Author: Momo Chan

I was pinned against the hockey rink locker room wall by Alpha Jace, making out passionately. After it was over, I got dressed and was about to leave when I overheard his friends mocking me. “She was moaning so loud the whole rink could hear! More shameless than a prostitute!” “Are you really going to marry an Omega?” Jace shrugged. “Mira is just a sex toy. The one I’m really going to mark is Helena. Only she’s worthy of bearing my heir.” My face went pale. So that was why Jace had never marked me in all our three year. I was his mate, but the one he loved was my own sister, Helena. The next day, I left the Ravencrest pack. When I met Jace again, the Alpha King was kissing me wildly against his office desk. Jace stood outside the door waiting for the Alpha King’s summons. The Alpha King deliberately asked me. “Mira, who satisfies you better-me or Jace?” I moaned and hooked my arms around the Alpha King’s neck. “Who’s Jace? Oh right, I remember you have a dog named Jace too.”

Jace was the Alpha of Ravencrest pack. When I turned 18, I discovered I was his mate. He despised my Omega bloodline, yet was obsessed with my body. He loved the thrill, always pulling me into sex on horseback, in the forest, even at cliff edges. I thought this was love. That is, until today. After he claimed me in the locker room at the rink, I finally asked him. “Jace, when will you mark me?” Jace gently helped me get dressed. “Soon!” Then he left. But as I was about to leave the locker room, I heard Jace’s men laughing. “Who knew that Omega was more shameless than a prostitute!” Jace laughed. “But cleaner than a prostitute!” Someone asked. “Alpha Jace, are you really going to mark her? I still can’t accept having an Omega as our Luna.” Jace said. “No choice-she’s my mate. If I break the mate bond with her, my power will weaken.” Then Jace paused before continuing. “But don’t worry, I won’t mark her, and I definitely won’t let her bear my heir! Only Helena is worthy of bearing my heir!” A sharp pain pierced my heart. I should have known. Who wouldn’t love the radiant Helena? But Jace… if you never loved me, why lie? My face pale, I left the rink alone and went home. I was the illegitimate daughter of Ravencrest pack’s Beta. My mother was a lowly Omega nurse. Twenty-two years ago, my father was injured in battle, and my mother took care of him. Because my mother was beautiful, my father forced himself on her. My mother got pregnant and gave birth to me. But afterward, my father claimed my mother had seduced him on purpose. When I was ten, my father’s wife beat my mother to death out of jealous hatred. Father brought me home, but I was treated worse than a servant. I once thought Jace was my salvation, that he could take me away from this hellhole. But I never imagined he was just pushing me into another abyss. I remembered the first time Jace returned victorious from fighting Rogues. He turned his head in the crowd to look at me and winked. I had just turned 18. I caught the unique scent of cedar in the air-Jace’s scent. In that moment, I knew he was my mate. That night, he secretly climbed through my window and took me to the forest. Under a pine tree, he claimed me like a crazed beast. It was my first time. It wasn’t as beautiful as I’d imagined. I only felt pain, blood flowing endlessly between my legs. But Jace comforted me. “I didn’t expect you to be a virgin! I’m sorry, I should have been gentler. But you’ll get used to it, and you’ll even enjoy it!” I lowered my head shyly. After climbing off me, Jace got dressed and said. “With Rogues running wild at the border right now, I can’t announce our relationship yet. I’m afraid you’ll be in danger.” He kissed my forehead. In that moment, I was grateful to the Moon Goddess. But now…

I returned home alone, dejected. Helena was trying on a sharp hunting outfit. She was preparing for our pack’s hunting festival tomorrow. The next morning at the hunting festival, Helena mocked me when we met. “Does an Omega even have the right to participate in the hunting festival? Or are you here to play the prey?” The werewolves present all laughed. Jace, the host, didn’t stand up for me. I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. But I thought, if I could just win the championship at this hunting festival, maybe Jace would see me differently. I wasn’t inferior to Helena! After the hunting competition officially began, when I was chasing a deer, Helena deliberately rushed ahead. She wanted to steal my achievement. I snapped at her. “I spotted this deer first!” She raised an eyebrow. “So what? I can steal your man, so of course I can steal your deer! This is fair competition! Lowly Omega!” As we argued, a tremendous roar came from the mountaintop. I looked up to see mud and rocks thundering down like a giant beast. A mudslide! Helena immediately pushed me down and fled in panic. My foot twisted, but I used every ounce of strength to escape toward safety. The sky gradually darkened. Then I heard a car horn behind me. It was Jace’s car! A faint hope rose in my heart. Jace did care about me after all! But the car just drove past me, splashing mud all over me, then stopped ahead of me. Then I saw Helena standing not far in front of me. The moment Jace stepped out of the car, Helena rushed over and threw her arms around him. “Jace, you have no idea how dangerous that mudslide was! If I hadn’t warned Mira in time, we both would’ve been buried at the bottom of the mountain!” What the fuck? How could this woman be so shameless?! I rushed over and shouted at Helena. “You just tried to kill me! You-” But before I could finish, Jace frowned and looked at me like I was garbage. “Mira! Helena saved you, and you’re accusing her?!” “I’m telling the truth!” But Jace clearly had no interest in hearing my defense. He glanced at the wound on Helena’s calf and said to her. “You’re injured. Let me carry you to the car.” Helena looked at me with contempt, then deliberately pushed Jace away. “Mira will be upset. You should take her home first. After all, she’s your mate!” Jace coughed awkwardly, then gathered his courage to say to Helena. “Helena, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you. Even though Mira is my mate, the one I truly love is only you. Don’t worry, I won’t mark her.” Helena leaned into Jace’s embrace. “I love you too! Alpha Jace!” I clenched my fists. Three years ago, Helena didn’t even love Jace. Three years ago, Jace wasn’t yet the Alpha of Ravencrest Pack-he was just one of the heirs. Helena had said disdainfully to her mother. “Jace isn’t tall enough, and he’s crude. I would never like him. I like men like the Alpha King-tall, handsome, noble, and elegant.” But now Jace had become Alpha, while the Alpha King was a man she couldn’t even get close to. So Helena had started seducing Jace instead. I watched as Jace carried Helena to the car. As he closed the window, she looked back at me with a triumphant smile. Then through the receding rear window, I saw Helena straddle Jace. A piercing pain struck. I fell to my knees. When a werewolf cheats, their mate suffers tremendous physical pain. I was a weak Omega. This pain was potentially fatal for me. By the time I limped home, it was already late at night. Soaked and freezing, I went to the bathroom for a hot shower. When I came out, I saw Jace sitting on my bed. “Mira.” I stood still, looking at Jace coldly. He got up, walked over, wrapped his arms around my waist, and lowered his head to kiss me. I turned my face away to dodge. “Don’t touch me.” Jace’s body stiffened. He was confused. “Are you angry? Mira, I know you’re the most understanding. Helena is a powerful Beta warrior. I just need to have a strong heir with her. But you’re my mate, the future Luna of Ravencrest Pack.” I used all my strength to push Jace away. But he continued to explain. “What I said to Helena this afternoon-I was just humoring her.” I couldn’t hold back my tears. “Jace, you don’t need to lie to me anymore. You just see me as a sex toy, don’t you?” Jace lifted my chin with some pity, kissing away the tears on my face bit by bit. “Mira, stop crying. We’ve been together for three years. Don’t you understand my feelings for you?” His hand moved down suggestively. My wavering heart suddenly cleared. The man before me just saw me as a tool for venting his desires. I closed my eyes, covered my chest, and turned my face away, refusing to let him kiss my lips. Jace panicked a little. He’d never seen me act so cold toward him. He said in a low, humble voice. “Mira, after I mark Helena and have a child with her, I’ll definitely hold a grand wedding for you. I’ll make you the Luna of our pack!” I smiled bitterly. “Jace, I never wanted the title of Luna!” Jace gritted his teeth, as if making a huge concession. “How about this-in the future, I can let you raise the child Helena and I have.”

My eyes widened. I couldn’t believe he could make such an absurd request. Let me raise their child? And he actually thought this was a favor to me? I pushed him away and said wearily. “Get out! I’m tired.” Jace grabbed my hand, looking impatient. “Mira, don’t forget-you’re just an Omega!” I shook him off, raising my voice a little. “When you claimed me, why didn’t you despise me for being an Omega? You could have just rejected me! But you were afraid your power would weaken! You’re a coward!” My words stung Jace. He already had a bad temper. He grabbed my throat and said. “Mira, looks like I’ve spoiled you too much!” I said viciously. “Reject me right now!” Jace laughed coldly. “Mira, you’re just an Omega I’ve used up. As long as I don’t reject you, who else could you marry? I’m proposing to Helena tomorrow!” With that, he slammed the door and left. I finally collapsed on the bed and cried all night. At first light the next day, I heard commotion outside. “Helena! Come out quick! Alpha Jace is here to propose!” I secretly pulled back the curtain and looked out. I saw Jace in an expensive suit, standing in the garden, full of confidence. I stood by the window, lost and disoriented. I couldn’t believe he was really going to propose to Helena. Then I heard Helena talking with a maid in the hallway outside my door. The maid sounded worried. “Miss Helena, since you’ve agreed to Jace’s proposal, after the Alpha King comes to our pack tomorrow, should we still drug him?” Helena said leisurely. “Drug him? Of course we’ll drug him. If I can spend a night with the Alpha King, maybe I’ll have a chance to become the Luna Queen. I heard that after the Alpha King’s mate died, he still hasn’t found a second chance mate.” The maid hesitated. “But if the Alpha King really falls for you, how do we explain it to Alpha Jace?” Helena snorted. “Then let Mira marry Jace! Anyway, since childhood, Mira has only been fit to pick up my leftovers, hasn’t she?” The maid flattered her. “Miss Helena, you’re so clever. Not only can you keep Alpha Jace fascinated, but you’ll soon win the Alpha King’s favor too.” After they left, my heart was racing. Alpha King Mason-the man who made every female werewolf swoon.

I looked at my young, beautiful face in the mirror. A bold idea formed in my mind. Since Jace believed that as long as he didn’t reject me, no other man would dare marry me, why shouldn’t I try to find Alpha King Mason? I had once attended a banquet hosted by the Alpha King with my father and caught a glimpse of him from afar. He had lake-green eyes and curly golden hair. They said his wolf also had golden fur and was twice the size of a normal wolf. The next day, I watched Helena’s car leave the estate and quietly followed. I was still thinking about how to intercept Helena when, unexpectedly, Jace stopped Helena’s car up ahead. He said to Helena. “Helena, there’s a hockey game this afternoon. Want to go watch?” Helena hesitated, but Jace pulled her away. Meanwhile, I quickly found out which five-star hotel Mason was staying at. Then, finding the right moment, I slipped into Mason’s room. And so, under the influence of an aphrodisiac, Mason claimed me wildly. When he gradually regained clarity, he cupped my face in the moonlight and asked. “Little wolf, how did you slip into my room? And you even drugged me?” I knelt on the bed, frightened, looking at Mason pitifully. “It was my sister Helena. She bribed one of your servants to put drugs in your wine. But today she went to a hockey game with her fiancé, Alpha Jace. So I…” “So you took her place and slipped into my room? Do you know I could have you executed at any moment?” I trembled like a frightened cat. “I know I shouldn’t have done this. I just admire you so much… If you want to kill me, I have no regrets.” Mason suddenly laughed, then lifted my chin. “Mira, I was deliberately scaring you just now. You finally thought to come find me.” Wait, how did he know my name? Probably seeing my confusion, Mason smiled and reminded me. “Three years ago, you saved me in the mountains when I was poisoned by wolfsbane. Later I went to find you, but I learned from Alpha Jace that you were already his mate. So I didn’t disturb you again.” Then I suddenly remembered. Three years ago in winter, I shifted for the first time and was running alone in the mountains. Then I saw a man covered in blood, lying in the snow. I realized he’d been poisoned by wolfsbane. When I was young, I grew up in the mountains with my mother. She taught me a lot about medicinal herbs. So I found some herbs in the mountains that could suppress wolfsbane poison and applied them to the man. When he woke up, I realized that because I’d shifted, all my clothes were destroyed and I was naked. So before talking to him, I ran away in embarrassment. I heard him ask my name from behind me, and I answered. “Mira, my name is Mira!” At the time, I had no idea that injured werewolf was the Alpha King, because he was so weak then. I never imagined he would still remember me! I looked at Mason in shock. Fate was so coincidental. Mason pulled me into his embrace, then kneaded my breasts. Seeing me blush, he asked with a smile. “What? You were so forward just now. Why are you shy now?” I smiled and playfully punched his chest with my fist. The next day, Mason brought me back to his estate. Although he hadn’t officially marked me yet or held a wedding ceremony, all the servants in his estate knew I held a special position. A few days later, as I brought Mason his coffee, he suddenly pressed me against his office desk. His hand slipped under my skirt as he asked,”Mira, who do you think satisfies you better, me or Jace?” There was jealousy in his words. I was about to answer when I heard Jace outside the door. “Alpha King, I have something to discuss with you.” My eyes grew unfocused. Seeing this, Mason slid his fingers into my panties and asked louder, “Why aren’t you answering, Mira?” Hearing my name, Jace suddenly looked up and pushed the ajar door open.

