followed the director inside. As we walked, Chloe leaned in close, whispering in my ear, “Serena, you love me the most, right? When we go in, whichever boy I point to, you have to tell Mom and Dad to pick him, okay?” I ignored her completely, letting her stew in her own anger. Instead, I skipped ahead happily and held my parents’ hands. Dad looked down, smiling as he pinched my nose. “Why are you so clingy today, Serena?” My eyes stung. I looked at my wonderful parents. In my past life, they were brutally killed by the hands of their own spoiled younger daughter. How much pain they must have felt. But it didn’t matter now. In this life, I would protect this family. I would make sure that ungrateful wretch Chloe and that bastard Logan rotted in the mud together. Forever.

The director led us into a private office. Inside stood a few young boys whom Mrs. Gable had personally selected. They were all handsome, polite, and looked eager to please. My eyes instantly locked onto Logan Vance, who was standing right in the middle. Ha. Even at this young age, he already knew how to play the game. He had dressed himself perfectly to look fragile and pitiable, yet his eyes held a strange, calculated intensity. If I hadn’t died once because of him, I probably would have been fooled by his innocent act too. Unsurprisingly, the moment we stepped into the room, Chloe gripped my hand tightly. “Serena! Serena! Him! Tell them we want him!” Chloe’s eyes practically lit up the moment she saw Logan. She was absolutely certain that this was the “Chosen Male Lead” of her dreams. She pulled my arm hard. But my gaze bypassed Logan entirely, landing straight on a boy sitting quietly in the far corner. Ah. Found him. Tristan Thorne. The future “villain” in Chloe and Logan’s eyes once they reached adulthood. Tristan was a genius. In my past life, his business empire rose so fast that it completely crushed the Miller family’s declining assets. I shook off Chloe’s hand and pointed directly at young Tristan. “Mom! Dad! I want him!” Predictably, Chloe lost her mind. “No! I don’t want him! I want Logan!” She screamed at the top of her lungs, completely failing to notice how our parents’ expressions instantly darkened. This was the very first time we were meeting these boys. How on earth did Chloe know Logan’s name? Of course, Mom and Dad wouldn’t suspect their own young daughter of anything sinister. Instead, their sharp, suspicious gazes fell directly on Logan, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable. To them, it looked like this boy had somehow manipulated their little girl beforehand, making her throw tantrums just to get him adopted. I almost laughed out loud. Even Chloe didn’t notice that in her moment of sheer stupidity, Logan shot her a murderous glare. If looks could kill, she would have been dead right there. As Chloe kept screaming and crying, Mom and Dad flatly refused to accept Logan—a boy who clearly seemed too manipulative and untrustworthy. Eventually, fed up with the noise, I walked right up to Logan and kicked him as hard as I could. Caught completely off guard, Logan—who was two years older than me—tumbled onto the floor with a pathetic thud. The office fell into a dead, bizarre silence. Only Tristan, sitting in the corner, let out a soft, amused scoff. I turned back to my parents with a completely innocent face. “Mom, Dad, I think if we’re getting a brother, he needs to be strong enough to protect us. This guy is a total weakling. I don’t want him.” I pointed at Tristan, who was currently watching the drama play out with a smirk. “I want him! He looks tough!” The smirk on Tristan’s face vanished instantly. Perhaps he didn’t understand why a girl like me would choose a troublemaker like him at first glance. He looked rough around the edges, and my parents looked highly skeptical. But I was the only one who noticed Tristan’s fist, resting at his side, slowly clenching. He was nervous. And he was hoping to be chosen. In the end, Tristan was brought home as the companion I had personally selected. What was interesting was that the moment we stepped out of the facility, Tristan completely shed his rough, rebellious attitude. He became incredibly quiet and well-behaved, keeping his eyes glued to my hand, which was holding his. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly as he stared down at our joined hands. He looked remarkably handsome. “Why did you choose me?” Chloe was throwing a massive fit back in the director’s office because things hadn’t gone according to her plan. While our parents were busy calming her down, I had slipped out with Tristan. As we got into the back of the car, Tristan asked me that very question. I just stared at him.

I had so many things I wanted to say. Like, “I know you’re going to help me in the future.” Or, “Because I want to use you.” But in the end, I decided to play the part of an innocent little girl. I flashed him a bright, sweet smile. “Because I like you, Tristan.” Tristan stiffened, his ears turning a bright, crimson red beneath his dark hair. He had probably expected me to say I only chose him to spite my annoying sister. He never expected an answer like that. Those dark, dead eyes of his suddenly rippled with a wave of raw emotion—shock, confusion, and deep gratitude. He tried to pull his cold, trembling hand away, but I gripped it even tighter. “Since you’re coming with me, you are my protector now. You can only care about me, okay?” Tristan didn’t seem to care about how strange my words sounded for a child. He nodded immediately. “You got me out of that hellhole. I’ll protect you for the rest of my life.” Wow. Hearing a future billionaire boss make a promise like that instantly made me feel like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. After what felt like forever, Mom and Dad finally walked out of the building. Chloe followed behind them, a smug grin plastered across her face. Because she was holding Logan’s hand! They walked up to the car, and Chloe immediately gloated, “See? You didn’t want him, but I do!” Tristan’s grip on my hand tightened instantly. My heart sank. What did this mean? Did Mom and Dad actually give in to her?

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When I was a child, I fell into a lake and nearly drowned. While I was unconscious, my body was hijacked by a girl from another world—a “transmigrator.” Using my body, she fell head over heels for Julian Montgomery, the billionaire crown prince of New York’s elite. For twelve long years, she served him hand and foot, acting like his most loyal, pathetic simp. I was trapped deep inside my own mind, forced to watch. I eventually realized she was on some kind of “system mission” to win his heart. But she was an absolute idiot. In twelve years, she never even made a dent in Julian’s cold heart. Instead, she let that trash of a man walk all over my body, leaving me physically and mentally scarred. She lived like a dog with zero dignity, completely ruining my reputation in high society. Just a month ago, Julian’s “golden girl”—his precious ex, Bianca Vance—returned to the country. To clear the field, one of Bianca’s wealthy loyal lapdogs beat the transmigrator so badly she ended up in the hospital. The system declared her mission a total failure. The transmigrator’s soul was wiped from existence, and I finally regained control of my own body. Before I could even celebrate, I was met with Bianca’s escalating malice and Julian’s arrogant insults. Fine. You all asked for this. If the transmigrator was a fragile little daisy, then the real me is a black lotus—and I’m about to poison your entire lives.

I woke up in a private hospital room. The transmigrator’s soul was completely gone. My mind was still a bit foggy. I flexed my fingers, and a wave of pure ecstasy washed over me. I was back! I finally had my own body back! But before I could even smile, the heavy hospital door was violently kicked open. In walked Victor, Julian’s personal assistant. The second he saw me, the sheer contempt and disgust in his eyes weren’t even slightly hidden. Like master, like dog. That saying never gets old. When that transmigrator occupied my body, she spent over a decade simping for Julian. Not only did Julian despise her, but his entire circle of rich, arrogant friends treated her like garbage. Everyone knew Julian’s heart belonged to Bianca, his perfect first love. The transmigrator, no matter how hard she tried, was just a cheap knockoff. A literal joke. A month ago, Bianca announced her grand return to the city. It was a massive media event. She wanted to get back with Julian. But the moment she heard he had an obsessive doormat clinging to him, she decided to teach me a lesson. Getting hospitalized this time was all thanks to Bianca. Bianca had plenty of rich simps willing to do her dirty work. After the transmigrator was beaten and hospitalized, her soul fell into a coma. In the dark, I heard a robotic voice coldly announce that her “mission” had officially failed. And with that, after sleeping for twelve years, I woke up. Too bad my first day back involved cleaning up a massive pile of shit. Victor stood at the foot of my bed, his voice dripping with condescension. “Mr. Montgomery is extremely angry about what happened. I suggest you apologize nicely, Miss Sterling. Stop making trouble for Mr. Montgomery and Miss Vance.” With that, Victor tossed a document onto my lap. I picked it up. It was the “exclusive companion contract” the stupid transmigrator had signed with Julian using my name. With a cold face, I ripped the contract to shreds right in front of Victor. Victor’s icy, professional mask instantly cracked. “Miss Sterling! Have you lost your mind? If Mr. Montgomery finds out, he will be furious! You’ll owe him millions for breaching this!” I gave him a look of pure, freezing disdain. “Owe him? Did he ever pay me a single dime during all the years I chased him around?” “And besides…” I grabbed the shredded paper and threw it right into Victor’s face. “There’s a clause in here. The moment Bianca Vance returns to the country, this contract becomes null and void.” Victor’s mouth hung open, speechless. I knew exactly what he was thinking. *Ah, she’s just playing hard to get now.* The contempt in his eyes deepened. Before I could kick him out, the door swung open again. In walked Cole—the very guy who had beaten the transmigrator into the hospital. Bianca’s loyal little puppy. Seeing me awake, Cole smirked and swaggered over. “Oh, look. If it isn’t Julian’s favorite little dog. Awake so soon? Guess you’re tougher than you look. Or maybe I didn’t hit you hard enough?” I threw the blanket off and stepped onto the cold floor. But before Cole could spit out another nasty word, I swept my leg and kicked him right off his feet. Victor gasped, scrambling back. I didn’t hesitate. I lunged forward, grabbed Cole by his designer collar, and started slapping his face left and right. *Smack! Smack!* “You call me a dog? Aren’t you Bianca’s loyal little bitch too? Who’re you looking down on?” “You like sneak attacks, huh?” “Just wait. I’m going to sue you until you’re broke!”

