Author: Momo Chan

Blake Sterling drank excessively during a social event, triggering an acute heart attack. After being rushed to Riverbend General Hospital, he died. After his death, over a dozen banks and predatory lenders came after me for repayment, and I only then realized he was buried in massive debts. I sold everything I could, but it was just a drop in the bucket. The loan sharks forced me to work at Neon Nights Club. For ten whole years, I endured abuse and contracted numerous diseases. The doctor told me I had at most another month to live. Walking aimlessly on a desolate road, a luxury car hit me, sending me flying. Out of the car came my husband Blake Sterling, who should have been dead for ten years, and his first love, Aurora Blake. “Why did you fake your death?” I raged. “Because I won a $200 million lottery, and I didn’t want to share it with you.” This malicious man enjoyed the prize money alone, living happily with his first love, but left me with enormous debts. He reversed the car, cruelly running me over. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day he faked his death. Content

“Sister-in-law, death cannot be undone. Please accept your condolences and move on,” attending physician Jasper “Jazz” Collins comforted me. He was also a good friend of my husband, Blake Sterling. I touched my face, smooth and delicate, whereas in my previous life, after contracting numerous diseases, my face was covered with dense pustules. I realized I had been reborn! Blake Sterling’s “corpse” lay peacefully on the bed, covered from feet to head with a white cloth. I bawled loudly, rushing forward to tear off the white cloth. “You bastard, how many times have I told you not to drink, not to drink, and you just didn’t listen. Now you just closed your eyes and left me alone in this world, so lonely. How am I going to live?” As I cried heart-wrenchingly, I slapped him hard. Blake’s face turned red from my slaps, but his body remained motionless, likely because he was given a sedative or similar drug; he couldn’t move, but his consciousness was still present. Seeing Blake’s face turn red, Jazz quickly came over to stop me. Because the dead don’t blush. “Sister-in-law, please calm down. I know you’re deeply grieving, but venting your frustration on Blake’s corpse is of no use,” Jazz stood in front of the “corpse.” Jazz and Blake were in cahoots. In the entire scheme to fake death, Jazz was key. He was the attending physician responsible for declaring Blake dead and issuing the death certificate. “Jazz, as a renowned doctor, you couldn’t even save your best friend. How can you live with that?” I cried, using all my strength to hit him. “Sister-in-law, I did my best…” Jazz winced in pain, “Stop hitting me. When Blake was brought in, it was already too late to save him.” I ignored his explanations; I just wanted to beat him up. This bastard, in my previous life, helped Blake fake his death, causing me to bear enormous debts and live a life worse than death. “You and he are sworn brothers. You promised not to seek the same birth year, month, and day, but to die on the same year, month, and day. Now, go die and join my husband below.” I transformed into a shrew, scratching him hard, leaving his face bruised. “Sister-in-law, that was just a joke after drinking.” “Smack!” I, holding back tears of grievance, gave him two hard slaps. “Sworn brothers are under heaven’s witness, but you called it a joke? While my husband saw you as a brother, you see him as a monkey? I now seriously doubt you didn’t try your best to save my husband.” Jazz looked embarrassed, “Sister-in-law, I swear, I did my utmost to save Blake, but I’m not a god; it was truly beyond saving.” I collapsed to the ground, sobbing, “Husband, wake up! How could you abandon me alone…” “Sister-in-law, no matter how much you grieve, Blake won’t come back. Please take care of yourself.” He said, handing me a bottle of water. “Drink some to calm down.” “Drinking more water won’t ease my inner pain.” I directly smashed the water bottle on his head. In my previous life, I drank this water, then passed out. When I woke up, my mother-in-law was already holding Blake’s urn. So, this water must be tainted. “Ah!” He cried out in pain, “Sister-in-law, don’t go too far.” “Too far? You, as my husband’s brother, didn’t shed a single tear, and yet you say I’m too far?” Jazz hesitated, looking guilty, “I… I’m deeply saddened.”

“Jazz, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” I said softly, wiping my tears. “I understand, sister-in-law. I don’t blame you.” “Although Blake is gone, I want him to live on in another way.” I looked tenderly at Blake’s “corpse.” Jazz looked puzzled, “Sister-in-law, what do you mean?” I took out my phone and called the hospital’s organ donation office. “Yes, it’s my husband, he just passed away. I want to donate his organs to those in need.” Upon hearing this, Jazz turned pale. A slight oversight. They never expected me to donate his organs. “Sister-in-law, how can you unilaterally decide to donate Blake’s organs?” Jazz asked, anxious, sweating profusely. “I’m his wife. I have that right.” “Blake is dead, but you’re still tampering with his corpse. This is really disheartening.” I frowned, confused, “Jazz, you’re a doctor. How could you say such a thing? My husband is dead, but his organs can still save many people. As a doctor, don’t you have that level of awareness?” After hearing this, he became dazed, his face pale. The organ donation doctor was upstairs. He quickly entered the room, saw me, and tightly held my hand, moved: “Ma’am, thank you for supporting the medical field. Here’s the donation agreement. Please sign it.” I quickly signed. Jazz, sweating and panicked, said, “Blake’s mother hasn’t agreed to the donation yet. According to regulations, if even one direct relative refuses, the donation cannot proceed.” “Jazz, my mother-in-law is a person of great integrity. Besides, Blake told me when he was alive that if he ever dies, he would donate his organs to those in need. Blake has always been a kind-hearted person. I must help him fulfill his last wishes.” “When did Blake ever say that?” Jazz questioned. “Do we have to tell you every single thing between us, Jazz?” I retorted. He was speechless. “My husband died of a heart attack. Except for his heart, all other organs can be donated—his eyes, organs, bones, skin—give them all to those in need. The remaining skeleton can be donated to the medical university for practice or research.” “Ma’am, your generosity is truly touching. To be honest, there’s an 18-year-old girl urgently needing a kidney transplant, and a child needs a cornea…” During our conversation, Jazz grabbed his phone and walked out of the room, likely urging my mother-in-law to come quickly. “That’s urgent. Hurry and push my husband away. Extract the organs immediately. Every minute counts; any delay could cause the organs to deteriorate.” I maintained a noble expression. The donation doctor pushed the bed outside. “Can’t leave!” Jazz blocked the door, sweating profusely, forehead dripping with cold sweat. “Dr. Collins, what are you doing?” The donation doctor was puzzled. “Jazz, please step aside. If the donation is delayed, my husband’s last wishes cannot be fulfilled.” I scolded him. “Blake actually… Anyway, he can’t leave… sister-in-law, I’m begging you.” Jazz was frantic, almost revealing the truth. “Dr. Collins, please don’t interfere with my work.” The donation doctor pulled his face. “Dr. Reed, Blake’s mother hasn’t arrived yet. Sister-in-law, no matter what, you need to let your mother-in-law see Blake one last time.” Jazz insisted. “First, extract the organs, then it’s not too late to see him. You heard what was said earlier, there are patients waiting for organ transplants. Saving lives is like saving from a fire; no time to waste.” “I heard what this family member said too, Dr. Collins, please step aside, or I’ll report you to the dean.” Dr. Reed snapped. “Scarlett Monroe, you wicked woman, your son just passed away, and you want to dismember him for his organs? I won’t spare you.” My mother-in-law burst into the room, furious.

“Aunt Evelyn, it’s not dismemberment, it’s organ donation,” I explained. “Who allowed you to do this?” “I’m helping Blake fulfill his last wish.” “You’re talking nonsense. How could my son donate his organs? I absolutely refuse.” My mother-in-law pushed Dr. Reed away, “Get out of my house! I won’t donate my son’s organs.” Dr. Reed left the room, displeased. Jazz sighed deeply, his nerves slightly relaxing. Blake on the bed was probably relieved to have escaped death. “My poor son, you died, how can I live on…” Aunt Evelyn feigned despair, collapsing on Blake and crying uncontrollably, “It’s all your bad luck, your curse, you killed my son. I want you to pay for this.” Aunt Evelyn turned her wrath on me, slapping me. I was furious. In my previous life, Aunt Evelyn had sent Blake’s “corpse” to the crematorium, obviously knowing Blake had faked his death. “Vivian Harper, get it straight. It wasn’t me who killed Blake, it was you!” I pushed her aside, growling fiercely. Aunt Evelyn was stunned, “You lie! How could I kill my own son?” “Why was Blake so desperate to socialize and make money? It’s all because of you. You have a gambling problem, losing money every day. How much debt have we paid off for you? Don’t you know what’s going on in your heart?” I raged. “My gambling debts only totaled about $1 million.” “Vivian, what you say is so light. The average wage in our city is only $1,800. Most people never save up $1 million in their lifetime.” “Two months ago, your medical expenses were over $20,000, paid by us. Don’t think I don’t know. You weren’t injured from a fall; you were beaten and hospitalized.” “You hang out at the mahjong parlor every day, hooking up with married men. You were beaten up by someone else’s wife, right? I understand you’re lonely, empty, and itching for attention, but why can’t you just find an old man properly, instead of hooking up with married men?” “You’re talking nonsense.” My mother-in-law’s face was filled with shame. “I’ve seen your discharge summary, your scandalous tales have already spread. You disrespect your elders. It’s all your fault Blake died.” I cursed loudly, feeling very satisfied. “Shut up!” My mother-in-law hysterically lunged at me, trying to choke me. I dodged quickly, she crashed into the wall and instantly fainted. “Mother-in-law…” I anxiously lifted her up and rushed to an empty bed across the room. Jazz followed closely. “Jazz, hurry and save my mother-in-law. Nurses, nurses come quickly…” I shouted down the corridor. Soon, several nurses rushed into the room. Jazz was giving Aunt Evelyn treatment. Taking advantage of the gap, I put a bag of Blake’s clothes on the bed, then pushed Blake up the elevator. At the entrance, the funeral home car was already waiting. I pulled out a thousand dollars for the driver, telling him to take the fastest route. After driving a portion of the way, I received a call from Aunt Evelyn, which I didn’t answer. Then, a call from Jazz followed, which I also didn’t answer. In the back of the car, it was only me and Blake. I opened the bag of clothes, searching for the lottery ticket, and quickly found it inside my phone case. The lottery ticket was tucked into a folded $100 bill. He always liked to put a $100 bill in his phone case, symbolizing “Money in my hand, I have the world.” The lottery was a single bet, 40 times, with a prize of $200 million. With this money, this life, I could finally enjoy life. I tore off the white cloth and saw Blake’s crotch was soaking wet. It seemed the organ donation incident scared him into wetting himself, confirming that although he couldn’t move, he was still conscious. “Blake, I found the $200 million lottery ticket. Aren’t you suspicious why I knew about it? I’m telling you, I was reborn.” “In my last life, you and your first love were living luxuriously, but you left me with piles of debt. Predatory lenders forced me to work at Neon Nights Club, I got sick with diseases, and in the end, you ran me over with your car. Are you even human?” “You loved faking your death so much, so in this life, I’ll grant you. After you enter the crematorium, you’ll taste the pain of being burned alive.” I gritted my teeth. Blake’s eyelids suddenly twitched a few times. “Scared? Didn’t expect it to turn out this way? Regret it? Want me to spare you? That’s impossible. I must cremate you today.” Aunt Evelyn and Jazz kept calling, but I simply turned on ‘Do Not Disturb.’

After more than 30 minutes, we arrived at the funeral home. Originally, I thought we could be cremated immediately, but there were six slots ahead. I asked the staff, and they said my turn would be at least three hours later. I panicked; Aunt Evelyn and Jazz must be on their way right now. Suddenly, I had an idea. I pounced on Blake, crying loudly: “Husband, what are we going to do? I can’t cremate you before 11 AM. If we miss the time, you can’t reincarnate forever…” The waiting family members all looked at me. I knelt on the ground, begging them, “In our hometown, there’s a custom that cremation time can’t exceed 11 AM. Otherwise, the soul won’t catch the ferry to the Spirit City. Uncle, Auntie, can you let me cut in line?” Some of them showed compassion, some hesitated, some were undecided. I took out my phone, “I’ll compensate you $3,000.” Hearing the money, they agreed to let me cut in line. I transferred $3,000 to each of the six prior families. After more than ten minutes, I pushed Blake into the cremation chamber. I noticed Blake’s middle finger twitching a few times. I leaned over Blake’s ear and said, “Scared? Regret? It’s too late.” The cremation chamber staff told me to wait outside. I begged, “Sir, please let me give my husband his final farewell.” After saying this, I gave him the last thousand dollars in my pocket. “Good journey, husband!” I personally pushed him into the cremation furnace and pressed the red ignition button.

