Author: Momo Chan

In my past life, I was in excruciating pain giving birth, yet my husband had the nerve to make a fuss about the doctor being male? After being reborn, I kicked Jake right in his manhood. Then I called 911. This time, he’d never be able to have children again. The day I went into the operating room to give birth, my husband Jake started causing a scene because the surgeon was male. The nurse tried to explain urgently: “Sir, your wife’s condition is critical. We need to operate immediately, or both mother and child could die. All our female surgeons are busy with other operations right now.” Jake ignored her and started beating up the male doctor: “You pervert! No one but me is allowed to see my wife’s body!” My clothes were soaked with sweat from the pain. I struggled to speak: “Honey, please let them do the surgery. I can’t hold on much longer.” Jake’s eyes were bloodshot: “I never expected you to be such an immoral woman. Let me make this clear – if you let another man see you, I won’t accept you anymore.” Hearing this, I felt a surge of anger, then everything went black. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to when Jake and I first got together. Even seeing Jake in front of me, it still felt surreal. Jake and I started dating in our freshman year of college. I was actually the one who pursued him. To be honest, Jake was average looking, average height, and didn’t have much going for him. But back then, I was drawn to his arrogant attitude. I ignored all the better guys chasing me and went after him instead. Blinded by love, I gave up my life as a rich girl to struggle alongside him, eating nothing but plain bread every day. I even hid my wealthy background to avoid hurting his pride. I thought I was being so noble, unlike those materialistic girls. Looking back now, I just want to slap myself! Jake noticed me staring at him and frowned: “Rachel, can you stop staring at men all the time? It makes you look loose and improper.” Hearing those familiar words, I felt a surge of anger. In my past life, I was brainless enough to let him manipulate me like that. But I’ve already died once – why would I listen to his bullshit again? To hell with being “loose”! I frowned back at him: “Jake, can you stop calling a girl loose all the time? It makes you sound like a total jerk!” Jake’s expression darkened. From when I first started chasing him until now, I had never talked back to him once. He came from a rural area, but his mindset was still backwards and chauvinistic. Jake was clearly angry, and started lecturing me again: “Rachel, I’m with you because I thought you were different from those sluts who show off their bodies. A woman should know her place – be a good wife and mother. I didn’t expect you to be just like them after all.” Hah! I laughed coldly inside. He sounded so righteous, but I had caught him ogling other girls’ long legs on campus more than once. But I still apologized meekly. When his expression softened a bit as he decided to magnanimously forgive me, I seized the opportunity: “To make it up to you, let me treat you to a meal!” He nodded in agreement. Since we had only been together a short while, he had no idea about my financial situation. He probably thought I was just going to treat him to an $8 bowl of noodles in the cafeteria. But when I hailed a taxi and brought him to an upscale restaurant, he didn’t even have the courage to go inside. “This is ridiculous! Rachel, do you know how much a meal here costs? We’re just ordinary students, can’t you be more down-to-earth? Don’t expect me to pay if you can’t afford it! I’m telling you now, I absolutely won’t cover for you!” I wasn’t bothered by his words. I just put on a shocked and confused expression: “It’s not that expensive here. I eat here all the time.” Seeing his increasingly dark face, I asked innocently: “Where do you usually eat?” Jake clearly didn’t believe me and kept making sarcastic remarks. Until we went inside and a waiter greeted me warmly: “Welcome back, Miss Wilson!” I gave Jake a pitiful look: “See? I wasn’t lying to you.” I confidently led the way to a window seat. Jake was visibly uncomfortable, not knowing where to put his hands. But he still tried to maintain his usual aloof attitude. I knew that on the surface he was trying to act calm, but inside he was panicking. I handed him the menu, pretending to be eager to please: “Take a look and see what you’d like to eat.” Jake’s eyes widened at the expensive prices, but he coldly pushed the menu back to me, trying to act cool: “None of these dishes look appetizing to me.” I didn’t insist and ordered a bunch of my favorite dishes, all very strongly flavored. I knew Jake preferred bland food. In my past life, I had given up my own tastes to cater to his. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t. When the food arrived, I dug in with gusto. Jake looked displeased: “Rachel, you should ask your guest what they like instead of just ordering what you want. It’s very impolite.” “But I asked you to order and you didn’t!” Jake was speechless after being called out like that. Seeing him at a loss for words delighted me. Watching me eat so heartily, he unconsciously swallowed and sneaked glances at me while clumsily trying to cut his steak with a knife and fork. He was actually doing it correctly by imitating others, but I deliberately gave him a hesitant look. He became very uncomfortable under my gaze, probably feeling quite tormented inside. But his pride and insecurity made him lash out: “Rachel, didn’t I tell you not to stare at men? It’s slutty.” I lowered my head with a complex expression and stopped looking at him, then started enjoying my delicious meal. He must be in turmoil inside now, desperately wondering what he did wrong. Let him stew in it!

Ever since I took him to that fancy restaurant, his lectures became more and more frequent. He was always going on about being frugal, the glory of farmers, the evils of capitalism, telling me to be more considerate since my parents work hard for their money, not to waste it, to be self-reliant. In my past life, hearing such talk would make me think he was an idealistic, ambitious young man with great potential. Now I see… Hah! He was just trying to drag me down to hell with him because of his own insecurities. On the surface I acted obedient, but I still bought things so expensive even I found them pricey, and “accidentally” let him know the cost. I also often bought him things that were astronomical to him but cheap for me. Letting him struggle between disapproving of my spending and enjoying the fruits of money. While he was conflicted, I suggested introducing him to my friends. A bunch of rich playboys, notorious for their womanizing ways. Jake was very resistant at first, trying to lecture me on proper female behavior again. “Rachel, you shouldn’t interact with any men besides me. That’s what a good girl should do.” “But if you connect with them, it could be a huge boost for your future career. Don’t you want to avoid ending up like millions of other graduates, sending out resumes that disappear into a black hole?” Sure enough, I had hit Jake’s sore spot. He agreed. He even specially wore what he considered proper attire on the day we met – a suit I had bought him. He kept asking me over and over if he looked appropriate. I smirked to myself. Of course it was appropriate! But they were just a bunch of playboys. Who dresses so formally to go out and party? Moreover, did he really think it would be so easy to network with them? Sure enough, when we arrived at the club, his outfit stood out like a sore thumb. He looked around curiously, watching the beautiful women dancing nearby. I could see him trying hard to suppress the excitement in his eyes, quickening his pace as if he couldn’t wait to meet those playboys. As if through this meeting, he could instantly become successful. The door to the private room opened, and the men and women inside flocked to greet me, completely ignoring Jake. After leaving Jake hanging for a while, I finally remembered him and introduced him: “This is my boyfriend, Jake.” My friend asked curiously: “I don’t recognize this guy. Which family is he from?” Chris also chimed in sarcastically: “Who wears a suit to go clubbing?” Chris’s brother had a crush on me and pursued me for two years. He was even a top student. Seeing the girl his brother liked snatched away by someone else, Chris’s hostility towards Jake was off the charts. Jake looked at their flip flops and baggy shorts, realizing his suit really did stand out. He was used to bossing me around, and actually had the nerve to criticize me in front of everyone: “Why didn’t you remind me? You made me embarrass myself in public.” These people may be party animals, but they were still my childhood friends. Hearing him talk to me like that, Chris was the first to speak up. He contemptuously fingered Jake’s suit: “Bro, you’d embarrass yourself wearing this even to a formal event. What kind of trash suit is this?” Everyone except Jake burst out laughing, while I tried hard to hold back my own laughter. Jake immediately retorted: “Do you know how much this suit cost? Two hundred dollars!” “Bahahaha!” This set off another round of laughter. Especially Chris, who was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, as if he’d heard the funniest joke ever. For these rich kids, custom tailored suits were the norm. A $200 suit wasn’t even fit to leave the house in. Jake still didn’t understand, thinking they didn’t believe him. He kept explaining: “This suit really was $200! I still have the receipt! Rachel, tell them!” Jake kept pushing me urgently. I finally spoke up: “This suit cost me $200 when I bought it for him.” Chris patted my shoulder. I immediately felt Jake’s murderous glare. Of course, it was directed at me. He wouldn’t dare look at Chris that way. “Rachel, even if you’re keeping a boy toy, you can’t be this stingy. Only $200?” I sighed wistfully: “I’ve been a bit short on cash lately.” My girlfriend looked at Jake with disdain: “What’s the point of a man who can’t even support his woman?” Chris suddenly put his arm around Jake’s neck, trying to pull him onto the couch. Jake’s body visibly stiffened. Seeing Jake uncooperative, Chris slapped him on the head, knocking Jake’s glasses to the floor. Chris said mockingly: “So sorry! I’m used to smacking my lackeys around. You look so much like my bootlicker I did it without thinking.” Then Chris asked me with a cheeky grin: “You’re not mad at me, right Rachel?” “Chris, you’ve gone too far!” That’s what I said, but anyone who knew me could tell I wasn’t actually angry. I pulled Jake away to leave.

At the entrance, Jake exploded at me: “Rachel, look at the kind of friends you have! No class at all! Why didn’t you dodge when that guy touched your shoulder earlier? Do you enjoy physical contact with other men that much? And why did you tell them I bought this suit? Were you happy to see me humiliated?” I said tearfully: “But you have to suffer to succeed. Don’t you want to live that carefree lifestyle? Don’t you want to stay and develop your career in this big city? Don’t you want to make it big? If you network well with them and use their resources, you could become hugely successful!” Jake still frowned: “But why did you buy me such a cheap suit?” I wanted to vomit. He got a free suit without spending a cent and should count himself lucky. Did he really expect a suit worth tens of thousands? But I still pretended to be wronged: “My parents don’t approve of us being together, so they cut off my allowance. I wanted to use my connections to help your future career. If you use my network well, becoming a millionaire won’t be a problem in the future.” Jake’s eyes lit up, clearly very tempted. But he still put on an act: “Rachel, these resources are wasted on you anyway since you don’t have the ability to use them. You focus on building connections for me. When I make it big in the future, I’ll definitely take good care of you.” Oh, trying to manipulate me again? Fine, I’ll play along since you’re trying so hard! I said regretfully: “Jake, you’re so talented. It’s a shame you weren’t born into a good family. Unlike me – I have no real skills but was lucky to be born rich.” The jealousy and resentment in Jake’s eyes were about to come alive and spurt out. This was the effect I wanted. The higher I build him up, the harder he’ll fall. A day later, my parents came to campus in a Rolls-Royce to find Jake. Meanwhile, I was out shopping for luxury goods with my girlfriends, completely unaware of this. By the time I found out, Jake had already angrily called me to come back immediately. Why not just tell me on the phone? Because he’s too cheap to pay for the call. I agreed to come back soon, but actually continued shopping. Less than a minute later, my mom called. I had a headache. Why didn’t I think of this? Letting those people know I had a boyfriend meant my parents would find out too. “Rachel, yesterday Chris told me you have a boyfriend. I went to see him today – he’s no good, his ambition is written all over his face. I offered him $100,000 to leave you, and he had the nerve to say it wasn’t enough!” My mom ranted angrily for a long time. As I listened, I started crying. In my past life when I married Jake, how did she ever convince herself to accept it? I comforted her: “Mom, don’t worry. I’m not actually in love with him.” “Then why did you…” “Mom, don’t ask. I promise I won’t fall for him. Trust me.” Hearing that, my mom stopped questioning and just reminded me not to let that guy take advantage of me. It was evening by the time I leisurely returned. “What took you so long? Don’t you know I had something urgent to discuss?” What a henpecked man. How was I so blind as to fall for him in my past life? Now that he had seen a glimpse of high society and understood my family’s wealth, his greedy nature definitely wouldn’t let go of such a big piece of meat. It was time to flip our positions! I sat down and crossed my legs, seeming a bit indifferent: “Are you the only one allowed to have things to do? Am I not allowed to be busy?” Jake’s tone was full of sarcasm: “What could you possibly be busy with?” “My mom said she’s buying me a Mercedes and told me to go pick one out.” “What a waste to buy it for you.”

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I’m a twin, and my mother hates the introverted me while favoring my lively and cute sister. She gives the best to my sister, raising her to be beautiful and adorable, while I’m treated more like a dog. Until one day, my mother called my sister’s name while looking at me. Suddenly, I saw hope, my eyes lighting up as I looked at my sister lying unconscious on the ground. I’ve been allergic to milk since I was little, but my mom works at a dairy factory, and breakfast is always just milk. My sister is allergic too. She breaks out in hives all over when she drinks it, but she never told mom to avoid upsetting her. My sister forces me to drink her share every day, so I’ve had red rashes on my face for years, which eventually left dark spots. Mom always calls me Freckle Face and doesn’t like how self-conscious and timid I am. She prefers my sister’s lively and cute personality. My sister hates me too because we have the same face, but mine is always covered in freckles, so she makes me cover my face with thick hair and a mask. She also makes me tell others that I’m allergic to dust and doesn’t let me admit that I’m her twin sister. At school, wherever my sister is, there’s laughter and admiration, but when I appear, even the liveliest scene instantly goes cold. They hate me, but no one wants to be the bad guy and say it out loud, so they choose to ignore me. My sister’s grades have always been good, all thanks to me cheating for her. Her grades are fake, but the admiration she gets is real. Beautiful and smart, my sister became the school belle, while I’m the school’s despised plague.

Coming home from school, I was suddenly kicked over while taking off my shoes in the entryway. He stepped on me twice, muttering about bad luck. This man is mom’s new boyfriend, a drunkard and a thug, but mom always fantasizes that he’ll give her a better life. Every time this thug comes to our house to see mom, he beats me up before leaving. I don’t know why, but he always seems particularly refreshed after beating me when he’s initially irritated. After finishing his cigarette, he flicked the butt into my collar. I frantically rolled against the wall, trying to get it out. He mocked me, saying I’m not even as good as a dog – at least other dogs would bark when bullied. But I just lower my head and stay silent when bullied. When dinner is ready, mom and my sister usually come home. I can only eat after they finish. Mom doesn’t want to eat leftovers, so I have to finish whatever they leave, which has made me fatter and uglier. I have no friends and no fixed room. I usually sleep in the attic, and sometimes when mom gets angry, she kicks me out. I sleep in the shed in the backyard. It’s big enough for me, and we’ve never actually kept a dog. One rainy day, Mrs. Wilson from next door saw me sleeping in the shed and kindly took me to her house to rest. I sat in her living room by the warm fireplace, listening to Mrs. Wilson tell stories while knitting. Mrs. Wilson is kind-hearted and often invites me over to play. She’s the only one who doesn’t despise me. I really wish she was my real grandmother. One day on my way home from school, a stone suddenly hit my head. I turned around to see a group of girls, with my sister in the middle. One of the girls said, “So, is she really a ghost? How come she doesn’t react when hit?” My sister stared at me and smiled, saying, “She’s Freckle Face. I’ve heard her mom call her that.” The group burst into laughter. I hugged my backpack tightly, wanting to run, but they surrounded me. They told me to drop out of school, saying they didn’t want to see such an unlucky person at school. I can’t drop out. I’ve been enduring everything just to stay in school, just to not leave this home. They threw my backpack into the river. Encouraged by the others, my sister stuck her chewing gum in my hair. It was dark when I finally got home, hugging my wet backpack. I didn’t dare go inside, so I went to Mrs. Wilson next door. Mrs. Wilson lit a fire for me again and helped bandage the wound on my head. I hugged her and cried, deeply moved. In this world, only Mrs. Wilson is so kind to me. Mrs. Wilson stroked my head and said that if she hadn’t said those things back then, maybe I wouldn’t be treated like this.

