Author: Momo Chan

After confirming my pregnancy, I, Ellie Welch, unexpectedly heard my husband Jaiden Gilbert’s inner thoughts. “This idiot is still celebrating her pregnancy, but we’ve already switched her IVF embryo. She’s nothing more than a surrogate for us. If Layla wasn’t afraid of the physical toll of childbirth, I would’ve dumped this woman ages ago. I feel sick just looking at her. Once she gives birth, I’ll make sure she dies on the operating table, then immediately marry Layla.” My entire body went rigid as I clutched the IVF test results, my gaze shifting to Jaiden. He was looking at me tenderly, saying, “Let’s go home, Ellie. I’ll take good care of you and the baby over the next few months.” At the same time, his inner voice came through again: “I’m going to lock this idiot in a dog cage and see where she can run!” I was shocked and heartbroken. Because the Layla that Jaiden mentioned was actually my own sister, Layla Welch. I stared at Jaiden in disbelief: “What did you just say?” Jaiden looked confused, gently stroking my head: “I didn’t say anything.” But his inner voice rang out again: “What’s she getting at? Looking for trouble? If she wasn’t pregnant right now, I’d beat the hell out of her. The baby in her belly is mine and Layla’s precious child—that’s her only value.” I could clearly see that Jaiden’s mouth hadn’t moved at all. Which meant I really could hear his thoughts! I swallowed hard, suppressing my shock as that familiar name echoed repeatedly in my mind—Layla, my sister’s name! I turned to look at Layla, who was busy in the kitchen with my mother Grace Welch. She wore a low-cut bodycon dress, smiling brightly as she prepared a celebratory dinner for my pregnancy. Seeing me look over, she immediately came over: “You’re the family treasure now. Whatever you need, just say the word. I’ll love the baby in your belly like my own child.” Her hand gently caressed my belly, but I felt waves of coldness. I stared at her blankly, feeling no warmth in my heart. That’s when I noticed Layla subtly brushing Jaiden’s leg with her calf as she walked away—seemingly casual, but incredibly intimate. My stomach churned, and I nearly vomited right there. This Layla, who had grown up with me, who claimed to love me and want my happiness. When Jaiden gave me the cold shoulder, she urged me to endure it, saying it was for my own good. I used to think she cared about me, but now I understood it was just her way of manipulating me. Bottom line, the two of them just wanted me to obediently give birth, then disappear completely. At the dinner table, they exchanged glances and flirted subtly with each other. I watched Jaiden carefully peel shrimp and pick out fish bones for Layla, never once noticing that I hadn’t touched a bite of food. Because his inner thoughts were not only disgusting but terrifying enough to kill my appetite: “I’ve already bought the dog cage and chains. I’ll tie her up as soon as we get home. Mine and Layla’s child can’t have any problems! I also need to confiscate her phone and cut off all her contact with the outside world—can’t have her causing trouble. Once she gives birth, I’ll kill her directly and keep the child.” Clatter—my fork dropped to the floor, and his inner voice stopped abruptly. Under everyone’s puzzled gazes, I clenched my fists in panic. Jaiden pulled me into his arms with concern, but I broke out in goosebumps all over. He asked, “Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Tell me if you need anything.” But his inner voice was terrifyingly real: “If something happens to Layla’s child, I’ll break your legs right now!” I stood up in terror: “I… I need to use the bathroom…” Just as I got up, my arm was suddenly grabbed with frightening force. I turned to see Grace’s concerned eyes: “Are you feeling unwell somewhere, Ellie?” Grace’s concern flowed into my heart like warm water. My eyes immediately welled up with tears, my voice choked with sobs. I glanced fearfully at Jaiden before throwing myself into Grace’s arms: “Mom, I don’t want to have this baby anymore.” Grace’s body went rigid, her voice becoming tense: “What happened? Tell me clearly.” Layla also nervously grabbed my hand. But Jaiden’s inner voice came through again: “No way! I have to take her home immediately. This cannot go wrong!” Like a madman, he rushed over and gripped my arm tightly: “Dinner ends here tonight. I’ll make your favorite dishes when we get home. Come with me now!”

The stronger his grip became, the deeper my fear grew. I could barely imagine what kind of hell awaited me if I went home with Jaiden like this. Chains, dog cages, and complete social isolation… Could I even still be called “human” then? I struggled desperately to break free, but Jaiden only grew more agitated. He covered my mouth with one hand while the other yanked viciously at my hair. I bit down hard on the flesh between his thumb and forefinger, then screamed at Grace with all my strength: “The baby in my belly isn’t mine and Jaiden’s! It’s Jaiden and Layla’s! They switched the embryos behind my back!” Jaiden’s face went pale instantly, his eyes turning vicious: “Don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s just emotionally unstable from pregnancy, her head’s full of delusions.” He appeared calm on the surface, but inside he was already panicking. “Could she have seen that data sheet in my car? If she gets her hands on it, Layla and I are finished!” Cold sweat poured down Jaiden’s face, while Layla’s eyes reddened: “How could you say such things about me? I’m your own sister!” I screamed with every ounce of strength I had: “Then how do you explain why every time you were hospitalized perfectly matched the dates of my embryo transfers!” My emotions were on the verge of collapse, but more than that, I was heartbroken. My dearest sister and my husband of nearly ten years had been carrying on behind my back—it was absolutely disgusting. I inched closer to Grace, my voice trembling: “Mom, no matter what, I absolutely will not give birth to this child.” SLAP! My face was struck to one side. I looked up in a daze, tasting blood in my mouth. Grace said: “No matter how angry you are, you’ll do as you’re told. You must give birth to Layla’s child!” I opened my mouth but couldn’t make a sound. Then another sharp slap landed across my face. I was knocked to the ground, my vision going black, unable to get up for a long time. Grace continued: “We’re just asking you to have a baby for Layla—is that really worth getting so angry about? How can you be so ungrateful? Don’t you know how much damage pregnancy does to a woman’s body? How could you bear to let Layla go through that herself? What’s wrong with helping her have the baby and then giving it to her! After all these years, you still haven’t figured out your place. If Layla hadn’t gotten sick as a child, why would I have had you?” I clutched my face in agony, my eyes filled with disbelief. It wasn’t until my gaze swept over the table full of food that I smiled bitterly. Right—I was never the one who was loved. The dishes on the table looked nutritious and elaborately prepared, but not a single one was something I liked to eat. They were all made to Layla’s taste. The only reason I came into this world was because Layla was sickly as a child and might need blood or organs from a close relative at any time. So Grace had me. And my existence was solely for Layla’s sake. I stood there disheveled, long-suppressed resentment churning in my heart. Why, when we’re both human beings, could I only live as Layla’s appendage? I glared at Layla angrily: “If you like Jaiden, why didn’t you marry him? Why did you have to steal my happiness?” Layla bit her lip lightly, her face full of conflict and pain: “I’m too stupid—I don’t know how to take care of a man. I was afraid Jaiden would suffer if he was with me. Besides, I never thought about having children back then. How could I irresponsibly marry someone?” She looked up at Jaiden, her gaze gentle and shy. A sharp pain shot through my stomach, and nausea surged up. So even when heartbreak numbs you, you can still feel sick. At that moment, I realized from Jaiden’s thoughts that I couldn’t waste any more time—I had to escape immediately. Once these beast-like family members caught me, my future would be nothing but darkness. I forced myself to stay calm and said: “I want to go outside to cool down. I’ll be back in a bit.” I turned to leave, but Jaiden clearly had no intention of letting me go. He wrapped his arm around my waist, his large hand clamping down on my arm like a vise: “I’ll come with you. There must be some misunderstanding between us—we can talk it through slowly.” Jaiden’s thoughts echoed in my ears again: “I need to get Ellie to the car first, knock her out with the stun gun, then take her home and teach her a lesson slowly. The embryo switch absolutely cannot be exposed! If people find out, Layla’s and my reputations will be ruined!”

I stubbornly stood my ground, refusing to get in the car with Jaiden no matter what. Seeing us arguing outside, Grace and Layla immediately rushed out to intervene. “I should never have given birth to you! You don’t know the meaning of gratitude!” Grace’s recent gentleness had completely vanished, replaced only by bone-chilling fury. “Just have Layla’s baby first, then you can have your own child afterward. It’s not like it’ll kill you.” Layla’s eyes also reddened as she sobbed, “If you want to blame someone, blame me. This has nothing to do with Jaiden!” Jaiden maintained his outward composure: “Don’t worry about it. We’ll go back and talk things through properly. Everything can be resolved. I believe Ellie is still willing to make this sacrifice for Layla.” But inwardly, he was cursing me: “Damn bitch, once we get back, I’m going to break your legs!” Grace and Layla stood at a distance, watching me struggle in agony, yet remained completely unmoved. Jaiden reached for the car door, preparing to retrieve a stun gun from inside. I fought back desperately, landing an elbow strike to his face and seizing the chance to pull out the small knife I’d hidden in my pocket. “Take one more step and I’ll take us all down together!” I threatened. My voice trembled with fear. During the time Jaiden had been restraining me, I’d been desperately calling for help. I’d thought no one would help me in this unfamiliar city, but unexpectedly, within just a few minutes, neighbors began poking their heads out from all around. Hope rekindled in my eyes as I rushed toward the crowd: “Help me! I’ve been kidnapped by my own family! Please, I’m begging you to save me! My husband conspired with my sister to switch my IVF embryos. They want to use my body as a surrogate. Please help me!” People emerged one by one, and some brave souls even stepped directly in front of me: “How can there be such monsters? We’ll help you!” I broke down crying, thinking I’d finally found someone to rely on. Looking at the three people approaching me, I felt no fear in my heart. With so many witnesses present, surely they couldn’t force me back. Jaiden approached unhurriedly, looking down at me with a cruel smile: “Darling, your mental illness is getting worse and worse. When did you get pregnant? How come we never knew about it?” My mind went blank with a buzzing sound, and I froze completely in place. He chuckled softly as he turned to address the crowd behind me: “She’s been like this for several years now. The treatment hasn’t been going well lately. Please forgive the disturbance.” I explained weakly and desperately: “That’s not true! I really am pregnant! I have proof! And I don’t have any mental illness.” Jaiden put on a pitying expression: “I’m so sorry that a mentally ill person has wasted everyone’s time. I’ll take her home right away.” The crowd looked at me again, their eyes no longer holding the same concern as before. “Oh, so she’s mentally ill. We’d better keep our distance.” “That poor man. His wife has mental problems and he’s still committed to getting her treatment. What a good person.” I watched helplessly as Jaiden grabbed me again, forcibly dragging me toward the car. His thoughts surfaced without any attempt at concealment: “Your pregnancy certificate is back in the house. If you run back to get it, I’ll lock you inside forever and you’ll never get out. If you can’t produce evidence, you’ll have no chance of escaping today!” I struggled desperately, still crying out for help, but no one was willing to pay attention to me anymore. I was like a dying fish, struggling on the shore but unable to see even a glimmer of hope for survival. Jaiden finally lost his patience and suddenly grabbed my throat with his large hand, preventing me from making any sound. “Don’t even think about escaping!” He stared at me fiercely, his fingers gradually tightening, making it impossible for me to breathe. I glared at him and managed a mocking smile despite my weakness: “I’m not the one who should be running. You are.” I weakly raised my hand, pointing behind Jaiden. Jaiden spun around abruptly, and after seeing what was behind him, his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398191”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Cheating #Sister #Paranormal #Revenge

In my previous life, my sister Sofia Kennedy and I got married at the same time. I married Navy Colonel Harvey Mackenzie, while she married ranch owner Jackson Martin. However, both men loved the same woman—Ruby Clark. Sofia and I shared the same blood type as Ruby. After Ruby’s car accident, we donated blood to save her. When Ruby woke up, she could somehow hear Sofia’s and my thoughts. When Harvey and I had a fight and I wanted him to apologize, Ruby told Harvey that I would never forgive him, even if it killed me. When Sofia wanted a bicycle for their wedding anniversary Christmas, Ruby told Jackson that Sofia actually wanted a $200,000 Santana car. Harvey found my personality too stubborn and divorced me. Jackson also thought Sofia was too extravagant and divorced her. Sofia and I were both abandoned, spending the rest of our lives in loneliness. When I opened my eyes again, Sofia and I had been reborn with our memories intact. This time, Harvey and Jackson could also hear our thoughts. “Just give Ruby the blood transfusion. We don’t need it.” A weak voice reached me, pulling me back to reality. I thought to myself: “Shouldn’t Sofia and I be waiting to die in that tin shack? Why am I here?” Looking at the three pale figures lying on the emergency beds and Sofia crying beside me, I realized I had been reborn. I had returned to the moment when all three of them were rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment. At that moment, Ruby frowned and looked at Harvey and Jackson with tears in her eyes. She said, “Harvey, Jackson, how could I possibly let your wives donate blood for me? I’m already useless—just let me die like this.” Ruby cried heartbrokenly, her words broken and intermittent, as if she might stop breathing at any moment. Harvey scolded, “What are you saying? We grew up together. We won’t just watch something happen to you.” After comforting Ruby, Harvey and Jackson looked at Sofia and me with troubled expressions. Watching this scene play out exactly like in my previous life, I smiled. Of course we would donate blood. Not only would we give blood to Ruby, but also to these two men lying there. In my previous life, this blood donation had caused Sofia’s and my miserable lives. This time, I would seize the opportunity. With this thought, I stepped forward and gripped Harvey’s hand tightly, saying, “Harvey, don’t worry. We’ll definitely save Ruby. But Sofia and I won’t just stand by while you and Jackson are hurt. So go into the emergency room without worry—we’re going to donate blood right now. “As long as we’re here, nothing will happen to you.” Seeing my determined expression, Harvey was deeply moved. Ruby, despite being so weak, had a flash of resentment in her eyes. Watching the three of them being wheeled into the emergency room, I pulled Sofia, who was still crying and at a loss, toward the blood donation area. In my previous life, under our respective husbands’ insistence, we had only donated blood to Ruby. Fortunately, both men were ultimately saved. However, what was unexpected was that after this emergency treatment, Sofia’s and my previously harmonious families gradually fell apart for unknown reasons. Harvey and I used to have occasional minor conflicts, but we could resolve them quickly. But somehow, whenever we had small disagreements, even though I clearly wanted to apologize to Harvey, he would think I was being unreasonable. At the time, I didn’t understand why and thought Harvey had fallen for another woman. So we gradually grew apart, and I eventually divorced him under the reputation of being “unreasonable.” Sofia and Jackson’s situation was even worse. Jackson was already wealthy to begin with. The two of them had been living quite well. But gradually, Sofia became someone who only knew how to enjoy herself and didn’t care about him at all in Jackson’s mind. Just like that, both Sofia and I were despised. Our lives became increasingly miserable. Before we died, Ruby came to our dilapidated tin shack, pinching her nose and mocking us. Only then did I learn that after that emergency treatment, not only did her body contain Sofia’s and my blood, but she could also hear our thoughts. So she used this ability to constantly slander us, causing Sofia’s and my tragic ending. In my previous life, Harvey had once accused me in disappointment: “Violet, when did you become so unrecognizable?” Violet Kennedy is my name. Thinking of that scene, I couldn’t help but clench my fists, not caring even as my nails dug into my palms. Wasn’t Ruby using our thoughts to drive wedges between us? This time, I would not only let Ruby hear them, but also let Harvey and Jackson hear them, and then show them what kind of person this woman who grew up with them really was—sweet words on the surface, but rotten inside.