Seeing his buddy get beaten into a swollen pulp, Cole’s friend stood frozen in the corner, terrified to move. Once my hands got tired, I adjusted my hospital gown and turned to walk out. But before I could reach the door, Bianca herself stepped in and grabbed my wrist. “Amelia Sterling, what kind of sick game are you playing now?” “Julian will never love you. Even if you change your personality and play hard to get, he won’t give you a second glance! If you know what’s good for you… ah!” Before Bianca could finish her little speech, I slapped her across the face. Hard. “Shut up, you fake-ass snake.” I spat the words at her, ignored her shocked, tear-filled eyes, and walked right past her. I was checking myself out of this joint. The three of them in the room were still in absolute shock. A curse word like that would have never come out of the old “Amelia’s” mouth. Victor finally composed himself, picked up his phone, and dialed Julian’s number. “Sir… we have a major problem.” After leaving the hospital, I ignored the barrage of furious voice notes Julian sent me on Snapchat. I blocked his number and deleted him across all platforms. A clean slate. That transmigrator was truly blind. Of all the handsome, wealthy heirs in New York, she chose the most toxic, arrogant asshole to “攻略.” And she made me share the embarrassment for over a decade. I drove my sports car back to the Sterling estate. From a distance, I could see my family laughing and enjoying themselves in the garden. Honestly, it was a weird feeling. When I was little, my parents adored me. My younger brother, Leo, who is two years younger, used to follow me around like I was his queen. But after I drowned and the transmigrator took over, their attitude toward “me” grew cold. Sometimes they would make sarcastic remarks, showing clear disappointment in “me.” Back when I was trapped inside, I was devastated. I thought the transmigrator’s pathetic behavior had broken my family’s hearts, which made me hate her even more. But looking at them now, their coldness seemed to have a deeper reason. Curious, I walked over to the garden. Sure enough, the second Leo saw me, his smile vanished. He sneered, “Oh, look. Julian’s loyal little simp is back.” Me: ??? Was this some kind of programmed NPC line? Why did everyone keep saying that? “You actually remembered you have a home? You’ve humiliated the Sterling name enough. Honestly, you should have just stayed in the hospital!” I rolled my eyes, walked up, and tapped his forehead with a wicked smile. “If your mouth is that bored, go lick a toilet. Since when do you get to talk back to me, little boy?” The second those words left my mouth, all three of them froze. Then, right before my eyes, my parents’ and Leo’s eyes welled up with tears. My mom took a trembling step forward, whispering my name. “Amelia?” “Is that really you, baby? You’re back?” My dad’s eyes overflowed with tears. He rushed forward and pulled me into a tight, crushing hug. “It is her! It’s my Amelia! What did that wicked woman do to your body this time? Look at the bandage on your head!” I was stunned. I looked at them, bewildered. “You… you guys knew my body was taken over?” My suspicion was right! Leo, finally realizing it was really me, lunged forward like an octopus and wrapped his arms around me, sobbing. “Oh my god, sis! You’re finally back! That evil bitch thought we couldn’t tell the difference! She used your face to do all those embarrassing things!” “Mom and Dad wanted to kick her out, but they were terrified that if they did, your soul would never find its way home…” Hearing this, my eyes burned. Your real family knows you. Even if someone else wears your face, they can feel the difference.

We sat down, and I explained everything that had happened to the three of them. Leo clenched his fists, his teeth grinding in anger. “That bitch! Ever since she took over, she followed Julian Montgomery around like a stray dog. She dragged our family name through the dirt! I got mocked at school every single day because of her!” My dad, thinking ahead, looked at me with deep worry. “Now that you’re back, what about her soul? Will she come back?” I shook my head. “I heard a voice say she was ‘erased.’ I have full control now. She’s never coming back.” “And last time, she only took over because I nearly drowned and my consciousness was weak. Now, your daughter is perfectly healthy. Don’t worry!” The family finally breathed a sigh of relief. My dad immediately made a decision. “I want you to join the family company.” “Before, when we realized you weren’t ‘you,’ we kept that impostor far away from Sterling Enterprises. We were terrified she’d hand the entire company over to Julian on a silver platter.” “But now that you’re back, and Leo is still too young, the company needs you.” I smiled. “I’d love to.” My dad looked incredibly proud. “I knew my real daughter was strong, smart, and business-minded. Not a brainless, love-sick fool.” After resting at home for a few days, Julian eventually tracked me down. I knew we had to settle things once and for all. So when he demanded a meeting, I didn’t refuse. The moment I pushed open the door to the VIP lounge at the club, the mocking laughter inside stopped instantly. Bianca immediately squeezed out a few tears, shrinking behind Julian as if she were terrified of me. Seriously? With acting like that, why be a “golden girl” when she could win an Oscar? Julian gave me a freezing look. He crossed his legs, looking down on me with the same arrogant superiority he’d used for the past twelve years. “Kneel.” Looking at the sneering and pitiful faces around the room, I looked at Julian like he was a brain-dead idiot. It’s the 21st century. Just because people call him a “crown prince” doesn’t mean he’s royalty. Asking me to kneel? I’m not his servant. I walked over, sat down on the plush sofa, picked up a bottle of expensive wine, and swirled it in my hand. I offered them a dazzling, confident smile that practically blinded the room. Julian’s friends started whispering to each other. “Since when is Amelia Sterling this hot?” “It’s the same face, but she feels completely different.” “She’s definitely playing hard to get. Simping didn’t work, so she’s trying a new tactic to get Julian’s attention. She’s a professional simp, honestly.” Julian looked pissed that I hadn’t obeyed him. I raised my glass toward him in a mock toast. “Why’d you call me here?” Julian grit his teeth, and Bianca took the opportunity to pour oil on the fire. “Julian, it’s fine. It’s my fault for coming back. I didn’t mean to make Amelia hate me so much…” The beauty wept, and Julian’s temper flared. He slammed his glass onto the table, his dark eyes glaring at me. He spat out two words: “Apologize!” I shrugged, looking directly at Bianca instead of him. “You fake-ass snake.” Those three quiet words instantly set Julian off. “What did you say?!” He was furious. I just smiled. I repeated, “I said, you fake-ass snake.” He slammed his hands on the table and stood up, practically shaking with rage. “Say that again!” I pushed my hair back, looking thoroughly bored. “What? Are you deaf?” “I” had never spoken to Julian like this before. Just like everyone else, once he calmed down, he convinced himself this was all a game of hard-to-get. He truly believed I was just too deeply in love with him. The more he thought about it, the more pleased with himself he became. He actually sat back down, giving himself an exit. He pointed to his polished leather shoes. “Stop acting, Amelia. You just want me to look at you, don’t you?”