My crying stopped abruptly as I listened quietly to her talk about what happened after I was born. Before getting pregnant, my mom had been assaulted by a coworker at the factory, and then she had my sister and me with my dad. Mrs. Wilson discovered this and spread the news, instantly shattering the harmony in our family. My dad left, unable to bear the rumors, and my mom raised my sister and me alone. When I was five, Mrs. Wilson said in front of my mom that my sister looked more like our dad, both in temperament and appearance. From that moment, mom became convinced that I was the rapist’s child, while my sister was her child with dad. I asked Mrs. Wilson why she thought my sister looked more like dad. She said it was just a joke at the time, but she didn’t expect my mom to take it seriously. It was from that year on that mom started to despise me, treating me like an abandoned child. I asked Mrs. Wilson why she never thought to explain. She shook her head, saying she didn’t want to lose face. Because she didn’t want to lose face, Mrs. Wilson never explained her joke. She just watched me grow up like this. The next day, Mrs. Wilson passed away at home. Perhaps knowing her time was near, she told me those things the night before. I was the first to know about Mrs. Wilson’s death. She had a letter to send to her children. The letter wasn’t sent before she died, so I helped mail it out. Mrs. Wilson’s family, receiving the letter, thought she was still well and went on vacation worry-free. It wasn’t until a month later when they returned home that they saw Mrs. Wilson’s body. When I couldn’t go home, I often sat outside Mrs. Wilson’s house, not daring to go in or tell anyone. Until Mrs. Wilson’s disfigured body was carried away, and her house became empty. Mrs. Wilson had said she wanted to leave with dignity and cleanliness. I didn’t tell anyone she had died, until her body decomposed and maggots crawled over it. Let this be my little joke in return.

Without Mrs. Wilson’s companionship, my life seemed to get harder. Luke wanted to break up with mom. Mom quit her job, spending her days drinking and coming home late. As soon as mom gets home, she goes to the attic to beat me, saying it’s my bad luck that made Luke not want to see her anymore. The first time I saw mom cry was because of that thug Luke. The next day, I waited outside the bar where Luke usually hangs out. After waiting all night without seeing him come out, I was about to leave when I was kicked down again. Luke dragged me into an alley and beat me up. It was clear he had been in a bad mood lately because he hit harder than usual. As he was pulling open my collar, he saw the whiteness of my neck and suddenly became interested. “You little Freckle Face, your skin’s not bad. Let me see what it looks like inside,” Luke said as he tried to tear off my clothes. I got scared and frantically grabbed a tree branch, stabbing his eye and blinding it. Luke kicked me hard in anger. During the interval when he was howling and covering his eye, I quickly got up and ran. I had only come to find him to ask him to go see my mom and not make her sad anymore. I didn’t expect to blind his eye. Luke roared that he would kill me once his eye healed. I’m not afraid of him, but I’m scared of what mom would do if she found out. Would she kick me out for good? When I got home, I collapsed on the floor, clutching my stomach in pain. My sister and mom were home, but they didn’t care about me at all. In my daze, I felt like I was about to be beaten to death. It wasn’t until mom came home late at night and kicked me as she passed by that I woke up. I responded softly. Knowing I was still alive, mom seemed a bit disappointed. As she was about to go back to her room, I grabbed her foot. Like a dog that wouldn’t let go, no matter how much she kicked. “You little Freckle Face, you’re getting more and more annoying!” Mom said as she kicked me away, “You won’t be going to school next year. As long as Zoey gets into Harvard, we’ll move to another city.” At that time, they’ll abandon me, right? I don’t want to be abandoned. Before next year comes, I need to do something for myself.

I pushed open Zoey’s door. Seeing me, she threw a book at me in annoyance. I picked up the book from the floor and smiled at Zoey, saying, “I can help you cheat and get the top grade in the year.” Zoey was a bit skeptical. In previous exams, my guessing of questions at most helped her rank in the top fifty of the year. “With the top grade in the year, you can get early admission to Harvard. When you do, please ask mom to let me continue school.” Hearing my offer, Zoey smiled and casually agreed. I left Zoey’s room and started studying hard, looking forward to the day I could change my fate. During the school fair, I was assigned to wear a mascot costume and hand out flyers. The hot weather almost gave me heatstroke. A group of basketball players rushed by, and I was about to lose my balance when suddenly a guy grabbed my hand. It was Jack from the school basketball team, sunny and handsome, liked by many girls. After steadying me, he was worried I might get heatstroke, so he specially bought a bottle of water and handed it to me. I stammered a thank you. He said, “Your voice sounds really nice.” He smiled, curiously trying to peek at what the girl under the mascot looked like. I remembered how everyone at school despised me and got scared, immediately sitting down on the ground. If he found out I was the unlucky ghost of the school, he would be very disappointed, right? Thinking this, I immediately ran away, avoiding him. I hadn’t finished handing out the flyers when the girls from my class locked me in a bathroom stall. I was still daydreaming about Jack’s smile when I was suddenly awakened by a bucket of dirty water. As the sound of laughter gradually faded away, I curled up on the toilet, quietly waiting for someone to find me the next day. Surprisingly, the door opened after just a few minutes. It was a girl with a bruised face. I was puzzled why she didn’t show any disgust when she looked at me. Her name was Ava. She said she was also bullied by them, so she was willing to help me. “What’s your name?” My name is Zoe, Zoe Xu. Apart from Mrs. Wilson, Ava was the first person to call me by my name. “Zoe, you should stand up straight, keep yourself clean, lose some weight, and get rid of the freckles on your face.” Those are dark spots, they can’t be removed. “How can they not be removed? Have you really tried everything to do it?” I looked up at her in confusion. She blinked her big eyes, still bruised, flashing with energy. I hadn’t tried everything to get myself out of this mire. But after hearing Ava’s words, I was motivated to make some changes.

I stopped obediently eating all the leftovers. I would secretly pour away the milk Zoey made me drink, and I started learning ways from the internet to gradually remove the spots on my body. One day, while Zoey was eating breakfast, she told me to drink her milk as usual. I agreed readily, but she suddenly insisted on watching me drink it. I was in the recovery period of treating my rashes, and if I continued to drink the milk I was allergic to, it would all be in vain. “If you want to get the top grade, don’t always force me to do things.” Zoey was silent for a moment, then smiled and stuck her chewing gum in my hair. She said, “I do need you to help me get the top grade in the year, but that doesn’t give you the right to negotiate with me.” Zoey knows how to please mom and make everyone like her, so she’s always been able to act with impunity. As for me, I looked at the milk, more determined than ever to change everything. From then on, I would get up at five every morning to jog and lose weight, then do homework and practice questions. Sometimes I’d be so focused I’d forget to make breakfast. Mom, hungover, would angrily beat me. The mother and daughter duo would insult and mock me in turns. They laughed at me for paving the way for someone else’s future. I was shocked and grabbed Zoey, asking, didn’t she promise to speak up for me and let me continue school? Zoey pushed me away in disgust, saying even if she spoke up, mom wouldn’t let me continue school, but if I didn’t keep helping her, I wouldn’t even have a home. We’re twins, both mom’s children, yet I have to beg just to have a home. I’m not resigned to this.

After the midterm exams, the school would conduct a monthly test. This time, my assigned seat was right behind Zoey. This way, I didn’t need to guess the questions, I could directly pass the answers to Zoey during the exam. For seven consecutive exams, Zoey managed to copy all the answers I gave her without a hitch. On the day the results came out, I stared at Zoey’s name, nervously scanning down the list until I finally saw Zoey’s name at the twentieth position. Zoey was surrounded by everyone, with praise and admiration rising and falling. Zoey was very happy at the center of attention. While I, in the corner, secretly glanced at Zoe’s name. Zoe’s grades were in the top fifty of the year. Zoe, that’s pretty good too. In the following exams, Zoey’s ranking gradually rose, and everyone admired Zoey’s beauty and talent. She also gradually lost some of her humble facade in this game of fame and fortune. Until the last monthly test, Zoey had reached third in the year. With Zoey’s grades improving dramatically, her classmates and friends all wanted to ask her for help with their studies. She was usually poor in her studies and couldn’t answer any of their questions. She brushed them off, preferring to talk with the boys who blindly admired her rather than explaining to her friends why she wouldn’t teach them. Gradually, Zoey lost her close friends and was left with only a group of admirers circling around her. I enjoyed watching the girls gossip about her, spreading rumors and slandering her from the corner. I was a bit happy. Now we were like twin sisters both disliked. But Zoey would still arrogantly throw books at my head. She was very angry, “Now all the girls in the class are targeting me. Is this the benefit of being top of the year?” I consoled her, “You should be more humble. They don’t like you being too showy and proud.” Zoey picked up the book and hit me again. “It’s all because of you! Now they’re spreading rumors that I’m a fraud, that I’m a slut who seduced teachers for grades.” Hearing this, I couldn’t help but feel happy, because I was the one who took the photos that sparked the rumors. It was a scene of a teacher talking to Zoey, but with a slight misalignment in the shot, it created a photo that could be misunderstood. Zoey is so beautiful, it’s normal for her to be favored by teachers, but I didn’t make them spread such extreme rumors. Seeing me smirking, Zoey grabbed my hair fiercely and said, “What are you laughing at? You think this makes you more like me?” She said if it was discovered that I deliberately set her up, I would be dead. “Don’t you think we’re becoming more and more like sisters?” Zoey looked at me with disdain, “Are you worthy of being my sister? You’re just the daughter of a rapist. But, to be like me, you have to drag me down, to make me as dirty and despicable as you?” She was despising the meanness in my thoughts, but wasn’t she the one who led the bullying against me, breaking that window of human nature?

For the final exams, the school leaders started strict inspections. Zoey, caught in the whirlwind of rumors, was called to the office for questioning. To test if Zoey’s grades were real, the leaders had her complete several difficult test papers in front of all the teachers. After a morning of repeated grading by the teachers, Zoey’s test papers were almost all perfect scores, confirming her true academic ability. And the one who made all this happen was me. It was me who took Zoey’s identity to do the test papers. The rumors about Zoey cheating were temporarily suppressed. Without the gossip, Zoey was very happy. I was happy too, because on this day when I substituted for Zoey, I didn’t have to lower my head or hide behind thick hair. Previously, when we knew there would be an inspection by the leaders, Zoey had stayed up all night at her desk. But cramming for a few days couldn’t make up for all the knowledge. Besides, Zoey had never liked studying since she was little. With an invisible sister helping her cheat, why would she waste time studying? When the lie was about to be exposed, when the high pedestal supporting her was about to collapse. She finally agreed to let me take her place and take the test for her.

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On my birthday, I was lying at home with a high fever while my girlfriend was at the hospital, carefully tending to her depressed ex-boyfriend. She coldly hung up on my call and sent a message, “Why are you pretending to be sick? You’re a grown man.” After three years of marriage, she was attentive to her ex but indifferent to me, her husband. Later, I finally realized that a woman whose heart you can’t warm should be let go. I chose divorce and even tried to bring them together. But she regretted it and spent a night crouched outside my door, just begging me to look at her one more time. “You know Ethan is very fragile right now. Why did you lie to me about coming home?” Olivia’s voice was filled with impatience over the phone. “And you say you have a high fever? How can a grown man like you get sick so easily? Can you stop being so childish?” I could almost imagine her expression of disgust, disdain, and even contempt. Breathing heavily, I endured the pain throughout my body. I was full of anger, but when I opened my mouth, I felt like I couldn’t say anything. What’s the use of saying anything anyway? “You’ve really disappointed me. I’m not coming home tonight, that’s final!” The call was disconnected. She’s doing it again, planning to stay at the hospital to take care of him all night. Then she’ll sleep by his hospital bed, waiting for his every command. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes at the hospital, I probably wouldn’t have believed that my wife was at the hospital every day taking care of another man. Even the nurses were moved by it. When they showed me the way, they introduced them as the most loving and faithful couple they’d ever seen. This is too ridiculous! Thinking about this, I weakly put down my phone and lay on the living room floor, staring blankly at the ceiling light. It was a bit dazzling. In my daze, I remembered our wedding day, when she held Ethan’s hand with red eyes. I saw her abandoning me during our dates to comfort him when he was in a bad mood. And on countless nights, her body would shy away as soon as I got close. She said she was very traditional and a bit afraid of such things, that we needed to take it slow. Even now, we still haven’t made any progress. In our relationship, she’s always held the upper hand. Whether we’re close or distant depends entirely on her mood. The fever made my head hot, my thoughts were in disarray. In my confusion, I lost consciousness. When I woke up again, I felt sore all over. Fortunately, the fever had subsided. After a quick shower, I felt like I had regained some energy, but I was still weak. I called in sick to work. My usually strict boss told me to rest well and take care of my health. I was a bit surprised. Just then, the door opened. Olivia came home looking slightly tired. Seeing that I wasn’t seriously ill, she said mockingly, “Weren’t you sick?” I ignored her sarcasm and just took a sip of warm water, enjoying the feeling of new life. “Cat got your tongue?” Seeing that I didn’t speak, she crossed her arms, looking like she was waiting for an explanation. “Let’s get a divorce.”

“Fine.” Olivia was stunned for a moment, but then agreed without hesitation. I saw a flash of anger on her face and instantly understood her thoughts. She probably thought I was just using another way to threaten her. “Alright, I’ll bring back the divorce papers this afternoon.” After saying this, I changed clothes and left. It turns out, saying it out loud wasn’t difficult. I thought I would feel reluctant, angry, or unwilling to let go. But the moment I actually said it, I felt relieved. Olivia just sat on the couch playing with her phone, not responding to me at all. She just treated it as one of my usual tantrums. After leaving, I bought breakfast and went to the nearest hospital. My father-in-law was currently hospitalized there, and for this period, my mother-in-law and I had been taking turns caring for him. Coincidentally, my company had been particularly busy lately. Every day, besides working overtime, I had to go to the hospital after work to relieve my exhausted mother-in-law. It was non-stop. This routine had continued for a month. Olivia remained indifferent. Not only that, but I was also paying for the expensive medical bills. Olivia’s entire salary was spent on finding psychologists for Ethan. She never had any money left over, and it was good enough that she didn’t ask me for more. I had talked to her about her father’s medical expenses, but she thought I was threatening her. Last night it rained, and to save some money on a taxi, I trudged home in the rain. Combined with the continuous fatigue, my body finally gave in to illness. “Having a son-in-law like you is truly our blessing.” “My wife and I have discussed it. We’ve seen all you’ve done these past days. You’re a good kid, much better than Olivia. We’ve decided to entrust our savings to you.” Hearing my father-in-law say this, I paused while peeling an apple, and quickly refused. In the past, if I could get the support of my in-laws, I would have been overjoyed and unable to sleep. Would their approval improve my relationship with Olivia? I thought about it carefully, but this hypothesis didn’t make me feel joyful. Strangely, I only felt pressure. “Little Ning isn’t really busy, is she? You’ve been lying to us all along. Is she at the hospital looking after that guy again?” Suddenly, my father-in-law sighed. I remained silent, not knowing how to answer. The day my father-in-law was hospitalized, I told Olivia, but she said Ethan was at a critical point and she couldn’t leave. She asked me to take care of her father more. “Look, her own father is sick and she doesn’t care, but she’s looking after some other man!” “How can I trust her with money?” Seeing that I didn’t speak, my father-in-law gave a bitter smile. In the end, I still refused and didn’t mention the divorce. As I was leaving the hospital, I saw Olivia’s social media post. The photo showed two hands tightly clasped in front of a green plant, with the caption “If we persevere together, we can surely thrive like this plant and overcome all difficulties.” I knew those were her and Ethan’s hands. In the past, I would have angrily called her and questioned her. Then she would describe me with words like petty and narrow-minded. Back then, seeing me angry and frustrated, she must have found it laughable, like a child fighting for attention, childish and annoying. But now I didn’t feel anything. I even found it a bit funny. Come to think of it, they really do look like a couple now. Since I’m so redundant, I might as well step out.