After emergency treatment, the three of them were quickly wheeled back to their hospital room. Seeing they were about to wake up, I hurriedly gathered my thoughts and stopped dwelling on my past life. As for Sofia, she was naturally pure and kind-hearted. I didn’t need to give her any special instructions. As long as Ruby wasn’t there stirring up trouble, I believed that even if Sofia’s thoughts were heard, it wouldn’t matter—it might even help strengthen her marriage with Jackson. However, the idea that blood transfusions could enable mind-reading was just my speculation. I’d have to wait for Harvey to wake up to confirm the details. Watching Harvey’s eyelids flutter, I immediately composed myself, buried my head against his arm, and silently thought: “As long as Harvey wakes up healthy, I’m willing to do anything.” Then I felt a hand gently stroking my hair. I looked up tearfully, gazing at Harvey with joy, thinking: “Thank goodness! Harvey really woke up. If something happened to him, I couldn’t go on living either.” While thinking this, I carefully observed Harvey’s expression. Sure enough, I saw confusion written all over his face, as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to begin. So I asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere? I’ll get the doctor right away.” Just as I was checking Harvey’s wounds, Sofia suddenly cried out. Jackson and Ruby had woken up too. I thought to myself: “Ruby is so beautiful, but now her face is ruined from the car accident. What a shame. I won’t tell her about this yet—I’ll wait until she’s recovered.” Sure enough, Ruby immediately panicked and covered her face with her hands. Then, as if she’d discovered something, she kept staring at me with a probing look in her eyes. I pretended not to notice and continued thinking: “Why is Ruby looking at me like that? Is she feeling unwell somewhere? She and Harvey grew up together, so I must take care of her like a sister and help her recover quickly.” Then, without looking at the three people in the room again, I pulled Sofia along and quickly walked out. Once outside the room, we didn’t head to the doctor’s office as they expected. I covered Sofia’s mouth and quietly stayed by the door, peering through the crack. Sure enough, I soon heard Ruby’s choked voice: “Harvey, Jackson, I thought I’d never see you again. Thank you for saving me.” Then Harvey’s cheerful voice came through: “Don’t mention it. If you want to thank anyone, thank our wives. They donated blood to all three of us despite their own health, which is why we could all survive together.” Upon hearing this, Ruby, who had been quietly sobbing, suddenly paused. Then she looked extremely conflicted, as if she didn’t know how to speak up. Finally, Ruby bit her lip and said, “After waking up this time, I think I can hear what they’re thinking.” Hearing her words, Jackson looked delighted and was about to respond, but Harvey stopped him with a look, making him clamp his mouth shut. Then Harvey frowned disapprovingly and said, “How could such a thing be possible? We can’t talk about superstitious nonsense like this.” Hearing this, Ruby pouted with grievance. Then, as if remembering something, a flash of cunning crossed her eyes. She said, “I’m really not making this up. Violet was just cursing me in her mind, saying I’m disfigured from the car accident and now I’m hideous.” After saying this, without waiting for the two men to respond, Ruby covered her face and began sobbing as if she’d been deeply wronged. So she didn’t notice the probing looks in Harvey and Jackson’s eyes after she finished speaking. At this moment, I looked down at Sofia, whose mouth I was covering and whose eyes were wide with shock. I sighed and couldn’t help telling her, “It’s not just Ruby who can hear our thoughts now—Harvey and Jackson can too. So…” Hearing my words, Sofia wasn’t panicked at all. Instead, she looked at me excitedly. She said, “Violet, do you mean that from now on, I won’t even need to open my mouth when talking to Jackson?” Hearing her response, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. In the end, I could only remind her not to reveal that we knew about this ability. As for everything else, I’d let the couples figure it out themselves.

All three of us were in good health and were quickly discharged from the hospital. Jackson needed to return to manage his farm operations. As the wife of a Navy Captain, I had previously accompanied Harvey during his long deployment on the island. After discharge, I returned to the military family housing area. While tidying up the house, I thought to myself: “Thanksgiving is coming up, and Harvey has safely recovered and come home. This would be perfect timing to invite his soldiers over to celebrate together. These young men are so far from home, and while everyone else is celebrating the holidays, they’re still here protecting everyone’s safety. I should prepare a warm holiday gathering for them.” With this thought, I turned to look at Harvey, who was sitting on the couch. Before I could speak, I saw Harvey looking at me with a moved expression. I said, “Harvey, how about we invite the soldiers over for Thanksgiving dinner?” Hearing my words, Harvey looked down with a smile and said, “Whatever you decide is fine.” Though he didn’t say much, I could tell he really approved of the idea. And so, it was settled. What I didn’t expect was that on Thanksgiving Day, not only did his soldiers come, but Ruby tagged along as well. Watching me bustling around in the kitchen, she offered to help with her words but kept her distance physically. Ruby looked toward the living room where the soldiers were eating, drinking, chatting, and laughing boisterously, her eyes showing clear impatience. Soon, everyone had eaten their fill, and the house was left in complete disarray. Harvey was seeing the guests off while I began cleaning up the mess. Ruby, however, sat leisurely without any intention of helping. When she saw Harvey return after seeing off the guests, she coquettishly approached and linked her arm through his: “Harvey, I…” Before she could finish, Harvey pulled his arm free from her grasp and frowned at her, saying, “Violet has been busy all day. Why didn’t you go help her?” After saying this, he ignored her and came over to help me clean up. Ruby still clung to his arm, saying, “You can’t blame me for this, Harvey. I wanted to help earlier, but Violet wouldn’t let me.” Seeing her like this, I thought to myself: “I never said you couldn’t help. You were the one who pinched your nose and stayed far away before I could even say anything. What could I do about it? But it doesn’t matter—as long as those soldiers enjoyed themselves today, it’s worth it even if I’m a bit tired.” Hearing my thoughts, Harvey’s expression changed. Finally, as if he’d reached his limit, he said, “If there’s nothing else, you should head home early. I still need to help Violet clean up.” At these words, a flash of malice crossed Ruby’s eyes. She said, “Harvey, are you angry with me just because I didn’t help Violet? But Violet was just thinking to herself that if it weren’t for these damn soldiers, she wouldn’t have had to work so hard for so long. She was even complaining in her heart about you bringing them home.” Ruby said these words in a wheedling tone while tugging at Harvey’s sleeve. Hearing her words, I pinched my thigh hard. Instantly, my eyes turned red and tears fell as I looked at Harvey without saying a word. I couldn’t help thinking: “Why would Ruby falsely accuse me like this? That’s not what I was thinking at all. Harvey hasn’t said anything yet—he must be more inclined to believe Ruby. After all, they grew up together.” With these thoughts, I lowered my head and fell completely silent. In my previous life, after Ruby said such things, Harvey looked at me with eyes full of disappointment. Though I wanted to explain, I was too angry at his lack of trust in me, so I said nothing. This time, I again said nothing. But Harvey’s expression was extremely dark. Seeing Harvey’s reaction, Ruby became even more smug, thinking Harvey had believed her words. She smiled and said, “Harvey, don’t be too angry. It’s normal for women to have some temper. Besides, Violet is our lifesaver. But if it were me, I definitely wouldn’t act this way. These soldiers work so hard—as long as they’re happy, it’s worth it even if I’m tired and work a little harder.” Hearing these words that were almost identical to my earlier thoughts, I couldn’t help but blink, while Harvey actually scoffed. The way he looked at Ruby no longer held the gentle affection one shows a sister, but was instead filled with disgust. Harvey said coldly, “Ruby, have you ever considered that you might not be the only one who can hear what Violet is thinking? Perhaps I can hear it too? Have you thought about the consequences of randomly fabricating lies about Violet?” Hearing his words, I looked up at them both with feigned surprise. Ruby’s face had turned pale, and she stared at Harvey in disbelief.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398190”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Rebirth #Sister #ChildhoodBestFriends #Revenge

The night before Grandma Evelyn McLean’s surgery, my adoptive father Archie McLean and I spent the entire evening in his study researching medical procedures. In my previous life, when Evelyn had her heart attack, Archie’s biological daughter Bonnie McLean wanted to replace me as the attending physician and perform Evelyn’s heart transplant surgery herself. Considering that Bonnie had only attended three years of nursing school, I refused her request. But Bonnie saw this as me humiliating her. To prove herself, she impersonated me and performed the surgery on Evelyn directly. The next day, Evelyn died from organ rejection and vascular rupture. Afterward, Bonnie threw herself into Archie’s arms, crying: “Dad, I never thought Isabella would violate hospital regulations and perform surgery on Grandma overnight just because she was afraid I’d steal her position as attending physician.” Isabella McLean is my name. Before I could explain, my adoptive mother Millie McLean accused me: “Isabella, you’re nothing but a murderer. Just because Evelyn supported Bonnie performing her surgery, you deliberately killed Evelyn during the operation.” Archie was furious and pushed me off the 36th floor. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Bonnie wanted to perform Evelyn’s surgery. Bonnie smiled and said: “Isabella, since Grandma’s surgery is so important, why don’t you let me handle this operation? Your medical skills aren’t that good usually. If something happens to Grandma on the operating table, can you take responsibility?” She linked arms with Evelyn, her eyes full of smugness as she looked at me. Hearing that familiar voice, I realized I had been reborn and returned to the day before Evelyn’s surgery. Remembering the sensation of falling from that height in my previous life, I couldn’t help but shudder. I said directly: “No, absolutely not.” Before I could finish speaking, a cup smashed into my head. Millie said disdainfully: “Do you have the right to speak? Bonnie is the real daughter of the McLean family. She’s devoted to Evelyn and wants to perform her surgery—what’s wrong with that? Don’t think that just because you’re taking Bonnie’s place, you’re actually a McLean daughter.” She sat elegantly on the sofa, not even bothering to look at me. Evelyn beside her was even more furious: “Bonnie became a good doctor without the McLean family’s support from childhood, which is much better than you. Now, my own granddaughter wants to perform my surgery—how dare an outsider like you speak up?” Bonnie looked particularly aggrieved: “Isabella, you only became an attending physician at the hospital because of the McLean family’s reputation—you have no real skills. Now that Grandma is so seriously ill, I’ve already found a new surgical plan for her. Isabella, don’t let your momentary anger delay Grandma’s surgery.” I looked angrily at the three people before me. I had originally wanted to stop Bonnie from performing the surgery, but now I could see they would never believe my words. At this thought, I clenched my fists.

In my previous life, when Bonnie was first brought back home and learned that Evelyn needed surgery, she volunteered to take my place as the surgeon. I secretly investigated and discovered that Bonnie had only studied at nursing school for three years and nearly didn’t graduate due to skipping classes and getting into fights. For the sake of the McLean family’s reputation, I directly refused her request. As a result, Bonnie thought I was greedy for the McLean family’s wealth and wouldn’t let her perform the surgery. After a huge fight with me, she went to the hospital with Evelyn. I assumed they would follow the doctor’s orders, so I didn’t tell Archie about this. The next day, I arrived at the hospital on time. When I reached the operating room door, Archie angrily slapped me across the face. He roared, “You bastard! Now that your grandmother is dead, are you satisfied?” Before I could understand what was happening, Bonnie threw herself into his arms. She cried, “Dad, I never thought Isabella would be so afraid of me taking her position as the attending physician that she’d violate hospital regulations and operate on Grandma overnight. After the surgery failed, she didn’t tell us, so Grandma died without even seeing you one last time.” I couldn’t believe that Evelyn had just died like that. Since childhood, Evelyn had disliked me for being a girl and often punished me. After Bonnie was brought back, Evelyn hated me even more. If it weren’t for the fact that Evelyn had suffered so much in her youth, raising Archie all by herself, plus the high difficulty of this surgery, I wouldn’t have taken on this operation. But I never expected that Evelyn would die before the surgery even began. Yet I had slept through the entire night and had no time to perform any surgery. Before I could explain, Millie started accusing me. She said angrily, “Isabella, I never thought that just because your grandmother was usually strict with you, you would cruelly murder her. You’re inhuman! How can you face the kindness our family showed in raising you?” Hearing these words, Archie’s eyes blazed with fury as he grabbed my throat tightly. I was being strangled to the point of suffocation when Archie finally pushed me off the 36th floor. Only after my death did I learn that Bonnie, fearing I would succeed in the surgery, had convinced Evelyn and Millie to have the operation done early. When problems arose during the surgery, Bonnie pinned everything on me. Archie couldn’t accept Evelyn’s death and deeply resented me as the “culprit.” Right after he killed me, the police arrived. Archie was arrested and sentenced to death, so all of the McLean family’s assets were inherited by Bonnie and Millie. The reason Bonnie was so eager to perform Evelyn’s surgery was that she wasn’t actually the McLean family’s biological daughter. Fearing discovery, she orchestrated this accident to eliminate two people at once. There wasn’t a single good person in the McLean family. In this life, I’m going to make them all pay the price.