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At our fourth engagement party, Chloe Collins abandoned me again to run to her ex-boyfriend. Every single time, she used the same excuse, leaving me behind to be the laughingstock of the town. But this time, I didn’t want to stop her. This was our tenth year together, and I was just so tired. “Chloe, if you walk out that door today, we are done. Let’s break up.” “I hope the two of you will be very happy together.” Chloe’s face instantly hardened. “Why are you being so petty? Are you still mad because we accidentally kissed last time?” “I already apologized to you! Julian is not like you. He’s innocent and fragile! Besides, he has no one else but me!” She spun around and walked out. I didn’t argue. I blocked her on Snapchat, Instagram, and every other platform, and posted our breakup online. When the spotlight hit me, I felt a wave of dizziness. Watching Chloe’s figure disappear around the corner, I let out a bitter laugh. The whispers of the guests rushed into my ears. “Is the engagement called off again? How many times has this been? Do they think our time is a joke?” “Seriously, she dumps him for another guy over and over, and he still stays. He has absolutely no self-respect!” “There’ll definitely be a fifth time. Ethan Miller will never let her go.” I had heard these exact words countless times over the past ten years. Every time, I would just smile, pretend nothing happened, and clean up her mess under everyone’s mocking stares. But now, looking at the half-empty hall, I suddenly found it all so pointless. My ten years of devotion were pointless. My stubborn persistence was pointless. Years ago, Chloe’s family was on the brink of bankruptcy and desperately needed money. That was the only reason she lowered herself to be with a “simp” like me. No matter how cold she was to me over the years, I did my best to cherish her. I always thought that one day she would see my worth and truly accept me. But it had been ten years. Even a heart of stone should have melted by now. Yet, she hadn’t changed at all. I sighed and decided to make one last call, just to see. After a dozen rings, she finally picked up. Her voice was dripping with impatience. “Are you trying to harass me to death? Don’t you know I’m taking care of Julian?” “Can you stop throwing tantrums and look at the time? Why did I end up with such a pathetic guy like you?” “It was just one kiss when we got drunk! Are you really going to hold that grudge forever?” Her screeching voice echoed through the silent banquet hall. I saw someone in the audience burst out laughing. My face burned with humiliation, but I cleared my throat and spoke into the mic anyway. “He’s a grown man. What could possibly happen to him? This is our fourth engagement party, Chloe. It won’t take much of your time to just come back and finish it.” “Once this is over, you can do whatever you want. I won’t bother you ever again, okay?” As I said those words, I couldn’t help but laugh at myself. How could a man beg so pitifully? But before she could answer, Julian’s voice suddenly came through the speaker. “Chloe, are you done yet? The bathwater is ready. It’s going to get cold soon!” The entire hall fell into a dead silence. Everyone looked at me with pure pity. My hands shook uncontrollably, and my eyes turned red with fury. This was the “emergency” she was talking about! Running off to take a bath with another man! The call was abruptly disconnected, but I couldn’t calm down anymore. I typed the words that had been suffocating me for years and sent them. [Let’s break up.] She didn’t reply. She was probably too busy enjoying her night with Julian. Just thinking about that image made me want to throw up. I was the biggest clown in the world. I opened Instagram and saw that Julian had just posted a new update. In the photo, Chloe was fast asleep in a bed. Julian’s caption read: *“So glad you’re always by my side.”* It was a blatant provocation. What was even harder to ignore was that both of them were clearly shirtless. My chest felt like it was crushed by a massive boulder. But in that exact moment, my ten years of obsession evaporated into thin air. I posted a picture of a clear blue sky on my Instagram feed, officially declaring the end of our relationship: *“Single and free. I no longer have to worry about whose bed you’re sleeping in at midnight.”* Let it end here.

The next morning, I was woken up by Chloe violently banging on my door. “Open the door! Who do you think you are? How dare you post that on Instagram to threaten me!” “It was such a small thing! My parents just called and screamed at me because of you. Are you happy now?” The moment I opened the door, she furiously threw her designer bag right at my face. The sharp pain brought tears to my eyes. But she didn’t care about my pain. The only person she ever cared about was her precious ex-boyfriend. I wiped my eyes and looked at her coldly. The hickeys on her neck were too obvious to ignore. In the past, I would have lost my mind and started a screaming match. But now, I just wanted to get this over with. “I made myself very clear. We’ve both been exhausted for ten years. It’s over.” “Since you and Julian love each other so much, I won’t stand in your way anymore.” Seeing how strangely calm I was, she finally realized she might have gone too far. She touched her nose guiltily and softened her tone, which was rare for her. “Okay, okay. I know I messed up yesterday, but it was an emergency.” “Look, I won’t go anywhere today. I’ll stay home and keep you company, okay? Stop being mad.” “When we were in college, he was the one who defended me when those rumors spread. I always felt like I owed him.” I held my cold coffee mug and didn’t say a word. A person’s patience has limits. I had told her that countless times. Too bad she never listened. Seeing that I was still silent, she resorted to her ultimate weapon. She leaned in close, trying to press her lips against mine. This was her go-to move. In the past, no matter how angry I was, as long as she kissed me, I would immediately back down. But this time, it was different. Right before our lips touched, I pushed her away. I stood up, frowning. “I told you, I’ve reached my limit. I loved you, Chloe, but that wasn’t an open invitation for you to walk all over me.” “If you feel like you owe him, there are a million ways to repay him. Don’t use that as an excuse for your own selfish desires.” This was the first time I had ever rejected her. Chloe froze in shock. She stared at me in disbelief. Just as she was about to speak, her phone rang. Julian’s voice whimpered from the speaker. “Chloe… I finally get it now. My presence is ruining your relationship with Ethan. It’s all my fault…” “I’m leaving town. I called to say goodbye. Thank you for everything.” Chloe immediately panicked. She grabbed her bag from the couch and rushed to the door. “What are you talking about! This has nothing to do with you! I don’t even care about him that much anyway!” “Don’t do anything stupid! I’m coming to find you right now!” I watched her run out, feeling absolutely nothing. This exact scene had played out hundreds of times. One call from him, and I was instantly abandoned. She would never change. Perhaps feeling a bit guilty, she stopped at the door and coughed awkwardly. “Wait for me to come back, and we’ll talk. I’m just worried he might do something reckless.” “You understand, right?” I didn’t say anything. I just gave her a slight nod. She looked relieved, smiled, and ran out. Where she went had nothing to do with me anymore. We had already broken up.

I didn’t have many belongings in the apartment. Most of the stuff belonged to Chloe—her clothes, her jewelry. It was easy to pack. What was funny was that even though we had been together for ten years, we slept in separate bedrooms. I had never even stepped into hers. I thought I never would, but since my car keys were on her desk, I had to open her door. The moment I walked in, I froze. The pastel-pink room was filled with photos. From their teenage years up to pictures taken just months ago, the only two people in those frames were Chloe and Julian. Anyone walking in would think this was a bedroom for a married couple. But I was her actual boyfriend. I was the man who was supposed to spend the rest of his life with her. I thought my heart was numb, but my fists clenched so hard they shook. As I backed out of the room, my heel accidentally hit the button of a recording plushie on the floor. “Julian, when are you going to take me away? Being around him every single second makes me feel absolutely disgusted!” Chloe’s sweet, whiny voice echoed through the room. *Disgusted?* So she felt disgusted being with me? Then, Julian’s lazy, arrogant voice played. “Just bear with it a little longer. Once you marry him, all his money will be yours. We won’t have to work a day in our lives!” Instead of rejecting this disgusting plan, Chloe laughed happily. “You’re so smart! When that happens, no one can stop us.” “Julian, I love you so much. Do you love me?” After a pause, Julian let out a dry, awkward chuckle. “Of course I love you. You’re the only woman I’ll ever love.” The recording stopped. There was a sticky note on the plushie, written in Chloe’s handwriting: *“I am the love of his life.”* I didn’t even know how I walked out of that apartment. My entire world felt like it was crumbling. I used to think she was just a spoiled girl who didn’t know how to love. But from the very beginning, she was just plotting to take my money and run away with another man. My years of devotion were nothing but a joke. I used to think of this apartment as our home, the anchor that kept me going. It turned out the anchor was made of cardboard. With trembling fingers, I opened my chat with Chloe. It was a wall of blue bubbles—just me talking to myself. She had never once replied to my care or love. The only times she messaged me were to ask for money or to tell me to stop causing trouble for Julian. I remembered the first time I met Julian. He had poured a cup of hot coffee over his own head and blamed me. Chloe had slapped me in front of everyone. “Do you have to make his life miserable? What did he ever do to you! Why do you hate him so much!” “I thought you were a sweet, understanding guy. It was all an act!” I had tried to explain, but she only looked at me with cold disgust while Julian smirked from her arms. The memories flashed before my eyes. I closed my eyes tiredly, took one last look at this place, sighed, and walked out.

My peaceful life only lasted for two days. When I walked into the living room of my family’s house, I was surprised to see Chloe and her parents sitting on the couch. The moment her parents saw me, they pushed Chloe forward. “Apologize to Ethan right now! How did I raise such a clueless daughter!” Then, they turned to me with fake, oily smiles. “Ethan, dear, please don’t take it to heart. We just spoiled her too much!” “You know she truly loves you. Otherwise, why would she stay with you for ten years? A woman’s best years are her twenties, after all!” I glanced at my parents sitting across from them. They were sipping their tea silently, but their faces were filled with annoyance. Chloe had crossed the line too many times. My family had a reputation to uphold. She had dragged my dignity through the mud over and over, making us a laughingstock. My parents had been done with her a long time ago. If it weren’t for my stubbornness in the past, her family wouldn’t even be allowed past our front gates. Seeing that none of us were speaking, Chloe reluctantly walked over to me. “Fine, fine. It’s been days. Why are you still holding a grudge?” “My parents already consulted an astrologer. They said next month is the perfect date for our wedding. I promise I won’t run away this time.” She reached out, trying to hug me. I stepped back, dodging her, and spoke coldly. “How many times do I have to say it? We are over. Don’t ever bother me again.” “I’ve moved all my stuff out. We are done.” Chloe finally snapped. In the past, no matter what she did, a little baby voice and a hug would make me forgive her. She was absolutely sure I would never leave her. But this time, my attitude was rock-solid. For the first time, fear crept into her eyes. “What right do you have to dump me? I’ve been with you since I was so young! Do you know how valuable my youth is?” “And I already apologized! What more do you want?” Looking at her entitled face, I wondered how I could have been so blind. Even now, she didn’t think she did anything wrong. Her parents quickly chimed in. “Yes, Ethan. Every couple fights. You can’t just throw away ten years of love over a small argument!” “It’s not like she cheated on you! She was just worried about a friend!” Now I knew why Chloe was so messed up. What kind of decent child could grow up in a family like this? Once they finally shut up, I took out my phone and played the audio I had recorded from the plushie in Chloe’s room.