I brought the divorce papers home, but the house was empty. I was used to it. In the past, I would have argued with her for not coming home often. At first, she would explain, saying she had to attend dinners or team-building events. Later, she simply remained silent or casually said it was nothing. Now I think this is quite good, not bothering each other. I sent Olivia a message, then threw the signed divorce papers on the coffee table. Counting the days, it had been a long time since I visited my mom. Since my dad passed away, she’s been living alone in an old house in the suburbs. I realized that when I stopped revolving around Olivia, I had a lot more free time. And I had also neglected my family a lot. It’s a good time to go see my mom. After I got home, my mom was overjoyed. “Why did you come alone? Where’s Olivia?” “Did you have fun yesterday?” I was stunned. Fun? “What, did you forget your birthday yesterday? I even called you, and you said you were out with Olivia.” Only then did I remember that I was busy with a project contract at work yesterday. I hurriedly answered my mom’s call and briefly brushed it off. I completely forgot about my birthday as soon as I hung up. I didn’t know how to answer, and I couldn’t explain. It turned out yesterday was my birthday. At least in previous years, Olivia and I would have a meal together. This year, it was completely forgotten. I thought I would feel disappointed and sad. But now that it’s brought up, I only feel guilty towards my mom. “You came back this time, is there any difficulty?” Fortunately, my mom didn’t dwell on it. Instead, she held my hand and asked with a smile. “Don’t worry, Mom has saved up some money for you. If anything’s wrong, just say it.” My eyes turned red, and I repeatedly said there was nothing wrong. I felt very guilty inside. How long had it been since I last came back? Before, every time I came to my mom, it seemed to be for money. Because Olivia never took care of the household, I had to be responsible for the mortgage and car loan, and the pressure was too great. That evening, I enjoyed the dinner very much. After eating, I watched some TV shows with my mom. We were happy and chatty. I hadn’t been this relaxed in a long time. Before, it was all for Olivia, I didn’t have my own life. And now, I can spend any amount of time with my mom. In the evening, I don’t have to make a table full of dishes waiting for her. I can spend an evening eating with my mom, watching dramas, listening to her talk about neighborhood stories. When I go home, I don’t have to think about how to ask for money. In the past, holidays had to fit her schedule. Now I can go wherever I want. Without Olivia, it turns out to be so relaxing and enjoyable. Until the next morning, when I was woken up by my mom’s coughing. When I found her, she was outside the front door, trying hard to cover her mouth, her face red as she coughed. “It’s nothing, just a small problem.” Seeing me come out, she forced a smile and said it was nothing, but the next second she couldn’t help but cough up a bloody phlegm. Without a word, I carried her on my back and took her to the hospital. The examination result: tuberculosis. Looking at my mom’s evasive eyes, I felt extremely heartbroken. The words of questioning that came to my lips turned into complaints, complaining that she didn’t tell me. “Mom is old, there’s no need to waste money on this kind of disease. You’re under so much pressure now, and you have your own family…” Mom seemed a bit embarrassed. I took a deep breath and, ignoring her refusal, forcibly arranged for the best doctor to consult her. When it came time to pay, I found that I didn’t have enough money. I paused for a moment, smiling bitterly as I explained to my mom that the money was with Olivia. But… “That money, it was all borrowed by Ethan for medical treatment. You’ll have to think of another way.” After hearing what I said, Olivia said lightly. As expected. I wasn’t surprised, and I was too lazy to argue with her. I just told her to remember to come home and sign the divorce papers. “Haven’t you had enough?” Her tone finally carried some anger, expressing her dissatisfaction. “I told you, I’m serious.” She still thought I was joking with her. This time, I hung up the phone first.

With no other choice, I went to my father-in-law’s house and told him the truth about my mother’s illness. My father-in-law, who had just been discharged from the hospital, gave me $10,000 without a word. I didn’t refuse, and after taking it, I was about to write an IOU. “The money you spent on our treatment, I’ve kept track of every penny. This is your own money.” My father-in-law refused. Before leaving, he asked about Olivia again. I thought the divorce couldn’t be hidden anyway, so I just told him straight. “What a mess…” I didn’t answer. After giving the money to the hospital, I stayed with my mom at the hospital. She sighed, saying we hadn’t spent so much time together in a long time. I felt extremely ashamed. During this time, Olivia called me to urge me to come home. “I’m not coming back tonight, that’s it.” I didn’t have the heart to talk to her much. After that, I didn’t answer any of her calls. I just chatted with my mom about traveling to relax after she recovered. It wasn’t until the next day, after I had confirmed the surgery date with the doctor and reassured my mom, that I went home. As soon as I got home, I saw Olivia sitting on the sofa with a dark face. “Signed it?” I directly bypassed her to look at the divorce agreement on the table. Unexpectedly, she snatched it first and tore it to pieces. “Enough, Luke. How long are you going to keep this up? Taking things to the point of divorce, just because I didn’t come home that day?” “When did you become so unreasonable? You weren’t like this before!” “Say something!” Olivia was in a rage. I just stood there silently looking at her. In the past, it was always me who was angry and irritable like this. Suddenly, I understood her a little. People who lose control of their emotions are really ugly. “Fine, I know what you mean.” Seeing that I didn’t speak, Olivia sneered and started to undress in front of me, moving very quickly. “What are you doing?” I stopped her. “I know you’re not satisfied with me going to take care of Ethan, but there’s nothing between us. I’m still pure. Now I’m giving myself to you, is that okay?” “You don’t need to refuse, this is my duty as a wife, isn’t it?” After saying this, she pushed away my hand and stubbornly continued to undress. I walked to the window and pulled the curtains. When I turned back, I found her looking at me mockingly: “What, you want to do it in the living room?”

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I grew up with Ryan Parker, and we got married right after college graduation. After ten years of marriage, I still couldn’t have children. I felt incredibly guilty towards him and willingly quit my job to focus on getting pregnant. But my husband had long been involved with my housekeeper’s daughter. They sold off my family’s assets and plotted to kill my parents. They made me infertile, locked me in the basement, and forced me to watch their happy family of four while I died full of hatred. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to my senior year of high school. Ryan Parker and I had been engaged since childhood. The year I graduated from middle school, Ryan’s father’s company went bankrupt due to mismanagement. Unable to bear the enormous debt, Ryan’s father chose to jump off a building. My parents felt sorry for the orphaned Ryan and his widowed mother. They paid off their debts and covered all their expenses. In other words, my family was supporting them. After college graduation, Ryan started working at my family’s company and married me. My parents were kind-hearted, but they ended up raising two ungrateful wolves. Ryan and his mother resented my parents for not paying off their debts before his father’s suicide. They conspired with others to kill my parents. Ryan also made me infertile and used my guilt to take control of my family’s company. By the time I discovered all of this, Ryan and his mistress already had two children. That day, after countless attempts at IVF, I finally succeeded in getting pregnant. Excited, I ran downstairs to share the joyful news with my beloved husband. It was also the day my family’s company declared bankruptcy. Ryan finally didn’t need to keep up appearances with me anymore. He brought his two children to meet me. I stood stunned at the bottom of the stairs, looking at the happy family of four. The two children looked just like Ryan. I couldn’t even deceive myself. “Ryan Parker, who are they?” I asked. “My wife and sons,” he replied. Tessa, sporting a baby bump, walked over to me step by step. She was my housekeeper’s daughter. “Miss High-and-Mighty, what good is your status now?” she sneered. “Your family’s assets are mine, and your man loves me.” She snatched the report from my hand. “Oh my! You’re pregnant?! How is that possible after all those birth control pills?!” Birth control pills? I had never taken any. Suddenly, I remembered the vitamins Ryan had prepared for me, always reminding me to take them. I turned to confront him, but Tessa pushed me down the stairs. I instinctively tried to protect my belly, but it was futile. A sharp pain shot through my abdomen. I struggled, begging Ryan to take me to the hospital. I saw Ryan covering his sons’ eyes, looking at me like I was trash. “Save me…” I pleaded. No one paid any attention. I felt blood slowly seeping from between my legs, my body growing colder. In my final moments, I heard Ryan’s voice. “Finally dead. If only she had been in the same car as those two old fools, we wouldn’t have had so much trouble.”

“Chloe? Hello?” “This is Mrs. Chen’s class. How dare you zone out?” I found myself sitting in my high school classroom, as if waking from a long dream. I had returned to my senior year. “Tessa Thompson.” Hearing that name again, my hand clenched tightly around my pen. Tessa, with her high ponytail, stood up confidently from her seat to answer the teacher’s question. I turned my head slightly and saw Ryan through the gap of Tessa’s arm. And his eyes full of adoration. So Ryan had fallen for Tessa this early on. Ryan and Tessa consistently ranked first and second in our grade. In my previous life, they got into the same top university. I thought Ryan had fallen for her in college, but it turns out it was much earlier. Actually, at the beginning of high school, I was the top student. The kind that could beat the second place by dozens of points. Ryan always told me that my consistently outperforming him made him anxious. He said that with my family’s wealth, whether I went to college or not wouldn’t make much difference. He said his feelings for me wouldn’t change regardless of my grades, and that I should enjoy life instead of spending all my time studying. Gradually, influenced by him, I only got into an average college for my entrance exams. He, however, got into a top university along with Tessa. After we married, my ordinary degree became a reason for Ryan’s mother to look down on me. She felt that my average college education wasn’t good enough for her son who graduated from a top university. Thinking back now, I must have been out of my mind or kicked in the head by a donkey. Why did I pin my entire life on a man? And a man who relied on my family’s support, no less.

During the break, I buried my head in my books. Although I hadn’t completely neglected my studies in my later years, I wasn’t as diligent as I had been in my freshman year. Given a second chance at life, I was determined to catch up on everything I had fallen behind on. My deskmate nudged my arm. Ryan had come over. “Chloe, this is for you,” he said. Just like in my previous life, it was a star bottle. I caught a glimpse of the reluctance hidden in Ryan’s eyes. “Thanks,” I said casually. As if he had completed a task by giving it to me, he turned and left without wanting to linger a moment longer. I carelessly placed the star bottle on my desk and continued reading my book. My deskmate stared at the star bottle for a while, then nudged me again. “Chloe, about this star bottle…” “What about it?” I asked. “I think I’ve seen it with Tessa before…” I nodded, still appearing to be focused on my book, but I was listening intently and keeping an eye on Tessa from the corner of my eye. I saw Tessa listening to Ryan explain a problem with a coy expression. I also overheard Ryan’s cronies talking. “Why is Chloe so calm today?” “Yeah! Ryan gave her something, hand-delivered it! Shouldn’t she be crying with joy?” “You don’t think she knows it’s something Tessa rejected, do you?” “As if! Getting something Tessa doesn’t want is an honor for her!” I remembered that in my previous life, when I received this star bottle, I had indeed reacted just as those boys expected. I was excited. I cried with joy. It was one of the few gifts Ryan had ever given me. That day, I posted about it on all my social media accounts. Back then, my deskmate had said the same thing to me, but I had flown into a rage. I looked at my deskmate with guilt-ridden eyes. Her face, still chubby with baby fat, looked terrified. She crossed her arms defensively, “Girl, I’m straight!” Way to ruin the mood. I went back to reading my book.

After school, I couldn’t wait to get home. I missed my parents. I also wanted to tell them that I wanted to break off the engagement, that Ryan and his mother were ungrateful wretches. I excitedly rushed into the house but didn’t see a trace of my parents. I asked the butler, “Where are Mom and Dad?” “Miss, have you forgotten? The master and madam are abroad. They won’t be back for another two weeks.” Right, I had forgotten. I also realized something else. My father had always valued loyalty and friendship. He and Ryan’s father had been best friends, which was why he had paid off the Parker family’s debts after Ryan’s father died. If I suddenly brought up breaking off the engagement, Father would only think I was throwing a tantrum and definitely wouldn’t agree. But was I just going to let Ryan and his mother live comfortably for these two weeks? I couldn’t accept that. “Has the living allowance for the Parker family been given?” I asked. The butler replied, “Before the master left, he gave them three months’ worth of living expenses. It’s only been a month and a half.” The butler thought I wanted to give the Parker family their living allowance. As if I would. “Is it possible to freeze that card?” I asked. “You mean the one for the Parker family?” I nodded without hesitation. “That’s a card under the master’s name. It would require the master to do that.” If I couldn’t freeze the card, I could at least do some accounting. Since my middle school graduation, my family had been supporting Ryan and his mother. They needed to spit out every penny they had swallowed! “Gather all the records of payments made to the Parker family over the years. I want to see how much they owe us.” Back when Father had offered to pay for Ryan’s education, Ryan had been adamant about paying it back once he started working. The butler’s face showed confusion, but he couldn’t hide his smile. I wanted to slap myself hard. Even the butler could see that the Parker family was taking advantage of us. How had I been so blind in my previous life? During dinner, I received the account statement. “Thirty thousand dollars a month in expenses?!” Faced with my shocked expression, the butler nodded calmly. I only knew that my family was covering all the Parker family’s expenses, but I had no idea their spending was almost on par with my family, who lived in a mansion. “The master values loyalty, and young Mr. Parker is your fiancé. This amount of money is nothing to the master, so he didn’t pay much attention to it.” I ate my dinner with a cold expression. Now that my eyes were open, how could I let people treat my family like an ATM?

