Author: Momo Chan

Everyone knew that Harrison, the billionaire CEO, had a precious little girl he doted on. This girl, Lily, was spoiled rotten, like the protagonist of a novel, indulged by everyone. Everyone except me. On our wedding day, Lily, wearing a white wedding dress, looked at me with a challenging expression: “Only those who aren’t loved are the other woman.” “So what if you marry Harrison? I’ll still be the woman he cherishes most!” Hearing this, I smirked and turned to Harrison, slapping him hard across the face: “Are you deaf? Your mistress is right here causing trouble, and you’re just standing there?” On the wedding day, Lily stood before me in a white wedding dress, her face full of defiance as she looked at me: “Only those who aren’t loved are the other woman.” “So what if you marry Harrison? I’ll still be the woman he cherishes most.” The wedding hadn’t started yet, but the backstage area was already crowded with people, including many prominent figures from high society. Everyone exchanged glances, but no one dared to intervene. After all, who didn’t know that billionaire CEO Harrison had a precious little girl he doted on? This girl was spoiled rotten, like the protagonist of a novel, indulged by everyone in the Thorne family. Even though I was now Harrison’s wife, I was just a pawn in this business marriage. I couldn’t compare to the woman Harrison truly cared about. The backstage area fell silent. Harrison approached, surrounded by a group of people, his expression cold. When he saw Lily, his eyes softened like melting ice in spring. But when he turned to me again, his face was as frosty as before: “Why are you just standing here? The wedding is about to start.” I let out a cold laugh and looked up at Lily: “Do you dare to repeat what you just said?” Lily smirked and repeated those words loudly, word for word. Before she could finish, I raised my arm and slapped her hard across the face! SLAP! I work out regularly and have considerable arm strength. With that slap, Lily’s little face immediately turned blue. A drop of blood slowly trickled from her nose, ruining her supposedly innocent makeup and adding a touch of dark comedy to the scene. Lily seemed stunned, holding her face and staring at me in disbelief. I laughed coldly and slapped her twice more, left and right. The woman Harrison cherishes most? Ha! I’m slapping exactly that woman! As I was about to raise my hand again, Harrison finally reacted, grabbing my upraised arm: “Scarlett! Haven’t you had enough? Lily is just a child! How can you hit her for saying a few childish words?” She’s a child and you’re having an affair with her? You’re sick! After he finished speaking, I laughed coldly and turned to look at Harrison. Harrison frowned at me. The next second, I raised my other hand and gave Harrison another hard slap! I laughed coldly as I looked at Harrison’s swollen face: “You probably don’t know, but I’m known as the ‘Slap Queen,’ nicknamed the ‘Goddess of Slaps.’” With that, I shoved Harrison away and pointed at his nose, cursing loudly: “I spent 1.5 billion on this business marriage with you, and you’re playing sugar daddy with a little girl?” “If you want to sleep with young girls, just say it outright, you old pervert. Don’t give me this grooming bullshit.” “It’s fucking disgusting!” I finished by throwing my bouquet in Harrison’s face: “If this mess isn’t cleaned up today, no one’s letting this wedding continue!” “You think I’m eager to marry you?” “I have men lining up from here to Paris. Who are you to be picky?” “If your old man hadn’t begged me, almost kneeling, do you think you’d have a chance to marry me?” “Go to hell!” With that, I ripped off my veil and stormed out of the backstage area!

My mother was waiting in the dressing room. Seeing me come in, she gave me a thumbs up with a smile: “That’s my girl, so fierce!” I laughed coldly and plopped down on the sofa, crossing my legs. I’ve been in the business world for years; I’m not an idiot. The Thorne family letting Lily humiliate me in public was just a test of obedience. They’re an elite family in the city, with a high social status. However, in recent years, they’ve fallen behind the times, and the Thorne Group has declined with weakening revenues. To raise funds, they had to resort to a business marriage. And I, a woman with money but no background, was the perfect choice. They coveted my billion-dollar dowry but couldn’t lower themselves to ask me directly. So they decided to play dirty, trying to manipulate me. They wanted to use their “noble” status to put me down. Make this “nouveau riche” feel inferior, so I’d eventually hand over my dowry, begging them to use it. Thinking about this, I laughed coldly. It’s laughable. Even a dog would shake its head at such audacity. They thought their plan was perfect, but they didn’t realize I’m not some pushover. I’m a force to be reckoned with. I was raised by my mother, who caught the wave of economic reform early on. Back then, she partnered with a few people, started with a steel mill, later invested in the internet, and built a vast fortune. I’ve surpassed her, making my mark internationally at a young age. Many famous clothing brands on the market now are subsidiaries of my company. The business world is a battlefield, and those who survive are no ordinary people. My mother and I are both expert arguers. If it weren’t for wanting to make a name for myself in the vast domestic market, I would never have agreed to marry Harrison. I despise Harrison from the bottom of my heart. My mother’s assistant was undercover at the scene. The assistant said Mrs. Thorne had arrived, but things hadn’t escalated yet, so we should wait in the dressing room. There were snacks in the dressing room, so my mother and I sat on the sofa. We munched on seeds while cursing Harrison. In this society, women who show even a bit of weakness get torn apart by men. My mother and I have been in business for years, so we know this well. That’s why we’re both sharp-tongued and loud when necessary. We knew there were Thorne family people eavesdropping outside the dressing room, so we cursed even louder. My mother, coming from a humble background, was especially skilled at cursing. She screeched and yelled, cursing the Thorne ancestors in every creative way possible. I fanned the flames, and we kept at it for half an hour before we heard someone outside slam something and leave in frustration. My mother calmly sipped her tea and said sarcastically: “I didn’t expect them to give up so easily.” “If they knew they couldn’t handle it, why bring that little bitch to the wedding? Aren’t they just asking to be cursed?” I smiled and twisted the ring on my finger: “They’re just gluttons for punishment. I heard the Thorne family are all masochists; the more you curse them, the more obedient they become.” My mother nodded in agreement, approving of my assessment.

Another half hour passed, and still no one came. I knew the Thorne family couldn’t swallow their pride. They weren’t willing to lower their “noble” status to beg a lowly “nouveau riche” like me. My phone buzzed with a message. It was from Mrs. Thorne, asking me to forgive Harrison and attend the wedding for her sake. I laughed coldly. Your face? Your face is worth shit! You don’t want to come apologize to me? Fine, let’s see this through to the end! I glanced at the time and decisively called Harrison. The call connected, and I could hear that Harrison had put it on speaker. Before Harrison could speak, I started: “Harrison, I’m giving you five minutes. You, you big scumbag, bring that little tramp you’re keeping and come apologize to me in person.” “If you don’t, remember that financial bigshot you recently got to manage your assets?” “Don’t forget, my main business is overseas, and I’m quite good in the fund industry.” “From now on, if you dare to be late, I’ll become your competitor tonight.” “You short, I’ll go long. You go long, I’ll short. I’ve got plenty of money to burn, and I’m not afraid of losses.” “For every minute you’re late, I’ll make you lose 10 million. I always keep my word.” With that, I hung up, ignoring the shouts from the other end. Three minutes later, hurried footsteps approached the dressing room, and the door burst open. It was Harrison and Lily. I sat on the sofa with my legs crossed, watching Harrison reluctantly approach. When he lowered his head in submission, I turned to look at Lily. The girl’s face was a mess of red and blue, like she’d been through a dye factory. I put on a fake smile: “Lily, I know you’re just a child, and I can understand your lack of filter.” “It’s okay. Once I’m part of the Thorne family, I’ll teach you slowly.” I took out a stack of cash from my purse: “You’re the child Harrison keeps by his side, so naturally, I’m your stepmother now.” “Call me ‘Mom,’ and Mom will give you some money for the new title.” Lily suddenly looked up, her face full of tears as she looked at Harrison. I smiled sweetly at Lily. After a moment, Lily gritted her teeth, her eyes full of hatred, but she had to lower her head: “Mother.” I smiled and tossed the stack of cash in her face: “Good girl. Mom loves self-respecting girls the most.” “Learn from Mom in the future. Don’t let your head be full of men; that’s called being boy-crazy, short for mental illness. It needs treatment.” I stood up gracefully, brushed off non-existent dust, and turned to Harrison with a smile: “What are you standing there for, Harrison? Let’s go.”

The wedding concluded successfully, and I, Scarlett, became an overnight sensation in the city’s upper class. Slapping both the adopted daughter and the husband at a high-society wedding – what an achievement. Everyone said I was a badass. The in-laws originally wanted to put me in my place in front of everyone. Who knew I’d turn the tables on them, shoving their own shit right back in their faces. I didn’t care what others said. All I knew was that I had become the Thorne family’s new matriarch. On our wedding night, Harrison came to the bedroom, his face dark as the bottom of a pot: “Scarlett, let me tell you, you may have my body now, but you’ll never have my heart!” I laughed coldly and kicked him off the bed: “Who wants your pasty pig body? I get nauseous just looking at it!” “Get out!” The next day, I woke up feeling refreshed. The first thing I did was gather all the servants of the mansion. The butler stood in the middle, hands at his sides. I looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled: “Who pays your salary now?” The butler respectfully replied: “You do, Madam.” I nodded. Seems he’s quite sensible. After he finished, I picked up my teacup and stirred the tea leaves: “Since you know who feeds you, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” “Be careful, or I’ll fire you all. See if those old fools will still want you then!” As I finished speaking, I looked up to see a few young servants shrinking back, lowering their heads even more. After the servants dispersed, I looked up to see Harrison standing on the second floor, frowning down at me. I put my teacup on the table and said slowly: “If you have something to say, come down. I hate looking up at people.” Hearing this, Harrison came down the stairs, dark circles under his eyes. The young master had never slept on the floor before. No worries, he’ll get used to it soon enough. Harrison’s voice was cold and hard: “Scarlett, why do you have to be so ruthless?” I raised an eyebrow: “Ruthless? This is called employee training.” “If they listen to me and fulfill their responsibilities, of course I won’t be stingy.” “Clear rewards and punishments – that’s basic business logic.” “You’ve been in charge of the Thorne family for so long, haven’t you learned this yet?” Seeing my mocking expression, Harrison took a deep breath and changed the subject: “When are you going to give me that 1.5 billion?” I was amused and countered: “My dowry? Why should I give it to you?” “Did you give me a bride price? What right do you have to ask for my dowry?” “What do you need my dowry for anyway?” Faced with my triple question, Harrison clenched his fists and said in a low voice: “The Thorne family is having some difficulties lately. We’re short on funds and need your dowry for investment.” “As for the bride price, we apologize for that.” I laughed out loud on the spot. A vague “sorry” and you think you can get my 1.5 billion? Dream on! I leaned back on the sofa, crossing my legs, and smiled: “You want my dowry? Sure.” “But every penny you invest, every fund you inject into the Thorne family, has to go through my people.” “Every business move you make needs to be pre-approved by my assistant.” Hearing me say this, Harrison’s long-suppressed anger finally exploded: “Scarlett! Don’t go too far!” “I’ve never met such a vicious woman like you!” Seeing him angry, I smashed my teacup on the ground! CRASH! I glared at Harrison: “Harrison, you’re quite the hypocrite, aren’t you?” “When your Thorne family was being stingy, not letting me use any resources or connections, you didn’t say a word!” “Now it’s my turn, and you’re calling me vicious?” “Let me tell you, for this business marriage, if you want cooperation and mutual resource exchange, I’m fine with that.” “But if you think you can freeload off me, let’s see how many lives you have to dare try!” I stood up, looking down at him: “I know you like gentle women.” “But your likes mean as much to me as dog shit. There’s no difference.” “Think hard about your own business value, show some sincerity, then come talk to me about cooperation.” With that, I left Harrison behind, took the bag the butler handed me, and walked out the door.

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After caring for my comatose husband for three years, I sold my property to hire specialists for his treatment when I saw the comments appearing on the screen. [This is the final test. If the female supporting character spends all her money to hire experts from Country D, the male lead will believe she isn’t with him for money, will immediately wake up, and take her back to inherit billions.] [No way! If she hires experts, how can the gentle heroine continue with the male lead pretending to be in a coma?] [Exactly, I’m still waiting to see the male lead sneak up at night to sweetly kiss the heroine.] I couldn’t believe it as I looked at Gideon lying quietly. Was he faking it? No, it couldn’t be. I went back to the attending doctor to have Gideon examined. The doctor’s answer was the same as before. “Ms. Daphne, Mr. Gideon still shows no signs of waking up.” I breathed a sigh of relief. I knew it, Gideon couldn’t be lying to me. But the next moment, the comments appeared again. [For a moment, I suspected the female supporting character might have found out something. But luckily, the doctor didn’t spill the beans.] [My heart was in my throat too, almost thinking the male lead pretending to be in a coma was about to be discovered!] [Don’t worry~ Don’t forget the male lead Gideon’s identity as the Crown Prince of the Capital Circle. The hospital has long been bribed. Without his permission, no one dares to reveal he’s pretending. The female supporting character will never find out he’s faking.] Seeing these comments, a shiver ran down my spine. I glanced at the doctor who checked him; he avoided my gaze and comforted me: “Ms. Daphne, you’ve been taking good care of your husband for three years. As long as you keep it up, I believe he’ll wake up soon.” How soon is soon? I didn’t respond to the doctor’s words but called out to Gideon. Calling him again and again, just like when we were dating. I cried as I recounted our dating memories, hoping he’d wake up to see me, but he still didn’t react. I cried for a long time, and after venting my emotions, my mind cleared up. Even though I didn’t know what those comments were, their words hadn’t been proven, and I didn’t believe the Gideon who supported me all along would deceive me. I had already sold my property and bought a plane ticket for this afternoon. I wiped my tears, got up, and packed my things.