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My mother-in-law, Brenda, fell in love in her golden years. She wanted to meet her number-one TikTok Live gifter in real life. I tried my absolute best to warn her. I told her she was too old, and that this was definitely a “pig-butchering” romance scam. Eventually, she gave up the idea. But when she saw our neighbor, Mrs. Higgins, coming back dripping in gold and diamonds with her own rich online gifter, Brenda began to deeply resent me. Later, when I was heavily pregnant and about to give birth, Brenda pushed me down the stairs in a state of utter madness. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d be living in luxury right now!” My husband, Marcus, also looked at me with cold, dead eyes: “If you hadn’t tried to play smart, I would have been a millionaire CEO by now!” Instead of calling 911, the two of them watched me bleed on the floor, waiting for me to die. To make sure no one would find out, they eventually dragged me to the bathroom and held my head underwater until I drowned. But I was reborn. This time, I personally recommended a shady, back-alley plastic surgery clinic to Brenda. 1 “I work myself to the bone every single day serving this ungrateful family, and I’m not even allowed to pursue my own happiness!” Brenda was sitting on the floor, wailing and screaming. “My life is so miserable!” My mind felt completely dizzy. The suffocating sensation of cold water rushing into my lungs was still terrifyingly vivid. It was only when I saw Brenda rolling around on the floor, throwing her usual tantrum, that I suddenly snapped awake. Had I been reborn? “Marcus! Why aren’t you home yet? Your wife is bullying me to death! I don’t want to live anymore!” Seeing her wipe away non-existent tears, I remembered how patiently I had tried to explain things to her in my past life. In the end, that patience cost me my life and the life of my unborn child. Thinking of this, I subconsciously touched my flat belly. Thank God. I was reborn. This time, I would protect my child at all costs. I suppressed the boiling rage in my chest, forced a warm smile onto my face, and said to Brenda: “Brenda, you’ve completely misunderstood me. I was just amazed by how incredibly charming you are.” “Any man would fall head over heels for you.” Brenda froze on the floor. She clearly didn’t expect me to say that. “Yes, Brenda! You have to say yes to this guy! This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance!” Standing beside her, Lily was jumping up and down with pure excitement. “What is all this screaming? I told you guys, do not make noise when I’m on a Zoom meeting!” Marcus slammed his bedroom door open, his eyes filled with nothing but annoyance. Without asking a single question, he immediately turned and pointed his finger at me, screaming: “Chloe! What kind of drama are you starting now? My mom is always so sweet to you!” Looking at the man standing in front of me, my heart felt like ice. The memory of him holding me down in the water alongside Brenda flashed in my mind, making me grit my teeth. I wanted nothing more than to tear him apart right then and there. 2 The moment Brenda saw Marcus come out, she scrambled to her feet and ran to him. “Marcus, you really need to put a leash on this wife of yours. She beats me every time you’re not home.” Brenda gave me a smug, triumphant look. She was absolutely sure I would explode, scream, and start a massive fight. Then she could easily manipulate Marcus into beating me up just to satisfy her sick ego. In my past life, that was exactly what happened. Marcus had slammed me onto the couch, punching my face repeatedly while Brenda stood by, cheering him on. This time, I wasn’t going to be that stupid. I lowered my eyes, keeping my voice as soft and helpless as a mouse. “Brenda must have misunderstood me. As her daughter-in-law, I would never dare to stand in the way of her and her billionaire boyfriend.” I even squeezed out a few fake tears for effect. The word “billionaire” instantly changed the atmosphere. Marcus’s eyes lit up like Christmas trees. He immediately turned to Brenda, putting on his most flattering face. He began massaging her shoulders and rubbing her back. “Mom, is this for real? You have to say yes to this rich guy!” “Our family is about to become filthy rich!” Brenda looked a bit hesitant, though her eyes shone with greed. “But look at all these wrinkles on my face. I’m old and ugly. What if he doesn’t want me when we meet?” Lily chimed in from the side, fueling the fire. “Mom, we can just make Chloe pay for your plastic surgery! Problem solved!” Brenda immediately slapped Lily’s shoulder. “You brainless girl! Plastic surgery costs a fortune! Why should we waste Marcus’s hard-earned money on that?” I knew Brenda was incredibly cheap. So, I decided to give her the push she needed. I quickly dug a shady-looking business card out of my purse and handed it to Brenda, pretending to be completely supportive. “Brenda, what a coincidence! I actually won a free total-makeover consultation card at my company’s annual party. It feels like destiny. Our family is truly meant to be rich.” Sure enough, Marcus couldn’t control himself. He practically jumped in the air. “Mom! This is a sign from God! It is literally custom-made for you!” Brenda lifted her chin proudly. “Well, of course it is.” Lily and Marcus stood on either side of her, their faces flushed with excitement as they fantasized about their future high-society lives. I sneered in my heart. Billionaire? He’s nothing but a professional scammer waiting to butcher you. 3 In my past life, Brenda had proudly announced to the entire family that her top TikTok Live gifter had invited her to a private yacht party. I had begged her not to go, pointing out her age and warning her that he was likely a catfish scammer. Because of my desperate warnings, Brenda ended up canceling the trip. But later, when she saw Mrs. Higgins coming back dripping in designer brands and real diamonds with her own rich online gifter, Brenda began to view me as her ultimate enemy. “It’s all your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, I’d be living in a mansion right now!” But I knew the truth. Mrs. Higgins’s “top gifter” was actually her long-lost son who had made a fortune. I tried to explain this to Brenda, but she refused to listen to a single word. “Mom, you’re being scammed! That man isn’t a billionaire!” In her psychotic rage, Brenda pushed me down the stairs. Blood immediately pooled beneath me. I desperately tried to reach for my phone on the floor to call 91