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After graduating with his master’s degree, my boyfriend insisted on taking us to go wingsuit flying. I advised against it, explaining that it was a professional sport and not something to try lightly. My boyfriend heeded my warning. The other adventurers? Some went missing, while others lost their lives. A year later, we went abroad for our honeymoon and encountered a robbery. I was shoved in front of my husband to block a knife; his face twisted with rage: “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, Felicity wouldn’t have died!” It dawned on me that my husband had harbored resentment for my earlier intervention, blaming me for the death of his childhood friend. When I woke up again, I heard my boyfriend’s voice, filled with excitement but tinged with a hint of fear, asking: “Vi, are we really going to participate?” “Isn’t it dangerous?” My husband’s voice echoed in my ears, making me shiver involuntarily. I touched my waist, feeling a dull pain in my abdomen. That day was sunny, and I was in line at Horizon Trust Bank with my husband, exchanging money. Suddenly, several masked robbers burst in, brandishing guns and knives. We were close to the exit and had a chance to escape, but at the last moment, I was forcefully pushed inside. The robber noticed my attempt to flee and plunged a knife into my stomach. I stared in disbelief. He stood outside, watching me from a distance, muttering to himself. We both had a chance to get away—why was he doing this to me? Perhaps the robber hadn’t anticipated that I wouldn’t be dead yet. As I lay there, clinging to life, my husband returned after the robbers left. The crowd dispersed, leaving no one to care for a stabbed victim in a foreign land. He knelt beside me; my head spun from pain as I struggled to raise my eyes and ask him: “Why, Damon…?” It had been seven years since we graduated college and got married. Our honeymoon had just begun. Why was he doing this to me? Damon caressed my face, wiping away the blood at my mouth, then suddenly pinched my cheek hard. He leaned close to my ear, his voice a mix of sorrow and fury: “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t stopped me, Felicity wouldn’t have died!” I realized he had always believed that my interference caused his childhood friend’s death. So, when he saw the chaos, he pushed me into the abyss of death without hesitation, seeking revenge for Felicity. But if I hadn’t intervened, he could have died in some unknown corner. “Darling, what are you daydreaming about?” His deep voice brought me back to reality. I felt my abdomen; there was no blood, no terrifying stab wound. I pinched the soft flesh of my inner thigh. Ouch! Sharp pain. I had truly been reborn. It was the fourth day of our camping trip at Sapphire Peak Wilderness. At that moment, Felicity announced she wanted to go wingsuit flying. The sky was bright blue, and the wind rustled the grass beneath me, creating waves that looked like a scene from a Miyazaki film. The smell of fresh grass, mingled with a hint of mist, wafted toward me, uplifting my spirits. Behind me were my boyfriend and the adventurers Felicity had brought along. I gazed into the endless sky and casually replied: “It’s your graduation trip; you get to choose.” We were all adults here; we should bear the consequences of our choices, right?

In my previous life. Damon had asked me the same thing about going wingsuit flying. Many didn’t know that Damon had a fear of heights, which I discovered only after visiting an amusement park with him. I kept silent after that, never allowing him to engage in any high-altitude activities again. One important detail was that none of the people present had much understanding of wingsuit flying; it was an extreme sport. The reason wingsuit flying had no negative reviews was simple—those who died couldn’t leave feedback. I rejected Felicity’s invitation, but she was insistent about trying, which led to us parting ways. I dragged my boyfriend to do other activities instead. In the end, Felicity and the other adventurers crashed into trees and died in the mountains. The rescue team took a long time to find their remains. My boyfriend showed no signs of resentment toward me. He continued to care for me attentively. I thought he had moved past the shadow of Felicity’s death. Little did I know he was just burying his anger, already blaming Felicity’s death on me. This time, I respected his wishes. My boyfriend glanced at me and then back at Felicity. Without much hesitation, he accepted her invitation. “Well, if everyone’s okay with it, let’s get our gear on and start,” Felicity announced, smiling at everyone. “I’m opting out of this project,” I raised my hand to signal everyone. “You’re dropping out? But we’ve already paid!” Felicity jumped in before Damon could respond. “Right, we don’t need a refund; I have a fear of heights and won’t participate.” My boyfriend’s face immediately fell; he grabbed my hand, trying to sway my decision. Seeing my boyfriend’s small gesture, Felicity’s expression darkened, though her tone remained a bit pitiful as she said: “But I heard Vi loves high-altitude activities, so I specially chose wingsuit flying. Are you saying I wasn’t accommodating enough?” “Are you looking down on us?” As she spoke, she wiped her tears, looking sadly at Damon, whose expression turned sour. I remained silent; this kind of lowly tactic was beneath me, and speaking out would only disrespect myself further. The atmosphere grew awkward. Damon, noticing my silence, stepped forward to comfort Felicity, and I watched them like a spectator at a circus. Felicity found a way to save face and brazenly took Damon’s hand, leading him outside. “Alright then, if you’re not participating, Damon, let’s go get ready,” she said. I happily pulled my boyfriend’s hand from my arm. I couldn’t stop someone eager to meet their demise. I initially thought we would enjoy the scenery, eat, drink, and take photos. Who knew Felicity was actually thinking about extreme sports? My boyfriend chimed in with enthusiasm, but he didn’t realize his own limitations as he kept pushing forward. Though it was said to be my boyfriend’s graduation trip, the choice of destination was entirely Felicity’s. Seeing my actions, my boyfriend instantly panicked. He shook off Felicity’s hand and pulled her out of the tent, laughing as he took my hand. “Vi, what’s wrong? Felicity’s just young and talks without thinking. I’ll apologize for her; we adults should rise above petty grievances.” “Let’s go relax; we still have the parachute, right?” He couldn’t go alone and couldn’t just leave me behind. After all, a freshly graduated young man couldn’t compare financially to someone like me, a wealthy heiress. He still relied on my connections and influence. If anyone saw him getting close to another girl, and if I decided to end things, he’d lose everything. Yet he seemed to revel in other girls adoring him. Previously, I was completely devoted to him, always anticipating his feelings, taking on the rejections he wanted to avoid. He was just a passive boyfriend, a trophy in my life. Now, with my eyes opened and my mind clear, the haze of love had lifted, and I refused to waste time on a thankless person. Damon tugged at my arm, his tone a bit whiny: “If you don’t go, I’ll be worried going alone. Come with me; I’ll protect you.” In the past, when he played the charm card, I’d relent and agree. Now I just wanted to say: No way! I brushed his arm off, a teasing expression on my face: “I’m not going. A bunch of inexperienced people think they can take on wingsuit flying? If you all don’t value your lives, I sure do!” Felicity’s expression twisted; she hadn’t expected me to reject so outright, and my words were so blunt. I turned toward the direction of the car to find the keys, preparing to pack up and leave. My boyfriend dashed over, gripping my shirt tightly: “Then let’s do something else, Vi! I won’t do it either.” I shot him a glance: “I’m leaving; you can play by yourself.” Having packed my things, I couldn’t find the car keys anywhere. My boyfriend wanted to help but didn’t know how. He continued to speak kindly about Felicity, trying to win me over. I tuned him out, letting his words drift from one ear to the other without registering. I ignored him, focused solely on leaving. As for why I wouldn’t break up now, it was because we were in the wilderness. He was still a grown man; if I brought it up, what if he got angry and attacked me? I couldn’t risk facing that again. The universe had given me a second chance, and it was wise to be cautious. Once I left, I’d send a “happy breakup” text. “Don’t even think about it; the car doesn’t have enough gas to leave,” Felicity’s voice called out from behind me. I turned to see her dangling a bunch of car keys, jingling them with delight. “And we drove a long way to get here. Without a map, you’ll never make it out on foot.” “You can fly out with us.” I narrowed my eyes at Felicity, whose eyes gleamed with malice. She was right; in my past life, I hadn’t left, just stubbornly refused to join in and stayed at the campsite. It wasn’t until the rescue team arrived that I learned Felicity and the others had sent a distress signal. “What are you afraid of? I remember you loved high-altitude activities; why are you backing down?” Felicity continually tried to tempt me to join her, knowing that if I didn’t go, my boyfriend probably wouldn’t either. It was crucial that if the past repeated itself, with him blaming Felicity’s death on me and finding another opportunity to kill me, this rebirth would have no purpose. The past me would never agree. But the present me is more confident. I pondered it over and decided I’d just watch them go to their deaths. “Fine, since you insist, I’ll participate.” I set down my bag and arranged my things neatly. Felicity looked pleased as she eyed Damon beside me. Damon liked me a lot; after two years of relentless pursuit, I finally agreed to date him. I never imagined he would try to kill me for Felicity. He always prioritized my wishes. But this was the kind of person who would push me in front of danger, seeking vengeance for his beloved childhood friend. Such a character was deeply biased; he blurred the lines of right and wrong, projecting his guilt and faults onto others while judging them from a moral high ground. I had once thought he was gentle; I later realized that was weakness. Rather than getting entangled, it was better to send them off to their doom. In the middle of the night, I heard soft rustling sounds from Damon’s bed as he quietly left the tent.

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Seven years into my marriage, I stumbled on a TikTok post showing my husband in a wedding photo—with someone else. Scrolling through the first video, I realized they’d been married for seven years, too. The marriage I thought was perfect had been a total joke. Following the trail of his TikTok videos, I discovered his secret account, where he gave “advice” on double lives: “One up North, one down South. No way they’ll ever run into each other.” “Pick the practical one for the marriage certificate. Women like that won’t leave even if they find out about you!” I didn’t even stop to wipe my tears. That night, I packed and erased every trace of myself from the place I’d called home. Rick was on a business trip, so I spent the day on the couch, binging TikTok videos. We’re a DINK couple, and after seven years, things were supposed to be perfect, at least in theory. But he’s a workaholic, away on business trips more than half the month. He’s never around long enough to stick to any kind of schedule—it’s always last-minute, “just gotta go.” After scrolling aimlessly for a while, I felt a bit hungry but couldn’t decide what to order. I typed into TikTok’s search bar, “What to eat when your husband’s always away on business?” It was so ridiculous I laughed and screenshot it to send to Rick. Predictably, there was no response. He’s like that. Whenever he’s busy, everything else disappears. Scrolling down, I found a TikTok from a woman whose life seemed to mirror my own. Her captions practically described my life: “My husband’s on a business trip again, so I’m just lying on the couch all day, trying to decide what to eat.” “My husband’s a workaholic, always gone half the month, leaving me alone. I miss him!” “Married seven years, everything’s perfect, except for the no-kids part.” … The videos mostly used cute stock photos until suddenly, one real photo popped up—a vintage wedding portrait. The caption read, “Happy seventh anniversary!” The bride looked vaguely familiar, and I knew the groom instantly. It was Rick. My heart skipped a beat, then kept beating faster and faster, until I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The impact of that picture was like a slap to the face. It took me a long while to even grasp what was happening. It was clear Rick had been unfaithful. Every caption in her posts fit neatly with his business trip schedule. He’d been cheating for the full seven years. The marriage I’d thought was solid was nothing but a cruel joke. I’d been a complete fool. After some deep breaths, I finally felt calm enough to keep scrolling and found his secret TikTok account, where he had his “double life tips”: “One up North, one down South. No way they’ll ever meet.” “Choose the practical one for the certificate. This type of woman won’t leave you easily, even if she finds out.” So I was the “practical one.” He married me because I was trusting, supportive, and never raised hell. I’d been the one who earned the title “wife.” And the other woman? Beautiful, flirtatious, good at making him feel loved, so she got his time, attention, and affection. One post’s caption hit me the hardest: “He says when he saves enough, we’ll marry in a country where divorce isn’t allowed. We’ll stay together forever.” Rick had never said those words to me. I’d always thought he was just quiet, a little shy, not the kind to sweet-talk. Turns out, he just didn’t think I was worth the effort. Seven years, and I’d poured everything I had into him—unquestioning support, unwavering trust. Whenever he said he had to go, I never questioned him. He said he was working hard to make money for us, and I’d believed it without a doubt. Now, I realize just how naïve I was.

I scrolled through more of her TikTok posts, finding her very first video. The setting was a small rural town, and it looked like a holiday celebration was going on. Something about the town looked familiar, and that’s when it hit me: she was Amber, a distant relative of Rick’s from Sweetwater. I’d only met Amber once, during our fourth year of marriage. That year, right before the holidays, I insisted on visiting Rick’s hometown to meet his family. Before we got married, Rick had said his hometown was too remote for me to visit, and his parents were fine with a long-distance wedding over video call. Every holiday since, Rick would go on about how my parents were alone and needed me around, so we’d spend holidays apart. But that year, I pushed harder than ever and wouldn’t take no for an answer. And so, reluctantly, Rick brought me to Sweetwater. That’s when I met Amber. She glared at me with a look I couldn’t quite shake off. “So, this is your wife from the city? She doesn’t look like much.” Rick brushed it off, explaining that she was some distant cousin from his family with a bit of a feud, and they didn’t get along well. It was my first time there, so I didn’t think much of it. That night, though, Rick insisted we head back to Nashville, even though I wanted to stay and get to know his parents. Even his parents seemed eager to send us off, saying that as their only child, it wouldn’t be right to leave my parents on their own for the holidays. As we were leaving, Amber appeared again, staring hard at Rick this time. My intuition flared up, and I asked Rick what was really going on. He brushed it off, calling me paranoid and like all “those other suspicious wives.” But finally, he explained enough to ease my mind. He said Amber had had a severe fever as a kid that had left her mentally “a little off.” Apparently, the town’s “fool” looked at people the way she did. And I bought it. Now I know who the real fool was all along—me. Amber’s TikTok was full of videos about her life with Rick. They’d even had a big wedding in Sweetwater, with a three-day reception. When Rick and I got married, he told me he hated “over-the-top formalities” and wanted something simple. So we went to a nearby city for a short weekend honeymoon. I’d thought he was just modest, uninterested in public displays. Now I realized he just didn’t want them with me. I laughed through my tears, my face a mess with both. At some point, a message came through from Rick: “Babe, the project here hit a snag. I won’t be back tomorrow after all.” I already knew why. Tomorrow was his anniversary with her. Every year, he was there to celebrate with her. Meanwhile, in all the years we’d been married, he hadn’t remembered a single anniversary with me. Before, I’d always told him it was okay if he couldn’t make it home. I’d tell him not to worry, to eat well, to rest when he could. This time, though, I typed only three words in reply: “Let’s divorce.”