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While waiting for my prenatal check-up, a young woman behind me accidentally bumped into me. A faint trickle of blood stained my clothes. I gritted my teeth, clutching my agonizing pregnant belly, ready to call for help. The young woman, Chloe, cried, begging me not to: “My boyfriend is a famous OB-GYN. I promise your baby will be fine! I’ll call him down right away.” She quickly called her boyfriend. I heard him on the phone, his voice laced with concern: “Chloe, I told you I’d pick you up today. Why did you come to the hospital yourself? The first trimester is the most dangerous!” When her boyfriend arrived, I was shocked. Her boyfriend was my husband! When my husband, Daniel Miller, appeared, my stomach pain intensified. But his eyes held no one but Chloe. “Are you okay? Were you scared? Do you feel unwell?” Chloe looked up at him, her voice soft. “I was afraid of causing trouble for you.” Daniel ran a hand through her hair. “Chloe, I fought my way to this position just so you could rely on me. I want to solve all your problems, you know?” His words drained all strength from me. I couldn’t even straighten my arm to prop myself up from the floor. Amidst the gasps of the onlookers, I slid bonelessly to the ground. But when I was pregnant, Daniel was nothing like this. My pregnancy was fragile, and I bled often. I tried to be sweet, asking Daniel to book a VIP check-up for me. But Daniel just stared at me, his face blank. “Ava, you’re an adult. Can you stop causing me trouble every single day?” “I’m a medical associate professor. I have to treat all my patients fairly. If you want a VIP appointment, you’ll have to wait in line like everyone else!” “I’m up for a promotion next year. Do you think a ‘good wife’ would jeopardize that?” “Ava, you used to be so understanding. Why have you become so selfish since getting pregnant?” My heart felt like it had been punched. I stammered out an explanation. “I’m sorry… I just worried something would happen to our baby.” Daniel and I had been married five years. We’d gone through countless treatments, countless tests, and finally conceived this baby through IVF. After I got pregnant, I was careful every single day. But Daniel would say impatiently: “I’m an OB-GYN. I know best if there’s a problem with the baby, Ava. Don’t be so fussy!” It wasn’t until my face turned ghost-white that he finally sighed, softening his tone, trying to reassure me. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to our baby. Don’t you trust me? Come on, don’t cry.” So I swallowed my hurt. Every prenatal check-up, I obediently waited in line for two hours, not even daring to ask Daniel to accompany me, afraid of bothering him at work. But I never imagined he’d be spending that time with another woman! At that moment, someone in the crowd finally noticed me. “This pregnant woman is bleeding! She needs to go to the ER!” Daniel finally turned his head and saw me. He froze for a moment, then rushed over, trying to pull me up. With my last ounce of strength, I slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me!” But the searing pain made me pass out. I drifted in and out of consciousness, hearing Daniel’s frantic voice. “Ava, hold on, I’ll save you. I promise.” “Massive bleeding, high-risk miscarriage. Prep the OR!” The nurse stammered, hesitant. “Dr. Miller, you have an important lecture coming up…” Daniel cut her off. “No one else can save this baby. I have to perform the surgery myself. I’ll take full responsibility for missing the lecture.” My hand fell limp. Thank God. Daniel still cared about our baby. With him, I wouldn’t lose this little life. I don’t know how long passed before I woke up on the operating table.

I’ve always been sensitive to anesthesia. Daniel knew that. He would never let me wake up mid-surgery. A searing pain ripped across my belly. A dark premonition coiled in my gut. I struggled to prop myself up, only to see a stranger’s face. He was making the first incision across my lower abdomen. My eyes widened, and I shrieked. “Who are you?! Why isn’t Daniel performing my surgery?!” “Daniel said he would save my baby, even cancel his lecture for me! Why is it you now? You’re in the wrong place, aren’t you?!” The man was startled that I’d woken up. He quickly explained: “Ms. Miller, I’m Dr. Miller’s colleague, Dr. Evans. Your situation is critical. If we don’t operate now, you might even lose your uterus.” “Before you went into surgery, a patient named Chloe fainted from stress, and Dr. Miller went to stabilize her pregnancy.” “Dr. Miller said her number was before yours. He couldn’t break protocol, even for his wife. But he was very responsible, he said, and specifically called me in to operate on you. I’m the only one who can save your uterus.” But I wanted my baby. I could still feel a heartbeat inside me. My baby hadn’t even seen the world. He’d fought so hard to grow this big, and I hadn’t even had the chance to name him ‘Jumpy’. I refused to let him die like this. I bit down hard, pushed the doctor away, clutching my profusely bleeding stomach. I gritted my teeth against the searing pain, rolling off the bed, stumbling and screaming Daniel’s name at the top of my lungs. “Daniel! Get out here! Please! Save our baby! You promised you’d protect him!” “Daniel, I don’t blame you! Just save our baby, and I’ll pretend none of this ever happened, okay? Our baby, the one we waited so long for, he kicked your hand last night, remember? How could you forget?” “Please, don’t be so cruel! Please, I’m begging you, save him!” Strange looks were cast my way, and whispers broke out. “Is this woman crazy? Dr. Miller’s in surgery. She’s yelling for him to come out!” “She looks like Dr. Miller’s wife. But even a wife can’t be that demanding, expecting him to abandon another patient to save her first. How selfish!” But I didn’t care about their scornful words. I just kept wailing, over and over. The relentless blood loss streamed down my thighs, leaving a winding crimson trail everywhere I stumbled. Dr. Evans rushed after me, steadying my swaying body, pleading with me to go back. “Are you trying to kill yourself? It’s just one baby. You can always have another one with Dr. Miller, can’t you?” I gritted my teeth, stubbornly pushing him away. As long as there was one shred of hope for my baby, I wouldn’t give up. Finally, I found Daniel in another operating room. He was performing surgery, his face grim with concentration. My eyes lit up. I threw myself against the glass window, screaming. “Daniel! Our baby’s still alive! He’s still alive! Please, just this once, can you make an exception for me?” “I can’t lose him, Daniel. Please.” My hands were weak, so I pounded my head against the glass, begging him to see me. Daniel’s steady hand suddenly trembled. He slowly looked up, finally seeing me, disheveled and sobbing. I felt his body stiffen for a split second. I ignored it all, desperately pleading with him to choose me for once. But the next second, Chloe on the operating table winced. Daniel’s gaze snapped back to her. His mask shifted. A nurse came out, and without a word, pushed anesthetic into my arm. All strength drained from me. I slumped to the floor. The nurse turned to Dr. Evans, who was still trailing me. “Dr. Miller instructed that she’s sensitive to anesthesia, so use a heavier dose. If the baby can’t be saved, don’t worry about it. Just save her uterus.” “He’s at a critical point in his surgery. If you can’t keep this patient under control and she disturbs Dr. Miller again, he’ll make sure you fail your annual review.”

The OR doors closed again. I lay there, eyes wide open, silently crying, pushed back into the operating room, utterly hopeless. Consciousness blurred the edges of pain as I felt my belly being cut open, the child, my flesh and blood, ripped from my womb. Thrown unceremoniously into a biohazard bin, disappearing from my sight forever. My head reeled. The pain in my lower abdomen spread to my heart, a crushing agony that stole my breath. The stitching was quick. Dr. Evans wiped sweat from his brow. “Your uterus is saved.” “Ms. Miller, please don’t blame Dr. Miller. To him, the patient’s needs always come first.” “He’s never pulled strings for a VIP room before. This time, he insisted the nurses reserve one for his family. Dr. Miller really cares, and as his family, you should support his work.” Dr. Evans rambled on, defending Daniel. My hands pressed against my now-flat stomach, a self-inflicted wound. I gave a cold, humorless laugh. “So, I should thank him?” Dr. Evans awkwardly fell silent, pushing open the VIP room door. “You rest well. Dr. Miller will be by to see you soon…” He didn’t finish. My gaze flickered to the ward. Daniel was holding a sleeping Chloe, carefully wiping a tear from her eye. “I know you’re sensitive, you can’t sleep with any noise. I specifically got this room for you. Don’t worry about anything else. I’ve got you. Our baby will be born healthy.” Noticing the movement at the door, Daniel looked up. His eyes met my ghost-white face. His lips tightened. Dr. Evans quickly pushed me back out, awkwardly apologizing to Daniel. “I’m sorry, Dr. Miller. I heard you’d requested a room for your family, so I brought Ms. Miller here…” Even then, Daniel carefully settled Chloe before finally turning to face me. He even thoughtfully closed the door, so Chloe wouldn’t be disturbed. He rubbed his forehead, dismissed Dr. Evans, then finally looked into my eyes. “Ava, Chloe just got a shock. She needs bed rest to stabilize her pregnancy. One of my children is already gone. I can’t let another one be at risk.” “I know I messed up, Ava… But the most important thing now is for you to recover…” I slapped Daniel across the face. After the peak of grief, a terrifying calm settled over me. “How did you two meet?” Daniel turned his head, closing his eyes as he answered. “She was my junior. Chloe is very sweet. She knew I was married to you, and she didn’t want me to divorce you and break your heart, so she was willing to be with me without any title.” “She knew you were pregnant and always encouraged me to go home and take care of you. She even insisted I not accompany her to her appointments.” “Chloe has been through enough. Take your anger out on me. This has nothing to do with her.” Ha. I started to laugh, a bitter, broken sound, tears streaming down my face. So he’d already considered divorcing me, and the only reason our marriage lasted was Chloe’s pity. Daniel’s blatant defense of her was the sharpest thorn, tearing me to shreds from the inside out. I lunged at Daniel, scratching and biting him like a madwoman, yelling curses. “Daniel, I hope you rot in hell! I want you to pay for Jumpy’s life!” Daniel stepped forward, clapped a hand over my mouth, and then, impossibly, injected me with a sedative. “Ava, I’ll compensate you. But the hospital can’t know about this. I still have that promotion, remember?” “Hospital beds are tight. I already pulled strings for one room. I can’t ask for another. Just for my sake, please endure the extra bed in the hallway.”

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It was Daniel Harper’s mother’s fiftieth birthday, and his female assistant, Tiffany, suddenly sent me a picture. The photo showed Daniel’s mother locked in a dog cage, her teeth all pulled out, her mouth bloody. I immediately called Tiffany: “Tiffany, what are you doing?!” Tiffany chuckled coldly. “You have the nerve to ask? Daniel just opened a new restaurant, and your mother immediately shows up to freeload? Are you that desperate?” “Let me tell you, Daniel gave this restaurant to me. If you want to take advantage, this is what happens!” I gasped in disbelief. “Are you insane? That’s Daniel’s mother!” Tiffany sounded completely unfazed. “Daniel said that even though he married you, he never considered your mother his family.” Daniel loved his mother deeply. No wonder Tiffany dared to do this to Daniel’s mother – she thought it was my mother? Tiffany hung up right after saying that. I didn’t dare waste a second and immediately called Daniel. “Daniel, your mom was hurt by Tiffany, you need to go…” “Alright, I know what you’re going to say.” Daniel cut me off, his voice chilling. “I think Tiffany’s lesson was well-deserved.” I froze. “What did you say?” Daniel sighed, sounding exasperated. “Scarlett, we might be married, but your mother needs to learn some basic boundaries. She can’t just keep looking for handouts and trying to scam me.” I started to panic. “You’ve got it all wrong, that’s your…” “Enough!” Daniel snapped impatiently. “So what? I’m not obligated to tolerate her greed.” “She dares to scrounge for food at the restaurant today; tomorrow she’ll show up at my company asking for money.” “Tiffany teaching her a lesson, making her remember, is actually for her own good.” Daniel’s words instantly froze my frantic heart. My mother, though from a rural background, had always been kind and honest her entire life. She’d never taken advantage of anyone and had given everything to Daniel. When Daniel was starting his business and short on funds, my mother didn’t hesitate to give him all the retirement savings she’d accumulated over a lifetime. Knowing he had a sensitive stomach, my mother, no matter how busy, would make time to prepare various stomach-friendly foods and travel a long way to the city to deliver them. Yet, this simple, kind elderly woman who treated him like her own son had become, in Daniel’s eyes, a greedy wretch with no boundaries who deserved to be taught a lesson. My heart ached with desolation, and my voice turned distant. “Daniel, I suggest you go to the restaurant and check on your mother. After all, it wasn’t easy for her to raise you.” Daniel exploded. “Scarlett, are you out of your mind? When did your mother ever raise me?” “No wonder Tiffany couldn’t help but teach your mother a lesson. With a daughter like you, she deserved to be hit!” “Today is my mother’s fiftieth birthday. I’m still preparing her party, I don’t have time for your messy nonsense.” “If you have any conscience at all, stay out of this and let your mother learn her lesson.” With that, Daniel abruptly hung up. A few seconds later, he sent me a text message: “In an hour, my mother’s birthday party will start promptly at the Marriott Hotel. Get dressed and come over. Don’t embarrass me like your mother.” I didn’t say anything more, just silently texted back: “Okay.” Since you, her son, are telling me to mind my own business, then why should I worry?

An hour later, I changed my clothes and arrived at the Marriott Hotel. The entire banquet hall was meticulously decorated, filled with flowers, balloons, and gifts everywhere. It was clear that Daniel truly valued his mother; he had put a lot of thought into her birthday. Daniel’s family, friends, and all the partners of Harper Group were there. Daniel was busy greeting them, occasionally checking his watch and glancing towards the entrance, seemingly waiting for his mother’s arrival. Tiffany, dressed in a delicate dress, was laughing and chatting with Daniel’s sister, Brittany. Seeing me walk into the banquet hall, the two exchanged a look and walked towards me together. Tiffany sneered. “Well, well, isn’t this the good daughter who lets her mother go out scrounging for food?” “Are you planning to pack up some good stuff for your greedy mother to try today?” Brittany looked at me with an expression of disgust. “Scarlett, you’re married to Daniel now. Can you please drop your family’s cheap habits and stop embarrassing the Harper family?” “Anyone who doesn’t know us might think the Harper family is raising a bunch of beggars!” Hearing their chatter, the guests in the room began to speak up with disdain. “When I arrived, I heard someone was freeloading at Cloud Haven Restaurant today. I wondered how anyone could be so shameless these days. Turns out it was Scarlett’s mother!” “I heard her mother was brutally taught a lesson by Assistant Tiffany, and her teeth were all pulled out!” “That kind of person totally deserved it! If she can’t behave herself, fine, but to embarrass the Harper family? Having her teeth pulled is getting off easy.” “Exactly, if she isn’t taught a harsh lesson, what if she goes out and humiliates them again later?” Hearing the mockery from the crowd, Daniel’s face darkened considerably. He walked up to me, looking down with cold disdain. “Scarlett, today is my mother’s fiftieth birthday. If her mood is ruined because of your mother’s ridiculous mess, I swear I won’t let you get away with it – or your clueless mother!” His words were incredibly harsh, and I found them utterly ridiculous. “Daniel, if you truly care about your mother, you should go check on her at the restaurant.” Daniel frowned. “What would I go to the restaurant to see?” “Your mother throwing a tantrum?” “Or seeing her make a fool of herself?” “Scarlett, stop disgusting me with your mother’s affairs!” Brittany lifted her chin, echoing him contemptuously. “Exactly, it’s our mother’s birthday today. Is your mother’s trivial mess really worth Daniel’s time?” “If you ask me, she should be locked in the restaurant and starved for a few days, so she learns what proper behavior is.” “Save her from truly believing that just because you married into the Harper family, your whole family gets to live the good life.” Tiffany looked at me smugly. “Scarlett, I know you care about your mother. Don’t worry, I just taught her a little lesson to make her remember the rules. I didn’t actually do anything to her.” The moment her voice faded, Mr. Harrison, the manager of Cloud Haven Restaurant, rushed into the banquet hall, breathless. “Tiffany, bad news.” “The old lady locked in the dog cage… she’s dead!”