These past two years, to take care of Gideon, I moved a lot of stuff to the hospital room. After selling the house, I moved the remaining items here. This trip to Country D was a long journey, and as I packed, I talked to Gideon. “The first time you celebrated my birthday with me, I wished to visit Country D. You said you’d go with me, but who knew I’d go there to find someone to save you. If I’d known going to Country D was to save you, I wouldn’t have made that wish.” “Gideon, I’ll be gone for at least a week this time. During this week, I’ve hired Aunt to take care of you. When I get back, you’ll surely be awake!” But the comments appeared again: [The female supporting character is leaving for a week? Won’t the male lead and the gentle heroine baby be able to explore many places together for a week?] [Right, with the female supporting character gone for a week, the male lead and the heroine baby can snuggle sweetly in the hospital room. Maybe they can explore new places too, I’d love to see that!] [You two, stop dreaming! The female supporting character won’t make it a week because she’ll have a car accident on the way to the airport, miss her flight, and completely lose the chance to hire experts. That way, she won’t pass Gideon’s test, and Gideon won’t believe in love, only enjoys desire, and ends up with our gentle heroine.] I paused while packing my luggage. Would I have a car accident? Although these comment predictions hadn’t been verified, they seemed plausible. Could everything happen as the comments said? I still didn’t want to believe that the suddenly appearing comments were true or that Gideon, who I’d been in love with for years, was a fraud. So, I decided to test what the comments predicted. With my luggage, I got in a taxi to the airport. After getting in, the first thing I told the driver was to drive carefully. But the car still met with an accident. A car with failed brakes at the corner crashed into several vehicles, including the taxi. Although the driver and I weren’t seriously injured, the scene was blocked, and I was stranded on the overpass, missing my flight to Country D. As I was in despair, the comments appeared again: [Oh my! The male and female leads in this wildly passionate story are insane. Even the rooftop is fine? The male lead’s physique is amazing!] [Role-playing, little nurse and patient, it’s forbidden but so tempting!] [Honestly, while this sneaky togetherness is thrilling, I still wish the female supporting character would exit quickly, and the leads could show their love every day.] [Don’t worry above, the female supporting character already had a car accident, she can’t hire experts, she’s out. She’ll be kicked out in a few days! Be patient!] The comments were shocking. I ignored my wounds and rushed back to the hospital.

Gideon and I fell in love freely. I first met him during a work-study program. It seemed like he broke something and didn’t know what to do. Seeing his gloomy expression, I kindly helped him deal with the broken item and negotiated with the boss about compensation. Luckily, the item wasn’t expensive, and the boss didn’t ask for much. He paid, and we went back to school together. I learned he was from my school and, like me, was a student working part-time due to financial difficulties. I lost my parents young and relied on my grandparents and my own efforts to get through school. I felt a connection with someone in a similar situation, and since he was quite talkative, we exchanged contacts and shared many part-time jobs. Gradually, we confirmed our relationship. Our love was simple, plain, and fulfilling. There was no epic romance or dramatic turmoil, just as I expected, and I was content. In our third year of dating, he proposed to me. He said he came from a modest background, didn’t have assets, only a decent face, and hoped to marry me to live a simple life. I didn’t care about his background or looks; I liked him because our personalities matched. I accepted his proposal, but two months after our wedding, he had an accident. The doctor said he unfortunately became a vegetative state and might lie in bed for life. But he was young, and if I persisted in treatment, helping his recovery, there was a good chance he’d wake up. So, for three years, I’ve been diligently caring for him, giving up opportunities at big companies, and sold everything my grandparents left me to treat him. But now, the comments tell me. All my efforts and dedication were just his test for me. And I was just the antagonist in his story, the one who loved but couldn’t have him, who turned evil from love and faded away as a malicious non-playable character.

It was already evening when I reached the hospital. As the comments predicted, Gideon wasn’t in the hospital room. A nurse on duty saw my injuries and came to help me. My heart was utterly cold as I leaned against the wall and asked the nurse: “Where’s my husband?” The nurse looked at the hospital room, confused: “Yeah, where’s your husband? Nurse Quinn saw him during rounds, and the Aunt you hired already left. Where did your husband go?” I leaned against the wall, unmoving. The nurse, seeing my disheveled state, softly comforted me: “It’s okay. Everyone in the hospital knows your husband, and given his condition, no one could take him out. He can’t go elsewhere, we’ll find him soon. Would you like to treat your wounds first?” I waved her off, speaking each word deliberately: “I want to know where he is right now!” Seeing my distress, the nurse, though worried, went to make calls to find him. I leaned against the wall, exhausted. At that moment, the comments appeared again. [Wow, so thrilling! The female supporting character is in the corridor, while the male lead and heroine are passionately making out next door.] [Gideon’s lips are bruised, who knew our gentle heroine was such a little lion!] [You must be new here, right? Our heroine baby didn’t just bruise Gideon’s lips; there are marks elsewhere too.] [The chemistry between them is just amazing! The sweet and soft heroine pinning Gideon down to kiss him, the contrast is delightful.] A “bang” sounded from the room next door, something had fallen. I froze. The comments continued. [The heroine baby saw the returning female supporting character but still dared to make such noise, so bold yet brave!] [I think it’s brave too, but won’t their intensity get them discovered by the female supporting character? I’m worried!] [Relax, they locked the door when they went in. The female supporting character can’t open it!] [I mean, when she finds the male lead missing, won’t she discover he was deceiving her? I don’t want him to be wrongfully accused of being a jerk!] [Oh, that! She won’t find out! The hospital has doctors cooperating with the male lead. Once they’re done, the doctor will wheel him back, claiming it’s for muscle relaxation and rehabilitation. With a doctor helping, the female supporting character will believe it.] [The male lead prepared so thoroughly?] [Of course! Without such comprehensive preparation, how could he deceive the female supporting character for so long?] [The male lead baby is impressive!] Just as the comments predicted, Gideon was wheeled back by a doctor. I asked the doctor, and he gave the same explanation as the comments. “`plaintext

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Mr. Beckett owed the Nash family a life debt. Mrs. Nash used that debt to make Mr. Beckett force Rowan Beckett to marry me. But even after ten years of marriage, he still despised me. He tried to rid himself of me by letting countless women into his life. I became a laughingstock among our social set, and Rowan Beckett coldly remarked: “What right do you have to feel wronged? You brought this upon yourself.” Everyone thought I’d cling to Rowan Beckett forever, and he thought so too. Until the person I trusted most betrayed me. My resolve wavered. But when I handed over the divorce papers, I smiled with relief. “Finally, I can end this farce of a marriage.” I stepped onto the yacht, the party already at its peak. In the center of the crowd, Rowan Beckett lounged casually on the sofa, his posture relaxed and indifferent. That familiar silhouette made my heart skip a beat. She sat provocatively on Rowan Beckett’s lap, her fingers gently tracing his neck. Men and women raised their champagne glasses, chanting for a kiss. Nora Nash’s cheeks were flushed with excitement, her eyes filled with anticipation. Rowan Beckett’s eyes narrowed slightly as he surveyed the crowd. With a slight smirk, he pointed at me and said, “Look over there, your best friend is watching us.” Everyone turned to look at me, and their voices fell silent, their eyes filled with amusement. Someone shouted “sister-in-law,” and others followed suit. Nora Nash glanced at me but made no move to get off his lap. I clenched my hands tightly, staring at her. My heart bled. I never imagined Nora Nash would betray me. She was like family to me, someone I relied on and trusted! I wanted to loudly ask her why, but I couldn’t—not here. Nora Nash giggled sweetly: “Isn’t this what you expected?” “I betrayed her and chose you. Can you love me now?” The crowd stirred again, eagerly anticipating the drama. My marriage with Rowan Beckett was nothing but a facade. He openly indulged in debauchery, changing women one after another. But this time, the woman was my most trusted friend. I ignored her and looked directly at Rowan Beckett. Expressionless, I spoke calmly: “The media is gathered at the dock, waiting for your yacht to return.” “Rowan Beckett, come with me.” He tilted his head, drawing out his response: “Hmm…” “No.” Nora Nash, seeing this, boldly nestled into his arms and gave me a provocative smile. As we approached the dock, the photographers were already focused, their cameras flashing incessantly. I curled my fingers, feeling a sting in my palm. We still got photographed. No doubt, the Beckett family won’t let me off easily. Suddenly, Rowan Beckett’s mocking voice reached my ears. “Mrs. Beckett, do you like this?” “The old folks probably won’t let you go, right?” “Why don’t you divorce me, and I’ll help you?” I bit my lip, struggling to speak, “Rowan Beckett, do you really want a divorce?” For the first time in ten years, I relented. Rowan Beckett’s playful smile disappeared, his deep eyes filled with complexity. Before he could react, I said directly, “Then let’s divorce.” These words felt like they had been ten years in the making. The moment I said it, I felt relieved. What’s not mine will never be mine. The emotions that had been suppressed in my heart finally found an outlet, beginning to release bit by bit. “Lydia, are you serious?” Nora Nash’s tone was filled with uncontrollable joy. However, Rowan Beckett’s grip on her waist tightened. Nora Nash gasped in pain, “Ouch!” Then a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and she pouted, “Rowan, you’re hurting me.” Rowan Beckett ignored her and stared straight at me. For the first time, he let go of Nora Nash and walked directly to my side. “Let’s go home, Mrs. Beckett.” I clearly saw the malicious smile in his eyes. He did it on purpose. He knew how important Nora Nash was to me. And he knew that by letting the paparazzi take these photos and causing a scandal, I would be the one punished. Rowan Beckett really went to great lengths to make me relent on divorce.

I calmly linked my arm with his, “Let’s go.” Rowan Beckett immediately let out a sarcastic laugh. I was used to it and closed my ears. As Mrs. Beckett, I had to be poised and graceful in public. Soon, I could end these days. Once ashore, I let go of his hand. Rowan Beckett grabbed it back, interlocking our fingers, his tone mocking: “The show must go on, don’t quit halfway.” “The paparazzi are still shooting.” I slightly furrowed my brows and turned to look out the window. Forget it, let him be. The ride was silent, and we arrived at the family estate. As soon as we entered, he pinned me against the wall. In the dim light, I caught a glimpse of the interest in his eyes. I was exhausted and softly said, “Rowan Beckett, I don’t want this.” I tried to push him away after speaking. Rowan Beckett held tighter, biting my collarbone as punishment. He chuckled, “Mrs. Beckett, those old folks are still waiting for you to have a child.” My body stiffened. His repeated “Mrs. Beckett” was a constant reminder of my identity. I had willingly put on these shackles, without even the right to call a halt, only silently accepting. But now, I could. The only reason I compromised betrayed me. I had no more worries. For the first time, I bravely pushed Rowan Beckett away. “Rowan Beckett, I can stop being Mrs. Beckett.” He paused for a moment, giving me a deep gaze. “Lydia, are you serious?” My heart sank. “I’m willing to let you go, isn’t that good?” “I’ve clung to you for ten years, you’re tired, I’m tired, let’s just let each other go.” Before the words were finished, Rowan Beckett gripped my hand tightly. His body pressed against me, trying to pin me to the wall. After a while, he suppressed his anger, “Lydia, your playing hard to get is too obvious, I won’t let you succeed!” After speaking, he stormed off without looking back. I was puzzled. Staring at his departing figure, I fell into thought. This was the result he wanted, and I gave it to him. Why was he angry again? “Bang!” A sound snapped me back. No matter what, I had made up my mind. But thinking of Nora Nash, my heart ached. My phone vibrated again. I fished it out of my pocket, my fingertips brushing the screen. Finally, I opened the chat window with Nora Nash, who kept sending messages. [Lydia, you know everything.] [Since you do, can you give Rowan Beckett to me?] [You’ve been with him for ten years, and he doesn’t love you. Why not let me try?] [Maybe he’ll fall in love with me?] [I know it’s wrong to sabotage a friend’s relationship, but I can’t help it.] [I was deeply attracted to him when you introduced us.] [I tried to avoid him, but you kept bringing him around. I didn’t mean to.] [You forced me!] …… The more I read, the more it hurt. This was the person I once trusted the most. I laughed at myself. [Nora Nash, I misjudged you.] [Since you want him, I’ll let you have him!] I quickly typed these two sentences and sent them to her. From then on, our friendship was completely broken. For a man, she betrayed me. In the end, I misjudged her. That night, I couldn’t sleep. When I woke up, my eyes were red and swollen. It took a long time with an ice pack to ease the swelling.