I packed up everything of mine that night—trashed what I didn’t want, burned what I couldn’t stand to see again, and erased every trace of my existence from that apartment in Oakdale Ridge. By the time I wheeled my suitcase out the door, my phone was still silent. Rick was busy celebrating his anniversary with Amber; he wouldn’t see my text for a while. I rented a cabin at Mountain Inn, changed my phone number, and gave it only to my parents. Each day, I’d sit quietly in the yard, staring into the mountains, taking in the silence, eating and sleeping, and little else. A week later, Rick’s number appeared on my phone. He called several times, but I didn’t answer. Then the messages started coming in. “Lauren, where have you been? Staying out all night?” Rick must have gotten home last night, then found out this morning that I was gone. He’d called my parents to get my new number, and here he was, blowing up my phone. “Why aren’t you answering? All because I came home a few days late? Lauren, since when did you start being so unreasonable?” “Your parents said you changed your number days ago. What have you been doing all this time, and with whom?” “If you don’t want this marriage, have you even told your parents? If you don’t want to worry them, then come back here!” Just then, my parents called, wondering if Rick and I had had a fight. I made up a quick excuse to ease their worries, then dialed Rick. I just wanted a few days of peace to myself, a little distance to clear my head. I hadn’t meant to vanish completely, after all. We were still legally bound, and I couldn’t walk away without closure. My chest tightened painfully as I began to speak, taking deep breaths to keep myself steady. “Rick, I’ve thought it over. Let’s just end things.” There was silence on the other end before he finally replied: “Lauren, are you serious?” “I’ve been slaving away in another city to provide for you, struggling to eat, barely sleeping. You’re leaving me, disappearing without a word just because of some little fight?” I chuckled bitterly. For days, Amber’s TikToks had been about her new luxury gifts, her “perfect” life. “He said I’m his motivation to work so hard! He wants to buy me the best things the world has to offer!” “He’s almost saved enough, and soon we’ll move to the country of our dreams!” Those expensive gifts were things I wouldn’t have dreamed of asking for. I’d thought I was being considerate, not wanting to waste his hard-earned money on luxuries. Meanwhile, he’d been showering her with lavish presents, money flowing freely for her. I remembered his recent mention of an overseas assignment, a dream his boss wanted him to lead. He’d said that working abroad would triple his income and secure our future. That night, he’d clutched my hands with rare excitement. “This is too good to pass up, honey. It means you’ll have to care for my parents for a few years, though. But later, we’ll bring them to live with us, and they can keep you company!” I’d nodded, foolishly willing to support him. Yet now, he had the audacity to say he’d been struggling to “take care of me,” that he worked so hard for my sake? “Rick, do you even need my support?” I asked coolly. “What do you mean?” His voice sharpened with tension. I said nothing. The tone on the other end shifted to irritation. “Lauren, tell me where you are. I’ll come to get you.” He went on, saying our anniversary was coming up and he’d even gotten me a gift this time. I cut him off. “Don’t bother. Let’s meet at the family court at nine tomorrow.”

The next day at the family court, I didn’t find Rick—but I did find my parents. They’d taken a last-minute train and arrived without warning. “Lori, what’s going on? Rick said you’ve been gone for days and are dead-set on a divorce!” Mom leaned in, looking worried. “Tell us the truth, honey. Did you do something to hurt Rick? Look, he’s such a good man, a straightforward guy. You know we all love him! Don’t do anything you’ll regret.” I’d been up all night, my head pounding, and this just made it worse. In my parents’ eyes, Rick was the ideal son-in-law. I used to believe he was the perfect husband, too. But that was only because he’d hidden his secrets so well. Rick knew me too well. He must’ve realized I was serious about the divorce, and that’s why he dragged my parents into this. I could handle his affair, but using my parents’ worries against me was going too far. It took a lot of gentle persuasion, but eventually, I calmed them down. Rick’s latest stunt was beyond infuriating. If he wanted to make this ugly, fine. I’d make him the one begging for a divorce. That night, I followed Amber on TikTok from my main account. The moment I opened my inbox, a new message popped up: she’d followed me back. “Who are you?” her message read. My profile picture was one of me and Rick. Even if she didn’t know me, she would surely recognize him. “Let’s skip the act and talk,” I replied. She sent a friend request on Facebook, and once I accepted, I hit video call. My heart pounded, but I steadied myself as the call connected. “Lauren Bennett,” Amber said with a smirk, “didn’t think you had the nerve to reach out.” “Amber,” I replied calmly, “what makes you think you’re better than me, flaunting my husband around?” She laughed. “Oh, honey, you’re so pitiful!” I laughed back. “No, Amber, you’re the pitiful one. You’ve been playing house with a married man for seven years—without a marriage license.” She blanched, her face tightening. “You two are married? You have a certificate?” I held my marriage certificate up to the camera, flipping through its pages for her to see. Amber squinted, taking in every detail. “He married you? Seven years ago?” Her voice shook. I played a recording of a recent conversation with Rick. “We’re legally married, Amber, and I’ve already asked for a divorce. But guess what? He won’t agree.” Amber’s face turned ashen. “Why won’t he agree?” “Maybe he loves me too much to let go,” I said with a slight smile. “So, this is just some twisted flex?” she spat. I held up a bill from Rick’s purchases and placed it against the camera. “No, Amber, I just wanted you to know that every penny Rick spent on you came from our joint account. Everything you’ve enjoyed—yeah, you’ll be paying me back for that.” Amber’s face paled further, her lips trembling. “The money he spent on me is nothing. I don’t care about the cash—I just enjoy his devotion!” Her eyes narrowed. “Who do you think you are to judge me? You’re broke and plain, only good for keeping house and playing wifey. You don’t stand a chance.” Her sneer continued as she added, “Rick’s plan has always been to work abroad with my family’s money. They’re ready to give him millions for that move—a number you can’t even imagine. What could you possibly bring to the table?” So, that was his plan. Rick had never told me anything about it. If he’d shared his dream with me, I’d have been willing to support him. But I’d learned enough by now. I ended the call without another word, ignoring her last bout of gloating. Sure enough, later that evening, Rick showed up at my door.

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Just as the new semester began, my dad donated ten buildings to the school. The principal called me up on stage to honor me. From below, a disdainful voice rang out. “Is that all?” I was immediately annoyed. “If you think you can do better, then go ahead!” He was quite honest and actually went up. Without hesitation, he donated twenty buildings to the school, along with a national-level laboratory. When I entered the school, my dad was so worried about me being taken advantage of that he immediately donated over 20 million dollars, giving the school ten new buildings. To be honest, this was all because of some authors who wrote about roommates as if their brains had been dug out, bullying people at every turn. It scared my dad so much that he was afraid I’d be bullied, insisting that I absolutely couldn’t keep a low profile. So on the first day of school, I stood on the podium while the principal patted my shoulder, praising me and solemnly promising to make the school bigger and stronger. I was very satisfied. Posts about me on the campus network had already topped the hot topics. “About the Billionaire’s Daughter’s Arrival: A Few Things to Know” The comments below were quite eye-catching: “When will the young lady’s new building be ready? I’m wondering where I should tie myself up.” Just as I was basking in everyone’s praise, a very disdainful voice came from below the podium. “Is that all?” “Ten buildings, what’s there to brag about?” It was a male voice, quite cool and pleasant to hear, but the words weren’t so pleasing. I immediately retorted, “If you think you can do better, then go ahead!” He fell silent. I stood on the stage, looking around for a while, but couldn’t find who had spoken. Oh well, there are trolls everywhere. “On behalf of all faculty and students, I thank Miss Zara Blackwood!” The principal smiled kindly, shaking my hand, almost bowing to me. “It’s nothing,” I said calmly. After all, I’ve heard so much praise about this kind of thing since I was little that my ears have grown calluses. Suddenly, the principal’s phone vibrated. He took a look and immediately turned to the audience below: “Who, which one of you is Finn Thorne?” Huh? Before I could react, a guy who was exactly my type strode up with his long legs. His face was cool, his nose high and straight, with a faint scar on the bridge. Handsome, just the type I like! “Oh my, good things really do come in pairs!” The principal grinned from ear to ear, quickly pulling Finn Thorne to stand between me and him. “Just now, Mr. Finn Thorne donated twenty buildings to our university, along with a national-level laboratory!” I was stunned. Finn Thorne turned his head to look at me, smiling mischievously. He slowly uttered three words. “I went ahead.” Me: ??? “Oh my god, young master!” “So handsome, this young master looks much more noble than that Zara Blackwood!” “I’m Finn Thorne’s dog.” “Yeah, yeah, you’re his dog, and I’ll walk you when I go out with Finn Thorne.” This is a campus, not a deserted island! The people below all exploded into chatter. If they were just envious when I donated ten buildings, then Finn Thorne’s actions were a direct slap to my face. I lost. But not completely. As the daughter of a billionaire, with monthly pocket money enough to buy a company, I couldn’t accept someone outdoing me in showing off wealth. I just couldn’t. So I casually said, “This school doesn’t even have a helipad. It’s such a hassle for me to take a car home.” “Oh well, I’ll just build a helipad for the school.” The principal was dumbfounded. The students below were also stunned. I glanced at Finn Thorne with disdain, wanting to see his defeated expression. But there wasn’t any. His handsome face zoomed in front of me, no more than two fists away, and he smiled. “In that case, I’ll donate two helicopters.” My face felt a bit hot. Just as I was about to speak, he suddenly pulled back his face, smiling ambiguously: “Otherwise, it would be so inconvenient for the young lady, wouldn’t it?” “Ahhhh!” “Help, are these two competing?” “Sorry, I think it’s a bit sweet.” Good buddy, you can’t just say that, you know. I’m already engaged to someone else. The crowd below exploded again. The principal pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere, wiping the sweat on his forehead, “Uh, thank you both… for your contributions to our school.” Have I lost? Absolutely not! “Then I…” Just as I was about to speak, the principal suddenly said, “Alright, this commendation ceremony ends here. Dismissed!” After saying that, the principal hurriedly ran off the podium. Leaving me and Finn Thorne on the stage, we glanced at each other, seeing sparks in each other’s eyes. It’s not over yet, I haven’t lost! Back in the dorm, I lay on the bed, unable to calm down for a long time. The campus network had completely exploded. “I’m so jealous!” “I declare, Zara Blackwood is my wife, my only sister!” “What’s so great about Zara Blackwood? I think Finn Thorne is the real deal, always one step ahead of her.” “I guess Zara Blackwood just bought her degree. She looks like one of those uneducated rich girls, not as talented as Finn Thorne.” ??? I immediately went to look in the mirror. Who says I have no talent, who says I bought my degree! I directly opened my phone and posted my GPA and admission letter. “Let me see, who said my degree was bought? (Picture) (Picture)” The comments below stunned everyone. “I knew my wife couldn’t be uneducated!” “Oh my god, is this the daily life of a billionaire’s daughter?” “Manually @Finn Thorne.” I contentedly looked at the comments below, all praising me. Hmm, much better. At this time, a new message suddenly appeared in the comments. I clicked to see, Finn Thorne had posted something. MIT admission letter. I was stunned. Really stunned. Higher GPA than me, and got an MIT admission letter! With such an admission letter, yet he’s studying here, this guy’s got some high ideals. “Alright, I declare Finn Thorne wins this round.” “The young lady lost badly.” “I’m shipping them, how about you guys?” Can’t ship us!! I angrily threw my phone. My roommate saw this and came over: “Zara, are you okay?” “I’m fine,” I replied grumpily. Where the hell did this Finn Thorne come from, always one step ahead of me! I can’t accept this. Thinking about this, I found my old certificates, opened the campus network, and posted again. “Oh. (Picture) (Picture) @Finn Thorne” The pictures showed my race car driver certification and various racing championship trophies and certificates. Sorry, but I’m well-rounded in academics, morality, and physical education. When other girls were still playing with Barbie dolls, I had already started getting into all kinds of racing cars. Can’t help it, I’ve always loved challenges. The comments once again leaned towards me. “Damn, a beautiful race car driver!” “So cool, so cool, sister kill me!” “Where’s the young master? This old servant needs the young master to come out and show off!” I was satisfied. There was no reply from the other side for a long time, he must be scared. As long as he’s scared, that’s fine. Heh, compare with me, I’ll definitely crush you to death. I scrolled through my phone for a long time, but there was still no reply from him. I fell asleep contentedly. In my dream, I had Finn Thorne under my foot, and he was crying and calling me “Queen”. The next day, I was woken up by my roommate. “Zara, quick, look at the campus network!” I opened my sleepy eyes, pulled out my phone from under my pillow, and clicked on the campus network. It exploded again. Finn Thorne had posted a video last night. He was riding a Ducati, speeding like the wind on the track, far outpacing the other racers on the field. At the finish line, he stopped the bike, coolly took off his helmet, revealing his handsome face, holding a golden trophy in his hand. He also thoughtfully attached some pictures. One showed a dense array of trophies and certificates, and another was an international motorcycle rider qualification certificate. I really want to say QAQ, I lost again. Actually, what I wanted to learn most was motorcycles, but my dad thought it was too dangerous and wouldn’t let me learn no matter what, so I had to give up. But he learned it. Not only did he learn it, but he’s also so good at it. And he’s so handsome, I really can’t take it! Looking at the video of him standing next to the fire-red Ducati, I angrily commented. “Hope you get burned!” He immediately replied: “With your cold words, it’s not hot at all.” You’re tough! “I’m dying of sweetness!” “Oh my god, gods, is this the legendary evenly matched love?” Good buddy, you can’t just say that, you know. I’m already engaged to someone else. It exploded again below. The CP fans shouted that they had won the final victory. A certain hot search hung on the campus network for a whole week. “Finn Thorne and Zara Blackwood are engaged, the CP we’ve been shipping all these years has finally come true!” I really want to thank you. Even CP fiction has come out, with a bunch of people urging for updates below. Have I lost like this? No way, I’m not satisfied. I’ve never been treated like this since I was little! He knows more than me, has more certificates than me, has higher education than me. Is there anything I can beat him at? I thought about it, since I can’t win personally, let’s compete in family background! I flipped through my photo album, found a video I took of my family’s estate, and posted it on the campus network. “My home is too big, how can I not get lost? (Video)” Dragon’s Lair Estate, that’s the largest and most luxurious estate in the entire state, priced at $730,000 per square meter, and my family owns over 60,000 square meters. In the front is the estate, in the back is the villa, nestled against mountains and waters, designed by the most famous courtyard designer in the country. To be honest, even the royal palace might not be better than my home. “Holy shit!” “As long as the young lady is happy, this old servant is willing to carry you on my back!” “Take a picture of the entrance, I think it’s quite suitable for me to tie myself up there!” The other side didn’t reply. Good, round four, I won. I put down my phone contentedly, no longer feeling sleepy, so I dragged my roommate to the cafeteria with me. Eating is the most important thing. “Young lady, is that you, young lady!” As soon as we entered the cafeteria, the people around put their food aside and immediately crowded around. “It’s me, I’m your slave, young lady!” Me: “Hello…” “Ahhhh Zara Blackwood, I’m your dog!” Me: ??? “Young lady, keep going, crush that Finn Thorne!” Me: … I just want to eat a quiet meal. After a few minutes, the people surrounding me suddenly ran off, screaming towards the entrance. What’s going on? I turned around, oh, it turns out Finn Thorne had arrived. No wonder, damn it, all the people ran away. The people who were just calling themselves my dogs had now run to Finn Thorne, saying the exact same things. Damn it. I angrily bit into my sweet and sour pork. Suddenly, a shadow fell over my head. I looked up to see Finn Thorne standing in front of me with his tray. The corners of his mouth were smiling: “Let’s eat together.” My face reddened a bit, and I muttered “whatever” before lowering my head to continue eating. It’s my fault for being so weak, and it’s his fault for being exactly my favorite type. It makes me blush just looking at him! Losing was already enough to make me angry, why am I so shy in front of him? This isn’t my style at all, damn it! He suddenly reached out with his fork, spearing a piece of fish fillet and putting it in my bowl. “Eat more, I’m worried you’ll get too thin.” ? Could this be a roundabout way of saying I’m fat? Seeing my unfriendly gaze, Finn Thorne noticed and smiled helplessly: “I didn’t mean anything by it.” I glanced at him and lowered my head to continue eating. I took a bite of the fish fillet. Hmm, it’s really delicious. Since our housekeeper, Aunt Six, went back to her hometown to take care of her children, I haven’t eaten such delicious fish fillet. I didn’t expect the cafeteria to have this. “Which window did you buy it from?” I took another bite, “It’s delicious.” Finn Thorne smiled: “I made it.” Huh??? The fish fillet suddenly became difficult to swallow. Now I don’t know whether to eat it or not, I’m stuck. “Go ahead and eat, there’s more.” Finn Thorne looked at me with a smile, adding another piece to my bowl. Alright, this was his initiative. It’s not like I wanted to eat it! Thinking this way, I ate another piece with a clear conscience. By the time I was full and returned to the dorm, the posts about us on the campus network had become unstoppable. “Wuwuwu, I’m dying of sweetness!! Heart-shaped fish fillet!!” They even posted a picture of him feeding me the fish fillet. The comments below were all blessings. “I’m Finn Thorne’s roommate, this fish fillet wasn’t bought, he made it himself and brought it.” “Damn, Mom, I’ve got the real deal!” “Billionaire’s daughter and the young master from a prestigious family, what a heavenly love!” Love? I was a bit confused. To be honest, we’ve been at odds for so long, I don’t understand how it turned into love. After a while, there was suddenly a post tagging me on the campus network. I clicked to see. Finn Thorne was causing trouble again. This was a video shot by a drone, starting with a huge island, with several yachts docked around, and white doves and seagulls flying over the sea. Looking ahead, what came into view was a group of luxury villas. The overall color was white, with long stairs at least two stories high. The villa looked like the White House, big and vast, truly visually stunning. Luxurious, majestic, and extravagant! Finally, he posted a picture showing the ownership of this villa, with the name of the villa written on it. Platinum Manor. One of the top-rated luxury wine estates both domestically and internationally, and also a private residence. The swimming pool is even bigger than the parking lot. At this moment, I admit, I was envious. It’s something I can’t compare to. “Holy sh*t…” “This can’t just be described as rich anymore, can I, a poor student, even look at this?” “I’m in the same dorm as Finn Thorne, if I kill him, can I get a guaranteed spot for a master’s degree?” “You can also get a pair of silver handcuffs for life, with free room and board starting now.” My confidence suffered an unprecedented blow. It turns out, this guy is really rich, even richer than my family. When I was little and saw this villa, I mentioned once that I really liked it. I was mercilessly rejected by my dad because it simply couldn’t be bought. Now the market value, I checked, is about 13 billion dollars. Why can he buy it! Suddenly, I realized a blind spot. He… should be single, right? I really want to give myself a thumbs up for my cleverness! He’s so awesome, he must not have a partner, right? But I do! Sorry, but I’ve been betrothed since birth. Although I’m not very fond of this arranged marriage thing and have completely ignored it, I can also have it when necessary. So I quickly video called my mom. My mom was surprised when she heard I wanted my fiancé’s WeChat: “Didn’t you always resist this?” “Oh, different situations call for different approaches. Quick, give it to me!” I urged, and my mom didn’t say anything, just directly gave me the WeChat contact card. The other person’s avatar was a grass-woven ring on their pinky finger, giving off a unique sense of elegance. The name was “Scar”. Quite non-mainstream. After I added him, the WeChat request was approved almost instantly. The other side sent a question mark. I quickly typed: [Hello, fiancé!] Then I took a screenshot and asked, [My name is Zara Blackwood, what’s your name?] The other side didn’t reply, so I simply posted the screenshot directly on the campus network, with the caption: “After all, I’m not single.” Finn Thorne hadn’t replied yet, but the comments below exploded first. “Ahhhh, my CP just started and it’s already over???” “Who is this fiancé, find him, I’ll beat him up right now, he must give up!” “Wuwu, don’t end my rich family drama!” Little ones. I gleefully scrolled through the comments. Haha, I don’t believe you can outdo me this time! I have a partner and you don’t, this is the reason for being willful! After a while, Finn Thorne finally posted. Before I clicked in, I was still full of confidence. After I clicked in, I was stunned. Because what he posted was a screenshot of my conversation with my arranged marriage partner, different from mine in that it also included my self-introduction below, and it was from the perspective of the arranged marriage guy himself. My hand trembled. It’s not possible… is it? The comment section was also a bit stunned. At the same time, my phone suddenly vibrated. I clicked into WeChat and looked. [Hello, fiancée. My name is Finn Thorne.]