At the teacher’s suggestion, our class formed study groups. Ryan, Tessa, three other classmates, and I were in one group. On the weekend, we met at the city park to study and discuss problems together. Ryan and Tessa arrived together. Now that I was immersed in my studies, I had no reaction to seeing them together. “Chloe, that question you asked last week really stumped Ryan. He even came to me to discuss it,” Tessa said. I glanced at Tessa, who was trying to make conversation, and saw the poorly concealed pride in her eyes, as well as the necklace around her neck. It was a limited edition piece from a luxury brand’s current season. Tessa was just my housekeeper’s daughter. The only reason she could attend the same high school as me was because my parents wanted me to have a companion. My family even paid her tuition. Where did she get the money to buy luxury goods? I had thought too highly of her. I had even considered letting her off the hook if she had been influenced by Ryan. Now I see, I won’t let her off at all. She can’t escape either. “Is that so?” I asked back. “But that question wasn’t difficult. I’ve already solved it.” “Re…really?” Tessa’s smile became a bit stiff. Ryan accused me, “If you’ve solved it, why waste my time?! My time is precious, you know?” “I just solved it,” I said innocently, pointing at the exercise book spread out on the stone table and Sam, who was sitting on the stone bench. Seeing Ryan’s expression like he had eaten something bitter, I felt very pleased. Ryan pulled Tessa to sit on the other side. I sat down too, continuing to eagerly bombard Sam, the real academic genius, with questions. I had to bribe him with a month’s worth of breakfasts before he agreed to tutor me. This was a true academic genius, the kind who could sleep through classes and still consistently rank tenth in the grade. Ryan and Tessa sat together, looking like a perfect couple. He was explaining problems to her, occasionally glancing at me. In his eyes, I should be madly in love with him now, ready to throw money at him to appease his anger. I did plan to go to him, but not to throw money. Towards the end of this group study session, I solemnly expressed my gratitude to Sam. Then, “Ryan, I have something to discuss with you.” I didn’t notice Sam’s initially pleased expression suddenly turn gloomy. Ryan wore a ‘just as I expected’ look and reluctantly said, “What is it? Speak.” I looked at Tessa and the other classmates, smiling somewhat mischievously. “I don’t mind, but you might care. Are you sure you want to do this here?” Ryan pulled me to the side. I handed him the account statement from my pocket. “You said it yourself back then that the money you used from my family was considered a loan. You’re an adult now, so here’s the bill. Remember to pay it back.” Ryan didn’t even look at the bill. With a face like death, he said, “You want me to pay you back?!”

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The day my sister ran away from her engagement party, I knew Marcus Lee would never truly love me. So she left for another country without a care, leaving me behind to hold her place as Mrs. Lee. I didn’t cry or make a scene. While still young and vulnerable, I gave everyone a graceful way out. Then I put all my effort into making Marcus Lee fall in love with me bit by bit. And I made sure to step away right after my sister came back. On my birthday, Marcus drove me to a campsite in the mountains. Tonight there would be a rare red moon, visible only once every fourteen years, along with a meteor shower said to grant wishes. A few ladybugs landed on my face, startling me into grabbing his hand tightly. He instinctively flinched but then, feeling how cold my hands were, pulled me into his embrace. In our five years of marriage, Marcus gave me anything I asked for. Houses, cars, luxury goods. Others said they’d never seen a man who loved his wife so much. They said it with such certainty that I even began to hope a little. So at my celebration dinner, emboldened by alcohol, I leaned on Marcus’s shoulder. “This year, I want to spend my birthday with you,” I said. “I don’t want any parties. I just want you with me.” He hesitated unusually long, only agreeing after the atmosphere had grown awkward. I no longer cared whether his tone was reluctant or helpless when he agreed. I was just overjoyed, waiting eagerly for nightfall. But just as the sun set, his phone rang. The signal wasn’t great in the mountains. Through the static came a few sudden sobs. “Marcus, I’m so scared.” “Why is no one here?” Crystal’s voice came through loudly, and Marcus’s face instantly darkened. The signal suddenly cut out, the static disappearing, leaving only the sound of birds flapping their wings. My hands grew cold again. I moved closer and grabbed his sleeve, but he shook off my hand, holding his phone up high searching for a signal. I stood frozen in place while he just frowned, constantly redialing, not even bothering to look up and explain. I sighed, grabbed my coat and got in the car. In the distance, I could faintly see the stars, but Marcus didn’t care. He just stepped on the gas. At the foot of the mountain, I stubbornly got out of the car and checked into the B&B I had booked in advance. Late at night, I huddled on the balcony wrapped in clothes. As soon as my phone regained signal, my mother’s calls started coming in non-stop. She had never called me before, not even that night when I nearly died from pain in the hospital after an unexpected miscarriage. I silently watched her incoming call notification. The ringtone stopped abruptly after a minute, then a new call came in. I pressed answer, and as expected, a mix of scolding and crying came through. “Couldn’t you have said something about canceling the party? Do you know she waited in the wind for two hours?” “If Marcus hadn’t come in time, her health really couldn’t have taken it. You know how fragile your sister is!” I looked at the winding river of stars in the sky and spoke sarcastically. “If she can’t take it, don’t you as her mother help her by taking my blood and bone marrow? How could she not handle it?” The woman on the other end was taken aback by my words, then seemed to be provoked into shouting. “Did we ever short-change you on food or drink? The Taylor family may owe you, but we still raised you.” “Do you have to be so intolerant of your sister? Do you want her to get sick?” “Your sister even gave up Marcus for you. What more compensation do you want from her before you’re satisfied?” Her voice was so self-righteous, framing all of Crystal’s willful actions as being forced. After all these years, I thought I was past being hurt by her favoritism. But the love and care for Crystal in her words made me so jealous I nearly cried. A shooting star seemed to streak by outside. I quickly closed my eyes, holding back my tears. I turned my phone face down and made a sincere wish. In this new year of my life, I want lots and lots of love. When I opened my eyes, Marcus’s message was at the top. “Happy birthday, Fiona.” I deleted the text and turned off my phone. In this new year of my life, I decided to take back my love and give it only to myself. When I asked my lawyer friend to help draft divorce papers, her eyes went wide in disbelief, just like when she learned I was marrying Marcus. Back then she had said: “That playboy? Are you sure about this?” Now she was saying: “He treats you so well. Are you sure about this?” I thought carefully again and said seriously under her complex gaze: “Divorce papers, you know. Better safe than sorry!” Five years ago, Marcus not only turned down a socially suitable marriage prospect but also declared he would give up everything to marry me, shocking everyone. Because the proposal target was me. Not my sister Crystal, who shone brightly and won international cello competitions. It was me, the least favored daughter of the Taylor family, disliked by my parents and unable to please men. At first, everyone thought I was just a tool Marcus was using to vent his anger. After all, he had pulled strings for Crystal, introducing her to the best professors, only for her to decide to go abroad without a word, leaving him no room for discussion. But in less than a month, Marcus posted our marriage certificate online and arranged for me to work at his family’s company. Overnight, it seemed, those who had looked down on me became incredibly friendly. Even my mother, who never spared me a glance, softened her expression and personally did my hair, sending me off to be married. At that time, I thought maybe I, who had been ignored by fate for twenty years, was finally blessed for once. Even if the beginning wasn’t pure, I was willing to be brave this once, just for myself. So I worked overtime day and night, struggling to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. At home, I took care of everything personally, leaving his family no room to find fault. When Marcus first saw his mother – who was usually extremely picky with others, who had cursed Crystal until she slammed the door and left – now affectionately holding my hand and refusing to let go, he just stared at me blankly, his eyes full of confusion and deep shock. It seemed that from that day on, he began to realize I wasn’t as weak and useless as rumors claimed. He started learning to accept me, even learning to… fall in love with me. He completely changed from his playboy ways, accompanying me in gardening and cooking. As long as he wasn’t on a business trip, he would definitely be home before midnight. I would heat up hangover soup for him as soon as I saw the car lights come on outside the villa. And when he came in, he would grab my hand, kiss the ring on my finger, and whisper in my ear: “I’m so tired today. I missed you.” So intimate that I almost fell for it unguardedly. He started being too good to me, so good that I even thought he had truly fallen in love with me, so good that I almost let my guard down, so good that I nearly gave him my all without reservation. Until a month ago, when I received an anonymous text message. [Thank you for your hard work these five years, but I’m coming back next month, and some things should be returned to their rightful owner.] [Right, little sister?] Her tone was confident and certain. I felt dizzy. Why? When she wanted to go abroad, she could abandon everything and let others clean up her mess. And now that my life has finally gotten on track, she can just casually turn it upside down. [I’m very satisfied with my life and have no plans for divorce at the moment.] [Neither does Marcus.] It took all my courage to send that. She seemed to disdain replying and went silent. The next second, I received a bank notification of a $200,000 deposit from my husband Marcus. Memo: Sorry. In an instant, it was like a bucket of cold water poured over me from head to toe, waking me up. Of course. Without his consent, how could she be stupid enough to send such a provocative message to my phone? She and Marcus both valued face above all else, so arrogant that even interfering in someone else’s marriage seemed justified to them. I turned off my phone and poured out the hangover soup in the kitchen. He wouldn’t be coming home tonight. Five years. It was time to wake up from this dream. Thank goodness, I think I almost really fell in love with you. It took less than a week for news to spread through my social circle that I had consulted a lawyer about divorce, along with rumors that Crystal was rushing to rekindle her old flame with Marcus as soon as she returned. Some said I was useless, that as a country bumpkin I couldn’t keep my husband’s heart. Others mocked Crystal, saying she’d wasted so many years abroad only to come back and fight her own sister for a man. Crystal kept her cool, but someone else couldn’t stay calm and rushed to speak up for her. Tyler’s call came just as I was about to chair a meeting to finalize the spokesperson for the company’s New Year product line. The angry young man’s voice came through the speaker: “You’re so useless you can’t keep your own husband, so you’re throwing mud at Crystal?” “I didn’t realize you were hiding such depths. Who knew you’d jump at the chance to be so despicable.” My secretary beside me was so embarrassed she wanted to cover her ears, but I calmly circled the key points for today’s meeting with my pen while saying into the phone: “If you really have what it takes, either be man enough to tell Marcus to stop harassing Crystal, or persuade Crystal to be patient and wait for my divorce before latching on. Don’t let people think the Taylor family produced a homewrecker.” “But you’re just a spoiled brat your parents ruined. You took over the company but still need Marcus’s company to feed you.” “You don’t dare offend him, so you come throw your weight around with me.” I took a sip of water and grinned with satisfaction. “What a useless thing.” I hung up, cutting off Tyler’s impotent rage. Tyler and I hadn’t been in contact for years. Even when we met at parties, he would only grudgingly call me “sis” for Marcus’s sake. Tyler grew up with Crystal, while I was sent to live with our grandparents in the countryside. Naturally, he wasn’t close to me. In his eyes, I was still the timid Fiona who didn’t even dare speak loudly, never imagining I would be so dismissive of him. He didn’t know that I was now fully in charge of the fashion line at Marcus’s company. So in the meeting, with one hint from me, support for Tyler’s company for the next quarter was cut off. In the spacious office, I finally experienced how great it felt to have a say. That evening, Marcus came home unusually early, even earlier than me. He seemed to have dug out the divorce agreement I had hidden in the drawer. The thin sheet of paper was torn into pieces and thrown in the trash. He stubbed out his cigarette and slowly spoke. “I heard you cut off the deal with the Taylor company just because I went to save Crystal?” “She fainted from the cold for your birthday party. I couldn’t just let her die, could I?” “You really don’t have to be so intolerant. It’s petty.”

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Fiona was jealous of my beauty and caused me to fall from a building, but accidentally fell with me. Unexpectedly, we were both reborn. And this fool wanted to exchange her genius intelligence for my beauty. Fine, you can be the pretty face this life, and I’ll be the genius. My name is Astrid, and I’m the adopted daughter of the Montgomery family. When I was 17, the Montgomery’s biological daughter was finally found. Fiona and I were polar opposites. She had an ordinary appearance and a plump figure, but her intelligence was off the charts. As soon as she transferred to our school, she claimed the top spot in academics. On the other hand, I had delicate features and a slender figure, but I was dumb as a rock. No matter how hard I tried, knowledge just wouldn’t stick in my brain. Fiona was a shoo-in for an Ivy League school, while I’d be lucky to get into any college at all. Seeing this, my teachers suggested I pursue the arts, but I couldn’t master painting or dancing either. My brain seemed to be permanently frozen. So, I was incredibly envious of Fiona’s super-powered brain that could excel at anything she tried. But I never imagined that this genius, praised by teachers and classmates alike, would be jealous of my useless good looks. Perhaps it started when she refused to walk to and from school with me. Or maybe it began when she fell for the school bad boy, Zack. During a basketball game, Fiona fell head over heels for Zack at first sight and began pursuing him aggressively. She’d wake up two hours early to queue for Zack’s favorite breakfast and secretly slip it into his desk. She’d skip class to follow Zack to his favorite internet cafe. She’d skip meals to save money for his birthday gift, only for him to not even glance at it. As a top student, the teachers paid a lot of attention to Fiona. They called in Mom and Dad. This was the first time she’d been scolded since coming back. Mom tried to reason with her gently, “Fiona, dear, your focus right now should be on your studies. When you get to college, you’ll meet even more amazing people.” Dad strictly forbade her from seeking out Zack before the SATs, threatening to cut off her allowance if she did. Fiona got emotional, “Why are you so biased? Astrid’s grades are terrible, but you never scold her. I just skipped a few classes, and you’re making such a big deal out of it. Why did you even bother finding me?” After that, Fiona became even more reckless. Zack’s cronies often used him as an excuse to boss Fiona around, making her do this and that. Fiona would pack various meals and deliver them to Zack’s classroom. “Why are you so slow? Our man Zack is starving,” one of them complained. “There were a lot of people, so the line was long,” Fiona explained, her bangs damp with sweat and sticking to her forehead. Zack looked away in disgust. “Alright, you can go now. Remember to be earlier tomorrow.” Fiona nodded and left. I was standing outside the door, watching Fiona being treated like a servant. My blood boiled, and I stormed in, throwing the lunchbox in Zack’s face. “What, you don’t have legs?” I snapped. Fiona grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away. Zack wiped his face with a tissue, smirking at me, “How come you two sisters look so different? You’re so pretty, while your sister is… hmm?” He frowned. “What, did you eat shit? Your mouth stinks,” I retorted. “If it were you, I might consider it. But your sister? I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” Zack said, sitting on the desk with his feet on the chair, his expression contemptuous. Acting like he was doing us a favor. I wanted to kick him, but Fiona held me back. “I won’t let anyone hurt Zack,” she declared.