Mr. Harrison’s words instantly sent the entire banquet hall into an uproar. Tiffany herself was frantic, demanding. “What happened?!” Mr. Harrison panted. “We followed your instructions, pulled out her teeth, and locked her in the dog cage, and we didn’t check on her at all.” “Who knew the old lady had a heart condition? Not long after you left, she started clutching her chest, struggling to breathe, and then she was gone.” Hearing this, Tiffany’s body went limp, and she almost collapsed. Daniel quickly caught her, comforting her. “Tiffany, don’t be scared.” “This is just Scarlett’s mother having poor health. It has nothing to do with you.” Brittany also recovered and immediately nodded in agreement. “That’s right, Tiffany, you can’t be blamed for this. Blame that old woman herself for being so frail and still going out to cause trouble.” “If you ask me, she deserved to die. Saves her from embarrassing the Harper family again.” Seeing Daniel and Brittany side with Tiffany, the previously shocked guests quickly chose their stance. “That’s right, people who love to take advantage like that are just parasites on society.” “Assistant Tiffany was doing a good thing. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” “Exactly, who told her to go eat free food first? With her bad heart, she still went out looking for trouble. Wasn’t she just asking for it?” Suddenly, everyone was comforting Tiffany. As if she, the perpetrator, was the one who had suffered, not the poor deceased. Seeing everyone on her side, a flicker of triumph crossed Tiffany’s eyes. But the next second, she shyly glanced at me and spoke weakly to Daniel. “But Daniel, the person who died is Scarlett’s mother after all. What if she comes after me?” Daniel looked at her with tenderness. “Don’t worry, with me here, no one will hurt you.” With that, Daniel immediately instructed someone to draft a waiver of liability and handed it to me. “Scarlett, your mother was in the wrong first. If she died, it’s her own bad luck; you can’t blame Tiffany.” “For the sake of our marriage, I’ll arrange a lavish funeral for your mother.” “But you must sign this waiver, promising to let this matter end here and not cause trouble for Tiffany.” Brittany, arms crossed, spoke condescendingly. “Scarlett, your mother brought this on herself. Don’t even think about framing Tiffany. Be smart and sign the waiver.” The siblings arrogantly commanded me, waiting for me to sign the waiver. But I pushed the waiver back to them, speaking calmly. “If anyone’s signing, it should be you. I’m not qualified.”

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When I was eighteen, I caught a cash-strapped college kid named Lucas stealing pigs from our family farm. To keep Lucas in school, I was up before dawn daily feeding the hogs and shoveling manure. I even sold the gold bracelet my mom left me. He knelt by the pigpen and vowed: “Aria, when I make it big, I’ll make you the most cherished wife.” Seven years later, Lucas was a tech tycoon with a publicly traded company, worth hundreds of millions. But the day before our wedding, a girl who bore a 70% resemblance to me showed up at my door. She wore the exact same wedding dress as mine, pinching her nose in disgust: “Lucas always said you smell like pig slop. He’s put up with that stench for seven years and can barely stand it anymore.” “Watching you wallow in the mud with those sows all these years—it’s just pathetic and ridiculous.” “Here’s a $100,000 check. Take it and go back to your filthy pig farm. Don’t ruin my wedding to Lucas.” Staring at that check, I didn’t cry or cause a scene. I just quietly pulled out my phone, and called my uncle. “Brain, cut off all funding to Lucas’s company. And tell him…” “That core patent he’s so proud of? That’s not his. It clearly has my name written on it.”

“Lucas was right. A lowlife pig farmer like you can be bought off with a little cash. He didn’t even need to come himself.” “Take the money and get out. Don’t let your pig stench ruin tomorrow’s wedding venue.” I bent down to pick up the check—not for the money, but to tear it up and throw it in her face. As soon as she finished speaking, the gate was abruptly pushed open. “Who told you to come here?” Lucas stood there in a tailored suit, his tie hanging crookedly. Beads of sweat dotted his temples—he’d clearly run all the way over. When he saw Vivian standing in front of me, he grabbed her wrist so hard she yelped immediately. Lucas’s voice turned terrifyingly cold: “Tell me! Who told you to come here?” Vivian’s eyes filled with tears as she stared at him in shock. “Lucas, I did this for you! This woman won’t let you move on…” “Shut up!” Lucas shoved her away roughly. In her high heels, Vivian stumbled backward, nearly landing in the feed trough. “Get back in the car. Don’t make me repeat myself.” Lucas didn’t spare her a glance, his eyes fixed on me. Vivian shot me a venomous look, but ultimately feared Lucas’s anger and awkwardly climbed back into the car. The yard fell silent, except for the occasional oinks from the pigpen. Lucas took a deep breath and turned to face me. His previously fierce expression softened instantly, even taking on a hint of nervous ingratiate. He stepped closer, trying to take my hand, but I stepped out of his reach. Lucas’s hand froze mid-air. He gave a helpless, bitter smile: “Aria, don’t listen to her nonsense.” “I never wanted to drive you away, and I’ve never been disgusted by how you smell.” He pulled out a handkerchief and took my hand, carefully wiping the dirt from between my fingers. “You know the company’s about to go public. I need the resources Vivian’s family can provide.” “Marrying her is just a temporary measure—she’s basically a prop.” “In my heart, you’re the only woman who’ll ever be my wife.” I looked up at his face. Seven years had refined him into someone increasingly handsome. He was no longer that poor kid cramming vocabulary by the pigpen. And I was still Aria, the one who’d been shoveling pig manure behind him for seven years. The affection in his eyes seemed so genuine. So genuine that if Vivian hadn’t shown up today, I might have almost fallen for it. “What exactly are you trying to say?” I asked flatly. Lucas thought I was warming up to him. A flicker of hope crossed his face. He immediately pulled a velvet box from his jacket. Inside was a diamond ring the size of a pigeon’s egg. “I bought you a downtown penthouse. It’s in your name.” “Once I marry Vivian and lock in her family’s investment, I’ll push her to the side.” “You’ll still be my only wife—we’ll just skip the marriage certificate.” He leaned down, his warm breath brushing my ear, his voice cajoling. “Aria, you know I can’t live without you. But I also can’t lose the company.” “Just do this for me—compromise a little, please?”

Compromise a little. Lucas made it sound so easy. Seven years ago, he’d said: “Aria, just keep raising pigs a little longer until I make it big.” Seven years later, he said: “Aria, just be my secret lover for a while. Once I’m done with Vivian’s family, I’ll come back to you.” He reached out to ruffle my hair, the way he used to when he wanted me to buy him new sneakers. Lucas, even the old sow in the pigpen would get tired of your manipulations. “You want me to be your side piece?” I looked into his eyes, my voice steady—surprisingly so, even to myself. Lucas frowned slightly, clearly not liking the term “side piece.” “Side piece? That sounds terrible.” He walked to the window, looking annoyed, and lit a cigarette. Through the smoke, his expression was hazy, but his words dripped with entitlement. “Aria, you’re a smart woman. You know in today’s world, it’s all about who you know.” “But when it comes to feelings? I only have eyes for you.” “That Vivian—she’s got money, but she’s not worth one of your fingers. She’s just a hollow copy of you.” He turned around and pointed at the check on the coffee table. “Keep the hundred grand Vivian gave you—think of it as walking-around money.” “The condo I’m giving you is worth twenty million, plus an unlimited credit card.” “Quit the pig farm. Shut it down.” “That dirty, backbreaking work isn’t for you.” “Just stay in the condo, take up flower arranging, get spa treatments, and wait for me to come home. Doesn’t that sound better?” He said it so earnestly, like he was offering me some amazing gift. In his mind, pulling me out of the pigpen and locking me in a gilded cage was saving me. I couldn’t help but laugh. Seven years ago, when he made that vow by the pigpen, he’d worn the exact same expression. Now that he had money, the first thing he offered me was to be his secret lover. “Lucas, do you honestly think I’d be stuck in the mud without you?” Lucas hesitated, then put out his cigarette and pulled me into a hug. “Aria, don’t be ridiculous. You only have a high school diploma. What else can you do besides raise pigs?” “The world out there is tough. Without me looking out for you, people will eat you alive.” “Tomorrow’s wedding will be packed. I don’t want Vivian’s family giving you a hard time.” “I’m doing this to keep you safe.” Protect me? Was he protecting his wedding from disruption, or keeping me as his fool? Looking into those so-called loving eyes, the tight string I’d held for seven years suddenly snapped. “Fine.” The worry in Lucas’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a satisfied grin. He bent down and kissed my forehead, like rewarding a well-behaved pet. “I knew it—Aria’s always so reasonable.” “After the wedding, I’ll come stay with you.” “We’ll go to the Maldives, just the two of us.” In high spirits, he grabbed his jacket, like he’d just wrapped up a big deal. “I still have a meeting. The driver’s downstairs to help you move.” “Make sure to throw out all those old clothes. I bought you new ones.” After speaking, he tried to lean in for another forehead kiss. I stepped back, avoiding his advance. “Fine, you’re still upset. I won’t push it.” He turned and strode toward his Maybach, and I stood watching the taillights disappear around the bend. I crumpled the hundred-thousand-dollar check in my hand into a ball. Lucas, you really didn’t let me down. You’re even more rotten than I thought.

The next morning, I got a call from an unknown number. It was Vivian. “Aria, Lucas said you agreed to be his side piece?” On the other end, her voice dripped with triumphant arrogance: “Since you’re the other woman, you should know your place.” “Come to the downtown bridal shop. I have something for you to do.” She hung up before I could respond. I stared at my phone, a cold smile tugging at my lips. Perfect. I wanted to see what other tricks this pair of scumbags had up their sleeves. As soon as I walked in, I saw Lucas helping Vivian try on wedding dresses. Vivian wore a million-dollar mermaid gown, preening in front of the mirror. Lucas sat on the nearby sofa,furrowed his brow, clearly bored. When he saw me enter, he jumped to his feet, panic flashing in his eyes. “Who told you to come? Didn’t I tell you to wait at home?” “Do you think this is the kind of place you belong?” He spoke while nervously glancing at Vivian, afraid she’d blow up right there. The classic cheater move—trying to keep his wife and mistress separate. He played the part perfectly. “I’m the one who called her.” Vivian lifted her skirt and walked over, wearing a smug smile. “Lucas, since you can’t bear to get rid of this country bumpkin, why not make her my bridesmaid?” “Let her watch our happiness firsthand. That way she’ll learn her place faster, don’t you think?” Lucas’s face darkened significantly: “Vivian, knock it off. Aria doesn’t know anything about this.” Vivian latched onto Lucas’s arm, pouting while shooting me a provocative gaze. “Aria, don’t you love Lucas? If you do, can’t you handle this little compromise?” Lucas, clearly fed up, looked at me helplessly: “Aria, since Vivian’s set on this, maybe you should…” “Just do me this favor.” He leaned close to my ear, speaking so only we could hear: “Seeing you in a bridesmaid dress will tide me over. Then tonight I’ll come to your place and make it up to you properly.” Absolutely revolting. Looking at Lucas’s two-faced hypocrisy, I agreed without hesitation. “Sure.” “Since you’re both so eager, I’ll definitely play along.” Lucas froze, clearly surprised by my willingness. A glint of victory flashed in his eyes. He thought I was still that Aria who loved him desperately, willing to endure any humiliation for him. Vivian pointed to the corner: “There, that’s yours. Go change.” “Don’t let your filth ruin my clothes—they’re imported.” I took the dress and headed for the fitting room. Looking at the cheap, neon green dress in the mirror, I smiled coldly. But I put it on anyway and pushed open the door. Sure enough, Vivian doubled over laughing, holding up her phone to take pictures: “Oh my god, it’s perfect on you! Don’t you look just like a green worm crawling out of a garden?” Disgust flashed in Lucas’s eyes. He waved dismissively. “Take it off. Keep the dress and bring it to the venue yourself tomorrow.” He pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and tossed it to me: “This is the condo address. The code is your birthday.” “Don’t go wandering around, and definitely don’t go back to the pig farm. I don’t want you bringing that smell with you.” I silently picked up the paper and changed back into my clothes. Lucas. Vivian. Laugh all you want. Because after tonight, neither of you will ever laugh again.