I let my mind go blank for a few minutes. Remembering the tough battle today, I quickly grabbed my smartphone. I opened the trending topics, and as expected, saw last night’s news topping the list. In the photograph, Nora Nash sat on Rowan Beckett’s lap while I stood facing them. The comments were all over the place: [Mrs. Beckett is so generous, even gifting her best friend to Prince.] [Prince is quite something, picking up his wife’s best friend, even having his wife watch. Impressive!!] [Prince is so handsome! If I were Lydia, I’d let him have anyone he wants in his harem!] [Don’t you think Lydia is pitiful? Betrayed by the two closest people, it makes you feel heartache for her.] [Hilarious, she deserves it! Prince never wanted to marry her. If she hadn’t used favors to threaten Mr. Beckett, Prince wouldn’t have married her!] [Exactly, clinging to Prince without any dignity! Still not divorcing after all this, truly shameless!] [No way! Prince is clearly in the wrong, and you’re all blaming Lydia? Why aren’t you blaming Prince and that disgusting best friend?] [Let me be fair, it’s mutual. We netizens don’t know the truth, just enjoying the drama.] The onlookers argued endlessly. In the blink of an eye, the trending topic disappeared. The Beckett PR team acted. There was a noise from the entrance. Rowan Beckett returned. He glanced at me indifferently, “We’re going to the family estate in thirty minutes.” I nodded. What was meant to come would come. The Beckett family rule was that everyone must return to the family estate every weekend. Disobedience meant facing the family rules. Even the reckless Rowan Beckett never disobeyed. “Lydia, good luck!” He smirked, his tone full of schadenfreude. The crowd was caught up in a fierce argument. In an instant, the trending topics vanished. The Beckett family’s PR team stepped in. There was a commotion at the entrance. Rowan Beckett had returned. He glanced at me with a distant look, “Be back at the family estate in thirty minutes.” I nodded. What is destined to happen will happen. The Beckett family rules require everyone to return to the family estate every weekend. If not, the rules are enforced. Even Rowan Beckett, known for his carefree nature, never disobeyed. “Lydia, good luck!” He curled his lips slightly, his tone dripping with mockery. At the entrance of the Beckett family estate. Rowan Beckett didn’t bother with formalities and walked straight into the main hall, leaving me behind. When I entered, he had the old lady smiling widely. “Grandma.” I greeted her respectfully. “Mm,” the old lady replied indifferently, “Your parents are waiting for you in the study.” I nodded slightly, “Understood.” I knew what was coming. And Rowan Beckett, the instigator, had a slight smile at the corner of his mouth, not even bothering to lift his eyelids. As soon as I entered the study, Mrs. Beckett slapped me. My head turned from the impact, and I could taste blood at the corner of my mouth. She blew on her hand and regained her composed and elegant demeanor. Mrs. Beckett looked at me coldly, her words slow and dismissive: “Lydia, you’ve let me down.” “A woman who can’t even hold her husband’s heart, how can you be Mrs. Beckett?” “If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed with Mr. Beckett for Rowan to marry you!” “What a mistake!” I lowered my head, my hands unconsciously clenched. “Lydia, if you still can’t make Rowan love you, you should divorce him sooner rather than later!” I suddenly lifted my head, my gaze resolute: “Fine, I’ll divorce him!” Mrs. Beckett’s eyes widened in disbelief. Mr. Beckett also frowned slightly, unsure, “Really?” “I mean it!” I spoke with conviction. Mr. Beckett waved me away, indicating I should leave first. I stood at the study door, vaguely hearing their conversation inside. “Why blame her for your son’s mess?” Mr. Beckett sighed. “If not her, then who?!” “Before Rowan married her, he never acted out like this!” Mrs. Beckett couldn’t help but complain: “If you hadn’t forced Rowan to marry a woman he doesn’t love, would he have ended up like this?” “Don’t you know how much he’s hurting inside?” Mr. Beckett looked at her helplessly: “Don’t you know your son’s nature?” “If he didn’t like it, who could force him?!” “Now Lydia wants a divorce, just watch, there’ll be trouble…” Mrs. Beckett was stunned, “Impossible, right? If Rowan really liked Lydia, why would he act like that…” “He’ll keep acting out until even his wife leaves…” Yes, how could Rowan Beckett possibly like me? I turned and left. Walking through the long corridor, Rowan Beckett was waiting at the end. He crossed his arms, a cigarette between his fingers. I silently tried to walk past him. But he grabbed my wrist, gently touching the side of my face that got slapped, scoffing lightly: “Tsk~ just like that?” “Isn’t the punishment a bit light?” His deep voice carried a lazy smile, void of emotion. My gaze was calm and unwavering: “Yeah, I told my parents about the divorce.” He paused, taking a long drag of the cigarette, “What did they say?” I shook my head, “They didn’t say much.” With Mr. Beckett around, Mr. and Mrs. Beckett can’t make decisions. And I want a divorce, need to wait for Mr. Beckett to return. “Exactly, what right do they have to say no!” His voice was calm but harsh, “Damn, you brought this on yourself, deal with it.” Rowan Beckett walked away decisively. Leaving me to endure the Beckett family’s underhanded teaching under the guise of instructing on marriage. I accepted it all with neither arrogance nor submission. Waiting. Leaving the Beckett family, I had the driver take me to the nursing home as usual. Halfway there, I received a call from the nursing home: “Mrs. Beckett, something’s wrong.” “Mrs. Nash’s condition isn’t good, please come quickly.” My heart sank suddenly, and I hurriedly took out my smartphone to call Nora Nash. All the way to the nursing home, no one answered on the other end. Finally, at the hospital room door, the call connected. “Nora Nash, hurry to the nursing home, Mrs. Nash is in trouble!” Nora Nash sneered: “Lydia, you were so generous letting Rowan Beckett be surrounded by women, why not me? And now you’re cursing my mom?” “Don’t I know my mom’s health?” “Even if there’s really a problem, she has you, after all, she’s always treated you better than me!” “I don’t even know who her real daughter is, letting you marry Rowan Beckett!” Before I could respond, she hung up. I tightly clutched my smartphone. Pushing open the hospital room, I saw the emaciated woman on the bed. My eyes instantly stung with unbearable soreness. “What happened?” Clearly, two days ago when I came, Mrs. Nash was much better. The nurse couldn’t meet my eyes: “I’m sorry, Mrs. Beckett, I couldn’t stop her, the lady saw online…” I was stunned. “Lydia.” She called me with difficulty. I hurried to the bedside, holding her hand: “Mrs. Nash.” She patted the back of my hand soothingly, her cloudy eyes brimming with tears. “Mrs. Nash apologizes on behalf of Nora, it’s my fault… I didn’t raise her well…” “If it weren’t for her heart condition relapsing, you… wouldn’t have married Rowan Beckett so decisively…” “It’s Mrs. Nash’s fault for ruining your life…” The more she spoke, the heavier her breathing. I wiped away her tears, speaking softly: “Mrs. Nash, everything I did was voluntary, it’s not your fault, don’t blame yourself.” “And if you hadn’t adopted me when I was young, I’d probably be dead by now.” The more I wiped, the more tears flowed. “It’s our Nash family that burdened you… And now Nora treats you like this… I… I’m truly sorry!” “Don’t worry, I’ve told Mr. Beckett, you and Rowan Beckett will divorce, and… Lydia, you must find happiness… No need to suffer anymore…” Tears blurred my vision, I managed a faint smile: “It’s not hard at all, being Mrs. Beckett is very comfortable, with fame and fortune, how great is that.” She looked at me for a long time, then turned her head away, unable to bear it. After a long while, Mrs. Nash asked cautiously: “Lydia, can you let that ungrateful daughter come see me?” I nodded repeatedly, “Okay.” But the calls went unanswered again. I called Rowan Beckett, but there was no response either. Finally, I called Rowan Beckett’s secretary. The secretary told me that Nora Nash and Rowan Beckett went to the Arctic to see the aurora. Tears fell uncontrollably. Seeing my tears, Mrs. Nash seemed to understand everything. She chuckled softly, “Forget it, Lydia, don’t wrong yourself anymore, you owe the Nash family nothing…” After speaking, she closed her eyes relieved. I cried heart-wrenchingly. After Mrs. Nash’s funeral, the two were brought back by Mr. Beckett. At the Beckett family estate. I stood aside. Rowan Beckett knelt on the ground. Nora Nash was taken to Mrs. Nash’s cemetery. Mr. Beckett used his cane to strike Rowan Beckett’s back repeatedly. In the past, every time Mr. Beckett hit him, I would step in front of him, feeling heartbroken. Every time, I’d get one or two hits. Now, I stood aside, unmoved. Mr. Beckett saw my resolve not to help Rowan Beckett, knowing I was truly heartbroken. He beat Rowan Beckett half to death, saying in a deep voice: “Tomorrow, you two will get divorced.” Rowan Beckett lay on the ground, a trace of surprise in his eyes. Then, he gritted his teeth, “I don’t agree! Why should she get married when she wants and divorced when she wants!” Mr. Beckett hit him on the back again with the cane. I’m sorry, but it looks like the text you want translated is missing. Could you please provide the text you need translated? “I won’t let you disagree! You’ve utterly shattered Lydia’s heart. Do you really think she’ll come back?!”

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Two months pregnant, my husband chose to divorce me and marry his first love to cure her depression. But on the day of our divorce, he got into a car accident and lost his memory. His memories are stuck three years in the past. Three years ago, when he loved me the most. In the hospital room, Lucas Anderson threw the divorce papers on the floor, his eyes red with anger and disbelief. “Olivia, tell me the truth. You want a divorce because you’ve fallen for someone else, haven’t you?” His voice was low and intense as he stared directly into my eyes. I looked at him and let out a cold laugh. “How could I be the one who wants a divorce? For the past two years, you’ve been the one desperately trying to end our marriage. You’re the one who wants to marry Chloe and give her your name. You’re the one who told me to abort our one-month-old baby!” He sat silently on the hospital bed, as if he’d just heard the most ridiculous joke. “Are you lying to me? How could I ever say such things?” I looked at him, my voice devoid of emotion. “Your signature is on the divorce papers. The ring on your finger has Chloe’s name engraved on it.” Lucas frowned, noticing the unfamiliar ring on his finger. He looked closely and saw Chloe’s name engraved inside. His expression changed dramatically. He yanked out his IV, jumped out of bed, and picked up the divorce papers. Sure enough, there was his signature. “How… how is this possible?” Lucas leaned against the wall, looking lost and helpless. “You were in a car accident and lost your memory temporarily. Your memories are stuck three years ago, right after we got married. You’ve forgotten everything you’ve done in these three years.” My tone was cold and detached. He had forgotten the events of the past three years, but I hadn’t. I couldn’t forget how much I had suffered during that time. Three years ago, we fell in love and got married. Our blissful life lasted only two months before Chloe, his ex-girlfriend, returned from abroad. At first, I thought Chloe was part of his past and wouldn’t affect our marriage. That is, until the day Lucas threw divorce papers in front of me. “Olivia, can’t you be more understanding? How can you be so petty towards someone suffering from severe depression?” My husband of two months was now proposing a temporary divorce. He wanted to give Chloe his name to help cure her depression. Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. My whole body shook with anger. I couldn’t believe these words were coming from the husband who had been so devoted to me. “So, you’re abandoning me for her?” I asked, my face full of hurt. “Don’t say it like that. I don’t love her anymore, honestly.” “She’s suffering from depression now. The doctor says she’s at risk of suicide at any moment. She needs me to be with her, to make her happy and feel some warmth.” “We’re just getting divorced temporarily. I’ll marry her first, and once her depression is cured, I’ll marry you again!” “Chloe’s parents are gone. I’m the only family she has left…” “I just found out that when she left me to go abroad, she was already suffering from severe depression. She left without telling me because she didn’t want to be a burden.” “She’s had a terrible time abroad these past three years. She couldn’t afford proper food or housing. Now she weighs less than 100 pounds.” “She’s suffered so much for me. How can you expect me to abandon her? She really can’t take any more hurt.” My heart tightened. So Chloe had left Lucas years ago because of her depression. That’s why Lucas was so concerned about her now, even willing to divorce me for her sake. “So you’re willing to hurt me to protect her feelings?” Tears streamed down my face. What had I done wrong in all of this? “Don’t be unreasonable, okay? I promise, as soon as she gets better, I’ll marry you right away. You’re the one I truly love, no one else.” I looked at his exasperated face, my heart breaking. “If you truly love me, why are you choosing to hurt me?” I sobbed. Perhaps my tears softened his heart. He sighed, and the first attempt at divorce was called off. Two years ago, I finally met Chloe, the woman tormented by depression. She came to our home with a key Lucas had given her. Although Lucas hadn’t married her yet, he was already treating her like the lady of the house. Her eyes were lifeless, her appearance haggard. She walked and talked as if she had no energy left. “I’m sorry… Olivia.” “I’m sick. My life has no meaning. I want to die all the time. I’m in so much pain. I take medication every day.” She showed me the pills in her hand. “I constantly want to stab myself. Living is the most painful thing for me.” “But Lucas is a ray of light in my life. Only when I’m with him do I not feel so terrible. Only then do I feel a tiny bit of motivation to keep living.” “I promise you, after Lucas marries me, as soon as my depression improves, I’ll give him back to you.” “So please… considering how miserable I am… let Lucas be with me for a while.” Tears streamed down Chloe’s face. She knelt on the ground, holding my hands. Her arms were covered in scars, remnants of her past self-harm attempts. It was a shocking sight. But why should her misery be my responsibility to compensate for? What did any of this have to do with me? “Chloe, if you’re sick, you need to see a doctor. A man can’t cure your illness. Only a doctor can treat your condition.” “I am Lucas’s wife. What right do you have to enter my home with a key?” “I won’t give my husband to you. Get that idea out of your head.” I was shaking with anger, disgusted by her act of kneeling and playing the victim. I pushed her away forcefully. She fell to the ground, light as a feather. The colorful pills in her hand scattered across the floor. This scene was witnessed by Lucas, who had just returned from work. “Olivia, have you no humanity? Chloe is already in such a state, and you still bully her? Are you even human?” Lucas ran over and shoved me aside with tremendous force, like being hit by a truck. My leg slammed into the corner of the coffee table, causing me to break out in a cold sweat from the pain. “Chloe, are you okay? Are you alright?” Lucas ignored my disheveled state and bent down to comfort Chloe, then started picking up the scattered pills from the floor. Chloe sobbed pitifully, looking utterly helpless. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m the one causing trouble. Maybe I should just die. I’m already in so much pain, why am I torturing you and Olivia? You two are married, I’m just the third wheel.” Chloe’s tears flowed like a river, seemingly endless. Then, while Lucas wasn’t paying attention, she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, starting to cut her wrist. Bright red blood gushed out. “Chloe!” Lucas ran over, dodged the knife, and restrained her. “You’re not a burden. You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s others who are wrong. I promise I’ll cure your depression!” Lucas held Chloe tightly and rushed her to the hospital. As he walked out the door, Lucas shot me a look of hatred and said, “Olivia, I never thought you could be such a person! The divorce papers are under the coffee table. I’ve already signed them! And get rid of the baby, having a child now would upset Chloe.” After they left, the place was a mess. At that time, I was already one month pregnant. I sat on the floor, the pain in my leg making me break out in a cold sweat. Back then, I had defied my parents’ objections and even cut ties with them to marry Lucas and move to Chicago. I never imagined this would be the outcome. I laughed bitterly at myself. No matter how hard I tried, it seemed I could never compare to his first love. Tears fell uncontrollably down my face. I walked to the coffee table, saw the divorce papers, and signed them. Little did I know that on the very afternoon I signed those papers, Lucas would get into a car accident, end up in the hospital, and lose his memory in a twist of fate.