The next day, Zack inexplicably started pursuing me, and Fiona looked at me with hatred in her eyes. That night when we got home, she trashed everything in my room. Mom and Dad rushed over to stop her. “You’re just biased! I’m your real daughter, and Astrid stole my life. Now she’s even stealing Zack. How shameless can she be?” Fiona screamed. Dad was furious, “Fiona, stop this right now, or I won’t be so nice anymore.” “You don’t love me at all. Otherwise, why did you adopt her? Now that I’m back, why don’t you send her away? In this family, it’s either her or me.” Mom was heartbroken, “You and Astrid are both our daughters.” Fiona continued smashing things while cursing at me, “Astrid, you bitch! You seduced Zack behind my back. There are so many guys out there, why do you have to steal mine? Don’t think I don’t know you were just trying to get his attention yesterday. I won’t let you get away with this.” Seeing Fiona getting more and more out of hand, Dad couldn’t help but slap her. Fiona ran out crying. She ran to Zack’s place and stayed with a group of delinquents, skipping school for several days. No matter how Mom and Dad tried to contact her or persuade her, Fiona ignored them completely. Seeing my worried parents, I reluctantly contacted Fiona on my own, “If you come back, I’ll leave.” Fiona sent me an address, telling me to come alone. I could have ignored Fiona’s situation, but I couldn’t ignore my parents. They had loved me for ten years; I couldn’t be heartless. Following the address, I arrived at a high-end apartment building. I knocked on the door of the top floor and saw Fiona, whom I hadn’t seen for days. The room was littered with empty beer bottles and takeout boxes. As soon as I entered, the way Zack and his friends looked at me made me very uncomfortable. I really couldn’t understand why Fiona would like this good-for-nothing delinquent. With her brain, shouldn’t she see them as idiots? Fiona crouched next to Zack, “I’ve brought Astrid here as you asked. You said you’d consider making me your girlfriend.” Zack played with the cigarette in his hand, “Well, that depends on what you do next.” Fiona got up and sat next to me, handing me a bottle of alcohol, “Drink this.” I refused, “You said you’d come back home with me if I came here.” Fiona grabbed my hair and started pouring the alcohol into my mouth. Soon, I felt dizzy and disoriented. When I woke up, I was lying naked on the bed. The tearing pain in my lower body reminded me of what had just happened. I could faintly hear Fiona and Zack’s voices from outside. “Zack, I’ve done everything you asked.” “Did you get the video?” “Yes, I did. Zack, can you kiss me now?” “Hah, look closely. I like girls like Astrid. Come back when you’ve had plastic surgery to look like her.” I found my clothes and got dressed. By the time I went out, Zack and his gang had already left. Only Fiona was crouching on the carpet. As soon as she saw me, she pounced on me like a wild beast, tightly gripping my neck, “It’s all because of you, because of your face. I tried so hard, did everything, but he wouldn’t even look at me once. Why can you get it so easily?” I slowly backed towards the balcony, then hugged Fiona tightly and jumped out the window with her. Fiona, you ruined me, so you can die with me.

Ding~ Suddenly, a mechanical voice appeared in my mind: “Fiona requests to initiate the Life Exchange System with you.” Seeing that I didn’t understand, the mechanical voice sounded again, “Fiona wants to exchange her intelligence for your beauty.” Intelligence for beauty? Even a fool would know which to choose. In the face of absolute ability, beauty is worthless. I gladly agreed, and then returned to a few days ago. At breakfast that morning, Fiona peeled an egg for me, which was unprecedented. Mom and Dad were delighted to see our relationship improve. In class, I finally felt the joy of knowledge entering my brain. The feeling was truly addictive. After a full day of classes, I didn’t feel tired at all; on the contrary, I felt refreshed. The world of a top student is so wonderful. I wish there were no underachievers in the world. Back home, I burned the midnight oil. Because my foundation was weak, I had to start from scratch in many areas. For several days in a row, Fiona was polite to me whenever she saw me. Even when Zack pursued me at school, she didn’t show any displeasure. The teachers also thought she had returned to the right path and instead warned me not to think about dating just because I was pretty. Ridiculous. Now, studying makes me happy. Gradually, I understood why Fiona wasn’t doing anything. I, who had never had acne before, started getting pimples one by one. My weight also broke into triple digits and was still trending upward. Conversely, Fiona’s acne was disappearing, her skin becoming radiant and glowing. After losing some weight, her overall aura improved significantly. Zack came to see me less and less frequently. I still remained deaf to the outside world, studying in class and studying after class. Even in my dreams, I was filled with knowledge. In the first exam, I rose from over 900th place to around 600th. The teachers and my parents were all congratulating me. “You’ve made great progress recently. At this rate, getting into a good college shouldn’t be a problem. The pressure of exams can cause various adverse reactions in the body, but it will gradually recover after it’s over. Don’t worry, if you have any questions, feel free to ask the teachers anytime.” Recently, Fiona and I have changed a lot. The uglier I became, the prettier she got. Combined with her grades, she became the undisputed campus queen. I gradually became forgotten in the corner, and some people even felt ashamed for having praised my beauty before. Lately, Zack often came to our class again, but now he was looking for Fiona. The look of disgust he used to have for her was now directed at me. He even ordered that no one in school was allowed to mention that he had once pursued me. This kind of guy is really laughable, but some people still treat him like a treasure. “Astrid, I told you I wouldn’t let you get away with it,” Fiona said. “Look, Zack just brought me breakfast specially.” I glanced at the plastic bag she held high, “Drink more hot water.” After all, steamed buns can be quite dry. Fiona seemed to care a lot about Zack having once pursued me, and she often came to show off to me. “This is the couple’s ring Zack gave me. He said he wants to be with me forever.” I couldn’t understand what was so exciting about a cheap ring that probably cost less than $10 on Wish. If he’s not willing to spend money, how much love can there be?

The more something isn’t yours, the more you care about it. Fiona constantly checked her face, hiding mirrors in her books and stuffing her desk drawer full of skincare products and makeup. During this homeroom class, she was still fussing with her face under the desk. “Fiona, you dropped more than fifty places in the last exam. Aren’t you worried? If you keep this up, forget about Ivy League schools, you might not even get into college,” the teacher scolded. Fiona was nonchalant, “Teacher, beauty is a lifelong asset. If you learned how to dress up, maybe you wouldn’t have gotten divorced.” The teacher was so angry she trembled, and from then on, she never bothered with Fiona again. Fiona was busy flirting with Zack, while I was busy battling with math and physics. Mom and Dad couldn’t bear to see Fiona wasting her potential like this and tried to reason with her every day. “Fiona, honey, the SAT is a watershed moment in life. You should cherish it. Zack is just wasting his days away. Being with someone like that will only bring you misery.” Fiona couldn’t stand anyone speaking ill of Zack, “You haven’t cared about me for all these years. Now, and in the future, I don’t need you to care about me.” Mom burst into tears, “It’s not that we didn’t want to care for you, sweetie.” I gently rubbed Mom’s back. “Astrid, you’ve always been sensible and obedient. When you have time, try to talk some sense into Fiona. You’re the same age, maybe she’ll listen to you.” I nodded in agreement. Of course, I would try to persuade her. Only this time, the purpose of my persuasion would have to change. I wanted them to be inseparable, lest they end up on the market and harm others. I took a cup of hot milk upstairs to find Fiona. “Sis, don’t be angry. Mom and Dad just don’t understand Zack yet. They’ll agree eventually.” Fiona had thought I was coming to help our parents persuade her, but she didn’t expect me to take her side. “You don’t like Zack anymore?” she asked. “I never liked him. Besides, he’s the one you love. He’ll be my brother-in-law in the future.” Fiona finally smiled at me. After all, I was now the only one on her side. “I’ll help you keep it from Mom and Dad in the future.” “Sis, your love that defies the world is truly great. I’m so envious.”

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My mom has always been a big spender, and over the years, our family hasn’t saved a penny because of her extravagance. Whenever my dad asks about the money, my mom always says she spent it on me. When my grandma needed money for medical treatment, my dad yelled at me for being a spendthrift. I promptly pulled out the receipts of my mom’s expenses over the years. Ha! Did they think I’d be their scapegoat forever? When I was little, my mom would take me to the park and only buy me a bottle of water. But when we got home, she’d tell my dad we spent over $30 on food and entertainment. She’d enroll me in the cheapest English tutoring classes, costing about $4 per session. But she’d tell my dad each class cost $40. She’d buy me clothes from street vendors selling knockoffs, but tell my dad each piece cost hundreds of dollars. She’d even claim I threw tantrums, refusing to leave the store unless she bought them for me. In high school, while other kids got $30 a week for allowance, I only got $3. In everyone’s eyes, I was the one spending money recklessly, never considering my parents’ feelings. All of my father’s hard-earned money was supposedly spent on me. I was labeled a “wastrel.” During the New Year’s pig slaughter at my cousin’s house in the countryside, my mom was chatting happily with a distant niece-in-law. “Auntie, how do you stay so young? Your skin is so fair and smooth, I can’t believe you’re in your forties!” The niece-in-law even touched my mom’s face with her finger. “Oh, it’s just my natural good skin,” my mom said, clearly pleased and unable to hide her happiness. But her smile seemed a bit stiff. She loved having strangers guess her age, compliment her youthfulness, and then proudly claim it was all natural. This might fool older people, but young people could easily spot the obvious signs of cosmetic procedures. “Auntie, your clothes must be expensive! They look high-end,” the niece-in-law said, feeling the fabric. “The material is so nice!” My mom casually took the niece-in-law’s hand and said, “Oh, these are just from street vendors, not worth much. Only about $10. I don’t have any expensive clothes.” “You know, Amy needs money for many things. I can’t be extravagant. I still need to save up for her dowry in the future.” Lies! Her clothes were never less than $150. I felt both hurt and disgusted. She had been manipulating me since I was little, easily controlling me. Many times, she would criticize me in front of others. I didn’t even dare to confront her, feeling like I was a burden who spent too much money. Hearing my dad’s sighs, I didn’t want to cause conflict between them. But the truth was, my mom spent money like water on high-end cosmetics, brand-name clothes, beauty salons, and outings with her girlfriends. “How much did this cost?” Every time I asked about the price of something she bought, my mom would scold me. “Have you earned a single cent? What right do you have to question me?” If I tried to tell the truth, she’d say, “I’ve raised you for nothing, you ungrateful brat! Do you want your dad to hit me? Do you want your dad to divorce me?” So, for the sake of family harmony, I never exposed her. I just quietly played the role of the scapegoat. Coming back to reality, I heard the niece-in-law continue, “Wow! That cheap? Where did you buy it?” The niece-in-law widened her eyes in disbelief and reached out to touch the clothes again. My mom smiled silently, trying to brush it off. “Auntie, if you like it, I’ll ask my mom to get you one too,” I chimed in. “Oh, that would be great!” The niece-in-law looked at my mom expectantly. My mom laughed awkwardly, wanting to refuse but unable to find a good reason. She could only say, “There was only one left when I bought it. I’ll see if they have any more. If they do, I’ll get you one.” My mom glared at me discreetly, annoyed at my presumption. Of course, there wouldn’t be any left to sell! She wouldn’t spend money on such expensive clothes for others. My mom chatted and laughed with the niece-in-law, but she kept glancing at my dad to gauge his reaction. On the way home, she scolded me, “In the future, when adults are talking, you children shouldn’t interrupt.” I did it on purpose. My mom always liked to use me as a shield. In the eyes of relatives and my dad, she always maintained an image of frugality. Relatives often looked at me with disdain and gossiped behind my back. Because my mom frequently cried poor in front of them, saying all the family’s money was spent on me. The 80-year-old lady downstairs would smile kindly at me, then turn and say to others, “That child really knows how to spend money! Doesn’t care about her parents at all.” From childhood to adulthood, I always had the worst food, clothes, and belongings, yet I still received so many dirty looks for no reason. After I started college, I overheard classmates mocking me behind my back. “Her? She’s fake and cares too much about appearances. Haven’t you noticed? All her clothes are knockoffs. It’s hilarious! If you can’t afford it, why bother wearing it?” A few days later, my mom brought home an Anly brand shirt. “I bought you a shirt. It’s very expensive,” my mom said with a smile, her eyes holding an indecipherable meaning. I don’t know why, but something felt off. My mom had never been this generous to me before. Although I had never worn such high-end clothes, I knew this shirt cost over $150. She often said to me, “Your time to wear nice clothes will come later. Unlike me, I’m already half in the grave. If I don’t wear them now, I’ll be too old.” Whenever my mom said this, I felt sad and couldn’t bring myself to say anything more. Coincidentally, one day on my way home, I ran into my Aunt Sarah. She was stunned when she saw me, examining the clothes I was wearing. “Where did you get these clothes?” Aunt Sarah’s eyes showed a hint of horror. “My mom just bought them for me,” I replied, sensing something was amiss. “What’s wrong, Aunt Sarah?” “Take them off quickly, don’t wear them. It’s bad luck!” Aunt Sarah reached out and took off the jacket, then threw it in the trash. At first, she was reluctant to tell me, afraid of causing trouble with my mom. But after I pestered her, she finally revealed the truth. She and my mom had gone to visit a distant relative who had just lost her daughter. The girl was about my age and had just started college when she was involved in a fatal traffic accident. The young life was cruelly taken away by fate. The girl’s newly bought clothes had never been worn. My mom had taken them, saying she would keep them as a memento. But then my mom turned around and gave them to me. For the past couple of days, I had been thinking I had misjudged her, that she was finally willing to spend money on me, that I had grown up and she knew to dress me up. From childhood, I had never worn clothes or shoes that fit properly. They were always two sizes too big. The colors were never bright, and I looked both ridiculous and pitiful wearing them. They would be worn out before they ever fit me properly. There’s an old photo at home from when I was about eight or nine years old. I’m wearing a huge shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The shoulders couldn’t support the shoulder pads, which sagged down on both sides of my arms. I looked comical standing next to my mom. While she only cared about her own elegance, I looked out of place and even unsightly next to her. I cried all the way home, my eyes red when I arrived. My dad was off work and at home. He and my mom were sitting on the couch, chatting and laughing. Seeing me come in, my mom smiled and said to my dad, “You know, I saw the neighbor’s kid working part-time at the supermarket yesterday! Earning his own allowance every month, unlike Amy who only knows how to ask for money…” Before my mom could finish, I exploded and shouted at her, “Yeah, I’m the only one who doesn’t know better, the only one who doesn’t understand, so you give me a dead person’s clothes to wear.” “Are you even my real mother? Why would you do this to me? I’ve had enough!” I screamed at the top of my lungs, completely unlike my usual quiet self. My dad was stunned to see me like this and quickly came over to comfort me. “What’s wrong, Amy? Let’s talk about this calmly. What happened?” My mom also said, “Child, if you have something to say, just say it. Why are you shouting? Have some respect!” I shook off my mom’s hand and sat down on the couch with my dad. I explained everything that had happened. “Your Aunt Sarah shouldn’t have told you everything. What are kids afraid of? The clothes were new,” my mom said dismissively. “You be quiet. Look how upset our daughter is,” my dad said, clearly not understanding her behavior either. “Fine, I’m the bad guy. I’m the worst person ever. Is that what you want to hear? It’s just a piece of clothing! What’s the big deal?” My mom rolled her eyes, not bothering to argue further. She seemed indifferent to my crying, thinking I was making a fuss over nothing. “You’re really heartless,” my dad said, angry now. He knew I was timid, and he couldn’t believe my mom would do something so incomprehensible. He quickly took out $150 from his pocket. I knew this was his entire month’s pocket money. “Here! Dad’s giving you $150. Buy whatever clothes you want,” my dad said, stuffing the money into my hand. Seeing my dad take my side, I felt somewhat comforted. My emotions still hadn’t fully subsided, and I shouted, “I don’t want it! I don’t want it! I’ll work part-time at the supermarket and earn my own money to buy clothes!” “What part-time job? You’re still young. Your job right now is to study well. Our family doesn’t need you to go out and earn money,” my dad said. “Why don’t you give me the money? I’ll buy clothes for her. Kids don’t know how to bargain. She might get ripped off,” my mom said, eyeing the money in my hand. “Go to the mall to buy. The prices are clearly marked there,” my dad glared at my mom, telling her to be quiet. “You’ve spoiled the child,” my mom rolled her eyes and stopped paying attention. She wanted to get the money from me, then buy me some $10 clothes from street vendors, probably with some big fake logo on them. I immediately stuffed the money into my pocket to prevent her from getting any ideas. Seeing that I was still crying, my dad had to beg my mom to apologize to me. “I’m sorry, okay? Is that good enough? Why are you making such a big deal out of this? I was only thinking of your best interests…” My mom’s tone was reluctant. This wasn’t an apology at all. She was clearly still mocking me, blaming me for not understanding. I turned and went into my bedroom, not wanting to hear her speak anymore. I avoided her for days, not even making eye contact. I was truly heartbroken. Uncle Jack needed $7,000 to buy a house and wanted my dad to help out. My dad came home and told my mom, but she refused to lend the money. She lied to my dad, saying that withdrawing the money from the fixed deposit would result in a loss of several thousand dollars in interest. The atmosphere at home was tense. I moved around quietly, trying not to attract my mom’s attention or talk to her. I had just gotten home when I heard my dad pleading, “It’s not like we won’t get it back, right? Can you give me that $4,000 I gave you a couple of weeks ago? Buying a house is a big deal for them, and I can’t refuse my brother when he’s asking for help.” “A couple of weeks ago? That was half a month ago. Amy has already used it all,” my mom replied impatiently.