The condo Lucas prepared for me was definitely luxurious. A 2,000-square-foot river-view unit with fancy decor. The walk-in closet was filled with the season’s latest styles. Even the vanity was covered with expensive skincare products I’d never normally dream of buying. If I were some ordinary girl, I might have cried tears of joy. I might have gladly become his lifelong mistress. That night at ten, Lucas arrived, reeking of alcohol. As soon as he walked in, he wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Aria, do you like it?” He buried his face in my neck: “Tomorrow at the wedding, don’t look at me, okay? Not even once.” “Because I’ll weaken. I’ll want to take you away.” “But I can’t.” He closed his eyes dramatically, like he was having some epic internal battle. “For our future, I have to marry Vivian.” “Aria, do you get what I’m going through?” Watching this display of supposed devotion, I just felt sick. Wanting to be a player while acting like a saint—that summed Lucas up perfectly. “Lucas.” I gently pushed him away and picked up the document he’d tossed casually on the table. It was a prenuptial property agreement. But not between him and Vivian—between him and me. Titled as a gift, it was really a contract of servitude. The agreement stated that while the condo was in my name, it was fully mortgaged, with Lucas’s company as the lender. If I violated the terms, the condo would be immediately repossessed, and I’d be stuck with massive debt. Even more absurd was a clause at the end: [The female party must unconditionally cooperate with the male party’s technical research and development needs, including but not limited to providing inspiration and organizing data.] So he didn’t just want my body—he wanted my mind too. He’d long suspected that the company’s key technical breakthroughs were connected to me. But he refused to admit that Aria the pig farmer was his technological savior. He’d rather believe it was my “inspiration”—a resource he could exploit whenever he wanted. “Lucas, do you really love me?” I held up the agreement. Lucas’s eyes shifted, then he stepped over and took my hand. “Of course I love you. If I didn’t, why would I give you all this?” “Sign it, Aria. Then we can be together forever.” He pressed a pen into my hand, watching eagerly. In Lucas’s mind, I was like that old sow back in the pigpen. Useful for breeding when alive, good for meat when dead. He wanted to squeeze every last drop of value from me, leaving nothing behind. “Okay, I’ll sign.” I bent my head and scribbled on the agreement. But it wasn’t “Aria.” I drew a little pig. Lucas didn’t look closely. Seeing me put pen to paper, he immediately relaxed, satisfied, and tucked the agreement away. “That’s my girl.” “Get some rest tonight. Wait for my text tomorrow.” He left in a rush, not even staying the night. Probably hurrying back to sweet-talk his fiancée, or eager to lock this “contract of servitude” in his safe. I stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching his luxury car vanish into the night. I pulled out my phone and called Brain. “Tomorrow at ten in the morning, I’m going to Lucas’s wedding.” Lucas and Vivian’s wedding was at the Peninsula Hotel, the fanciest in the city. I heard they’d flown in dozens of tons of fresh flowers, and the champagne tower was taller than a person. All of River City’s elite showed up. Media cameras lined the entrance. Vivian clung to Lucas’s arm at the door greeting guests, grinning from ear to ear. Truly a match made in heaven—if it weren’t for me. The ceremony time arrived. The emcee on stage passionately told their “love story.” “Mr. Lucas and Miss Vivian met in humble beginnings, childhood sweethearts who grew up together…” Thunderous applause broke out below. Lucas looked at Vivian with deep affection, about to exchange rings. “Wait.”

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On New Year’s Eve, while my mother-in-law was pressuring me to have a second child, my husband’s female assistant, Chloe, showed up uninvited, holding a baby. “Aurora saved my life,” Chloe announced dramatically. “I gave birth to the son you wanted for her! Can’t you stop pressuring her now?” She turned to me then, adding, “Better I stepped up than him running off with some random woman, right? Besides, I didn’t want you going through childbirth pain!” Every eye in the room turned to me—awkward, judgmental stares that burned into my skin. In that sickening moment, it hit me like a slap to the face. But she mistook my shock for blame, and her tears intensified. “To make your marriage happy, he exploited me from the office to the bedroom. And you still blame me?” Blake pulled the sobbing woman into his arms, comforting her. When he looked at me, his eyes were icy. “Chloe’s being so generous she’ll even let you raise our son! How can you be this cold, Aurora? Can’t you at least say thanks?” I was hit with this overwhelming sense of absurdity. I stared at him, my heart turning to ice. He probably didn’t even remember. Everything he had, everything he was—I gave that to him!

Maybe my face looked too stiff, because Blake paused, his tone softening a little. “Aurora, Chloe was practically family. You helped her get out of that small town. Does it really matter who gave birth?” He reached for my hand, his voice gentle but unyielding. “Let’s not make this worse than it has to be, Aurora. Look at Lily—she’s about to cry because of all this.” I glanced at my daughter beside me. Her little face was red, tears welling in her eyes as she called “Mommy” with a confused, worried frown. In that moment, a dull, belated ache hit my chest. I fought back the emotions threatening to spill over, yanking my hand away from Blake’s grip. “Don’t touch me!” The dining table went completely silent. His face hardened into a cold mask too. “Aurora, if you can’t pull yourself together, I’ll have the driver take you home.” “I’m celebrating New Year’s with my family tonight. I won’t be going with you.” Family? I almost laughed through my tears, glaring at everyone around the table. “None of you have anything to say? Don’t forget—if it weren’t for me, Aurora Hayes, none of you would be here right now!” Years ago, Blake was a nobody—dead broke, going nowhere. I went against everything to be with him, using the Hayes family’s connections and money to build Harrison Corp. into what it is today! Just minutes before, when they were pressuring me for another baby, his parents were all smiles—calling me the family’s savior, even promising Lily a huge gift! But now their tune had changed. His mother, holding their new grandson, scolded me. “Aurora, that’s not true! Blake’s talent is what made the Harrisons successful. What did you really do?” “Harrison Corp. is a major company now. We can’t just have a female heir.” “Honestly, you should be thanking Chloe. She gave us a healthy baby boy—finally, an heir for the Harrison name!” They even went further, picking on Lily. “Lily, sweetie, look at your baby brother! You better be good from now on, or Grandma and Grandpa might only love him and not want you anymore!” My daughter was only five—still little and sensitive. Her lips trembled, and she buried herself in my arms. “Waaah… Mommy, I don’t want a baby brother. Don’t stop loving me.” My heart broke. I held her close, my eyes locked on Blake. “Blake, you’re gonna regret this!” With that, I turned and walked out, no second thoughts. On New Year’s Eve, my husband of six years kicked me out of our house. After finally getting my sobbing daughter to sleep, I let my own tears come. I buried myself in the covers, crying until my chest hurt—heartbroken, silent. Six years. Six long years. From the slums where he had nothing to this big house we lived in now. Yesterday, Blake was inside me, kissing me like crazy, whispering he’d only ever love me. But why? How could that sincerity have been a lie? How could his love flip so fast? My chest hurt so bad I could barely breathe. Then my phone rang. As soon as I answered, I heard Chloe’s soft, teary voice. “Blake… what are you doing? I need to call Aurora and say sorry…” Wet, muffled sounds of them having sex followed, making my blood run cold. I heard Blake laugh, out of breath. “Sorry? She’s so in love with me she can’t function without me. In a couple days, she’ll be crawling back, begging. Chloe, be a good girl and open your legs…” He lowered his voice, every word a knife. “Who else would want a woman who can’t have kids anymore? Is she even still a real woman?” All the blood in my body turned to ice.

I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. My hands shaking, I hung up, only then noticing my face was covered in tears. Betrayed and humiliated by the person I trusted most. He said it himself—I wasn’t even a woman. But he was the one who shielded me with his body when we got in that car crash when I was eight months pregnant. He was coughing up blood, trying to keep me calm. “Aurora, just hold on… we’re gonna be okay.” His blood and tears mixed on my face, burning like acid. “Aurora, this is our first baby—you don’t wanna lose them, right? The ambulance will be here soon…” I fought to stay alive, and Lily was born safe. But the accident meant I could never have more kids. He promised me then, kissing me and telling me over and over, that Lily would be his only child—his whole world. Yet here we were, five years later, and he had a second kid with someone else. I wiped my tears and threw my wedding ring in the trash, hard. Staring at the red-eyed woman in the mirror, I laughed and cried at the same time, couldn’t help wondering. Aurora, what the hell were you even fighting for? You went from a privileged heiress to a wife and mom who gave up everything for her family. And in the end, someone else got all the benefits of my sacrifices! Finally, I called my dad. Taking a deep breath, my voice still cracked with unshed tears. “Dad… I wanna come home.” Dad said he’d be there in two days. But in the middle of the night, Lily spiked a high fever. I had no choice but to call Blake. “Blake! Lily has a fever! The driver…” “Aurora, is this your way of groveling? You’re so desperate you’d wish our kid was sick? Don’t you realize Chloe feels guilty and cried for hours because you left?” Cried for hours? Whether it was guilt or post-sex hormones, only they knew. “You’ll get your status as Mrs. Harrison back when you apologize to Chloe and she forgives you!” He hung up. I bit my jaw, hugging my burning daughter. I walked the streets at night, crying until I had no tears left, finally hailing a cab to the hospital. The next day, after grabbing some food, I found Chloe and Blake by Lily’s hospital bed. I panicked and rushed over, shoving Chloe away. “Don’t touch my daughter!” The next second, a sharp slap hit my face. Blake steadied Chloe, who almost fell, looking disappointed. “Aurora, Chloe found out Lily was sick and talked me into coming. You don’t have to thank her, but shoving her like that?” Chloe frowned, tears filling her eyes, shaking her head hard. “Don’t say that, Blake. It’s all my fault…” My cheek stung where he’d hit me, but I held back tears. The last bit of love I had for him disappeared completely. I begged him for so long, but he didn’t care that our daughter had a high fever. But Chloe says one word, and he comes running. I used to think even if he got tired of me, he’d at least be a good dad. But I was wrong. Lily and I together meant less to him than Chloe. I closed my eyes and pointed to the door. “Both of you get out. You’re not welcome here!” Chloe looked heartbroken. “Aurora, why can’t you forgive me? I know I messed up, back when you were pregnant…” “Chloe! Enough!” Blake cut her off sharply, panic flashing in his eyes. He turned to me with a cold laugh. “Aurora, since you’re so ungrateful, I’ll transfer Lily’s shares to Leo as soon as I get back! You…” He didn’t finish before freezing, like he’d seen a ghost. His pupils shrank, and he grabbed my wrist hard. “Where’s your wedding ring? Aurora, how dare you take off our wedding ring!”

I stared him cold in the eye, every word clear. “I threw it away.” Those wedding rings. He’d made them himself, from a piece of his own bone, after saving me from kidnappers back when he actually loved me. He’d broken ribs and gotten stabbed for me then. He said I was his missing rib—that with me, he was whole. How pathetic. He squeezed my wrist tighter, practically growling the words. “Threw it away? Aurora Hayes, you’re unbelievable!” His face went completely dark. He dialed a number, never taking his eyes off me. “Freeze all of Mrs. Harrison’s assets. No one gives her a single cent! And…” Blake let out a cold laugh, speaking directly to my face. “Transfer Lily’s trust fund to Leo’s name!” My eyes went wide, shocked. “Blake! You wouldn’t dare!” He shrugged off my hand violently, pulling Chloe close with a sneer. “Just watch me! Aurora, this is what happens when you cross me. You think throwing a fit will make me back down?” “Since you refuse to accept Leo as your second child, Lily’s trust fund will go to him as compensation!” I was shaking with anger. Behind me, my daughter still slept with a fever. I couldn’t even protect her shares, and now they were taking her trust fund too! Chloe frowned, pretending to persuade him. “Blake, that’s Aurora’s mom’s inheritance…” Blake stroked her face gently, each word like a knife to my heart. “You’re right. A dead woman’s things are bad luck for Leo’s first birthday gift. Let’s donate it to… St. Jude Hospital instead.” I didn’t know I could scream that loud. Bodyguards held me down. My eyes burned, I bit my cheek till it bled, screaming in agony. “Blake! You can’t—you can’t do this! You know St. Jude Hospital is where my mom died!” I’d suffered countless nights over my mom’s death. Even after making those people pay. Even after Harrison Medical barely survived my family’s retaliation, clinging to life by a thread, I still hated them! And Blake knew all of this, yet he still did this to me! I was sobbing so hard I could barely breathe, my throat closing up. Through my tear-blurred eyes, I thought I saw his expression soften for a second. But then Chloe’s voice cut in, sweet and happy. “Really? Blake… you’re amazing. You remember—that’s where we first met.” Those words shattered whatever was left of my love and hate. I heard Blake hesitate for a second, then laugh, giving in to her. “Of course. Our special place. I’ll keep it forever, and Harrison Medical… will stand strong forever, just like our love.” Lily woke up behind me. She got scared by the scene and started crying. Blake, completely heartless, left with Chloe. His last words were: “Aurora, let’s see how long you can last!” My heart felt completely crushed. He was forcing me—forcing me to accept that bastard, forcing me to take the humiliation of being betrayed by the two people I trusted most! As Lily snuggled into my arms, I got a call from the private investigator my dad had hired. “Ms. Hayes, during my investigation, I found that the car accident five years ago—when you were pregnant—wasn’t an accident. It was deliberate!”