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“Andrew, honey, I’m so lonely on Valentine’s Day. Won’t you come keep me company?” My husband immediately took a screenshot and sent it to our family group chat, then reported her account for harassment. I stood there stunned, my jaw dropping. Before I could say anything, Andrew’s warm body pressed against me again: “That didn’t count. I haven’t even gotten started yet.” He pushed me down onto the bed… As soon as the screenshot hit the family chat, it exploded. My younger cousin Emma snarked: “Wow, Mia’s really shameless!” My brother Jack tagged our older cousin and sneered: “Mia, you’re such a slut! Try to seduce my sister’s man again and I’ll chop you up!” Mia and I had never gotten along since childhood. She always tried to steal my things. But I never imagined her competitiveness would lead her to sell her own body. Two years ago, when Chris and I went home to discuss marriage plans with our parents, Mia seduced him. They slept together, and I caught them in bed. Two years later, she wanted to try the same trick again! Unfortunately for her, Andrew wasn’t Chris. Her tactics wouldn’t work on him! Just as I was thinking this, Andrew leaned in close. “So, honey, did that satisfy your need for revenge?” Andrew and I were very open with each other. He knew everything about my past. I smiled. “Yes, it was extremely satisfying!” Just imagining Mia furiously pulling her hair out in impotent rage made me feel incredibly happy! “But…” I waved my hand helplessly. “Let’s not celebrate too early.” Sure enough, just as I said that, I got a call from my dad. As soon as I answered, he started yelling: “Lily, are you trying to kill your cousin? Go clarify things in the group chat right now!” I laughed bitterly. “Clarify what? That she was dressed provocatively trying to seduce my husband in the middle of the night?” My dad choked for a moment. He said angrily: “Don’t talk nonsense! Your cousin just lost a game! Go explain!” I could hear Mia crying in the background as my dad spoke, along with voices comforting her. I rolled my eyes and sneered, “Fine.” If they want to ruin my Valentine’s Day, no one’s getting off easy! I hung up and immediately pulled up Mr. Liu’s contact. As luck would have it, Mr. Liu had been trying to get our company to collaborate recently, and I happened to be in charge of the project. And Mia just happened to work under him. After I sent the message, Mr. Liu replied immediately: “I’m so sorry, Ms. Lin. I’ll handle this right away and give you a satisfactory result.” In less than half an hour, he sent me the result. Mia had been fired. I thought she’d at least lay low for a while. I never imagined she’d try something in the middle of the night! In the middle of the night, I was sleeping hazily when Andrew’s phone kept ringing. I was about to turn off the sound when I saw it was Mia calling. My mind instantly cleared. Mia had sent Andrew a photo of herself wearing a thin nightgown, her face wet with tears. She looked pitiful. “I’m so sorry, Andrew. I lost a dare game. I didn’t think Lily would be so petty and post the screenshot in the group chat. She even tattled to Mr. Liu on purpose and got me fired.” “I know she must still like Chris, that’s why she’s always holding a grudge against me. Can you please tell Lily that I can give Chris back to her? Just ask her to stop targeting me, okay?” Looking at Andrew’s sleeping face, I immediately shook him awake and said through gritted teeth: “Look at this yourself!” “Psycho!” Andrew cursed after reading it, then started replying. “Cousin, you love seducing men so much, are you a prostitute? You know very well why you got fired, don’t you?” “And what’s Chris? He’s not good enough for my wife to think about. He likes prostitutes, so he’s perfect for you. You should keep him for yourself.” After sending that, Andrew blocked Mia without waiting for a reply. I kissed his cheek in satisfaction as a reward. The next day. I replied to messages from concerned relatives and friends, then went to work. After a tiring day at the office, I had just sat down when Andrew came home too. “Honey, I missed you so much.” Andrew put down his briefcase and hugged me from behind, nuzzling my neck. I glanced at him reproachfully, about to speak, when I suddenly smelled a familiar perfume on him. It was Mia’s! My face immediately changed. “Did Mia come find you?” “Yes.” Andrew quickly reassured me, “But I didn’t see her! The smell must have gotten on me by accident.” Andrew looked disgusted. “Your cousin is really crazy. She hid by my car and tried to pour perfume on me. I was so startled I kicked her to the ground!” “Pfft~” I couldn’t help laughing as I imagined Andrew kicking Mia away. “I’m glad you’re not angry.” Andrew sighed in relief. “I’m not mad at you.” I said softly. I wasn’t angry at Andrew, just disgusted by Mia and furious at her shamelessness! “If I’d known her smell got on me, I would’ve thrown the clothes away. So gross.” Andrew tossed his jacket into the trash in disgust. Then he went upstairs to shower. I was about to start making dinner when my phone kept ringing. Emma: “Sis, check Instagram quick! Did you grow a green hat again?!” [1] I’ve been cheated on again?! [1] Translator’s note: In Chinese culture, “wearing a green hat” means being cheated on. I narrowed my eyes slightly and opened Instagram. That’s when I realized Mia and Andrew were trending locally. “Shocking! CEO of An Corp caught making out with mistress in parking lot!” The image was very clear. Andrew had his head lowered, while Mia looked coy. They seemed to be embracing and kissing. “I knew CEO An was married, but I didn’t know his wife was so beautiful!” “Aww, they look so good together! I ship this couple!” There were even quite a few of An Corp’s business partners sending congratulations in the comments. Mia’s Instagram account had also been found by netizens. She took advantage of the trending topic and posted an ambiguous update, making people ship them even more. I was so angry I was grinding my teeth. Just then, Andrew came running downstairs from upstairs, not even fully dressed. “Honey! You have to believe me! This is a setup!” I sighed helplessly. “I know.” I had never doubted him for a moment! We don’t like our private lives being public, so we kept our wedding low-key. No one knew my identity, which gave Mia an opportunity to take advantage. Andrew was very angry and directly replied to the top comment: “Ships can be rare, but they can’t be evil.” Then he posted on Instagram: The truth may be late, but it will always arrive. The image was our wedding photo. Instantly, An Corp’s official Instagram exploded. “This is the real Mrs. An! Look at how sweet their eyes are!” “I knew it, CEO An clearly looked disgusted in that other photo! That woman was obviously forcing herself on him! You guys didn’t believe me!” Some netizens started turning against Mia. But some netizens began attacking Andrew, cursing him for cheating. An Corp was also slightly shaken, with many business partners watching to see how things would develop. But An Corp moved quickly. The PR department found the parking lot surveillance footage and tracked down the marketing account Mia had used to buy the trending topic. We posted all the evidence online together. Andrew wasn’t lying – he really did kick Mia away with one foot. I winced when I heard the thud of Mia hitting the ground. “Am I the only one who thinks CEO An looks so cool kicking her away?!” Andrew quietly liked that comment. “Boys, take notes! This is how you effectively deal with scheming women!” “Haha CEO An’s expression is like ‘Don’t touch me!’ So funny!” The comments were overwhelmingly on our side. Mia was being cursed horribly. She got scared and deactivated her Instagram overnight. But I wasn’t planning to let her off so easily! Everyone has to face the consequences of their actions! I asked Emma for some information. Turns out after Chris went bankrupt, Mia broke up with him. She clearly dumped him because he had no money, but she still pinned the blame for the breakup on me. I sneered, “How shameless!” “I know, right? Sis, are you planning to make a move?” Emma sounded excited. I nodded. She continued, “I’ve been sick of her for so long! Sis, I’ll send you something. Consider it my contribution!” After hanging up, I received an audio recording from Emma. After listening, I smiled. “Thanks, Emma. I’ll treat you to dinner another day!” I hadn’t even contacted Chris yet, but he came looking for me! The next day, I received a bouquet of roses at the office. I thought Andrew was being romantic and was feeling happy, until I saw Chris’s face. Instantly, I wanted to gouge my own eyes out. “Lily, Mia told me you still have feelings for me.” Chris raised his eyebrows confidently. Hah! No wonder Chris had the nerve to show up. Turns out Mia had brainwashed him and sent him here to annoy me! I frowned and said nothing. He thought I was just being shy and continued, “Actually, after we broke up, I realized you were the one I loved. Since we love each other, why can’t we be together?” “I don’t mind that you’re divorced. But if we get married, you’ll need to bring a house and car as dowry, otherwise my parents won’t approve.” Chris acted like he was the one making a sacrifice. It really made me sick. My face turned cold. “Chris, I’m not a garbage collector.” I could barely hold back my disgust as I said, “But I do have a gift for you.” “What gift?” Chris looked expectant. “Chris is so ugly. If Lily didn’t like him and he didn’t have money, I wouldn’t even look at him!” “He went bankrupt and still wants to marry me? Talk about a toad lusting after swan meat!” “…” My cousin’s voice echoed through the whole office. Many colleagues perked up their ears to listen. I saw Chris’s face change drastically. I mocked him, “Tsk, weren’t you and my cousin true love? Looks like it was true love of money!” “I heard your house has been mortgaged? You were so generous giving my cousin all those gifts back then. If you ask for some back now, you might be able to improve your life a bit.” I kept poking at Chris’s sore spots while redirecting his anger towards Mia. Sure enough, he stormed out of the office with a black face. I knew Chris well enough from dating him before. He was always petty and wouldn’t let Mia make a fool of him. So I called Andrew and told him to come with me to watch the show! When Andrew and I arrived, Chris had one hand gripping Mia’s hair and was slapping her face with the other! He hit her so hard that after just a few slaps, Mia’s face was swollen. “You bitch! It’s all because you seduced me! Otherwise Lily and I would be living happily together by now!” “It’s all your fault! I’ll kill you!” Chris wasn’t satisfied and kicked Mia to the ground, stomping on her head. In such a pathetic state, Mia caught sight of Andrew’s disgusted expression as she begged for mercy. She really started crying then, collapsing on the ground and whimpering. Seeing her miserable state, I almost couldn’t hold back my laughter. In the end, my parents rushed back and called the police before the farce ended. I heard the two of them took it to court afterwards. Mia sued Chris for intentional harm, while Chris sued Mia for fraud. What a dog-eat-dog world! A week later was my niece’s birthday party. Before the day arrived, my mom called me many times, saying she missed me and insisting I bring Andrew. My mom was the type of woman who lived for her husband. Whatever my dad said, she would do. If my dad hadn’t given permission, she probably wouldn’t have taken the initiative to contact me. Soon, the day of the party arrived. As soon as we got out of the car, we saw Mia. When she saw Andrew, her eyes lit up like a dog seeing a bone. Her gaze was full of determination. But her face was still a bit swollen. She had put on makeup despite the injuries, which just made her look more like a pig’s head. I curved my lips in a silent laugh. She glared at me fiercely. After playing with my niece for a while, it was time for lunch. I had just sat down when I suddenly felt some stomach pain. Andrew noticed my discomfort and worriedly helped me upstairs to rest. Unexpectedly, as soon as we reached the second floor, we heard some intimate sounds coming from the bathroom. That voice sounded familiar. It sounded a bit like my dad’s voice? Andrew and I immediately widened our eyes. Ignoring my stomach pain, I stood with Andrew outside the door listening to the blushing voices inside. “Mmm~ Uncle, don’t kiss me anymore. They’ll notice if we’re gone too long!” It was my aunt’s voice! I listened to these words in disbelief, frozen in place. Just then, my dad spoke again: “Don’t worry, they won’t notice.” It really was my dad! He’s still so frisky even at his age! I clenched my fists tightly, then looked at Andrew. He understood my meaning and immediately took out his phone to start recording. The two of them fooled around inside for a long time. I suddenly heard my aunt gasp, and then they finally finished. Andrew and I hid in a corner. They weren’t even trying to be discreet, walking out side by side. When they came out, my aunt’s cheeks were flushed and there were kiss marks on her neck. How shameless! How could they do this? How could they face my uncle and my mom? My dad is truly despicable! Has he forgotten that when the car accident happened, it was my uncle who used his own life to protect him? I watched their retreating figures, feeling angry and lost. I didn’t know how to tell my mom. Andrew saw my dilemma and said softly, “You go rest first. We can discuss this with your brother and sister-in-law another day.” “Okay.” I could only nod. After I rested, it was almost evening. The guests had left. My brother and sister-in-law took my niece to drop off my sister-in-law’s family at the station. Andrew and I were also about to leave. But my dad insisted on keeping Andrew behind, saying he wanted to chat with him. And my mom kept pestering me. I was looking for a chance to give my mom a hint and prepare her mentally, so I stayed behind with Andrew. By the way, I also wanted to see what exactly Mia was up to! “Alright, I’ll go upstairs to rest first. There should be a room for me here, right?” I smiled, deliberately giving them space. Mia let out a sigh of relief and quickly said, “Don’t worry Lily, we’ve already prepared a room for you.” “Mom, didn’t you say you missed me? Why don’t you come chat with me for a bit?” I looked at my mom. For some reason, my mom seemed a bit guilty. She avoided my gaze and said softly, “I still have a lot of things to take care of. I’ll come find you when I’m done.” I frowned slightly, said “Oh” and went back to my room. Seeing my mom’s behavior made me even more certain she was hiding something from me. I deliberately dawdled for a while before turning off the lights to sleep. After making sure no one was outside, I snuck out of my room and hid behind the living room door. “Dad, what did you want to talk to me about?” Andrew asked. My dad lit a cigarette. “How did you and Lily meet?” Andrew answered him honestly. I watched my parents asking Andrew about me, as if they cared about me. I couldn’t help feeling a bit of warmth in my heart. Maybe they do care about me after all? But I never imagined that in the next sentence, my mom would immediately say: “Andrew, you’re a good kid. Your uncle and I don’t want to hide it from you – although Lily is our biological daughter, she’s not good enough for you.” In an instant, I froze in place. Andrew also obviously stiffened. My mom continued: “Lily was a little delinquent. She started fooling around with boys in middle school and even had a few abortions…” After hearing my mom’s words, my heart was bleeding. I thought they just didn’t love me! I never imagined they would even make up lies to slander me! In that moment, my hands and feet went ice cold! My mom didn’t notice Andrew’s grim expression. She continued: “Mia is beautiful and accomplished. If you ask me, you should divorce Lily and marry Mia instead.” “That way, we’d still be one family!” At this point, I saw Mia walk out wearing a low-cut, see-through nightgown. She looked at Andrew coyly, “Andrew, I like you. I don’t need any status!” “If you’re worried Lily won’t agree, I’m willing to be your mistress.”