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Mia Wilson never expected her life to take such a drastic turn. Her sister-in-law, Lucy Lee, had always been obsessed with becoming a social media influencer. Every day, Lucy would livestream her attempts to prank Mia, treating her like a prop for views and likes. Whenever Mia tried to resist, her in-laws would berate her, accusing her of sabotaging Lucy’s chance at internet stardom. Even Jack, Mia’s husband, would physically abuse her, telling her to stop making a fuss. One day, for a mere $50 donation from a viewer, Lucy’s family locked Mia out on the balcony. Mia cried, telling Jack she was pregnant, begging them not to do this to her. But upon hearing about the pregnancy, Lucy urged Jack to keep Mia outside, claiming pregnant women were more resistant to cold. That night, the temperature plummeted from over 80°F to 14°F as a terrifying ice age suddenly descended upon the world. Mia froze to death on that balcony. Within a month, global temperatures dropped to -94°F, and the entire planet was encased in ice. Then, Mia opened her eyes. She had returned to the day Lucy first started her influencer journey. This time, it would be Mia’s turn to enjoy a warm meal indoors while livestreaming their miserable fate!

“Mom, look! My video pranking my sister-in-law got so many views. I need to make more of these,” Lucy exclaimed, waving her phone proudly at her parents in the living room. “Once I become a big influencer, I’ll be able to treat you to all the good stuff!” Hearing that familiar voice, Mia couldn’t help but shudder. Even standing in the sunlight, she trembled uncontrollably. The bone-chilling cold from her past life seemed to seep from her very marrow, impossible to suppress. After all, she had frozen to death in her previous life! Mia pinched her arm hard, the pain finally convincing her that she had truly been reborn. At that moment, her in-laws were praising their daughter for being smart and destined for great things. Mrs. Lee then glared at Mia fiercely, “You useless girl, did you hear that? You better cooperate with the videos. If you ruin my daughter’s chance at success, I won’t let you off easy!” Mrs. Lee had said the same thing in Mia’s past life. Back then, Mia had refused to be pranked and privately asked Lucy to change her content direction. But Lucy had tearfully complained to her parents, accusing Mia of being jealous. Mr. Lee had flown into a rage, calling Mia a jinx who couldn’t bear to see their family prosper. Mrs. Lee had pointed at Mia, cursing her as a waste of money who wanted to obstruct her daughter’s path to fame. Jack had beaten Mia black and blue, telling her to stop causing trouble over nothing. Later, for a $50 donation in Lucy’s livestream, the whole family had locked Mia on the balcony. Even when Mia cried and told Jack she was pregnant, begging them not to do this, the family remained unmoved. Lucy had excitedly said, “It’s even better that she’s pregnant! Pregnant women are more resistant to cold. Brother, quick, put her on the balcony. More and more people are joining my livestream. I’m about to become a big influencer!” In the end, they had locked Mia on the balcony. Mia had planned to divorce Jack and abort the baby once this incident was over. That night, the temperature suddenly dropped from over 80°F to 14°F as a terrifying ice age descended upon the world. Mia had kept banging on the balcony door, begging them to let her in. But even when her hands were bloodied from knocking, they still refused to open the door. Desperate to survive, Mia had thrown her body against the balcony door until the glass shattered. Seeing this, Lucy quickly told Jack to move a cabinet to block the balcony door. From the warm interior, Lucy, wearing a t-shirt and eating a popsicle, had laughed at Mia, “Sis, you’re pregnant, why are you afraid of a little cold?” Mia had clawed at the door with her bloodied fingers, sobbing and begging, “Lucy, please, I’m begging you. If it gets any colder, my baby and I will die.” But Lucy had just pointed her phone at Mia, telling her livestream viewers, “Look, everyone, pregnant women really are resistant to cold. My sister-in-law isn’t dead yet.” Lucy’s cruelty had chilled Mia to her core. Finally, Mia’s strength gave out, and she died miserably on the balcony, her tears freezing on her face. Thankfully, heaven had taken pity on her and given her a chance to be reborn. Now, the temperature was still in the 80s, a hot summer day. The cicadas were buzzing loudly outside, with no sign of the impending ice age. But in just a week, on one night, the temperature would plummet from over 80°F to 14°F. After that, it would get colder day by day, eventually reaching -94°F, freezing the entire globe. The fire of revenge burned fiercely in Mia’s heart. This time, she would have her revenge and personally send this family to hell!

Pretending to be meek and obedient, Mia replied to Mrs. Lee, “Mom, I’ll cooperate well with Lucy’s videos.” Mrs. Lee seemed somewhat surprised by Mia’s compliance, but still scolded her, “You useless girl, don’t you know it’s time to make dinner? Why are you standing there like an idiot? Go cook now!” Mia clenched her fist tightly, reminding herself not to act rashly. She then walked into the kitchen and started preparing dinner. During the meal, Jack came home. Mia had just washed her hands and was about to sit down to eat when Jack kicked her, “What are you eating for? The supermarket shelves are empty. Go restock them.” Holding back her pain, Mia agreed and grabbed the keys from the shoe cabinet, heading downstairs without another word. When Mia got married, her parents had given her a commercial property as part of her dowry, which was now being used as a small supermarket. Since the supermarket opened, no one in this big family had gone out to work. They all relied on this small supermarket for their livelihood. Not only that, but they had also dumped the most tiring and dirty jobs of restocking and arranging goods on Mia. To maintain the family’s expenses, Mia worked during the day and came back to organize the supermarket shelves at night. Therefore, no one knew this supermarket better than her. After restocking the shelves, Mia took some sausages, bread, and drinks to the storage room where supplies were kept. After eating, she called her parents who still lived in the suburbs. Hearing her parents’ voices through the phone again, tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily. In her past life, after Mia’s death, her parents had called her several times but no one answered. They had then called Jack to ask about Mia’s situation. Originally afraid of being exposed, Jack had replied to her parents using Mia’s SnapChat account, making them believe she was still alive. Later, when the temperature dropped suddenly and the ice age began, her parents had asked Mia on SnapChat if she could send them some food. The temperature had dropped too quickly, and they couldn’t buy anything in the suburbs. Lucy had come over and seen the chat history. She then instigated Jack to trick Mia’s parents out of their money. So Lucy and Jack had conspired together, fabricating an excuse that Mia was sick. Lucy had even worn Mia’s clothes to pretend to be her. Believing it was true, her parents immediately transferred all their money. After getting all the money from Mia’s parents, the two had made a FaceTime call to her parents, cursing them as big idiots and fools, saying no wonder their daughter was also a fool. They had told them their daughter had already frozen to death, and even sent photos of Mia’s corpse for her parents to see. This had immediately triggered her father’s heart condition, causing him to faint. The call had ended with her mother’s panicked screams.

Thinking of this, Mia’s voice choked up as she called out, “Dad, Mom.” Her father thought she must have suffered some grievance and quickly tried to comfort her, even threatening to come over and beat Jack up. Her mother told her to divorce Jack immediately and come back home to live with them. Mia shook her head, saying she hadn’t been wronged. In her past life, her parents had died miserably because of Lucy and Jack. This time, she definitely wouldn’t let that pair of scoundrels off! However, she also wouldn’t let her parents get involved. They were getting old and should enjoy their twilight years in peace. She would handle everything. But her parents still didn’t believe she hadn’t been wronged, so Mia had to change the subject, “Mom, Dad, can you rent the house next door?” Her parents were confused about why she wanted them to rent the neighboring house. Mia explained to them that extreme weather would occur in the future, and the previous owner of the house next door had been a foreigner. Foreigners naturally liked to dig all kinds of basements for storing things and as shelters, so there was a large basement under that house. After the foreigner left, the house had been listed on a second-hand platform for sale. Because it was in the suburbs, it had been on the market for a long time with no buyers. In the future extreme weather, temperatures would eventually drop to -94°F. By then, having food and drink wouldn’t be enough. A safe shelter would also be crucial. Although her parents didn’t quite believe that such extreme weather would occur – after all, it was blazing hot outside now – they still did as Mia said. After hanging up with her parents, Mia contacted a moving company. Under the guise of restocking goods, she secretly transported some items from the supermarket warehouse to her parents’ place. There was about a week left before the ice age arrived. By moving a portion every day, she could empty the entire warehouse without anyone noticing. This time, it would be Mia and her parents’ turn to enjoy barbecue around the fireplace indoors while livestreaming the miserable fate of Lucy’s family!

By the time Mia finished all this, it was dark outside. Just as she reached the top of the stairs, before she could enter the door, she heard Lucy’s coquettish laughter, “Brother, look! This person is as stupid as my sister-in-law.” Pushing open the door, Mia saw a harmonious family scene. The whole family was gathered around Lucy, like stars revolving around the moon. Lucy was Mr. and Mrs. Lee’s late-in-life daughter, greatly pampered. Mrs. Lee especially doted on Lucy, saying Lucy was her little cotton-padded jacket. Jack also adored his sister, saying he was Lucy’s eternal support and that it was fine if Lucy never married. Hearing the door open, the family looked in Mia’s direction. As soon as Mrs. Lee saw it was Mia, she immediately put on a stern face and scolded, “You useless girl, are you standing there like a door god? You scared me! ” Lucy held her phone in one hand and a bowl of fruit salad in the other as she walked towards Mia, “Sis, we forgot to save you dinner. Here, have some fruit to fill your stomach.” Mia looked at Lucy’s smiling face, full of malicious intent. In her past life, Mia had eaten it without suspicion, only to find out the fruit salad contained mango, to which she was allergic. Her whole body had broken out in a rash. Lucy had then laughed loudly, holding up her phone and telling her livestream viewers, “Look, everyone, my stupid sister-in-law ate it! Look at her allergic reaction.” Mrs. Lee had also laughed along, “Our Lucy is so clever, making that useless girl look foolish.” Jack had pointed at Mia, saying she looked really ugly like that. At that moment, Mia’s heart had completely turned cold, and she realized she couldn’t stay in this family anymore. She had decided to divorce Jack. But soon after, the ice age had hit. This time, since they could prank her for a $50 donation, they could just as easily prank someone else for the same money. Mia decided to test this theory. Pretending to have a stomachache, she bent over and said, “My stomach doesn’t feel well. I need to use the bathroom first.” But Lucy insisted Mia eat before going. Mia pushed Lucy away and quickly ran to the bathroom. Mrs. Lee cursed behind her, “Lazy people always need to pee.” Mia ignored Mrs. Lee’s words, because soon she would taste the bitter fruit of her actions. In the bathroom, Mia took out her phone and entered Lucy’s livestream. She directly put up a $50 bounty in Lucy’s livestream – to prank her own mother. At the same time, she commented, “Pranking the sister-in-law is boring now. Let’s try something fresh, like pranking your own mother.” She wanted to see just how much their so-called family affection was worth. Sure enough, the next second Mia heard Lucy excitedly tell everyone, “Dad, Mom, Brother, look! Someone donated to my livestream. I’m about to become a big influencer!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294780”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy

My husband just sent a $1,000 gift to his mistress, Who immediately forwarded it to me: “Sis, this scumbag gave me $1,000. Let’s go out for a nice meal tomorrow.” While Derek was taking a shower, his phone kept buzzing. Several messages came in quick succession. I picked up the phone and saw they were from someone saved as “Sweetie”, who had sent a few pictures. The screen was locked, so I couldn’t see the details. Then another message came: “Do you like them?” My heart sank. I tried entering our child’s birthday and our wedding anniversary, but they were both wrong. Finally, I unlocked it using Derek’s own birthday. The photos seemed to be taken in a bathroom, with dim lighting and tantalizing curves barely visible under an open white shirt. Even more eye-catching than the white shirt was the button on the chest. It was the one I had specially customized for Derek’s birthday, with our initials engraved: D&O. I had suspected Derek was having an affair for a while. He had been coming home later and later, claiming to work overtime on weekends too, and often returned with a faint scent of perfume. He had also grown increasingly cold towards me, barely speaking ten sentences to me in a week. Not only had he removed my fingerprint from his phone, but he had also changed the password. All these details pointed to one thing: Derek was cheating. It had been 10 years, from classmates to lovers, from school uniforms to wedding dresses. I never imagined he would cheat. I didn’t want to lose this family, nor did I want to lose Derek. I also wasn’t sure how to face his betrayal. He didn’t bring it up, so I pretended not to know. This way, I could still tell myself nothing had happened. This was the first time this person had actively appeared before me, tearing apart my self-deception. I sat rigidly on the edge of the bed, staring at the phone, the screen’s light stinging my eyes. I still remembered Derek’s tear-streaked face at our wedding. He thanked me for sticking by him, willing to suffer hardships with a poor boy like him, and vowed to give me a good life. Now, the poor boy wasn’t poor anymore, and he had someone else on the side. Hearing the bathroom door open, I quickly wiped away my tears and put the phone back. When he came out, I pretended nothing was wrong: “Honey, Emma’s been coughing a lot lately. Can you come with me to take her to the doctor tomorrow?” Derek paused while drying his hair, his voice muffled under the towel: “I have to rush a project recently, working overtime on weekends too. You take her.” I didn’t say anything more and quietly went to sleep. The next day, after dropping Emma off at preschool, I followed Derek to a secluded Western restaurant. The restaurant was by East Lake, with huge glass windows overlooking blooming lotus flowers. It had been a long time since I’d eaten out. At first, it was because we were saving money to buy a house. Later, when our income increased and I wanted to eat out, Derek would either say he had to work overtime or was too tired to go out, always finding excuses. The young girl cuddling up to Derek was young and beautiful, every detail from her hairstyle to her fingertips was exquisite. In just a few years, I had gone from being that kind of girl to a mom with messy hair, dark circles under my eyes, and dry, chapped lips. Actually, Derek’s attitude towards me had changed long ago. I remembered one day when I was applying lipstick in front of the mirror, Derek glanced at me and sneered: “With those chapped lips of yours, it’s useless to put on lipstick.” He had forgotten that I used to be pretty too, that I was once young and fashionable, willing to spend hundreds on a set of beautiful nails. But I got married and had a daughter. Since our daughter was born, I had hardly slept a full night. I had to get up in the middle of the night to breastfeed, clean the house and do chores during the day. Derek’s mother often came over, supposedly to see her granddaughter, but she never helped. Instead, she would demand this and that, keeping me running around. Derek couldn’t see any of this. He would only question why the house was so messy, or why I was arguing with his mother again. I always had to face a pile of housework alone, a crying baby, and their various accusations. Countless times, I desperately wanted to jump from the 11th floor. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with postpartum depression that Derek realized how serious my condition was. But even knowing I needed medication to control my condition, he still said I was being dramatic. I tried to discuss hiring a housekeeper with him, but he rejected me with one sentence: “Do you know how expensive housekeepers are now? Don’t you know how hard I work? Other people can take care of several kids without problems, why can’t you handle it?” Of course I knew work was hard, but Derek simply didn’t care whether I was struggling or not. Later, when the child became easier to care for, I stopped taking medication, and Derek became even more perfunctory and cold towards me. I could see he was losing interest in me, but I originally thought it was just a lack of novelty after being together for so long. After my parents divorced and remarried, neither of them wanted me, their past mistake. I wanted a family so badly, I didn’t want to be pushed out the door again. So I compromised and pretended not to know, thinking this way I could keep this family. Little did I know that while I was struggling here, they were having the time of their lives. I coldly watched them flirting, suddenly feeling foolishly ridiculous. A man who has changed his heart is like a rotten cabbage, disgusting to look at and nauseating to smell. I don’t want it anymore.