Right then, Marcus rushed over and kicked the phone far away. “If you hadn’t played smart, I would have been a big boss by now!” I curled into a ball, clutching my stomach, sobbing and begging them both. “Please, save my baby. I beg you.” By the time I woke up, Brenda was holding my head underwater, screaming at Marcus to help her keep me down. I thrashed wildly, screaming for help. But Brenda picked up a heavy brick from the floor and smashed it against my skull. “If anyone asks, we’ll just say she was cheating, got pregnant with a bastard child, and drowned herself out of shame.” The terrifying feeling of cold water filling my lungs gripped my throat once more. I couldn’t breathe. Slowly, I sank to the very bottom. Having a second chance at life, I decided to let them walk straight into their own doom. I was done playing the good guy. I wanted to see exactly how much “luxury” Brenda would enjoy without me in her way. 4 Because Brenda had just finished her plastic surgery, Marcus ordered me to leave work early, go home, and clean the house. I quietly complied. Right after I finished mopping the floor, Brenda waddled into the living room, her body moving in an incredibly stiff, unnatural way. “Ugh, why is this place so dusty? I literally just got my face done.” “What if my wounds get infected?” She covered her face with her hands. But I could clearly see that her face was swollen like a giant, bruised balloon. I sneered inwardly. In my past life, that shady clinic had been shut down after multiple botched surgeries went viral on TikTok. I was highly confident Brenda wouldn’t be the lucky one. Marcus glanced at me, his eyes full of disgust as he barked: “Chloe! Go get Mom a glass of water right now! When we get rich, you’re the first person I’m throwing out of this house!” Hearing Marcus’s words, my chest still felt a twinge of coldness. Years ago, I had cut ties with my own parents just to marry him. I woke up earlier than anyone and slept later than a dog, serving this entire miserable family. In the end, I got absolutely nothing but a broken body and a tragic death. Whenever I wanted to go for a pregnancy checkup, Brenda would mock me, saying I was just looking for excuses to be lazy. Lily would always jump in, making up ridiculous lies to make me look bad. And with Marcus’s pathetic monthly salary of $3,000—which he handed entirely over to Brenda—every single bill in this house was paid using my own savings. Thinking of this, I quickly brought Brenda a glass of water with a sweet smile. Suddenly, Brenda jumped up and started screaming at me: “Are you trying to kill me?! The doctor explicitly told me not to drink water immediately after the procedure!” I gave her a sheepish, apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry, Brenda. I got distracted. You literally look a hundred times younger after the surgery. I barely even recognized you.” Hearing my compliments, Brenda’s ego instantly inflated. She raised her swollen chin proudly. She immediately began barking orders at me: “Go mop the floor again! I went through so much pain today for this family.” “And go buy me some expensive organic supplements. Remember, only buy the most expensive stuff. I am the savior of this family now.” Faced with her ridiculous demands, I just smiled and nodded. Even if she was spending my money, I didn’t care. It was the price of her ticket to hell. She knew she shouldn’t drink water, but she had no idea she was supposed to avoid high-sodium, greasy foods during recovery. Soon, the date of her meeting with the “billionaire” drew closer. One afternoon, while Brenda was in a boutique dressing room trying on a revealing dress, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from inside. “Ahhh! Someone help me! My face! I can’t move my face!” I smiled. Brenda had developed facial paralysis. When Lily pushed the dressing room door open, Brenda was lying on the floor, clutching her face in absolute terror. 5 “Oh my god, Lily! Am I going to die?” Brenda was howling on the floor, refusing to let go of her face. Thick drool was already leaking from the corner of her mouth, ruining the expensive dress. The boutique owner was completely frozen in shock. Several other customers gathered around, whispering and pointing. Lily completely panicked, her voice cracking as she cried: “Chloe, what do we do? We shouldn’t have come out shopping today!” I quickly took charge. I dialed 911 and called for an ambulance to take Brenda to the hospital. Seeing them prepare to leave, the store owner became angry and grabbed Lily’s arm. “Wait a minute! You can’t just walk away! Your mother just ruined my inventory and terrified my customers! You need to pay for this dress, otherwise, I’m calling the cops!” Hearing about paying money, Brenda, who was being loaded onto a stretcher, exploded in fury. She reached out and wrapped both arms around a nearby clothing rack. “Pay you?! You’re extorting us! I’m the one who should call the cops!” “Your store has bad vibes! That’s why my face suddenly became like this!” The paramedic urged them impatiently: “Stop arguing! Her health is more important. We need to go to the hospital right now!” But Brenda refused to budge. She scrambled off the stretcher, put her hands on her hips, and screamed at the owner: “You cheap bitch! You want money? Fine, I’ll sit right here in your store! If I die because I’m late to the hospital, I’ll make sure your business is ruined forever!” Because of the facial paralysis, Brenda’s distorted face looked absolutely monstrous. I was honestly stunned by how reckless she was when it came to money. The store owner, utterly terrified by Brenda’s psychotic behavior, quickly let go of Lily’s arm. She practically begged: “Ma’am, please, I don’t want your money anymore! Just go to the hospital! I apologize!” Only then did Brenda lay back down on the stretcher, looking incredibly pleased with herself. “Hah! Trying to scam me? No way in hell.” But standing aside, I knew exactly what she had just done. Brenda’s greed had just cost her the golden window for treating facial paralysis. Even if she survived, she would be left with permanent nerve damage. But that had absolutely nothing to do with me. After all, my kindness in my past life had earned me a watery grave. 6 The doctor stared at the test results, his brows furrowed deeply. “We can confirm your mother-in-law is suffering from severe facial nerve damage. She needs to be admitted for treatment immediately. Please go to the front desk to pay the deposit.” Standing nearby, Brenda let out a loud snort and spat right onto the hospital floor. “You absolute scammer! Look at me, I can walk and run just fine! You doctors just want to steal my money!” The doctor didn’t get angry. He calmly tried to explain again: “Ma’am, you need medical intervention. If you miss the critical treatment window, the damage will be permanent.” “We can start with aggressive medication, followed by physical therapy and acupuncture next week.” Hearing this, Brenda shrieked like a banshee. “How long is that going to take?! I have a date with a billionaire in three days!” The doctor’s face turned bright red from her sheer ignorance and disrespect. “Billionaire? If you don’t get treated right now, you can spend the rest of your life drooling like a dog!” Hearing the doctor speak to her like that, Brenda ran out of the office and started screaming in the hallway: “Help! Abuse! Everyone look! The doctor is threatening a patient!” Her booming voice drew a massive crowd in the hospital lobby. Lily, who had just come out of the restroom, saw the scene, blushed red with embarrassment, and quickly hid around the corner. Even the Chief of Medicine rushed down to see what was happening. I pretended to hold Brenda back, pleading: “Brenda, please, just listen to the doctor. Stay in the hospital.” But I knew her all too well. She would never stay. Nothing was going to stop her from going on her yacht date with her “billionaire.” Sure enough, Brenda glared at me and violently shoved me away. “You useless bitch! You always take the side of strangers! I already called my son. No one is stealing a single dime from me!” A few minutes later, Marcus rushed into the hospital lobby, looking furious. The Chief of Medicine tried to step in and reason with him, explaining the severity of Brenda’s condition. But Marcus grabbed a heavy metal clipboard from a nearby desk and threw it right at the Chief’s head. “You bunch of scammers! You just hate to see my family succeed! Let my mom go!” The Chief was completely done. He gestured to the security guards to clear the area. “Fine. Get out. We refuse to treat patients who abuse our staff.” Looking at Marcus and Brenda smirking at each other, bragging about how they “won” against the hospital, I almost laughed out loud. These two were so consumed by greed that they had lost their minds. I couldn’t wait to see their faces when they realized their “billionaire” was nothing but an internet scammer.

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College admissions season was just around the corner. A few of my senior students were still completely slacking off. I was more anxious than anyone, so I decided to use the weekend break to drop off some study guides at their houses. “What is this?” I was completely frozen. On my student Chloe’s bed sat a life-sized doll! In terms of height, body shape, and face, it looked exactly like me! More importantly, the doll had… anatomical details. It was clearly made for *that* kind of activity… “Mr. Miller…” Chloe’s face flushed so red it looked like it would burst. “Actually, I… I’ve liked you since freshman year!” “Mr. Miller, I just turned eighteen last month. I’m an adult now! You…” “Stop, stop, stop!” I quickly cut her off. In my five years of teaching, I had never encountered something this insane! Chloe had opened the door wearing a maid cosplay outfit. I heard from other students that she was a minor influencer in the local cosplay community. As a male teacher, I had to protect myself and keep my distance. I originally planned to just say a few words at the door and leave. But her parents insisted on dragging me inside, asking me to help her highlight key topics for the final AP exam. “I have a fiancée, and we’re planning to get married this summer.” “I need you to focus on your studies and get into a good college!” She looked incredibly excited. She pulled the ribbon at her waist, and the maid outfit slid down like wrapping paper off a gift box. “Chloe! What are you doing?!” I was terrified. She lunged at me, wrapping her arms around my neck, standing on her tiptoes to kiss me. No way in hell. I came here to tutor her, not to have an existential crisis! Her parents were right outside. If they saw this, my career, my reputation, and my relationship would all be destroyed. So, I gritted my teeth and pushed her onto the bed. “Leo~” Chloe thought I was giving in. She lay there obediently, her eyes full of anticipation. I frantically grabbed the pieces of her outfit, trying to put them back on her before her parents noticed. Chloe’s eyes welled with tears. “Leo, don’t you like me? Don’t men like younger girls? Or am I not pretty enough?” Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door. “Put your clothes on! What if your mom walks in and misunderstands?!” I didn’t know which of my words triggered her. Chloe suddenly burst into loud, hysterical sobs. “Mr. Miller, why don’t you stay for dinner? I bought some prime rib…” The door was pushed open by Chloe’s mother, Beatrice. The smile on her face instantly froze. “What on earth is going on here…” I panicked. The clothes in my hand felt like a hot potato. I was caught red-handed, and no explanation would sound believable now. “Mrs. Vance, let me explain. It’s not what it looks like…” I stuttered, completely terrified.

In the living room, Chloe’s parents sat on the sofa. Chloe and I stood in front of them. “…and that’s everything. That’s exactly what happened.” After speaking, I looked at Chloe, hoping she would back up my story. Beatrice also looked at her daughter, waiting for her response. Arthur, Chloe’s father, frowned. “Chloe, Daddy is right here. Don’t be afraid. Tell us the truth.” The atmosphere in the room turned suffocatingly tense. My heart was pounding like crazy. But Chloe seemed oblivious. She just stood there, sobbing quietly. We waited for five agonizing minutes. Just as I was about to lose my temper, Chloe finally spoke. “I didn’t take my clothes off. Mr. Miller did!” “He said… he said he’d only tutor me if I was ‘good’ to him!” I was furious. “Chloe! Do you have any idea how much this lie will ruin my life?!” “Shut up!” Arthur snapped. He lunged forward, grabbing me by the collar. The veins on his forehead bulged. “Miller! Do you call yourself a teacher? I can’t believe you had the guts to come into my house and assault my daughter!” “You’re not a human! You’re a sick animal!” Beatrice joined in, screaming curses. She was so hysterical she just kept repeating the same insults over and over. Chloe, who had just completely twisted the truth, hid behind her father. Her eyes were calm, with a faint hint of smug apology. My mind went completely blank. My ears rang. “I’m telling the truth!” “If you don’t believe me, go look in her room! There’s a life-sized doll that looks exactly like me!” Chloe’s next words felt like a bucket of ice water poured over my head. “Mr. Miller forced me to buy that!” Maybe a long time passed, or maybe it was just a few seconds. I didn’t know. My chest felt so tight I could barely breathe, and my temples throbbed violently. So this was what it felt like to be falsely accused. The police arrived quickly. I told them I did absolutely nothing. Beatrice screamed at the officers, “What kind of girl would ruin her own reputation just to frame a man?!” Wasn’t that hilarious? Yes, hilariously tragic. It was just like the naive belief that “children don’t lie.” The logic was completely flawed. I pushed past the officer, rushed up to Chloe like a madman, grabbed her collar, and roared, “Tell them the truth! You are going to destroy me!” Within seconds, the police pulled me away, telling me to calm down and cooperate with the investigation. I thought that once the police got involved, things would get sorted out. But to my absolute horror, no matter what, Chloe stuck to her story: I forced her. Without solid physical evidence, the police had to let me go for the time being. “SHOCKING! High school teacher caught assaulting teenage influencer during home visit!” This kind of scandal didn’t need any algorithm push—it immediately went viral on Ins and TikTok. In less than two hours, I received a termination letter from the school. The school’s official YouTube channel also posted a video announcing my firing, and they didn’t even bother to blur my personal details. “You didn’t even investigate! You just threw my private information to the wolves!” “I am innocent!” No one listened. At that moment, I learned how quickly people will kick you when you’re down.