With this thought in mind, I took a deep breath. Drawing on my professional ethics as a doctor, I made one final attempt to persuade Evelyn: “Bonnie has absolutely no experience whatsoever. She’s just deceiving you. Given your current physical condition, after this surgery, you could still live for three more Christmases.” However, after hearing my words, Evelyn let out a cold snort. She said, “With your medical skills, how dare you perform surgery on me? Just you wait and see.” Immediately after, the three of them left for the hospital. It was getting late. They were afraid that if Archie came back and found out about this, he wouldn’t agree to changing doctors, so they wanted to perform the surgery overnight. Watching their departing figures, I fell into deep thought. Since Bonnie was going to impersonate me to perform this surgery, I would stay at Archie’s place all night. When the time came, I wanted to see how Bonnie would explain herself. I turned around and went upstairs, taking the files to Archie’s study. Archie and Evelyn had a very deep relationship. Since Evelyn was scheduled for surgery tomorrow, there was no way he could sleep tonight. When he saw me, Archie’s expression was extremely somber. He said, “Why aren’t you sleeping at this hour? Your grandmother is having surgery tomorrow. What if something goes wrong during the operation?” I was startled and showed him the report in my hands with a grieved expression. I said, “Dad, the hospital just sent me Grandma’s latest test results. I wanted to show them to you.” Upon hearing my words, Archie’s expression softened somewhat. I continued, “Dad, the test results show that Grandma’s physical condition is particularly good right now. A week after the surgery, she’ll be able to come home. Then our whole family can spend quality time with Grandma, and she’ll definitely be very happy.” Archie was overjoyed, gripping my shoulders tightly and crying tears of happiness. He said, “That’s wonderful! Your grandmother has had such a difficult time before. If you can really cure her heart disease, you’ll be the greatest hero of our family.” With that, he pulled me into his study. He said excitedly, “Tell me in detail, are there any other changes in her condition?” A hint of a smile flickered in my eyes. The happier Archie was now, the more furious he would be tomorrow when he learned the truth. After all, nothing makes people angrier than seeing hope only to discover it’s been destroyed by someone else. However Bonnie had harmed me in my previous life, that’s exactly how I would get my revenge on her in this life. Archie pulled me aside and talked for a long time. Looking at the data in the report, he wanted every single detail explained thoroughly. Then, Archie took my hand and told me solemnly, “Isabella, you’re a good child. As long as you can cure your grandmother’s illness, I absolutely won’t shortchange you. From now on, in this house, you and Bonnie will be treated equally. In the future, I’ll give you half of the company’s shares.” I shyly shook my head. I said, “Dad, as long as I can save Grandma’s life, I’ll be very happy. After all, Bonnie just came back and isn’t very familiar with this family yet. Please don’t treat me too well—Bonnie is your real child.” Archie thought for a moment and stopped talking about what he’d just said. I continued, “Dad, it’s about time. Let’s go to the hospital now, so I can prepare a bit more.” Archie nodded repeatedly and had the driver take us to the hospital. I had just finished changing clothes and was walking to the hospital room door when a woman rushed over. She roared, “You bitch! How dare you harm Grandma to death!” The hospital was crowded with patients. Upon hearing those words, they all gathered around us. Watching the growing crowd, a flash of smugness crossed Bonnie’s eyes. She pointed at me, crying pitifully. Bonnie said, “Isabella, I never imagined you could be so vicious. Just because Mom and Dad discovered you weren’t their biological daughter and brought me back, you actually killed the grandmother who raised you from childhood. “Grandma trusted you so much, yet you were so afraid I’d find a better surgical plan that you secretly performed surgery on her ahead of schedule, killing her in the process.” Her voice grew hoarse from crying, drawing sympathy from many onlookers. Numerous people began pointing fingers at me. One woman said, “She looks like a department head, but she actually killed her own grandmother.” A man said, “Family feuds among the wealthy aren’t that simple. This whole thing might not even be true.” Just then, Archie, who had just finished handling matters in the car, slowly walked over. He asked, “What’s going on here?” Seeing Archie, Bonnie immediately threw herself into his arms. She cried, “Dad, I never thought Isabella would violate hospital regulations and perform surgery on Grandma overnight just because she was afraid I’d steal her position as attending physician. “After the surgery failed, she didn’t tell us, so Grandma died without ever seeing you one last time. “Before she died, Grandma cried saying she wanted to see you and worried that you wouldn’t take care of yourself after she was gone. Isabella is truly despicable.” Archie’s body trembled continuously, his face pale. He said, “That’s impossible. Your grandmother was fine yesterday. How could something have happened to her? “Bonnie, stop talking nonsense here. What if your grandmother really does have an accident because of what you’re saying?” Just then, Millie pushed a surgical gurney out. She said, “Archie, come quickly and see. Evelyn died so tragically. “Bonnie already told me everything. She had found a better surgical plan, but Isabella was so malicious that upon learning this, she performed surgery on Evelyn ahead of schedule. “If Isabella hadn’t been afraid that Bonnie could save Evelyn and leave her with no place in the family, how could Evelyn have died on the operating table? She died from massive hemorrhaging.” With that, Millie pulled back the white sheet covering the hospital bed. A pale, rigid face appeared before everyone. Archie’s eyes reddened. He rushed to the bedside, his hands trembling as he carefully continued pulling back the white sheet. He said, “Mom, what’s wrong with you? Are you feeling unwell? Don’t worry. I brought Isabella here. Isabella said you’d definitely survive.” The next second, he froze in place. Evelyn’s chest area was covered in blood, a gruesome sight. Archie clenched his fists. A flash of excitement crossed Bonnie’s eyes. She continued, “Dad, it was Isabella, that bitch, who did this! Right after I told her I’d found a better plan, she cursed me out. “I never thought Isabella would be so afraid of me curing Grandma’s illness that she’d secretly come to the hospital behind everyone’s backs to perform surgery early. “Grandma died from systemic vascular rupture. In a normal surgery, how could she have died so horribly? Isabella did this on purpose.” After speaking, Bonnie looked at me provocatively. She thought I was surely done for. However, the next second, Archie grabbed her by the throat.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398188”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #FamilyDrama #Rebirth #Doctor #FalseIdentity #Revenge

After my father David Hamilton had an affair, he divorced my mother Ava Paterson. I didn’t choose Ava, who wanted nothing in the divorce, but instead chose David, who favored his illegitimate son. This was because after their divorce, I was killed twice by Ava, who was obsessed with romance novels. In my first life, Ava was willing to take nothing just to bring me with her, hoping David would appreciate her gesture. In the end, my heart condition relapsed, and without money for treatment, I died in agony on a hospital bed. In my second life, despite Ava’s objections, I asked David for surgery money in advance. However, to make David pursue her, Ava insisted on forcing me to go bungee jumping right before my surgery. To stop me from jumping, David drove at high speed and ultimately died in a car crash. Ava blamed everything on me and pushed me off a cliff in hatred. She said, “You useless waste! Not only can’t you help me win your father back, but you got him killed too. You should die as well.” In that moment, I finally understood that Ava didn’t love me at all. She only saw me as a tool to win David back. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned for the third time to the day Ava wanted to divorce David. Ava said coldly, “David, since your lover has returned from abroad, I’ll make it easy for you. Let’s get divorced. We’ll go to court tomorrow.” Just like in my previous lives, Ava didn’t give David any chance to explain and directly pulled out a divorce agreement. Because of David’s first love Sienna Miller, Ava had threatened divorce countless times. Every time, David would apologize first. But this time, an exhausted David didn’t compromise anymore. Instead, he picked up the pen and decisively signed his name. He said, “Ava, I’ll grant your wish.” Hearing David’s words, Ava became furious. But she stubbornly said, “I don’t care about the Hamilton family fortune. As long as you give me Hallie, I won’t take any property in the divorce.” Hallie Hamilton is my name. David frowned slightly and looked at me. He said, “Hallie, we’re getting divorced. Do you want to live with me or with your mother?” Suddenly being called upon, I looked at their hopeful gazes and realized I had been reborn. In my first life, during their divorce, Ava brainwashed me to prove she was the person who loved me most in this world. She said, “Hallie, once your father has a stepmother, he won’t love you anymore. If you choose your father, that evil mistress will definitely bully you to death. Only I truly love you. As long as you live with me, your father will definitely come begging for reconciliation.” To make them get back together, I chose Ava without hesitation. However, Ava was deeply influenced by the toxic messages in romance novels. To make David see her as an independent, strong woman, she insisted on taking no property in the divorce. Without money or a job, she brought me into a life filled with hunger. Finally, when my heart condition relapsed and I was lying on a hospital bed, I begged Ava to ask David for surgery money. But she angrily accused me of being spineless. Ava said, “Your father and I are already divorced. We may be poor, but we have dignity. How could I have given birth to such a useless, ungrateful person? Would you sell my self-respect for this little bit of money?” In the end, I died in agony on that hospital bed. Pitifully, I believed everything Ava said was right until my death. So in my second life, I still chose Ava. But I asked David for surgery money and living expenses for us mother and daughter in advance. Ava scolded me, calling me greedy. But she still put the bank card David gave us into her pocket. However, I didn’t expect that the day before my heart transplant surgery, Ava suddenly learned that David was attending a parent-teacher conference for Sienna’s son Elliot Miller. She became extremely jealous and brainwashed me again. Ava said, “Hallie, whether your father and I can reconcile depends entirely on your performance this time.” I chose to believe her once again. But Ava pushed me onto the bungee jumping platform and sent photos to David. She also sent David a message: [David, you know Hallie has a heart condition, right? She’s about to bungee jump because of you. Are you going to do something about it? If you can’t get here within an hour, she’s going to jump.] After receiving the message, David immediately drove over. However, they got into a car accident on the way. In the end, he died in the flames along with Sienna and Elliot. As a result, Ava blamed everything on me. She unfastened my safety harness and mercilessly pushed me into the abyss. Ava roared, “If it weren’t for you, how would your father have died? You useless waste! Not only can’t you help me win your father back, but you got him killed too. You should die as well.” Looking at her twisted expression, I finally understood that she had no maternal feelings for me whatsoever and had been using me from beginning to end. Even if she had, my tragic deaths in these two lives were enough to repay any debt of birth and upbringing. So in this life, I looked at David and firmly took his hand. I said, “Dad, I want to live with you.”

David squeezed my hand reassuringly and said, “Hallie, I promise I’ll give you the best life possible.” Ava couldn’t believe I had suddenly changed my choice. Before the divorce, Ava and I had already agreed—regardless of whether David consented to the divorce or not, as her daughter, I would unconditionally choose to go with Ava. But Ava didn’t know that I had been reborn with memories from my previous life. The father-daughter bond that David and I were displaying made Ava extremely uncomfortable. She pointed at me and yelled, “Hallie, tell me—what spell did your father and that woman cast on you? I gave birth to you! Why would you choose your father? Do you have any idea how much I’ve sacrificed all these years to raise you? I was willing to give up all the assets just to take you away so that woman and her son wouldn’t bully you. How can you be so heartless?” I stared coldly into her eyes, completely unaffected by her words. I had heard this kind of emotional manipulation countless times before. Whenever Ava needed me to lie and trick David into coming home, she would say these things. After lying so many times for so long, David eventually stopped falling for it. At the same time, Ava would force me to hurt myself to get David’s attention. Even now, thinking back to those days when she had me under her psychological control still makes me shudder. Seeing that I wasn’t responding to her, Ava turned her attack on David: “I can guarantee that after our divorce, I won’t remarry—no one will bully Hallie. Can you guarantee the same?” Just as David was about to speak, I quickly rolled up my sleeve and let two tears fall: “Daddy, I just want to live with you. Please don’t abandon me. Every time you’re not home, Mom forces me to cut myself with a knife. If I live with Mom, I’ll die.” Seeing the scar after scar on my arm, David’s eyes immediately turned red. He pulled me into his arms and glared fiercely at Ava. David roared, “Ava, how could you be so vicious—even your own daughter isn’t safe from you! You want a divorce? Then get out of Hamilton Villa right now!” In Ava’s plan, taking me with her during the divorce was step one. The scars on my arm were step two—she planned to use them to make David remarry her for my sake. But now, I had exposed everything. Ava finally panicked: “Hallie, you heartless, ungrateful child! I wasted my time giving birth to you. I’m packing my things and leaving Hamilton Villa right now. You two better not regret this.” With that, Ava rushed upstairs. An hour later, she came down carrying two suitcases toward the door. I grabbed her diamond-studded designer suitcase and said, “Mom, didn’t you say you’d leave without taking any assets? Why are you taking Dad’s million-dollar suitcase?” The suitcase fell to the ground, revealing various expensive bags and jewelry inside. I continued, “Mom, surely you’re not that spineless? You said you wanted a divorce to be an independent, strong woman, but you’re taking all the designer bags and jewelry Dad gave you.” Ava gritted her teeth and let go of both suitcases, looking at me with contempt: “Who wants these worthless things? When that homewrecker brings her bastard son to bully you, don’t come crying to me.” Watching her walk away with such flair, I knew Ava was already fantasizing about the scene where David and I would regret our decision and beg her to come back. But this time, her dream was destined to be shattered.

After Ava left, David carefully applied ointment to my arm. His eyes were red and filled with guilt. “Hallie, this is all my fault. I’ve been so busy with work that I neglected you.” Seeing him like this broke my heart too. In my previous life, I had been brainwashed by Ava into believing David was a cheating, biased man who favored his illegitimate son. It wasn’t until I watched David die on the highway trying to save me that I realized he was the person who loved me most in this world. Just as I was about to comfort David, his phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, his expression darkening as he hung up immediately. The phone rang again right away. I caught a glimpse and saw it was Sienna calling. I quickly said, “Dad, that’s Ms. Miller calling, isn’t it? She must have something urgent. You should answer it.” David looked surprised at my words. In the past, whenever anything involved Sienna, I would react with the same disgust and anger as Ava. That was because I had always believed Sienna was the homewrecker who caused their divorce. But in reality, among the three of them, Ava was the real homewrecker. Sienna and David had grown up together and were already at the point of discussing marriage. But Ava had harbored a secret crush on David for years and was desperate enough to drug him just to marry him. Considering the business partnership between their families, plus the fact that Ava was pregnant with me, David’s parents forced him to marry Ava. Sienna was heartbroken and went abroad immediately. When Sienna returned recently, David learned that she had been pregnant with Elliot even before they broke up years ago. But even so, their only contact was because of Elliot, and they never crossed any boundaries. However, Ava, influenced by novels, believed Sienna had returned with Elliot to steal David away, so she struck first and orchestrated everything. In the end, I watched helplessly as Sienna and my half-brother died on their way to find me. Only then did I realize they had never intended to take David away from us, and they even lost their lives because of it. So I continued urging David, “Dad, I can tell right from wrong. Please answer the phone.” When the call connected, Sienna’s anxious voice came through. She said, “David, Elliot collapsed from anemia again. He needs your blood now.” Both Elliot and I inherited David’s rare blood type. If it weren’t so difficult to find compatible donors for Elliot, I doubt Sienna would have ever returned to the country. Because I insisted, David brought me along to the hospital. After Elliot was out of danger, Sienna breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing me, she touched my head and promised, “Hallie, thank you for coming with your father. I promise you, I will never interfere with your parents’ relationship.” I said nonchalantly, “Ms. Miller, my dad and mom are already divorced.” Before I could finish speaking, someone suddenly rushed over. Then a vicious slap landed across my face. I looked up to see Ava’s murderous expression. Ava roared, “I was wondering why you suddenly betrayed me. Turns out Sienna bought you off. “You couldn’t wait to tell her about my divorce from your father, could you? Do you want her to be your mother? “You’re just like those ungrateful daughters in novels—completely heartless. You deserve to never receive a mother’s love!” Seeing my swollen cheek, Sienna immediately stepped in front of me protectively. She said, “Ava, have you lost your mind? Your daughter has never betrayed you, and she never asked me to be her mother.” But to Ava, Sienna’s explanation sounded like gloating over her victory. Ava let out a cold laugh and retorted, “I’ve seen plenty of women like you in novels—acting all pure and innocent on the surface while scheming underneath. You came back to the country with your illegitimate child just to steal David from me, didn’t you? You think this ungrateful father-daughter duo is sucking up to you now? Mark my words—within three months, they’ll be begging me to forgive them and come back.” With that, Ava turned and walked away with a flourish. Sienna ignored her words. She crouched down and carefully examined the wound on my face. Sienna said, “Hallie, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. Does it hurt? Let me take you to see a doctor, okay?” I shook my head dismissively. This slap was nothing compared to the pain I’d endured in my previous two lives. However, Ava’s revenge obviously wouldn’t stop at just one slap. Soon enough, she mimicked the independent, strong female protagonists from novels and adopted a little girl about my age from an orphanage. She named this girl Ella Paterson and managed to get Ella placed in my class. Under Ava’s direction, Ella frequently bullied me in class. Knowing that Ava no longer wanted me, other classmates constantly mocked me with cruel words, trying to humiliate me. Once, my teacher Sofia Kerr called Ava right in front of me. Ava laughed coldly with obvious satisfaction, “Ms. Kerr, Hallie’s father and I are divorced now. I’m no longer her mother. From now on, whether she has a heart attack or gets into trouble, please don’t call me anymore. By the way, my daughter now is Ella, and she’s so much better than that ungrateful Hallie.” Ava thought these words would hurt me. But I simply snatched Sofia’s phone away. Then I said coldly, “Ms. Paterson, Ella broke the phone watch that Ms. Miller bought me, worth $30,000. Please compensate me immediately.” The title “Ms. Paterson” hit Ava like a sledgehammer, causing her to break down emotionally on the spot. She said, “You really only care about money! That woman just bought you a phone watch, and that’s worth abandoning your own mother? All these years, you’ve eaten my food and lived under my roof, and I haven’t asked you for money. How dare you ask me for money?” In the end, nothing came of this incident. But the next day, I spotted a more expensive children’s phone watch on Ella’s wrist. Even during the school’s parent-child activity, Ava deliberately wore designer clothes and happily showed up with her childhood friend Grayson Bell and Ella, who was also dressed in an expensive princess dress. The three of them looked loving and affectionate, like a real family of three. Seeing me all alone, Ava hugged Ella and mocked me. She said, “Hallie, where’s your father? And where’s your Ms. Miller? Why didn’t they come with you to the parent-child activity? Don’t you know yet? Your father is out having fun with Ms. Miller and your half-brother right now. Let me tell you, even if you regret it now, it’s too late. From the moment you chose to betray me, I stopped wanting you.” Seeing that I remained silent, Ava leaned close to my ear and continued, “By the way, even if your father begs me to remarry him, I won’t want an ungrateful person like you anymore.” Clearly, she was still dreaming about David begging her to remarry him. Just then, David’s voice rang out, “Ava, what are you trying to do to Hallie?” He ran over anxiously from a distance, followed by Sienna and Elliot. As soon as she saw David, Ava deliberately linked arms with Grayson to provoke David, saying, “David, you don’t know yet, do you? Grayson has already proposed to me.” David glanced at their odd pairing and frowned slightly. Thinking David was jealous, Ava smiled smugly, “But if you’re willing to beg me to come back, I would still…” Before she could finish her sentence, I pulled out a marriage certificate from David’s briefcase. I said, “Ms. Paterson, Dad and I both wish you and Mr. Bell well. Because Dad has already gotten a marriage certificate with Ms. Miller.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398187”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #FamilyDrama #Rebirth #Divorce #Death #Hurt