On the way home, while waiting at a red light, I saw Derek’s mother getting off a truck full of renovation materials, talking to the security guard at the entrance of Sunshine Garden residential complex. She had never been satisfied with me. She thought her son was excellent and shouldn’t have married a girl from an ordinary family like me. She even thought I was throwing myself at him because Derek and I had been dating since high school, and she always picked on me. What was she doing here? I followed her into Sunshine Garden at a distance. Just as I reached the entrance, I heard the security guard chatting with others: “That old lady is really lucky. At her age, her son still bought her another house. Four bedrooms and two living rooms, over 1,400 square feet.” My head buzzed. Derek had bought a large house of over 1,400 square feet, and I knew nothing about it? I pretended to gossip with the security guard: “Really? She doesn’t look like a rich person.” “Well, she has a rich and filial son! Last week when they came to see the house, her son drove a black BMW. That car didn’t look cheap.” Derek’s car was a black BMW. I returned home in a daze and collapsed on the sofa, surveying this small apartment of less than 800 square feet. I still remembered the night we moved in, Derek held me tightly and vowed to get me a bigger house. The bed board was hard, but I felt like I was sleeping on soft clouds, completely comfortable. The words were still ringing in my ears, but he was no longer the man who hugged me and cried, saying he had let me suffer. I rummaged through drawers and found the property deed at the bottom of one. The owner’s name: “Karen”. This was Derek’s mother’s name.

I had been kicked around by my parents since childhood and hadn’t seen either of them since I turned 18. When we bought the house, all I could contribute was my savings from a few years. Derek’s mother absolutely refused to put my name on the property deed. I didn’t want to make things difficult for Derek and was so desperate for a home that I agreed. But Derek had clearly said at the time that he would secretly add my name when he got the chance. As time passed, I didn’t bring it up, and he seemed to have forgotten. But he hadn’t forgotten to transfer the house to his mother. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. I was living with him, while he was scheming behind my back. Once the name was changed, this house had nothing to do with me. After all, who’s ever heard of dividing a mother-in-law’s house in a divorce? Cheating, changing names, buying houses. Had he changed, or had I been blind for 10 years and never seen his true nature? I don’t want this man anymore, but I must know how many more things he’s hiding from me. I started following him. I secretly installed location and recording apps on Derek’s phone and gradually figured out his movements. “Sweetie” was called Amber, Derek’s subordinate. Derek accompanied her to movies, dinners, and shopping. He took her to the hilltop where we used to date to watch the stars, retelling the romantic stories he once told me. I watched that man expressionlessly, my heart growing colder with every look. Half a month later, I discovered Derek having dinner with a young man. This man often handed out flyers near our residential area, advertising a financial lending company. After pretending to urgently need money and chatting with the company’s sales a few times, I learned that it was actually a loan shark operation. Within half a month, they met three times. At their third dinner meeting, these two men decided my fate in a few words: “Bro, as long as you have her ID and signature, you can just say you didn’t know about this loan during the divorce. Then you won’t have to repay it.” “Thank you so much, Little Wang. Don’t worry, once I get the $100,000, I won’t short you on the promised commission.” That night, when Derek came home, I asked him: “Have you seen my ID?” He suddenly became nervous, “Why are you asking? How would I know where your ID is?” I gave the reason I had prepared: “I forgot my bank card PIN and wanted to change it at the bank.” Derek’s expression relaxed, but he still couldn’t help scolding: “You can’t even find your own ID, I really don’t know what you do all day.” A few days ago, I would have angrily explained everything I did in a day and how exhausting it was. But now, I said nothing. I could now confirm that he had taken my ID to get a high-interest loan. That night, Derek fell asleep as soon as he got into bed. I looked at his familiar outline in the dark, listening to the recording of his conversation with Little Wang through my earphones, tears streaming down my face without realizing it. I hadn’t worked outside the home for four years and had no income. If I were to be saddled with a $100,000 high-interest loan on top of that, I really wouldn’t know how to repay it. Derek was my husband. It was all too easy for him to get my ID and signature. Didn’t he know what situation this would put me in? Of course he knew, he just didn’t care. He hadn’t thought about me, hadn’t thought about our child. He just wanted to divorce me and squeeze everything he could out of me. I masochistically listened to the recording over and over again, feeling a bone-chilling cold from head to toe. Since that’s how it is, don’t blame me for being ruthless.

I went to see a lawyer to consult about whether I would be responsible for repaying a loan if my husband borrowed money using my name fraudulently. The lawyer said as long as the loan wasn’t used for family expenses and there was evidence that it wasn’t my signature, I wouldn’t be liable. That night, I posted an anonymous message online: “My husband is cheating. Need help gathering evidence for divorce. Will pay handsomely for proof.” A few days later, Jack contacted me. He ran a private investigation agency specializing in tracking cheaters and affairs. In his own words, this was “upholding justice”. Jack was slim with androgynous features. If he grew out his hair, he could easily pass for a girl. I offered to pay him $50,000 upon completion, with red envelopes of at least $100 for each photo or chat record he provided, but I needed to know all the details. Jack agreed. As expected of a professional, he got quite a few photos after just a few days of following Derek. Besides going out as a couple with “Sweetie” to various high-end hotels and shopping malls, Derek also frequented other places. Jack angrily said on the phone: “Sis, this scumbag is fishy. Does he have other income sources you don’t know about?” Looking at the photos on my phone, I felt no emotion anymore: “Hmm, I thought so too. Keep following him.” No time to take the kid to the hospital, but plenty of time to take his mistress shopping. Buying houses and all sorts of high-end consumption, where did Derek, a department manager, get so much money? I laughed coldly, saved the photos to the cloud, then deleted the chat history. I started investigating Derek’s income sources but didn’t find any side jobs. However, I discovered he had lost over $100,000 in stocks. But from his phone’s payment records, I noticed a pattern. After the 10th of the first month of each quarter, Derek would always spend very lavishly. Most of his big expenses were during this time. But his payday was on the 28th of each month. I had heard him mention before that department project funds were allocated and audited quarterly, and he had put a lot of effort into the fund usage reports. I told Jack this information and asked him to investigate in this direction. Sure enough, there was good news in a few days. Jack got some information from one of Derek’s subordinates: “It’s harder than climbing to heaven to get funds approved from Manager Tian. I just don’t understand, it’s not his own money, why is he so stingy!” Jack sent me the recording and said: “Sis, this scumbag wouldn’t be so bold as to embezzle company funds, would he?” Huh, cheating, transferring assets, forging signatures – adding embezzlement doesn’t seem so strange anymore. “Can you get evidence?” Jack was quite confident: “Yes, but it will take some more time.”

My original plan was just to protect myself and go through normal divorce procedures with Derek. As for the mistress who interfered in my family, while I couldn’t say I had no resentment, I didn’t intend to do anything to her. She may be detestable, but the real culprit is still Derek. If a man doesn’t have the heart to cheat, no woman outside can seduce him no matter how hard she tries. But while I had no intention of doing anything to the mistress, she wasn’t willing to leave me alone. On Valentine’s Day, I received a friend request on SnapChat. After I accepted, I checked the profile, which only showed posts from the last 3 days. The message was from “Sweetie”, containing a photo of Derek and her with their faces close together, heads touching, both with sweet smiles. Immediately after was a text message: “He’s mine.” The period at the end of the sentence was firm and unquestionable, revealing arrogance and smugness. I asked: “Who are you?” My calmness seemed to irritate her: “Derek loves me, don’t get cocky.” I was a bit speechless. Didn’t you just say you were the true love? Shouldn’t you be the one getting cocky? Seeing that I didn’t reply, she sent another video: In the video, she was smilingly pinching Emma’s cheeks. The child was wailing, waving her arms desperately trying to push her away, calling out “Mommy”. She had met Emma? The little dress Emma was wearing was one I bought her last month, which means this happened recently? I immediately called Emma’s preschool teacher, Ms. Zhang. Ms. Zhang sounded confused: “On the 18th of last month, Emma’s dad came and said he wanted to take her out to play. I thought you knew.” I panicked and asked Amber: “What do you mean?” Seemingly satisfied with my reaction, Amber giggled and sent a voice message: “I just want you to understand that I can get anything I want.” “You’ve already got it. Adult matters have nothing to do with children.” Amber snorted, “If you’re smart, hurry up and divorce Derek. Otherwise, you won’t even get the child!” I tried hard to calm down and recalled what Ms. Zhang had just said. The 18th of last month… At that time, I hadn’t started following Derek yet and didn’t know he had taken Emma out. I called Derek to probe: “Have you been to Emma’s preschool?” Derek immediately denied it: “No. Why are you asking?” “Nothing, the preschool teacher messaged me saying there was a strange man lingering around the preschool, so I’m asking.” So Derek doesn’t want me to know he took Emma to meet Amber, and Amber contacting me is behind his back. What is Amber’s purpose in doing this? It shouldn’t be simple provocation. It’s time to meet her. I arranged to meet her at 3 PM on Wednesday at Huili Cafe. I arrived half an hour early. Soon after, Amber came. She looked me up and down carefully, probably concluding that I wasn’t as young and pretty as her, and smiled smugly. I didn’t care. If she also hadn’t slept well for two or three years, she would be as haggard as me. “Don’t you have anything to ask me?” Seeing that I kept staring at her without speaking, she couldn’t hold back and asked. I smiled: “I just wanted to see what kind of person would knowingly be the other woman.” She choked, then said defiantly: “Love has no order. Derek loves me.” I almost laughed out of anger. I originally thought she was after money, but it turns out she’s just a romantic fool. “Look up the dictionary, do you even know what love means? At best, you two are just fuck buddies.” Amber’s face turned red: “What do you know! Derek buys me clothes, bags, and even a car! He says he’s willing to give me anything! We’ll get married soon!” I glanced at her: “Married? Do you know what bigamy is?” Amber retorted: “Don’t think you can stop us by refusing to divorce. If pushed too far, we’ll make sure you can’t even get the child!” I’m refusing to divorce? Is that what Derek told her? I pretended to be nervous, “What are you going to do to Emma!” She smiled smugly: “That little girl is ugly and disobedient. Only you would care about her. It’s not like you’re the only one who can have children.” I looked at her feet in flat shoes: “You’re not pregnant, are you?” Amber’s expression was shocked. No wonder she sent me that video. She’s pregnant and wants to get married. “If you want a divorce, no problem. Tell Derek to come talk to me himself.”

Because of Amber’s provocation, Derek had a big fight with her. Jack said Derek was so angry he started yelling in the restaurant, saying Amber was too stupid and had ruined his plans. I nodded. Isn’t that right? With Derek’s personality, he would have everything perfectly prepared before mentioning divorce to me. I wanted to see how he would react now that he knew. Derek didn’t come home all weekend. On Monday night, as soon as he came in, he said coldly: “Since you already know, let’s get divorced.” He threw two papers on the table. I stared at my phone playing a game, “Know what? That you’re cheating? Or that you’re having an affair?” Derek paused, suddenly realizing: “You knew long ago!” “That’s right, I’ve known for months.” I sneered, “I also know her name is Amber, your ‘sweetie’. I didn’t know you could be so cheesy, Derek.” “You snooped through my phone! Don’t you understand respecting others’ privacy?!” His phone used to be open for me to look at anytime. Now looking at his phone has become invading privacy. I put down my phone: “How else would I know about you two dogs?” Derek was furious with embarrassment: “Watch your mouth!” Can’t take it already? “Are you afraid of people talking about the dirty things you did?” “I don’t want to argue with you! Sign the papers quickly! I can’t stand another day with you!” I folded my arms expressionlessly: “If you want a divorce, fine. Give me what I’m owed, not a penny less. We’ll go file the paperwork tomorrow.” He laughed coldly, his expression disgusted: “Have you earned a single cent these past few years? All you know is asking me for money! What in this house did you buy?” He slapped the two papers on the table, “If you’re smart, sign quickly. Don’t make things ugly for everyone.” Then he stormed out, slamming the door. I was shaking with anger. Although I only contributed a few thousand to the down payment, I had been working before having the baby and never missed a mortgage payment. It’s true I haven’t had any income these past few years, but haven’t I done everything in the house? He just flops on the couch as soon as he gets home. I cook the meals, sweep the floors, and when the baby cries, he doesn’t even know to pick her up and comfort her. In this house, I’m the housekeeper, the cleaning lady, the nanny, everything except his wife. I took a deep breath, trying to calmly look at the divorce agreement. It was written simply on the A4 paper. The small apartment belonged to his mother, not marital property. The child wouldn’t be with me, and I would have to pay $100,000 a year. I knew what Derek was planning. If I didn’t fight for custody of the child, I would have to pay him money every year. If I fought for custody, he would gain the upper hand and could use the child’s custody to pressure me. There was no mention of the other house or savings. What a good calculation. But I’m not going along with your wishes. My plans were proceeding smoothly, and things were going well on Jack’s end. A few days later, he sent me a message: “Sis, he took the bait.” The photo showed Derek having coffee with a familiar-looking long-haired beauty, his smile clear in the high-definition image. Everything was going according to plan. Derek started frequently meeting with the long-haired beauty. Under my instructions, Jack deliberately left clues for Amber to discover Derek’s new mistress. She clung to Derek even more, demanding expensive gifts and showing them off on Instagram, as if this was the only way to prove their “love”. Jack wasn’t to be outdone either, receiving quite a few SnapChat red envelopes and expensive gifts. Of course, all these things eventually ended up in my hands. One day, I saw Amber post a selfie on Instagram from a famous local villa area: “Derek’s taking me to look at houses!” I saved all the text and images. When people are determined to ruin themselves, no one can stop them. Indeed. She’s pregnant and about to successfully climb up, when suddenly a new mistress appears. I’d be anxious too if I were her. When I received photos from Jack again, there were several scratches on Derek’s neck, probably from Amber. “Sis, that woman called several times during dinner yesterday. Today I saw the scumbag’s neck all scratched up.” “Mm, I know. I told her.” Jack immediately transferred $1,000 to me, “I asked a few questions, and this scumbag guiltily gave me $1,000. Let’s go out for a nice meal tomorrow.” I didn’t accept it: “You keep it. You’ve been working hard lately.” With the threat of a new mistress, Amber became increasingly impatient, calling Derek more and more frequently. Jack said Derek seemed to be getting more and more irritated with her, and he heard him cursing on the phone several times. I knew the time had come. According to the pre-arranged time with Jack, I sat in a hidden corner of the lobby at the Rongxin Hotel. After a short wait, Amber stormed in angrily. After she entered the elevator, I took another elevator to the 6th floor. As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I heard a woman’s shrill crying from not far ahead. The sound was so loud that many people in the hallway were pointing and whispering. “Derek! Aren’t you disgusted with yourself!”

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I rushed into the drug dealer’s hideout, only to find my fiancée Rose held hostage by the mastermind behind it all. In a moment of desperation, I shot him dead. Five years later, on my wedding day with Rose, at what should have been the happiest moment of my life, she drugged me. I woke up in a dark basement, tortured for a week. Rose stepped on my disfigured face. “Lucas was just an accountant. Taking me hostage was only a temporary measure. How could you be so heartless to kill him?” Given a second chance at life, I didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. After seven days and nights of torture, Rose finally appeared. Her high heels dug into my face. My chest could only manage raspy breaths. “How does it feel to be dying, Jack? Compared to what Lucas went through back then, I’m still being too kind to you.” I stared at her twisted expression, yet somehow managed to smile. I was laughing at my own naivety. It turns out all that passionate love was just an illusion. “What are you laughing at?!” My laughter seemed to enrage Rose. She crouched down and grabbed my jaw roughly. “Lucas was just an accountant. He was as pure as a blank sheet of paper. Taking me hostage was only a temporary measure. But you, Jack, you were so heartless to shoot him dead.” Rose leaned in close to my ear, her voice chilling. “It’s been five years, Jack. Lucas must be lonely down there all by himself. It’s time for you to join him.” With that, she aimed at my chest and fired without hesitation. An indescribable pain washed over me. I died with hatred and resentment. “Captain! The insider says Miss Rose is in there too. Should we change the plan?” A familiar voice rang in my ears. I felt disoriented for a moment. “Captain?” It wasn’t until the person in front of me called out again that I realized it was Adam, my former teammate. Wasn’t I just shot dead by Rose? I quickly felt my chest. It was smooth, with no gunshot wound. “Captain, what are you doing? Now’s not the time to show off your pecs!” Adam grabbed my hand anxiously. The reality before me made me quickly realize – I had been reborn. And I had been reborn to the very day I led the team to raid the gambling den. In my past life, when I led the team in, Rose was already being held hostage by Lucas. To save her, I shot Lucas without hesitation. Afterwards, we busted the gambling den and seized a large quantity of drugs, but I overlooked Rose’s dazed expression. I thought she was just shocked by the scene before her. It wasn’t until she brutally murdered me that I realized she was heartbroken over Lucas’s death. Thinking of this, a searing pain tore through my chest. I no longer cared about Rose’s life. “Proceed with the original plan. Move in.” I coldly gave the order to attack. This time, I didn’t mind if there was one more casualty. When I led the team in, Lucas was indeed holding a knife to Rose’s throat. I narrowed my eyes, looking coldly at this pair of scumbags, and pulled the trigger without hesitation. If my calculations were correct, the bullet should have gone through Lucas’s hand and into Rose’s body. This was my experience from years of shooting practice. However, what I never expected was that at the last moment, Rose risked having her throat slit to shield Lucas. The bullet went through her shoulder. I saw her turn back, glaring at me with hatred. What a pity. She didn’t die. In my past life, after Lucas was shot dead, someone reported that he was actually the mastermind behind the drug operation. Following the evidence we collected, we discovered that he was the illegitimate son of the city’s largest crime family. After graduating, he took over the family’s illegal business and used his professional knowledge to develop new types of drugs. These drugs were distributed through their family’s nightclubs and underground casinos. Meanwhile, he used his accountant identity as a cover. At the time, all the major media outlets were reporting on this, and everyone was condemning Lucas. Only Rose, with red-rimmed eyes, kept muttering, “He was just an accountant.” How foolish I was back then to not see through any of it. After Rose was sent to the hospital, I didn’t go to see her. Instead, I went to the interrogation room where Lucas was being held. Lucas wore gold-rimmed glasses, looking refined and cultured. But only I knew how rotten he was on the inside. When I saw him torturing stray cats in an alley as a high school student, I knew. And he had this ability to make everyone think I was targeting him, even though he was the one doing all the evil deeds. “Jack, don’t pursue a personal vendetta. I’m just an accountant. Taking Rose hostage was only a temporary measure.” I silently watched him act. “So, does an accountant usually carry weapons?” I had checked later. The knife he used to hold Rose hostage was a finely crafted Swiss Army knife. “How about this, why don’t you ask that officer to get me a glass of water, and I’ll explain everything slowly.” Lucas squinted, a carefree smile on his face, as if he was just here for a casual chat. I knew he wanted to get the other person out of the room. So I played along and cleared the room, leaving just the two of us in the interrogation room. “What do you want to say? You can speak now.” I stood in front of Lucas, looking down at him. Lucas beckoned me to lean in, then whispered in my ear. “You haven’t tasted Rose yet, have you? Too bad, she must hate you now.” My fingers clenched into a fist, itching to smash his hypocritical face. “I really love seeing you like this. Oh, by the way, how’s your brother doing?” Because of this sentence, my fist landed hard on his face. Our whole family were cops. Both parents were in the anti-gang unit. When I was very young, my parents sacrificed their lives in an operation against the gangs. Later, my brother inherited their will and became a police officer. But during an undercover mission, he was discovered by the gang and had his tendons cut. Although he was eventually rescued, he had been tortured to the point of mental instability. Then I inherited my brother’s badge and became a narcotics officer. In my past life, I only found out after Lucas’s death that it was he who personally cut my brother’s tendons. At this moment, my hatred for him was enough to make me lose my rationality. Soon, people from outside rushed in to stop me. “Jack! What are you doing?!” Rose screamed as she rushed to Lucas’s side. “I brought a lawyer. I’m going to sue you for torture!” At this point, she had lost all the grace of a socialite. Like a wronged patient, with a pale face, she swayed unsteadily as she shielded Lucas. Lucas hid behind her, flashing me a provocative smile. I looked at this pair of scumbags angrily, wanting nothing more than to kill them on the spot. But I knew that what Lucas deserved most was the punishment of the law. Soon, I was called in by the precinct captain for a talk because I had hit Lucas. I knew in my heart that Lucas was the culprit who had harmed my brother and was the biggest mastermind behind the drug den. But I had no evidence, so I couldn’t say much. The captain sighed and patted my shoulder. “Jack, I understand your desire to fight crime, but innocent until proven guilty. Without evidence, you can’t be too extreme.” Lucas, with his innocent face, had once again fooled everyone except me. Even the captain and Adam thought I was being overly sensitive. The captain suggested I take some time off. I angrily kicked a chair and walked out of the precinct. Rose was waiting for me outside. “Jack, I know you’ve never liked Lucas since we were kids.” She held my hand, putting on a sincere act. “But can you not bring personal feelings into this? Lucas really is just an accountant. Can you stop targeting him?” In her words, Lucas was always the innocent lamb. I twitched the corner of my mouth, feeling as if the bullet that had once pierced my chest in my past life had hit me between the eyes again. When my father died, I was still very young. I followed my brother around like a little tail. But soon my brother went to the police academy, and I had to stay with my grandmother. At that time, I was timid and cowardly, insecure and sensitive, always bullied by the neighborhood kids. It was Rose, who had moved from the big city, who stood in front of me, shielding me behind her. For the young me, she was the light in my life. I depended on her, adored her. However, looking back now, it all seems so ridiculous. I looked at Rose’s anxious face, closed my eyes for a moment, and shook my head. “Rose, Lucas is a criminal. He should face the punishment of the law. It’s not that I’m targeting him, it’s that he’s defying the law.” I had told her this reasoning in my past life too. But clearly, she hadn’t listened in either lifetime. “Jack! You disappoint me so much!” Leaving those words, Rose stormed off angrily. After resting at home for a few days, I received a message from Adam. The drug dealers we had arrested hadn’t implicated Lucas like they had in my past life. They were afraid of Lucas’s retaliation. So they didn’t dare to report him. I angrily punched the bed. With the support of the team of lawyers Rose had hired at great expense, Lucas was soon released on bail. I rushed into the captain’s office, fuming with dissatisfaction. Before I could speak, the captain waved his hand at me. “The Lucas case is settled. There’s insufficient evidence, so we can only release him without charge. There’s no use in you saying more.” On the day Lucas was released without charge, it was Rose who personally went to pick him up. She even put on elaborate makeup and invited the media to clear Lucas’s name. I stood at a distance, coldly watching it all. Then I took out my phone and sent Rose a text message. [Let’s break up.] I saw Rose glance at her phone, barely reacting, then continue to fuss over Lucas. Rose soon began to appear in public with Lucas. I admired Lucas’s tactics. Back then, the Mi family had used every means to oppose Rose being with me. But with Lucas, they accepted him completely. No matter what they did, I was determined to put Lucas behind bars. I took on a new case. It was a cross-border drug trafficking case in the neighboring city. In my past life, I remembered that Lucas’s half-brother had gone to develop his business in the neighboring city. He eventually dominated the underground drug market there. But because I had retired after busting Lucas’s gambling den, I didn’t end up participating in the activities in the neighboring city. This life, I had no plans to retire. On the day I was to leave for the neighboring city, Lucas approached me, playing with a lighter. He looked at me with a smirk, like a victorious predator. “Can’t stay in the city anymore, Officer Jack?” At this point, my hatred for him had all turned into motivation to bring him to justice as soon as possible. So I didn’t want to waste words with him. “Rose and I are about to get married. Don’t you want to attend?” Seeing that I wasn’t speaking, he continued to provoke me. “Too bad, I don’t love her at all. I’m just playing with her. Just like I played with you in high school.” He was like a venomous snake, making me feel sick. Rose and I had been together since elementary school, until high school when we met Lucas. In front of others, he always maintained a polite demeanor, good at studies, good-tempered, good-looking. Teachers and classmates all liked him. While I was known for being simple-minded and physically strong in class. Good at sports, poor at studies. However, who could have imagined that Lucas, who seemed so harmless, Was an obsessive sadist. After I discovered him torturing cats, he didn’t panic, but instead threw the cat’s corpse into my desk. Perhaps because I had discovered his evil side, Lucas no longer hid it in front of me. He always showed his worst side to me, then provoked me into anger, and then pretended to be bullied by me. “Ah~ It’s that look. It really excites me.” His face came close to mine, his lips by my ear, whispering. “Rose crawled into my bed long ago. Around high school, I think.” Hearing this, I clenched my fists, my eyes wide with rage. “Jack! Are you going to hit him again?!” Rose screamed from a distance, running towards us. Before my fist could land, Her handbag came down on me, blow after blow. “Rose, don’t blame Jack. I told him about our love and asked him to give us his blessing. Jack just loves you too much.” Lucas’s skill at playing innocent was impeccable. “Jack! You’re the one who wanted to break up!! And I love Lucas! If you have any problems, take them out on me! Lucas is innocent!” Lucas is innocent – this was the phrase I had heard most often from Rose’s mouth. When did that little girl who used to protect me behind her back become so unrecognizable? “Don’t worry, a bitch deserves a dog. May you live happily ever after.” Coldly throwing down these words, I got into the car heading to the neighboring city. Soon, during the raid operation in the neighboring city, I discovered evidence of Lucas’s crimes. His brother had indeed kept some insurance, preserving evidence of Lucas torturing police officers on a hard drive. After getting the hard drive, I rushed back to the city without delay. Eager to deliver the evidence to the captain’s office, I applied for an arrest warrant for Lucas. Faced with solid evidence, the captain was also very surprised. He immediately approved my arrest warrant. I took the warrant and burst into Lucas and Rose’s wedding hall. “Lucas, you are now suspected of involvement in a case of police torture.” I coldly threw the arrest warrant in front of Rose and Lucas. Amidst Rose’s screams, I took Lucas away. This time, I wanted to end him with my own hands. In the interrogation room, I once again faced off with Lucas. He still had that smirking expression, looking at me provocatively. I placed the evidence in front of him to see. Lucas, surprisingly calm and collected, looked at it as if admiring a work of art. “This move does seem a bit amateurish,” he commented after watching, still smiling. “Lucas, the evidence is right in front of you. What else do you have to say?” I wanted to see what other tricks he could pull. Lucas shrugged, not saying anything more. “I’ll wait for my lawyer to arrive before I speak.” Knowing I wouldn’t get anything out of him, I didn’t want to waste any more time. But his attitude made me suspicious. I took the hard drive back to my office, repeatedly replaying the videos inside. The video clearly showed Lucas’s face. It was definitely him. But I felt like something still didn’t add up. Suddenly, my gaze fixed on the last frame. Lucas raised his head, flashing a sinister smile at the camera. The teardrop mole at the corner of his eye seemed to glow blood-red. Seeing this, a chill ran down my spine. I knew what was wrong! Before I could rush out of the office, Adam came running in urgently. “Captain, Miss Rose has brought a lawyer and someone else.” He hesitated, looking at me. “I think you’d better go see for yourself.” I pushed past Adam and ran to the reception room. When I saw who had come, I felt dizzy for a moment. It was a face identical to Lucas’s, except for a teardrop mole at the corner of his eye. Yes, Lucas didn’t have a teardrop mole. “Jack, I’ve brought a lawyer and the real culprit. Release Lucas now!” Rose shouted at me. I had no time to deal with her, my eyes fixed on “Lucas”. He seemed to shrink back a bit under my gaze.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294778”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #惊悚Thriller #重生Reborn #魔幻Magic #励志Inspiring #浪漫Romance #擦边Steamy