The video exploded. Countless people were tagging the local police department in the comments. I scrolled through the comments; they were filled with toxic abuse. My fiancée, Jessica, got the news. She called me immediately. I thought she knew my character and was calling to comfort me. But to my surprise, when I picked up, it wasn’t Jessica. It was her mother, Mrs. Davis. “I am so disappointed in you! I will never let my daughter marry a predator! We are returning the wedding deposit, and the ring is in the mail! This is Jessica’s decision too!” “I really misjudged you! How could you lay a hand on an eighteen-year-old student?!” “Mrs. Davis, please let me explain…” “You’re a monster!” “Click—” The call went dead. During the entire call, I didn’t even get to finish a single sentence. As soon as that call ended, my mother’s number popped up. She didn’t accuse me right away. She just asked if the news online was true. I had worked diligently for five years as an ordinary teacher. I never expected to become “famous” overnight in the worst possible way. “Mom, others might not know me, but you do!” “…Okay, sweetie. I believe you.” I heard muffled shouting on her end of the line. “Mom? Mom?” The shouting grew louder. Sensing something was terribly wrong, I decided to drive over to her house immediately. But as soon as I stepped out of my apartment, a man blocked my path and showed me his badge. “Where are you going?” “I’m going to see my mother. What, am I under house arrest now?” Officer Hudson shook his head. “I’m just doing my job, Mr. Miller.” It seemed the police were worried I would flee. I was furious, but I didn’t want to make things hard for him. So I proposed a compromise. “Then come with me. You can ride along. Is that okay?” Officer Hudson hesitated, saying he needed to check with his sergeant. In those few short minutes, I received the third piece of devastating news—my mother had collapsed from shock and was being rushed to the hospital. “What are you doing?!” Officer Hudson was still on the phone. Seeing me get into my car and start the engine, he quickly blocked the hood. “Calm down! You can’t leave right now!” “My mom is in the ER! She has a severe heart condition!” He hesitated, but he didn’t move. “Officer, please!” Tears finally spilled over. “Rules are meant to protect people, not kill them! My mother is dying!” Surprisingly, my desperate plea worked on Officer Hudson. Without waiting for his sergeant’s reply, he jumped into the passenger seat and buckled up. “Let’s go. I’m coming with you.” We were still too late. When I reached the hospital, the doctor told me my mother had passed away. She had missed the critical window for resuscitation. “What happened? She was fine! How did this happen?!” I grabbed a neighbor who had accompanied her, shaking him like a lunatic. “Get off me! Are you crazy?!” The neighbor shoved me away, straightening his shirt with a look of pure disgust. “Blame yourself! You’re the one who assaulted a student! You literally killed your own mother, you sick bastard!” “You shut your mouth!” Being insulted by the public, dumped by my fiancée, and now losing my mother—my mind snapped. I tackled him to the ground, pinning him down and punching him repeatedly like a rabid dog. If Officer Hudson hadn’t dragged me off, I might have actually killed him. Seeing my raw fury, the neighbor didn’t dare say another word. He just groaned from the floor, “You’re going to pay for this! I’m suing you!” A nurse quickly wheeled him away for an examination. The doctor sighed and looked at me. “I’m sorry. You should prepare for the funeral.” Three days later, at my mother’s funeral, I finally learned the truth from her best friend. Because the school had doxed me in their video, some extreme internet trolls had dug up my home address and tracked down my mother.