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The entire entertainment industry thought I snagged the Best Actor through a one-night fling. After our marriage, I was relentlessly cyberbullied! Even more absurd, someone spread rumors that I, the evil stepmother, was abusing Lucas’s 7-year-old son Noah! Claiming I beat him black and blue! Some self-proclaimed “justice warriors” snuck into my house and installed hidden cameras, ready to expose and punish me! But after 24 hours of livestreaming my laid-back parenting style, I unexpectedly went from being hated to becoming America’s sweetheart! The entire entertainment industry thought I snagged the Best Actor through a one-night fling. After our marriage, I was relentlessly cyberbullied! Even more absurd, someone spread rumors that I, the evil stepmother, was abusing Lucas’s 7-year-old son Noah! Claiming I beat him black and blue! Some self-proclaimed “justice warriors” snuck into my house and installed hidden cameras, ready to expose and punish me! But after 24 hours of livestreaming my laid-back parenting style, I unexpectedly went from being hated to becoming America’s sweetheart! “I won’t eat the porridge you made! You’re an evil stepmother, you’ll poison me!” The angelic-looking little boy on the hospital bed frowned, swatting away the bowl I held to his lips. Crash! The porridge bowl shattered on the floor. I suddenly felt weak all over, collapsing alongside the broken bowl. A shard cut my hand, and after a moment of pain, I found myself gasping for air as if on the brink of death! Clutching my head, I looked dazedly at my stepson – Noah, the 7-year-old son of Best Actor Lucas Lin. Why did I remember Noah pushing me into the water, drowning me? I could still recall his panicked and desperate expression after pushing me. He tried to rush over to save me but was held back tightly by a figure. Noah cried out in despair, unable to break free. In the end, they both witnessed my death, surely leaving Noah with lifelong trauma. But no matter how hard I tried, I could only remember this final scene before my death. I couldn’t recall any of the events leading up to it! I didn’t know which pool it was or who had harmed me! But I guessed that Noah, being so young, must have been manipulated by someone. Yet for him to be incited to do such a thing, he must truly dislike me. My heart ached like it was being stabbed by needles. Since marrying Lucas, I never expected to gain my husband’s love. Lucas was also very busy, so I poured all my heart into caring for my stepson Noah. Every day I prepared varied nutritious meals for him and tried to spend as much time as possible playing with him. But I never imagined he would conspire with others to murder me. Things are different now though. Since I’ve been given a second chance at life, I can’t just focus on taking care of Noah like before. I must find out who killed me. “Y-y-you… your hand is bleeding!” Noah, who had been so aggressive moments ago, suddenly became flustered. Despite his fever, he tried to get up to check on me. “Don’t move!” I stopped Noah, partly out of concern he might cut himself too, and partly because I wasn’t sure how to interact with him. “Sigh… since you don’t want to accept my care, I can’t do anything about it. Look, I’m injured too. Why don’t we just recover together?” I cleaned up the broken pieces of the bowl, then lay down next to Noah, closing my eyes to rest. Noah’s mouth gaped open in surprise. Usually, if he refused to eat, I would try every trick to get him to eat, even if he only took one bite of each dish. I would keep coaxing him to eat his fill. His little brain couldn’t grasp the concept of “reverse psychology”, but he let out a cold “hmph”, assuming my current indifference must be some new tactic of mine. But in reality, my emotions were complex. I was pretending to be indifferent while actually deep in thought. What I didn’t know was that on Noah’s toy cabinet, a faint red light was blinking. My every move was being livestreamed! Seeing my attitude towards Noah, comments started flooding in: [Ugh! Why do I have to watch this trash Sophia? Marrying Lucas through a one-night stand, how disgusting!] [Haven’t you seen the recent exposé? Noah’s arms and legs are all bruised! Sophia is truly an evil stepmother!] [Why did Lucas marry this kind of woman? Wasn’t his rumored co-star Bella White a better choice?] [What’s going on? It seems like neither Sophia nor Noah know they’re being livestreamed? Screen record, screen record! If Sophia abuses the child, we’ll report her to the police immediately!] Meanwhile, I was completely unaware of the livestream at the center of this storm. Ever since marrying Best Actor Lucas Lin, photos of me supporting a drunk Lucas into a hotel were leaked, so I was vilified as a loose woman. Not long after the wedding, photos of Noah covered in bruises surfaced. I didn’t want to get involved in a social media war and affect Lucas’s career, so I simply lived an offline life. I barely used my phone, let alone watched livestreams. After lying there for over an hour, I got up and felt Noah’s forehead. His fever had subsided. But it was nearly lunchtime, and I was getting hungry too. I stood up, and Noah watched my movements, guessing I was about to head to the kitchen. “Sophia, I want Snoopy-shaped pasta! With an egg!” Noah ordered me matter-of-factly. I looked at Noah with a polite smile: “Kid, keep dreaming. You can have anything in your dreams.” Noah’s little face turned red, clearly angry! “Sophia, if you don’t behave well, I’ll tell Daddy!” “A woman like you has no right to marry my dad. You probably don’t know that my dad already has photos with Bella, do you? If you’re not nice to me, I’ll let Bella be my stepmom!” Noah took out his kids’ phone and pulled up a news article. The headline read: Lucas Lin Abandons the Dark Horse, Embraces America’s Sweetheart Bella White! The photo clearly showed Lucas with his arms around Bella. The timestamp was three days ago – the same day he told me he was going to shoot in the desert! I stared at the photo, my heart suddenly aching. [Noah is so wise! This gold-digger’s weak spot is Lucas! Keep pushing her!] [Ah, Bella and Lucas look so good together! I ship them! I support Bella defeating the evil stepmother!] I remained silent for a while, looking at the photo. So this is why Lucas has been so busy after our marriage… “Oh no, I have chest pains. I can’t cook anymore.” “Noah, there’s still some porridge in the pot. It hasn’t cooled down yet. If you’re hungry, you can help yourself.” I had just stood up, but now I lay back down again. Sigh, as someone who’s already died once, I can’t believe I’m still so useless, getting upset over Lucas’s affairs. Noah looked at me suspiciously as I acted like I was at death’s door, blinking in confusion. “Sophia, I’m going to tell my dad!” He continued to threaten me. “Go ahead, call him right now. If you can get through, tell him I said this life isn’t worth living anymore. We might as well split up!” I covered my eyes, trying to hold back tears. I’ve had enough of this one-sided puppy love! “You want to divorce my dad?” Noah asked in disbelief. “Mm-hmm, divorce.” My voice was muffled, but I gave a definite answer. Given a second chance at life, I want to let myself go, and let Lucas go too. Noah was completely dumbfounded, his adorable little face frozen as if someone had hit pause. “My dad is super handsome!” He blurted out randomly. “Mm-hmm, I know.” “My dad is a three-time Best Actor winner!” “Mm-hmm, I know.” “My dad is pursued by lots of women!” “Mm-hmm, I know that too.” “Then why do you want to divorce him? Is it because I threatened to tell on you? I won’t tell, okay? Geez, Sophia, you’re so troublesome!” Noah clutched his hair in frustration, his messy bed-head unable to hide the handsomeness in his genes. I opened my eyes to look at Noah, surprised that he would say such things when he usually doesn’t get along with me. “It’s not your fault, Noah. Your invincible handsome three-time Best Actor dad, pursued by many beautiful women, is indeed perfect. But the only regret is that he doesn’t love me.” “I think I suddenly had an epiphany today and realized many things can’t be forced. Like how you don’t like me, or how Lucas doesn’t like me. But I want to live a good life too, I don’t want to be a lovesick puppy anymore.” I answered with a bitter smile. After all, as someone who’s died once, how could I not have an epiphany? I might have even had an out-of-body experience. “Divorce means never seeing you again? Like my mommy?” Noah looked at me with a pained expression. At this point, the comment section fell silent for a few seconds before starting to attack me: [It’s over, Noah’s fallen for it! Isn’t this just that green tea b*tch playing hard to get?] [Using divorce to scare a child! So manipulative!] [LOL, as if this gold digger would ever leave her meal ticket? That’s her body and dignity on the line! I bet she’ll be on her knees begging Lucas and Noah for forgiveness for saying this later!] I might not care what others say about me, but I do care about Noah’s feelings. So I pinched his chubby cheek. “No, sweetie. If you want to see me, we can still meet. And your mommy hasn’t left you either, she’s become a star watching over you.” Noah pouted slightly: “I’m not a 4-year-old kid anymore. There’s no such thing as people turning into stars. Tch, you’re so bad at comforting people.” I was speechless and slumped back down: “Kids are so hard to deal with.” Just then, I heard the sound of a key in the front door lock. I immediately sat up again! Given Lucas’s celebrity status, we never hired a housekeeper and generally kept a low profile, with few people disturbing us. But it was unlikely to be Lucas coming home at this time. “Who is it?” I cautiously walked to the door. “It’s me, Sophia~ I’m Bella White.” With a click, Bella White used a key to open my door. I was a bit stunned. “Miss White? How do you have a key to my house?” Bella White just smiled smugly at me, then looked at Noah who had just walked over, completely ignoring my question. “Noah! You poor thing! Your arms are covered in bruises. I was so worried about you!” Bella White rushed over and pulled Noah into her arms. This scene sent the comment section into a frenzy! The group mockery of me turned into a flood of compliments: [Ahh! It’s Bella White! She’s so beautiful! She’s literally glowing!] [I’m crying! What a beautiful scene, Bella and Noah look like a real mother and son! Please save Noah quickly, Bella!] [I bet Bella found out Noah was being beaten, so she came to help the child. Bella is so kind!] [Look, Noah’s legs and arms are all injured! The previous leak was true, Sophia is an evil stepmother! I hope Bella replaces Sophia in taking care of Noah!] Seeing Bella and Noah’s intimate interaction, my heart ached. “Bella, hi. I’m fine, boys don’t fear pain.” Noah smiled in response to Bella. Bella stroked Noah’s head, glancing at me, then guided Noah: “Noah, you don’t know, but there are so many people in this world who care about you deeply and want to take care of you. For example, I love you the most and can’t bear to see you hurt or abused. Tell me honestly, do these injuries have anything to do with your stepmother?” “If you nod, I’ll tell your dad to punish your stepmother. Maybe you can even get a new stepmom~ How about having me as your new mom? I’ll buy you snacks every day!” The smile faded from Noah’s face, replaced by an exasperated expression: “Be my new mom? Bella, you should go home and sleep. In your dreams, anything is possible.” Noah mimicked my tone from earlier, then distanced himself from Bella. “Miss White, if you have no other business here, please leave. Otherwise, I’ll have to report you for trespassing.” I said coldly, dismissing her. Bella wasn’t embarrassed. She tossed her hair and pulled out a photo of me holding Noah’s bruised body, holding it up to my face. “Mrs. Lin may not know, but the White and Lin families are old friends. Mrs. Lin was really worried about her grandson, so she asked me to check if you’ve really been hurting him.” “Mrs. Lin, I advise you to confess early, divorce early, and apologize. I can even help you buy some bots to reduce the cyberbullying. Otherwise, you might get beaten up walking down the street!” I already had plenty of haters, and I didn’t care much about this issue before. I never bothered to release a statement or hold a press conference to explain. I had retired from the entertainment industry and didn’t want to stir up any more drama. But now that Bella had come to my doorstep with Mrs. Lin’s authority, I had to defend myself. “I would never hurt Noah.” I spoke up. Noah frowned, realizing the seriousness of what Bella was saying. Although he had known Bella since he was little and had some affection for her, he glanced at me and chose me without much hesitation, displaying his usual sharp wit. “Bella, you’ve got it all wrong. I got injured and sick because I asked Sophia to take me skiing, and I accidentally fell. She got a lot of injuries too from trying to protect me.” Noah finished speaking and rolled up my sleeve, revealing large patches of bruises. This scene was also broadcast live: […I didn’t expect the truth to be like this. I thought Sophia really abused the child. I shouldn’t have installed cameras in her room. I’m going to turn myself in.] [The whole entertainment industry wronged Sophia. I even posted hate comments about her on Twitter. I was wrong too…] I quickly pulled my sleeve down, not wanting Noah to worry. I hadn’t expected Noah, who used to dislike me, to speak up for me. I felt a bit touched. At this moment, Bella White became the common enemy for Noah and me. I coldly said to Bella White: “Miss White, you’ve seen the truth. Please leave.”