When my best friend Phoebe Jones rushed into the lottery store ahead of me and called out those familiar numbers, I knew she had been reborn with memories from her past life too. In my previous life, as graduation approached, Phoebe and I both applied for the same position at a Fortune 500 company, but there was only one opening. On the day of the interview, I suddenly felt like buying a lottery ticket. However, this made me miss my interview time, and Phoebe successfully got the job. As it turned out, my lottery ticket won fifty million dollars. After graduation, I stayed home without needing to work, living off the interest. After Phoebe joined the company, not only was her salary low, but she was bullied every day. Eventually, she took her anger out on me and pushed me off the rooftop. I died on impact. After my death, my boyfriend Carter Morrison helped her fabricate evidence, claiming that I had jumped because I’d been idle at home too long and had become mentally unstable. The two of them exploited my story to become bloggers with millions of followers and made a fortune. When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to the day I bought the lottery ticket. Phoebe shouted, “I want to buy a lottery ticket!” She rushed ahead of me and ran into the lottery store. When Phoebe breathlessly recited those numbers I had memorized, I knew she had been reborn too. After getting the ticket, Phoebe turned around and looked at me provocatively. She said, “Sorry, Arabella. I bought this lottery ticket.” Arabella Fraser is my name. I said nonchalantly, “I wasn’t planning to buy a lottery ticket anyway.” Hearing my words, Phoebe clearly didn’t believe me. She sneered and put the ticket in her bag. Then she said, “How is that possible? You were the one who because of this lottery ticket…” She suddenly stopped mid-sentence. I knew what Phoebe wanted to say. In my past life, it was because I bought this lottery ticket that I missed the bus and was late for my interview. Therefore, Phoebe smoothly got the job offer from that Fortune 500 company. But my lottery ticket had won fifty million dollars. Phoebe successfully got the job, while I stayed home every day living off interest without needing to work. But later, nothing went well for her at the company. Her salary was low, and she was bullied. So in her anger, she pushed me off the rooftop. At this moment, Phoebe looked at me smugly and said, “I won’t go to the company interview. Since you love doing hard work so much, I’ll let you have this opportunity.” I nodded. I thought, “In that case, I’ll let you have this fifty-million-dollar stroke of luck too.” Without hesitation, I turned around and took the bus to the company for my interview. That evening, when I returned to the dorm, I saw Carter with his arm around Phoebe’s shoulder. I must have been blind in my past life, only realizing at my death that these two had been scheming together all along. Seeing me return, not only were they not panicked, but their faces were full of provocation. Carter looked at me with disgust and said, “Arabella, the person I truly like is Phoebe. I was only with you because your family has two houses. But now it’s different. Phoebe won fifty million dollars. From now on, we’re both rich. I don’t have to compromise anymore by staying with someone as annoying as you just for money.” I clenched my fists tightly. So that’s how it was. Both Phoebe and Carter came from rural areas. One was my best friend, the other was my boyfriend. Usually, when it came to spending money, I never minded. I only now realized that they had been deliberately spending my money. Since heaven gave me a chance to start over, I would make them pay back everything they gained by using me in my past life, a hundredfold, a thousandfold. Phoebe scoffed and said, “Arabella, I used to give up the person I liked and let you have him because your family was slightly better off than mine. But now, I’ve won fifty million dollars. I don’t need to work for money anymore and have enough wealth to support my lifestyle. What do you have to compete with me? You’re destined to be someone who works hard for a living, but Carter and I are different. We’re about to travel the world. This kind of life is something you’ll never get to enjoy.” After they packed their luggage, they moved out of the dorm. Watching their retreating figures, I sneered. They were so naive. Did they really think such good fortune would fall to them?

I performed exceptionally well in my internship and received a job offer from that Fortune 500 company. This was the best opportunity someone with my qualifications could hope for. The company was far from home, so after discussing it with my parents, I decided to buy a house near the office. At the sales center, sales agent Daisy Walker showed me several properties. Suddenly, a familiar voice came from the entrance: “You better show us all your best houses right now.” I turned around and saw Carter strutting in with his arm around Phoebe, looking completely arrogant. When they spotted me, they immediately walked over to mock me. Carter said, “Arabella, what are you pretending to do here? Can you even afford a house? I’ve already looked into it—even if you sold those two houses of yours, you couldn’t cover the down payment on a downtown property.” Hearing his words, Daisy’s previously warm attitude toward me instantly turned cold. I shot back, “If I can’t afford it, then you can?” Phoebe lifted her chin smugly and said, “Of course. I won fifty million dollars in the lottery. I could buy several houses.” Daisy immediately rushed to their side, asking with a smile, “Miss, what can I help you with?” Phoebe raised her chin arrogantly and said, “I think that house looks pretty good.” Daisy got extremely excited and quickly introduced it: “Miss, you have excellent taste. This is the best-located unit in our development with the finest view. It’s definitely affordable for you—only twenty million dollars.” “Twenty million dollars?” Carter and Phoebe were stunned. They never imagined a 300-square-foot downtown apartment could be that ridiculously expensive. Daisy continued, “If you find it a bit pricey, you can choose installment payments.” Hearing this, Phoebe felt embarrassed but stubbornly said, “What installment payments? I already won fifty million dollars. I’m definitely buying it outright.” After hearing her words, Daisy became even more enthusiastic toward her. Daisy smiled and said, “If you like this unit, you can put down a one million dollar deposit first. If the lottery money hasn’t been deposited into your account yet, you can get a loan from the bank first.” Hearing Daisy’s words, Carter and Phoebe hesitated. At that moment, I frowned and said impatiently, “Now I’m starting to doubt whether you actually won fifty million dollars. Are you here just to cause trouble? If you can’t afford it, don’t waste our time—just leave.” Hearing my words, Carter’s eyes turned red with rage. He roared, “Stop talking nonsense! Phoebe definitely won fifty million dollars—she just hasn’t received the money yet.” I waved them off dismissively: “In that case, you should leave first. I’ll take this unit.” Hearing my words, both of them immediately panicked. Phoebe gritted her teeth and quickly said, “I want this unit. I’ll get a bank loan right away and pay the deposit.”

Over the next few days, Phoebe and Carter posted photos of their world travels on Instagram every day. The photos were filled with luxury items. I figured that besides their mortgage, they must have borrowed quite a bit of money. To destroy someone, first drive them crazy. They both sent me tons of photos separately. I blocked them both immediately. I’d been busy studying these past few days. Fortune 500 companies have extremely strict requirements. Even before officially starting work, my team leader had already sent me loads of materials, requiring me to master them as quickly as possible. On graduation party day, class president Phoebe posted in the group chat: “Everyone please arrive at the designated restaurant at 11:30 AM sharp for our graduation party.” After sending that message, she specifically private messaged me: “Arabella, you must come.” I immediately replied: “Okay.” Many people were asking why we had to go to this particular restaurant. It was quite far from school. Only I knew the reason. Because this restaurant was right next to that lottery store. At 11:30 AM, all the teachers and classmates had arrived. Then Phoebe, arm-in-arm with Carter, arrived fashionably late. As soon as they walked in, they drew everyone’s attention. The two of them had completely transformed, exuding luxury from head to toe. Phoebe gave gifts to every classmate in our class. She said with a smile: “Tonight everyone can order whatever they want – I’m covering all expenses.” Our classmates looked at them like they were crazy. Many even suspected the gifts she gave were knockoffs. Phoebe pulled out that lottery ticket from her bag and waved it smugly in front of everyone. She said: “I won fifty million dollars.” Hearing this, everyone present was shocked. One female classmate said: “Fifty million dollars?” A male classmate said: “Did I hear that right? Phoebe’s luck is that good?” Another female classmate said: “Oh my God! I could never earn fifty million dollars in my lifetime.” Not only that, Phoebe had even hung a large banner in the restaurant that read: “Celebrating Phoebe’s $50 Million Lottery Win.” At this point, a teacher asked: “The lottery ticket is in your hands, which means it hasn’t been drawn yet. So where did your money come from?” Phoebe said nonchalantly: “The money will be in my hands soon. I’m just enjoying it in advance.” Someone in the crowd suddenly asked: “Wasn’t Carter dating Arabella? How is he with Phoebe now?” Facing everyone’s confused looks, Carter showed no embarrassment and directly took Phoebe’s hand. He said: “People always pursue a better life, just like water flows downhill. After graduation, Arabella will just be an ordinary person working hard, but Phoebe is different. Besides, the person I truly love was always Phoebe.” His words left many people too stunned to speak. One classmate stood up to defend me: “But Arabella got an offer from a Fortune 500 company – that’s the best job in our class.” Hearing this, Phoebe laughed so hard she was almost in tears. She said: “So what if Arabella got the best job? Can she earn fifty million dollars in her lifetime? In today’s society, what good does finding a great job do? It only proves she’ll be doing hard work in a seemingly glamorous place, but actually living miserably.” Then she looked at me smugly and said: “Arabella, even though you’re not worthy, if you serve me well, maybe I’ll be charitable and throw you some scraps.” The others blushed at Phoebe’s words, but couldn’t bring themselves to argue back. At this point, some of the smarter classmates had already started sucking up to her. One female classmate said, “Phoebe, I always knew you’d make it big. I just never imagined you’d be so lucky as to win fifty million dollars. You can’t forget about us old classmates now.” A male classmate chimed in, “Exactly. You’ve got to help us out and give us some good opportunities too.” Deep down, they all knew that despite how harsh Phoebe’s words sounded, she had a point. Even if everyone present landed great jobs and worked their entire lives, earning fifty million dollars would be nearly impossible. Some even started putting me down to build her up. One male classmate said, “Phoebe’s absolutely right. So what if Arabella got an offer from a Fortune 500 company? She’ll still have to work herself to death. How can she even compare to Phoebe?” I just smiled. The truth was, that company had excellent benefits and compensation across the board. In her previous life, Phoebe had crashed and burned because she tried to seduce her boss right after joining the company. When the whole office found out, that’s why everyone gave her such a hard time. Finally, dinner ended and we reached the main event of the evening. Phoebe touched up her makeup and adjusted her designer outfit before stepping onto the stage. Just then, over a dozen livestreamers suddenly burst in carrying cameras. Phoebe nodded at them. Clearly, she’d planned this all along. Phoebe pulled the lottery ticket from her purse. Then, she smugly addressed the camera: “Dear viewers, I just graduated from college and won a fifty-million-dollar lottery ticket. From now on, I’ll never have to worry about money. I can live off the interest without working and travel the world. But you people will have to slave away at companies working for others. Not only will your salaries be low, but you’ll get bullied at work with no dignity, stuck living like that for the rest of your lives.” At this point, Phoebe deliberately looked in my direction. After hearing her words, viewers in the livestream chat were cursing her out non-stop. But Phoebe couldn’t care less. Instead, she suddenly pointed at me and arrogantly ordered me around. She said, “Arabella, the store where I bought this ticket is right next door. Go get the owner and have him come personally cash my ticket.” I didn’t respond, but Carter stepped forward and impatiently scolded me: “Arabella, are you deaf? What are you standing there for? Phoebe’s doing you a favor by asking you to go. With your current status, you’re not even worthy of serving Phoebe. If she asks you to do something for her, you should be grateful. If you serve Phoebe well, she might even tip you some money.” Some classmates couldn’t stand it anymore and started whispering behind us. One male classmate said, “Phoebe’s character doesn’t match her good fortune. After suddenly getting all this money, she won’t be able to hold onto it.” A female classmate said, “She’s supposed to be Arabella’s good friend, but she stole Arabella’s boyfriend. How can she have the nerve to boss Arabella around?” Seeing that I still wasn’t reacting, Phoebe threatened me viciously. She said, “Arabella, I suggest you wake up. Given the gap between us now, I could cause you serious damage with just a word. It’s that easy.” I just glanced coldly at the time and said, “Let’s wait another five minutes.” Phoebe had no idea what I was thinking. She let out a cold laugh and said, “Fine. Let’s wait another five minutes then. Let me tell you something, Arabella. Even if we wait another 50 minutes, you can’t change the fact that I won fifty million dollars.” I smirked coldly, thinking to myself: “We’ll see about that.” Just as Phoebe finished speaking, a middle-aged woman named Eliza Black came rushing into the restaurant from outside. She pointed at Phoebe on stage and shrieked, “Are you out of your mind? That lottery ticket is mine – I’m the one who won!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MyFiction” app 🔍 search for “398186”, and watch the full series ✨! #MyFiction #B×G #Rebirth #BestFriends #Revenge #regret