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On the rainy night my husband ran away with his boyfriend, I received a pregnancy notification from the clinic. My father-in-law, Arthur, dragged him back in a fury, forcing him to get down on his knees and beg for my forgiveness. “Chloe, I’m so sorry. I was just blind and confused.” “Please, think of our baby and forgive me.” I didn’t even bother to look at him. I just threw out one casual sentence that blew the entire house to pieces. “The baby isn’t even yours. What exactly are you apologizing for?” *** 【1】 My husband was cheating on me. I knew the old saying—people would excuse it as “just a mistake any man would make.” But this particular mistake? It was absolutely eyesearing. The moment I used the hotel key card to open the door and caught Ethan in the act, a pale, fragile-looking, naked man crawled out from under his bedsheet. His skin was covered in unmistakable pink marks. Ethan sat up in bed, looking utterly embarrassed. He glanced at the man, then at me, looking completely flustered. “Chloe… what are you doing here?” I crossed my arms and sneered at him and his male mistress. “What am I doing here? I came to watch the show, of course!” When my best friend, Maya, texted me saying she saw my husband checking into a hotel alone, I never in a million years expected his cheating partner to be a man. We had been married for three years, and our relationship had always been lukewarm, let alone having any kids. I had wanted a baby of our own so badly. But the weird thing was, Ethan never wanted to touch me. I used to constantly doubt my own attractiveness. I worked out, dieted, and stayed in shape, but none of it worked. And now I realized I had been wasting my time. Ethan was into men. I had spent three years being a beard for a closeted man! “Don’t get the wrong idea… we’re just co-workers. We had too much to drink last night and just shared a bed.” Co-workers? What kind of co-workers sleep naked in the same bed? Furious, I took a step forward. My hand flew up, wanting to slap them, but I didn’t even know who to hit first. Seeing my angry glare, the fragile young man’s eyes turned red. He bit his lower lip, clung tightly to my husband’s arm, and shrank behind him like a helpless puppy. “Ethan, your wife is so scary… I’m frightened…” “You knew he was married, and yet you still had the nerve to climb into his bed?” I held back my rage, clinging to my last shred of sanity. Ethan avoided my gaze guiltily, but his silence only made the male mistress bolder. “Hmph, you’re just his legal spouse.” “In a relationship, the one who isn’t loved is the real intruder!” The guy was sharp-tongued, but the way he clung to my husband like a spineless leech made my stomach turn. My stomach churned so hard that I ran out of the room to throw up. When I walked back to the doorway a moment later, Ethan hadn’t pushed him away. Instead, he was gently stroking the man’s hair. “It’s fine. Chloe isn’t the type to make a scene.” “As long as I apologize properly, she won’t tell anyone about this.” “Would you leave me for your wife?” the young man asked, tears welling in his eyes. “I have to stay with her so our relationship can remain safe, you silly boy,” Ethan cooed, playfully pinching the man’s nose. For three years, I had been the perfect, elegant, and supportive wife. We had treated each other with respect. In the eyes of outsiders, we were a model couple. But in his heart, I was just a trophy tool to show off. A “roommate” he didn’t love, used to cover up his secret relationship with his male darling! The fact that Ethan cheated on me with a man made me both furious and disgusted. No matter what, I was going to tell his parents. I wanted them to see exactly what kind of filthy things their pride-and-joy son was doing behind their backs. 【2】 Two hours later, a heavy storm hit the city. Thunder rumbled, and on the sofa, my parents-in-law’s faces were as dark as the storm clouds. The family owned a multimillion-dollar business and were highly respected in high society. Out of respect for our years of marriage, I hadn’t made a public scene. I had only told his parents. From their grim expressions, it was clear they hadn’t been fully sure of their son’s sexuality either. My father-in-law, Arthur, believed me immediately. But my mother-in-law, Eleanor, remained skeptical. “Didn’t Ethan say they were just co-workers sharing a room? Maybe they’re just really close!” “What could possibly happen between two men in a bed?” “Chloe, stop trying to ruin Ethan’s reputation with your malicious accusations!” Malicious? The image of Ethan and that man tangled up naked in bed flashed in my mind. My dear mother-in-law had always taken her son’s side since the day we got married. Even if I talked until my throat was dry, she wouldn’t believe a word. “Eleanor, when Ethan gets back, you can ask him yourself.” Time ticked by. I was getting sleepy. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. Half an hour ago, Ethan’s card was used to purchase two tickets to Miami on a booking app. “Arthur, Eleanor, look. Is Ethan trying to run away with that man?” The older couple exchanged looks. Arthur quickly dialed Ethan’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. He was likely already on the plane. “I guess we’ll just have to wait until he comes back…” Eleanor tried to soften the tension. “Unbelievable! Just wait until he gets back, I’ll teach him a lesson!” Arthur clenched his fists tightly. The rain poured outside. My heart was colder than the rain. Three years of marriage couldn’t beat a few sweet words from a male mistress. Ethan must have run to another city to avoid the scandal, fearing I would blow his secret. Did he think he could just go and enjoy his life with his boyfriend? I wasn’t going to make it that easy for him. I looked down and touched my belly. After a moment of thought, I forwarded the clinic’s pregnancy notification to Ethan’s Snapchat. “Don’t worry, Arthur, Eleanor. He will definitely come back.” Seven hours later, at 3:00 AM. Ethan rushed back into the house, looking exhausted but incredibly excited. Ignoring his father’s glare and his mother’s worried eyes, he reached out to hug me. I stepped back coldly, my face filled with disgust. “Don’t touch me. You make me sick.” As if he had made a major decision, he suddenly dropped to his knees. “Chloe, I’m so sorry!” “I was stupid! I shouldn’t have messed around with a man! Please, for the sake of our baby, forgive me!” Eleanor immediately tried to pull him up. “Ethan! Get up right now! Have some self-respect! Why are you kneeling?” Then she glared at me. “Chloe, just forgive him for the baby’s sake! It was just a stupid slip-up. Every guy goes through a phase!” I touched my belly and stood up, my eyes freezing cold. “What are you apologizing for? The baby isn’t even yours.” I did the math. Ethan and I hadn’t slept together in nearly a year. He didn’t care about me at all. He was too busy hovering around his little fairy boyfriend to remember such details. I delivered the shocking truth in the calmest voice possible. Ethan’s face instantly darkened. “Chloe, I swallowed my pride for you, and you dare to tell me you cheated on me? You’re pregnant with someone else’s child?” In less than five seconds, his guilt turned into pure rage. Double standards in marriage never changed. His cheating was “just a phase,” but my supposed affair was a “deadly sin.” Eleanor, who had always acted polite, didn’t care that I was pregnant. She rushed over and slapped me hard across the face. “You tramp! You’ve been sleeping around, and yet you dare to accuse my son of being gay to cover it up?” “Where did that bastard child in your belly come from?!” Before they even knew the truth, they were already calling me a tramp. Her voice was so shrill it hurt my ears. Before I could explain, Ethan slapped my other cheek from the left. “I asked you a question! Whose bastard child are you carrying?!” Just as the two of them were about to lung at me again, the front door was kicked open with a loud bang. My best friend, Maya, and a handsome young man rushed in. The man shielded me behind his back, while Maya quickly checked on me. “Are you okay? I’m sorry we’re late!” Though my face stung from the slaps, my stomach was starting to hurt. I grabbed Maya’s arm, signaling her to take me away. I didn’t want to stay in this disgusting house for another second. If I weren’t pregnant, I would have fought them both right then and there. “Oh, so your lover is here to rescue you?” Ethan sneered, locking the door, his eyes burning with jealousy. He obviously thought this young man was the father of my baby. The man was younger and much more handsome than Ethan. Fueled by jealousy, Ethan swung a fist at his face. The young man calmly blocked the punch and shoved Ethan back, sending him stumbling. “You!” Ethan fell miserably to the floor. Before we left, the young man looked down at him and mocked: “What a loser. You couldn’t even keep your own wife.” 【3】 On the drive back, Maya cursed Ethan out completely. “He looked like such a decent guy! How could he cheat on you with a man? That is so disgusting!” Logan, her college athlete brother, was also fuming. “Exactly! What a pathetic excuse for a man! Who hits their pregnant wife?!” Only then did I realize Logan was Maya’s younger brother, five years younger than her. I felt terrible that Maya’s family had to be dragged into my messy divorce drama on our very first meeting. “I’m sorry, Logan. You shouldn’t have to deal with this trash.” Logan shook his head, still angry. “My sister’s friend is my sister too!” “Chloe, my college is right around the corner. If that jerk or his boyfriend ever bothers you again, I’ll knock them out in a second!” My stomach was still hurting, but hearing them defend me warmed my heart. Maya touched my forehead and then checked my pulse. As a medical PhD, she was acting like a traditional doctor out of panic. “No, this pregnancy was too hard to get. And that bastard got you too stressed out. We need to go to the hospital right now.” The hospital was nearly empty in the early hours of the morning. As I sat on the bench waiting, trying to figure out how to get a quick divorce, a familiar figure caught my eye. Maya had gone to find a doctor she knew, and Logan was yawning next to me. Seeing me stare, his eyes followed my gaze. “Chloe, what are you looking at?” Standing right in front of the dermatology and STD clinic was the same guy I had caught with my husband! He was looking around nervously, terrified of being recognized. “Is that the guy?” Logan rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight. “That little punk. Let me go teach him a lesson.” I held the hot-headed college kid back, secretly taking out my phone to snap a photo. “Wait for Maya. We don’t even know what he’s here for yet.” Fortunately, after a series of checks, my baby was fine. Maya breathed a sigh of relief, and she and Logan helped me out of the department. Just as the three of us were about to leave the lobby, a mocking, high-pitched voice came from behind us. “Oh, looking so precious. Are you carrying some royal heir or something?” Well, I tried to ignore him, but he just had to parade himself right in front of me. Looking at the heavily made-up, flashy man, Maya’s grip on my arm tightened. “Who even are you? Do we know you?” “Oh, whether you know me…” He slowly paced around us. “You don’t know me, but I happen to know a cheating tramp who is sleeping around behind her husband’s back. And she’s standing right next to you!” Ethan must have told him about my pregnancy. My chest rose and fell with anger. A homewrecker who ruined my marriage had the nerve to stand there and judge me. But I was pregnant. This baby was precious. I couldn’t lose my temper… “You!” Maya was about to scream at him, but I dragged her back. “Let’s just go. It’s not worth it.” Unfortunately, I could only hold back one of them. “Stop lying through your teeth!” Logan, being hot-headed, couldn’t stand hearing the guy insult me. Before Maya or I could stop him, he lunged forward and landed a solid punch right on Julian’s face. Julian collapsed to the floor and immediately began to wail. “Help! Someone help! The lover and the cheating wife are beating people up!” He cried dramatically, pointing his finger at me. “This woman cheated on her husband, got pregnant by her lover, and came here for a checkup! Look at her, everyone!” It was morning now, and the hospital lobby was packed with patients and visitors. His dramatic scene and loud, piercing voice quickly drew a crowd. “Oh my gosh, how shameless.” “Yeah, that young guy looks so handsome, why is he messing with a married woman?” “Society is really going downhill!”

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On our first wedding anniversary, my husband, Julian Carter, was two hours late. I noticed a prominent, dark red stain on his collar. It wasn’t wine. It was cheap chili sauce. I knew immediately. The woman he had been obsessed with for years was back. Faced with my cold, questioning gaze, Julian ripped off his tie in frustration. “Audrey, I know exactly what you’re going to say. Can’t you just let me breathe for once?!” I slowly took off my wedding ring and placed it on the table. If he wanted to breathe, I was about to give him all the space in the world. Seeing my reaction, Julian let out an impatient sigh. “Audrey, it’s just a dinner. Why do you have to be so uptight every single day?” “Look at you. From head to toe, every single strand of your hair looks like it took hours of effort!” “You’re perfect. Flawless. I can’t find a single thing wrong with you!” “But it’s exhausting for me!” I hadn’t said a single word. One look from me was all it took to trigger his defensive rant. I looked down at my haute couture dress. He had probably forgotten that today wasn’t just our anniversary—it was also the day of the contract signing with Apex Enterprises. I had reminded him days ago. But he forgot. I stood up. “Julian, save your energy for the board of directors.” “Since I’m so exhausting, I’ll set you free. Go to Chloe. I won’t stand in your way.” My words stunned him. Then, his face flushed with anger. “Audrey! Are you seriously doing this just because I was late for dinner?!” “No. I’m doing this because your absence cost us the Apex Enterprises contract. Their representatives pulled out of the deal.” “Are you satisfied now?” Julian’s face went completely pale. Finally, it registered. He remembered what today was. “I…” He stepped forward, trying to wrap his arms around me. I took two steps back, avoiding his touch. “I’m tired. Do whatever you want.” I left my wedding ring on the table and walked away. After changing into comfortable clothes, I rubbed my temples. My phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a FaceTime call from my dad. “Julian isn’t home tonight? You’ve only been married for a year, Audrey. What is going on?” “Dad, it was just a strategic marriage. Did you really expect him to love me? I’ve already arranged for the Apex representatives to stay at our hotel. Since Julian’s family blew the deal, we will take it over entirely.” My dad immediately understood the play. His voice softened. “Good. I’ll make the calls. Get some rest.” Right after I hung up, Julian walked into the bedroom. The mattress sank beside me, and his hands wrapped around my waist. “Babe, I’m sorry. Today was my fault.” His hands started wandering under my shirt. I pushed him away coldly. “Julian, I’m tired.” I turned my back to him. His hands froze, and his voice dipped into irritation. “Okay, that’s enough!” “Audrey, I literally just had one casual dinner. I’ll go talk to the people at Apex tomorrow morning. There’s no need to give me the cold shoulder!” “You always act like a lifeless block of wood!” He slammed the door as he stormed out. I looked at the Snapchat message from my assistant showing the signed, finalized contract with Apex in our family’s favor. I smiled. Tomorrow? Tomorrow, the deal would already be dead and buried for him. I closed my eyes and fell into a peaceful sleep. The next morning, Julian got rejected at the Apex headquarters. Out of the blue, he asked me out for lunch. Coincidentally, I wanted to talk about the divorce, so I accepted. As I walked up to the private dining room at the restaurant, I heard a high-pitched, giggling voice from inside. “Oh my god, why do you only eat this fancy, boring stuff? I want glazed donuts and a cheap Starbucks frappuccino with extra syrup!” “Julian, you should try it. Don’t be so uptight!” “I seriously can’t stand how tense you high-society people are all the time!” “But now that I’m here, is Audrey going to be mad?” Julian sneered. “Order whatever you want. Audrey is like a robot. Just looking at her is exhausting.” “It’s so much easier being around you.” “Right? I told you so! She must have thrown a fit when you didn’t go home last night. Did she finally show some real human emotion?” So, last night was intentional. I pushed the door open, and the room instantly fell dead silent. Beside Julian and Chloe, a few of Julian’s wealthy friends were sitting at the table. Seeing me enter, they quickly tried to break the awkward tension. “Hey, Audrey! You’re here!” “Come sit, we were just waiting for you.” I nodded politely and sat next to Julian. Chloe was sitting right on his left. When Chloe looked at me, a smug gleam flashed in her eyes. She exchanged a knowing look with Julian and giggled behind her hand. “Is something funny?” I asked, looking directly at her.