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I never imagined that one day I would become a suspicious “wife” catching wind of every little thing. If I had stuck to my original plan of staying single, I wouldn’t be tasting the bitterness of betrayal now. On my birthday, my husband and I went out for Japanese cuisine. He posted a lovey-dovey picture on Instagram with the caption: “Birthday dinner with the missus. Do not disturb.” This strange term of endearment piqued my curiosity. I’m not usually domineering, and he never calls me “missus.” There’s no need for him to portray himself as henpecked in front of family and friends. Unless… he subconsciously wanted someone specific to see it. Half an hour earlier, while tidying up our room, I found a brand new box of strawberry-flavored condoms. When we first started dating, I liked strawberry flavor. But now, after three years of marriage, I’ve long since outgrown such frivolous things. I frowned and went to confront Luke, “Honey, why did you buy these?” He was doing pull-ups on the balcony at the time. He turned his head, looking slightly surprised, but calmly said: “Oh, your birthday is coming up in a few days. I wanted to give you a surprise, you know, reminisce about our younger dating days. Didn’t expect you to find them so soon.” I was taken aback by his smooth-talking skills. Geez, how many years has it been since he last said something so cheesy? Luke and I were middle school classmates who reconnected at a reunion and started dating. We had a shotgun wedding when I got pregnant. I quickly returned to work after giving birth, and our relationship gradually became more like respectful relatives than passionate lovers. He’s a fitness trainer, and due to his hormones, he has particularly strong needs in that department. That night, after Luke turned off the lights, he reached for me as usual, his teeth gently grazing my shoulder strap as he whispered mischievously: “Why don’t we give Max a little brother?” However, I was already exhausted from a long day at work and wasn’t in the mood to indulge his playfulness. But he seemed to have learned some new tricks from somewhere, catching me off guard and making me gasp. “Where did you learn all this?” I asked, my back slightly damp with sweat as I melted into his embrace, allowing him to kiss me. “From educational materials, of course. I’ve done a lot of research to better serve you,” Luke teased, placing my hand on his six-pack abs and slowly guiding it lower. I still half-heartedly gave in and fell back onto the bed. But he didn’t succeed that night. In the end, he had to give up, lying next to me covered in sweat and cursing under his breath. My mood instantly sank. Because he hadn’t turned off the bedside lamp this time, I could see the stretch marks on my stomach. He sat on the edge of the bed smoking a cigarette, sighing quietly. “Chloe, don’t you know that if a woman doesn’t take care of herself after marriage, her husband can easily lose interest?” My heart grew even colder. Passion… if you’re only pursuing passion for a lifetime, what’s the point of marriage? Before meeting him, I had already decided to stay single. It was only after his persistent pursuit when we reconnected that I chose to enter into marriage and even have a child for him. Now he’s disgusted by the marks left on my body from bearing his child. I retorted, “What, are you going to cheat on me or something?” He rolled his eyes and said even if he wanted to, no one would be interested in him. True enough. Despite all the stories of affairs floating around online, in reality, no one would get involved with a married man who can’t even pay off his mortgage. Even being a mistress has professional standards; only rich men are worthy of having affairs. That night, neither of us could sleep, so we lay back to back on the bed, scrolling through our phones. When Luke came across a news article about “Man scammed after believing high-paying sperm donation ad,” he immediately forwarded it to me. I couldn’t be bothered to open it, just another trashy social news story, and continued reading my novel silently. My husband kept complaining, “She’s super pretty, gets paid for free sex, how can there be such a good deal in this world? So many men lining up to be studs, who else would they scam if not them?” I ignored him. As I reached over to turn off the bedside lamp, I caught sight of that box of strawberry-flavored condoms again and suddenly had a realization. He hadn’t used them just now, and even talked about having a second child with me. So who were these condoms bought for? 2 Once the seed of doubt is planted, it inevitably takes root and grows. On the surface, I remained calm, but I began to carefully observe his behavior. A few days later, on my 30th birthday, because I like wagyu beef, my husband suggested taking me to that newly opened Japanese restaurant on the busy street. He had specifically booked a private room, which was pre-decorated with roses and candles, with a cake already set on the table. “Happy birthday, Chloe! Thirty is just the beginning. You’ll continue to thrive in both family and career. You’ll always be the strong woman in my heart.” My birthday is also our wedding anniversary. In previous years, he almost always needed me to remind him, and he had never said such grandiose words. Since when did he become so good at sweet-talking women? After the Japanese meal, he presented me with a birthday surprise – a Cartier ladies’ watch worth over $4,000. It was rare to see him willing to spend money; in the past, he would even flinch at me buying a trench coat. I asked, “Where did you get the money for this?” Luke grinned and said, “I secretly saved up some pocket money. Oh, and I also paid Max’s tuition for the private preschool. I kept the remaining $300 for myself to spend, okay?” That day he also took a photo with me and posted a lovey-dovey message on Instagram: “Birthday dinner with the missus today (rose)(rose) Do not disturb (grinning face).” When I saw this Instagram post that night after returning home, suspicion arose in my mind. How many years had it been since he last called me by an affectionate nickname? He always just called me by my name. Even after I gave birth to our child, he couldn’t be bothered to call me “honey” or “babe.” Why suddenly use the strange term “missus”? I’m not usually domineering; we always make decisions together. There’s no need for him to portray himself as henpecked in front of family and friends. Unless he deliberately posted it for someone else to see. I vented all the recent oddities to my best friend, asking, “Am I being too paranoid?” My best friend, who studied psychology, immediately reminded me: “Have you seen spy movies? How do they cleverly convey messages, making two types of people hear different meanings…” I suddenly realized that if he had a woman on the side, this kind of Instagram post might be intentional, conveying a message to the other person: — I’m having dinner out with my wife, don’t call or text me, my wife is watching. With this thought in mind, I was distracted all day at work, even making a mistake on a report and getting scolded by my boss. In reality, I was secretly checking my phone, searching for methods on “how to catch a cheating husband.” I never thought there would come a day when I’d become such a suspicious “wife” catching wind of every little thing. But this is all my own doing. If I had stuck to my original plan of staying single, I wouldn’t be tasting the bitterness of betrayal now. I saw that many wealthy wives online hire private investigators to look into their husbands. I don’t have that kind of money to spare, so I can only rely on myself. That evening when I got home from work, I took advantage of Luke being in the shower to secretly search through his phone. After we got married, he always had my fingerprint registered on his phone. I had never checked it before. Luke is a legitimate fitness trainer, and because he’s married, he avoids suspicion by only dealing with men at the gym. He hasn’t added any female clients as contacts. Following the methods mentioned online, I investigated his bank statements and found that he indeed had no records of hotel stays or gift purchases. His chat history was also squeaky clean. Could it be that I’m overthinking things? Is it really possible that in reality, there would be a mistress who doesn’t want money, doesn’t seek status, and is only willing to be my husband’s secret lover? 3 However, this search wasn’t entirely fruitless. I discovered that his recent bonuses had increased, but he didn’t tell me about it. He kept it as his personal stash, which he used to buy me the watch and pay for our son’s preschool tuition. When Luke came out of the shower, I had already backed up his WeChat contact list and was just lying in bed, silently staring at my own phone. As his heavy breathing approached, I turned off my screen, which became a black mirror, and said to him: “I have a female friend whose husband cheated on her, but the other woman insists that she only values the man himself and doesn’t want to destroy his family. But do you think there are really women who don’t want money or status and are willingly to be someone’s mistress?” Luke was visibly startled but quickly regained his composure and shook his head. “I think women are very practical creatures. This kind of situation simply doesn’t exist. Relationships are always a give-and-take transaction. If it really happens, it might just be to deceive young girls who have just entered society.” That night he was full of vigor, having taken some supplements to boost his kidneys, and said he wanted to make up for last time’s shortcoming. I stared at him coldly the whole time, staring until he felt uneasy and still ended up panting in defeat. A man’s body is his most honest expression. A man whose heart has strayed will only be enthusiastic for the woman who can bring him fresh excitement. “Chloe, are you just going to lie there like a dead fish and stare at me? Don’t you have tonsils and vocal cords?” he said angrily. “I’m tired. Maybe another day,” I said. Seeing me turn away coldly to sleep, he got angry too. Luke started giving me the cold shoulder, not coming home for several days, often sleeping at the company. This played right into my hands, making it convenient for me to conduct my investigation. Since that Instagram post was a key clue, I decided to start by looking into each suspicious female in his WeChat contacts one by one. Recently, a new female student joined his gym, saved in his contacts as “Qin Qin.” She practices pole dancing and plans to apply for a job as a pole dance instructor. So she’s training under my husband first to build up strength and work on her physique. When I staked out the gym company building and spotted her, Melody was crouching outside the lobby with red-rimmed eyes, blowing her nose. I pretended to be bringing lunch for my husband and happened to run into her. “Are you Coach Luke’s new student? Why are you crying out here?” Melody wasn’t shy with strangers. After hearing that I was Luke’s wife, she threw herself into my arms and sobbed. “Mrs. Chen, I just broke up with my boyfriend. I thought I had gotten over it after two months, but he suddenly messaged me at dawn asking if I ‘still love him.’ He said he couldn’t eat or sleep for these two months and asked if I would be willing to get back together with him.” I gently asked, “So what was the reason for your breakup in the first place? Has it been resolved now?” Melody looked up with eyes as red as a rabbit’s and said it was because of domestic violence. Turns out she’s just a love-blind fool digging for wild vegetables. I silently lowered my eyes. This kind of love-blind girl often needs a man to rely on and solve her problems when she’s at her most vulnerable. And only love-blind fools would ignore status, wealth, and moral constraints to love a man so recklessly. I was surprised by this sudden thought. Could my husband’s affair partner really be Melody? But she still seems so heartbroken over her ex-boyfriend, not at all like someone who could betray him. Unfortunately, only women who have been loved can be so naively trusting. Women who haven’t been loved are all Sherlock Holmes. Last night, I made another unexpected discovery on my husband’s phone. Luke is usually busy with work and often saves movies on his cloud drive to watch during downtime. He’s not very smart and uses the same password for various accounts. I tried it and easily opened the hidden space on his cloud drive. In the hidden space, I found a chaotic video that was obviously secretly recorded. Looking closely, it turned out to be an intimate video of their gym’s female manager and the CEO in the break room. When I accompanied my husband to a company team-building party, I had seen this woman before. Evelyn is his female superior, 40 years old this year. She’s a capable and beautiful woman, always with her nose in the air, dating an executive from a listed company. I never expected she would engage in this kind of quid pro quo behavior to secure her position. Last night, in a moment of urgency, I confronted Luke with this video. He snatched back the phone in embarrassment, still protesting: “Yes, okay, I secretly recorded it. Wasn’t it just to have some leverage over Evelyn? You know I’m already 30, and it’s not easy in this industry. If she ever tries to make trouble for me with the higher-ups, I’ll have something to control her with.” I sneered, “Luke, don’t tell me you’re just keeping it for your own enjoyment?” He quickly retorted, “Haha, men all like young girls. Who would be into older women?” I believe this is the truth. Even I, who just turned 30, am despised by him for the stretch marks on my stomach. From a physiological preference standpoint, he couldn’t possibly like Evelyn. However, I still haven’t ruled out either Melody or Evelyn as suspects. Both women are key suspects, but their motivations puzzle me. Not after money, not after status, not after love… besides these, only passion remains. He’s been more enthusiastic about work lately, making me even more certain that this person must be at his company. At 3 PM, when I followed him to the gym, I saw him helping a woman do backbends, sweating profusely. The woman had a slender figure, her back to the window so I couldn’t see her face clearly. She was panting from bending over. “Your core strength is too weak. You need a good workout,” Luke said with narrowed eyes and a somewhat lewd smile. The woman’s coquettish voice also reached my ears, “Ugh! Be gentler…” My gaze instantly sharpened as I clearly saw my husband’s hand slowly exploring towards the front of the woman’s body.