My college dreams were shattered, leaving me with no choice but to find work. Ashamed, I cut off contact with everyone. My yearbook was locked away in a drawer, gathering dust. Seven years later, I skipped our class reunion. My old best friend, Ava, sent me a message: “The campus king got drunk and said he had a crush on you.” I flipped open my old graduation yearbook, finding his message: “My ambition roams wide, love seeks the vital crossing, and you enter the deep village once more.” I always thought it was just some dramatic teenage poetry. But looking at the first character of each original Chinese line, I finally saw the clumsy acrostic: “I love you.” But by then, he was already an executive director at a public company. **1** The rain poured down, making the road a muddy mess. My heels sank into the mire, hard to pull free. I mentally cursed Mr. Hayes, my plant manager, for the hundredth time. If he hadn’t insisted I dress up, I would’ve just worn my rain boots. It wasn’t far from the plant to the train station, but the rain was too heavy; the driver wouldn’t speed up. Luckily, I left half an hour early, so I didn’t mess up the “big deal” Mr. Hayes kept talking about. The “big deal” was a collaboration negotiation with Liam Stone. He was the Marketing Director of a publicly listed company, and also my high school’s campus heartthrob. When my college dreams were shattered back then, I deliberately cut ties with everyone. Later, even though I joined the class group chat, I always lurked without speaking, and never attended any reunions. Yet, seven years later, I heard from my old best friend, Ava: “Liam got wasted at the last reunion, and he kept saying he’d had a crush on you for ages.” I sent a shocked emoji back to Ava. “No way. Has it been so long that he confused me with someone else?” Liam liked me? Impossible. **2** I’d looked Liam up online before. Sure enough, there were plenty of articles about him—stuff like “Sales Prodigy” and “Business Elite.” Back then, I didn’t feel much about it, just thought it was cool that my old classmate made the news. It wasn’t until his listed company proposed a partnership with our small plant that I felt like we were getting closer. Especially when our fifty-year-old boss, Mr. Hayes, looked absolutely thrilled, full of ambition, talking about how we were going to “take on the world.” He said he could tell just by looking at Liam’s face that the Marketing Director would be “easy to talk to.” I muttered under my breath, “He’ll only be ‘easy to talk to’ if there’s something in it for him.” Mr. Hayes might not have a lot of education, but his hearing was sharp. He launched into a rambling lecture about his people-reading skills. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I finally told him that Liam and I were high school classmates. A boss is a boss, after all. Mr. Hayes immediately decided I should be in charge of hosting Liam. “Chloe, dear, we train our soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one moment. Now’s your time to shine for the plant! Be bold, sweet-talk him, and do a great job. I’ll give you a raise later.” “Alright, Mr. Hayes. He’s my classmate; it’ll be fine.” That’s what I said, but I was freaking out. There was no guarantee Liam would even recognize me. In high school, Liam and I were separated by three desks. I was the kind of girl who looked like she tried really hard but got pretty average grades. I never stood out. Liam was the “academic ace of the back row”—a guy who sat in the very last row but somehow got incredibly good grades. In our brief interactions, he always came across as intimidating, someone who didn’t take no for an answer. **3** When I got to the train station, Liam’s train hadn’t arrived yet. I found a seat in a coffee shop. Mr. Hayes said he’d expense it, so I ordered two coffees. They weren’t for Liam. They were just to make the receipt look like I was treating a client. As I sipped my coffee, I saw Liam walk out, carrying his bag, with a young woman trailing behind him. The woman seemed to be Liam’s assistant, trying to take his bag from him, but he kept refusing. They bickered gently until they were right outside the coffee shop window. I quickly turned my back, but I could still hear their voices. “Director Stone, please, let me accompany you. This is just a small factory; it’s not worth your personal attention.” “Audrey, this is a strategic company matter. I’ll handle it myself. You go back and sort out other things, then keep me updated on the progress.” As their voices faded, I thought they had left. I turned around and found myself face-to-face with that handsome guy. Liam had been voted the school heartthrob in high school. His desk drawer was always overflowing with love letters, and other girls would constantly come looking for him. But they always kept their distance because his good looks came with a hint of rebellious charm. I rarely interacted with him, except when we were putting up the blackboard newspaper; that’s when I’d be close to him. Back then, as I wrote and drew on the blackboard, I always felt like someone was watching me. I’d turn around and my eyes would lock with his. And he would quickly, awkwardly look away. In those moments, he wasn’t so intimidating; he was kind of cute. A light tap on the glass snapped me out of my thoughts. I walked out of the coffee shop, a coffee cup in each hand. He reached out to take a coffee, but I sidestepped him. “Sorry, both of these are mine. I’ve already had a sip. If you want one, I can go buy another.” He shook his head, a knowing smile playing on his lips. “Don’t tell me you bought these under my name again?” My face flushed hot as he hit the mark. “Liam, let’s just head to your plant.” “Wait a minute, the ride-share hasn’t arrived yet.” He smiled, a puzzled look on his face. He probably hadn’t expected us to use a ride-share service instead of a company car to pick him up. I gave an awkward laugh. “Small plant, limited budget. But we’re absolutely here with full sincerity to discuss this partnership.” **4** Ten minutes later, the ride-share arrived. As we got in, he insisted on holding the umbrella over me. He waited until I was seated before closing the umbrella and getting in himself. His shoulder was a little wet from the rain, but he didn’t seem to mind. Seven years had changed us both. He had become even more considerate. When we arrived at the plant, I found Mr. Hayes had actually rolled out a red carpet and arranged a group of female workers with flowers for a welcoming committee. There was even a huge banner: “WELCOME, DIRECTOR STONE, FOR YOUR GUIDANCE!” Liam probably hadn’t seen such a display before. He looked a bit awkward, especially after being surrounded by the women, completely flustered. For this negotiation, Mr. Hayes had even brought in his niece, Blair, who was an accountant, to help out. The young girl was inexperienced and completely starstruck when she saw Liam. But Liam paid little attention to her. Instead, he asked Mr. Hayes, “My assistant is too busy and couldn’t make it this time. Could the plant temporarily assign me a helper?” I didn’t expose him, even though I’d just seen him dismiss his assistant at the train station. To my surprise, Mr. Hayes turned to me and said, “Then Chloe will do. You two are classmates, so you’re already familiar.” “Chloe, remember you’re part of the plant team! Don’t go turning traitor just because Director Stone is so charming, alright?” Mr. Hayes joked. I, however, didn’t want to be Liam’s assistant and rolled my eyes. “Mr. Hayes, you can’t make me do everything, can you?” But Liam cut me off. He turned to Mr. Hayes. “Thank you, that would be perfect. Having Chloe as my assistant is absolutely ideal.” “Excellent, excellent!” Mr. Hayes beamed proudly. A shiver of unease ran down my spine. In my less-than-pleasant high school years, Liam wasn’t exactly a fond memory. “Hey, aren’t you going to ask for my opinion, the person actually involved here?” I almost shouted my thoughts. “Even though I’m just a wage earner, I have my pride!” “Anyway, I’m not doing it.” But Mr. Hayes changed my mind with just one sentence. “Triple pay during your assistant duties.” “Alright, boss! Who cares about pay? I’m ready to contribute to the plant!” My rapid change of heart seemed to catch Liam off guard. An elite like him wouldn’t understand the struggles of us working stiffs. After Mr. Hayes’ enthusiastic welcome, Liam asked me to take him to the dormitory arranged for him at the plant. We walked beneath the tree-lined paths of the plant campus, moonlight dappling the ground. Liam suddenly stopped, turning to face me. “Are you really that unwilling to interact with me? Did I ever offend you?” I took a step back, putting a bit of distance between us. “Director Stone is making me triple my salary. How could I be unwilling?” “Just for money?” He took a step forward, once again invading my personal space. He reached out, his hand hovering over my head. I tilted my head to dodge, and a single raindrop fell, landing precisely in his palm. It splattered into a tiny spray right before my eyes. Liam suddenly turned, saying to me, “Then, for your triple salary, make sure you do a good job as an assistant.” **5** Behind him, I silently clenched my fist, cheering myself on. I had to earn that triple pay for as many days as possible. Liam seemed to have eyes in the back of his head. He added, “Don’t push yourself too hard. If you need anything, just ask, old classmate.” I wasn’t touched. I just thought he was a bit bipolar, and I felt like being his assistant wouldn’t be easy. After seeing him back to his dorm, I went back to the office building to organize files. Part of it was not wanting to lose my job, and part was not wanting to lose face in front of Liam. I worked until past midnight, finally shutting down my computer and stepping out of the office building. The profound silence made me a little scared. But at the building entrance, I ran into a familiar figure: Liam. He told me he couldn’t sleep, so he came out for a walk and bought two coffees. I knew he was lying. His dorm building overlooked the office, and the coffee shop was several hundred feet away from the plant entrance. There was no way he would have just “stumbled” upon it. And the type of coffee was exactly what I’d ordered when I picked him up earlier that day. Liam said with a half-smile, “I bought these myself. I should get one, right?” He was so petty! It was just a coffee I didn’t give him! As we drank our coffees and walked towards the female dorm building, Liam suddenly said, “It feels a bit like high school boarding, with separate dorms for guys and girls. There were always guys walking girls back.” I knew he was being considerate, acknowledging I hadn’t gone to college. High school had a strict no-dating policy, so guys walking girls back openly like that happened more in college. After that, Liam was silent until we were almost at my dorm building. He hesitated before speaking. “Do you still have your high school yearbook?” I nodded, then realized it was dark and he might not see me, so I added, “Yeah, I still have it. Why?” “Do you… do you ever flip through it?” he asked, his voice trembling slightly. I found it a little strange, but I answered honestly, “No, not really. After my college dreams were shattered, I packed it up and kept it with me, but I never opened it.” He looked a little disappointed, and his expression was complex as he said, “Could you… go back and open it? Maybe then, you’ll understand some things.” “I want you to know, the feelings I had back then? They’ve lasted all the way until today.” With that, he turned and walked away without looking back. **7** I was puzzled. Back in my dorm, I couldn’t sleep. I searched through my boxes and pulled out that old yearbook. Since I hadn’t opened it, it still looked pretty new. Back then, it felt so modern, but now it seemed a bit outdated.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297432”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #校园School

The guy I’d been crushing on for ages, the class president, finally went public with his relationship. At a party, his girlfriend, Chloe, deliberately asked me, “What’s your ideal type?” I looked at Liam’s face and described a type that was the complete opposite of him. I never expected that the next day, his best friend, Julian, would show up at my door, holding a video from the party. As I stared at him, confused, he slowly said something that left me stunned for the entire day. “You’ve been crushing on me? Why didn’t you say something sooner?” 1 After Julian’s words, the bubble tea I’d just sipped went down the wrong pipe, and I choked for a full minute. He sat across from me, looking completely smug, and shoved his phone into my face. “What are you shy about? Didn’t you say it yourself? Your ideal type? It matches me word for word.” In the video, I was staring at Liam, the class president, speaking each word clearly. “My ideal type is someone outgoing, confident, and humorous.” He slowly lowered his phone, a triumphant grin on his face. “Though I have a lot of people chasing me, I guess I can reluctantly let you cut in line.” “Just chase me for a month, and I’ll consider saying yes. But…” I watched the non-stop chatterer in front of me, emotionlessly closing the door on him. Julian’s sports car was flashy. Me, riding my bicycle next to his sports car, was even flashier. Through the lowered window, Julian’s mouth never stopped moving. “A month might be a bit long, but you need patience when you’re chasing someone, right?” “I’m a perfectly good guy, you know, not just anyone gets my attention.” My head was pounding from the noise, so I stopped and flipped him off, twice. Just as I was about to turn and pedal furiously away, the last voice I wanted to hear chimed in. “Aubrey? Why are you riding your bike to school today?” Liam walked up from behind me, hugging a stack of books. His expression turned a little unnatural when he saw Julian’s sports car. “Hey, buddy, why aren’t you in class yet?” Liam was the class president, always the first one there for our 8 AM classes. Everyone called him the straight-A student. “Something came up.” I used to wait for him at the cafeteria entrance every morning, and we’d walk to class together. He was never late for school. Today, he was probably having breakfast with Chloe. A knot of unease tightened in my chest as I slowly pushed off on my bike. Liam walked beside me, frequently turning to look at me. “Aubrey, why are you with Julian?” Though he asked quietly, Julian still heard him. “She wants to chase me. I’m teaching her how to win my heart.” In my peripheral vision, Liam’s hand crumpled the corner of his book. I glanced at Julian under Liam’s scrutinizing gaze but said nothing. Julian saw I didn’t object and got even more hyped up. He practically leaned half his body out of the car window. “She just insisted on buying me rings, saying I should wear one on both middle fingers.” “Honestly, I don’t think it’s necessary, right, buddy?” “Rings, at this point, giving them as a gift…” CRASH! A loud crash, mixed with Liam’s startled cry, rang in my ears. The moment that power pole bent sideways, I just wanted to close my eyes and pretend I hadn’t heard anything. 2 After paying at the front desk, I walked back. Julian was clutching his leg, complaining to the doctor. “Aren’t you embarrassed enough?” He heard my voice and instantly turned, pointing at his leg, tears silently streaming down his face as he looked at me. Just as a tear was about to trickle into the corner of his mouth, I rushed over and wrapped his head in my jacket. “Doctor, quickly!” After a round of wailing, I sat on the exam bed, cold-faced, waiting for the doctor to disinfect the bite marks on my arm. “Julian, why didn’t that power pole just crush you?” He rubbed the cast on his leg, wiping away tears. “Don’t say such mean things. I promise I’ll be with you, okay?” So I brought up the topic of buying him rings again. It was already afternoon when everything was finally over. Watching him flit around my apartment like a hummingbird, I couldn’t help but frown. “When are you finally leaving?” He tore open a bag of chips, shoved them into his mouth, and shook his head. “If I don’t leave, then pay me back. Towing fee, medical expenses, travel costs. SnapChat or PayPal?” “Physical payment.” He then opened a carton of milk and covered his face, feigning shyness. Just looking at him made an irrational anger flare up in me. I immediately pulled out my phone and dialed 91