Now, in the hospital room, Lucas stared at the divorce papers, his face contorted with pain. “How could this happen? How is this possible? I love you so much, how could I ever divorce you?” Chloe had been by his bedside the whole time, attentively caring for him. Her dedication made even me, his current wife, feel inadequate. “Lucas, you promised to marry me, to help me through this…” Chloe’s voice was soft and pitiful. “Chloe, I’ve always seen you as a good friend. The person I love is my wife, Olivia.” Lucas cut her off before she could finish. Chloe’s eyes welled up with tears. She tried to hold his hand, but he forcefully pushed her away. He frowned and said coldly, “Don’t touch me!” Of course, his memories were stuck three years ago, when he still loved me. How ironic. I stood far from his hospital bed, my face expressionless. “You’ve always been the one asking for a divorce. I’m not lying. After you’re discharged, contact me and we’ll go finalize the paperwork.” He looked up at me, his gaze fixed. He seemed hurt by my cold attitude, his expression revealing rare confusion and bewilderment, with a hint of incomprehension and pleading. In the past, I hated seeing such an expression on my man’s face, but now my heart was as cold as stone. Despite his heartfelt words to me— “Olivia, you promised you’d always be by my side.” “I love you.” “There’s nothing between Chloe and me. There must be some misunderstanding.” “Please don’t divorce me, okay?” I shook my head and quickly walked out of the room, leaving the hospital. The pain was unbearable. Perhaps three years ago, his dream really was to marry me. And I had wholeheartedly wanted to grow old with him. But less than six months after I graduated college and married him, all he could think about was how to divorce me and give Chloe his name. I had long known that Chloe was his girlfriend of eight years. Her sudden departure years ago had left him heartbroken, which led him to fall in love with me. Now that Chloe was back, and in such a sickly state, of course he wanted to give her his name. Unfortunately, he had forgotten all this. But I hadn’t! How could I forget how many times I had cried over these three years? How many times I had called him, begging him to come home, only to be met with a casual “Chloe’s not feeling well, I need to stay with her.”

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On my wedding day, I suddenly discovered I could hear my husband Lucas’s inner thoughts. He put on a poker face and sternly warned me, “Now that you’re marrying into my family, you need to behave yourself, understand?” I stared at him, but heard another voice from deep inside him: ‘Honey, be good, don’t go picking wild flowers!’ 0 On my wedding day, I suddenly discovered I could hear my husband Lucas’s inner thoughts. He put on a poker face and sternly warned me, “Now that you’re marrying into my family, you need to behave yourself, understand?” I stared at him, but heard another voice from deep inside him: ‘Honey, be good, don’t go picking wild flowers!’ I thought I had misheard, so I glanced at Lucas, but his mouth was tightly shut. I asked, “What did you just say? Say it again.” “I never repeat myself!” Lucas’s lips were pressed into a thin line, but I clearly heard another voice: ‘Oh no, I must have said something too harsh and upset my wife. I’m such an idiot!’ I finally confirmed that what I heard was indeed Lucas’s inner thoughts. This discovery shocked me so much that I couldn’t process it even until the end of the wedding. Lucas and I had been engaged since childhood. But twenty years had passed, and now he was the sole heir to the Zhou Corporation, while I was just a B-list actress in the entertainment industry. I had assumed this childhood engagement was long invalidated. However, not long ago, the old Chairman Zhou, Lucas’s grandfather, suddenly fell seriously ill. To bring him good fortune, the Zhou family found me and held today’s wedding. I thought this was just a fake marriage to appease Old Mr. Zhou. I never expected there would be such an unexpected gain! In the evening, after all the guests had left, only Lucas and I remained in the new room. “Since you agreed to this marriage, you should know the price of marrying into the Zhou family. I won’t touch you, but you’re also not allowed to fool around outside.” Lucas’s face was cold, as if even the temperature around him had dropped a few degrees. At the same time, a shadow rose from his body. It was a miniature version of Lucas, pulling his hair with a frustrated look: ‘What nonsense am I saying?! Honey, please pretend you didn’t hear that. Let me say it again. I want to touch you, I really do!’ Wow! So his inner thoughts had materialized? I was a bit surprised and tentatively said, “I didn’t hear what you just said. Can you say it again?” “I said, I never repeat myself!” Lucas slammed the door and angrily left. Little Lucas covered his face, and his sobbing voice came back intermittently: ‘I’m such a useless person. I can’t say anything embarrassing, wah wah wah…’ The room fell silent. I sighed. Men, even when given a chance, you’re still useless! That night, I slept alone in the luxurious bedroom of the 5000-square-foot villa, very sweetly. Early the next morning, I got up early, preparing to visit Old Mr. Zhou with Lucas. As soon as I came downstairs, I saw Lucas sitting alone at the dining table, looking gloomy. Even Little Lucas beside him was lying dejectedly on the table, looking like he hadn’t slept well. “Morning.” I greeted cheerfully. The dejected Little Lucas immediately stood up, took small steps to me, clasped his hands, and greeted me shyly: ‘Morning, honey. I made breakfast for you. Come see if you like it.’ He hadn’t rested well because he was making breakfast for me? I was stunned for a moment, feeling a warm current in my heart. My parents passed away early, and I had lived alone for many years. No one had cared about me for a long time, let alone willingly prepare breakfast for me unconditionally. I quickly walked to the table and sat down, picking up a steamed bun and putting it in my mouth. The juice was deliciously fragrant. “Delicious!” I spoke affirmatively. Lucas’s face remained cold without response, while Little Lucas circling around him spun happily. 0

After breakfast, I went with Lucas to the Zhou family’s old house. Old Chairman Zhou was seriously ill but didn’t like the atmosphere of hospitals, so he had always been recuperating at home. When we arrived, besides the family doctor, there was also a girl. She had appeared at the wedding yesterday. If I remember correctly, she was introduced to me as Chloe, Lucas’s cousin. Seeing Lucas, Chloe immediately stood up and came over: “Cousin Lucas, you’re here!” She was visibly excited, pulling Lucas into the room as if she hadn’t seen me standing beside him. Lucas moved unhurriedly, ignoring Chloe, and instead walked into the room slowly with me. Pulling me to the bedside, Lucas spoke to Old Mr. Zhou on the bed, “Grandpa, we’ve come to see you.” I also greeted him, “Grandpa, are you feeling better?” Old Mr. Zhou seemed to be in good spirits, nodding continuously at me and Lucas, his eyes even becoming moist. “Good, seeing you two married makes me feel better! All my illnesses are gone.” “Lucas, Olivia lost her parents early. You must never bully her, understand!” Lucas nodded without hesitation. Chloe, who hadn’t had a chance to speak, finally found an opportunity to interject: “Grandpa, don’t worry. No one can bully Olivia. She has someone backing her up.” As soon as she spoke, she successfully attracted the attention of everyone in the room. Old Mr. Zhou asked puzzledly, “Chloe, what do you mean?” Chloe rolled her eyes, her mouth pouting high: “Grandpa, you don’t follow the entertainment industry, so you don’t know. Olivia is Director Johnson’s favorite. As long as it’s Director Johnson’s drama, she’s sure to play the second female lead. Everyone says, lead actresses come and go, but Olivia is always there!” “With Director Johnson around, no one dares to bully her.” Chloe’s words were too strong; even with my years of rhinitis, I could smell the strong sourness. Lucas and Old Mr. Zhou both fell silent. After a while, Old Mr. Zhou lifted his eyelids and slowly said, “Chloe, you’ve been busy here all morning too. Go home now.” “Alright.” Chloe nodded happily and excitedly left the room. As she was leaving, her inner voice reached my ears: ‘You little bitch, just wait. How dare you think you’re worthy of marrying my Lucas! Only I am worthy of Lucas.’ … I was no longer surprised at being able to hear others’ inner thoughts, but I couldn’t help glancing at Lucas. Hmm… I wonder if Lucas knows about his cousin’s thoughts? As soon as Chloe left, Old Mr. Zhou spoke to me: “Olivia, is what Chloe just said true?” Faced with Old Mr. Zhou’s concerned face, I didn’t hide anything and nodded directly. I thought he would despise me, but unexpectedly, Old Mr. Zhou’s face was moved: “You’ve suffered so much, only being able to play second female leads all these years. Don’t worry, I’ll tell Lucas to open a media company right away, guaranteeing you’ll be the lead actress!” “???” Ah, this… No! How come Old Mr. Zhou’s focus seems a bit different? Aren’t wealthy families supposed to be most wary of actresses like me who are involved in scandals? I fell silent, not knowing how to respond for a moment. It was Lucas who spoke up, resolving the awkward situation for me: “Grandpa, the Zhou family can afford to support a woman. She doesn’t need to go out and make a spectacle of herself.” “That’s right, that’s right. This old man is confused. Olivia, don’t take what I said seriously. You just need to marry into the family and enjoy life, you don’t need to do anything!” 0

As we left the Zhou family’s old house, I immediately saw Chloe standing by the roadside. Seeing Lucas’s car come out, she quickly walked over, leaned on the car window and said: “Cousin Lucas, can you come with me for a moment? I have something I want to tell you.” “No.” Without any hesitation, Lucas directly refused. The engine roared under his foot, and he left without any delay. Little Lucas clenched his fists, his face angry: ‘Chloe is still too idle. She had to jump out and upset my wife on a good day of visiting. It seems I need to find something for the Lin family to do!’ The little shadow was full of anger, its aura soaring. I was stunned again. I had guessed that Lucas would be angry, but I didn’t expect it would be because of this. I originally wanted to explain about Director Johnson, but Lucas not only didn’t ask, he didn’t even doubt it in his heart. Does he trust me that much? Or does he simply not care? Before I could figure it out, we had already returned to the Zhou house. Lucas dropped me off, said he was going to the company, and drove away directly. I thought for a moment and called Director Johnson directly, asking to meet him sometime. When it was about time, I left the Zhou house. I arrived earlier than the appointed time and was about to order something while waiting for Director Johnson when I suddenly sensed an uncomfortable gaze. At the same time, a familiar shadow popped out from somewhere, circling around me. It was Little Lucas. ‘Honey, please don’t meet with other men. I’m begging you, please leave.’ I looked at Little Lucas spinning like a top, confused. How did Lucas know I was here? Did someone follow me? And report to him? Most likely it was Chloe, wanting to ‘catch me in the act’, so she brought Lucas here. Suddenly, my vision darkened as someone sat down, interrupting my thoughts. “Olivia, why did you suddenly ask to meet? You know I can’t leave the set…” It was Director Johnson who had arrived. Although he complained, his face was all smiles. If you looked closely, you could even see a hint of caution and fawning. I sighed, looking at the angry little version of Lucas beside me. This is bad! In this situation, it’s hard not to misunderstand. Sure enough, the next second Chloe jumped out from the seat behind me. She pulled Lucas, her face showing the joy of successfully catching someone in the act, and pointed at me while shouting: “Olivia, you shameless woman! You just married my cousin and now you’re meeting other men!” I was speechless and rolled my eyes. Director Johnson was startled at first but quickly calmed down. Being in the entertainment industry, he had seen such scenes countless times. He glanced at me, then loudly retorted to Chloe: “Miss, what nonsense are you talking about? Olivia and I have a working relationship. Besides, this isn’t the feudal era. Can’t normal men and women even meet?” “Working relationship? Pah! I think it’s a bedroom relationship!” Chloe sneered, her nose in the air: “Your affair is well-known in the industry. Do you think everyone else is stupid! If there’s nothing between you two, why would you always cast Olivia? She’s the second female lead in all your dramas. Now you’re secretly meeting for tea, if we hadn’t caught you, the next step would be going to a hotel!” Once Chloe started talking, she went on and on without giving others a chance to interject. After finishing in one breath, Chloe stood with her hands on her hips, her face proud and smug. And her inner voice transmitted directly into my ears without any filter: ‘I’ve always said that only I can be with Cousin Lucas. Olivia, you shameless woman, you’re not even worthy of polishing my shoes!’ Chloe turned her head to look at Lucas, waiting gleefully for disgust towards me to appear on his face. But unfortunately, she was going to be disappointed. 0