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I was about to get married. I’d booked a makeup artist to come to my place for bridal makeup. She claimed she’d be using a unique foundation that would make me the center of attention. But a few days later, my face was swollen and breaking out. The doctor told me I’d contracted a parasite from bullfrogs. When I went back to confront her, I got beaten so badly that I had to live with a colostomy bag. In despair, I ended my life by jumping off a building. But when I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she arrived at my home. “Nina, trust me, just use this foundation,” Darla’s soft voice whispered in my ear. “On your wedding day, you’ll be the one everyone’s admiring.” I grabbed my head, letting out a painful groan. She quickly ran out to call Evan. By the time they returned, I had calmed down. Darla, still shaken, handed me a glass of water, theatrically patting her chest in relief. “Nina, you really scared me there! I’m glad you’re okay.” Her usual, playful charm used to win me over. But now, I gripped the glass tight. Taking a few deep breaths, I pushed down the hatred that filled me. Then, I made small talk as if everything were normal. In no time, she redirected the conversation to the foundation on the table, genuinely recommending that I try it. “Nina, the moment I met you, I felt like you were my sister,” she said warmly. “That’s why I want you to have this foundation—it’s one of my most exclusive products. I’ll even give you the lowest price possible; what do you say?” I lowered my head in fake contemplation, hiding the sarcasm pulling at my lips. Lowest price? In reality, she’d blended cheap bullfrog extract into the foundation and was shamelessly charging me $5,000 for it. She must have thought I was a fool. Feigning difficulty, I sighed, explaining that money was tight for me right now. Her eyes flickered with a bit of surprise. But when she noticed the expensive watch on my wrist, her determination renewed. She began massaging my shoulders, her tone soft and coaxing. “Oh, Nina, you can believe me. Every client who’s used this foundation has loved it. If it doesn’t work, I’ll give you a refund.” A refund? I knew better than to believe that. If things went wrong, she’d not only refuse to pay me back but likely come after me instead.

Because that’s exactly what she did last time. Back then, I had fallen for her words and paid the painful price for her foundation. After the makeup, my fiancé couldn’t stop complimenting my glow. But just before the wedding, my face began to itch and burn. At first, I thought it was just an allergy and didn’t take it too seriously. That night, I couldn’t resist scratching my face and felt wetness beneath my fingertips. When I turned on the light, I saw my skin was breaking down, with blood trickling out. I looked like a horror show come to life. Terrified, I rushed to St. Andrews Medical Center. After a series of tests, Dr. Margaret Collins explained that I’d contracted a parasite from bullfrogs, which had led to the infection eating away at my skin. She asked if I’d used any unusual products on my face lately. That makeup—the foundation Darla had sold me—flashed into my mind. Once I was discharged, I stormed over to Glam House Studio to confront her. I grabbed Darla by the hair and shouted, “You disgusting cheat! What was in that foundation you gave me? My face is ruined!” “You’re responsible!” She wasn’t intimidated; she fought back, yelling with not a hint of guilt, “Watch your mouth! What does your ruined face have to do with me?” The employees in the store pulled us apart. I took out the medical report and held it up, screaming at her, “Stop playing innocent! The doctor found bullfrog extract in your so-called foundation!” “Your junk is filled with parasites, and you had me put it on my face. What were you thinking?” She lunged forward, tore the report to pieces, and sneered. “You think a fake report is gonna extort money from me? Keep dreaming!” Finally, the store manager, Kelly Perkins, offered to compensate me with Darla’s wages and bonuses. She even insisted Darla apologize. I reluctantly let it go. But I had no idea what was coming. That night, Darla messaged me, claiming she knew a way to restore my skin. I hesitated but ultimately went to meet her. The moment I arrived, someone knocked me out. When I woke up, I was tied to a chair. A man kept punching me and hurling insults. “Ha! Who do you think you are, messing with my woman?” I screamed in agony. When I regained consciousness at the hospital, I learned I’d been beaten so severely that I’d lost control of my bowels. I’d be stuck with a colostomy bag for life. That moment was my breaking point. My fiancé left me, too, and that was the last straw. In despair, I leaped from a building. But somehow, fate gave me another chance. And this time, I’d make sure to get even.

Darla kept trying to convince me for a while, but I wouldn’t budge. She wasn’t about to give up. Her gaze darted around the room before finally settling on Evan. As she grabbed her makeup tools, she “accidentally” stumbled into Evan’s arms, her eyes welling up with fake tears. “I’m so sorry, Evan, I didn’t mean to,” she said with a trembling voice. “I was distracted… if I can’t sell this, I might lose my job.” There isn’t a man alive who can resist a teary-eyed damsel, especially when she’s beautiful. Sure enough, Evan looked at her with a touch of pity, giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder. He then turned to me, saying, “Nina, why not just buy it? Five grand isn’t too much for you, and it’s helping her out. It’s a win-win.” I glared at him, like I was seeing him for the first time. The nerve of him to even suggest that. Aside from the engagement ring, I was the one covering all the wedding expenses. I didn’t even ask him to buy a house. Spending my money on charity? He really had some gall. Noticing the chill in my expression, Darla tried to be understanding. “Nina, it’s okay if you don’t buy it. I’d hate to cause issues between you two.” Evan took the bait, eager to feel in control. He tore open the foundation’s packaging and handed it over. “Fine, I’ll buy it. You go ahead and get started.” My expression darkened. I had to admit, Darla was a pro. In just a few words, she had a man willingly spending his money on her. Evan’s decision put me in an impossible position. Refuse, and I’d look like I was angry with him. We’d end up in a huge argument. But if I used it, I’d be the one suffering. I didn’t come back to make the same mistakes. Darla, practically giddy, opened the bottle, pumping a few dabs onto a sponge. As she moved toward me, my gaze shifted to the glass in my hand. And then, a brilliant idea hit me.

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I had just been married to my husband, Thaddeus “Thad” Hayes, for less than a month when my mother-in-law, Ophelia “Ollie” Hayes, decided to move in, claiming she wanted to experience life in the big city. Just a few days after she arrived, she suddenly barged into our bedroom while Thad and I were being intimate. Without a word, she yanked me up, yelling, “What are you doing? That position is going to ruin our family’s financial fortune! You’re a bad luck charm!” It was then that I realized she had secretly installed a hidden camera in our bedroom! Furious, I threatened to call the police, and in her panic to escape, she left her phone behind. From that phone, Thad and I uncovered a shocking secret—his infertile brother and sister-in-law had a baby boy! It was our first month of marriage, and that evening, while Thad and I were wrapped up in each other, he suddenly exclaimed, “What the heck!” and quickly grabbed a nearby blanket to cover us. I was facing away from the door and hadn’t reacted when my mother-in-law stormed in, pulling me away from Thad. I screamed in shock and fell to the floor, completely exposed. Thad quickly reacted, disregarding his own state of undress, and wrapped the blanket around me, shouting at his mother, “Mom! Why are you barging into my and Sera’s room at this hour?” His face was dark with anger. But Ollie ignored her furious son and pointed a finger at me, her voice sharp as she yelled, “How could you be so reckless! Doing that with my son in that position?!” “Do you have any idea that you could ruin our family’s fortune with that posture?” “Are you prepared to take responsibility if our luck goes away? If you’re just being selfish for a moment’s pleasure…” “You’re a bad luck charm!” Ollie’s tirade left me stunned, trying to process the absurdity of it all. What was I hearing? Ruining fortune with a position? Selfish? Bad luck charm? I thought to myself, “Is this woman even speaking English?” I could hardly comprehend any of it! Unable to contain myself, I shot to my feet. One hand clutching the blanket to cover myself, the other pointing accusingly at Ollie, I coldly demanded, “You, an elder, barged into your son and daughter-in-law’s bedroom without knocking or saying a word. What, did you want a front-row seat to our private moments?” “And what’s wrong with the position we used? Shouldn’t I be comfortable while doing this?” “You call me selfish? You call me a bad luck charm? You’ve been living in my house for two weeks, and I’ve accommodated you everywhere! Don’t push your luck!” My outburst left Ollie momentarily speechless. She had moved in two weeks ago. At that time, Thad and I had just been married for a month. She called me, saying she had lived most of her life without experiencing life in a big city and wanted to stay with us for a while. Thad didn’t want his mother there; he mentioned that he didn’t grow up with her around. He wasn’t close to her and didn’t want her to interfere with our lives. But I thought, since she is my mother-in-law and she asked, why not let her come? What a mistake that turned out to be! Ever since she arrived, there hadn’t been a single peaceful day. She would argue with the dogs in the community garden or sneak out to catch and kill the neighbor’s pet chickens for soup. Thad and I spent our evenings dealing with the messes she created—paying fines and apologizing. Not only did Ollie show no understanding, but she continued to stir up trouble. I had never been so frustrated in my life. I finally told her that if she kept it up, I would send her back home. Thad stood by my side in support. Maybe Ollie wanted to continue living in the city, but after I laid it all out for her, she really did quiet down. She stopped going out, staying home all day, glued to her phone watching videos. Who would have thought that after just a few days of silence, this would happen tonight!

In my agitation, the blanket I had wrapped around me almost slipped off. I kicked Thad in annoyance. He quickly held me up from behind. I guessed Ollie had never been talked back to like this before; she pointed at me, trembling with rage. “You, you, you…” After stumbling over her words for a while, she finally managed to say, “You young wife, how could you be so shameless! Why do you have to be comfortable doing that?” I shot back at her, “If I’m not comfortable, what should I be? Ask your son if he’s comfortable!” Thad noticed my skilled deflection of the anger and quickly stepped in to mediate, pushing his mother out of the bedroom. As he did, he said, “Alright, Mom, that was too much.” “Sera and I are a married couple; we can do whatever we want. Why do you care?” “Sera is magnanimous enough not to hold this against you, so take this as a warning!” Ollie wasn’t done yet, trying to turn back and argue with me. But Thad firmly pushed her toward the door. He kept mumbling in frustration, “What if you startled me so much that I couldn’t handle it…” Suddenly, I noticed the key sticking in the bedroom door. My heart skipped a beat. “Wait!”