Only then did he hastily hobble over on his cast, looking at me with pleading eyes, “Is a bank transfer okay?” After tearfully transferring a four-figure sum, he was finally allowed to stay. After all, he’d crashed his sports car and broken his leg; going home could be life-threatening. But I didn’t know my kindness would lead to my own suffering. It wasn’t until I’d showered and was about to go to bed that night that I truly realized. “Julian, open this door right now!” I pounded on the door until my palms were numb before he finally spoke. “No way. I’m a pure, innocent young man. How can I sleep in the same room as you?” From his broken, muffled voice, I knew he was stifling laughter. I kicked the door once, then resignedly trudged towards the living room sofa. The cheap sofa I’d bought was narrow and hard. I didn’t fall asleep until the early hours of the morning. Julian drifted out like a ghost and stood in front of the sofa. He startled me. “What are you doing?” “Your room is too hot, my allergies are acting up, I can’t sleep.” His voice sounded muffled. “So what do you want me to do? Do you expect me to go out and buy you medicine right now?” “I want to sleep here.” Suddenly, for no reason, the sofa became prime real estate. I bundled my blanket around me and got up, heading into my room. Instead of going straight to my pillow, I first glanced at the notebook on my desk. In the moonlight, I felt like something was off about it. But it was definitely still in its original spot. After struggling for a bit, I finally locked it in the drawer before feeling safe enough to sleep. 3 Julian no longer had his sports car, so he had to ride my bicycle to school every day. “Why don’t you take a cab?” “All my money went to you, how can I afford a cab?” He sat on my back seat, carrying my backpack, applying an egg to his eyes, and instantly sounded aggrieved. All I could do was channel my speechless frustration into furiously pedaling the bike. The moment we entered the classroom, I felt Liam’s scrutinizing gaze. I had planned to ignore him and sit in the back, but Julian pulled me to the front row. “My leg hurts; I can’t hop that far.” He sat between Liam and me, constantly yawning. I wasn’t doing much better; I was incredibly sleepy. I had barely fallen asleep in the early morning, and at 6 AM, he was already standing by my bed, eyes swollen. He complained that the wind chimes in the living room kept ringing and wouldn’t let him sleep. Unable to stand his constant nagging, I had to get up and throw the wind chimes into the trash. Those wind chimes, Liam had given them to me. Anyway, there was no reason to keep them anymore. I scoffed internally. They were just leftovers that Chloe didn’t pick. Why was I still keeping them like they were precious? As if sensing something, Liam suddenly turned to look at me. He was trying to pass something to me over Julian. Before I could even see what it was, a weight settled on my shoulder. Julian had slumped onto my shoulder, fast asleep. I immediately straightened my head. Phew, that was close. I almost kissed his forehead. If I woke him up, who knew how he’d try to gross me out? He’d probably start yelling about crushing on him, or physical payment, and charge at me. Who could handle that? The teacher’s palpable stare from the podium made me squirm. While she turned to write on the board, I nudged Julian’s head. But not only did he not move, he actually rubbed his head against my shoulder. Damn it, I wondered if his bright blond hair would bleed onto my shirt. It definitely would, otherwise why was my face flushing so unbelievably red? “Admit it, Aubrey, you’re totally smitten with me, aren’t you?” Julian once again held up his phone, a triumphant expression on his face. On the campus gossip page, a photo of me, red-faced, holding Julian’s head while taking notes, had gone viral. The photo was cleverly taken; not even a corner of Liam’s clothing was visible. I stared at it for a few seconds, not taking his bait. But then he suddenly put down his phone and twisted himself into a pretzel. “But you’re being way too obvious! Now everyone in school knows you like me.” “You’re making it impossible for me to refuse you, you sneaky thing.” Watching him bury his face in his hands, I silently picked the hotdog out of his bowl. 4 Actually, everyone knew I liked Liam. Because no matter the event, if I was told Liam would be there, I’d join. What I said at that party was just my childish way of fighting back. So I didn’t quite understand why Julian was so certain I had a crush on him. But undeniably, Julian had managed to distract me. He was there when I had class, followed me when I studied, and waited for me when I worked. When I was with him, I rarely thought about Liam. “Aubrey, do you think I’d look better with golden hair?” “Hmm.” I was busy with my part-time job, answering out of habit. “You’re so perfunctory! I’m such a handsome, gorgeous guy, and you don’t cherish me.” Julian was really good-looking. Golden hair would probably look great on him. He complained, but the next day, his hair was indeed a different color. After I got my paycheck, I took him to the orphanage. This was something I had promised him. He always ate the snacks I stockpiled at home. I told him those were for the kids at the orphanage. As soon as he heard that, he clamored to come along and even filled up a bunch of toys himself. With free labor and the kids getting toys, I had no reason to refuse. But when we arrived at the entrance, he hesitated, carrying two large bags of snacks and toys. “Aubrey, should I have dyed my hair black before coming?” I looked at his shimmering golden hair under the sun and nodded. Because the kids here loved new and exciting things. Once inside, his bright blond hair might be in trouble. Ms. Eleanor was delighted to see me back. She pulled me aside, saying I’d lost weight, telling me to eat more, not to stress too much about studying, and that my health was most important. I promised her everything, and also told her not to work too hard. She looked at Julian, who was distributing snacks to the children, and whispered to me, “Girl, this boy is quite nice, but why is his hair still so yellow?” Ms. Eleanor adjusted her glasses, a look of profound confusion on her face. In the warm autumn sun, Julian held a child in one arm and read a storybook. I stood beside Ms. Eleanor, watching him from afar through the window. A warmth inexplicably bloomed in my heart. During dinner, Julian sat next to Ms. Eleanor, looking very respectful. Although everything seemed peaceful, I felt like something was off. I couldn’t help but ask him if he was uncomfortable. He straightened his back, “No, it’s great here, very comfortable.” “Then why are you acting so strange?” He eyed Ms. Eleanor, then secretly asked me, “Strange how?” “You usually eat like you’re trying to win an eating contest, but today you only ate one bowl.” Ms. Eleanor chuckled upon hearing that and immediately sent a child to get him more rice. He buried his face in his bowl, muttering through clenched teeth, “Aubrey, don’t I have any dignity?” 5 From the day we returned from the orphanage, the notebook in my bedroom drawer started getting thinner day by day. The weather also grew colder. I wanted that failed crush to fall away from me like autumn leaves. But things rarely go as planned. Someone posted photos of Julian and me entering and exiting the hospital together on the campus gossip page. There was also a related post. The title was scandalous enough to match the big ‘HOT’ icon in the bottom right corner. *The Scandalous Link Between a Broke Genius and a Rich Heir* It contained photos of Julian and me appearing together. Every line questioned our relationship. The conclusion was that I was pregnant with Julian’s child, and he accompanied me to the hospital for an abortion. Although many people below didn’t believe it, saying the person I liked was clearly Liam. “The only difference before and after entering the hospital is Julian’s cast is gone. Is the poster saying that cast was their child?” “And anyone with eyes knows Aubrey has always liked Liam.” But the internet went wild, of course. “What’s the point of liking him? Liam doesn’t like her back.” “Yeah, Liam and Chloe are all lovey-dovey, why would they get involved with her?” “I’m not surprised by this at all. You haven’t seen the way Julian looks at Aubrey…” “I just can’t believe Aubrey is like that, she always acted so high and mighty before.” I was immediately called in by the Dean of Students and received a full afternoon of lectures in her office. When I came out, I ran into Liam standing at the door. “Aubrey, are you okay?” I didn’t respond, just stepped aside to let him pass. “I believe you’re not that kind of person.” That night, when I opened my front door, Julian was nowhere to be seen. I numbly went back to my bedroom and took out the notebook, preparing to tear off a page as usual. But looking at the blurred words, I found it strange. Every page I flipped to had them. Yet, I had never spilled water on it. I rummaged through the trash for the page I had torn out yesterday, and sure enough, the handwriting was also blurred by water stains. Before, when Julian was here, I always tore pages in the dark at night, so I had never noticed. This notebook contained the record of my crush on Liam since high school. From the first time I realized I liked Liam, to Liam officially starting a relationship. Every single word was about Liam. My mind was a mess. As I slowly searched for memories related to the notebook, I suddenly thought of the night Julian first came to my place. His broken, muffled voice, his sneaking out in the middle of the night, his swollen eyelids the next morning. And his complaints about the wind chimes Liam had given me in the early morning. Moment after moment flashed before my eyes. I touched those circular watermarks, and a faint guess began to form in my heart. 6 The post was deleted, but I hadn’t seen Julian for a week. After that campus post came out, I hadn’t seen him since. He hadn’t replied to any of my texts either. Instead, my contact with Liam involuntarily increased. I don’t know why, but I always seemed to run into Liam everywhere. During class, he no longer sat in the front row, nor was he the first to arrive. Instead, he’d wait for me downstairs, follow me to school, and then sit in the back of the classroom with me. “Liam, you have a girlfriend now. Please be more mindful.” “Aubrey, Chloe and I aren’t what you think. I have my reasons.” But I didn’t have time to listen to his troubles. “Don’t you want to know why someone like Julian would be friends with me?” Liam and I sat on a bench in front of the school’s artificial lake. I was indeed curious why Julian would be friends with Liam. Because I had known Liam since high school, and had a crush on him. Julian, I met him after I started college. One day, he just suddenly appeared by Liam’s side, calling him his best buddy. Back then, I thought male friendships just formed that quickly. But now, Liam and Julian were completely opposite personalities. And Julian’s family background was also different from ours. I was an orphan. Liam lived with his grandma. Aside from our grades, we were at the bottom rung of the school’s social ladder. Liam was a bit better off than me, though. He was nice to everyone, and with his handsome face, many people liked him. As for me, I was busy working part-time every day and was indifferent to everyone. Even if I was pretty, people would just say I was acting high and mighty. But I didn’t care what others thought. Because I knew no one else could help me live my life. But Julian, I didn’t know why he was different from everyone else. From the very beginning, he showed me a lot of enthusiasm. Even when I ignored him, he would still come and talk to me. Before this incident, I hadn’t even truly looked at his face. “He and I aren’t close at all.” “He just attached himself to me. You know, he’s different from us, people are willing to believe them.” Seeing I wasn’t looking at him, he continued. “I inexplicably became his best friend, and then inexplicably watched him get close to you.” “Only now do I understand that he was trying to get close to you from the very beginning.” “Actually, I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time, Julian isn’t a good person. Don’t let him trick you.” 7 I became the protagonist of a campus post again. This time, it was with Liam. The photo showed us sitting on a bench, heads down. The title: *Shocking! Broke Girl Steals Another’s Boyfriend After Her Man Dumps Her.* After twenty years of being invisible, I never thought I’d become a campus celebrity overnight. Three days after the post came out, Julian finally reappeared. He looked a lot thinner, and his hair was dyed black. He seemed like a different person, no longer as flamboyant as before.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297431”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #校园School

I used to confess my feelings to my crush all the time, thinking he couldn’t hear me. Today, after learning a few sassy lines, I was ready to go all out. “Hey, big guy, I was just thinking… wanna hop on a ‘rocking horse’ with me?” The guy, who usually didn’t react, suddenly scooped me up. His voice was husky: “Sure.” “That guy by the window is so hot.” “Yeah, but he’s so cold. He never talks to anyone.” The guy with sharp, clear eyes sat by the window, his slender, pale fingers slowly turning the pages of a book. Countless girls had already fallen for his good looks, trying to get his contact info, only to be silently rejected. But would a small setback like that deter a genius like me when it came to dating? I swaggered over, book in hand, and sat right next to him, trying to strike up a conversation. “Hey, what year are you, and what’s your major?” He didn’t answer, just tilted his head, avoiding the sunlight streaming through the window. His perfect profile looked even more aloof, like a painting. While drooling over him, I suddenly had an epiphany. “No wonder so many people talk to you and you don’t answer.” “You’re deaf!” The hand holding his pen tightened slightly, then quickly relaxed. He just quietly moved his chair further away from me. Of course, I didn’t think he was annoyed. Based on my decade-plus history of reading web novels in elementary school, this classic ‘gorgeous, brilliant, and tragic’ type – you know, the kind who’s got it all but is always suffering – usually gets weird looks from people. So when I tried to be nice, he must have felt uncomfortable and instinctively moved away. Poor little thing! Channeling my inner simp, I scooted even closer to him. Our breaths mingled softly. I pretended not to notice his ears faintly reddening, and instead, pressed down on his notebook, slowly enunciating his name: “Ju-lian Ha-yes.” Then I turned my head, looked him straight in the eyes, and smiled sweetly. “Your name sounds so good.”

Julian Hayes’ amber eyes reflected my image. As if unused to such closeness, he sharply recoiled, gathering his things and getting up to leave. He looked like he was fleeing for his life, as if from a monster. But that’s okay. He hadn’t rejected me outright, so it probably meant he didn’t dislike me. Tomorrow, I’ll come back to harass… oh, I mean, care for him. Hehe. The next day, same time, same place. Julian Hayes showed up promptly at his usual spot. But this time, he didn’t sit down immediately. He looked around, as if searching for something. Only after confirming that the seat I’d occupied yesterday was empty did he slowly relax, pull out the chair, and sit down. Bright sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting his white shirt and outlining his lean, strong waist. Julian Hayes bowed his head, earnestly flipping through his book, the scene looking peaceful and beautiful. I quietly admired him for a while before emerging from behind the bookshelf with a thick stack of textbooks. Ignoring his ‘saw a ghost’ expression, I sat down next to him. “Were you waiting for me?” Julian Hayes didn’t speak, just averted his gaze. His pale pink lips were pressed into a thin line, a silent rejection. But I’ve always been shameless, so I just pretended not to notice. “Julian Hayes, I don’t understand these few problems. Can you teach me?” His books on the desk were covered by my textbooks. Julian Hayes turned his head, silently staring at me. I slapped my forehead, realizing he couldn’t hear. “My bad, my bad, I completely forgot you can’t hear.” As soon as the words left my mouth, before Julian Hayes could react, I suddenly took his long, pale hand gently. I slowly traced out words on his warm palm: “Teach me.”

The touch of our skin was incredibly clear. My sudden action made Julian Hayes stiffen. When he came back to his senses, his first instinct was to pull his hand away. My fingertips slid lightly along his palm, but just as he was about to fully withdraw, I suddenly grabbed his fingers tightly. As I held his hand firmly, I deliberately looked into Julian Hayes’ eyes. I slowed my words, mouthing to him: “Hey, you haven’t agreed to teach me yet.” Julian Hayes’ ears were so red they looked like they could bleed, and his gaze visibly flitted around in panic. After a long moment, he pulled out a pen, put it in my hand, and gestured for me to write on a notebook. His eyes, so close, watched me intently, as if silently pleading. I blinked, suddenly feeling guilty for bullying the poor guy. Since my trick had worked, I released his hand. “Thank you!” The distance between us returned to normal. Julian Hayes subtly let out a breath, took the notebook that was in front of me, and wrote neatly. [Which one don’t you understand?] His handwriting, like him, was elegant and beautiful. Julian Hayes finished writing and pushed the notebook back to me, looking earnestly at me, waiting for my answer, incredibly well-behaved and serious. But to his surprise, I directly rested my arm on his and used his notebook to reply. [All of them.] Our breaths once again drew infinitely close. The sweet scent of my shower gel and Julian Hayes’ cool, pleasant scent slowly mingled. His pupils trembled, boundless emotion flickering, which instantly turned into deep exasperation when he saw my answer.

His slender fingers delicately hooked my sleeve, pulling me back as I tried to escape. Julian Hayes used his elegant handwriting to write over my words. [I’ll wait for you at the library at this time every day from now on.] And just like that, I gained a free private tutor, and a very dedicated one at that. When Julian Hayes said he’d teach me problems, he taught me problems. He didn’t do anything extra. After our fixed study time each day, he’d go about his own business. But I couldn’t bear to leave after such a short time, so I’d just stick around, reading and reviewing, occasionally chatting with him by writing notes. All my unspoken thoughts finally found a home; Julian Hayes was like my personal trash can. And one with top-notch confidentiality. Though he rarely paid attention to me and his replies were few, his notebook gradually became filled with my handwriting. As time passed, I started wanting to tease Julian Hayes again. While he was reading, I’d slowly write on the notebook. [Even if you can’t hear me, it’s okay. Being deaf isn’t your fault.] [You have me. I’m willing to be your ears for life.] Julian Hayes glanced at me, then lowered his head to continue reading. But his handsome face was clearly flushed. His reaction was so cute that I buried my face on the desk, giggling for a long time before stopping. From that day on, I started paying attention to Julian Hayes outside the library. His daily routine was simple: classes, library, eating, sleeping. So I easily figured out his movements. After staking him out for a few days, I found that he didn’t seem to have many friends. He was always alone, even when he went to eat. He felt even more pitiful. So I deliberately went to the cafeteria to “accidentally” run into him.