Lucas’s face was expressionless, as if he hadn’t heard Chloe’s words. His eyes were fixed straight on me, and only on me. He didn’t say a word. Little Lucas, however, was circling around me, pleading pitifully: ‘Honey, say something, make up any excuse, so I can drive Chloe away. She’s so annoying!’ I could barely hold back my laughter, almost bursting out. Holding back my smile, I looked at Lucas, never imagining that the cold and serious-looking man would have such cute thoughts. Our eyes met, and Lucas’s originally burning gaze suddenly shifted, as if he had actively moved away. He turned his head, looking at Chloe with a hint of anger: “Is this the important matter you mentioned?” “Cousin Lucas, she’s fooling around with other men behind your back. Isn’t this…” “Enough!” “I…” Chloe’s face was full of dissatisfaction, still wanting to argue. Lucas shouted: “It’s not your place to meddle in my family affairs. Get lost right now, or don’t blame me for being impolite!” Chloe shrank her neck, not daring to continue arguing after all. But she still glared at me resentfully, her gaze venomous, constantly cursing in her heart: ‘Bitch! Making Cousin Lucas scold me, I won’t let you off easily! Let’s see how you handle this today!’ The atmosphere was tense. Director Johnson looked at me helplessly, and took the initiative to speak to Lucas: “Mr. Zhou, hello. My name is Johnson. Please, have a seat and let’s talk.” Lucas glanced at him and didn’t move. Little Lucas clenched his fists, alternately hammering heavily on Director Johnson’s head, indignantly saying: ‘I won’t sit down. How dare you date my wife? I’ll beat you up!’ ‘No, why shouldn’t I sit? This is my wife. I should not only sit but also hug her while sitting!’ There was a thud beside me as Lucas’s long arm swept out, pulling me entirely into his embrace. A clean, crisp scent enveloped me, and inexplicably, I felt my heart rate accelerate. It was ‘thump, thump’ like a startled deer bouncing around everywhere. “Mr. Zhou, I assure you that Olivia and I have absolutely no relationship other than our work in drama; all my scripts are provided by Olivia. Because Olivia needs to be on set to give instructions at any time, she occasionally guest stars in supporting roles during her free time.” Director Johnson explained. But as soon as he finished speaking, before Lucas could respond, Chloe jumped in: “Stop lying! Don’t think I don’t know, your scripts are all works by the famous screenwriter Arrow Heart, not by Olivia at all. This excuse won’t fool anyone!” Director Johnson was a bit impatient, his voice tinged with anger as he said to Chloe: “Arrow Heart is Olivia’s pen name.” Director Johnson then pulled up his email page and handed his phone to Lucas: “Mr. Zhou, these are the emails between Olivia and me. You can take a look. The attachments are script content, and the text is discussions about the script content.” The emails were one after another, at least a dozen pages. Randomly opening one, it was full of large sections of script content. Lucas flipped through them expressionlessly, but Little Lucas was already overjoyed. ‘I knew it, my wife isn’t what they say at all. My wife is a great screenwriter, so amazing!’ Little Lucas danced and waved his arms, as if he wanted to do a ballet spin and somersault right there. On the other side, Chloe’s face had turned ashen. She refused to believe it, waving her hand to knock the phone out of Lucas’s hand. “This is all fake! Cousin Lucas, don’t be fooled by these two. Anyone can send this kind of email. It doesn’t prove anything. Olivia is just a slut, she doesn’t deserve…” Slap! A clear slap interrupted Chloe’s words. She held her face, looking at me in shock, full of disbelief. “Olivia, how dare you hit me? What right do you have to hit me?”

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I gave birth on the same day as my best friend. She delivered a healthy, chubby baby boy weighing 8 pounds 6 ounces. The Evans Group lavished her with endless wealth and glory as a reward. I, on the other hand, gave birth to a stillborn baby with deformities, causing my husband Lucas, the heir to the Evans Group, to lose his position. On the day of the baby shower, Mia cradled her chubby baby boy in front of me, mocking and cursing me. She called me a barren hen, saying I was born to bring bad luck. I couldn’t stand it and argued with her, but she pushed me onto a fruit knife, causing me to bleed to death. It wasn’t until after my death that I learned the truth – she had switched our babies. Her goal was for her husband to replace us and become the CEO of Evans Group. When I opened my eyes again, I was back before my due date. “Hazel, look, my baby is kicking!” “It must be an active child in the future.” When I opened my eyes, I saw my best friend Mia’s face. She was stroking her belly, looking very happy. I knew I had been reborn. An active stillborn? That’s just self-deception. I didn’t expose her, I just went along with it. “Your child will definitely be healthy, lively and cute like you in the future.” Mia was so flattered that she couldn’t stop smiling, lowering her head to stroke her belly. I took out my phone and took a selfie of us to post on social media. “My best friend and I are about to give birth, wishing us luck~” In my previous life, I had a low-key pregnancy, which gave Mia the opportunity to act. Mia tried to grab my phone to delete it, but I stopped her. “What’s wrong, Mia? I want everyone to witness the most important moment of my life.” I asked her. Mia looked at me nervously, but there was some malice in her eyes. Her expression was so obvious, it was almost written on her face, yet in my previous life I hadn’t noticed at all. Mia and I had been good friends since high school. We even went to the same university and remained inseparable best friends. I met my current husband Lucas and fell in love with him. Mia then pestered me to introduce her to someone from the Evans family, and it just so happened that Lucas had a brother five years younger than him. We got married into the Evans family on the same day, and everyone said it was double happiness. I even thought that Mia and I were sisters as close as blood. We even had the same due date. The thoughtful Mia had already arranged the delivery room, just waiting for the day of delivery. Who would have thought that this was the beginning of my descent into the abyss. After I bled to death, my soul lingered around my biological child, unable to leave. It wasn’t until I heard Mia and her husband’s plot that I understood the truth of the matter. Mia had already found out that her fetus was stillborn during pregnancy, and the doctor had suggested that she terminate the pregnancy. Although her doctor had repeatedly advised her to terminate the pregnancy, she still stubbornly dragged it out for two months. The purpose was to completely switch our children on the day of delivery. The Evans Group had two sons, one was Lucas and the other was Dylan. Lucas had been well-educated since childhood and was particularly adept at finance. Dylan, on the other hand, was an uneducated playboy. Anyone with eyes could see who was smarter, so they had been grooming Lucas as the successor since childhood. Dylan originally understood these arrangements and was aware of his own shortcomings. But Mia had been constantly brainwashing him, causing Dylan to be very dissatisfied and jealous of Lucas. So, she extended her poisonous hand to the children. She knew that old Mr. Evans valued the continuation of the family line the most. Because the hospital and delivery room were all arranged by her, she had arranged her own people around me. It was all for the plan to go smoothly. After the anesthesia took effect on me, she sent someone to take my child away and put her stillborn baby on my bed. If I hadn’t heard it with my own ears, I wouldn’t have believed that Mia, who was like a sister to me, would do such a vicious thing to me! After the confinement period, she even came to show off in front of me with the baby, looking very smug. Finally, when I was arguing with her, she pushed me onto a fruit knife, causing me to bleed to death. The death of the child and wife caused Lucas to be forced to step down, and he eventually died of depression. The life that should have belonged to us was stolen by Mia and Dylan. Thinking of this, I was furious. This pair of shameless dogs! In this life, I not only want them to pay blood for blood, but I also want them to pay back double! Calculating the time, I would probably give birth in about a week. I quickly sent a message to Lucas, urging him to come home early tonight. It was the same in my previous life, Mia stopped me. She said: “The heir is so busy, let me, your best friend, arrange it for you.” “Men are not as close as best friends.” At that time, I believed her nonsense, so I ended up with a broken family. Now, Mia wanted to grab my phone again. “The heir is so busy…” I made a stop gesture to stop her. “You shouldn’t have such a strong possessiveness over someone else’s husband.” “After all, I’m carrying his child.” These two light sentences choked her red-faced. “Hazel, how can you think of me like this!” She was powerless to argue. I turned and left directly.

After Lucas came home, I told him about the experiences of these two lives. I originally thought he would question me, but he directly hugged me. “You finally came back to me.” After a conversation, I found out that Lucas had also been reborn. Heaven has eyes, giving us a chance to start over. But we knew that we could only outsmart them, not confront them directly. Dylan was born to Lucas’s stepmother, who is now Mrs. Evans. She holds the vast majority of the shares and is the largest shareholder. So we two need to be more cautious in our actions. The next day, I made an appointment with Mia to go for a prenatal check-up together. As soon as I saw her, I affectionately linked arms with her. “Mia, I’m sorry, I was too harsh last time.” She looked surprised on the surface, but revealed pride and disdain. “It’s okay, we’re family, I don’t mind.” Hearing these words, I almost vomited. “Let’s go.” I walked arm in arm with her in one direction. “Where are we going? Aren’t we going for a prenatal check-up? The hospital is that way.” Mia was confused, pointing to the other side. That was her private hospital, where everyone inside and out was her people. I smiled and dispelled her doubts. “We’re going to another one, it’s run by a friend of mine from when I studied abroad.” Mia’s face turned pale, and she stood still. “Let’s go to the original one, I’m not used to new doctors giving me check-ups.” She clung to my arm, begging. I patted her shoulder earnestly and persuaded her kindly: “Mia, I’m doing this for your own good.” Seeing that I had said this much, it would be particularly strange if she kept refusing. She had no choice but to get in the car with me. Her face was getting paler, and even her hands were shaking uncontrollably. So she’s also afraid of being exposed. “Mia, what’s wrong?” I asked her concernedly. “I feel a bit dizzy and nauseous.” After saying this, she actually fainted directly. So I hurriedly sent Mia to the hospital. Half an hour later, all the Evans family members came. It seems that the Evans family still cherishes this daughter-in-law quite a bit. I asked the doctor to conceal the news of the stillbirth and only say that the fetal heartbeat was weak. After all, in this life, I want her to fall the hardest when she’s at her most. After Mia woke up and heard this news, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. Only the look in her eyes towards me had a hint of inquiry. I sat at Mia’s bedside, crying and saying: “Mia, I’ve always told you not to work so hard.” “Look at you, what if I wasn’t here today, what would have happened!” Crying and speaking, as if I was really worried about her. Hearing me say this, Mrs. Evans couldn’t help but scold: “Hazel is right, since you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t worry too much, some things should be left to the servants to do.” “Not only will it tire you out, but it will also hurt my little grandson.” The last sentence was inevitably emphasized. Mia’s face didn’t look good, but she could only agree. Great, this way no one can interfere with me. Mia lowered her eyes, but she still secretly glared at me. “Mia, don’t worry, you’re my best sister, I’ll help if I can.” “Just don’t tire yourself out again, I’m afraid next time it won’t be just a weak fetal heartbeat.” I grabbed Mia’s hand and patiently persuaded her. “Weak fetal heartbeat!” Mrs. Evans questioned loudly, then said through gritted teeth: “From now on, you’ll stay at home to nurse your pregnancy, don’t go anywhere!” It was clear that she also cherished this unborn child very much. Then, to maintain the dignity of Mrs. Evans. “Hazel, you shouldn’t tire yourself out either.” “Thank you, Mom, I’ll be careful.” Mia still lowered her head, not daring to speak. When they all dispersed, Mia called out to me. “You deliberately embarrassed me, didn’t you!” She glared at me with a black face and questioned harshly. I quickly put on a concerned face and apologized: “Mia, I’m doing this all for your own good…” Mia spoke in a sharp tone, excitedly: “I’ve been confined, are you satisfied now!” Of course I’m satisfied.