Thad and Ollie froze in their tracks, turning to look at me. Thad had a puzzled look on his face. Ollie, having just been reprimanded by her son, scowled at me and demanded, “What now?!” I didn’t respond. I walked over with a serious face and pulled the key from the lock. Then, with a loud clatter, I threw it on the floor. Ollie’s eyes widened in shock. Upon seeing the key on the ground, her expression flickered, her eyes darting, clearly feeling guilty. I confronted her, “How do you have a key to our room? I don’t recall ever giving you one!” “Did you sneak into our room while we were gone?!” As soon as I finished speaking, Ollie jumped as if I’d stepped on her tail. “Don’t accuse me!” “What would I want to do that for? I’m not just sitting around twiddling my thumbs…” Thad and I exchanged a glance. The louder Ollie got, the faster she defended herself, making her seem even more suspicious. I narrowed my eyes, “Still not admitting it? Fine, our room has a camera…” “Camera?! I didn’t see any camera!” Ollie’s eyes widened, her confession slipping out as she unwittingly revealed the truth. Thad’s face turned pale with anger. He scolded, “Didn’t I tell you that no one is allowed in our bedroom or office? Are my words just falling on deaf ears?” Having been caught, Ollie dropped her act. She straightened her back, adopting an unreasonable attitude, and even turned the blame on us. “Who told you not to lock all the doors?” “You only locked the office but left the bedroom unlocked, so that clearly means you allow people in there!” Good grief. I couldn’t believe her twisted logic. We locked the office because it contained important documents and files. We didn’t lock the bedroom because we valued our privacy and simply felt it was unnecessary. Who would have thought Ollie would overstep so badly! I pointed my finger at her, “Do you have any sense of boundaries?” “Who barges into someone else’s bedroom without permission?” Ollie erupted in response. “Who’s the outsider here? Am I the outsider?” “Seraphina, I’m your mother-in-law, Thad’s biological mother! If anyone is the outsider, it’s you!” With that statement, Thad couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief, “You think you’re justified for being in the wrong!” Ollie genuinely believed she hadn’t done anything wrong and stubbornly replied, “So I stepped into the bedroom; is it really that serious?” “Are you sure that’s all you did?” I coldly continued to confront her, pointing at the key on the floor, asking, “Where did that key come from?” I kept the bedroom key in the drawer of my nightstand and rarely took it out. If she had a key, it was clear she had rummaged through our room. There was no denying it. Sure enough, Ollie faltered again. Thad, gritting his teeth, clearly felt hurt by his mother’s actions. “Enough talking. I’m taking you back home this weekend. You can’t stay here any longer!” “Don’t, son!” For some reason, hearing she would be sent back home genuinely frightened her. “Wait! I won’t go in anymore!” Thad remained unmoved, and Ollie quickly turned to plead with me. “Sera, I was wrong this time. I promise I’ll behave and won’t cause trouble for you two!” After saying that, she swiftly picked up the key from the floor and handed it to me. “Here, I’m giving the key back. I’ll go rest now.” Just as she took a step away, she turned back, her expression conflicted. “You two… still shouldn’t use that position. It really will ruin our fortune…” I was instantly infuriated again. Before Ollie could turn to leave the room again, Thad blurted out: “Wait!”

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I know I gave birth to a healthy baby girl. But when I woke up, she’d been swapped with a baby with a cleft palate. Dan, my husband, says I’m so upset I must be hallucinating. Tyler, my son, also claims his sister has a cleft palate and that I’m imagining things. But I happened to discover that Dan’s old flame, Sophie, had been born with a cleft palate herself. I suspect they swapped my baby girl. “She’s here! A baby girl! Look how precious she is—Mom, do you want to hold her?” Though weak and exhausted, I gazed lovingly at the tiny, rosy face of my daughter as the nurse, Lorna, handed her to me. Her little nose scrunched up—adorable as could be. Gently, I kissed her forehead before drifting off to sleep, finally at peace. When I woke, Tyler was leaning over the cradle, playing with the baby. I was a bit surprised, considering how he’d complained about having a new sibling. “Mom, you’re finally up. She’s hungry. You better feed her.” His tone was bossy, and I frowned slightly. Tyler picked up the baby and plopped her into my arms, catching me off guard. “Aah!” I couldn’t stop the cry that escaped as I stared down at her face. She looked darker, wrinkly, and, worst of all, her upper lip and nose were connected by a gap—a cleft. Startled, she began to cry, the cleft stretching wider as she wailed. “What’s wrong with you? You scared her!” Tyler shot me a disgusted look. “This isn’t your sister.” My voice came out louder than I’d expected. I was sure, completely sure, that my daughter had been healthy—not this baby with a cleft palate. “I didn’t think you could be so heartless,” Tyler said, his tone filled with disdain. “Just because she’s not perfect, you’re going to reject her? What kind of mother does that?” “Besides, with all the money you have, it’s only a matter of time to fix her cleft, so why be so cruel? No matter what, she’s your child.” Money wasn’t the issue; this just wasn’t my child. “How did I end up with a mom like you? You’re nothing like Aunt Sophie. I wish she were my mom instead.” Each word of his struck me cold. I stared at him, my mind racing as a thought chilled my heart—Sophie had been born with a cleft palate. I remembered seeing old photos from when she’d had it corrected. “I don’t know who taught you to say all this, but I’ll ask you once: Where is your real sister?” “What are you talking about? This is her.” Tyler’s eyes darted nervously, avoiding my gaze. Since he was five, Tyler had begged to have Aunt Sophie around, constantly looking for reasons to find fault with me. His attitude only slightly improved when I got pregnant with Ella. As I looked at his face, it struck me like a slap that he might know something about all this. I let go of the crying baby in my arms and struggled to get out of bed. “Where are you going?” “Well, since you won’t tell me, I’ll go find out myself.” “You can’t!” I didn’t have time to listen to him. Just then, Tyler charged toward me like a bullet and shoved me backward. I hit the floor, pain piercing through me. As I clutched my abdomen, a wave of fury rose within. “I already told you! She’s your real sister. Stop making this harder than it needs to be!” Whack— I slapped him, firm and sharp. “Don’t call me ‘Mom’ anymore. I’m done with you.”

While he stood there stunned, I slapped him again—twice, hard. “I just had a baby, and you’re trying to break me, just so Sophie can be your new mom?” Tyler’s eyes brimmed with tears as he stared at me in shock, then balled his little fists and took a swing at me. I shoved him back; after all, he’d already pushed me to the ground. His loud, tearful cry cut through my head. Nurse Lorna entered, instructing us to quiet down. Then, in came Dan and Sophie. Dan quickly apologized to the nurse and consoled Tyler. “Mom hit me! She pushed me and won’t even feed my sister!” Sophie, who had been watching with an indifferent look, suddenly spoke up. “Katherine, no matter what, you shouldn’t hit the boy. A real mother always puts her kids first—you’re just not a good mother.” Looking self-righteous, Sophie scooped up the crying baby. “I’m not saying this to be mean, but you can’t just leave a newborn hungry.” I ignored Sophie as she tried to place the baby in my arms, turning instead to Dan. “What’s she doing here? Didn’t you promise to cut contact?” Before Dan could answer, Sophie interjected. “I came here on my own. I know I was wrong in the past, and I wanted to apologize, maybe even start fresh and be friends.” “Come on, Kate, just feed the baby.” Remembering Sophie’s past meddling and Tyler’s constant complaints, I didn’t trust her in the slightest. Especially now. She had only been out of our lives a few months, and suddenly, my healthy child was a baby with a cleft palate—just like Sophie had once been. Coincidence? Not a chance. “If you’re so eager, then you feed her because she’s not my daughter. Nurse, can you check the security footage?” I turned to Nurse Lorna. “Kate, please stop. I know it’s hard to accept, but this is just how it is. Our daughter has a cleft palate.” Dan held my arm and nodded at the nurse, as if to signal I was unwell. “My wife’s just having trouble accepting it. Thanks for understanding.” Dan’s resistance only cemented my suspicions. They’d swapped my baby. But was she even safe?

“Kate, these days, cleft palates are easy to fix. Our little girl’s still going to grow up to be a beautiful princess, everyone’s darling.” “Look, I know you’re hurt having a baby with a cleft palate, but she’s still your daughter. Accepting it and treating her now will make all the difference, and money’s not a problem for us.” Dan thought he had it all worked out: using my money to fix his child and turn my son against me, draining me dry. “This isn’t my baby. If you want her treated, then pay for it yourself.” Dan’s face twisted as he struggled to hold back. Then he looked at me knowingly. “So, you’re upset I came here with Sophie?” “Kate, I had no idea she’d be here. We just ran into each other. Sophie, it’s better if you go. You know Kate will get jealous.” Dan tried his old sweet-talking tricks, and the sight of him made me sick. Sophie opened her mouth to speak, but Dan’s glare silenced her. She went, sulking.

“No need. Sophie isn’t the child’s real mother, so she can stay right where she is.” Sophie’s shoulders stiffened, her back to me. Dan chuckled and ran his hand over my head, patting it as if I were a child. “Katherine, there’s nothing going on between me and Sophie. You really don’t need to keep testing me like this.” “Is it that you weren’t there when I was giving birth that’s making you feel so insecure? I was at work when I got the call, and I rushed over as soon as I could.” “Oh yeah, Kate,” Sophie chimed in smoothly, “there’s really nothing between me and Dan. And anyway, my family doesn’t even have a history of cleft palates. I heard it’s genetic, right? And Dan’s family doesn’t have any history of it either.” As Sophie spoke, her shoulders visibly relaxed, her words dropping hints that maybe the cleft palate came from my side of the family. She was convincing, really putting on a show. If I hadn’t seen that old photo of her with the cleft surgery scar, I might have believed her. I snorted, not bothering to say whether I believed her or not. For now, my daughter was still missing, and I’d wait until the police arrived before settling this. Meanwhile, Tyler, ever the loyal son, defended his father. “Dad, it’s because you’ve spoiled her too much, letting her act out. Once my sister is older, she won’t put up with this behavior either.”

“Tyler.” I rarely used his full name, and he froze, suddenly tense. “I didn’t say anything wrong, right, Aunt Sophie?” He stammered before hiding behind Sophie’s arms. I took a deep breath. After everything I’d done for Tyler—dropping work to nurse him through fevers, learning to cook his favorite foods, carefully picking out his birthday gifts year after year, doing everything he asked of me. “Tyler, I’ll ask you one last time. Is that your real sister in the crib?” “Kate—” “Shut up, Dan. I wasn’t talking to you.” I cut him off, my voice sharp. Tyler shrank back into Sophie’s arms, avoiding my eyes. “Mom, stop making a fuss—” I shut my eyes, not willing to hear any more.

“Katherine, so what if she has a cleft palate? You can’t just deny her, right?” Sophie’s voice was loud, ensuring that others nearby would hear. Disapproving glances cast our way made the sting worse. I glanced at Dan, who finally shot Sophie a scolding look. “Sophie, that’s enough. Kate’s under a lot of stress. She didn’t mean what she said, so stop making it worse.” Dan’s words looked like he was defending me, but in truth, he’d cast me as a woman rejecting her child over a minor imperfection. In this story of ours, Dan played the “good husband” perfectly, except he kept digging me deeper into the pit. Using my money, blaming me—it was a charmed life for him and Sophie, wasn’t it? My phone buzzed with a message. I checked, scrolling through various photos of the two of them meeting up. Disgust churned in my gut. For the first time, I felt the deep betrayal in every photo. I’d been too busy with work to see what was right in front of me. But now? I’d make sure they paid.

When Officer Greg Harper arrived, I was lost in thought, wondering when exactly Tyler had changed. Tyler used to be that sweet kid who would rub my shoulders when I came home late. When had he grown so resentful of me? “Who reported this? We need to get a sense of the situation.” The officer’s question left Dan, Sophie, and Tyler visibly tense. “I did,” I answered. “I believe my baby daughter was swapped at birth. She was healthy, but now she has a cleft palate.” “Kate, why would you call the cops?” Dan blurted, forcing a sheepish smile as he turned to the officer. “I’m sorry for wasting your time, Officer,” he said, “but my wife’s been under a lot of stress. She’s having trouble accepting that our baby has a cleft palate.” “Cleft palates are genetic, Officer. There’s no history of it in my family going back three generations, but Dan’s ‘friend’ Sophie here—she had surgery to correct hers. I have proof.” “I’m sorry to have dragged you here based on just a suspicion,” I told the officer. “But I’m genuinely worried about my daughter’s safety and have no idea where she is or how she’s being treated.” My words were steady, contrasting with Dan’s attempts to paint me as hysterical. “What do you mean by that? You’ve had someone investigate me?” Sophie cried out as Dan tried to hush her, giving Tyler a nudge. “Mom, you can’t just pry into people’s privacy,” Tyler said, giving me a disapproving glare. “That’s illegal, isn’t it?” Officer Harper watched our tense exchange and finally said dryly, “Funny, the three of you look more like a family than any of you with her.” “Officer, I have records on my phone of the hotel stays between Dan and Sophie.” Dan lost his composure. “Kate, what are you doing? Trying to tear apart Tyler’s family just because you’re upset?” “Did I make you cheat, Dan? Did I spike your drink and shove you into bed with Sophie?” I knew exactly what Dan was trying to do: make me explode with anger so he could point to me as “unstable” and “unhinged.” “What gives you the right to break our family apart? You did this, Dan. You’re the one who tore this family to pieces.” “Kate, come on, no need to be this way. I’ve never done anything to betray you. If you’re this upset, I’m fine with pretending this child isn’t ours.” Incredibly, Dan kept a straight face, still denying his involvement with Sophie. Thinking it over, I spoke aloud. “Sometimes I’m amazed by your shamelessness, Dan. Living off my earnings while you support your mistress with my money. You couldn’t even keep this baby swap story straight.” Dan’s face flushed with anger, though he forced himself to stay calm. “Coward.” Dan pretended not to hear the insult. “Officer, if my wife suspects this isn’t our baby, why don’t we just ask Nurse Lorna? A cleft palate like that would certainly stand out.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294843”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #校园School #重生Reborn