It hit me like a lightning bolt. I swayed, barely staying on my feet. “Who… who did it?” That accident— the one that left me unable to have more kids, that almost took my only daughter. I used to think it proved Blake loved me— how he fought for his life in the ICU to save me. “The investigation shows Blake personally planned that accident.” I almost laughed out loud. My numb, aching heart felt like it was being torn out. The nightmare that haunted me for five years was caused by the man I shared my bed with— my husband. What was he thinking all those times I struggled with depression, thought about ending my life, and tried to find strength in his so-called love? I closed my eyes, too devastated to speak. My dad had already gathered all the evidence, found the weaknesses that would take down Harrison Corp. He told me to wait, that he’d pick me up soon. But I couldn’t wait anymore. I called Chloe. “You really want to lose your son? Let me become his mother instead?” “Aurora, I would never…” I cut her off, my voice cold. “I’ve already sent the divorce papers to you. Whether he signs them is up to you and your ‘talents’.” “And don’t call me Aurora. You make me sick.” That same night, I got the signed divorce papers from Blake. Chloe dropped the act on the phone, sounding triumphant. “Too bad, Aurora. Blake was head over heels for me from the start— the second you brought me here.” “When you were pregnant, he took my virginity right there in his office. He said I gave him something new and exciting.” My stomach twisted. I fought back the nausea. “If he loved you so much, why did he wait until you had a miscarriage, then a child, and still wouldn’t give you the Mrs. Harrison title?” “Guess your ‘love’ isn’t that special after all.” I hung up, ignoring her angry yelling. I picked up Lily. “Lily, Mommy’s taking you to Grandpa’s house, okay?” My daughter hugged my neck, nodding hard. But I didn’t get to leave. After packing our bags, the hospital called. “Hello, is this Ms. Hayes? Further tests show Lily Harrison’s fever is an early symptom of leukemia…” I couldn’t believe it. I rushed my daughter to the hospital, but then bodyguards burst in and grabbed Lily! They pinned me down. I watched helplessly as my daughter cried and struggled while they carried her away. “Aurora, I’m so sorry, but Leo is only one, he’s so little, please save him?” Chloe clung to Blake, sobbing hysterically. Blake avoided my accusing look, just saying: “Leo’s kidneys are failing. Lily’s the only match. Don’t worry, I got the best doctors…” I collapsed to the floor, staring at him in shock. “So you’re gonna make five-year-old Lily donate a kidney? Blake! Lily is your daughter too!” He frowned, annoyed. “I know! But Leo’s my son too! It’s just one kidney— she’ll be fine!” I watched in horror as they gave my daughter anesthesia. No matter how much I begged, apologized, or screamed, nothing worked! I was frantically blocking the operating table, my fingers getting crushed, but I couldn’t stop them. Then a group of bodyguards burst in, kicking the crooked doctor aside and breaking Blake’s wrist with a sickening snap! Blake cried out in pain and fear as a loud, angry voice boomed through the room. “I’d like to see who dares touch my daughter and granddaughter!”

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My best friend Liam gave me a mansion. But not long after I moved in, someone broke in with a knife in the dead of night. “Liam, you framed me, ruined my family, took everything from me! I’m gonna kill you!” I immediately realized I was being set up as a patsy. But before I could even speak, the attacker slit my throat in one quick motion. After police shot the deranged killer dead at the scene, Liam put his arm around my wife Scarlett and strolled over. He smirked, “Thanks for getting rid of that pain in my neck and leaving me your fortune. I’ll enjoy everything you left behind, including your wife. Rest in peace, pal.” Scarlett melted into his embrace, compliant. “Liam, I told you I’d help you take everything he had. I kept my promise. Now you owe me—marry me.” When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my “brother” gave me that mansion. “Alex, we’ve built so much together over the years. To show my appreciation, I want to give you this mansion.” “You’re a big shot at a public company now, and you and Scarlett deserve a place that matches your status.” Hearing that familiar voice jolted me back to reality. Looking at Liam’s smiling face, I realized I’d been given a second chance. In my past life, just a few nights after accepting Liam’s “gift,” I ended up with my throat slit. Now I saw the truth. He’d purchased that mansion publicly with reporters watching to expose its location, then secretly transferred ownership to me. All to make me his fall guy. That way, he could have his enemy commit murder while seizing everything I owned. A perfect two-for-one deal. Seeing me hesitate, Scarlett chimed in. “Honey, Liam’s like family. It’s just a little something to show he cares. Don’t be so uptight.” A bitter laugh rose in my throat. She’d never so much as held my hand in public, but now she was practically clinging to Liam. If I hadn’t lived through this before, I might’ve bought that “brother-sister” act. But now I knew the truth—she and my “best friend” had been hooking up for years, and she was helping him set me up to die. This time, with all the facts, I wasn’t about to let them make me their fool again. The killer got out of prison in three days. As long as I didn’t move in before then, I’d be safe. “You keep it. If I want a place, I’ll buy my own.” Liam and I usually had that bro bond where gift-giving was normal, and I never said no. But this time, my answer threw them off. Liam’s smile dropped. “Alex, what’s with you…” Scarlett scowled, clearly irritated. “Alex, what’s your problem? Liam’s being nice—why are you being like this? You wanna hurt his feelings or something?” I let out a dry laugh, nodding at how close they were standing. “He’ll survive. You’re already keeping him plenty warm, aren’t you?” That set Scarlett off. “Alex, what the hell are you insinuating?!” “I only see Liam as a brother! We’ve been married for years—don’t you trust me at all?!” I stayed quiet, and Scarlett got even more worked up. But Liam stepped in first. “Calm down, Scarlett. Alex is probably just jealous—that’s why he won’t take the gift. Maybe we should keep our distance so Alex doesn’t get the wrong idea.” His words said one thing, but his body stayed put. In fact, he inched even closer to Scarlett. Then he turned to me with a smile. “Don’t worry, I only see Scarlett as a sister. There’s nothing going on between us. If the mansion’s not your style, I’ll hook you up with something else later.” I forced a small smile. “Sure. Just make sure it’s not another ‘surprise’ like last time.” “Of course not.” Liam looked uncomfortable, while Scarlett shot me a dirty look, muttering about how I’d gotten too big for my britches since the company went public and forgotten who my real friends were. But I didn’t care. As I headed for the door, I said, “Believe what you want. I’ve got work to do. Later.” Behind me, Scarlett kept bitching about my attitude. But at that point, I couldn’t have cared less. I really did have bigger fish to fry. Before I died, I recognized the guy. It was David, our former CFO, who Liam had framed for embezzlement and sent to prison. But now, there seemed to be more to the story than that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone after Liam the second he got out. I needed to dig into that old case. I wasn’t about to let the bastards who killed me get away with it.

But the case was cold, and I had no leads. That evening, I got a text from Scarlett. “Working late tonight. Won’t be home till late.” If she’d actually come home, she would’ve known I wasn’t there. Chances were she was with Liam—otherwise she’d know I’d been at the office all day. A minute later, I heard the elevator ding. I quickly shut off my office lights. It had to be Scarlett and Liam. I wanted to see what those two were doing at the office so late. Their voices filtered through the door. “Babe, I had my guy check. David gets out in three days, and the story about me moving into the mansion is already blowing up online. When he gets out, he’ll definitely go there for payback. He’ll be so blinded by rage, he’ll mistake Alex for me.” “Then the cops will take David down for murder, and I’ll never have to worry about him again. And we won’t have to hide from Alex anymore.” “Too bad Alex isn’t taking the bait—he won’t accept the gift.” “Liam, don’t stress. I’ll fix it.” “Good. He was totally jealous today. You not coming home tonight—he didn’t suspect a thing, right?” Scarlett laughed. “Suspect? That man’s been my doormat for years. If my parents hadn’t forced me to marry him, I wouldn’t give him the time of day. I could cheat on him with the entire football team and he’d still beg me to stay.” “Perfect. Can you imagine his face if he knew his best friend and wife have been hooking up for three years? Fucking priceless.” “Babe, the office is empty tonight. Hotels are too risky—how about we… here?” Scarlett giggled. “You’re such a pervert…” Then came the sound of heavy breathing. That bitch! All those years I’d loved her—wasted! Scarlett and I met in high school. I first saw her getting jumped by some thugs. I fought them off, took a beating, and saved her. After that, I always had her back. I even turned down better colleges to go to the same one as her. Once we were together, I catered to her every need. When her parents got sick, I scraped together money and handled everything. She was scared of having kids, so I never pressured her. But I never thought she’d always seen me as beneath her—and was helping someone murder me. A few minutes later, they went into the next office. I was burning with rage, but now wasn’t the time to expose them. I needed evidence to take Liam down for good. I snuck out of the office. One thing bugged me: even if you’re framed, would you really kill someone right after getting out? What did Liam do to David?

On the way home, I remembered someone important. I made a call, gave instructions, then headed home. I hadn’t been asleep long when I heard the front door open. When I walked out of the bedroom, Scarlett jumped. I noticed hickeys all over her neck. Scarlett noticed and quickly covered her neck, looking guilty. “Honey, you’re still up?” I kept my voice flat. “Yeah, just got back from the office.” My words made her smile freeze, then she forced it back. “Oh! I went to the office looking for you! Didn’t know you’d come home early. What a waste of a trip. You owe me.” She looped her arm through mine and pouted. Back then, her little games always worked. I’d pull her close right away. But now? Nothing. I gently pushed her off. “Honey, what’s wrong?” “I stuck up for Liam earlier—are you still mad about that?” “I just thought you two shouldn’t be so formal after all these years. You always used to accept each other’s gifts, but you hesitated this time. It’ll make him think something’s wrong.” “You wouldn’t be where you are without your friends. If you fall out with them, where does that leave you? I’m looking out for you. Just take the mansion.” A bitter laugh rose in my throat. *Looking out for me while trying to kill me.* I kept a straight face. “If they’re so great, go be with them.” That set Scarlett off. “Alex, what the hell are you talking about?! I’m your wife! How could you say that?!” “My parents were wrong about you. They never should’ve let me marry such a petty man!” I scoffed. “Guess I am petty—otherwise I never would’ve married you!” Scarlett lost it. She grabbed a glass and threw it at me. It hit my forehead, drawing blood. She pointed at me, screaming, “Alex, are you serious?! If you want this marriage to work, take the mansion! I’ve been with you for years! You don’t want to live there, but I do!” “And I even planned a company banquet in your honor to boost your reputation! You’re such a disappointment!” I was about to fire back when Mark, our CFO, called. “Mr. Alex, Scarlett said there’s a celebration banquet this afternoon. You’re not at the office, so hurry! Everyone’s waiting.” I didn’t know what Scarlett was planning, but with the company newly public, I couldn’t let employees get demoralized. So I agreed. When I agreed, Scarlett finally looked satisfied. She left, warning me not to let her down and to make sure I showed up. That afternoon, I arrived at the address Scarlett sent. I noticed it was less than a hundred yards from that mansion.

Walking into the hotel, I saw employees had already arrived. Scarlett and Liam looked at me, sharing a weird smile. I ignored them, sat down calmly, and turned on my phone’s voice recorder. Maybe I could get Liam to slip up when he was drunk. When the time came, most top performers still weren’t there—but some uninvited guests showed up instead. “Tyler, Jake—what are you guys doing here?” Those two had slacked off all last year, breaking company rules and harassing female employees. They were basically thugs. If Liam hadn’t kept protecting them, I would’ve fired them months ago. I barely finished speaking when Liam cut in smoothly. “They were just passing by.Since they’re here, let them stay.” Then he told them, “You two, stay sharp. Keep Mr. Alex’s glass full.” They nodded quickly. Once the banquet started, everyone there began toasting me. Soon I started feeling dizzy. I tried to stop drinking, but Liam suddenly held me down, telling Tyler and Jake to force my mouth open. “Before we came, Mr. Alex said he’s in a great mood today—no holding back! Anyone else want to toast? Hurry up! Don’t keep Mr. Alex waiting!” The others hesitated when they saw this. Then Mark, the CFO, poured a glass of wine straight down my throat. “Mr. Alex, here’s to you!” The alcohol made me dizzy. I was pinned down, unable to speak. Liam shouted: “See? Mr. Alex doesn’t mind! Everyone have another toast. Anyone who doesn’t is dissing Mr. Alex!” Scarlett chimed in: “My husband’s in a good mood—you all better drink up! Anyone who doesn’t gets fired tomorrow!” No one dared hesitate after that. They kept pouring wine down my throat. Liam leaned in and whispered: “I offered you the mansion, but you said no. Had to do this the hard way, huh? Pathetic.” I was furious. That bastard was playing dirty! But I was too drunk to fight back. Liam, seeing his plan work, pulled Scarlett into a kiss right in front of everyone! And everyone acted like they didn’t see a thing. When the banquet ended, Liam sent everyone home. That’s when Ryan—Liam’s right-hand man—finally showed up and whispered something to him. Liam grinned. He told Ryan to take me to the mansion. After tying me up, Liam smirked at me. I stared daggers at him, then spat in his face. “Liam, what the hell do you want?!” “I treated you like family, made you Vice President! How could you do this?!” I barely finished when Liam kicked me. “Shut the hell up!” “But since we’re doing this, you might as well die knowing the truth. Why do you think I bought that mansion at the press conference? So everyone would think I lived there. Remember David? He gets out tonight, and he’s coming here to kill me. And you’re gonna take the fall.” “I already sent my guys to the prison. They even gave David the exact address. Just sit tight.” I ground my teeth. “You framed him for embezzlement! And you’re proud of it?!” Liam smirked. “So you figured that out? But don’t you wanna know why I’m so sure he’ll come for revenge?” I muttered, “If it was just the frame job, he wouldn’t murder someone. Unless…” Liam laughed. “Exactly! I had his wife killed for kicks, and his kid? Sold to traffickers.” “Every time I visited him in prison, I told him how I messed with his wife and how his son got chopped up by those traffickers. I wanted to push him over the edge—use him one last time to take everything from you.” My blood ran cold. I stared at him. “Does Scarlett know about this?” Liam grinned. “Do you really think she’d help tie you up if she knew I’d killed someone’s wife?” “Oh, and you didn’t happen to have a recorder on, did you?” Liam patted me down, found my phone, checked it, and scoffed. “Thought so.” He smashed my phone against the floor and stomped on it. “Alex, you’ve always been such a chump. Never saw it coming, did you? Everything you built—just gonna be my payout. I’ll swing by tomorrow morning to clean up your body. Ha ha ha.” After his maniacal laughter, Liam hit me with a stick, knocking me out cold. Then he laid me flat, making it look like I was asleep. Before leaving, he told someone not to lock the mansion door. Only after making sure David could get in easily did he leave, looking satisfied. I don’t know how much time passed before someone shook me awake. I looked at the person and smiled faintly. “Did you record everything he just said?”