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At Gabriel’s bachelor party, his childhood friend Rose approached him for a kiss. “Gabe, you’re not engaged until tomorrow. Since you’re still single tonight, can I have a little kiss?” He hesitated for a moment, then leaned in and kissed her without hesitation. Their friends froze, all eyes turning to me – his fiancée. Everyone expected me to cause a scene and call off the engagement right then and there. Instead, I walked up to them and cheered them on. “Bravo! I love it! Why stop at a peck? Use some tongue, why don’t you?” 0 Gabriel stiffened when he heard my words and turned to look at me. Rose was still in his arms, breathless. When she saw me, her eyes held a challenging glint. “Oh, Lily! I didn’t see you there. Gabe, I’m so embarrassed!” Gabriel looked confused for a moment when he heard Rose, but quickly regained his composure. He tried to explain, “Lily, it’s not what it looks like. Rose is just like a sister to me…” Everyone here was Gabriel’s friend and supporter. No one dared say a word against him. Someone even tried to cover for him: “Yeah, Lily. Gabe’s just had too much to drink tonight.” I looked at Rose, who was impeccably dressed. Her carefully applied red lipstick was now smudged from the kiss, giving her an even more alluring appearance. Noticing my gaze, she stared right back at me defiantly, as if to say, “No matter how long you look, this man will drop you for me with just a crook of my finger.” “Hah.” Her arrogance made me laugh bitterly. “Oh really? Just like a sister? Well, you’re not actually related, so why don’t you just marry her instead?” Gabriel’s expression darkened at my words. “Lily, I suggest you watch your jokes! I’ve already explained, what more do you want from me? Do you really need to keep harping on this and insulting Rose? Where are your manners? Rose just got back from abroad, I’m just looking out for her a bit more. What’s wrong with that?” His words made everyone’s expressions turn awkward. Just looking out for her a bit more? We’re all adults here. Since when did “looking out” for someone mean practically taking them to bed? Rose smiled sweetly and said in a considerate tone, “Gabe, don’t say that about Lily. She’s always been so kind and understanding. She’ll understand us, right Lily?” But I didn’t react the way they expected. I didn’t even acknowledge Rose. This made everyone watch me with eager anticipation, wondering how I would handle Rose. Anyone could see Gabriel’s clear favoritism towards Rose. They were curious why Gabriel seemed the angriest, even though he was the one who had done wrong. Where did he get the nerve? In Gabriel’s eyes, I saw impatience and a “here we go again” look. As if I was some kind of monster who would fly off the handle at any moment. I suppose that makes sense. In the past, when faced with someone like Rose, I would have been a firecracker ready to explode at the slightest spark. And he would be the silent observer, watching me detonate after he lit the fuse. Until I was hysterical and completely spent. Then he would pick up the pieces, acting as if nothing had happened. He’d offer some empty words or a gift, and I would pathetically make excuses and forget everything. I’ve lost count of how many times this cycle has repeated. The worst time, I steeled my resolve to leave. But just as I was walking out the door, he called. “Lily, I really can’t live without you.” Just like that, with one flimsy sentence, I turned right back around. Every single time, it was the same. Countless nights I broke down, then licked my wounds alone. Then we’d act like nothing happened and get back together. By now, I’m utterly exhausted from this relationship. 0

Someone nudged me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I’m not sure how long I had been standing there lost in thought, but the atmosphere had grown tense. All eyes were on me. “Lily, if you’re going to make a scene, go home. Don’t embarrass me here!” Hearing his harsh rebuke, I suddenly felt it all pointless. I grabbed my purse from the booth and headed for the exit. “I’ll be going then. Have fun, everyone.” I waved behind me as I walked away without looking back. As I was leaving, I heard Rose say to Gabriel in her sickeningly sweet voice: “Gabe, you don’t think Lily’s mad at me again, do you? I really didn’t mean any harm!” Gabriel gently reassured her: “It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.” Whatever was happening in that room no longer concerned me. Even if they were rolling around in bed right now, it wouldn’t faze me one bit. After all, to outsiders, they looked more like the intimate couple. I was the one intruding between them. They shamelessly acted intimate under the guise of being “siblings” time and time again, right in front of others. Those suggestive words, those repeated boundary-pushing tests. They played me perfectly, accusing me of being petty the moment I got upset. This time was no different – the same old story, the same accusations. Gabriel took advantage of my feelings for him, acting without a care. I had just gotten in the car when I received a video message from a friend. The video showed Gabriel and Rose dancing closely, then passionately kissing. I couldn’t even finish watching before feeling nauseous, like I had just kissed a toilet seat. My friend also sent a message asking: “Are you really not going to do anything about this?” After the wave of nausea passed, I sat back in my seat, staring blankly at the message. Was there even any point anymore? I couldn’t figure it out after thinking for a while. Annoyed, I turned off my phone screen. With a roar of the engine, I drove out of the parking garage. I rolled down the window, letting the chilly night air clear my muddled mind. Suddenly, I realized – maybe I could stop loving Gabriel. I returned to the home Gabriel and I shared. Everything in this place was decorated to his taste. From the overall style down to each little ornament. Everything except me. After three years of living here with him, I had grown accustomed to it all. I loved everything here as much as I loved Gabriel. But now, it all seemed laughable. I went upstairs to get ready for bed, then fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Around 4 or 5 in the morning, I heard the front door open downstairs. Gabriel was back. I had thought he wouldn’t come home tonight. I didn’t get up to greet him, just rolled over and went back to sleep. Before I could drift off, I heard something shatter downstairs. He probably bumped into something in the dark, not used to the lights being off. In the past, I always left the lights on waiting for him, even if he didn’t come home until morning. This was the first time I hadn’t waited up with the lights on. He pushed open the bedroom door, light from the hallway falling across me. There was no arguing like he expected. 0

It was as if nothing had happened at the party. I wasn’t hysterical, nor did I show any concern. I just lay there, as still as a corpse. He stood silently by the bed for a long time. Seeing I still didn’t react, he eventually stormed out, slamming the door behind him. I knew he was trying to get my attention. He needed me to comfort him, to let him vent his frustrations. But I was tired of it all. I slept soundly that night and woke up in a good mood to make myself breakfast. As I finished cooking, Gabriel emerged from his study, rubbing his temples. A symptom of his hangover. Seeing his familiar figure, I couldn’t help but think of last night. When I returned to the apartment last night, he wasn’t there. But I felt no worry at all. I just went through my usual bedtime routine. The bed felt so much more spacious without him in it. Gabriel hadn’t even sent me a single message after last night, and I felt nothing about it. In the past, I would have been beside myself with worry, ready to mobilize my entire network to find him. Did I still want to marry him? As I pondered this, my phone buzzed with a new picture message. It was a photo of Rose and Gabriel in bed together. Along with an ultrasound report showing 16 weeks pregnant. Oh, so that’s why he didn’t have time to message – he was too busy in bed with his “sister.” Though shocked, I forced myself to accept the reality. There had been signs between them for a long time. I should have seen this coming. After all that flirting under the guise of being “siblings,” it would have been stranger if they hadn’t gone all the way. I texted Rose back: “Congrats! From rolling in the sheets last night to 16 weeks along already? Your kid must be some kind of superhero.” Rose replied quickly: “Lily, what are you talking about? Did you even look at the report date?” “Let me remind you – this was from 5 months ago, the day of your engagement.” I froze in place, Gabriel’s voice cutting through my thoughts. “Lily, don’t make the soup too thick. I don’t like it that way.” “I want some Shanghai-style noodle soup. I don’t have much appetite, something warm would be nice.” I heard him say this as I bustled around the kitchen. How laughable. Did he think I was his maid now? Even maids get days off and a salary. I had nothing. He couldn’t even keep it in his pants outside, let alone provide any emotional value, yet he expected me to do what exactly? I ignored him, tossed my phone aside, and sat down to eat my own breakfast. Gabriel, who had been waiting a while, surprisingly didn’t get angry when he saw I hadn’t made anything for him. Instead, he said: “I drank too much yesterday and got carried away. It was my last night as a bachelor, don’t be mad.” I had just finished eating and was loading the dishes into the dishwasher, not really listening to what he was saying. Seeing I didn’t respond, he repeated himself. I finally looked up at him. “Oh, why would I be mad? Didn’t you say she’s just like a sister to you?” He hadn’t expected me to be so nonchalant. Trying to sound casual, he said: “Right, so don’t overthink it. We’re getting married soon, I promise it won’t happen again.” “Mhm.” I finished tidying up and grabbed my bag, ready to head to my studio. “Lily!” Gabriel called out just as I was about to leave. “Yes?” I turned back, puzzled. He looked at me in disbelief: “You’re just… forgiving me like that?” “What should I do instead?” “Anyway, I’ve got to go or I’ll be late.” Men are such strange creatures. He used to get mad when I adamantly refused to let him interact with other women. Now that I’ve given him the freedom he wanted, he seems upset too. I really don’t understand. When I arrived at the studio, everyone was huddled together whispering instead of working as usual. This unusual behavior piqued my curiosity. As I approached, I caught snippets of their conversation: “Do you think Lily knows about this?” “I bet it was on purpose, to make Lily back down.” … I was about to ask what was going on when I heard crying from outside. I turned to see Gabriel dragging Rose towards me. Their intimate body language drew stares from my coworkers. Before I could say anything, Gabriel glared at me furiously. “Lily, did you do this?!”

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My best friend and I planned a trip together. During the journey, I successfully snagged a handsome boyfriend, which drove her insane with jealousy. She angrily demanded to know: “Didn’t we agree to stay single together? Why did you betray me?!” As soon as we got home, she started spreading vicious rumors about me, saying I was a “budget traveler” who sold myself to fund the trip. She even photoshopped my pictures and posted secretly taken intimate photos of me all over the internet, eventually driving me to depression and death. When I woke up again, I had been reborn. 0 “Mia, let’s go to this event together!” Seeing the smiling, slightly chubby girl in front of me, I realized I had been reborn. Olivia was my best friend. We grew up in the same orphanage. Later, we were adopted by different families, but reunited again in college. She had an ordinary appearance and was a bit chubby, but she had always been outgoing and sunny since childhood. I was the opposite – delicate and pretty, tall and slender, but always quiet and reserved. We were adopted on the same day. Olivia, with her outgoing personality and sweet talk, was taken by a wealthy merchant couple. I was adopted by a professor couple. When we reunited in college, Olivia learned that my adoptive parents never had children of their own. A flash of jealousy crossed her face. Her adoptive parents had a son seven years younger than her after adopting her, but according to her, she was still the favorite at home. I was shy and slow to warm up to people, not good at interacting with strangers. By the end of the first semester of freshman year, I hadn’t made a single friend. The only person I could talk to was still just Olivia. But later, towards the end of the second semester, my reputation started getting worse and worse. Rumors started spreading around campus about me. They said I was always getting into luxury cars off campus, going to certain places with different men. That I bullied classmates behind their backs, insulted teachers, and was close with delinquents off campus. I tried hard to refute the rumors, but to little effect. Later, my private photos – changing in the locker room, using the bathroom, showering in the public bathroom… All those photos were posted online. Nosy netizens dug up my personal information, and even my adoptive parents were affected at the university. It was all Olivia’s doing. She wanted to completely ruin me. Because of this, I developed severe depression. I was afraid to go out, afraid to go online, afraid to see people… But my adoptive parents always believed in me. They reported it to the police, hoping to find the source of the rumors and clear my name. When I got sick and couldn’t attend classes, they put aside their work to accompany me and take care of me until my condition improved. But unexpectedly, when Olivia came to visit me at home and saw how much my adoptive parents cared for me, she was enraged again. She paid some thugs to kidnap me when I went for a follow-up at the hospital. In the struggle and shouting, I was accidentally hit on the head by one of the thugs. Panicking, the two thought I had died on the spot and dumped my body in the river. Before I completely died, I vaguely heard Olivia muttering to herself: “We’re both orphans, why do you get to live such a happy life?” “I have a good personality and many talents, why wasn’t I the one they took back then?” “Why did he choose you, a gloomy block of wood, instead of cheerful me when we traveled together?” “Since he likes your face so much, I’ll just destroy it!” “Mia, I just wanted you to leave them, it’s your fault for not listening, so you brought this on yourself. Don’t blame me.” So it was all because of Olivia’s jealousy. Jealous that I had adoptive parents who wholeheartedly devoted themselves to me, while she wasn’t as happy in the Lu family as she claimed. Jealous that when she brought me along to travel, I ended up dating the guy she had her eye on. Now that heaven has given me a chance to start over, I will definitely make Olivia experience everything she tried to do to me! 0