Chloe’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. “Audrey, I’m so sorry. I just… I thought it was a bit funny how you wore full makeup and a designer dress just for a casual lunch. You look so out of place with us.” “But I get it. You come from a prestigious family. You’ve been pampered your whole life.” “It’s my fault for laughing.” Julian immediately jumped to her defense, glaring at me. “Audrey, you’re always so extra. Can’t you just relax for once when you eat with me?” I let out a soft laugh. “I just came straight from the airport. I was sending off the board of directors from Apex Enterprises. Tell me, Julian, what should I have worn to meet our multi-million dollar clients?” Julian’s face instantly crumbled. His friends quickly tried to smooth things over. “Hey, Audrey dressed up to look good for you, Julian!” “Yeah, she looks stunning. Don’t take her for granted, man.” “Exactly. My mom has been married to my dad for thirty years, and I’ve never even seen her without makeup!” Chloe let out a sharp chuckle. “Isn’t that basically wearing a mask? How exhausting!” “Unlike me. Sometimes I’m just too busy to care about looks. I’ll just throw on a random T-shirt and shorts and walk out the door!” Her desperate attempt to put me down to lift herself up was pathetic. I looked at her “no-makeup” makeup look, which clearly took her at least an hour to perfect, and smiled without saying a word. Julian cleared his throat nervously. “Anyway, let’s order! I got the Chilean sea bass specially for you, Audrey. And some King Crab.” I nodded, picked up my fork, and took a bite. The flavor was decent. Julian had the waiters crack open the King Crab, and they began peeling it for me at the side of the table. Chloe raised an eyebrow. “You guys eat so primly. Seafood is supposed to be eaten with your bare hands! That’s the only way it tastes good.” “Just like last night. We had a greasy crawfish boil, and the juice was dripping everywhere!” She suddenly gasped, covering her mouth in mock horror. She looked at me cautiously. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Audrey. We were having so much fun last night that I completely forgot it was your anniversary.” “I told Julian he should go back, but he insisted on staying. That’s why we wanted to treat you to lunch today.” “I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted Julian to relax a bit.” I set my fork down and gave her a bright, sweet smile. “Actually, I should thank you. Because of your little distraction, Julian’s family lost a contract worth over fifty million dollars. Conveniently, my family took over the deal.” Julian’s face went from pale to a dark, furious red. Chloe looked utterly lost. She shrieked, “Fifty million?! But you two are married! Why are you talking about ‘your family’ and ‘his family’ like you’re rivals?” “Even though we’re married, my money is mine, and his is his. We signed a very strict prenuptial agreement.” “I don’t expect you to understand. After all, you’re just the housekeeper’s daughter. You probably don’t know that in old-money families, prenups are mandatory.” “We never show mercy to gold-diggers who try to climb into high society.” “Right, Julian?” Julian slammed his hand on the table, his face twisted in rage. “Enough! Have you said enough?!” “Yes! I didn’t want to spend our anniversary with you! That’s why I stayed out last night!” “You think you’re so superior, but you just got lucky with your birth. Stop talking down to people!” I nodded calmly. “You’re right. Reincarnation is a skill, and her luck just wasn’t very good.” Chloe burst into tears. “Audrey…” “Don’t call me Audrey like we’re friends. I’m an only child.” Chloe’s face flushed red, then pale. Finally, she choked out, “Ms. Sterling, you don’t have to look down on me. Julian isn’t happy with you at all! Did you know he called me on your wedding night? We talked on the phone the entire night!”

So that was the truth. I looked at Julian. On our wedding night, he had claimed he was too drunk and slept in the guest room, leaving me alone in the master suite. Turns out, he was busy pouring his heart out to Chloe. I smiled. “And yet, I’m still the one sitting in the seat of Mrs. Carter.” “If you’re so capable, why don’t you get Julian to divorce me?” “Audrey!” Julian roared. The rest of the table looked incredibly uncomfortable, not knowing where to look. Julian grabbed Chloe’s hand. “We’re leaving. You don’t need to apologize to her!” He dragged Chloe out of the room. As she passed me, she shot me a smug, triumphant look. The others stood up one by one, making quick excuses to slip away. Julian’s best friend, Tyler, stopped by the door and looked back at me. “Audrey, can’t you just swallow your pride for once?” “Julian is a man. He always tells us how suffocating it is to be with you!” I looked up at him coldly. “You have a lot of opinions for someone whose father is currently dealing with three secret illegitimate children trying to sue for their inheritance. Focus on your own burning house, Tyler.” Tyler’s face turned bright red, and he slammed the door on his way out. Only the waiter and I were left in the VIP room. The waiter looked terrified. I said calmly, “Please finish peeling the rest of the crab for me.” They didn’t want to eat, but I certainly did. After a peaceful, expensive meal, I drove straight to my parents’ house. When they saw me walk in at this hour, they were surprised. “Dad, Mom, I’m divorcing Julian.” “Is this because of the Apex contract? Surely it’s not that serious,” my dad said, surprised. “It is. I handled the Apex deal from start to finish. Julian ruined it, and we had to clean up his mess. His mother even had the audacity to suggest I hand the contract back to them to save face. Why should I?” I handed my phone to my dad. On the way over, Victoria, my mother-in-law, had sent me a long paragraph on Snapchat, telling me that I had handled the Apex situation ‘unprofessionally’ and that I needed to come to the family estate tonight to apologize to Julian’s father. My dad’s face darkened as he read the message. “Charles Carter has gone too far!” I added fuel to the fire. “Chloe, their former housekeeper’s daughter, is back. They were together last night. They’ve been sleeping together the entire year of our marriage. Dad, the Carters scammed us into this marriage.” Initially, Julian’s parents had talked a big game about how our families were a perfect match and how a merger would help us secure the massive Vanguard Group contract. Once the papers were signed, the cooperation went smoothly. But at that time, my family had already done the heavy lifting, and we only partnered with the Carters because of a temporary cash flow issue. Now that the profits were secured, they were turning on us. Since that was the case, I was done with them. My parents stayed silent for a moment before agreeing. My mom looked at me gently. “Marriage is a big deal, Audrey. Just make sure you’ve thought this through. There’s no guarantee the next man won’t be the same.” I took a deep breath. Julian was the one who made a mistake, not me. My only concern now was protecting my assets. I hired the best divorce attorney in the city and began the asset division process. Since our families’ businesses were deeply intertwined, it was going to take some time. But I never expected Julian to be so utterly shameless. He actually brought Chloe into our home. When I opened the front door of our penthouse, I saw a pair of dirty sneakers kicked carelessly onto the hardwood floor of the entryway. Chloe was lounging on the velvet sofa, her bare feet draped over Julian’s lap as she played a mobile game. She had a lollipop in her mouth. “Julian, save me! You’re so bad at this!” Julian laughed, playfully swatting her foot. The marble coffee table was covered in empty chips and fast-food wrappers. I shook my head. Julian could ruin his own life, but I was going to live mine with class. I walked in, my heels clicking loudly against the tile. Julian jumped up as soon as he saw me. “You… what are you doing here?!” I let out a cold laugh. “Why? Am I interrupting your domestic bliss?” “No… didn’t my mom tell you to go to the family estate?” “That’s your mother. Go explain your mess to her yourself.” I signaled the bodyguards I had brought with me. “Go upstairs and pack all of my things.” Julian froze. “Audrey, what is the meaning of this?” “Chloe just got back and has nowhere to stay. I’m letting her crash here for a couple of days. Is there any need to act like this?!” I stared at him. “Julian, I’m moving out so you two can live together openly. Isn’t that what you wanted?” “What do you mean?” “I’m divorcing you, Julian. I’m done.”

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