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“Your underwear is pink today!” My rival Jenny pulled open my collar in the classroom. Classmates started whistling and taking photos. But she just patted my shoulder: “Don’t be mad. We’re both girls—it’s just a joke~” Later, she became even more brazen! She’d pull down my pants when I wasn’t paying attention, yank up my skirt. She even unzipped my skirt right before my master’s program interview. Later, I failed that interview. Under her constant harassment, I developed depression and took my own life. When I opened my eyes again, I’d been reborn—back to the moment she was about to rip off my clothes. I grabbed her wrist hard. Her bones made a cracking sound. She cried out in pain: “Let go! That hurts!” I sneered: “You’re right—we’re both girls. So how about I strip your clothes off instead?” Her face froze. The laughter around us gradually died down. She wrenched her hand free and stepped back: “Are you crazy? I was just joking…” “You just said you were ‘messing around,’” I said calmly. “So now I’m messing with you. What’s the problem?” Her face went pale. She quickly backed up and bumped into the teacher’s desk. “I—I’ll apologize, okay?” Her eyes reddened. “It was just a joke. It’s not like it’s the first time. Why are you taking it seriously today?” I slapped her across the face. The entire classroom fell so silent you could only hear breathing. She covered her face, eyes full of disbelief: “You dare hit me?” I stared at her coldly: “This is the last time you touch me. Want to try again?” I looked around at everyone, raising my voice: “She just pulled my clothes off in public. That’s sexual harassment. I recorded it, and I’m taking it to the professor.” She looked at me in shock: “You recorded it?! You actually recorded me?” “Yes.” I nodded calmly, holding up my phone. The red dot was blinking. Everything that just happened—all recorded. From the corner of the classroom came whispered discussion. “…That was pretty messed up, actually.” “What kind of girl strips someone else’s clothes?” “And it’s not the first time?” I pulled my clothes back into place, picked up my bag, and calmly walked out of the classroom. Behind me, she called out urgently: “Claire, don’t do anything crazy,I was just messing around!” I didn’t look back. This lifetime, I’m done playing your games. That evening back in the dorm, her smiling face still filled my mind. “Don’t be mad. What’s wrong with girls being a little close?” I sat on my bed, still gripping my collar tightly. Even though I knew my clothes were fixed, I instinctively didn’t dare let go. My phone suddenly buzzed—a group message from my roommate Lisa— My hand trembled, and the video auto-played. The footage, shot from behind and to the side, clearly showed Jenny pulling my collar from behind, me stiffly covering my chest, and the whole class laughing. The group chat instantly lit up: 【Her expression is so funny】 【Pink underwear is so tacky】 【I actually think it’s kind of cute~】 I looked at the comments, my nails digging into my palms. When I didn’t respond, Lisa sent a voice message: “Come on, Claire, you’re taking this too seriously. Nobody meant anything bad by it. Jenny was just playing around.” “Didn’t you say you were mature and didn’t care about this stuff?” I couldn’t say a word. That video got forwarded to the class chat, then to the school account. A few minutes later, some influencer account pinned it to their highlights: 【#She Says It’s Not Harassment Between Girls#】 【#Pink Underwear Girl’s Classroom Meltdown#】 I became a campus “celebrity.” The video got remixed with weird sound effects and filters, turned into memes. The comments were all: 【If you dress like a slut, who’s to blame?】 【She just wants attention. Probably stripped on purpose】 【Disgusting. Stop playing victim】 I messaged the account privately asking them to delete the video. They replied with two words: “LMAO.” I went to find a professor. She first said: “Are you sure she did it ‘on purpose’? Aren’t you being a bit too sensitive?” Just as I was about to argue, she frowned at me: “The way you dressed for class today… wasn’t really appropriate.” “Those comments you clapped back at on social media—I suggest you delete them.” “Now that you’ve made this such a big deal, it’s not good for you either.” My nose stung as I held back tears. I asked: “What about the video? Shouldn’t she delete it?” She thought for a moment: “I’ll talk to her, but don’t get worked up. She’s also a girl—she probably didn’t mean any harm.” This is how it started in my previous life. Everyone kept telling me: “Don’t be so sensitive” “She just doesn’t know boundaries” “You’re both girls.” But she never pulled Lisa’s clothes. Never pulled Rachel’s either. She only pulled mine. Because I was quiet, easy to bully, got good grades, never argued, never fought back. The easiest target. But this time, I won’t stay silent. I opened my phone and saved that video, then exported screenshots of the chat logs. I was slowly realizing: She wasn’t clueless about boundaries. She was testing mine. Today was the first test. Next time, she’d smile as she destroyed me.

“Is that the same shirt from yesterday?” The professor frowned at me, then looked down and typed on her laptop. “Yes.” I answered quietly. I’d washed that white shirt, but the look in her eyes made it seem like I’d worn it deliberately to provoke someone. “Do you know how widely that video has spread?” she said. “Several professors in the department have seen it. They say it reflects poorly on us.” I pressed my lips together and didn’t respond. “Plus, you need to consider the setting. That was during an open lecture. When the professor called on you to speak, you got emotional and hit someone. Do you think that behavior is appropriate?” I froze and looked up: “I didn’t just hit her—I was—” “You got emotional.” She cut me off. “No matter what the other person did, hitting someone in public is wrong.” I tried to calm myself: “Then what about her pulling my clothes off in public? The whole class was there. It wasn’t the first time she did this. She keeps saying it’s a joke, but if I were a guy doing this, would the school still say ‘it’s just a joke’?” Her eyebrow twitched, as if I’d hit a nerve, but she quickly recovered: “We certainly don’t support any form of physical violation, but… she didn’t mean any harm.” “Whether she meant harm isn’t for her to decide.” I kept my voice low. “It’s for me to decide.” She was silent for a few seconds, then said calmly: “The school is looking into the situation. But I suggest you don’t escalate this conflict. You know, once these things get bigger, it won’t be good for you either.” I understood what she was implying. Exactly like my previous life. “Don’t let this become harder to resolve.” “Minor friction between girls doesn’t need to escalate to disciplinary action.” “You need to be more tolerant. Don’t throw away your own future over a little misunderstanding.” Every sentence cut like a knife. She stood by the office window, flipping through that “Incident Handling Record.” Under “Cause of Incident,” it just said: “Claire’s inappropriate attire led to classroom disruption.” I almost laughed. She pulled my clothes, the video went viral, and it got written as “my inappropriate attire.” “So what you’re saying, Professor, is that I’m at fault for wearing this shirt?” She glanced up at me but didn’t answer directly. She just said gently: “You’re an excellent student. We all have high hopes for you. It’s your junior year now—honors selection is coming up. Don’t leave a stain on your record over an emotional impulse.” I finally understood. This wasn’t a “misunderstanding”—it was “willful ignorance.” She wasn’t blind to right and wrong. She just didn’t want to deal with someone troublesome. I walked out of the office. The sunlight was beautiful, but my back felt cold. On the campus path, people stared at me secretly, whispering. I looked down and opened my phone, clicking on that video. The system had auto-collapsed the comments section, but the comment count had soared to over 800. The top-liked comment read: 【If you dressed more appropriately, nobody would pull at you.】 I stared at those words, my fingertips ice-cold. In that moment, I realized— Not all “sexual harassment” gets recognized as such. Especially when you’re a girl, and your abuser is also a girl.

The next morning in early class, the moment I walked into the classroom, I felt something was off. Several people glanced at me and whispered something, then quickly looked away. She sat in the third row, eyes red and puffy, looking like she hadn’t slept all night. Tissues were piled on her desk. Her open notebook showed the first page: 【To Claire: I’m Sorry】 I intended to ignore her and walk to the back row, but she suddenly grabbed my sleeve, her voice trembling: “Claire… I really didn’t mean it.” I shook off her hand without saying anything. Her eyes immediately reddened: “I really didn’t know you’d mind that much… I thought we were good friends.” People around us started whispering. “She apologized though…” “She looks pretty pitiful…” “You think maybe that girl in the video dressed a bit too…you know?” I gritted my teeth and sat in the back row. My phone buzzed— The class group chat was blowing up: 【Jenny’s really not a bad person, she’s always nice to everyone】 【She cried all night, she hasn’t even dared to eat】 【Don’t you think Claire is overreacting a bit?】 I clicked in and saw screenshots from Ins posted by her roommate: 【Some people act all cold on the surface but have worse tempers than anyone.】 【We ordinary girls deserve to be humiliated? Say two words and get reported with recordings?】 Below were pictures of her crying with tears all over her face, holding a stack of “apology letters” in draft form. This stirred up a massive response. Someone wrote in the comments: 【Is a joke between girls really that serious?】 Others said: 【You really can’t touch people nowadays. Make one little mistake and they report you. Makes us all walk on eggshells】 Others shared the post with a hashtag: 【#City Girls Are Too Sensitive#】 I looked at that line “say two words and get reported with recordings,” my fingers trembling uncontrollably. She was performing. And she was better at it than anyone. This wasn’t the first time she’d pulled my clothes. She was just testing whether public opinion would forgive her again. And sure enough, people believed her. In my previous life, she cried like this too, saying she was just “trying to get close to me.” Teachers, classmates, even my mom all said: “She already apologized. Why won’t you forgive her?” Forgive? Next time she could brazenly push me down the stairs and tell everyone: “She was careless.” I took a deep breath and saved the Ins screenshots, the videos she’d liked last night, and those group chat logs. You want to cry?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “352006”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #惊悚Thriller #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #狼人Werewolf

I’ve been married to Lucas for seven years, and I’ve lost count of how many women he’s slept with. The reason I never made a fuss is simple—he always throws money at me to shut me up. When he cheated with an online influencer, he bought me a penthouse in the city center. When he partied on a yacht with models, he gave me an identical yacht. He used money to buy my silence, to purchase my breakdowns, my questions, and my tears. Until I was eight months pregnant, and my baby died in my womb. I had to go through induced labor. The nanny helped me out of my hospital room, weak and barely able to stand. That’s when I saw Lucas in the room next door, carefully tending to a woman who had just given birth. Our eyes met. Panic flashed across his face for a moment before his usual cold indifference returned. He walked over and handed me a blank check. “Fill in whatever amount you want.” I tore the check to pieces. I looked at him and smiled. “Lucas, I don’t want your money this time…” I raised my trembling hand and pointed toward the room behind him, where a baby’s weak crying could be heard. “I want that child.” 0

“Nina, have you lost your mind?!” Disbelief was written all over Lucas’s face. I repeated myself. “I want that child.” “Stop this nonsense!” He lowered his voice. “That’s not your child!” Right. My child is gone. Dead… “Your child is my child, isn’t it?” I asked softly. “Or would you prefer your child to be born with the stigma of being illegitimate?” Lucas was instantly speechless. He and I grew up together. Our families had been friends for generations. Both the Knight family and the Sanders family were elite, prestigious families that valued reputation above all else. Rules mattered. The woman in the hospital bed, Emily, finally understood what was happening. She struggled to sit up, her voice shrill. “Lucas! You can’t give my child to her! This is my only…” This was her only weapon to climb the social ladder. I watched Lucas’s conflicted expression and suddenly found it all so ironic. I used the last of my strength to push him aside and walked step by step into the room. Emily’s body shrank back, and she clutched the baby in her arms even tighter. “Hello, mistress. I’m Lucas’s wife, Nina. From today on, I’m this child’s mother.” Emily broke down into hysterical screaming and grabbed the pillow from the headboard, throwing it at me. “You’re lying! This is my child! Mine!” Lucas followed me in, looking troubled. “Lucas, you can’t let her take our child!” Emily cried, begging him for help. Lucas looked at me, clearly torn. “Nina…” I leaned close to his ear and whispered: “That property on the west side… Grandpa really values it. And it just happens to be in my brother’s hands.” Lucas’s body went rigid. The west side property was crucial to the Knight family’s strategic plans for the next decade. It was also key to proving his competence to his grandfather. He spun around to look at me—anger, resentment, and a hint of fear in his eyes. He took a deep breath and said to Emily: “Listen to me. Let Nina raise this child.” I turned to my nanny and ordered: “Go bring that child to my room.” I walked out of the room and called my assistant. “Make arrangements with the hospital. I don’t want anyone except us to know about this. On the birth certificate, the mother’s name can only be mine.” Soon, louder arguments erupted from next door—the sound of things being thrown and Emily’s heart-wrenching sobs. I looked down at the baby boy in the bassinet. He was sleeping soundly, his little mouth opening and closing. A cold smile curved my lips.

Lucas came to my room every day, but while his body was present, his heart was next door. His phone screen was always lit up with messages from Emily. [Lucas, I miss the baby so much. Please ask her to give him back to me, okay?] [I don’t want anything else anymore. I just want my child.] [Lucas, I’m bleeding so much. The doctor said I have postpartum hemorrhaging. Am I going to die?] Emily knew exactly how to manipulate Lucas. She never attacked me directly. She just repeatedly emphasized her pain and longing for the child. This way, she could paint me as “cruel” and “heartless.” Every time Lucas read her messages, his frown deepened. Then he’d find an excuse to leave in a hurry. Early one morning, Lucas wasn’t there. The baby had been taken by the nurse and nanny for checkups. Emily appeared beside my bed like a ghost, her eyes full of hatred. “Nina, don’t think you’ve won.” “Your unlucky child—Lucas killed him because I told him to.” “That night, Lucas got drunk and kept calling me.” “I just acted cute on the phone and said your baby would be an obstacle to me…” “I told him to spend more time with me instead of always hovering around you.” “I didn’t expect him to actually hang up and go back to you. What happened after…” “You couldn’t keep your own child. That’s your own failure. Don’t blame others.” “You’re just raising my child for me. Don’t get too happy!” She turned and walked away. Every word was like a red-hot iron, burning into my heart. So that’s how it was… I closed my eyes. My hands under the blanket were shaking violently. Blood quickly flowed back into the IV tube, staining a section of the transparent tubing red. I bit my lip hard until my mouth filled with the thick taste of blood. I didn’t cry or make a scene. I just silently pulled the needle from my hand. Blood dripped down the back of my hand onto the pure white sheets, like a tragic plum blossom. Just then, the door opened. Lucas walked in. He saw the blood on my hand, froze for a moment, then quickly stepped forward and grabbed my wrist. “Why did you pull out the needle? Are you crazy?!” He grabbed a cotton swab from the bedside and pressed hard on my wound, his brow furrowed with what seemed like genuine concern. My whole body was shaking. I wanted to scream, to demand answers, to tear him apart. But I had no strength. “Just go. Go be with Emily. The nanny will be back soon. You’re not needed here.” Crying came from next door. Emily was throwing another fit. Lucas didn’t hesitate. He ran over to her. I called my assistant and told her to arrange for my early discharge immediately. When I appeared at the Knight family estate holding the baby, the entire family was in an uproar. Everyone gathered around. “Oh my, what a good baby!” Grandma carefully took the baby from my arms, beaming with joy. Grandpa was so excited his hands were trembling. He looked at me with approval in his eyes. “Nina, well done! You’ve finally given us an heir!” No one knew that my heart had already died in that cold hospital, along with my unborn child. Lucas’s father, Jack, saw the nanny’s car drive straight to the garage and asked in confusion: “Where’s Lucas?” “Busy, I guess. I didn’t see him at the hospital either.”

The rewards the elders gave me were almost shocking. Grandpa gave me an oceanfront villa. Grandma brought out all her treasured jewelry, set after set. Jack directly transferred five percent of Knight Group’s shares to my name, making me the youngest member of the board overnight. Lucas’s mother was even more thoughtful—she gave me a private island in the Maldives and said I could go there to relax once I recovered. I smiled and accepted everything. These were what I deserved. They were what I’d traded for my child’s life. No one knew that in the deepest corner of that luxurious walk-in closet, I had a small hidden space. There were no expensive bags or designer clothes there. Inside were the tiny wool shoes I’d knitted by hand but could never give away, and a few pitifully small baby clothes. Every night when it was quiet, I would lock myself in that closet. “Baby, Grandpa and Grandma bought so many toys today. If you were here, you’d have them too.” I never cried loudly. I just let the tears fall silently. Lucas also returned to the estate, but he didn’t dare come near me. In front of everyone, Grandpa pointed his cane at him and called him an asshole, saying I had just “given birth” and instead of being with me, he was making me angry. He probably couldn’t understand how I—who once loved him desperately, whom he controlled completely—could suddenly change like this. He occasionally came to the bedroom to keep me company, but more often, he went to see the child. He would clumsily hold him, feed him, his eyes showing something unfamiliar—something called “fatherly love.” He stood behind me, silent for a long time, then suddenly spoke. “Nina, about that night, I was wrong. I was drunk.” “Emily… she just depends on me too much. Don’t hold it against her,” he added. I slowly raised my head and looked at our reflection in the mirror. He was tall and handsome. I was thin and haggard. “Hold it against her?” I let out a soft laugh. “What right do I have to hold it against anyone? I couldn’t even protect my own child.” His face instantly darkened, as if my words had wounded him. “That was an accident!” He raised his voice. “Why do you keep bringing it up! I’ve tried my best to compensate you!” Compensate? I was born into wealth. Money was the most useless thing to me. I didn’t want to argue with him anymore. I pushed him toward the door. “Nina, what exactly do you want?” “What do I want?” I looked at him, my tone mocking. “I want you to stay away from me.” In the end, he let go. From that day on, he rarely entered my room.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “352005”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #惊悚Thriller #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #狼人Werewolf

New Year’s Eve. The train was hijacked by armed gunmen. The lead hijacker shouted: “Whoever pays the highest ransom gets released first! The rest of you get blown to bits!” I immediately transferred 50 million, desperate to buy two lives—mine and my daughter’s. But my husband, the train conductor, publicly crossed my name off the first release list to avoid suspicion. He turned to me with feigned righteousness: “I’m the conductor, you’re my family. Have some dignity! Give this spot to that boy with asthma medication!” In my past life, I agreed through tears. My daughter was killed in the explosion. This time, when my husband tried to cross off my daughter’s name and replaced her with his illegitimate son again… I screamed like a lunatic: “Give me back that spot!” He had me gagged and dragged to the vestibule. For that bastard child, he was willing to sacrifice his own daughter’s life! Just as the boy was being released in the first group, his mistress—completely unaware—grabbed a megaphone on the platform and screamed hysterically: “Hey, hijackers! The first kid has a bomb on him! The conductor planted it to blow you all up!” She thought the first person released would still be my daughter. “BANG!” A gunshot echoed through the station.

New Year’s Eve. Cold wind howled against the train windows. The heating had cut out. The air reeked of gunpowder and sweat. “No one calls the police!” “Anyone tries to call the cops, I’ll blow this whole car sky-high right now!” The lead hijacker was bald, clutching a red remote in one hand and a hunting rifle in the other, sweeping the barrel across the passengers’ heads. “Listen up! Within ten minutes, whoever pays the highest ransom gets released first!” “Every ten minutes after that, I’ll execute one hostage!” The car filled with sobs and pleas. I hugged my five-year-old daughter Lily, huddled in the corner, my heart racing. I’m Madison Monroe, only daughter of the Monroe Group. My hands shook as I pulled out my phone and frantically made the transfer. “I’ll pay! Fifty million dollars!” I held up my phone and yelled. “I just want two spots—me and my daughter!” The car fell silent. All eyes turned to me. The lead hijacker paused, stared at my phone screen, then burst into manic laughter. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! That’s how the 1% handles things!” “This mother and daughter—put ’em on the first release list!” I let out a shaky breath, squeezing Lily tighter. “Don’t be scared, Lily. Mommy’s taking you home.” Just then, a uniformed hand snatched my phone away. “Crack!” The phone shattered on the floor. I looked up into the eyes of my husband, Conductor Derek Vaughn. He wore his uniform, cap pulled low. “Madison, have you no sense of decency?” Derek’s voice echoed through the silent car. “People are fighting for their lives, and you’re flashing your cash?” “Trying to buy special treatment? Want everyone to watch you escape first?” “Derek, that’s fifty million! I’m trying to save our daughter!” “Shut your mouth!” Derek raised his hand and struck me hard across the face. My ears rang. “I’m the conductor. I’m in charge of negotiations on this train!” “Your money can’t buy special treatment!” He turned and pointed to a boy in the crowd, raising his voice. “This child is Cameron. He has severe asthma.” “His inhaler ran out. He needs medical help immediately!” “I’m changing the first release list!” “Madison and her daughter are off. This asthmatic boy takes their place!” The crowd erupted in applause. Passengers gave Derek thumbs up. “Conductor Vaughn is such a hero!” “Exactly! Who does she think she is, throwing money around? Why should she get to leave first?” “That woman is so selfish. Her husband’s a conductor and she still doesn’t get it.” I ignored the stinging in my cheek and grabbed Derek’s sleeve. “No! Lily is a child too! She’s only five!” “I paid that fifty million! Why should someone else take our spot?” “Derek, are you out of your mind?” Derek wrenched his hand free from mine, his face twisted with disgust. I crashed hard against the handrail, a searing pain shooting through my lower back. “Officer Chen!” he barked. His colleague Officer Chen rushed over, pinning my arms behind my back and pressing a knee into my spine. He leaned down, speaking coldly in my ear. “Stop causing trouble!” “Derek is doing this for everyone’s good. You need to understand!” I struggled frantically. My cheek scraped raw, blood stinging my eyes. Through the blood haze, I saw the boy named Cameron hiding behind Derek. His face was flushed—no sign of asthma at all. Right then, he was smirking at me, making a malicious face. His eyes didn’t look like a child’s—they were full of triumphant malice. Cameron… Memories from my past life flooded back with the pain. Same train, same New Year’s Eve. Derek had forced me to give our spot to Cameron. I’d agreed, thinking my husband was truly that noble. Then the hijackers detonated the bomb. I watched Lily die in the explosion. And Derek, holding Cameron on the platform, became everyone’s hero. Only after death did I learn—Cameron was his illegitimate son! To save his bastard child, he’d personally pushed his wife and daughter into hell! “Derek! That’s your bastard son!” “You’re trading my daughter’s life for that bastard!” Derek’s expression changed instantly, panic and murderous intent flashing in his eyes. “Gag her! She’s hysterical!” “Take her to the vestibule until she calms down!” Officer Chen immediately pulled out a dirty rag and stuffed it in my mouth. “Mmph! Mmm!” I couldn’t make a sound. I kicked wildly, watching Lily burst into terrified tears. “Mommy! Don’t hurt Mommy! Daddy, you’re mean! I want Mommy!” Lily tried to run over, but Derek roughly pushed her away. “Get lost, you little brat!” “Cry again and I’ll hand you over to the hijackers!” That was his own daughter! Lily fell to the floor, a bump swelling on her forehead. Her sobs grew quieter. My eyes nearly bulged with rage. My heart ached, but Officer Chen held me down. “Drag her out! Don’t let her spread lies in here!” Derek straightened his collar, putting his heroic face back on, and called out to the hijackers. “Boss, the money’s been transferred. I’m sending the boy over now.” “This woman’s delusional. I’ll take care of her!” The hijacker nodded in approval. “Smart man. Make it quick!” Officer Chen dragged me toward the utility closet in the vestibule. I stared desperately at Lily in the corner. She was curled up. Less than six feet away sat a ticking time bomb. That was my child! Derek Vaughn, you monster!

The utility closet door slammed shut. No windows. Just one emergency light flickering on and off. The space was crammed with mops and buckets, reeking of mildew. Officer Chen threw me on the floor and stood guard at the door. Derek walked in, locked the door, and turned off his body camera. His heroic expression disappeared, replaced by something sinister. He stood over me, looking down. “Madison, what were you yelling about? Bastard son? Illegitimate child?” He squatted down, grabbed my hair, and forced my head up. “You’re pretty damn clever, aren’t you? When did you figure it out? Huh?” The rag was yanked from my mouth. I gasped for air, staring at him. “Derek Vaughn, you’ll burn in hell!” “Lily is your own daughter. How could you do this?” “Own daughter?” Derek sneered and backhanded me again. “Crack!” My lip split. Blood dripped onto my collar. “That little money-waster is the one I hate most!” “Just like you—stuck-up rich girl with an attitude!” He grabbed my chin. “You think I wanted to be your family’s trophy son-in-law?” “Dealing with your parents’ stuck-up faces every day—I’ve had enough!” “For seven years I’ve been their doormat in your house, treated worse than a servant!” “Has your family ever shown me an ounce of respect?” His face contorted, eyes full of venom. “As long as Cameron gets out safely, you and your little money-waster can die for all I care!” “An accident. Clean and simple!” “Then the Monroe fortune will all be mine!” “Cameron and I can spend it however we want!” So that’s it… He was planning to eliminate the whole family and take the assets! He wanted to use the hijackers to get rid of us and take the Monroe fortune! I trembled with rage and spat blood in his face. “Dream on! My parents are still alive. You’ll never get your hands on it!” Derek wiped the blood from his face, eyes turning vicious. “You won’t play along? Then you’ll pay the price!” He pulled out his baton and jabbed it hard into my ribs. Searing pain shot through me. I curled up, cold sweat soaking my back. He didn’t stop. Again and again. “So high and mighty! So stuck-up!” “On this train, I’m in charge! If I say you’re crazy, you’re crazy!” “If I say you die, you die!” I clenched my teeth, refusing to beg, my nails digging into the floorboards. Just then, his walkie-talkie crackled to life. “Hey! Cop! What’s taking so long?” “Three minutes! If the kid ain’t out by then, I start shooting hostages!” Derek paused, checked his watch, panic flashing in his eyes. “Right away! Right away! The kid’s getting ready!” He shouted into the walkie-talkie, then glared at me viciously. “No time to deal with you now.” He pulled out handcuffs and cuffed my hands behind me to a water pipe. The cuffs dug painfully into my wrists. “You just stay put.” “When that little money-waster gets blown up, your turn comes next.” He grabbed the dirty rag to stuff it back in my mouth. “Derek Vaughn! You’ll regret this!” “That bastard Cameron won’t get away with it either!” I twisted my head frantically to avoid it. “Shut your mouth!” He punched me in the stomach. As I gasped, he forced the gag back in. “Mmm! Mmm!” A child’s voice came from outside the door. “Daddy, are you done yet? I’m scared. Is that mean lady dead?” It was Cameron! Derek’s expression softened immediately. Through the door, he spoke gently. “Don’t worry. Daddy’s taking care of the problem.” “That mean lady will never bother Cameron again.” This double standard made my blood boil. My Lily was out there with a bomb, while his bastard was asking if I was dead! Derek stood up and adjusted his uniform in front of the cracked mirror on the wall. He straightened his cap and practiced a determined smile in the mirror. “Madison, next time you’re reborn, remember to choose better.” He gave me one last cold look, pulled open the door, and walked out. The door closed and locked. I was left in darkness. But I didn’t cry. I couldn’t afford to despair. In my past life, all I did was cry and beg. That got my daughter killed. This life, I’d crawl out if I had to—even if I had to bite my way through! I had to save my daughter! I’d make those bastards pay with their blood! By the emergency light, I looked at that cracked mirror. In it, I saw my disheveled hair, bloodied face, and eyes full of rage. Kill them! Make them pay!

Through the metal door, I heard Derek’s voice. “Attention passengers! This is Derek Vaughn, your train marshal!” “The $50 million ransom that woman offered has been transferred!” “For everyone’s safety, I’ve decided to use this money” “to free the most vulnerable child first!” “That’s young Cameron here! He has severe asthma!” “And as law enforcement family, my own family will naturally go last!” “It’s our duty and our honor!” Cheers and applause erupted in the car. “Way to go, Marshal Vaughn!!” “So inspiring! Thank God we have Marshal Vaughn!” “This needs to go viral!” Some influencer even pulled out a phone and started livestreaming Derek. “Guys! You won’t believe this! The train marshal is giving up his own family’s spot!” “To save a sick kid he doesn’t even know! So touching!” Comments flooded in with “salute” and “tears.” Listening to this, I dug my nails into my palms until they bled. Derek Vaughn—you’re using my money to buy your bastard son’s life, and building your hero image on my daughter’s grave! “Cameron, hurry, put these on.” Sounds of clothing rustling came from outside. My heart dropped. Changing clothes? He was dressing up that bastard? “Daddy, these clothes are too tight. I hate pink.” Cameron whined. “Be good! This will keep you warm.” “And… only if you wear this will that lady’s money work.” Derek coaxed patiently. Those were Lily’s clothes! That pink puffer jacket was Lily’s favorite birthday gift! My heart ached hollowly. But I had to save myself first! I twisted my body,enduring the searing pain inching toward the damaged storage rack nearby. The rack had a sharp, broken edge. This might be my only chance! I struggled to lift my cuffed hands, pressing the zip tie against the sharp edge. “Scratch—scratch—” I didn’t dare use too much force. I could only saw back and forth slowly. My wrists started bleeding. Piercing pain shot through me. I kept sawing. Faster! Hurry! Lily was still waiting for me! Through the small window above the utility closet, I could see part of the platform. Spotlights lit it up. SWAT officers with riot shields formed a line, countless gun barrels aimed at the train door. Suddenly, a familiar figure came into view. A woman in a red coat, hiding just beyond the police line, holding a megaphone. Vanessa! Derek’s mistress of seven years! What was she doing here? She clutched a photo, staring fixedly at the train door, body trembling slightly. I squinted to make out the photo in her hand. It was a photo of my daughter Lily! I realized immediately. Derek hadn’t told Vanessa the whole plan! She thought Lily would be the one coming out. She was here to… finish the job herself! “Snap.” My wrists came free. The zip tie had snapped! I didn’t rush out right away. I lay by the window, watching Vanessa outside, a bitter laugh escaping me. “Heh… heh…” Derek Vaughn—you planned everything except that your own lover would be the one to destroy it all. You wanted to play the hero sacrificing his family. But your precious “cousin” was outside waiting to send your “daughter” to hell! The train door slowly slid open. Cold wind rushed in. The car fell completely silent. Everyone held their breath, watching the figure in the pink puffer jacket walk toward the door.

The door opened. Cold wind carried snowflakes inside. Through the gap, I saw Derek standing by the door, sweating bullets. He gave Cameron—wearing the pink jacket—a hard push, whispering urgently. “Go! Don’t look back! Just run straight ahead!” Cameron pulled his cap down low, covering most of his face, and stepped through the door. SWAT snipers locked onto the figure. “Report! Hostage exiting. Child. Description doesn’t match the list.” “Confirmed as first release subject.” The command center’s voice came over the radio. “Clear to proceed. Prepare for receive.” I saw Derek standing in the shadows, a smirk playing on his lips. But just as Cameron was halfway out of the car— “Hey! You there!” A woman’s voice cut through the silence over the megaphone. Vanessa stood in the cold wind, face contorted, eyes wild. The distance was too far, and with Cameron wearing Lily’s clothes, cap pulled low and head down Vanessa lifted the megaphone. “Kidnappers! Don’t fall for it! Derek Vaughn’s tricking you!” “The first kid they’re releasing has a bomb on him!” “That dirty marshal planted a remote-controlled bomb!” “He wants to take all of you out!” Passengers in the car recoiled in terror. Derek’s smile froze. He stood rooted to the spot. His pupils shrank as he stared in disbelief at Vanessa in the distance. “No! That’s not true! Shut up! Just shut the hell up!” Derek rushed to the door waving his arms, but his voice was drowned out by the megaphone. Across from him, the lead kidnapper’s face turned feral. “Son of a bitch! You double-crossing bastard?!” “Die then, you dirty cop!” The kidnapper roared, raised his hunting rifle, and aimed at the child who’d just stepped out. “BANG—!” A deafening shot rang out. Cameron’s chest exploded in blood. His body was thrown backward, tumbling heavily off the platform. Blood stained the pink jacket red, and the white snow too. Vanessa’s hand froze mid-air, still gripping the megaphone. She stared at the body that had rolled to the platform’s edge. That short hair, that face… even in girl’s clothes, that was her son! “Cameron…?” She whispered, voice shaking. And in the utility closet, watching all this, I bit my lip until blood filled my mouth. I felt no fear. A rush of satisfaction shot from my feet to the top of my head! Derek Vaughn, Vanessa. See that? This is exactly the ending you plotted! This is your—comeuppance!

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “352004”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #惊悚Thriller #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #狼人Werewolf

The second I came to, I grabbed the box cutter off the shelf and pressed it to the convenience store cashier’s throat. Amid the chaos of screams, I calmly told the clerk to call the cops and insisted they handcuff me, demanding a mandatory 24-hour hold. Everyone thought I’d snapped or was having some kind of psychotic episode. Only I knew I was trembling with sheer relief. In my past life, on this exact night, my scheming stepsister Tiffany—the fake heiress—pushed my adoptive mom down the stairs, killing her instantly from brain death. I was asleep in my room when the police hauled me out. They showed me security footage, claiming I’d murdered my mother. I was totally helpless, begging my adoptive dad and brother to uncover the truth. But they just lashed out, calling me an ungrateful snake they’d raised for eighteen years, always plotting to steal their family’s money. Internet trolls doxxed me, cornered me in an alley, and beat me to death. “Oh my God, Chloe’s totally lost it!” “Officer! Arrest me! I’m a dangerous criminal!” “I told you that girl had a dark streak since she was a kid. Now she’s finally gone off the deep end!” The convenience store entrance was packed with people—some filming on their phones, others just gawking and pointing. The reason was simple: I’d just barged into the convenience store, held a box cutter to an innocent clerk’s neck, yet all I forced him to give me was a soda. Then I turned to the arriving cops, sticking out my hands and practically begging to be cuffed and hauled away. The clerk’s legs shook with terror. The more scared he got, the more relieved I felt. Two officers pinned me to the ground, then stuffed me into a squad car with sirens blaring down the street. At the station, they wanted my statement, trying to figure out if it was a real robbery or just a stunt. I sat in the interrogation chair, acting completely uncooperative. “I did try to rob the place. I want to go to jail, and you have to hold me for 24 hours!” Officer Davis frowned, jotting down notes. “I’ve seen plenty of thrill-seekers like you. A night in lockup should straighten you out!” “Not just detention—we’re calling your family. Let them see the mess you’ve made!” The second he mentioned family, I shook my head frantically. “No family! I’m an adult. I’ll take the rap myself!” “And you have to put me in a cell with cameras and bars! No less than 24 hours!” Officer Davis probably thought I was nuts, but with the weapon threat, he followed procedure and booked me. The second the station’s iron gates clanged shut, I wanted to dance for joy. Last time around, on this exact night, my “sweet” stepsister Tiffany pushed my adoptive mom down the stairs during a fight over a necklace. Mom hit the back of her head, bleeding badly, and died instantly. I was in my room, listening to an English podcast with headphones, when the cops kicked down my door. Tiffany was sobbing dramatically, putting on a show of grief, pointing at me and claiming I’d pushed her. She even showed them the hallway security footage. The monitor clearly showed me in my pajamas, with a crazy look on my face, shoving my adoptive mother down. I was confused, but I knew it couldn’t be real. I’d been in my room studying—never even left. How could I have pushed her? But my adoptive dad Richard and brother looked devastated, pointing and yelling, “We raised you for 18 years, and you’re just an ungrateful snake…” I wondered if I was dreaming. How could the family who’d always loved me turn on me like this? Internet trolls were furious, doxxed my address, and jumped me on my way home. Sticks hit me, bricks smashed my head, and blood poured into my eyes. “This monster who killed her own mom doesn’t deserve to live!” When I woke up again, the hard cot in lockup felt like a five-star hotel bed.

I ate and slept fine in detention, even helped the woman in the next cell with her divorce case. Life was weirdly comfortable. A little over twelve hours later, the female guard said someone was there to see me and told me to get ready. I did the math—Tiffany must’ve pushed Mom by now. I straightened my jail uniform, cuffed, and was led to the visiting room. Before I could even sit down, Richard and Tiffany burst in with a lawyer, reporters, and crying relatives. The second Richard saw me, he tried to lunge through the glass to attack me. “You monster! You killed your mother! And now you’re hiding here like nothing happened!” Tiffany sobbed, “Chloe, just confess! Mom’s gone, but if you admit what you did, Dad and your brother might forgive you!” An influencer in the crowd was live-streaming: “Folks, the mom-killer’s been found! Hiding right here at the station! This monster deserves the death penalty!” I was shocked. I’d hidden in the station, and they were still trying to frame me. I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, Richard’s lawyer pulled out a document. The lawyer declared self-righteously, “Chloe, for the heinous murder of your adoptive mother, Richard is filing to strip you of inheritance rights and demands maximum punishment!” Cops tried to keep order, but the family had brought cameras and mics—total chaos. I tried to explain, but no one would listen. Cameras flashed nonstop, everyone screaming for my blood, demanding I pay for Mom’s death. A hysterical relative threw a water bottle that hit my forehead, leaving a red mark. The station lobby was a circus—other inmates pressed against the bars, watching the show. Soon, the Captain emerged with a larger group of officers. “What’s going on here? This isn’t your living room! Quiet!” Richard pointed furiously, jaw tight. “We’re pressing charges! This animal killed someone at home last night and hid here!” I immediately spotted Officer Davis, the one who’d taken my statement, standing behind the Captain. “Officer Davis! My dad’s nuts—they’re saying I killed someone! You have to help me!” Officer Davis frowned and stepped up. “Sir, the suspect Chloe has been in custody since last night. How could she have gone home to commit murder?” Richard’s face turned red with rage. He shoved his phone at Officer Davis. “I’ve seen plenty like her—ungrateful brats doing evil and faking alibis!” “I have security footage! The cameras clearly show it was her!” The live stream comments exploded: [Alibi won’t matter—video evidence is solid!] [Lock her up for life!] [She deserves the death penalty!] I was livid and confused. I’d turned myself in—how could they still pin this on me? “I don’t get it! How could security footage show me?” Richard yelled, “You pushed your mother down the stairs! You’re the best actor I’ve ever seen!” Unlike last time, I stayed calm. “I pushed Mom? When? I have no clue what you’re talking about!” Tiffany tried to grab my hand, but a correctional officer blocked her. Tiffany sobbed harder, “Chloe, don’t lie! I saw you last night in your pajamas, pushing Mom!” The captain’s expression turned grim. “Ma’am, you need evidence. Our entire station was on duty. Are you saying we couldn’t keep one prisoner from escaping, murdering someone, and returning?”

Officer Davis, who’d processed me, looked equally angry. “Sir, you can’t call us incompetent just to frame someone!” “Good thing our station’s covered in cameras. Look—isn’t this Chloe?” On the big screen, there I was in my jail uniform, cross-legged on the cot, explaining legal stuff to the woman next door. The timestamp in the corner matched exactly when Tiffany claimed Mom was killed. Richard’s video showed me in pink pajamas, looking crazy, shoving Mom at the top of the stairs. Side by side, the two videos couldn’t have been more different. One me was talking law in a cell; the other was murdering someone at home. It was nuts, but it proved I couldn’t be in two places at once. The crowd went silent, everyone staring at each other confused. The live stream comments were equally confused: [Same person in two places?] [Twins? One in jail, one killing?] [If not twins, this is straight-up supernatural!] [But even twins don’t match exactly—look at that birthmark behind the ear!] Reading the comments, cops started wondering if I had a twin.

Officer Davis asked Richard, “When you adopted Chloe, did the orphanage mention a twin?” Richard snapped, “I only adopted one brat like her!” “I’m her father! I know her best. She must’ve used some trick, but she’s the killer!” “Officer, lock her up! Make her pay for my wife’s death!” Officer Davis frowned. “Is that how a father talks? Even if she’s adopted, she’s still human. You can’t just throw her life away.” Richard sized up Officer Davis, then scoffed. “Oh, I get it! No wonder she snuck out—she’s sleeping with you!” “You helped her escape to kill my wife!” Officer Davis was a straight-arrow guy. Richard’s accusation made his face burn with anger. The captain slammed his hand on the table. “Richard, watch your mouth! This is a police station—we won’t stand for false accusations!” Richard shrugged. “A murderer’s a murderer. Locked up or not, she did it!” Cops were getting suspicious. Richard didn’t act like a grieving husband—more like a guilty man trying to pin blame. They sent someone to check Tiffany’s relationship with Mom. Richard exploded. “What are you doing? There’s nothing to investigate!” “I’m the victim’s husband! Don’t I get to know who killed my wife?” Everyone there was confused. Richard kept ranting, trying to rile up the reporters. But the reporters could tell something was off and decided to wait for police updates. I was waiting too. Soon a forensics tech rushed in: “We found something in the Wu family’s video! After enhancement, the ‘Chloe’ pushing her has a faint neck seam.” All eyes turned to me in shock. Everyone gasped, trying to process what that meant. The room turned hostile. Tiffany glared at me. “Chloe, did you get someone to wear a realistic mask to frame me?” Richard’s eyes blazed. “I knew it! You manipulative witch!” Just then, a helicopter roared overhead. I panicked. “Julian, cut the drama! They’re gonna kill me!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “352003”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #惊悚Thriller #现实主义Realistic #重生Reborn #浪漫Romance #狼人Werewolf