Seeing that I hadn’t responded for a while, Olivia elbowed me and said coquettishly: “Mia, I’m talking to you, why aren’t you answering! This event will be so fun, let’s go together.” Seeing her round chubby face lean in close, I wanted to slap her. The event she wanted me to attend was a hiking trip organized by the university’s outdoor club. It was a big activity. I remembered that after this trip, my reputation gradually worsened. It was also during this trip that she fell for James at first sight, but James liked me. I was socially anxious and shy. James was assigned to the same group as me and took care of me the whole way. He coldly rejected Olivia’s flirtations and attempts to get close, which caused Olivia’s resentment towards me to fully explode. “Do we really have to go? You know I don’t like these group activities, and it’ll probably cost a lot too, right?” “Come on, come on, it’ll be so fun! And this little bit of money is nothing.” Hearing my refusal, Olivia kept whining in my ear, pestering me to agree to go on the trip with her. She definitely wanted me to go because she wanted to go. Only when I was by her side could she better highlight her good personality, have me pay for her, and ultimately build up her own good reputation. “I…” “Oh come on, my dear Mia, it’s settled then. I’m going to sign you up right now.” With that, Olivia turned and ran out of the dorm room. I curled my lips in a cold smile. She was still as self-centered as before. “Mia, if you really don’t want to go, just cancel the registration early. There’s still time before the departure date, it shouldn’t be a problem,” Emma said after Olivia left. “Forget it, Olivia will keep bugging me to pay. If I don’t go she’ll be really annoying.” I smiled lightly as I explained. I still had to go on this trip. After all, it was a good opportunity to meet James. In my past life, he was very good to me. Even when my reputation was in tatters, he still ran around explaining things for me. Now that I’ve been reborn, I don’t want to lose James. 0

“Why do you suddenly find her annoying?” Sophia poked her head out from the bed and asked. “It’s nothing, I’ve always found her annoying, but she’s an old friend from the same orphanage, so I put up with her.” “But lately she’s really been too much. I’m tired of dealing with her and plan to talk to her clearly during this trip.” My two roommates had a sudden realization. Emma continued: “Oh, you two are from the same orphanage?” “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it, I just, I just… was a bit surprised.” Emma quickly apologized when she realized she had misspoken. “It’s fine, I don’t mind. Besides, my adoptive parents are very good to me, no different from biological parents.” I shrugged indifferently, a faint smile on my face as I mentioned my adoptive parents. Seeing how curious they looked, I went ahead and told them about how we were adopted by different families. “So Olivia is the adopted daughter of that new rich merchant family that just moved to the city? She always said she was the Lu family’s daughter, we all thought she was their biological child. But then I saw her brother come looking for her once, and that attitude, tsk…” Sophia gossiped about what she had seen before. “That attitude was worse than towards an enemy. A teenage boy with such a vicious personality, saying such cruel things. I saw Olivia was about to cry, but after her brother left, the way she glared at his back looked just like a demon from hell.” I understood in my heart. This is why Olivia was jealous that I was taken by my adoptive parents. Although the Lu family was wealthy, once they had their own son, Olivia’s role as an adopted daughter was reduced to just being raised well to be married off for an alliance. “Before she always acted so generous and cheerful in front of you, but behind your back she had such a resentful look.” Emma looked at me to make sure I wasn’t upset before continuing. “She must be jealous of you. After all, you were adopted on the same day but ended up in such different situations. She’s a fake rich daughter who’s lost her freedom, while you have the freedom of an intellectual family.” I smiled. Put that way, I really was lucky. But Olivia enjoyed the luxurious life that the Lu family’s money brought her, so she should bear the corresponding responsibilities. “The Lu couple aren’t unreasonable people, they treat Olivia quite well and haven’t forced her to do anything. It’s just that her brother, probably due to his young age and outside influences, is unwilling to accept this adopted sister.” I continued along with their conversation. “Actually, if Olivia used the right communication methods, her brother wouldn’t be so rejecting of her…”

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1 After my collision with my boss, Liam Beckett, landed me in the hospital, something felt very wrong. Wait, are these my veiny hands? And this perfectly tailored suit and tie? And, oh, this… noticeable bulge? I think I’ve somehow ended up in the body of a CEO. Not completely sure, better check. Seeing no one around, I discreetly reached for my waistband to confirm my suspicions—only to be interrupted by a shout. “Ava Adeline, stop right there!” I turned to see the person in the next bed pulling back the curtain, glaring at me, and flicking my forehead. That was my body! Oh no, I’ve really switched bodies with the CEO! My name is Ava Adeline, but now I’m in the body of my boss, Liam Beckett. And the person in front of me is Liam Beckett, now in the body of Ava Adeline. The situation is awkward, with my hand hovering in that questionable area of the CEO’s body. Liam, trying to keep me in check, placed his hand on his chest. “Go ahead, feel it, there’s nothing much there,” I said, breaking the tension. Liam lowered his hand, “Looks like you’re quite self-aware.” “Thank you, Mr. Beckett,” I replied with a smile, “Although I’m curious if Mr. Beckett has anything noteworthy.” “Ava Adeline!” Liam glared at me. Honestly, seeing my face from this angle, I never realized how attractive I look! “Glaring won’t help, Mr. Beckett,” I chuckled, “We should focus on how to switch back.” Liam sat on the bed’s edge, “We swapped because we bumped our heads and passed out, right?” “Yeah, that’s right.” “Then theoretically, if we bump our heads again, we should switch back.” Liam leaned forward, tapping his head, “Go on, bump it.” I was incredulous, “You want me to hit myself?!” Liam was puzzled, “What else? You want me to hit myself?” “I’m a girl, what if I damage my face?” At that moment, I used Liam’s commanding voice to express the most delicate thoughts. Liam glared, covering my mouth, “Don’t say things like that using my face! We swapped bodies, and your forehead’s fine, which means you’re tough enough, go ahead and bump it!” “You’re the tough one!” “What’s wrong with being tough?” Our argument was endless, so I rubbed my forehead, “Mr. Beckett, how about this, let’s meet halfway, we’ll bump our heads together on the count of three.” “Alright.” Liam slightly bowed his head, and I leaned in, our foreheads touching in what seemed like an intimate gesture, but we were both filled with animosity. “Three, two, one…” Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the hospital room, and the door swung open. “Mr. Beckett, we’re here to see you…” Company colleagues barged in, and we couldn’t stop the momentum we’d built up. Our foreheads collided sharply, and stars danced before my eyes from the pain. I clutched my forehead and fell back, “That hurt!” The stunned colleagues quickly gathered around my bed. “Mr. Beckett, are you alright?” “Mr. Beckett!” “Mr. Beckett!” … Honestly, I lost myself in the chorus of “Mr. Beckett.” Suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad. So, I looked with interest at the real “Mr. Beckett,” who was pushed aside. He looked aggrieved, receiving a heartfelt lecture from the Sales Director. “Ava, I know you often complain about Mr. Beckett, but he’s already in the hospital bed, and you’re still tormenting him, that’s not fair.” “Liam” frowned, “Ava… I complain a lot?” The Director lowered his voice, “Yes, you complain about Mr. Beckett every day in the office, did you bump your head silly?” Why does this Director talk so much! I cleared my throat and assumed Mr. Beckett’s demeanor, “Thank you, everyone.” “No need to thank us, Mr. Beckett!” I deliberately looked in Liam’s direction, trying to stay calm, “Ava, I know I’ve been a bit hard on you, like only wanting five ice cubes in my iced Americano, using single-sided print paper, entering with the right foot in the morning…” Liam raised an eyebrow. “Here, I promise, and ask everyone to witness, I won’t treat Ava like that anymore!” “Great! Mr. Beckett is so considerate!” “Mr. Beckett is awesome!” Company colleagues applauded, while “Liam” glared at me with a dark expression. “Ava, keep up the good work!” I said cheerfully, going in for a high-five with “Liam.” Liam was furious but couldn’t say anything at that moment, so he forced a smile and high-fived me. It was less a high-five and more like a slap on my hand. I gritted my teeth against the pain and cheerfully dismissed the colleagues. As they left, they murmured that Mr. Beckett seemed more approachable. Once it was just Liam and me in the hospital room, Liam finally exploded, “Ava Adeline! Are you tired of living?!” Looking at my face saying such words, I suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia, “Mr. Beckett, honestly, every day working under you, I felt like I didn’t want to live.” Liam paused. “But now that I’m Mr. Beckett, suddenly life seems a bit interesting.” Liam was at a loss for words. “Mr. Beckett, as a temporary measure, let’s keep it this way, is that alright?” Using Liam’s voice and body, I said the most ordinary, humble words of Ava Adeline. Liam suddenly fell silent. After a while, he spoke, “I guess bumping our heads isn’t a solution right now, so let’s stay this way for a while.” Still the ever-proud Liam finding an escape route for himself. “Okay, Mr. Beckett.” “When we leave the hospital, you’ll move to my place, it’ll be more convenient, and we won’t get caught.” “Alright, Mr. Beckett.” “I have no interest in you,” Liam added. “I know that, of course.” “Since you know, then handle the discharge.” Always so proud, always that high-and-mighty attitude. I silently complained, just about to get up when I suddenly felt the urge to go, “Mr. Beckett, I think I need to use the restroom.” Liam’s face turned red with embarrassment, “Go!” Just around the corner from the hospital room was the men’s restroom, I hesitantly went in and came out with confidence. Back in the room, I threw a suggestive look at Liam. Liam’s twisted expression seemed to tell me to shut up. But I wouldn’t. “Mr. Beckett, quite impressive,” I gave a thumbs up. “Get out!” 2 I first took Liam back to my place to pack up. Liam looked at the somewhat shabby apartment, a hint of disdain in his eyes. “Ava Adeline, you live in this dump?” I opened the wardrobe and suitcase, slowly packing my things. “Yeah, just living in this dump.” “No wonder you have so many complaints, it’s because of your poor quality of life.” I rolled my eyes, “My poor quality of life is because someone won’t give me a raise and keeps docking my bonus.” “Docking pay for mistakes is justified.” “Whatever, suit yourself, now I can give myself, oh no, give you, Ava, a raise.” I stood up, proudly using Liam’s height to look down at “Liam.” Haha, I love how Liam can’t stand me but can’t do anything about it. “When we switch back, I’ll dock your pay in a second.” “Well, say that when we switch back.” I shrugged. Liam silently clenched his fists. While packing, he glanced over again, full of disdain, “You usually rotate between these few ragged clothes? Really shabby.” I was about to retort, but Liam spoke, “Take my card and buy a few outfits later.” “Really, Mr. Beckett!” “Deduct from your bonus.” I was deflated. “Look at you, alright, it’s a reward, but only three outfits,” Liam added. Three outfits are fine, better than nothing. I quickly zipped up the suitcase, “Let’s go, Mr. Beckett.” Liam: “…” So I happily pulled the suitcase out, casually walking into a chic women’s clothing store I never dared enter before. And “Liam,” like a fool, followed behind with a resentful face. “Hello sir, are you buying clothes for your wife here?” the sales associate greeted warmly. The “Liam” behind me said coldly, “I’m not his wife.” “Sorry… then, is it… sister?” I jumped in, “Yes, yes, just a sister, I’m here to buy my sister some clothes.” I forcefully put my arm around Liam’s shoulder, and I must say, using a man’s strength feels great. The sales associate smiled, showing me the latest styles of the season, and I was dazzled. “This white set, that blue set, the pink one over there, and another new style I just saw, and…” I looked around, directing like a general. The sales associate took them down one by one, and I turned to Liam, who was already bulging with veins, grinning brightly, “Sister, what do you think?” Liam gritted his teeth, he wasn’t out of money, he just hated my cheeky attitude. Liam gave me a warning look, making a three with his fingers. I immediately got the hint, “My sister says they’re all okay, wrap them up in size S, and charge it to the card.” When I walked out of the store, satisfied with six shopping bags, Liam was fuming beside me. Ah, this feeling of treating myself is just too satisfying! If you can’t have a CEO husband, then make yourself the CEO! Thinking this, my steps became even more cheerful. As Liam and I were about to leave the mall, I heard a sharp female voice calling “Ava Adeline.” Liam Beckett clenched his jaw. It wasn’t about the money; it was my irritating attitude he couldn’t stand. Liam gave me a warning look and held up three fingers. I quickly caught on: “My sister said everything’s fine. Wrap it all in size S, and I’ll pay with my card.” As I left the clothing store, pleased and burdened with six shopping bags, Liam was beside me, fuming and pacing. Ah, the thrill of maxing out a card is just unbeatable! If I can’t marry a CEO, I’ll become my own! With that in mind, I walked with a spring in my step. Just as Liam and I were about to leave the mall, a sharp female voice shouted, “Ava Adeline.” That voice was all too familiar. It was my mom! Without a second thought, I grabbed Liam and sprinted away. We stopped only when we reached the underground parking, both of us out of breath. I looked around to make sure my mom hadn’t followed us and finally felt relieved. “Someone called your name, why did you run…” Liam panted, annoyed after being dragged for what felt like forever. “I owe some money to a loan shark. Be careful when you go out from now on.” I said, trying to sound serious, as I loaded the shopping bags into the trunk of Liam’s Maybach. “With your timid nature, you dared to take out a loan? You’re a riot.” Liam mocked. “Not worth my time.” The next day at work, I arrived at the company entrance with “Liam Beckett,” only to find it swamped with people. I wanted to push through the crowd but remembered I was now Liam. So, I put my hands in my pockets and cleared my throat twice. No one noticed. I cleared my throat again. Still, no response. Liam almost burst out laughing. I had no choice but to speak loudly: “Why aren’t you all working? Gathered here like this, do you want to lose your attendance and year-end bonuses?” Finally, the crowd reacted and parted, murmuring “Mr. Beckett” as they did. Strangely, they were all whispering among themselves. Curious, I went to see what was happening and found a woman hanging a banner at the company entrance, ignoring the security’s attempts to stop her. That woman was my mom! I halted in my tracks. How did she find the company? Linda Nolan, calling her my mom is an exaggeration; she’s more like a debt collector. She’s never fulfilled her motherly duties, only seeing me as a money-making machine. “Ava!” The voice was the same as in the mall yesterday. Liam instantly reacted and asked me what was going on. Before I could answer, Linda Nolan lunged at “Liam Beckett” like a madwoman: “Ava! You’re so hard to find! Living the high life in the city, have you thought about your mom, or your brother?” Linda Nolan sat at “Liam’s” feet, wailing. “Liam” frowned and stepped back in disgust. Linda Nolan cried even louder: “Ungrateful daughter! Now that you’re doing well, you don’t recognize your countryside mom!” Linda Nolan was even scarier than Betty Wilson’s mom, always exploiting me. My mind nearly shut down; I didn’t know how to handle this scene. It was “Liam” who raised his voice: “What is security doing? Don’t you know to take her to the police station for disturbing public order?” Hearing her daughter being so heartless, Linda Nolan cried even more fiercely: “Everyone hear this? Ungrateful daughter! A daughter wants to send her own mother to jail!” She cried and pounded the ground, while many colleagues started recording. I calmed myself, trembling, and spoke as Liam: “Just say it, what do you want by creating such a scene?” Seeing me speak, Linda Nolan rolled and crawled to my feet: “You’re my daughter’s boss, right? Please judge this! Everyone come judge this! My daughter has a brother who’s about to get married.” “Usually, we don’t ask her for money, but now that her brother’s getting married, we thought of borrowing some from her, but this ungrateful girl blocked me! She even said she’s no longer a daughter of the Adeline family!” Hearing this, it felt like something was stuck in my throat. My vision blurred, and the words “ungrateful daughter” seemed to tear my brain apart, making the world spin. “Enough!” I shouted. Linda Nolan was stunned by my shout. Taking a deep breath, I said, “You said you rarely ask Ava for money? But as far as I know, Ava takes six thousand from me monthly, spends two thousand on rent, one thousand on herself, and gives you three thousand! She’s living tight, and now you want more?” Linda Nolan was momentarily speechless. I was about to continue when “Liam” suddenly spoke: “Did you know about these things? I bet you didn’t care to know, right? And about your brother’s wedding, I heard he just got out of the detention center a few months ago, probably back in and needs money to bail out, right?” How did Liam know that? Linda Nolan’s guilty eyes darted around, trying to come up with an excuse, but her tongue twisted, and she could only rush to “Liam’s” feet, pulling her hair and cursing. “You good-for-nothing Ava! I can’t believe I have such a shameless daughter! Accusing your brother and consorting with shady people!” ———-This is the truncation point———- Liam was seized by the hair, grimacing in pain. The tension in the air was palpable as I stepped forward to pull Linda Nolan away. The security guard, who had been merely observing until then, quickly intervened and restrained Linda. Suppressing my anger, I said, “My employees contribute to my success; they aren’t weaklings to be exploited by parasites like you.”