Ignoring the surprised looks from passersby, I carried my tray and sat across from Julian Hayes, giving him a bright smile. “What a coincidence.” Julian Hayes glanced at me, then acted like he hadn’t seen me, lowering his head to quietly eat his meal. Even though he didn’t acknowledge me, he clearly didn’t reject me either. How does that saying go? Silence is the best permission. The cafeteria food was just okay, barely edible. But to test Julian Hayes’ limits, I deliberately picked a piece of sweet and sour pork from his tray and popped it into my mouth. Then I narrowed my eyes in a smile, praising it without reservation. “So good.” Julian Hayes’ chewing paused. He was clearly startled by my outrageous behavior. He covered his mouth, coughing for a good while, unable to stop. I smoothly handed him a bottle of water, silently wondering: *Is he going to hate me now? Is he finally fed up with my harassment and about to publicly reject me?* I waited for a full thirty seconds before Julian Hayes finally put down the water bottle. Then, he picked up his forks and continued eating. At the same time, he silently pushed the side of his plate with the sweet and sour pork towards me. At that moment, my heart started pounding uncontrollably. I already knew Julian Hayes was a good student. Now, his charm level just shot through the roof. I’m never one to be shy. Since my heart was racing, I decided to go for it. Julian Hayes paused his eating, looking down at my foot lightly kicking his shin. Then he opened the notes app on his phone, typed a line, and showed it to me. [What’s up?] I didn’t take his phone, but deliberately looked into his eyes and said: “Wanna add me on SnapChat?”

Even though I wanted to flirt with him, I didn’t have high hopes. After all, Julian Hayes was known as the hardest guy to get in school. But to my surprise, the moment he clearly understood my lip movements, he nodded in agreement. Then he switched to the scan interface, silently urging me with his eyes. I opened my mouth, swallowing the words I’d planned to say to save face. Just like that, I confusingly added Julian Hayes on SnapChat. Back in my dorm, my roommate looked at my dazed expression and asked, confused: “You’ve been running out all the time for days, and then you come back smiling like you just won the lottery. Spill it, did some hot guy steal your soul?” That girl, she guessed pretty accurately. I looked at her with admiration and sincerely asked: “Babe, can you teach me how to date?” Although I usually called myself a dating expert, I’d never actually been in a relationship; I was a blank slate in that department. I was so afraid of doing something wrong and scaring off the hot guy I was about to get. My roommate was so shocked she almost fell off her bed. While imparting her wisdom, she also pressed: “Which guy in school is so charming that he managed to capture the heart of our department’s beauty queen?” I feigned modesty and waved my hand. “It’s my crush, and it’s still early days. I’ll definitely tell you the moment I officially get him.” I’d heard my roommates gossip about Julian Hayes before. They said he was nicknamed ‘Ice Prince’ and rarely spoke to anyone. If I told them I had a crush on Julian Hayes, they definitely wouldn’t believe me. It was better to wait until we were officially together before sharing the good news. Speaking of which, Julian Hayes was quite pitiful. He was deaf and couldn’t hear, so of course he couldn’t talk to people. The poor guy was already struggling, how could people misunderstand him?

To comfort Julian Hayes, the first thing I did after getting into bed was to send him a SnapChat message. [Hey, quick question, what time is it?] [I don’t mean anything else, just reminding you it’s time for us to be together.] [A little cat goes: Meow meow meow.] [A little dog goes: Julian Hayes, I’m your dog, I’m only loyal to you for life!] Julian Hayes replied quickly, almost instantly. But no matter what I sent, he only replied with six dots. […] I stared at the chat box, brewing for a long time, deeply understanding my shortcomings. It seemed that flirting online was really not my strong suit. After all, with a screen between us, Julian Hayes couldn’t fully feel my overflowing emotions. So I decided to change tactics and ask him to meet offline. [I heard amusement parks are the best date spots for couples.] [And tomorrow’s my birthday, so how about it, wanna go together?] Julian Hayes still replied quickly. […Okay] If I hadn’t been sharp-eyed, I would have almost missed his reply. I didn’t expect Julian Hayes to be so easy to ask out! I was so happy, I wanted to run laps for the entire dorm, or maybe even the whole campus, just to burn off all that excitement. My roommates, hearing that I was going on a date with my crush tomorrow, happily started scheming for me. “Remember to bring your ID and charger. I’ll send you the link to that super nice hotel near the amusement park.” “This lingerie set is so innocent-sexy. Wear this tomorrow and I guarantee you’ll hit a home run!” Huh? Was this really something I should be hearing at my age? My face burned red, and my mind raced with all sorts of ‘dirty’ thoughts as I spent a night filled with sweet anticipation. By the time my roommates had picked out my outfit and done my makeup, Julian Hayes was already waiting outside when I went downstairs.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297430”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #校园School

At 00:45 AM, a woman with a knife appeared in our dorm room, killing my roommate on the bunk below. The police investigated, but strangely, they declared there was “no such person.” It was like the killer was an invisible ghost, utterly untraceable. It was 0:45 AM. I was still scrolling through videos in our dorm when I got a text from my roommate, Brianna. * “Don’t make a sound. There’s a woman with a knife right outside our dorm room!” I thought Brianna was just messing with me, so I didn’t reply, intending to go back to my videos. But then, the next second, I heard the old wooden door creak open. A chill shot down my spine. I immediately turned off my phone, even muting it to avoid any noise. Then, I heard slow footsteps coming further into the dorm room. In the dead silence of the early morning, those footsteps echoed on the floor, sounding incredibly eerie. * *Tap… tap… tap…* Every step made my heart pound. How could a woman get into the school? The campus gates had security, and RA Lopez was downstairs in the dorm building. How did she even get in? I clamped my mouth shut, terrified to make a sound, my breathing turning shallow and careful. I wondered what her purpose was in coming into our dorm, but before I could think of anything, the footsteps stopped. Through a tiny gap in my bed curtain, I could see her. She had stopped right in front of my bed! Her head was bowed, looking at Brianna’s bed. Her long hair hung over her face, and she wore a red dress. The gap in my curtain was too small, so I couldn’t make out her features. She was holding a fruit knife. Suddenly, she looked up towards my bed. I quickly slammed my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep, terrified she’d see me. Several minutes passed with no movement. I forced myself to open my eyes again, peeking through the gap. The woman stood in front of Brianna’s bed, staring for a long time, muttering something under her breath… Maybe it was just the profound quiet of the early morning, but I could barely make out a few words. * “How… not enough… kill you…” Just a few fragmented words. I had no idea what she was talking about. But I could tell she was here for Brianna. Yet Brianna usually got along well with everyone. I’d never heard anyone badmouth her or mention her having enemies. I didn’t dare call the police. I was afraid the woman would hear me. And I certainly didn’t have the courage to stop her. My heart was racing, hammering against my ribs. Then, I heard a sharp gasp from the bunk below. I watched as the woman with the knife started stabbing Brianna, over and over again. In just a few moments, the gasps died out. I heard the woman’s footsteps as she left. Shaken to my core, I tried to compose myself. After two hours, once my emotions had somewhat settled, I called Professor Miller. Our advisor was terrified and rushed to the dorm, immediately calling Dean Harrison and RA Lopez. Professor Miller and Dean Harrison stared at the blood pooling on the floor from Brianna’s bed. They didn’t even dare pull back Brianna’s bed curtain, calling the police directly instead. Police sirens wailed outside the campus gates soon after, and officers quickly arrived at our dorm. The sirens woke up a lot of students. Some, still in their pajamas, rushed out of their rooms, curious to see what was happening at our dorm. But Professor Miller quickly herded them back inside. Seeing Professor Miller and Dean Harrison arrive, I finally dared to get out of bed. My legs were shaking so badly I could barely stand. Professor Miller woke up our other two sleeping roommates, Lillian and Harper. I was still in shock, but they were barely awake. But when they heard Brianna was dead, they both sobered up instantly, horrified. The police pulled back Brianna’s bed curtain. Everyone gasped at the sight. Before she died, Brianna looked like she’d seen something truly terrifying. Her eyes were wide open, staring forward, never closing. Her neck had several deep cuts, almost severed. Her entire bed was soaked in blood, which had already flowed onto the floor. Aside from the body, no murder weapon was found at the scene. Not even a single fingerprint of the killer was discovered. I turned away and dry-heaved a few times, forcing myself to look at Brianna despite the nausea. The police quickly removed Brianna’s body and took the three of us from our dorm to the police station. The police questioned us separately. Here’s what we each said: **Police:** “Were you the one who called your advisor to report Brianna’s death?”

I nodded, then told the police everything I knew about that night. **Police:** “Why didn’t you call the police or your advisor immediately after the killer left?” **Me:** “I was just so scared. I was afraid the killer might still be outside, and I was too terrified to even know how to explain it to Professor Miller.” The officer looked into my eyes with an expression I couldn’t quite describe. **Police:** “We checked the surveillance cameras. No woman entered your dorm room.” That statement sent chills down my spine. It meant the killer was one of us, already inside our dorm. **Me:** “Are you saying… the killer was inside our dorm?” The officer looked at me with suspicion, as if I was the killer. **Me:** “No, Officer, why are you looking at me like that? You don’t think I’m the killer, do you?” **Police:** “According to your description, if this woman truly existed, there’s a strong possibility she was already inside your dorm room.” **Me:** “But it couldn’t be me, right? If it were me, why would I call our advisor? Wouldn’t that be walking straight into a trap?” **Police:** “It’s not unheard of for the killer to try and play the victim.” **Me:** “Brianna was the one who texted me about that woman. And I don’t know if she only sent it to me, because Lillian and Harper were both asleep. You can ask them if they got the text too, right? Besides, that woman had long hair, almost down to her waist. Look at me; I have short, dyed hair.” I showed the officer my phone, and he confirmed that the text message had indeed come from Brianna. I still couldn’t understand why the killer targeted Brianna, yet Brianna still texted us to warn us. What truly scared me was the officer saying the killer was in our dorm. The officer then asked about Brianna’s usual behavior at school. I told him everything I knew honestly. Meanwhile, in another interrogation room, the police were questioning Lillian. Lillian was typically very timid, sitting there without daring to look up, answering only when asked. **Police:** “While you were asleep, did you hear anything?” Lillian shook her head. **Lillian:** “I usually sleep very soundly, it’s hard to wake me up. But I did hear some noise, like someone rummaging through things. I wasn’t sure. I thought maybe they were getting up to use the restroom, so I just went back to sleep.” **Police:** “And then?” Lillian shook her head again, adjusted her glasses, and looked timidly at the questioning officer. Harper, on the other hand, was yawning, looking utterly impatient in her interrogation room. She sat cross-legged, leaning back casually in her chair. **Police:** “Sit up straight!” The officer barked, and Harper finally sat properly. Harper was always very blunt and carefree. **Police:** “What were you doing on the night of the incident?” **Harper:** “I was definitely sleeping, duh?” **Police:** “Did you hear anything while you were asleep?” Harper hesitated, then shook her head. **Harper:** “Not really, I guess. I was so tired that night, and when I’m out, I’m out. I don’t know anything.” The officer looked at Harper with a questioning gaze, making Harper visibly uncomfortable. **Harper:** “What are you looking at me for? Brianna’s dead. Aren’t you supposed to find the killer? Why are you dragging us here in the middle of the night for questioning? Are you suggesting someone in our dorm killed Brianna?” The officer slapped the table hard, startling Harper into silence. **Police:** “We currently suspect the killer was in your dorm room!” Harper’s eyes widened at that statement, and she didn’t say another word. Both Lillian and Harper confirmed that they had also received the text message from Brianna. The police kept us for a long interrogation, not letting us go until morning. When we got back, I was exhausted from not sleeping all night, but the thought of someone dying in the bunk below kept me awake. Plus, the dorm was sealed off by the police, so we couldn’t go in. We had to find Professor Miller. It wasn’t until past 8 AM that Professor Miller arranged a new dorm for us. He also demanded we keep everything confidential and even promised us guaranteed admission to a prestigious graduate program. It turned out Dean Harrison had immediately suppressed the incident. All posts about it on campus forums were deleted by administrators. But it didn’t stop the whispers among students. Everyone talked about it privately, knowing that if Professor Miller or the school leadership heard them discussing it, they would be disciplined. Hearing about the guaranteed grad school admission, and then recalling the police saying the killer might be in our dorm, I couldn’t help but feel a prick of fear. I had previously read news about people killing roommates for a guaranteed grad school spot. And our school had been fiercely competing for those spots recently. I looked at Lillian. She was lying on her newly assigned bed, her bed curtain tightly drawn. I wondered what she was doing in there. Harper was already fast asleep. I was too tired to think much more, so I lay down and drifted off. When I woke up, it was already past 5 PM. I sat up, feeling hungry, and decided to go to the dining hall. When I brought food back from the dining hall, Lillian and Harper were already awake. Lillian was reading, while Harper was casually scrolling through videos on her phone. I ate my food, my mind wondering why these two could be so calm. If the killer was one of us three, would it be Lillian or Harper? I looked at Harper, then at Lillian, and suddenly something clicked. **Me:** “Lillian, weren’t you planning on applying to grad school recently?” Lillian looked up at me when I spoke. For some reason, I saw a flicker of panic in her eyes. **Lillian:** “Yeah, but my mom wouldn’t let me. She said it was enough that she put me through college and told me to get a job after graduation.” **Harper:** “Well, you don’t have to worry anymore, do you? Brianna just did you a huge favor!” Harper said it, her tone so casual, it made me angry. That guaranteed grad school slot came at the cost of Brianna’s life, and she was making jokes about it as if nothing had happened. I knew Lillian’s family didn’t want her to pursue grad school, so she was incredibly driven to get that guaranteed spot. That’s why I suspected she might have had a twisted motive, especially since she and Brianna weren’t usually on good terms. But Harper’s tone made me wonder if they were in on it together. Yet Harper and Brianna usually had an okay relationship, like fake friends, otherwise Harper wouldn’t joke like that. The thought of living in the same dorm as them filled me with dread, but the holidays were approaching, so I just had to endure it. At 9 PM, we got a call from Professor Miller. The police had found us again and taken us to the interrogation room. **Me:** “Didn’t you already question us?” I asked the officer in the car. **Police:** “We’ve made some new discoveries. We need to talk to you about some new developments.” Harper looked impatient. **Harper:** “Can’t you just ask us in the dorm? Are you going to keep us until morning again?” **Police:** “This is a matter of life and death. Please cooperate with the investigation!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297429”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #校园School

After the zombie virus outbreak, my boyfriend of six years traded me to a shelter just to get himself in. Just as despair consumed me, a cold voice echoed in my mind. “Ding! Host, you have successfully bound to the Apocalypse Spa System. Please actively complete tasks to redeem rewards.” Six months ago, the zombie virus swept across the globe. Communication networks crumbled, resources dwindled, and the human living environment became severely polluted. Due to the initial outbreak, I had a habit of stockpiling supplies. My boyfriend and I survived the early days of the apocalypse thanks to my stash. Once our last bit of supplies ran out, we had no choice but to venture out in search of a shelter. I thought we’d found hope, but it turned out to be a trap. As a condition for entry, my boyfriend, Caleb, didn’t hesitate. He traded me. I heard stories. Before me, that “shelter” had already discarded over a dozen women, their bodies battered and bloody, after they’d been… used. I frantically escaped the shelter, hiding in an abandoned factory. Caleb and the shelter’s people searched relentlessly for me. “Boss Victor, don’t worry. She’s just an ordinary girl, no powers. She can’t have gotten far.” I huddled inside a discarded paint drum, biting my lip hard, my body trembling, not daring to make a sound. Tears streamed down my face. Six whole years. From college sweethearts to building a life together. The man who swore to protect me forever was now dragging me straight to hell. I couldn’t even feel the heartbreak anymore. My immediate problem was figuring out how to survive. I was terrified of being found by the shelter’s people, and equally terrified of the zombies roaming outside the factory. I could only curl up, frozen in place. As my consciousness faded, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly rang out in my mind. “Ding! Host, you have successfully bound to the Apocalypse Spa System. Please actively complete tasks to redeem rewards.” I was completely dumbfounded. “What system did you say?” The mechanical voice in my mind spoke again: “Host, it’s the Apocalypse Spa System. In short, you will operate a spa in the apocalypse with the assistance of this system.” “Now, please name your spa.” A spa? Those words felt both intimately familiar and utterly alien. In the apocalypse, when even basic necessities like food and clean drinking water couldn’t be guaranteed, taking a bath was an unbelievable luxury. Just staying alive was a miracle. Who would dare to dream of quality of life? “Then let’s call it Utopia Spa.” If I could truly operate a spa in this apocalypse, for someone like me, who grew up loving those big, luxurious spas, it’d be my personal paradise. “Ding! Utopia Spa successfully named. Now issuing Host a Newbie Welcome Pack: Administrator Room and First Floor Spa Area unlocked.” As the system’s voice faded, a magnificent, golden building suddenly rose from the ground in the heart of the city. A flash of white light blinded me. When I opened my eyes again, the stench of decay was gone. Before me was a lavishly decorated lobby. A glittering crystal chandelier, opulent leather sofas… I instinctively pinched my thigh. *Ow!* Not a dream! The decor, the vibe… it screamed luxury spa. A *super* luxurious one! “All supplies within Utopia Spa are unlimited. The Administrator has permanent free access. Please proceed to the Administrator Room to verify your identity.” I followed the system’s prompts and found the Administrator Room. Pushing open the door, I saw a spacious, brightly lit room. The closet was stocked with all sorts of daily necessities. Before I could even be surprised, the voice in my mind spoke again: “Administrator identity verification successful. Utopia Spa is officially open for business. Utopia Spa offers absolute safety, capable of shielding against all natural and man-made disasters. Now granting the Administrator a five-consecutive-draw grand opening bonus. Please accept.”

“Congratulations, Host! You have drawn: one automatic bread vending machine, one automatic beverage vending machine, one automatic instant noodle vending machine, one medical kit, and ten sets of clean clothes.” As soon as the system finished speaking, I rushed to the vending machine, scanned my face, pulled out a loaf of bread, and devoured it. I was starving. I hadn’t eaten a single bite since escaping the shelter. After quickly filling my stomach and chugging a bottle of water, I finally felt human again. “Ding! Host task: Please serve one guest and successfully persuade them to purchase a membership card. Task reward: First Floor Fruit Buffet and Second Floor Sauna & Hot Stone Bath areas unlocked.” The system’s voice rang out. I froze. This was the apocalypse. Where was I supposed to find a guest who’d want a membership card? But then I thought of the fruit buffet and the hot stone bath… A membership card. I *had* to get a membership card. My KPIs had to be met! Before that, though, there was one other thing I needed to do. I wrinkled my nose, smelling the paint fumes still clinging to my hair, then glanced at my clothes, so dirty their original color was unrecognizable. I decided a shower was in order. Just like the luxurious spas I remembered, the shower area was stocked with all sorts of free toiletries. The moment the showerhead sprayed hot water, I closed my eyes in pure bliss. A *hot* shower! Such a luxury was unimaginable in the apocalypse. A moment later, I spoke, a little shyly, “System, do you have a scrub mitt?” “Yes, Host. Would you prefer the gentle type, regular type, or heavy-duty type?” I looked down at myself, feeling my face flush. “Uh, let’s go with the heavy-duty one.” After changing into clean clothes, I leaned against the front desk, waiting for my first guest. Sometimes, a few zombies would shuffle past the door outside. At first, I was terrified. But gradually, I realized those zombies acted as if they couldn’t perceive the building at all; they didn’t even glance its way. Filled with relief, my courage grew, and I even pulled a stool right up to the door for a closer look. It wasn’t until nightfall that a figure finally stumbled towards the entrance. I focused my gaze. It looked like a person. He paused, startled, when he saw me through the glass door, then his eyes widened in shock as he scanned the building up and down. He seemed unable to believe such a place could exist in the apocalypse. The situation was urgent; the zombies behind him were closing in fast. He had no time to hesitate, rushing up the steps. “Please, open the door!” I snapped my fingers in the air. The door opened automatically. He lunged inside just a second before the zombies could grab his clothes. Strangely, the zombies didn’t follow him in. They simply stiffened for a moment, then mechanically turned and shuffled away. He stared, wide-eyed, almost convinced he was hallucinating. Even though it was all a bit bizarre, he knew he was safe for now. The tension drained from his body, and he collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. My gaze fell on him. He was covered in dust and bloodstains, his face obscured, but from his build, I could tell it was a man. Oh no, it was a *guest*! I immediately put on my best smile and stepped forward. “Hey there, handsome. Want to sign up for a membership?”

“Where is this place?” Jax looked around, his gaze finally settling on the beautiful woman in front of him. She was tall and strikingly pretty, her red dress making her skin appear as white as snow. He could even catch the faint scent of shampoo from her hair. In this apocalypse, where everything else was ruins, this place defied all logic. They said the prettier the woman, the more dangerous. He instinctively clutched the zombie core in his pocket. He’d risked his life for this; he couldn’t let this woman trick him out of it! “This is Utopia Spa, and I’m the sole Administrator here,” the beautiful woman said, her voice equally pleasant. Utopia Spa? Was it the kind of spa he was thinking of? Jax found it hard to believe. Water and electricity had been cut off a week after the apocalypse began. But this brightly lit, spotless lobby, wasn’t it exactly how he remembered a spa looking? The Administrator seemed to sense his doubt and slowly explained: “That’s right, this is exactly the kind of spa you’re thinking of. We’re open 24 hours. Just one zombie core makes you a lifelong VIP. Zombie cores can be exchanged for points on your membership card, which can be used for all services and products here. One zombie core equals ten points, and the daily entry fee is two points.” He knew that outside, a single zombie core barely bought a stale biscuit. Jax didn’t hesitate. He immediately pulled a zombie core from his pocket and declared, full of swagger, “Sign me up for a card!” He placed the zombie core into the machine at the front desk, then pressed his fingerprint according to the prompts on the electronic screen. The membership card was processed. As the machine spat out the card, a notification sound played. “Beep! Activation successful. Cardholder: Jax, Current Balance: 10 points.” “This facility operates on a self-service model. This card allows you to make purchases at any self-service machine within the spa. This card is for the cardholder’s personal use only and cannot be transferred. Lost cards can be reissued.” “Entry fee: 2 points deducted. Current balance: 8 points. Towels, bath supplies, and toiletries are all included in the entry fee and do not require additional purchase. Please feel free to retrieve them from the sterilization cabinet in the spa area.” Jax clutched the small, golden card in his hand, a wave of emotion washing over him. He’d been so busy surviving and fighting zombies. How long had it been since he’d had a proper bath? “Welcome to Utopia Spa! VIP card in hand, sir, right this way! One gentleman!” The Administrator’s voice suddenly boomed. The loud announcement startled Jax, and he nearly dropped the card.

“System, those lines are so cheesy. Can we stop saying them?” “No, Host. This is standard procedure. Only by actively operating Utopia Spa can you unlock more areas.” This damn system was a pain! “Congratulations, Host, you have completed the task! Task rewards: Fruit Buffet and Hot Stone Bath areas are now unlocked.” All my earlier annoyance vanished. “You truly are the best system ever!” Since the zombie outbreak, I hadn’t eaten fresh fruit. God, I was *so* craving fruit. Tears of pure longing *might* have just started streaming from the corners of my mouth. *Mmm, mmm, mmm…* I was about to tell Jax about the newly unlocked areas, but when I turned around, he was already gone. Whatever. He’d probably see it himself once he went in for his shower. I strode straight to the Fruit Buffet. The buffet counter had a row of windows, each labeled. Watermelon, strawberries, apples, bananas, oranges… and more. Just press a button, and a portion of machine-cut fruit would come out of the corresponding window. All free. A moment later, I was lounging in a massage pool, a fruit platter in hand. I ate watermelon while enjoying the water jets massaging my back. Each piece of watermelon was perfectly cut into bite-sized portions. Eating them with a fork, one by one, was incredibly convenient. (There were special trays by the pool edge to keep things from getting into the water.) I squinted my eyes, every fiber of my being radiating pure bliss. “Ding! Host task: Please serve three guests and successfully recruit two scrubbers. Task reward: Second Floor Buffet Restaurant area unlocked.” The system’s voice suddenly announced. What?! A buffet restaurant area? I was instantly energized. I scrambled out of the massage pool, shoving the remaining watermelon from my plate into my mouth. Used fruit platters went right onto the fruit buffet counter, where a machine automatically cleaned them. At my strong suggestion, the system put up a large sign by the spa entrance. “Huh, your spa is hiring scrubbers?” Jax had just finished his shower, his hair damp, wearing a bathrobe with the “Utopia Spa” logo, and carrying a platter full of various fruits. He looked completely different from when I first saw him. I blurted out in surprise, “Whoa, you’re actually that pale?” Jax froze for a second, then his face instantly flushed bright red.

This was my first time being an HR manager, and I honestly had zero experience. I fumbled for a moment before asking my first question: “Do you have any prior experience as a Human Epidermal Debris Removal Specialist?” Jax stared blankly. “A what now?” He’d never heard of that job before. I calmly explained, “You know, a scrubber. Have you ever done it before?” Jax’s mouth twitched. “No.” I frowned and let out a soft “Tsk.” “But I can learn!” Good. Teachable. “Congratulations, you’re hired.” Jax blinked, surprised. This was the fastest job interview he’d ever had; he got hired after just one question. “So, what’s the salary and benefits like?” He rubbed his hands together, eyes full of anticipation. Such a luxurious place, the pay must be great, right? He’d hit the nail on the head. I gave a dry, awkward laugh. “System, how much should we pay our employees?” The system was silent for two seconds. “Host, please pay attention. We’ve only earned one zombie core since opening. We don’t have money to pay anyone yet.” My words caught in my throat. It made perfect sense. I couldn’t argue with that. “Well, about the salary… we won’t have it in the beginning, but later… Hey, don’t leave!” Jax’s voice was full of resentment. “Boss, do I look like an idiot?” I pursed my lips. “Even if there’s no salary, our employees get free food and lodging here…” Jax immediately slid back on his knees. “Boss, I think I’m perfectly suited for this job!” Right now, countless people couldn’t even get a hot meal or a safe night’s sleep, and who knew when they’d die? To find such a clean, safe job with free food and lodging in this apocalypse? It was beyond amazing. I was a bit surprised by his rapid change of heart. Jax, however, mistook my hesitation and quickly rolled up his sleeve to show me his biceps. “Boss, I might look thin, but I’m an A-rank strength ability user. Scrubbing will be no problem.” I took the hint. “Take a day off. You start work tomorrow.” Great. Half of the scrubber recruitment task was done. Though, a strength-based ability user as a scrubber… I silently lit a candle for the future male guests. To complete the system task faster, I sent Jax out to the nearest base on his first day to drum up business. Just as I thought I’d have to wait a few more days for guests, the main door suddenly rattled with frantic banging. “Is anyone inside?!” “Open up! Help us!” Through the glass door, I saw five people. They were all injured to varying degrees, one of them the worst, leaning on another person, barely able to stand. Blood dripped steadily from his wound. It was an emergency. I quickly opened the door to let them in, then found some medicine from the medical kit I’d received from the system’s lottery, and handed it to them. They gratefully accepted the medicine, thanking me profusely. “You can recover here. There are vending machines over there if you need water and food, you can buy it yourselves.” They had been so focused on treating their wounds that they only now looked around their surroundings. “There are actually vending machines!” “They even have instant noodles here! Hey, how do I open this machine?” I explained the spa’s facilities to them. After a brief discussion, they decided to each get a membership card and immediately bought five days’ worth of entry. I thought the next few days would be peaceful. But I underestimated the ugliness of human nature.

Lying in my Administrator Room, under a blanket and enjoying the AC, I suddenly heard the system’s alarm blare in my mind: “Alert! Detecting malicious resource waste within the establishment. Administrator, please proceed to the lobby immediately to handle the situation.” I arrived in the lobby, shaking with fury at the sight before me. Half-eaten fruits were discarded everywhere on the coffee tables and the floor. Strawberries were missing their tips, watermelons had only their reddest parts eaten… all the fruits were gnawed on for their sweetest bits then tossed. Some fruits had only a single bite taken out of them before being thrown onto the floor. Empty instant noodle cups and bread wrappers were scattered everywhere. There was a large puddle of spilled instant noodle broth on the floor tiles, mixed with banana peels, giving off a strange odor. And the culprits were sprawled out on the sofas. “What are you doing?!” I roared, my voice thick with anger. They merely glanced up at me, not seeming to think they’d done anything wrong. “Just relaxing, what else?” “I’m talking about all this on the tables and the floor! Do you know how many people out there can’t even get a meal, can’t even get a drop of clean water? Why are you wasting food?” I was livid, but they just shrugged it off. “Whether they eat or not, what’s it got to do with us?” “Besides, aren’t these fruits provided free to customers? We like eating them this way, so what?” “We’ve already paid our entry fee. The customer is king! Do you even know how to run a business?” How could people be so shameless? I actually laughed, a cold, angry sound. “This establishment provides free fruit for customers to *eat*, not for customers to *waste*.” “What do you mean?” I pointed at the discarded fruits. “It means exactly what it sounds like. What you *eat* is free. What you *waste*? That’s going to cost you.” As soon as they heard “cost,” they instantly bristled. “You say it costs, and it costs? Why?!” I said icily, “Because this spa is mine. You trashed my property and wasted my food. You’ll compensate me for it.” But they laughed, as if they’d heard the funniest joke in the world. “This is the apocalypse! We’re not paying, what are you gonna do? Call the cops? Hahahaha…” I wasn’t angry at all, because I had the system. “No worries. Your card balance has already automatically paid for your damages. Now, you actually owe me 500 zombie cores. That 500 zombie cores is for medical fees. Based on current prices outside, you’re getting a deal.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “297428”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #魔幻Magic #校园School