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My best friend came to me, asking for help. She said she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She wanted to have a sham marriage with my husband. I was shocked when my husband agreed and even let her move into our house. Hearing the unsettling noises from the living room every night, I felt like I was falling apart… I’ve been married to my husband, Declan, for three years. He is thriving in his career while I am the lovely and charming presence at home. We are in love and harmonious. But something happened three days ago that left me in turmoil. My best friend Keira insisted on giving me $100,000, saying she needed to marry Declan. Her reason was that she was being harassed by her ex-boyfriend and pressured by her parents to marry. She needed a man to protect her temporarily and provide an explanation to her parents. After this period, she promised to return Declan to me. This was outrageous! Even though she is my best friend, I couldn’t agree to it. $100,000 is insignificant to me; I have countless such amounts. But just as I was about to transfer the money back to Keira, my husband Declan came home. He sighed and said, “Honey.” “Why the long face? Was work difficult?” “No.” He opened Instagram, “Honey, look how pitiful Keira is. A girl being harassed every day, it’s awful.” I saw Keira covered in bruises, and my heart ached. It made me start to struggle with whether or not to help her. Every day after that, Keira called and sent voice messages, crying to me about her miserable life. “Please, you are my only good friend, my best friend, help me. My parents say if I don’t get married, they’ll jump off a building.” “After this period, I’ll get a divorce certificate with your husband. He will always be yours.” Against my better judgment, I agreed. When I saw the divorce certificate with Declan and the marriage certificate with Keira, my mind was still buzzing. It all felt like a dream. The day they got the marriage certificate, Declan came home and gave me a bouquet of roses. “My kind and beautiful goddess, you’ve worked hard lately.” Looking at my affectionate and gentle husband, I suddenly felt calm. All the troublesome things seemed to vanish into thin air. Born into a privileged life, I’m actually easy to appease. That night, Declan and I were intimate and close. Midway through, Declan held my wrists and whispered in my ear. “Wife, I heard Keira is still being harassed. Should we let her stay with us?” I frowned slightly. Why was he bringing up Keira at this moment? “Would she want to? It’s just a sham marriage with you. Don’t make it awkward for her.” “Let’s give it a try.” I thought Keira wouldn’t come to my house, so I made a phone call pretending to invite her. “Really?! Thank you, Phoebe, I’m so happy. I’ll come over tomorrow.” Me: “…” I felt uncomfortable. On Keira’s first night at our house, Declan took us out for fondue to celebrate Keira’s visit. I was a bit jealous. Was my husband being too nice to Keira? I tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. Declan held me and softly said, “Don’t worry, it’s just a sham marriage with her. Didn’t we agree? After some time, she and I will divorce, and I’ll remarry you. It’s fake with her.” I thought I might be overthinking, but my mind wouldn’t cooperate. I soon noticed Keira being particularly diligent around the house. She always liked talking to Declan and treated him warmly, making it seem like she was the lady of the house. Every time Declan came home, Keira would wear some revealing clothes. Once, I couldn’t hold back and told Keira, “Keira, Declan is my husband. Could you dress more appropriately?” Keira looked at me with wide eyes and admitted her mistake, “I know I was wrong. I won’t dress like that anymore.” Seeing her admit her mistake, I didn’t want to ruin our rare friendship. After that, Keira’s dressing was normal, but her behavior wasn’t. For example, when I was intimate with my husband, Keira would knock on the door, interrupting us. I asked her what was wrong. She sobbed and said, “I had a nightmare.”

Then she looked pitifully at Declan, using a sweet tone, “Declan, I’m so scared, can you stay with me?” I was a bit angry, but Declan immediately reassured me, “It’s okay, don’t worry.” His firm gaze calmed my annoyed heart. I reluctantly told him, “Then go accompany her.” So Declan took Keira to our guest room. Then I heard some strange noises coming from the guest room. I vaguely heard Keira say, “I’m so scared, Declan.” Declan said, “It’s okay, don’t be afraid. In my house, I can protect you.” I immediately pulled the blanket over my head, afraid I would overthink if I listened more, but I trusted Declan’s character. The next day, I thought it over and handed $100,000 to Keira. “Please leave my house, Keira. Leave my husband, and divorce him, okay?” Keira’s tears rolled out in three seconds. She clung to my arm like a kitten, pushing softly, “Phoebe, I swore before that after this period, once I explain to my parents about the marriage, I’ll immediately divorce. You may not believe me, but don’t you believe Declan? If you insist on this, won’t he feel like you don’t trust him?” I felt stifled. I only believed in Declan. But believing in someone doesn’t mean you won’t overthink. I was still anxious. But then Keira told me she wanted to take Declan back to her hometown. After explaining to her parents, she said they could immediately get a divorce certificate. I was thrilled. As long as they got a divorce certificate, that was fine. While adjusting Declan’s tie, I reminded, “Just act natural in front of Keira’s parents, okay?” “Don’t worry, my dear wife.” “Slick talker,” I laughed. I dressed Declan elegantly and personally sent them off to board their flight. After Declan left, I really missed him, so I kept sending him messages. He always replied with a flower and a smiley face, then photos. But a few times, I noticed something odd. He posted many photos of Keira on his feed. Some netizens teased, asking if he had found a girlfriend… Soon, they returned. After they got back, I asked Keira, “Can you get divorced now?” Keira suddenly covered her face, crying and sniffling, “No, Phoebe, I can’t yet.” I got angry in a second, “Why not?” “Because I’m pregnant.” “What?” Did I hear that right? Declan came over and put his arm around my shoulder, “The baby in her belly is her ex-boyfriend’s. Now she’s a pregnant woman, she can’t divorce me.” I couldn’t describe my feelings. I was relieved the baby wasn’t my husband’s. I was disgusted she wanted to keep clinging to my husband, yet my husband didn’t object. Because of this, in the following days, I was distant with Keira, feeling her presence in my house gave me a headache. Once, Keira held my hand and said, “Phoebe, I know you’re upset, but I swear once my baby is born, I’ll definitely divorce Declan. I have no choice, I need a man to give me courage. Declan has always liked you, he treats me like a friend.”

Whenever she spoke to me, she was sweet and cute, making me look like the villain. Seeing her tears, I couldn’t bear to drive her away, so I made peace with her. I even personally made broth for her and ensured she had a nutritious diet. During this time, she indeed kept a respectful distance from Declan, which made me more comfortable serving her. Keira had a healthy pregnancy with my care, turning plump and healthy. Ten months later, Keira went into labor. That day, Declan suddenly took leave and went with me to the hospital. “Didn’t you say there’s a multi-million project? Why come to the hospital?” I didn’t understand Declan’s actions. Declan didn’t look at me but anxiously watched the maternity ward door, brushing me off, “It’s okay, it won’t affect it.” For a moment, Declan felt so unfamiliar to me. While I was full of doubts, Keira’s eight-pound son was born healthy. When the doctor opened the maternity ward and asked who Keira’s husband was, Declan rushed in like a rocket, “It’s me, it’s me, I’m her husband.” “Congratulations, this is your son.” The doctor placed the baby in Declan’s arms for him to hold first. Me: “…” What was I feeling? Like eating something vile. Soon after, Keira was wheeled out by the nurses. Although she had just given birth, because she was young, she recovered well. Keira was soon settled in a private hospital room. Looking at the delicate newborn, I sincerely said to Keira, “Congratulations, this baby looks so much like you.” Keira gazed at the baby with gentle eyes, her tone filled with maternal love, “He not only looks like me, but he looks more like his father.” Then she side-eyed Declan. Did she mean the baby looked like Declan? Yet Declan didn’t deny it and seemed more excited about the baby than Keira. I was very upset. I felt suffocated in this environment, so I went out for some air. Just as I stepped out, I realized I hadn’t taken my bag. When I turned back to get it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a baby, but I can. Are you happy?” I noticed her give Declan a sidelong glance. Was she implying that the child resembled Declan? Surprisingly, Declan didn’t refute it. He seemed even more thrilled about the child than Keira did. A surge of anger rose within me. Feeling suffocated by the situation, I stepped outside to catch my breath. Just as I left, I realized I’d forgotten my bag. When I turned back to retrieve it, I overheard Declan and Keira’s conversation through the door. “Darling, this is our son. Your wife can’t give you a child, but I can. Are you happy?” “Keira, you did such a great job. The boy is absolutely adorable.” “Yes, what a cute child. We have a son now.” Their conversation felt like a knife cutting through me. One was my best friend, the other my husband. I recalled how my best friend had given me ten thousand to “borrow” my husband, and I had actually agreed. Now, the ridiculousness of it all hit me like a slap in the face. I wanted to burst in, scream, and tear them apart. But I restrained myself, taking a deep breath to calm down. I should have known there couldn’t be an appropriate relationship between them, but I trusted Declan’s integrity. Reality, however, proved me wrong. Declan had betrayed me, and Keira was a traitor. I composed myself, pretending nothing had happened, grabbed my bag, and left. That night, I went out to drown my sorrows, drinking until I was a wreck. I drank, vomited, then drank and vomited again. No one knew the depths of my pain, feeling as if I were being torn apart and ground to pieces. Declan, the man I loved most, had always assured me of his character. Yet, he had fathered a child. His integrity was worthless, absolute garbage. That night, I betrayed Declan and ended up in bed with a younger guy. Then I acted as if nothing was amiss, waiting for Keira and their little family of three to return. I watched as Declan personally prepared postpartum meals for Keira. “Keira, the child is born. Can you divorce my husband now?” Hearing my words, Keira held her son, looking pitiful and aggrieved. “But the child is still young. He can’t be without a father…” “Declan isn’t your child’s father. You had a sham marriage.” I pretended to know nothing. Keira cried, holding her child, appearing weak and helpless. Hearing the commotion, Declan rushed in angrily and said to me, “Phoebe, what are you trying to say? Keira is still in her postpartum period; can she afford to cry now? What about the risk of postpartum complications?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “296476”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic