Author: Momo Chan

I was the fake heiress, blessed with stunning beauty, pursued by countless wealthy heirs. She was the true heiress, cursed with an unattractive face, treated like a plague by the man she loved. When she was reborn, she finally got her wish—stealing my identity and flaunting her newfound beauty arrogantly. But little did she know, a life built on beauty alone is a life in hell. “According to the will of Mr. and Mrs. Grant, all of their assets are to be inherited solely by Chloe Grant,” the lawyer announced, his words sending shockwaves through the room. “What?! They left everything to the adopted daughter? The Grants must have been out of their minds!” I listened to their gossip with a cold expression. I am Chloe, the adopted daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Grant. The contents of the will didn’t surprise me—I’d already known about it the night before their tragic accident. I glanced at my “sister,” the biological daughter of the Grants, standing beside the pastor and sobbing uncontrollably. Her red, swollen eyes were fixed on me, blazing with hatred. I knew that at this moment, her resentment toward me had reached its peak. After the funeral, she asked me to meet in a quiet place to talk. I didn’t refuse. “Chloe, now that Mom and Dad are gone, it’s just the two of us. We need to stick together,” said Eliza Grant, her voice trembling. She stood there with her hands behind her back, her bloodshot eyes devoid of warmth. Though she was the same age as me, she looked far older—her skin coarse, her hair streaked with gray. She forced an awkward smile and stretched out her arms. “Come here, Chloe. Give me a hug, won’t you?” We were never close, but seeing her like this, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of pity. Just as I began to lift my arms to embrace her, a sharp blade pressed against my neck. “You bitch! Do you think I’d ever want to play the role of a loving sister? The only reason I humored you was to get close enough to kill you!” she snarled, her eyes wild. She pressed the cold blade against my skin, her twisted smile growing wider. “You’ve gotten so much in this life just because of that face of yours. Let’s see how far you get without it.” The knife slashed across my cheek and cheekbone, leaving deep, bloody gashes. I staggered back, clutching my face, staring at her in horror. She reveled in my pain, gripping the bloodstained knife as she slowly approached me. “Everyone always called you a goddess, didn’t they? Well, let’s see how you like going to hell with that hideous face of yours!” She shoved me against the wall, pinning me in place as the blade plunged into my abdomen. I felt the hot rush of blood pouring from my ruptured artery, spraying uncontrollably like a broken faucet. My body grew colder by the second, and a heavy drowsiness pressed down on my eyelids. In my final moments of consciousness, I saw her face—a mask of madness and triumph.

When I opened my eyes again, I was in an unfamiliar room. “Eliza, did you have a nightmare?” The voice came from a woman sitting beside me—her face familiar. It was the face of my birth mother, the one I’d barely had time to reunite with in my past life before Eliza drove her out of Cedar City, leaving her to disappear without a trace. I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the reflection in her pupils. What I saw wasn’t me. It was Eliza Grant. I had been reborn, but this time, I was in Eliza’s body—the true daughter of the Grants. As memories of my past life flooded back, my chest tightened. I thought of the way the Grant family had “cared” for me, and I thought of the love my birth mother, Sarah Monroe, had for her daughter despite everything. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I threw myself into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably. “Mom!” “What’s wrong, sweetheart? Is school stressing you out?” she asked, her voice full of concern. “No, Mom, I’m fine. I’m just tired… Can you make me some of your wontons?” Sarah was startled by my sudden request but nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Of course, honey. If that’s what you want, I’ll make you all the wontons you can eat.” She stroked my head gently before heading to the kitchen. I followed her, watching as she rolled out dough and prepared the filling. She glanced back at me, puzzled. “Eliza, is there something you need to tell me? Is something going on at school?” “Nothing’s wrong, Mom. Everything’s fine. I just wanted to watch you make wontons,” I replied with a smile. Her hands paused, and she turned away to wipe her eyes. When she turned back, her smile was full of love. In my previous life, Eliza had spent her early years desperately trying to prove herself, fueled by a desire to rise above the people who mocked her appearance. She studied relentlessly, not for the love of learning, but for the power to crush anyone who looked down on her. But after being welcomed back into the Grant family as their biological daughter, she began to despise Sarah, her birth mother, for being poor and uneducated. She never visited her, not even once. Worse, she paid people to vandalize Sarah’s fruit stand, forcing her to leave the city she’d called home her entire life. Eliza never realized that the unconditional love she rejected was the very thing I had always longed for. As I wiped away my tears and savored the wontons Sarah had made for me, a plan began to form in my mind. This time, no one would control my fate.

The next day, I arrived at school to find a crowd gathered outside the classroom. Sitting at my desk, one leg crossed over the other, was Chloe. “Eliza Monroe, get over here,” she called out. The moment she spoke, the onlookers scattered like frightened sheep, clearing a path for me. Chloe’s eyes swept over me with disdain before she pinched her nose dramatically. “Ugh, you reek of poverty. And that face—absolutely revolting.” “Maybe you should watch your mouth,” I said calmly. In my past life, I knew she was obsessed with appearances, especially when it came to comparing herself to me. But I hadn’t expected her jealousy to twist her into this hateful version of herself. “You think you’re worthy of speaking to me, Eliza?” she sneered before slapping me hard across the face. The sting caught me off guard, leaving me momentarily stunned. But when she raised her hand to hit me again, I caught her wrist mid-swing. Without hesitation, I flipped her over my shoulder, slamming her onto the floor. A collective gasp erupted from the crowd. “She really just fought back against Chloe?” someone whispered in disbelief. “She’s done for… totally done for…” “Shh! Keep your voice down, or she’ll hear you!” Though the whispers were hushed, Chloe and I could hear them clearly. Her face flushed with embarrassment. “Chloe, have you had enough?” I asked coolly. The bell had already rung, but no one dared enter the classroom. Teachers and students from other classes had gathered to watch the drama unfold. It was humiliating. “You’re going to regret this, Eliza!” Chloe spat, yanking her hand free and storming off toward the office. I didn’t care. Nothing was more important than focusing on my studies. But I underestimated just how far her hatred for me would go. Fifteen minutes into the next class, our homeroom teacher appeared at the door, his face dark with frustration. “Come with me to the principal’s office,” he said sharply. “What on earth were you thinking, picking a fight with her?” His scolding continued as we walked down the hallway. “Do you have any idea how much her dad donates to this school? Even the principal has to tiptoe around her. If it were anyone else, I’d try to smooth things over, but this time… you’ve gone too far. When we get there, you’d better apologize, do you hear me?” He gave me a pitying look. “With grades like yours, you have such a bright future. Don’t throw it all away over something so stupid.” When we entered the office, the principal and the head of the grade were already there. “Principal, Mr. Thompson, Eliza understands what she did wrong,” my teacher said with an apologetic smile. “Eliza, apologize to Chloe right now.” “I didn’t do anything wrong,” I said firmly, lifting my head to meet everyone’s gaze. “I didn’t start this. She hit me first. Why should I apologize?” “Eliza !” my teacher snapped, his anger evident. The principal and the head whispered to each other for a moment before the head finally spoke up, smiling as if trying to smooth things over. “Kids will be kids. If you don’t want to apologize, fine—we’ll just call your parents instead.” At the mention of involving parents, Chloe’s face darkened. “Principal, my parents are really busy. Let’s not bother them over something so trivial,” Chloe said quickly, flashing her signature “gracious” smile. “But… since she refuses to admit her fault, how about this: take away her scholarship and make her run laps around the track as punishment. Let’s just leave it at that.” The head nodded. “That sounds fair. Eliza, you’re lucky Chloe is so understanding. Now go run those laps, and don’t even think about slacking—we’ll be watching from the windows.” The sun was brutal that afternoon. I ran for an entire class period, my legs trembling by the time I finally collapsed onto the scorching track. Chloe strutted over, her head held high, and prodded my shoulder with the tip of her shoe. “Do you understand what happens when you cross me now? If you know what’s good for you, transfer to another school. Stop showing up with that hideous face of yours—it’s disgusting.” I glared up at her, hatred burning in my eyes. “You think I have to do whatever you say?” “You—” She pressed the sole of her shoe into my back, grinding it down with a smirk. “You’re not the heiress anymore. I am. I’m the one everyone loves now. If you don’t leave, I’ll make sure every day here is hell for you.” When I got home that evening, my mother, Sarah, noticed the dirt and shoe prints on the back of my white school uniform. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gently brushed her fingers over the stains. “Eliza, they’re bullying you too much! I’m going to the school to demand an explanation,” she said, her voice trembling with anger. “Mom, it’s okay,” I said softly, trying to reassure her. But Sarah wiped her tears and pulled me into a tight hug. Chloe didn’t give up on making my life miserable. Under her pressure, teachers and classmates avoided me like the plague, terrified that even speaking to me would bring Chloe’s wrath upon them. But I didn’t let their cold-shoulder treatment get to me. Instead, I doubled down on my studies. By the end of the semester, I scored first place in the entire grade. What I didn’t expect was for my biological parents to show up out of nowhere. That day, after school, I hadn’t even reached the gate when I saw a massive crowd gathered outside. My biological parents were standing there, along with the mayor and a swarm of reporters. The moment I stepped out, my biological mother rushed toward me, tears streaming down her face as she pulled me into a tight hug. “Oh, my baby! Come home with Mom!” she sobbed. I responded with a cold smirk. Did they really think I didn’t know what was going on? Did they think I hadn’t already figured out that the “switched-at-birth” fiasco was orchestrated by them in the first place? Did they assume I’d fall for the web of lies they were now spinning under the guise of familial love? But I raised my head and played along, letting the charade continue. “Mom—” I said, my tone soft and obedient. I didn’t even have time to notify Sarah. The moment the public reunion ended at the school gates, I was whisked away by my biological mother, Catherine Grant.

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I spent 20 years searching for my twin sister, only to find her dead. My investigation revealed that she was killed by a pair of despicable people: her husband, Ryan Lindell, and his ex-wife, Lauren. At my sister’s funeral, Ryan wailed in fake grief, crying out, “Oh, my love, how am I supposed to live without you? God, please bring her back to me!” I walked into the room, and the moment his eyes met mine, he froze, collapsing to the floor in terror. “Ryan, I’m back. I didn’t die,” I said, pretending to be my sister. I was going to drag this scum and his accomplice straight to hell. In the car, Ryan cautiously asked me how I survived. The road outside was deserted, winding through a remote mountain pass. I told him I blacked out and couldn’t remember much. The last thing I recalled was waking up on a beach, being helped by the police, and eventually finding my way to the funeral home. “Do you remember falling off the cliff while watching the sunset? That’s how you… disappeared,” he asked nervously. He was lying. I knew he had pushed my sister off that cliff himself. The fire of hatred burned inside me, my fists clenched so tightly my nails dug into my palms. It took every ounce of self-control to suppress the urge to kill him right then and there. “I… don’t remember,” I replied calmly. He let out a relieved sigh but quickly grew wary. “We should probably head to the hospital to get you checked out.” At the hospital, the scans revealed a wound on the back of my head. The doctor explained that I might have hit my head on a rock when I fell into the ocean, which could explain my memory loss. After some tests, the doctor diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia—gaps in my memory, caused by trauma. “Will my wife ever regain her lost memories?” Ryan asked, feigning concern. “It’s possible,” the doctor replied. “Familiar surroundings and people might help trigger her memory.” Ryan’s expression darkened at the news. He finally believed I had amnesia. But the truth was, I had inflicted that head wound on myself before coming here. I already knew everything about my sister’s life. My twin, Michelle, had been married to Ryan for eight years. Ryan had a daughter, Mia, from his first marriage. After Michelle’s adoptive father passed away, he left her a massive inheritance, including the mansion Ryan and Mia now lived in. When I arrived at the house, Mia was lounging on the couch, playing a game on her phone. She looked up and exclaimed, “Michelle! Why aren’t you dead?” “Why? Are you disappointed?” I shot back. “Ugh, who wants you dead? Since you’re alive, go make dinner. I’m starving,” she said, not even looking up from her game. Ryan stretched and yawned. “Michelle, I’m exhausted. I’m going to take a nap. Call me when dinner’s ready.” He started heading upstairs. “Why should I cook?” I asked, annoyed. “Because you always do,” Mia replied matter-of-factly. “Really? I don’t remember that.” Mia stared at me, stunned. Ryan quickly explained, “Mia, your stepmom hit her head when she fell into the ocean. She’s lost some of her memories.” Then he turned to me and said, “Michelle, just make dinner, okay? I’m starving too.” I glared at him. “Are you and your daughter missing your arms? Can’t you cook for yourselves?” Both father and daughter stared at me in shock. I wanted to rip them apart right then and there. My sister had been kind and gentle, enduring their abuse for eight years. She had acted like a servant, cooking and cleaning for them, and even funded their lavish lifestyle with her inheritance. “Michelle, are you insane? How dare you talk to us like that!” Ryan barked, his face dark with anger. “Michelle, before I lose my temper, go make dinner!” Mia demanded, her tone entitled. I sneered. “Dogs stay in the house for so long they start thinking they own it.” “What the hell does that mean?” Mia snapped. “Who owns this house?” I asked. “You… you do.” “And whose money pays for everything you eat, wear, and use?” “Yours…” “That’s right. Everything you have comes from me. You’re nothing but parasites, yet you have the audacity to demand I cook for you?” “Once you marry my dad, everything you own becomes ours!” Mia yelled shamelessly. I laughed coldly. “Then let’s get a divorce.” Michelle’s inheritance was legally protected as premarital assets. If I filed for divorce, Ryan would walk away with nothing. Ryan panicked, quickly scolding Mia. “Mia, watch your mouth! Apologize to your stepmom right now!” Reluctantly, Mia mumbled, “Michelle, I’m still young and don’t always think before I speak. Don’t take it to heart.” “You’re 20, Mia. You’re in college. That’s not ‘young,’” I replied, unimpressed. “Michelle, I’m sorry. I was wrong,” she said through gritted teeth. “Good. But actions have consequences. From now on, you’re no longer allowed to use my credit card.” Earlier, on the way here, Ryan had handed me Michelle’s phone. Since we were twins, facial recognition unlocked it easily. I’d seen countless notifications from the bank about Mia using Michelle’s card to buy game items and skins. Hearing this, Mia panicked. “Michelle, think about it! I’m like your daughter! You’ve always spoiled me!” “You’re my daughter?” I asked mockingly. “Then why do you call me Michelle instead of Mom? That’s a bit contradictory, don’t you think?” “I’ve always thought of you as my real mom!” she insisted. “Really? Then why didn’t you attend my funeral? Instead, you stayed home playing games. Clearly, your games are more important than I am. Why would I spoil someone like you? Don’t try to fool me—I may have memory loss, but I’m not stupid.” Mia was speechless. Ryan jumped in. “Mia, I told you to come to the funeral! You’ve been playing games too much. From now on, no more games!” “Mom, I swear I wanted to go to the funeral! I just… lost track of time. If you’re upset, you can hit me to vent your anger,” Mia said, putting on a pitiful act. Slap! Slap! I didn’t hesitate, delivering two sharp slaps that echoed through the room. Both Ryan and Mia were stunned. Mia’s cheek swelled instantly. “You… you hit me?” she stammered. “Didn’t you just ask me to?” I replied, feigning confusion. Speechless, she stormed upstairs in tears. I turned to Ryan. “Well? What are you waiting for? I’m hungry. Go make dinner.” Ryan didn’t dare argue. He obediently went to the kitchen. At Night I lied, saying I needed to be alone to “recover my memory,” and went to sleep in the guest room. On the way back from the hospital earlier, Ryan had handed me Michelle’s phone. Being twins, I could unlock it easily using facial recognition. As I opened her photo album and scrolled through the pictures and videos, tears streamed down my face. “Michelle, I’m so sorry. I came too late!” Michelle’s real name was Evelyn Lowe, and mine was Emma Lowe. When we were 11, our parents smuggled us from a small country. One night, as they were returning home from work, they were killed during a robbery. Not long after, the landlord threw us out of the apartment. For months, Michelle and I lived in a damp, dark alley, building a makeshift shelter out of cardboard. We survived by begging on the streets. That winter, when I was 12, Michelle got a high fever and fell unconscious. I ran to Sunset Boulevard, desperate to find a doctor. But by the time I returned with help, Michelle was gone. I spent 20 years searching for her. A week ago, I finally learned what had happened: a kind-hearted Chinese man had found my dying sister in the alley that day and saved her. The fever had taken Michelle’s memory. She forgot everything—including me. The man who saved her brought her back to East Asia and adopted her, treating her like his own daughter. When he passed away, he left all his wealth to Michelle. As for me, I ended up being taken in by the leader of a Sunset Boulevard gang. Three years ago, after his death, I inherited his position as the head of the organization. Our gang operates internationally, with branches in several countries—including the one Michelle had lived in. It was through these connections that I finally found her. I boarded a plane to reunite with my sister, filled with joy. But the moment I landed, my men greeted me at the airport with grim faces and told me the devastating news: Michelle was dead. That moment shattered me. It felt like my body was being torn apart by a thousand knives. 4 Three Days Later It was Saturday, and Ryan’s ex-wife, Lauren Smith, came over to “clean the house.” My poor, naive sister had never known that this housekeeper was Ryan’s ex-wife. The moment Lauren saw me, her eyes burned with anger. Clearly, Ryan had told her about the slap I’d given her daughter. She wasn’t there to clean; it was all for show. After half-heartedly wiping a few surfaces, she sat on the couch, opened a bag of snacks, and turned on the TV, looking completely at ease. To anyone who didn’t know better, she would’ve seemed like the mistress of the house. “This is your idea of cleaning?” I asked coldly. “Of course. That’s how I’ve always done it. Ask Mia if you don’t believe me,” Lauren replied, completely unfazed. “Mom, Lauren’s been with us for three years. She’s practically family,” Mia chimed in. “I hired a housekeeper, not a family member. You can pack your things and leave,” I said bluntly. “You don’t have the authority to fire me. Ryan hired me,” Lauren shot back. “But I’m the one paying your salary. Unless you’re willing to work for free, I suggest you leave.” “You… you can’t do this! This is worker exploitation! I’ll expose you online!” she shouted, panicking. “Go ahead,” I said calmly. Lauren was stunned. She had always treated my soft-hearted sister this way, but now she didn’t know how to handle me. “Mom, calm down. Lauren, go clean my room,” Mia said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. With a sour expression, Lauren stomped upstairs. Ryan finished cooking and called us to the table. Lauren joined us without hesitation, as if she belonged there. “It’s ridiculous, making the husband cook while the wife sits around,” she muttered under her breath. “Then why don’t you take over cooking from now on?” I said sharply. “I don’t know how to cook,” she retorted. “Ryan, why did you hire such an incompetent housekeeper? She can’t clean, and she can’t cook. Or is there something else going on between you two?” I asked, my voice dripping with suspicion. Ryan’s face turned crimson, and he stammered, unable to form a coherent response. “Mom, it’s not like that!” Mia jumped in to defend him. “Lauren and I just got along when she came to apply for the job, so I told Dad to hire her.” “Oh, I see,” I said with a sly smile. Then, I changed the subject. “Mia, what would you do if a thief broke into our house?” “Easy. I’d catch them, beat them up, and call the police,” Mia replied without hesitation. “Good. Because there’s a thief sitting right here. Go ahead and deal with her,” I said darkly. Mia blinked, confused. “What do you mean, Mom?” “I mean Lauren is a thief. She’s been stealing my bags and jewelry,” I said, my gaze locking onto Lauren’s now-terrified face. I had ordered my men to follow Lauren and Ryan from the moment I arrived in this city. Yesterday, Lauren had taken several designer bags and pieces of expensive jewelry to a secondhand shop and sold them for over $80,000. Michelle’s adoptive father had owned shares in a luxury goods company, and after his death, Michelle inherited 20% of the company. Every year, they sent her designer items as gifts, including bags and jewelry. Last night, I requested a detailed list of all the items Michelle had received over the years. After comparing it to what Lauren had sold, I confirmed that everything she pawned had belonged to my sister.

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My home was complained about by the property owner. Because the noise was too loud. However, I’m often on business trips throughout the year, and there’s only my wife at home. Today was the first time I had been home in two months, but I was called by the property management and told that my home had been complained about. “The resident of Room 1102, I know you young people are full of vitality, but the sound insulation in this community is really poor.” I was a bit stunned. “What do you mean?” “More than one resident has complained to me, saying that the noise from your place is too loud every day.” “And sometimes it starts even during the daytime. This really has a bad impact.” My mind went blank with a buzz. What on earth was going on? I’m on business trips all the time and have very little time to stay at home. There’s only my wife in the family. My wife is a Chinese teacher at a school. She’s well-educated, reasonable, and loves me very much. I still don’t want to think in that direction. “You’re talking about me? Are you sure? There’s only one person living in my house usually.” The young man’s expression suddenly became very complex, and finally he gave me a sympathetic look. His reaction confirmed that the noise came from my house. I instantly felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave, my limbs were numb, and I didn’t even know how I got home. I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, and it took me a long time to come to my senses. I couldn’t figure out how my wife, who was a teacher and should set a good example, could cheat on me during our marriage, especially since I treated her so well. I decided to go to the school to confront her in person. My wife usually doesn’t let me go to the school to find her, saying that I’m too handsome and she’s afraid that the girls at school will have a crush on me. So I have no idea which grade my wife teaches or where her office is. Fortunately, I met a young girl. “Hello, classmate. Which office is Teacher Amanda Pan in?” A look of disgust flashed across her face, and she said impatiently, “Who are you?” “I’m her husband. If it’s not too much trouble, could you take me there?” After hearing this, she suddenly showed a hint of mockery. “Amanda? Maybe she’s seducing some other man. She doesn’t have time to see you.” I looked at her in disbelief, not understanding why she would say such malicious words. Before I could react, she had already walked away. I asked several other classmates, but they all didn’t know. So I had to wait for my wife at the school gate. Not long after school was over, she came out with several male teachers. When she saw me, there was a flash of panic in her eyes, and she kept a bit of distance from those male teachers. “Honey, why are you here?” “I was passing by and thought I’d pick you up from work.” As usual, she acted coquettishly towards me gently and took my arm. I found that I simply couldn’t ask her the questions I had in mind. The girl from before also came out of the school gate. When she passed by me, her eyes were still full of malice. I just felt confused. After we got home, I suggested being intimate with my wife to test her. But she dodged and evaded. There was definitely something wrong. I forcefully took off her pants. Then I found that there was a piece of gauze pasted there. “I told you I was injured, and you still want this.” “Let me take a look.” As I said this, I was about to touch the gauze. She suddenly got very angry. “What are you doing?” I directly tore off the piece of gauze. There was actually a blue icon on it. It read: “Quarantine passed. Slaughter permitted.” A quarantine stamp for pork? I looked at her in disbelief. Because her lie had been exposed, she was a bit embarrassed and tried to explain it forcefully. “I was just playing around with my best friend. I was afraid you’d be angry, so…” The wife I had been living with day in and day out suddenly seemed so strange to me. “Is that so? Then call your best friend right now.” Sure enough, her face changed, and she started losing her temper. “Are you crazy? You’re so unreasonable.” After saying this, she slammed the door and left.

Now I can no longer deceive myself. She really had an affair, and it wasn’t just an ordinary one. I collapsed and sat on the bed in despair. Just then, a text message came to my phone. [I know about your wife’s affair. If you want to know more, come to Room 1501 of W Hotel.] I was a bit surprised. [Who are you? How did you get my phone number?] [That’s not important. Your wife’s name is Amanda Pan, a Chinese teacher for the second grade of senior high school at Hengshui Middle School. Your home is at Room 1202, Building 5, Unit 3 of Jucai Community.] [Do you believe me now? If you want to know the details, come. I’ll tell you everything.] This person knew my family situation very well. It seemed that he wasn’t a scammer. I finally decided to go. After all, I’m a man. What could he possibly do to me? Soon I arrived at the hotel. Standing in front of Room 1501, I was actually a bit nervous. I summoned up my courage and was about to knock on the door when I found that the door was open. But I still knocked. Soon the door opened. I was shocked to find that it was the female student from the daytime. “You… How could it be you?” “Why can’t it be me? Your wife has caused me so much suffering.” Her words successfully piqued my interest. I followed her into the room and couldn’t wait to ask her, “What exactly do you know?” “I know a lot.” She said as she directly sat on my lap. Alarm bells rang in my mind, and I got up in a panic. “What are you doing?” She suddenly knelt in front of me, grabbed my belt, and looked up at me expectantly. “That bitch Amanda took away my boyfriend. So it’s not too much for me to take away her husband, right?” Before I could react, she pushed me back onto the sofa again. I miscalculated. I didn’t expect that she really wanted to have a physical advance on me. However, there is still a certain disparity in strength between men and women. I clamped her wrists and pressed her hands above her head. “If you mess around again, I’ll hit you.” “Just hit me. If you kill me, everything will be over, and I won’t be sad anymore.” I stared at her intently, and she didn’t flinch at all. She stared back at me with her neck stubbornly raised. After a moment of stalemate, I suddenly couldn’t help laughing. “Heh, you little brat.” She gave me a glare. After this commotion, she finally settled down and stopped making any more moves on me. I also learned from her how exactly my wife had caused her so much suffering. Her name is Cindy Shen, and my wife is her teacher. But she seduced Cindy’s boyfriend. She said that she was an orphan and was bullied by everyone at school. She was bullied every day. It was the school bully, Alex Lu, who protected her and saved her. Later, they got together. “If it weren’t for him, I would have been dead a long time ago.” “I’ve always been starved of love. Alex was very gentle to me. He was like a god to me.” “My love for him is deeply ingrained in my bones. I really can’t live without him.” Her eyes were misty with tears, and her voice was soft and slightly trembling. “Uncle, can you understand me?” A trace of pity welled up in my heart, and I let her lean against me and cry. She cried more and more bitterly, and her tears dripped onto my palm, feeling cold. My throat was dry, and I could hardly speak. I could only pat her back to comfort her. She cried herself out and fell asleep. I carried her to the bed and then opened another room next door for myself. I also left a note: “Come to Room 1502 next door to find me when you wake up tomorrow.”

The next day, she came to apologize to me. “Sorry, Uncle. ” “It’s okay. Then tell me everything about my wife and your boyfriend in detail.” “No need to say it. I’ll just take you to see it directly. What I told you yesterday was just the tip of the iceberg.” I followed Cindy to the school. She led me into the teachers’ office building with ease. Then we went to the top floor. She took out the key and pulled me into a room. I was curious. “Where is this? How do you have the key?” She said she had made a copy of it. “Since you already have the evidence, why don’t you just post it online? Then it’s just a matter of time before my wife loses her reputation.” “I want to, but Alex threatened me. He said that if I ruin Teacher Amanda, he will never see me again.” Just as I was about to speak, she suddenly put her finger to my lips. “Shh, don’t make a sound. They’re coming.” She directly pulled me into a room inside. Soon, there was a burst of laughter and noise in the corridor, followed by the sound of a key turning in the lock. My heart skipped a beat. I looked out through the gap. As soon as they entered the door, the man picked up the woman and sat her on the table. “Uncle, be gentle. Look at how eager you are.” The woman playfully punched him. I was so shocked that my whole body went numb, and my mind went blank. Who else could it be but my wife? The look of enjoyment on her face was something I had never seen before. My face instantly turned red, and I gritted my teeth so hard that they almost cracked. “Do you want to go out and tear those two scumbags apart?” Cindy said softly. “However, I advise you not to. Because your wife has more than just this man.” She named a lot of people. My face darkened inch by inch. How could she have fallen so low? “Of course, it also includes that school security guard.” That’s when I noticed the man’s uniform. “Stop talking.” I finally couldn’t hold it in and choked Cindy’s neck. She soon couldn’t breathe because of me and desperately slapped my arm. I was completely stunned. My wife had always seemed so innocent in front of me, but I never expected her to be so disgusting behind my back. I had been working so hard to earn money to support the family and wanted to give her a better life. I felt like a complete joke. “Is it done?” My wife bit her finger and asked the security guard. “Change the pose.” The security guard seemed dissatisfied with my wife’s pose. She obediently did as she was told. After taking a few more photos, the security guard obviously couldn’t hold back anymore. He threw away his phone and suddenly pushed my wife onto the sofa. I stared at all this in a daze. I couldn’t figure it out. The security guard was old enough to be her father, but at this moment, my wife was hugging him tightly. During those few minutes, I felt as if I was in hell. From the time I met my wife, fell in love with her, and then got married. “Well, do you completely believe what I said now?” Just then, my phone suddenly rang. I was so scared that I lost my wits, as if I was the one having an affair. I quickly turned off my phone. They couldn’t hear us whispering quietly, but this ringtone was very loud, and obviously they heard it too. I held my breath nervously. The two of them were also a bit flustered. The security guard came down and walked towards us, while tentatively asking, “Who’s in there?”

Suddenly, someone outside was pounding on the door vigorously. The security guard was startled. “What should we do?” But my wife opened the door calmly. A young man in a school uniform came in. He should be a student. He was quite handsome, but he looked a bit ruffian. I just noticed that there was a look of venom in Cindy’s eyes. After asking, I found out that this was her scumbag boyfriend, Alex Lu. “Teacher Amanda, you said you would come to tutor me at noon. Why didn’t you call me?” “I was afraid it would affect your studies.” My wife perfunctorily dealt with him and quickly tried to push Alex out. “Wait a minute. There seems to be someone else here.” The security guard hadn’t forgotten about this and said warily. “Go away. What are you barking for? You just don’t want me to take Teacher Amanda away, right?” Alex was obviously impatient. “Really, there was a phone ringtone just now.” “It’s mine. It’s my phone. Okay, Teacher, let’s ignore that old guy.” Cindy had been sarcastic to me just now, but now she was already in tears. There was nothing I could do, so I could only hand her a tissue. But the more she wiped, the more tears there were. Seeing that she was on the verge of losing control of her emotions and was about to cry out loud. I had to hold her tightly in my arms. Just a door away, the situation outside became even more intense. Suddenly, Cindy put her arms around my neck, and a forceful kiss landed on my lips. It came as suddenly as a storm, and I was a bit caught off guard. She deepened the kiss in an instant and instantly took away all my breath. The pleasure of revenge swept through my whole body. I held her head and began to respond with all my might. After we separated, Cindy said she wasn’t feeling well and asked the teacher for leave. Seeing her weak appearance, I had to take her to the hospital. After getting in the car, I reminded her to fasten her seat belt. But she said she was too weak to do it. I had to lean over to help her. Her pair of almond-shaped eyes stared straight at me. The distance was too close, and it was extremely ambiguous. I had to avoid her gaze. Just as I finished fastening the seat belt for her and was about to sit up, she suddenly hooked her arms around my neck and kissed me again. Just when things were about to get out of hand, I quickly pushed her away. “No, we can’t.” It was very quiet during the whole journey, and soon she fell asleep quietly. The doctor said she was stimulated. “You need to have a good rest at home. As her boyfriend, you must take good care of her.” I wanted to deny it, but Cindy directly said thank you to the doctor. On the way back, I asked her why she didn’t deny it. She said there was no need. “Sorry, don’t get me wrong. I just couldn’t control myself a bit just now.” I explained to her. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for. I took the initiative to kiss you.” I sent her back to school and then went home.

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My wife and her lover had gone too far during their tryst in the hotel, and accidentally caused the miscarriage of our child. Afterwards, she said she had been bewitched and begged me to forgive her. I suppressed my hatred and pretended to agree, but in fact, I secretly formulated a revenge plan. Not long after, my wife smiled at me and said, “Honey, I’m pregnant with your baby again. Aren’t you happy?” I nodded, forced an ugly smile, and couldn’t stop my body from shaking. Because, as early as when she had a miscarriage, I had quietly undergone a vasectomy. “Honey, say something.” My wife, Lily, sat beside me and shook my shoulder vigorously. I looked at the report form on the table and couldn’t help but be stunned. According to what it showed, she was indeed pregnant. “Honey, I feel very guilty that we couldn’t keep the previous child. Well, God has taken pity on us and given us another surprise…” She affectionately put her arm around my neck and kissed my face. “Honey, let’s live a good life from now on.” Seeing that I didn’t answer, she placed my hand on her slightly protruding belly. “Touch it. It’s our child.” Lily’s words rang in my ears, but I felt a buzzing in my head. My temples were throbbing, and my anger flared up. I wished I could kick her out of the house right then. Because, as early as when she had a miscarriage, I had already quietly undergone a vasectomy. I did it to prevent the situation where she might get pregnant with someone else’s child and expect me to be the father. I know that there are only two types of infidelity: zero times and countless times. Sure enough, my prediction was correct. I didn’t plan to expose Lily. I wanted to find that lover and make them pay the price. My thoughts drifted back to the past. That day, as soon as I got off work, I received a call from the hospital. I rushed to the hospital in a hurry, and there I saw Lily crying out in pain. She was lying on the bed, looking extremely weak. The nurse covered her mouth and giggled, and my informed friend teased me beside me. “Jack, are you usually that wild? That lover is really something, making your wife lose the baby…” My anger grew stronger and stronger, and I suddenly felt extremely humiliated. When I got up to leave, Lily grabbed my hand and weakly apologized and repented to me. “Honey, it was others who seduced me. I was just bewitched for a moment and did such a thing.” “Honey, please forgive me. We’ll have another child. I promise you.” When I heard her say these words, I felt greatly insulted. I thought that no man would be willing to live with a cuckold on his head. I had always treated her well. Since her family was poor, I had tried my best to help her. On every festival, I would present precious gifts to her, just to make her happy. Even when we quarreled, I was the one who bowed my head and admitted my mistake. Everyone said that I was her lapdog, humbly devoted to her. But I didn’t care at all. I just wanted to live a good life with her. However, I really didn’t expect that she would treat me like this. After thinking for a long time, I made a decision. I wanted a divorce, and I wanted her to leave the house with nothing, to receive the punishment she deserved. At the same time, I also wanted to find this lover and make him lose everything. In order not to expose my plan, I had to pretend to forgive Lily. From that day on, she changed her previous attitude and treated me very well. She even volunteered to wash my underwear.

After Lily got pregnant, she asked me for money more frequently, saying that she needed to eat well to give some nutrition to the baby in her belly. Did she expect me to raise the bastard in her belly? I was so angry that my whole body was shaking. But for the sake of my final plan, I endured it. I relaxed my fists and said to Lily, who was about to go out, “Come back early, dear. Don’t be too tired when you go shopping with your best friend. Be careful with our baby in your belly.” A trace of guilt flashed across her face, and she smiled and nodded at me. But seeing how meticulously she was dressed, it didn’t seem like she was going to meet her best friend. I was very suspicious, so I tailed her all the way downstairs. To my surprise, she got into a car driven by a young man who looked only about 20 years old. The moment the young man rolled up the car window, I saw them kissing passionately. Their behavior was extremely intimate… I gritted my teeth in hatred, wishing I could send these two people to hell. Based on the young man’s clothes and demeanor, I was sure that he was a college student. And judging from his car, he wasn’t from a wealthy family. I suddenly remembered that in recent days, Lily had asked me for money more and more often. After careful consideration, I realized that she had been using my money to support a young lover outside. It was ridiculous, truly ridiculous. It seemed that I had to take action. When I got home, I sent a photo of this young man to my friend. After some investigation, I found out that this young man was not simple. He was a con artist, a womanizer, and a real scumbag. He had tricked many girls into sleeping with him, and he had taken short videos of them. He threatened them that if they didn’t give him money, he would post those videos online. It was really hateful! Why didn’t such a scumbag go to hell? I furiously typed on the keyboard and said to my friend, “In that case, let him get addicted to gambling!” The other side replied, “Leave it to me. No problem!” After sending the message, I fell into a deep sleep. In my dreams, I would always dream of Lily. I would dream of her wearing a white dress and smiling at me. But soon, several men would appear beside her. She would allow the men’s hands to reach towards her body. I wanted to step forward and stop them, but she would curse at me. “Jack, you’re such a clown.” “How does it feel to be cuckolded? It must be terrible, right?” I woke up in a rage. Just as I was about to get out of bed to get a drink of water, Lily came back. Her body, which smelled of perfume, also had a strong smell of smoke. At the same time, she was holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand. She put the flowers in the vase and took good care of them, not noticing at all that I was glaring at her with hatred. “I’m going to take a shower first, honey.” “Be careful. Don’t fall.” I replied to her as if nothing was wrong. Watching her throw her bag on the sofa and walk straight into the bathroom, I opened the bag. Everything inside shocked me. The first thing that caught my eye was a set of torn – up sexy lingerie. Then, I saw some props… Heh, they really knew how to have wild fun! In front of everyone, Lily seemed innocent and cute. I never expected that she had this side to her. I vaguely remembered that every time we had sex, she wasn’t very active. If I hadn’t begged her humbly, she wouldn’t have let me touch her. I had thought that she was a conservative and reserved person. But now, she had willingly turned into a maid to please other men. I was extremely angry, but then I suddenly saw her phone screen light up. Someone had sent her a message. After unlocking the phone, I clicked into WeChat. At the top was a male profile picture, and the 备注 was “Little Baby”. After mentally preparing myself, I clicked in. “How did you feel this time? Was I strong enough, baby? Don’t you think you should give me more hard – earned money? I worked so hard…” “Sweetie, am I much better than your useless husband?” “By the way, your husband is really stupid.” I was startled and frowned. I thought to myself, “Could it be that things are far more complicated than I imagined?” I continued to slide my finger on the screen. “I was too rough last time, which caused you to have a miscarriage… Sweetie, you won’t blame me, will you?” Damn it, so I had been kept in the dark all this time. This person was the adulterer who had caused her to have a miscarriage. After reading these words, I couldn’t help but wonder if the child before her miscarriage wasn’t mine either. When I scrolled down to the next page of the chat history, I couldn’t sit still anymore. “Sweetie, you have to take good care of our baby now.” “Don’t let it be like last time…” Sure enough, neither of the children was mine! Next, I saw Lily’s reply. “Oh, you’re so naughty. My husband is actually quite nice. He’s very honest. It’s just that he’s a bit stupid…” “Silly sweetie, if he wasn’t stupid, how could we be together?” The chat history ended there. I was so angry that my eyes turned red. With my trembling hand, I clicked on the young man’s Moments. He had posted many photos of branded clothes, shoes, and watches. The caption was, “Thank you, sweetie. You’re so generous!” At that moment, I wanted to smash this phone. All these years, the money I had earned so hard had been used by her to support her young lover! My parents had cared so much about her. They had bought her gold jewelry, various skincare products, and expensive bags every month…

After forwarding thousands of chat records to my own phone, I stuffed Lily’s things into her bag. She came out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, but she was furtively touching her neck. I asked irritably, “What are you doing? Is your neck injured?” Her eyes flickered, and she stammered, “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a few mosquito bites…” After clearly seeing the red marks on her neck, I gritted my teeth so hard that they clicked. When Lily saw the anger on my face, she quickly came to hug me flatteringly. “Honey, I’m so tired from shopping today.” “You don’t even know how to feel sorry for me!” Feel sorry for her? I suppressed my hatred and forced a smile. “How could that be? Husband loves you the most!” When I was going to bed, I received a message from my friend. He said that the young lover was a student that Amy had once sponsored. Tom came from a poor family. There was only his old father at home doing farm work. His father had worked hard all his life just to support him through college. Unexpectedly, he had gone bad and used his father’s hard – earned money to pick up girls and drink. Damn it, it was really bad. He was such a beast. Before I could say anything, my friend continued, “Tom, he used to date your sister…” What? So my sister had been crying and threatening to commit suicide because of him? Before I could think further, my friend said, “That beast named Tom took private videos of your sister…” This time, I was finally extremely angry. I covered my chest and couldn’t breathe for a long time. I clenched my fists and was determined to tear Tom to pieces. My sister, whom I had doted on for 18 years, had been so terribly hurt by this scumbag. This was too much! I immediately said to my friend, “No matter how much it costs, I want to make Tom go down the road of no return and make him lose everything.” The next day, as soon as it was light, I drove to my sister’s house. My sister, Emily, was listless and had no interest in anything. She had something on her mind but didn’t want to tell us. I bought her a lot of beautiful clothes and took her out for a big meal. Finally, she nestled in my arms and told me what was on her mind. Since Tom had taken the videos of my sister, she had been giving him 1,000 yuan every month as hush money. The more my sister talked, the more upset she became. She cried loudly, and her eyes were as red as a little rabbit’s. As her brother, I also felt extremely guilty. That night, I had people catch Tom and take him to an alley. He had a black bag over his head, and his mouth was stuffed with my friend’s stinky sock. He could only make whimpering sounds. I was the first to punch him in the body, and then my friends swarmed in. It was not until someone pulled me away and told me not to make a big scene that I loosened my fists. Then, I opened his phone and the first thing I saw in the album was a video of Lily. Her face flashed by in the video, but I still saw it clearly, especially the big gold bracelet she was wearing, which I had bought for her a few days ago. Lily was extremely proactive in the video, and her expression showed enjoyment. There were only two words to describe it. Dirty! Lewd! I had never known that she could be so wild. A lady in public and a slut in bed was exactly what she was like. I secretly transferred the video to my own phone and made a backup. Now, I had more and more evidence. Then, it took me a few minutes to delete all the videos of the girls that had been secretly taken. One of my friends couldn’t stand such a scumbag either. He spat on Tom’s face and cursed, “Damn it, didn’t your mother teach you how to respect women?” “You’re such a scumbag. And you’re supposed to be a college student. I think you’re a beast.”

When I got home, I saw Lily looking anxious and about to go out with her bag. I grabbed her hand and twitched the corner of my mouth. “Honey, it’s so late. Are you still going out?” She swallowed and said quickly, “My friend is sick, and I have to go see him.” “Really? Let me drive you there.” She shook her head, looking a bit flustered. “It’s okay, honey. You’ve been working all day and are very tired. I’ll just take a taxi. You go to bed early.” Lily quickly pulled her hand away from mine and rushed out the door. I smiled. It seemed that Tom was seriously injured. I gave a cold snort. The good show was just beginning! With the help of my friend, Tom finally owed a lot of money in the casino. Facing the huge debt, the first person he thought of was Lily. Occasionally, I saw the messages he sent to Lily. “Sweetie, save the child’s life.” “Where’s your stupid and rich husband? Ask him to pay off my debt for me.” “Otherwise, you might as well just kill him and inherit all his property.” “Anyway, you hate it when he touches you. You even said he looks like a gorilla and that you feel disgusted when he touches you. Out of sight, out of mind. Sweetie, just kill him.” The rest were Lily’s replies. “No, I’ll go to jail for that. Okay, I’ll go ask him for some money first…” Heh, I never expected that the reason Lily refused Tom’s request was that she was afraid of going to jail. It seemed that she didn’t care about our years of relationship at all. Very well. Since you’re heartless, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Sure enough, when I got home from work, Lily had already prepared a table full of dishes. When she saw me come in, she rushed to take my bag and even bent down to change my shoes for me. I pretended to be concerned and helped her up. “Honey, we can’t hurt our baby.” “Okay, honey. I made your favorite dishes. Come and take a look.” At the dinner table, Lily casually mentioned that she was short of money recently, but I was too busy eating to pay attention to her. After a while, she finally got angry and slammed her chopsticks in front of me. I was so startled that I almost stood up and slapped her. But reason overcame my impulse. I pursed my lips and asked her, “Are you crazy, Lily!” Lily was even angrier. She seemed not to have expected that I would shout at her. Well, after being married for so long, I had hardly ever been angry with her. “Jack, how dare you… shout at me?” Her eyes turned red with anger, and she stood up to question me. “After all these years, what have you given me? Other people’s husbands are handsome and rich. But what about you?” “Back then, I should have listened to my parents and not married you!” Hmph, if you hadn’t married me, I would have regretted marrying you too. It’s not that I don’t have money. It’s just that you’re too greedy. But I still didn’t say these words out loud. This wasn’t the time to break the situation. But Lily kept talking more and more excitedly, trampling on my dignity without any reservation. “Jack, do you know how disgusting you are? Every time you touch me, I feel like vomiting.” “And you, you’re not good in bed either!” This time, she completely infuriated me. I believe that no man would let others say such things about him, especially his own wife. “Lily, have you forgotten the dirty things you’ve done?” “You’re a slut. What right do you have to shout here?” Lily was so enraged by my words that she threw a tantrum, lying on the ground and yelling loudly. “Domestic violence! The husband is hitting me! I’m so unlucky.” “Woohoo, I’ve really had a hard time.” With one hand, she stroked her belly, and with the other, she wiped away her tears. Before long, the neighbors were drawn in by her commotion. Without bothering to ascertain the facts, everyone said that I had bullied Lily. When Lily saw that someone was speaking up for her, a triumphant smirk crossed her lips. The neighbors all berated me as a domestic abuser, and I was left speechless, unable to defend myself. Lily started shouting again, “Poor little one, mommy doesn’t even have the money to take you for a prenatal check-up. It’s all your father’s fault for not giving us any money!” Upon hearing these words, the neighbors grew even more agitated. Some even wanted to come over and teach me a lesson on Lily’s behalf. In desperation, I angrily tossed five hundred yuan in Lily’s face. I really wanted to fling out my vasectomy report, but it still wasn’t the right moment. I couldn’t let my meticulously planned scheme fall apart at the crucial stage.

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My husband, Ethan, died in the sea while trying to save his first love, Isabella. When they informed me, his body was almost completely eaten by fish. The staff asked me if I still wanted to salvage it. I waved my hand and firmly said I wouldn’t waste public resources. With the certificate issued by the police, I directly cancelled Ethan’s household registration. After contacting Ethan’s lawyer, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. I opened a bottle of champagne late at night. I could originally only get half of the property, but now I can get two-thirds of it. I definitely have to celebrate. …… My husband, Ethan, is dead. He took his first love, Isabella, on a ferry cruise. They encountered a huge wave, and the boat hit a reef. He gave the chance of survival to Isabella, but he himself died in the sea. When the police informed me, his head had been eaten by a shark. The headless body floated on the water. At first, several fishermen wanted to fish him out, but then another shark came and carried him away in its mouth. So they only salvaged Ethan’s wallet and mobile phone. As a much-watched entrepreneur in this city, everyone wanted to find Ethan’s body. The police asked me if I needed to hire a rescue team to search for it. I waved my hand and said, “No, I will never waste public resources.” An hour later, I went to cancel his household registration with the certificate given by the police. The staff shed two tears when seeing his ID card. “Mr. Ethan was a very kind person. Mrs. Ethan, please accept my condolences.” I laughed out loud. She was right. Ethan was a very kind person. He was supposed to go with me to get a divorce certificate in a couple of days and then get a marriage certificate with Isabella. But he died, leaving me a large sum of inheritance. Without a body, I could only burn some of Ethan’s things as an alternative to his ashes. So I burned the useless waste paper in his company office and his daily necessities. After burning them, I put the ashes in a plastic bag, thinking of buying an urn the next day. I contacted the lawyer and started to liquidate Ethan’s property. There were six companies, eight cars, sixty-six storefronts, eighty-eight houses, gold bars in the bank, and the funds and stocks in his hands. While I was counting how many zeros there were in total, the lawyer told me, “Mr. Ethan had already transferred the ownership of two properties to Ms. Isabella during his lifetime.” What! I won’t allow anyone to ruin my lucky numbers. I turned to the lawyer and asked, “I should be able to recover the things Ethan gave her, right?” As expected of a lawyer with an annual income of millions, he understood immediately. That day, Ethan’s waterlogged mobile phone had its data restored, and in the afternoon, my lawyer’s letter was delivered to Isabella’s home. When Isabella came, I had just opened a bottle of champagne. She directly picked up the glass and splashed it on my face, shouting, “Gina, what does this lawyer’s letter you sent mean?” I dodged to the side, and the liquid in the glass all fell on the carpet. “My Italian handmade carpet,” I said with a pained expression as I looked at Isabella, “This is also included in that. You have to compensate me for it later.” “Who gave you the courage to ask me for these things? These were all given to me by Ethan. We were about to get married, and these are all mine.” “Ms. Isabella, do you understand the law?” I sneered, “The things Ethan gave you belong to the joint property of the husband and wife, and I have the right to ask you to return them.” Isabella’s face turned pale, and she took out her mobile phone, saying, “You must not have discussed these things with Ethan. I’m going to call him right now. Just wait, he won’t let you off.” Seeing this, I laughed out loud and said, “Stop calling. You can’t get through. Ethan is in the belly of a shark now.”

Isabella’s eyebrows and eyes were almost twisted together. “Gina, you are so vicious. After all, you two were husband and wife. Do you really have to curse him like this?” After she finished shouting, I took out Ethan’s ID card that had been cut into two pieces from my bag and said, “What? Don’t you believe it? This is his ID card. I just cut it this morning.” Isabella looked at the two halves of the ID card and was stunned for a moment, still not believing it. “You must be playing some trick. I’m going to call him right now. You won’t get a single penny.” She dialed a few numbers on her mobile phone, and soon the mobile phone in my bag rang. I took out Ethan’s mobile phone from my bag, and the word “Wife” was flashing on the screen. Isabella’s face turned pale instantly. “Why is his mobile phone with you?” “I’ve already told you that he’s dead.” “Then where’s his body?” “It was eaten by a shark.” I spread my hands, “Ms. Isabella, have you forgotten that you two went on the cruise together? Why did you come back alone?” “I thought, I thought…” Isabella squatted down directly, her whole body started shaking, her eyes turned red instantly, and tears fell like pearls. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. My Italian handmade carpet! Tears are dirty too, okay? Isabella cried for a while, and suddenly stood up and ran towards the pillar in the living room. “Ethan, I’ll die with you!” I was so scared that I quickly took a few steps back and picked up my mobile phone to make a call. “Comrade police, come quickly. Someone is trying to commit suicide in my house.” The police came quickly. After understanding the situation, they took Isabella away. Before going out, I didn’t forget to remind her. “Remember to return my things. Otherwise, I’ll sue you.” One of the police officers glanced at me, and his eyes seemed to be saying, “She’s in such a state, and you’re still provoking her.” I shrugged. That was several million yuan. Who wouldn’t be in a hurry? The next day, I started thinking about arranging a funeral for Ethan. After all, he had so many wealthy relatives, and I had given them money for weddings and funerals in the past two years. Now it was time to get something back. I informed a bunch of Ethan’s relatives and found a master to go with me to choose a cemetery for him. But I didn’t like any of the geomantically good places the master chose. I liked the one on the far side. It was bare, with nothing growing on it. The master said, “No. If he’s buried there, your husband’s descendants will have a very hard life.” I clapped my hands and said, “That’s great. Let’s choose this one. The geomancy is so good, and it’s also cheap.” Anyway, I didn’t have a child with Ethan, and there wouldn’t be any descendants. After buying the cemetery and the urn, I found a funeral company and held a rather grand funeral for Ethan. At the funeral, I pretended to cry while glancing at the money given as gifts. Sure enough, they were all wealthy people. The money they gave was getting thicker and thicker, and I almost laughed out loud. When the funeral was about to end, Isabella came. She was dressed in black and was holding the hand of a seven or eight-year-old boy. She directly walked towards Ethan’s photo. The already quiet funeral scene became even quieter. Everyone’s eyes and ears were wide open. “Zach.” Isabella’s voice sounded very weak, “Kneel down! This is your father.” When the little boy was about to kneel, I directly ran over and helped him up. “Little boy, you can’t just call someone your father randomly.” Isabella was anxious. “He is my son with Ethan!” “Oh.” I lowered my eyes, “You say so, but I don’t believe it. Who can prove it?” “We can prove it.” Two more people appeared at the door. They were my long-lost mother-in-law, Victoria, and father-in-law, Henry.

“You bitch, Gina!” As soon as Victoria saw me, she rushed towards me directly, “My son is dead, and you informed everyone but us. What’s your intention?” How could I let her hit me? I stepped back and waved my hand, and immediately someone came up to stop her. I said, “Mom, didn’t you tell me not to contact you unless I was dead?” It seemed that Victoria had forgotten about it. That year, she drove me out of the house and said this to me. “You poisonous woman. My son must have been killed by you! You did such despicable things for money. You won’t end well!” Victoria kept rushing towards me. She probably wanted to scratch my face. Fortunately, the bodyguards I hired were very capable. They held her tightly and didn’t give her any chance. “Mom, don’t you know how Ethan died? He was with Ms. Isabella…” “Zach, come and call your grandparents!” Isabella directly interrupted my words and pulled the child over. Victoria immediately bent down and touched the child’s face. “This is our grandson of the Henry family. He looks exactly like Ethan when he was a child.” Then she looked at Isabella and said, “You’ve been through so much these years, Isabella. You raised the child all by yourself.” Looking at this scene of recognizing relatives, I felt a little disgusted. I kindly reminded her, “Mom, you believe everything she says? We still don’t know whose child this is.” Hearing this, Isabella got angry. “Gina, are you saying that this child is not Ethan’s? I’m telling you, this child was born to me and Ethan. When we broke up, I was already pregnant. I’ve been living with the child all these years.” Victoria also chimed in, “This child is clearly from our Henry family. You bad woman. You can’t have a child yourself, and you’re jealous of others having a child.” Seeing that Victoria was on her side, Isabella became more confident. She began to cry about how hard it was for her to raise the child these years and how much discrimination a single mother had suffered. “Oh, really?” I mercilessly exposed her, “I heard that you got married to someone else abroad and were dumped because of an affair.” “You’re talking nonsense!” Isabella had tears in her eyes and turned to Victoria, “I can endure it myself, but it’s really pitiful for the child not to have a father.” Victoria was also affected and started scolding me, “Gina, you’re a woman who can’t have children. You haven’t been a mother, so you don’t understand. I understand Isabella.” I said softly, “Mom, even if this child is really Ethan’s, there should be evidence, right? Otherwise, if anyone brings a child and says it’s your grandson, will you just recognize it?” “I have evidence.” Isabella straightened her back, “At first, Ethan didn’t believe that Zach was his child either, so we did a paternity test. That paternity test is still in the drawer of his office. Mom, if you go and have a look, you’ll know.” Oh. It hasn’t even been confirmed yet. Not only me, but everyone present had a very interesting expression on their faces. This funeral was really lively. Everyone was here. As soon as Victoria heard this, she quickly asked someone to go to Ethan’s office to get that paternity test. I tried to stop her again, “Mom, let’s talk about this after the funeral. It won’t look good if it makes a big scene with so many people here.” Victoria snorted coldly, “What’s wrong, Gina? Are you afraid that after the paternity test comes out, this child will be able to compete with you for the inheritance? I’m telling you, you should be more generous. If I were in your position, I would definitely recognize Zach.” I couldn’t persuade her at all. After Isabella told the specific location of the paternity test, someone quickly went to Ethan’s company. I also took the opportunity to make a phone call. Less than half an hour later, that person came back.

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I transmigrated into a novel as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family, while my best friend became their biological daughter. The rich family hated me for taking their daughter’s place and threw me out on the streets. Thankfully, my best friend helped me out and even treated me to high-end escort services at bars. But I mistook the CEO of Thompson Corporation for an escort and confessed to him with a wad of cash. He accepted. After a year of dating, I realized that Lucas was asexual and never touched me. He was also a control freak who kept me locked up at home for three months, not allowing me to go out. I cried to my best friend, “Lucas is an asexual control freak!” She hugged me and complained, “My parents want me to marry a 60-year-old man who’s impotent!” We both burst into tears. “I want to break up. What about you?” “If you break up, I’ll run away from my marriage!” Soon after, a car accident off a cliff supposedly killed both the Bennett family’s biological daughter and their former adopted daughter. Meanwhile, in the romantic city of Paris, two wealthy women appeared, waiting to encounter true love.

I woke up early to make breakfast, the sky barely light outside. After preparing sandwiches and heating milk, I went into Lucas’s room, opened the curtains, and woke him up. “What’s with the sudden kindness? What do you want?” He frowned, his handsome face showing suspicion. “Sophia asked me to go out with her,” I hesitated before continuing, “just to chat.” Lucas stared at me intently, “Is she taking you to bars for escort services again? She’s always a bad influence on you!” I mentally rolled my eyes. He used to be a regular at bars too, and now that he doesn’t go, he won’t let others have fun? Suppressing the urge to argue, I explained softly, “I haven’t been out for three months.” He paused, then reluctantly nodded in agreement. Lucas had a strong need to control me. Three months ago, I quit my job and had no income source, relying on him for all expenses. He kept me confined at home, not allowing me to go anywhere. But after today, he would no longer be able to control me. Because I was meeting Sophia to find a way to break up with him. Sophia and I had transmigrated into this world as the real and fake daughters of a wealthy family. She was the biological daughter, cherished and loved by the rich family after being found. I was the fake daughter, kicked out of the family when my identity was exposed. Due to her family’s interference, Sophia couldn’t directly help me. She could only occasionally send me gifts and cover my expenses for escort services when we went out to bars. That’s how I met Lucas at a bar. In the dim light, his face was stunningly handsome, instantly capturing my heart. Not to mention his muscles, clearly visible even through his shirt. I jokingly asked to book him and even confessed my feelings. Later, I found out he was a VIP guest of the bar owner, not an escort. But he accepted my confession anyway. After a year of dating, I discovered that Lucas was asexual. He was the CEO of his company and always busy. He spent half his time staying at the office working overtime. And when he came home, he always brought work with him. By the time he got into bed next to me, I was either already asleep. Or we would only help each other with our hands, which was hardly satisfying. Although he did respond when I helped him, in a whole year, we never had any substantial physical relationship. Several times, I wanted to threaten him with breaking up. But every time I saw his face, which was exactly my type, I swallowed my words. I didn’t take the initiative, and Lucas became even more distant. In the end, we even slept in separate rooms. Three months ago, the job I had for half a year was ruined again by my former adoptive parents from the rich family. I was sighing and feeling down at home, in a very bad mood. But Lucas didn’t seem to care. He even proposed not letting me go out. After giving me a credit card, he kept me at home every day. A man so asexual, full of bad habits, and without any sense of romance. Even with such a handsome face and good body, I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided to break up with him. But I was also a bit afraid of him. After a year of dating, I knew very well what kind of person Lucas was. If I brought up breaking up first, the consequences would probably be very serious. That’s why I needed to see Sophia, to ask her to help me think of a way.

We hadn’t seen each other for three months. Sophia looked at me with tears in her eyes, scolding me for valuing love over friendship. “We’re best friends, how could you not see me just because you got a boyfriend? This is the first time we’ve been apart for so long, waaah…” I couldn’t help but tear up too. Lucas was asexual and had such strong control issues. After three months, I was almost going crazy staying at home. Such a miserable life, compared to before, was like heaven and earth. Two years ago, when I first transmigrated, I had already been kicked out of the rich family. My work was also suppressed, and I had no money at all. Because I couldn’t pay rent, I was evicted by the landlord. I was in a sorry state, dragging my suitcase along the street. A luxury car stopped beside me and lowered its window, revealing a familiar face. “Ava?” “Sophia?” We recognized each other on the street and hugged each other, crying our eyes out, while passersby looked at us like we were crazy. After that, I moved into one of Sophia’s properties, and only then did I realize we were actually the real and fake daughters. She said she suspected I was the fake daughter when she found out about my existence. She never expected to guess correctly. “Why didn’t you come find me earlier? I’ve been waiting for you for so long, bestie.” “Well, my family wouldn’t tell me anything about you. I had just returned to the family and didn’t know many people, so I had no way to find out about you.” “If I move into your house, won’t your parents find out?” Sophia only then realized the problem and quickly rented another place for me. But it was too late. When her parents found out, they gave her a strict order not to have much contact with me. They even specially arranged a driver to monitor her. But these obstacles were nothing for me and Sophia. We met at bars every time, as that was the only place the driver wouldn’t follow her in. Relying on the gifts Sophia sent me occasionally and some intermittent work, my life was quite comfortable. But three months ago, I was once again suppressed by my former adoptive parents and completely lost my job. I originally didn’t plan to tell Sophia, to avoid putting her in a difficult position. At worst, I would just fulfill the wishes of my former adoptive parents and leave New York. After all, they treated Sophia well, so I had nothing to worry about. But since I quit my job, Lucas’s controlling behavior became more and more severe. I always suspected he had some psychological issues. “Sophia,” I held onto her arm and said seriously, “Lucas is an asexual control freak. He won’t let me see you, but I’ve made up my mind, I want to break up with him!” Sophia was stunned for a moment. Then she hugged me tightly and cried in my arms. I quickly comforted her, “Shouldn’t you be happy? If I break up, we can see each other often again.” She sobbed and said, “I am happy for you, I just thought of myself…” “My parents are forcing me into an arranged marriage, they want me to marry a 60-year-old man. He’s not asexual, but he’s impotent!” “Ava, what should I do?” Sophia and I grew up together like childhood sweethearts. I knew how much she longed for love. Even if she married a scumbag for love and ended up being cheated on, she still believed in love. While I only believed in the power of money. That’s why I confessed to Lucas when I thought he was an escort. As a result, we transmigrated. She was being forced to marry a 60-year-old man. And my belief in money didn’t work out either, instead, I was being controlled by a man. Unable to think of a solution for the moment, I could only comfort Sophia, “Didn’t you say your parents treat you well? They cherish you like a jewel after finding you. If you beg them, they’ll surely soften up.” “Give me some advice first, I really can’t wait any longer to break up.” Sophia pouted and cried out loud, “I’ve already begged them, but they insist on me marrying him. Do you think I can fall in love with a 60-year-old man? I don’t want to marry someone I don’t love…” I thought Sophia was the cherished biological daughter, but it turned out she still had to sacrifice her own happiness. A surge of anger rose in my heart. After crying, Sophia asked me between sobs, “Are you really sure you want to break up?” I nodded. She hugged my shoulders tightly, “Then you break up, and I’ll run away from the marriage!” I hesitated, “With the Bennett family’s power, can you really escape this marriage?” Sophia: “Even if I can’t escape, I have to try. I’d rather die than marry a 60-year-old man!”

As soon as Sophia finished speaking, my eyes lit up. Yes, we could ‘die’! The Bennett family and Lucas had enormous power, if we just hid, we would definitely be found. Only by faking our deaths could we escape their control. After repeatedly confirming that she would rather give up her wealth than go through with the arranged marriage, I told her my idea. The Bennett family was very concerned about our movements, so we had to die together. One after the other would easily arouse suspicion. I told her to look into luxury cruise trips abroad and set a final deadline based on the engagement date. To ensure our future life, I instructed her to sell her luxury items and deposit the money into an overseas bank account… We also planned which country we would settle in. “I like Paris, it’s the city of romance. I’m sure I can find true love there,” Sophia said with dreamy eyes. As we chatted, only an hour passed, and the bar’s night scene was just heating up. But both Sophia’s and my phones rang one after another. Her parents called to urge her to come home. And Lucas told me he had finished work early and was coming to pick me up. I could only arrange to chat with her on the phone and hurried to the back door, leaving the bar before Sophia’s driver came in. Lucas was waiting at the back door. Before I could fasten my seatbelt, the car sped off. The sports car was a convertible, and we drove like lightning to the garage. The wind made my eyes dry, and I got out of the car with a pale face. I must look very disheveled now, he did it on purpose, just wanting to see me look bad! “What’s wrong with you? I was only in the bar for an hour, barely said anything, is there any need to get angry and drive so fast?” I glared at Lucas, unable to help but jab at him. “I’m sorry.” His face was calm as he apologized frankly, which left me not knowing what to say. After entering the house, he broke the silence and asked, “What did you talk about? Did she mention anything about the Bennett family’s arranged marriage?” I was surprised that he also knew about Sophia being forced into marriage. But more than that, I felt guilty, after all, Sophia and I had gossiped about his asexuality. “She said it’s been too long since we met,” I chose my words carefully, “and she invited me to go traveling with her.” “Is she complaining about me?” Lucas examined my expression and said in a flat tone, “You don’t have a job, I let you stay at home to rest, it’s for your own good!” Seeing that I didn’t answer and remained noncommittal, he continued in a harsh tone, “Anyway, I won’t allow you to see her again.” “She’s from the Bennett family, and the Bennetts are competitors with Thompson Corporation. Her approaching you definitely isn’t with good intentions.” I mentally rolled my eyes. He really doesn’t understand my relationship with Sophia. With our years of friendship, I can be sure she would never harm me. But I knew this wasn’t the time to argue, so I just placated him, “You’re right, I’ll do as you say.” Lucas frowned. This was the first time I had expressed an uncooperative, non-compliant attitude. After all, since we started dating, I had always gone along with him and followed his lead. In his view, Sophia and I, as the real and fake daughters, must be enemies. My repeatedly sabotaged jobs were evidence of this. But I knew her difficulties. Her parents hated the fake daughter for taking their place, which didn’t conflict with them being good to Sophia. I didn’t want to make things difficult for Sophia. I had tried to explain to Lucas. But he couldn’t understand at all. How could the real and fake daughters be best friends? Over time, I got tired of explaining to him. I continued to hang out with Sophia in private as usual. Until I lost my last job, and he started forbidding me from going out. Perhaps my placating attitude made Lucas dissatisfied. He turned my body to face him, stared at me intently, and said in a cold tone. “I’m not trying to interfere with your friendships, but Sophia Bennett is not acceptable.” “You can go out and play tomorrow, but you’re not allowed to see her again!” I remained silent for a while, then finally nodded and agreed to his demand. I definitely wouldn’t be seeing Sophia anytime soon, but in the future, we would always be together. Sophia and I were going to escape from this place.

That night, lying in bed. I was discussing the fake death plan with Sophia on my phone. Just thinking about soon being free from Lucas’s control, I couldn’t calm down for a long time. Lucas, who usually worked very late and had been sleeping in a separate room recently, came to the bedroom early, contrary to his usual behavior. After glancing at my phone screen, he declared, “Chatting with Sophia Bennett again?” I quickly turned off the screen and hid under the covers, not answering his question. Lucas lay down beside me, his movements gentle, “Are you still upset that I won’t let you see her?” He sighed helplessly. Moving closer to me, he reached out and pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly. I stiffened, not daring to move for a moment. Lucas’s embrace was very warm and gave a sense of security. In our year of dating, what I liked most was cuddling up to him like a sloth. But he was asexual and didn’t like much physical contact with me. Such cozy moments were always rare. So at this moment, I strangely craved this feeling. But I knew it wasn’t right to think this way. Probably any tall man’s embrace would make me feel warm and secure. They wouldn’t be like Lucas, who was asexual and controlling. I didn’t need to give up the whole forest for him. But would other men be as handsome and rich as him, with such a good body? After all, every time we helped each other, his abs and pecs felt really good to touch… A night of wild thoughts. When I woke up, Lucas had already gone to work. After getting ready, I went on a shopping spree at the mall with his credit card, buying lots of gold jewelry. Worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. It’s his own card, might as well use it. After dismissing the driver Lucas had assigned to me, I took the heavy jewelry to an antique shop. The shop owner led me to a back room. I dropped my bag on the table, unzipped it, and revealed the jewelry boxes inside. I felt a secret thrill – the feeling of flashing gold jewelry was really quite nice. The shop owner counted and weighed the items, then put them away in a cabinet and asked, “Didn’t you say before that you weren’t leaving? What made you change your mind now?” I had met her when I first transmigrated here. At that time, I was forced out of work by the Bennett family. It was the shop owner who helped me. She told me she had connections and could get me a quick visa to Europe or America. And it would be a work visa. At the time, I was amazed at her far-reaching connections and was very tempted by her offer. But then I met Sophia, and I gave up on the idea. “Two people,” I said, without answering her question. I sent her Sophia’s and my identity information, “As soon as possible. I don’t have cash, if this jewelry isn’t enough, let me know and I’ll get more.” “Don’t worry, the jewelry is legitimate, I still have all the receipts inside.” The shop owner was a smart woman and didn’t ask why I was in such a hurry to leave the country. “With expedited processing, it can be done in a week. I’ll send you the required documents and papers when it’s time.” Hearing her calm words, I felt relieved. Besides wanting to escape from Lucas, Sophia’s situation couldn’t wait either. Her family had indeed arranged her marriage, and even sent out engagement party invitations. God knows how horrified I was when I saw that electronic invitation yesterday. That night. Lucas again stopped work early and came to the bedroom. Seeing that I had already turned off the lights and gone to sleep, he looked surprised, “Why are you sleeping so early today?” I was a bit nervous, worried he would ask about the gold jewelry purchase. But I guess that amount of money didn’t mean much to him. He didn’t inquire about it. After lying down next to me, he gently took my hand and placed it on his abs. In our year of dating, not having any substantial physical relationship with him had always been my regret. I unconsciously pressed my hand against his abs. Feeling the firm, smooth, and elastic muscles under my hand. Lucas let out a muffled groan, gripping my hand tightly, his fingertips caressing my palm. My heart heated up in response. Now like this, was he trying to seduce me?

He was actively seducing me. With a body and looks like that, wouldn’t I be missing out if I didn’t indulge? Realizing this, I boldly caressed his abs. Inch by inch, feeling his warmth, my hand slowly moved lower. Following my actions, Lucas’s shirt came off, and he let out heavy breaths. Just as I was about to reach the crucial area. He grabbed my wrist and sat up, turning on the bedside lamp. In the dim, intimate light, his well-defined but not overly bulky muscles looked even more tempting. My mind went blank, and I propped myself up, covering his lips with mine. Lucas froze for a moment, then put his hand on the back of my head, deepening the kiss. After several seconds, I could barely breathe. When we parted, a silver thread connected our lips. Before I could catch my breath, a flurry of kisses landed on my body. From my forehead down, passing my earlobe, throat, all the way to just above my chest… I felt like everywhere he kissed was on fire. I looked up at him with raised eyebrows, arching my upper body slightly. At this moment, silence spoke louder than words. Lucas chuckled softly, reassuringly pecked my lips, then buried his head in front of my chest. My chest heaved rapidly, and some soft moans escaped my lips. The next second, his hands also began to roam wildly over my body. “Is this okay?” he asked huskily in my ear, his voice full of desire. I softly agreed, and then a pain came from inside my body. But with his gentle movements, this pain soon turned into pleasure. My hands unconsciously climbed onto his shoulders. He held me tightly in his arms, inescapable, again and again. The intimate atmosphere in the room grew thicker, the dim light casting our intertwined shadows on the wall, entangled all night long. Wasn’t Lucas supposed to be asexual? What happened today? It wasn’t until dawn, when I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, that he finally let me go. The next day. When I woke up, it was already noon. My body was so sore I didn’t have the strength to get out of bed, and my throat was too hoarse to speak. Fortunately, Lucas had been considerate enough to help clean me up, dress me, and even change the sheets and blanket. I picked up the water glass, took a sip, and put it down with a clinking sound. Lucas, who should have gone to work, quickly opened the door and hurried to the bedside, helping me sit up. I looked down at the marks all over my chest under my nightgown and couldn’t help but frown. I didn’t need to imagine; my neck was probably in a similar state. “Why didn’t you sleep a bit longer?” Lucas asked gently. His voice was unbelievably soft. I examined him, feeling a bit confused and somewhat distressed. Could it be that Lucas wasn’t asexual? For two years of our relationship, no matter how much I initiated, he never responded. Yet just when I had decided to escape his control, he let me have a taste of him. I felt utterly helpless. What a situation this was. Seeing that I didn’t speak, he wasn’t annoyed. He brought in some food and placed it on the bedside table: “You must be hungry, eat something.” I silently took a bite of the soup dumpling and made a request: “I want to go out shopping tomorrow too.” The shop owner had sent me the required documents last night. I had to meet Sophia, get her documents, and then deliver everything to her. Lucas paused, then asked, “Didn’t you shop enough yesterday? The driver said you dismissed him. Where did you go? Don’t do that again in the future.” My heart sank. The little hesitation I had felt because of our physical encounter dissipated. His need for control was really too strong. Softening now would be irresponsible to myself. I turned my back to him, my expression cold. After a while, a voice came from behind: “Remember to take the driver when you go out, don’t lose him.”

A week ago. I once again ditched the driver and went to the antique shop to hand over the documents to the owner. After returning home, Lucas strictly forbade me from going out. But today was Sophia’s engagement party. Even though Thompson Corporation and the Bennett family were competitors, they still had some interactions. Lucas took me to attend the party. The Bennett family had booked an entire floor of a luxury hotel, making quite a grand spectacle. The hall was crowded with people. I drank two glasses of wine and excused myself to go to the bathroom, arriving at the door of the makeup room. Sophia had chased away all the makeup artists, so I slipped in easily. I handed her the sportswear I had prepared in advance, then changed out of my formal dress, only to find that Sophia hadn’t moved at all. I flicked her forehead, “What are you thinking about? Hurry up and change!” Sophia looked up at me and said cautiously, “I want to tell you something.” I narrowed my eyes, “You want to marry that old man?” She glared at me, “It’s about Lucas. He reached an agreement with my parents. If they acknowledge you as the Bennett family’s adopted daughter and let you marry into the Thompson family, my engagement can be called off.” I wavered for a moment, but then thought of Lucas’s increasingly severe controlling behavior. I quickly pushed the thought of his abs out of my mind, suppressing the inexplicable reluctance in my heart. I said coldly, “I have no intention of acknowledging parents who don’t want me. They treated me so badly before, I won’t degrade myself.” Sophia saw that I had made up my mind and let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you don’t want to. If you gave up breaking up for my sake, I would feel guilty to death.” “But if you really regret it, I’ll definitely stay to help you. It all depends on your choice.” I hugged her gratefully and urged her to change clothes. Then, we followed a bribed service staff member, taking the VIP elevator down to the parking lot. A van was already waiting at the elevator exit. The antique shop owner stuck her head out from the driver’s seat and greeted us. Just as we got in the car, another VIP elevator showed someone coming down. I hurriedly urged the shop owner to drive away. As the vehicle started, the elevator doors opened, and a group of people poured out. The head of the Bennett family and Lucas were at the front, followed by many bodyguards. Several bodyguards rushed over to try and stop us. The steady van drove off at sports car speed, leaving them far behind. As the car left the parking lot, three cars appeared parked side by side, blocking the exit. Even if someone wanted to chase, they would have to move the cars first. This was arranged by Sophia, who had paid for it. The car drove to the port, arriving just in time for the final check-in of our pre-booked luxury cruise. The shop owner handed us our passports and gave me a backpack. The bag was full of military compressed biscuits. Hurriedly checking in with Sophia, we boarded just as the cruise ship was retracting its gangway. I felt relieved and turned to look at the shop owner on the shore. She was gesturing for me to check my phone. I opened our chat, and a voice message came through the speaker: “I’ll fake a car accident in the country to create the illusion of your deaths. Your ID documents will also be cancelled. Good luck.” I replied with a simple “okay.” My anxious heart finally settled down. This was the last step of faking our deaths, and the reason I had given the shop owner so much gold jewelry. Just getting passports wouldn’t have cost nearly that much. After coming up with the idea of faking our deaths to escape, I immediately thought of the shop owner. With her extensive connections, she could surely help us cover our tracks. Sure enough, she did it. The cruise ship set sail, heading out to sea. Sophia and I followed a steward to our room. The cruise sailed for twenty days, with nightly banquets. We had originally planned to go out and eat. But on a cruise departing from New York, people at the banquets might recognize me and Sophia. We could only hide in our room, relying on the compressed biscuits in the backpack to stave off hunger. When the biscuits ran out, we could only sneak out to eat after the nightly banquets ended. After twenty days, Sophia and I looked pale and sickly from hunger. But the cruise ship had also arrived in the country of the city of romance. We had escaped. 7

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I was the last to know about my wife’s second pregnancy. After two years of working in South Africa on a company assignment, I returned home to find my wife about to give birth. I didn’t lose my cool and question her. Instead, I calmly said, “Now that I’m back, we can proceed with the divorce.” My wife panicked, grabbing my hand and explaining anxiously, “Honey, let me explain… You’ve been away for two years, and David has been helping us with everything. I’m just having this baby to repay him, don’t overthink it.” Our six-year-old daughter chimed in to defend her mother, “Dad, you jerk! You’ve been gone for so long. If it weren’t for Uncle David, Mom and I would have starved! What’s wrong with Mom having a baby for Uncle David? Don’t be unreasonable!” Looking at the mother and daughter duo in front of me, I nodded calmly, “You have a point.” I did feel guilty about neglecting my wife and child. I hadn’t been able to be there for them these past two years. But during my time in South Africa, I sent all the money I earned to Rachel. Sixty thousand dollars a year was enough to ensure they lived comfortably. I worked hard abroad to provide them with a better life. But I never imagined it would end like this. Actually, I had heard rumors while I was away. A colleague back home had mentioned something in an email, but I couldn’t believe it. I still had hope for Rachel, thinking she had just gained weight. I finished my project half a month early and rushed back home, only to have my worst fears confirmed. At that moment, I felt no urge to lose my temper, only endless disappointment. Rachel knew she was in the wrong. She poured me a glass of water and handed it to me cautiously, “Honey… have some water.” I took the water from her and calmly said, “Your belly’s big now, you shouldn’t stand for too long. Sit down.” Seeing my calm demeanor, Rachel’s tense emotions eased a bit. She awkwardly sat down next to me with her big belly. I took a sip of water and continued, “Now that you’re pregnant, I won’t be the bad guy and separate you and David. Since David isn’t married yet, after we divorce, you can be with him.” Hearing this, Rachel’s emotions flared up again. “Jack, what do you mean?” She stared at me in disbelief, angrily saying, “Are you abandoning me? I’ve been with you since I was twenty, supporting you from nothing to where we are today! I’ve given so much to this family, how can you talk about divorce so easily!” Yes, she was right. But years of weathering storms together couldn’t withstand two years of loneliness and emptiness. It was laughable. I turned to our daughter watching TV and asked, “Emily, if Mom and Dad get divorced, who will you stay with?” Without even looking at me, Emily replied without hesitation, “I’ll stay with Mom! If you and Mom divorce, Mom will marry Uncle David, and then I can call Uncle David ‘Dad’. I’ve wanted to call him Dad for a long time!” An expected answer, but it didn’t disappoint me much. I nodded calmly, “Alright, if that’s what you want.” I got up resolutely, ignoring Rachel’s protests, and left the house with the suitcase I had just brought back. I went to a bar and called up some old friends I hadn’t seen in two years. At the table, my friends teased me, “Jack, why are you here with us instead of going to see your wife first thing after coming back?” I took a big gulp of alcohol and said hoarsely, with disappointment, “I don’t have a wife anymore.” My friends exchanged glances. One who had heard rumors asked, “Jack, I heard your wife is pregnant… is it true?” “Yeah, the child is her childhood friend’s.” The table fell silent, and the atmosphere became heavy. I kept drinking, trying to numb myself with alcohol. After a few rounds, Rachel called me. I answered groggily, and Rachel’s scolding voice came through, “Jack, stop this nonsense, okay? We haven’t seen each other for two years, and you come back giving me the cold shoulder and running away from home. How childish can you be?” Emily’s childish voice could be heard in the background, “Mom, don’t call Dad anymore. If he wants to leave, let him! He’s been gone for two years, and we’ve been doing just fine without him!” I said nothing and hung up the phone. Yes, they had been doing just fine without me.

My two years in South Africa weren’t easy. The conditions there were harsh, with scarce water and frequent power outages. I often worked in temperatures of over 100°F. But whenever I thought about the $150,000 salary I could earn in two years to provide a better life for my wife and child, I felt more motivated. I never imagined that when I returned, everything would have changed. After drinking with my friends, when I sobered up a bit, I still went back home. There were still some things I needed to take from the house. When I got home, it was already past midnight. Rachel wasn’t asleep yet. Seeing my drunken state, she frowned with disgust and scolded me, “Jack, don’t you know pregnant women shouldn’t be exposed to alcohol smell? You come back drunk without any consideration for me!” “I’m here to pack some things, then I’ll leave,” I said flatly. “Leave?” Rachel’s voice rose, asking me unhappily, “Where are you going again?” “I’m moving to the company dormitory.” Rachel got angry again, pointing at my nose and yelling, “Jack, how long are you going to keep this up! As a man, can’t you be more generous! Don’t you know how much David has helped me these two years while you were away! “When I was sick, when Emily had a fever or cold, it was David who took care of us! Even when my mom was hospitalized, David was the one running around helping! I’m just having a child for him, fulfilling his wish to be a father. Do you have to be so petty about it!” “Mm, I don’t,” I sneered, “If you want to have his child, go ahead. I’m not stopping you.” After packing my things, I slammed the door on my way out. Rachel shouted angrily behind me, “Jack, you have no class at all. What kind of man are you!” I laughed bitterly. Perhaps in her eyes, only David was a real man. I had given so much to this family, but in the end, I couldn’t warm her cold heart. Early the next morning, I submitted a request for an overseas assignment to the company. This time, the destination was Europe. Before the South Africa project ended, my boss had intended to send me to Europe as the general manager of the European branch, with a salary several times higher. But at the time, I declined to return home to be with my wife and child. Now, I had no attachments left. In the afternoon, I went back home once more with divorce papers. Rachel and Emily weren’t home. I called Rachel and asked, “Where are you? I want to discuss the divorce with you.” These words angered Rachel again. She replied irritably, “I’m at the hospital for a prenatal check-up. I’m busy!” “Which hospital? I’ll come to you.” Rachel snapped at me, “Jack, I’m about to give birth, and you’re trying to stress me out at a time like this! I’m at the Women’s Hospital, but even if you come, I won’t agree to a divorce!” When I arrived at the Women’s Hospital, I ran into Rachel who had just finished her check-up. Beside her were Emily and the father of the child – David. David carefully helped Rachel sit down, looking at her with concern, as if she were a priceless treasure. Emily sat next to them, excitedly saying, “Uncle David, I hope Mom gives me a little brother. When he grows up, he can protect Mom and me with you! Our family will be together forever!” David affectionately ruffled Emily’s hair, saying with adoration, “I asked the doctor, it is a little brother in Mom’s tummy. Emily, you’re going to be a big sister soon!” “Yay!” I thought my heart had turned to stone, but seeing this warm, harmonious family scene, I felt a stabbing pain in my chest. The wife and child I had cherished were now someone else’s treasures. And I was just an outsider. I had given everything, only to end up with nothing. How ironic.

My appearance broke the harmonious scene. The three of them stopped smiling when they saw me. I walked towards Rachel, waving the divorce papers in my hand, and said calmly, “I’m here to talk to you about the divorce.” Rachel’s gentle expression immediately darkened. David shielded her behind him and scolded me, “Mr. Carter, Rachel is about to give birth soon. Please don’t trouble her at this time. Pregnant women can’t handle stress!” “Please step aside,” I said coldly to David, trying hard to control my anger. David took a righteous stance and argued, “Mr. Carter, I have no intention of breaking up your marriage. After the child is born, I’ll take him away. I won’t affect your relationship as husband and wife, and you shouldn’t blame Rachel for this. “Rachel did a noble thing. I’m over thirty with no wife or children. Rachel only carried a child for me out of pity for my loneliness. As a man, you should be more understanding!” I laughed at his shamelessness. “You’re right,” I said with a cold smile, “As a man, I should indeed be more understanding. Since that’s the case, why don’t I give you my wife and daughter too? Is that understanding enough?” David looked at me suspiciously. “Enough!” Rachel’s face was extremely unpleasant. She instructed David, “David, please take Emily for a walk. I need to talk to my husband alone.” After David and Emily left, Rachel stood up, holding her waist. She snatched the divorce papers from my hand, didn’t even look at them, and tore them to shreds. “Jack, I’ve told you I won’t divorce you. Give up on that idea! I’m due in half a month, don’t upset me and risk the baby at this critical time!” I bent down to pick up the paper scraps and calmly said, “In that case, I’ll have to file for divorce through the court.” Hearing my words, Rachel became agitated, “I’m pregnant now, the law won’t allow you to divorce me!” “The child isn’t mine.” “Even if it’s not yours, you can’t divorce me! You don’t have DNA evidence, the court won’t rule in your favor!” Faced with her stubbornness, I sighed helplessly, “Rachel, since you and David are in love, and now you’re carrying his child, why do you still refuse to divorce me?” Rachel paused for a few seconds, then softened her tone. She lowered her voice and said, “Jack, David and I grew up together. He’s liked me for over ten years and even stayed single for me. I couldn’t bear it, so I’m just having a child for him to fulfill his wish and leave him with something to remember me by.” “Honey, the one I love has always been you.” Her words didn’t move me. Instead, I found them laughable. She loves me, so she cheats on me? How can she be so righteous and shameless about it?

Actually, when they were younger, Rachel and David had liked each other, but before they could confess their feelings, David went abroad to study as arranged by his family. Later, Rachel met me in college. I fell for her first and pursued her. I persistently chased her for two years, and finally, at the age of twenty, she accepted my pursuit. We got married when we were twenty-four. For years after our marriage, I always treated her with the utmost care, afraid she might melt if I held her in my mouth, afraid she might break if I held her in my hands. I worked hard to earn money, just to provide her with a comfortable life. Six years after our marriage, which was the year I went to South Africa, David returned to the country. I thought my hard work away from home was for the family, but it also gave her and David a chance to rekindle their relationship. Eight years of marriage ultimately couldn’t withstand the test of time. My deep love for her couldn’t compete with her childhood bond with David. … Since Rachel refused to divorce, I had to put the matter aside for now. I stopped going home, busy with work every day and preparing for my move abroad. Before I knew it, it was time for Rachel to give birth. On the day Rachel went into labor, she called me in pain, urgently saying, “Honey, I’m about to give birth… Come to the hospital quickly!” I coldly replied, “The child isn’t mine, why should I come?” “You’re my husband!” she exclaimed. My mother-in-law took the phone from Rachel and scolded me, “The child may not be yours, but the wife is! Don’t you know childbirth is a matter of life and death? How can you be absent as her husband!” Rachel seemed to be trying hard to endure the pain, her voice trembling, “Honey, at a time like this… please stop being difficult, okay?” I felt these two women’s logic was beyond comprehension. I didn’t bother arguing and simply hung up the phone. I continued focusing on my work without distraction. A few hours later, my mother-in-law called again. This time, her tone was urgent, “Jack, your wife is having a difficult labor. The doctor says they need to do a C-section. I order you to come to the hospital immediately!” Unable to withstand my mother-in-law’s constant phone bombardment, I finally went to the hospital. When I arrived, my mother-in-law and Emily were anxiously waiting outside the delivery room. As soon as I arrived, my mother-in-law rushed over. “You’re finally here! Your wife is having a difficult labor, the doctor says they need to do a C-section. The hospital is asking for payment. Quick, go pay the surgery fee!” Without thinking, I refused, “I won’t pay.” My mother-in-law became agitated, “If you don’t pay, who will?” “Whoever the child belongs to should pay.” My mother-in-law cursed at me, “Jack, I never thought you could be so heartless! My Rachel has been married to you for so many years, given birth to your child, and now you disregard her life and death. You’ve really disappointed me!” Emily also pointed at me accusingly, “Bad Dad, if anything happens to Mom, I’ll never forgive you!” Faced with their condemnation, I remained unmoved. Just then, David, who was late in arriving, finally showed up.

As soon as David arrived, he paid the $15,000 medical fee for Rachel without hesitation. My mother-in-law praised him repeatedly, “Young David is reliable, a man of honor who values relationships. He’s worth entrusting with one’s life!” Then she turned to me with sarcasm, “You heartless thing. Rachel was truly blind to have chosen you back then!” David also mocked me, “Jack, you’ve really opened my eyes. You can be so cruel to your own wife. What kind of man are you!” Emily chimed in, “Bad Dad, you’re so mean! I’ll never call you Dad again!” Faced with the three of them berating me, my heart remained unmoved. When the heart is dead to a certain degree, it becomes immune to all poisons. Soon after, accompanied by a baby’s cry, the child was born successfully. David was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes, “It’s born… our Davis family has an heir now!” Soon, the nurse brought out the swaddled infant. “It’s a girl, 7 pounds 8 ounces!” Hearing this, the joy on David’s face instantly froze. Emily asked him puzzled, “Uncle David, didn’t you say Mom was having a little brother?” David was also in disbelief, “Nurse, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?” “No mistake, it’s definitely a girl.” My mother-in-law looked at the baby in the nurse’s arms and scolded David disapprovingly, “So what if it’s a girl! David, are you discriminating against girls?” David waved his hands awkwardly. I coldly watched everything unfold before me, saying nothing. Just as I was about to leave, the delivery room door opened again. The doctor came out with blood-stained hands, urgently calling out, “The mother is hemorrhaging severely. We might need to remove her uterus. Who is her husband? Come sign the consent form quickly!” “What?” My mother-in-law was shocked, nearly collapsing to the ground. She hurriedly urged me, “Jack, quick, go sign!” I hesitated for a moment, then refused, “I can’t sign.” I knew very clearly that if I signed now, and Rachel lost her uterus later, she would definitely blame everything on me. I didn’t want to get involved in this mess. My mother-in-law stamped her feet in anger, cursing at me, “This is a matter of life and death! How can you be so cold-blooded? The woman lying in there is your wife!” “Not for much longer,” I said coldly. “What do you mean?” My mother-in-law glared at me, her nostrils flaring in anger. “How can you be so heartless!” “You’re her mother, you can sign too,” I said, looking at her coldly. “You… you!” My mother-in-law’s chest heaved violently. “Fine, I’ll sign! Once Rachel is out of danger, I’ll make sure she divorces you, you ungrateful, heartless man!” My mother-in-law had always looked down on me. Now that she had latched onto David as a son-in-law, she had even less regard for me. I nodded calmly, “Good, I’ll be waiting.” Emily ran over to me, crying and hitting me, “Bad Dad, I hate you! From now on, I’ll only recognize Uncle David as my dad. I won’t recognize you anymore!” I looked down at my young daughter, feeling a chill in my heart. She, who shared my blood, had abandoned me just because I had been away for two years and neglected to accompany her. Yet at this moment, her beloved Uncle David, whom she adored, wasn’t concerned about her mother at all. He just stared blankly at the baby in the nurse’s arms, muttering repeatedly, “It’s impossible… it was supposed to be a boy…”

When my mother-in-law returned after signing the consent form, David had already quietly left. After several hours of emergency treatment, Rachel finally escaped life-threatening danger, but she couldn’t keep her uterus. She was pushed out of the emergency room by a group of nurses, still unconscious. My mother-in-law was busy taking care of both the baby and Rachel, running around in a fluster. Taking advantage of her distraction, I secretly took a few strands of the baby’s hair. After leaving the hospital, I took the baby’s hair for a paternity test. Once the results came out, I immediately filed for divorce in court. It was time to end this absurd marriage. A few days later, Rachel was discharged from the hospital. After she recovered a bit, she called me. On the phone, she weakly questioned me, “Jack, I just came back from the brink of death, and you’re not even here to take care of me. Now you’re even filing for divorce?” “Isn’t divorce good?” I said sarcastically. “Your mom is happy about it too. She can’t wait for us to get divorced.”

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A Tale of Two Sisters: Reborn My sister and I were given a second chance at life on the day our parents divorced. Once again, my sister rushed into the arms of our future millionaire father. “Mom’s love is the most precious, I’ll let my sister have it!” she said sweetly. But as I looked at my seemingly gentle mother, who would jump from a high-rise building with me ten years later, I suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. Opening my eyes again, I found myself back on the day of my parents’ divorce. Stella suddenly pushed me aside and threw herself into Dad’s arms. She looked back at me coldly, but her words were sweet and soft: “Mom’s love is the most precious, I’ll let my sister have it.” I instinctively turned around and shuddered at the sight of Mom sitting in the shadow of the sofa. She was wearing a plain white dress, her face unclear, like a merciful Buddha statue. Hearing Stella’s words, she seemed unsurprised and beckoned to me. “Alright, Lily, come here.” Stella and I are sisters. In my previous life, after our parents divorced, I went with Mom, a highly educated violinist, while Stella went with our good-for-nothing father. But unexpectedly, fortunes c ed. The good-for-nothing became the richest man in A City, and Stella transformed into an elegant little princess adored by all. Meanwhile, Mom injured her hand and could no longer play the violin. Our family fell into poverty, and she gradually became mentally unstable. In her delirium, she eventually lost control and jumped from a high-rise building with me— The intense pain of falling from the building was still coursing through my body. Now, Mom’s cold, merciful face alternated in my mind with her disheveled, blood-stained face from ten years later— I couldn’t help but let out a sharp cry of rejection: “No! I want to go with Dad, together with my sister!” Mom’s hand hovered over my shoulder. She froze, asking uncertainly, “Lily, what did you say?” At this time, Mom was still the lead violinist of the A City Orchestra, pursued by countless admirers, while Dad was just a middle school dropout without a job. She couldn’t understand why I would give up going with her to choose that good-for-nothing father. Dad rubbed his hands together, calling out to me excitedly, “Lily? My good girl, come with me, that’s right…” He started walking towards me— “No way!” Stella clung tightly to Dad, shaking his arm and pleading, though her eyes were cold as she looked at me, “I’m Daddy’s little princess, Daddy said he likes me the most!” Dad tried to reason with Stella, “It’s not that I don’t want you, how about both Stella and Lily come with Dad?” “No.” Stella pouted and started crying crocodile tears, “I want Dad’s exclusive love, Dad can only have me…” Stella had always been more like Dad, with the same phoenix eyes and quick wit, while I was more like Mom – quiet but better at studying. Dad had always preferred Stella. Hearing his daughter’s coquettish words, his eyes lit up with pleasure, and he stopped moving towards me. I panicked: “Dad…” But my weak voice was drowned out by Stella’s cries. Dad was busy comforting Stella, holding her in his arms and wiping away her tears. I stood in the corner, enviously watching them, as if seeing through this scene to their flower-strewn life in the next ten years. Stella’s eyes inadvertently met mine, and those eyes showed no childish naivety or innocence, only malicious satisfaction and mockery— “Sister, you still can’t beat me.” This wasn’t right… In the previous life, although Stella had also chosen Dad, she hadn’t been so resistant to me. Her eyes looking at Mom and me had once been full of envy. I watched Stella’s small hand tightly gripping Dad’s clothes, And came to an absurd conclusion— Stella… had also been reborn! Standing at the desolate doorway with a heavy backpack, Mom was frowning as she tried to hail a taxi. I secretly looked back; through the window, I could see the warm light inside. The despised good-for-nothing dad was combing Stella’s hair. His eyes were gentle, his movements careful, afraid of hurting Stella. Even after becoming the richest man in A City, I heard that when it came to matters concerning Stella, Dad always handled them personally. So, as soon as Stella shed a tear, Dad unhesitatingly gave up on me— Still couldn’t manage to go with Dad… I struggled to adjust the shoulder strap of my backpack, my nose tingling. “Lily, get in the car.” Mom’s cold voice interrupted my thoughts. I got into the car. From the corner of my eye, I could see Mom sitting straight. She was always like this; even when we later fell into poverty, her neck was always proudly raised like a swan’s. But a swan’s feathers can’t be eaten. I unconsciously rubbed my palm, feeling a smooth texture, only to remember that I was still a child, not yet having to wash dishes at small restaurants to supplement our income like in my previous life. The cold water in the small restaurant’s kitchen was biting, painfully cold. In my previous life, I had developed thick chilblains. Mom and I moved into her pre-marriage small apartment. The apartment was in disrepair, with a thick layer of dust on the dust covers. Mom pushed a box of instant noodles in front of me, rubbing her temples, looking very tired. “Lily, eat.” I lowered my head and stirred with the disposable spoon. The noodles had been soaking too long, looking pale and unappetizing, with oil floating on the surface making me nauseous. I couldn’t help but think of visiting Dad’s house in my previous life. Dad, wearing an apron, cooking for Stella – braised prawns, cola chicken wings, fish soup, and carefully ar ed fresh fruits. Tears dripped into the instant noodle cup. Why, why couldn’t Dad take both of us? Why did Stella have to drive me away? She had already been a pampered little princess for years, why couldn’t she give me even a little sweetness? The feeling of grievance gradually consumed me. “Lily, I’m starting a tour tomorrow. You’ll stay at your uncle’s house, and I’ll come back to pick you up when it’s over.” Tour? I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and boldly asked, “Mom, can I not go to Uncle’s house? I want to go with you.” Mom glanced at me and sneered. “Didn’t you want to go with your dad? Why do you want to come with me now?” I didn’t know how to answer. “Alright, I’ll only be gone for half a month. I’ll come back to pick you up in half a month.” Before I could respond, Mom got up and went into the bedroom, closing the door with a ” “. In my previous life, for this tour, Mom also said half a month, but in reality, she was gone for a year. When she came back to pick me up a year later, her hand was injured, and she had lost her job. The once favored violinist of the orchestra had become a fallen dog overnight. After that, Mom, who was already lonely and sensitive, became even more unpredictable in her moods. She never allowed anyone to mention that accidental injury and didn’t give me a good face either. If… if that accident hadn’t happened, even if I couldn’t become a little princess like Stella, at least our lives wouldn’t have been so miserable. The violin was Mom’s soul, I didn’t dare to suggest she give up the tour. I paced in the living room, finally wrote a note saying “Be careful”, and slipped it into Mom’s bag. I thought that when I woke up early the next morning, I must plead with Mom face to face again, to take me along. Having an extra pair of eyes watching at the scene would always be an extra hope. 3 I fell asleep in anxiety. In my dream, Mom’s eyes were streaming with bloody tears, staring at me intently, both resentful and relieved. She was crying and laughing, her white long dress covered in filth. But I didn’t expect Mom to leave without saying goodbye in the middle of the night. The next day when I opened my eyes, I heard Uncle calling my name from outside the room, “Lily, your mom has gone on tour, come home with me—” While eating after school, I overheard Uncle and Aunt chatting. Uncle was a police officer and knew a lot of information in his daily life. “I heard that Robert got a big business deal, working for the Walker family’s eldest son.” “He’s probably bluffing. How could someone with such a useless face do big business? If we had known earlier, we wouldn’t have agreed to let Natalie marry him…” Natalie is my mom, Natalie . My mom’s whole family looked down on Robert, that is, my dad. But only I knew that Robert wasn’t bluffing. He really did get a business deal from the big boss of A City. He did this deal very well and became the right-hand man of Mr. Walker overnight. The Robert they despised would cradle Stella in his arms, comb her hair, cook for her, buy her beautiful clothes, and would soon soar to great heights. While Natalie, who was considered “too good for Robert”, left without saying goodbye, abandoning her daughter who had just experienced her parents’ divorce at her uncle’s house. Uncle and Aunt were originally well-off, but they had no children. Over the years, they had been running around trying for IVF, almost emptying their savings, but still couldn’t fulfill their wish. Aunt’s face was long every day, and I was like a little chick living under someone else’s roof, cautious in everything. I lowered my head and angrily poked at the rice in my bowl. This family looks down on some and flatters others, not knowing Dad’s good qualities. I remembered that in my previous life, after Dad’s career took off, Uncle once took me to visit. By then, Mom’s wish to recover as a violinist had become an obsession, but we couldn’t afford the expensive surgery fees. We had no choice but to go to the Lin family for help. When we were invited in by the housekeeper, we only learned that Dad was on a business trip, and only Stella was at home. We wanted the Lin family to lend us some money, considering that they had kept the house when they divorced. I will never forget the arrogant and contemptuous look in Stella’s eyes when she said, “You looked down on my dad, and now you come begging for food. How shameless!” Uncle, who was over fifty, flushed red, and we left in embarrassment. But Dad was still kind. When he came home and heard about this, he sent us a million dollars through someone. He said we didn’t need to pay it back, just to use it. I was so grateful I didn’t know what to say. I excitedly took the money to find Mom, wanting to tell her that we finally had enough money for her treatment— But I was grabbed by Mom, whose eyes were desperate, and she jumped directly from the high-rise building… … After dinner, Uncle patted my head and sighed deeply. “Your mom will be back next week. She… has it tough, you should understand her more.” I remained silent. Uncle sighed again, “Lily, your mom still loves you very much, you’ll understand in the future.” How far in the future? In my previous life, ten years passed, and Mom still didn’t have a good face for me. Occasionally when she was in a good mood, she would speak to me gently for a few sentences, but soon after, she would have an emotional breakdown again. Those days of living with Mom in the apartment were like an endless nightmare, gray, absurd, and long-drawn. At night, the phone in the room suddenly shrilly. I answered groggily, and surprisingly, it was Stella’s voice on the other end— “Lily, find a way to stop Mom from participating in tomorrow’s performance—” 4 Psycho. I instinctively wanted to up the phone. “Lily, Mom can’t participate in tomorrow’s performance!” she repeated. Why? I frowned, trying to remember. The last performance of this tour was in C City, the climax of the entire tour. If I remember correctly, this performance also made a young starlet famous… Autumn . Also Stella’s future stepmother. I found my guess unbelievable, “Stella, are you crazy? You’d rather ruin your own mother’s performance to please your future stepmother?” Indeed, Stella was not only reborn, but she also knew that we both had a second chance at life. She wasn’t surprised at all by what I said, just impatiently repeated once more, “Don’t worry about that, just don’t let Mom participate in tomorrow’s performance. I’ll give you money, is a hundred thousand enough?” I laughed bitterly. How dare Stella, after stealing my life, come to me high and mighty asking for help, wanting me to intervene and stop Mom’s performance to please her stepmother. How shameless. “I won’t do it. If you want to do it, go find Mom yourself. I’m ing up—” “Don’t up!” Stella’s tone carried a hint of barely noticeable anxiety, “Mom won’t answer my calls, I can’t reach her…” “Lily, please help… This has nothing to do with Autumn .” Nothing to do with Autumn ? Then why is she so insistent on not letting Mom participate in tomorrow’s tour? What exactly is going to happen during tomorrow’s tour? In my previous life, Mom had always been secretive about that year of touring, never willing to tell me what happened. Even though I was reborn, I was still in the dark. I paused, “You can’t reach her, and I can’t either. Mom doesn’t like to be disturbed during her performances, you know that.” Disturbing Natalie during her performances and training would result in scolding. She might not even answer our calls at all. Both Stella and I knew this very well. There was silence on the other end for a few seconds, and when she spoke again, there was a hint of pleading in her voice. “You can do it… Pretend to be sick, pretend to be injured, whatever method you use, Mom will answer your call.” “Lily, please.” “You don’t want Mom’s hand to be injured again, do you?” —?!! I took a deep breath and asked with a trembling voice: “Is Mom’s accident tomorrow?” “Yes, so Lily, you must stop Mom.” After ing up the phone, my mind was in chaos. In my previous life, from the day our parents divorced, Stella and Mom never saw each other again. How did she know about Mom’s accident in another city? Can I trust her? But… what if what Stella said is true? Can I save Mom? From a young age, Mom had been traveling between various performances, rarely coming home to accompany us. We saw her more in performance videos than at home. She loved the violin more than her own life. When I was very young, I once had a high fever that wouldn’t break. Mom was called back from Beijing, and in my delirium in the hospital room, I heard my parents arguing. It was a very important apprenticeship opportunity for Mom, and because of me, she had missed it. Mom accused Dad of not taking good care of me at home. Their voices buzzed in my head, too unclear to hear properly, but I did hear Mom slam the door in anger as she left. Dad held my hand, muttering, “Are we, your family, really less important than your violin?” I felt so guilty that my heart ached. My thoughts returned to the present. Thinking about how angry Mom would be if she discovered I was faking illness, I felt uneasy. It’s okay, Lily. I comforted myself. After all… Mom might not even answer your call, and even if she did, she might not come back. “Beep, beep—” In the quiet of the night, I could hear my own clear heartbeat. At two in the morning, Mom answered. 5 “Lily, what’s wrong?” “Mom…” I’m not very good at lying, but thankfully, over the phone, she couldn’t see my panicked expression. I pressed my lips together. “Mom, I don’t feel well, I think I have a fever…” There was a sound of something breaking on the other end of the phone, “When did the fever start? How high is it? Where’s your uncle?” Her tone was quick, accompanied by the sound of high heels hitting the floor, as if she was pacing back and forth. “Probably in the evening… I’m not sure, I woke up feeling very hot on my face.” “Uncle… isn’t here.” I’m sorry, Uncle, I was afraid Mom would entrust me to you and not come back herself. After giving the reason, I immediately regretted it. Were the symptoms too mild? A fever and cold could be cured with some medicine. I felt frustrated, thinking I should have said I accidentally cut my hand, or accidentally broke my leg. “Don’t sleep, I’m calling for an ambulance now. There’s a digital thermometer in the first aid kit in the living room. Can you walk? Go and take your temperature.” I mechanically followed Mom’s instructions, went to the living room to get the thermometer, and only realized after putting it under my armpit— I didn’t have a fever, I was lying to Mom. The phone hadn’t been hung up, probably Mom was using someone else’s phone to call an ambulance. I suddenly felt a surge of absurdity from the bottom of my heart, very scared. Aunt suddenly burst in from outside, “Lily, your mom said you have a fever?” I opened my mouth, but my throat was so dry I couldn’t make a sound. “The ambulance will be here soon, don’t be afraid…” My breathing became a bit rapid, I felt very nervous, my heart pounding. Did I… make a mistake? The digital thermometer beeped. I took it out and looked. 38.1 degrees Celsius (100.6°F). Half an hour later, I was lying in a hospital bed. Five hours later, Mom appeared in front of me, with heavy dark circles under her eyes. She had borrowed a car and driven on the highway all night. Mom looked pale and exhausted, more like a patient than I did. She glanced at me, said nothing, and quickly turned to walk to the doctor’s office. My temperature had gone down by the time I reached the emergency room. I stared blankly at the stark white ceiling. I recognized the emergency room doctor from earlier. It was the same Dr. Wilson from when I had a fever as a child. The moment I saw him, fragments of memory collided violently in my mind, and I remembered some things— Dr. Wilson was Mom’s classmate. In my previous life, after Mom’s hand was disabled, he had come to visit us at home. I had eavesdropped on their conversation through the door crack. “Natalie, there’s a new treatment method from abroad that might be able to cure your hand. You finally have a chance to return to the stage.” “Thank you, but the surgery fee is too expensive, I can’t afford it. Besides, I have more important things…” “One million dollars should be enough for the treatment and follow-up care. I can help you apply for the project.” Back then, my focus was all on the surgery fee. I didn’t pay attention to the more important things Mom mentioned. What were those more important things? The memory seemed to be covered by a layer of frosted glass. My head was throbbing with pain. The thing that had made me so anxious didn’t happen. Mom gave up the second half of the tour and stayed home to accompany me. She didn’t question why I had lied. Until the orchestra called, the voice on the other end was chaotic, “Natalie, there’s been an accident during the performance! The center of the stage collapsed…” My heart was pounding wildly. “How’s your daughter? It’s a pity to give up this opportunity.” “…But it’s also good, you dodged a bullet!” Mom’s voice was faint, exc ing a few casual greetings before ing up the phone. She looked at me, her calm eyes showing no emotion. I was very uneasy, afraid that Mom would be angry because I had disrupted her performance, yet relieved that I had actually saved her. “What are you rolling your eyes about?” she suddenly asked. I blurted out instinctively: “Are you angry with me?” 6 Mom’s expression seemed to blank for a moment. She looked very confused, “Why would I be angry?” “Because I… you interrupted the tour…” Ms. Natalie rolled her eyes slightly, looking like she couldn’t be bothered to deal with me, and got up to the laundry. I sat on the sofa, lost in thought. “Lily, come help me hold the bedsheet.” Pulling at the corner of the half-dry bedsheet, my mind was wandering aimlessly when I suddenly felt this scene was fami . The sunlight slanted in through the window, casting a soft halo on Mom’s profile, softening her usual sharpness. I seem to have… helped Mom laundry many times. But I don’t remember. And Dr. Wilson, why did I only remember him at the hospital? We had met many times before. “Lily.” “…Huh?” Ms. Natalie looked a bit exasperated and impatient. “I’m not angry, and I won’t be angry.” She tugged at the corner of her mouth, shaking the bedsheet forcefully. “Lily, in the future, even if you’re not feeling well, you should call me immediately. Don’t think too much about other things, understand?” I dryly responded, “Oh, I understand.” “Your performance…” Mom interrupted me, “Missing one performance won’t affect my status, don’t worry unnecessarily.” But how did Stella know that Mom would have an accident during this performance? The performance accident from that year hadn’t leaked out at all. Even I, who was by her side, was kept in the dark until Mom came home a year later. I had tried to investigate on my own, but the accident seemed to have been deliberately hidden, and I found nothing. Perhaps only Stella knew what had happened. I called her many times. But st ely, after Mom came home, I could never get through to Stella’s phone again. Dad’s career had taken off, and they quickly moved to a villa in the city center. The person who answered the phone was a middle-aged woman who introduced herself as Stella’s nanny. She said Stella had gone to a closed boarding school. The nanny tactfully told me that Stella was doing very well now, Robert also had a new girlfriend, and asked me not to disturb them anymore. That’s fine then. We ended up living completely different lives, just like in my previous life. Fortunately, Mom was healthy and hadn’t become depressed due to her hand injury. In fact, because she came home early, we had more time to spend together. Thinking of this, my fear of the future temporarily subsided. As for Stella, perhaps there were really some memories I had forgotten that she still remembered. Out of familial affection, she came to warn us. If there’s a chance in the future, I will repay her too. I won’t interfere with the little princess’s life. But four months later, on a deep night, I received another call from Stella. Unlike last time, her voice was very low, sneaky, and it sounded like she was in a very noisy place. “Lily, tell Mom not to go out recently, be careful of cars on the road, and don’t contact me!” “…Stella, what’s going on? Aren’t you at boarding school?” “Just do as I say, I… beep, beep, beep—” The phone suddenly cut off. Stella said not to contact her, so I didn’t dare call back. I had a vague feeling that doing so would cause trouble for her. If the first warning could be explained by retained memories from being reborn, then with the interruption of Mom’s performance, recent events could no longer be predicted through memory. Why would Stella still issue a warning to me? Was the accident really an accident? In the living room, Mom was packing her things to go to work. I jumped down and rushed out. “Mom—” 7

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By some strange twist of fate, I swapped bodies with the person who bullied me. I became the adored heiress of the Summers family, while she was stuck as the older sister in a family that drained her dry. Later, when she was slapped across the face and left crying on her knees, she begged me to switch back. SMACK! The moment I stepped into the classroom, a slap sent me stumbling backward. “How dare you even show your face here?” Maya Summers stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, glaring at me with pure disdain. “Why didn’t you pass me the answers during yesterday’s test?” I clutched my burning cheek and stammered, “The proctor was watching too closely. I couldn’t get the answers to you.” But Maya didn’t care about my excuses. All she cared about was her grades. How I managed to pass her the answers was my problem, not hers. A growing crowd of students gathered in the hallway, eagerly watching the drama unfold. My cheek throbbed with pain as I lowered my head and muttered, “I’m sorry, Maya. I’ll do better next time.” Hearing my apology, Maya’s expression softened slightly. She scoffed, spun around, and returned to her seat. I tried to follow her into the classroom, but her sidekick, Rainie, blocked my path. Rainie smirked and poked me hard in the forehead with her manicured finger. “You better be grateful Maya let you off easy. If this happens again, you’ll regret it.” Satisfied with her intimidation, she turned on her heel and strutted back to her seat. Only then was I finally able to walk into the classroom. As I passed by, the class representative muttered under her breath, loud enough for me to hear: “Getting slapped like that and still apologizing like a dog. Do you have no self-respect?” My fists clenched tightly at my sides, shaking with frustration. I wanted to fight back. But Maya’s family was filthy rich, and her uncle was the school’s vice principal. And me? I lived in a run-down neighborhood on the outskirts of town. My mom had drilled it into me from a young age: “Keep your head down at school. Don’t cause trouble.” With a deep sigh, I unclenched my fists and returned to my seat. After a long day of classes, the teachers handed out their usual piles of homework. As usual, Maya tossed her worksheets onto my desk. She pulled a $20 bill out of her designer bag and threw it in my face. “You know the drill: do mine first, then do yours.” I nodded, silently gathering her papers into my bag. When I got home that evening, I barely had time to close the door before my mom slapped me across the face—right on the same cheek Maya had hit earlier. The sting of the slap brought tears to my eyes as I felt the fresh handprint bloom over the already swollen skin. “Well, well, Ashley,” my mom sneered, “what kind of trash have you been learning at school? Stealing money now, are we?” My heart sank when I saw the piggy bank in her hand. That was my money, all the cash I’d earned from part-time jobs. I’d hidden it carefully in my room. How had she found it? “Your brother found this while cleaning your room,” she spat. “I didn’t raise you to be a thief!” I glanced toward the living room, where my little brother sat on the couch playing video games. His smug grin made my blood boil. The handheld console in his hands? He’d begged me to buy it for him, and I’d refused. I snatched the piggy bank from my mom and shook it. Sure enough, a large chunk of my money was missing. Pointing an accusing finger at my brother, I shouted, “You stole my money to buy that stupid game!” My mom turned to him, her expression uncertain. But he didn’t miss a beat. “That’s my money from my part-time job. What’s your problem?” he said, feigning innocence. Then he added, “Actually, that money isn’t even hers—it’s yours, Mom! She probably stole it from you!” My mom’s face darkened with fury. She snatched the piggy bank back from me and screamed, “Caught red-handed, and now you’re trying to frame your brother? You’ve really lost it, Ashley!” Reaching behind the door, she grabbed a metal hanger and swung it at my legs. The pain was so intense that my knees buckled, and I collapsed to the floor. My brother, now towering over me, smirked and adjusted his seat so he was sitting directly in front of where I knelt. All I could do was grit my teeth and bury the burning humiliation deep inside.

The Beating Continued Like a Storm of Blows I tried to explain through the pain that the money was mine, earned from working part-time jobs. But of course, my mom didn’t believe me. She’d rather trust my lazy, good-for-nothing brother than me. I don’t know how long it went on, but eventually, she stopped. She took all my money and told me to get up and cook dinner. Dragging my bruised body, I forced myself to finish the chores—cooking, cleaning, laundry—before I finally sat down to do my homework. By the time I finished one set of assignments, it was already 1 a.m. I stared at the two identical stacks of homework on my desk—my own and Maya Summers’. The events of the day replayed in my mind, and I couldn’t help it anymore. For the first time, I wrote my name on the completed assignment meant for her. As soon as I did it, my heart pounded with fear. But… there was also a thrill, a spark of vengeance. The feeling didn’t last long. A few seconds later, I sighed, picked up the second set of blank worksheets, and started working again. At some point, exhaustion overtook me. I must’ve fallen asleep at my desk because the next thing I knew, my alarm was blaring. 6:30 a.m. Panic surged through me as I realized several pages of Maya’s homework were still blank. If she found out I hadn’t finished, I was dead. I grabbed my pen to start writing, but before I could, the door burst open. My brother stood there, arms crossed, barking, “Hurry up and make breakfast! I’m starving!” Behind him, my mom’s dark, angry face loomed. Under their suffocating pressure, I had no choice but to drop everything and head to the kitchen. By the time I finished cooking and cleaning up after them, there wasn’t a second left to spare. I stuffed my things into my bag and sprinted to school, barely avoiding being late. When I entered the classroom, Maya was already glaring at me. “You’re late. What took you so long?” she snapped. Before I could answer, she demanded, “Where’s my homework?” Instinctively, I clutched my bag to my chest, stammering as I hesitated to hand it over. Her eyes narrowed. Without another word, she yanked my bag out of my hands and rifled through it. When she pulled out her unfinished worksheets, her expression darkened into something terrifying. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I paid you, and this is what I get?” She waved the papers in the air, then slapped me across the face, hard. Grabbing a fistful of my hair, she forced me to look at her. “Ashley, I didn’t know you had the guts to pull something like this.” The searing pain in my scalp brought tears to my eyes, but I couldn’t stop them from falling. The classroom fell silent as everyone turned to watch. From the back of the room, a few boys started jeering. “Get her, Maya! Teach her a lesson!” “Yeah, slap her again!” Fueled by their encouragement, Maya’s fury grew. She hit me two more times, each slap harder than the last. Her sidekick, Rainie, joined in by grabbing my homework and ripping it to shreds. I sat there, frozen, as sunlight streamed through the windows. The warmth of the sun felt mocking against the icy chill inside me. This wasn’t just a classroom anymore—it was a living hell. Images of the past few months flashed through my mind: The money I’d worked so hard to save, stolen by my mother. Her baseless accusations. The bruises on my body. I knew she didn’t actually believe I was a thief. She just needed an excuse to take what was mine and claim it as hers. The thought ignited something inside me—a fire that burned hotter and brighter with every passing second. Before I knew it, I shoved Maya away with all my strength. She stumbled backward, her face twisting with shock. At the same time, I saw Rainie raising her hand to slap me again. I braced myself, squeezing my eyes shut. But the blow never came. Instead, I heard a sharp cry of pain. Opening my eyes, I saw something that made my blood run cold. I was sitting on the ground, but Maya—Maya was clutching her face, looking terrified. Even stranger, she was wearing my clothes. And… she looked exactly like me. I glanced down at myself and froze. The short skirt Maya had been wearing earlier was now on me. Rainie rushed to my side, concern etched across her face. “Maya, are you okay?!” Maya? Wait… What the hell just happened?

Rainie Called Me… Maya? I stared at my hands in shock. They were smooth, soft, and unblemished—so different from my own calloused hands, roughened by endless chores like cooking and scrubbing. These weren’t my hands. It hit me like a freight train: somehow, I had swapped bodies with Maya Summers. I looked up and saw Maya—well, my body—staring back at me with wide, horrified eyes. Rainie, oblivious to what had happened, shot her—no, me—a scolding glare. “Ashley, what’s with that look? Do you want another beating or something?” That confirmed it. Instead of fear, a wave of exhilaration rushed through me. I wasn’t the Ashley everyone bullied anymore. The bell rang, and Rainie grabbed my arm—well, Maya’s arm—guiding me back to her seat. “Don’t stress over it, Maya,” she said soothingly. “Your uncle’s the principal. One missed assignment won’t matter. We’ll deal with Ashley after school.” Hearing the words “deal with Ashley,” my body froze instinctively. Rainie noticed and frowned. “What’s wrong, Maya?” I shook my head quickly, pretending nothing was wrong. Sitting in Maya’s seat, I pulled out a mirror from her desk. The face staring back at me was hers—Maya’s. “Ah!” A scream erupted from the front of the classroom. Maya—no, my body—was staring into a mirror of her own. The teacher slammed a ruler onto the desk, glaring at her. “Ashley, stop yelling! If you disrupt my class again, get out!” Maya swallowed her anger and sat down, her lips trembling with frustration. A few minutes later, she scribbled a note and passed it to me. What’s going on? Did you cast some kind of spell on me?! I stared at her words, unsure how to respond. I didn’t have an answer either. When class ended, Maya—still in my body—was called to the teacher’s office. Meanwhile, her lackeys, Rainie and another girl, swarmed around me, excitedly asking how we should “punish” Ashley. I hesitated, unsure of what to say. I didn’t want to accidentally blow my cover, so I mimicked Maya’s usual demeanor as best I could. “Just handle it the same way as before,” I said casually, waving a hand. Their eyes lit up with excitement. Maya returned to the classroom just before the next lesson started. Her face—my face—was swollen and red, her expression full of barely contained rage. It was almost funny watching her try to look menacing with my bruised and puffy features. She glared at me, as she always did. In the past, I would’ve immediately looked away, afraid to meet her gaze. But this time, I stared her down, head held high. Caught off guard, she faltered for a moment before stomping back to her desk. She opened the drawer to grab a book, but instead, her hand pulled out a dead rat. Her scream was ear-piercing. She flung the rat away in a panic—straight onto her deskmate’s lap, who cursed her out for it. Watching her flail around like that was oddly satisfying. Even though she was wearing my face, I couldn’t help but enjoy the moment. All day, Maya—trapped in my body—was berated, humiliated, and bullied. By the time school ended, it was clear she was finally relieved the day was over. But what she didn’t know was that this was just the beginning. Before she could confront me, Rainie and the other lackeys dragged her off to the back alley behind the school. I knew that alley well. It was the place where I’d been beaten and tormented countless times. A few older guys were waiting there—Maya’s “crew.” I recognized all of them. They’d been responsible for most of my bruises in the past. When they saw me, they immediately straightened up, their faces lighting up with fake smiles. “Maya! Glad you’re here,” one said, practically bowing. I nodded coolly and sat on the stone bench they’d wiped clean for me. Maya—still in my body—was held down by Rainie and the others. She thrashed and struggled, finally breaking free and crawling over to me. Her eyes were filled with hatred as she snarled, “What the hell is going on?! What did you do to me?!” Before she could touch my shoes, one of the guys yanked her back. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you think you’re doing? Trying to suck up to Maya now?” Pinned to the ground, Maya looked up at me, her expression a mix of disbelief and rage. I stared down at her, letting a smirk curl across my lips. It was the same look she always gave me—mocking, condescending, and full of disgust. For the first time, Maya Summers was tasting what it felt like to be me.

I Turned Away, Leaving Maya to Her Fate I didn’t want to look at my old, pitiful face for another second. I gave Rainie a signal to handle the situation and turned to leave. Behind me, I could hear Maya—now trapped in my body—screaming like a madwoman. “Ashley! I don’t care what kind of witchcraft you used! You better watch your back!” I paused mid-step, turned around, and crouched down beside her. Grabbing her chin the same way she used to humiliate me, I leaned in close and whispered into her ear: “From now on, you’re Ashley. And I’ll be taking your place, living as the Summers family’s precious little princess.” The words felt like a release, like the weight of years of injustice was finally lifting off my chest. For the first time in forever, I felt light. Even my steps were bouncier as I left the alley. Outside, the Summers family’s chauffeur was waiting by a sleek black car. The moment he saw me, he straightened up and opened the door with a respectful bow. “Miss Summers.” I didn’t immediately head to the Summers estate. Instead, I decided to make a detour. Checking the time on my phone, I instructed the driver to take me back to my old home. When we arrived, I stayed outside, peering through the window. Maya, now stuck in my body, was kneeling on the floor in the middle of the room. In front of her stood my mom, holding a broom in one hand and the $20 bill Maya had thrown at me yesterday in the other. “What, stealing once wasn’t enough for you? Now you’re trying to do it again, huh?!” Maya didn’t even get a chance to explain before my mom began beating her with the broom. The blows rained down mercilessly as Maya screamed and cried, insisting the money was from a classmate. But my mom didn’t believe her—she never did. I watched through the window, feeling a strange mixture of satisfaction and pain. I knew exactly how Maya felt. I’d been through the same thing countless times—falsely accused, beaten, silenced. My body knew this routine all too well: flinching, twisting, trying to dodge the blows, knowing it was pointless to argue. Suddenly, as if sensing my presence, Maya—still in my body—turned her head sharply and looked straight at me. I snapped out of my thoughts and let a small, cold smile curl across my lips. This is what you deserve, Maya. You wanted my life? Go ahead. Enjoy it. With that, I turned back to the car and told the driver to take me to the Summers estate. Living as Maya Summers The Summers family estate was like something out of a movie—a sprawling mansion surrounded by perfectly manicured lawns and a fountain in the driveway. It was the kind of place I never even dared to dream of setting foot in. The moment I walked through the doors, a housekeeper rushed over to help me change my shoes. I wasn’t used to this level of attention and waved her off, insisting I could do it myself. But to my surprise, she immediately dropped to her knees, trembling. “Miss Summers, I’m sorry! Please don’t fire me! I promise I’ll do better next time!” Her panicked reaction caught me off guard. I quickly crouched down, helping her up as I asked, “What’s wrong? Why are you apologizing?” It took a lot of reassurance before she stopped shaking. With her head lowered, she explained, “You always let me help you with your shoes. But now you won’t let me. I thought… I thought you were unhappy with me…” I realized then just how spoiled and cruel Maya had been. Even something as small as refusing help sent the staff into a panic. Just as I was about to reassure her further, a voice from the living room cut through the air. “Go to HR and collect your paycheck. You’re done here.” It was Maya’s father. He hadn’t even looked up from his newspaper as he delivered the cold dismissal. I froze, unsure of how to respond. Part of me wanted to plead for the housekeeper, but I quickly caught myself. If I acted out of character, Mr. Summers might suspect something was wrong. Swallowing my words, I gave the housekeeper an apologetic look as she quietly left, tears streaming down her face. “Miss Summers, dinner is ready,” a young woman called out from the dining room. I recognized her from school. She was Maya’s mom. “Coming, Mom,” I said, trying to mimic Maya’s usual tone. I dropped my school bag onto the couch and walked toward the dining room. But as I entered, I froze. The entire family was seated, their eyes all fixed on me. Especially Mrs. Summers. Her gaze was intense, almost as if she could see through me. A chill ran down my spine, and cold sweat prickled at the back of my neck. Had I done something wrong? Had they already noticed something was off? Sitting at the Dinner Table Mrs. Summers served me a bowl of rice as I nervously ate, my eyes darting around to gauge everyone’s expressions. Mr. Summers seemed to be in a good mood. He even added some food to my plate a few times, telling me to eat more. But Mrs. Summers… her gaze was different. Throughout the meal, she kept staring at me, her expression unreadable, yet heavy with suspicion. It made my skin crawl, like she could see straight through me—as though she knew that despite looking like Maya Summers, inside, I was Ashley. After dinner, Mr. Summers left to work on some business matters, and I stayed behind to help Mrs. Summers clean up. I was carefully carrying the last plate when she suddenly leaned in close, inspecting me from head to toe.

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My obnoxious roommate recently started dating a “rich boy” and made it her life’s mission to target me. She stole my scholarship and even rallied a mob to harass me online. “Tsk, tsk, the ‘top student of the department’ won’t even donate when a classmate’s family is in need. My boyfriend donated a whole million dollars!” I was speechless. The anonymous $1 million donation… was actually from me. She wasn’t satisfied with just the online harassment and decided to show off her boyfriend to intimidate me. Wait a second—wasn’t that my family’s security guard? And when exactly did he start driving my car to pick up girls? My roommate, Rachel, had been showing off her “rich boyfriend” non-stop lately. “Look at the Cartier bracelet he just gave me,” she said, holding up her wrist so the sunlight reflected off the bracelet like a dazzling beam of light. “Wow, that must’ve cost a fortune! Your boyfriend is so good to you,” one of our roommates exclaimed. “Totally! Rachel, does your boyfriend have any single friends? Hook us up!” The other roommates surrounded her, showering her with compliments until her face bloomed with pride. Rachel, clearly enjoying the attention, casually handed out branded makeup products from her collection to the others. The room was filled with gasps and flattery as they fawned over her generosity. I sat in the corner reading a book, ignoring the commotion. Rachel noticed and frowned. “Chloe, what do you think of my Cartier bracelet? It’s 100% solid gold—not like that cheap silver bracelet you always wear.” I glanced at her bracelet, instantly recognizing it as a knockoff. The “silver bracelet” on my wrist? It was actually a limited-edition Tiffany piece, understated but worth more than her entire outfit. Still, I didn’t want to embarrass her. “It’s nice,” I said calmly. “My bracelet’s nothing special.” Rachel’s mood lifted at my response, and her frown dissolved into a smug grin. She walked over and slammed my book shut. “Seriously, Chloe, you should invest in some real jewelry. Standing next to me with that thing? You’re making me look bad.” I sighed inwardly. Rachel’s family wasn’t well-off. They weren’t even middle-class. Before she met her “rich boyfriend,” she’d been wearing $10 t-shirts with worn-out jeans. Now, she acted like she’d forgotten where she came from. I gave her a polite nod, pretending to agree, while mentally trying to figure out which page I’d left off on. Our other roommate, Lily, looped her arm through Rachel’s and said sweetly, “Rachel, don’t bother with her. You two are on completely different levels. Let’s grab dinner tonight, and you can tell me more about your boyfriend.” Rachel glanced at her, then raised her voice dramatically. “Sorry, no can do. I’m meeting my boyfriend tonight!” A flicker of jealousy flashed across Lily’s face, but she quickly masked it. “Must be at some fancy restaurant, huh? Don’t forget to post pictures on Instagram.” Rachel didn’t respond, too busy applying makeup in front of the mirror. She put on the only dress in her wardrobe that cost more than $100, then strutted out of the dorm like a proud peacock. That evening, as I sat in the dorm happily eating spicy hot pot takeout, Lily suddenly let out a shriek. “Rachel just posted on Instagram! Look—foie gras, caviar, red wine, steak… oh my god!” The other roommates rushed over to see her post, leaving me with my hot pot. Lily glanced at me disdainfully. “Some people get to wear fancy dresses and go on romantic dates with rich guys. Others…” She sneered at my hot pot. “…are stuck eating $5 takeout. Life just isn’t fair, is it?” I paused, chopsticks halfway to my mouth, and looked at her. What’s wrong with eating hot pot? How does it bother her? When I didn’t respond, Lily shoved her phone in my face. “Look! Rachel and her boyfriend are so perfect for each other.” I glanced at the photo, and my interest was instantly piqued. The “rich boyfriend” in the picture? That was my family’s newly hired security guard. Here’s a little backstory: My dad got rich after winning the lottery, using the money to kickstart his first business. Since then, his investments had snowballed, turning him into one of the wealthiest people in Ashbourne City. Growing up, I’d been chauffeured to school in luxury cars, and my school uniform was paired with the latest designer collections. But all that attention came with risks—I was almost kidnapped once. The incident scared my dad so much that he insisted I keep a low profile in college. Even though he bought me a private villa near campus, he told me to live in the dorms to avoid drawing attention. So here I was, wearing plain clothes and pretending to be ordinary. The truth? Even my “cheapest” outfits cost at least $300. When I first arrived on campus, I made the mistake of wearing a designer outfit. My classmates immediately recognized its value. To avoid standing out, I told them it was a knockoff. From then on, I was labeled as someone who liked fake luxury goods. I didn’t mind. I was here to study, not impress anyone. My dad, who hadn’t gone to college, was obsessed with education. “Chloe, we’re poor in everything but money. You better study hard and make me proud!” Our house had an entire wall covered with my awards and certificates—worth only a few dollars each but priceless to my dad. Back to Rachel’s “boyfriend.” A few months ago, one of our security guards quit, recommending his nephew for the job. His nephew seemed hardworking, so I approved the hire. Who would’ve thought he’d turn around and pretend to be a rich kid to date Rachel? As my roommates huddled around Rachel’s Instagram post, I leaned back and thought about what to do next.

Rachel came back from her date decked out in a knockoff Chanel outfit, lugging a pile of gifts. She began unwrapping them one by one, making the rest of the roommates green with envy. “Rachel, your Chanel outfit looks amazing!” “Wow, is that Gucci perfume? Can I hold it for a second? It’s so expensive!” “Rachel, I’m so jealous. You must’ve had dinner at a five-star hotel last night, right?” Rachel’s smug smile didn’t leave her face for a second. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye before pulling out a bag from her pile of gifts and holding it up. “Chloe,” she said, “didn’t you say you also have this same Hermès bag? Why don’t you take it out so we can compare?” I took out my earbuds, about to respond, but Rachel didn’t give me the chance. She went straight to my closet, opened it without asking, and pulled out my Hermès “picnic” bag. She placed the two bags side by side. I looked at my now messy closet and frowned. Just as I was about to snap at her, Rachel raised her voice deliberately. “Oh wow, Chloe, why does your bag look so different from mine?” The difference was obvious. Rachel’s bag was brighter in color, the edges were thicker, and the texture was unnaturally smooth with fewer grains. As the other roommates gathered around, Rachel put on an exaggerated look of surprise. “How could they be different? My boyfriend got me this as a date gift. And yours? Oh right, you said you brought it from home, didn’t you?” Lily, ever eager to join the drama, chimed in with a smirk. “Remember when Chloe first came to school wearing knockoff designer clothes? It’s no surprise her bag’s fake too. It can’t compare to Rachel’s bag!” “Chloe,” she added condescendingly, “you really shouldn’t rely on fake bags. I mean, you can’t change your family background, but being materialistic and pretending to be rich will only make it harder for you to face reality.” Rachel smirked at Lily approvingly, then turned to me. “I just don’t want a roommate with ‘questionable morals,’ you know?” I looked at the pair of them, their little back-and-forth act, and honestly wanted to throw my purchase receipt in their faces. But then I remembered my dad’s constant reminder to stay low-key, and I forced myself to calm down. “Rachel,” I said, keeping my tone steady, “you think it’s ‘moral’ to go through someone’s closet without permission? And Lily, your shameless flattery is truly impressive.” Rachel let out a mocking laugh, then grabbed the scissors from my desk. “If I hadn’t checked your closet, I wouldn’t have discovered how obsessed you are with fake designer goods. Tell you what, Chloe, since we’re roommates, I’ll help you out and get rid of this counterfeit bag for you.” She raised the scissors, aiming them at my bag. Lily stepped forward, signaling a few other roommates to hold me back. I didn’t flinch, didn’t even blink. My voice remained calm. “Rachel, I don’t really care what you do. But if you so much as scratch that bag, you better be ready to pay up.” “Even if, hypothetically, my bag is a Hermès knockoff, it would still cost at least a couple of thousand dollars. Are you sure you can afford that?” “And you just started dating your boyfriend—you wouldn’t want to ask him for money because you destroyed your roommate’s stuff, would you?” Rachel hesitated, the scissors hovering midair. After a long pause, she lowered them reluctantly, glaring at me as she returned to her seat. The other roommates, seeing Rachel back down, quickly dispersed. I hadn’t expected Rachel to be so easy to handle. Her own “Hermès” bag was clearly a cheap knockoff, probably no more than a couple hundred bucks. I shot her a casual glance. “By the way, Rachel, make sure you clean up my closet.” Lily immediately jumped in, her voice sharp. “Chloe, don’t push it!” Rachel ignored me completely, humming to herself as she stood in front of the mirror removing her makeup. I didn’t raise my voice this time. “Rachel,” I said coldly, “I won’t repeat myself. Clean up my closet.” Rachel clicked her tongue in annoyance and strolled leisurely to the sink to wash her face. Lily shot me a smug look, as if daring me to do something about it. I stood up without a word and, with one swift motion, kicked Rachel’s chair over with a loud bang. “I won’t say it a third time.” The room fell silent. My roommates, all pampered girls who’d probably never experienced real confrontation, froze in place. Even Lily shut her mouth. Rachel flinched, her whole body trembling. She clenched her fists like she wanted to argue but ultimately gave in, gritting her teeth as she started tidying my closet. I heard her mutter a curse under her breath, her voice trembling with tears. I felt nothing. When she finished, I inspected my now-neat closet, nodded in satisfaction, and returned to my desk. I picked up my English textbook and began reading aloud. My clear, deliberate voice echoed through the still, silent room.

I didn’t waste my energy on Rachel’s antics. My focus was entirely on winning the scholarship. This year, I had the highest GPA in the entire department, a perfect score on my fitness test, and I actively participated in every scholarship-qualifying activity. By all accounts, the only national scholarship slot for our department should’ve been mine. But when the scholarship results were posted, I double-checked the list over and over, unable to believe my eyes. Rachel’s name was at the top of the list with the national scholarship. As for me? Not even the third-place school-level scholarship made it to my name. All my hard work—those sleepless nights of studying, the hours of running drills for the fitness test—had become a joke. Furious and confused, I scrolled down to check the detailed scores. Every category was perfect except for one: personal conduct. For that, my advisor had given me a failing grade. Anger surged through me, my chest heaving as I bolted straight to the advisor’s office. “Professor Lee,” I said, barely keeping my voice calm, “I have some questions about the scholarship results.” “Come in.” I pushed open the door and froze. Rachel was already there, sitting with a smug smile as she chatted with the advisor. When she saw me, she gave me a mocking grin. “Oh, Chloe, I had no idea I’d be so lucky to win the scholarship! Such a shame that you, the top student, didn’t get anything.” I ignored her completely, turning to the advisor instead. “Professor Lee, I’d like to ask about the scholarship results.” The advisor adjusted her glasses, her expression cold. “I know what you’re going to say. Chloe, being good at academics isn’t enough. You lack teamwork and moral character. Naturally, I couldn’t give the scholarship to you.” Her words left me stunned. As the class rep, I was known for helping my classmates, even lending out my notes before exams. I couldn’t think of anyone I’d offended… except the girls in my dorm. I glanced at Rachel, who immediately looked away, guilt flashing in her eyes. In an instant, everything clicked. Suppressing the urge to lash out, I took a deep breath and said, “Professor Lee, if you’re basing this decision on one-sided stories, I don’t think that’s fair to me.” She slammed her hand on the desk and stood up, glaring at me. “What are you trying to say? That I’m biased? That I’m unqualified as an advisor?” Rachel seized the opportunity to play the victim. “Professor, don’t get upset. Chloe’s just… not the most polite person. Let’s not stoop to her level.” I glanced at Rachel, then at the bracelet on the professor’s wrist. It was a Cartier bracelet—one I’d seen Rachel showing off just last week. I chuckled. “Professor Lee, that Cartier bracelet you’re wearing… Rachel gave it to you, didn’t she?” The professor’s face turned red, her composure cracking. I didn’t wait for a response. Turning on my heel, I walked out of the office. Pausing at the door, I left her with one final remark: “There’s always someone above you. If I can’t get justice here, I’ll take it to the dean.” As I walked down the hall, I heard her scoff behind me. “Go ahead. I’m not worried.” Back in the dorm, my roommates were already gossiping about the scholarship drama. The moment I entered, the room fell silent—except for Lily. “Well, well, if it isn’t the department’s top student,” she sneered. “All that hard work, and not even a third-place scholarship to show for it?” I didn’t bother responding. Instead, I pulled out my phone and dialed the university president’s office. No one picked up. Frustrated, I turned to my laptop and wrote a detailed email, explaining the situation and attaching evidence. I hit send. Days passed. At first, I was hopeful, checking my inbox constantly. But as the week dragged on with no response, hope turned to disappointment. I should’ve known better. The president probably never even saw the email. Rachel went out on another date, and Lily eventually got tired of mocking me. The dorm was quiet, but I couldn’t shake the sadness and frustration. Then, my phone buzzed. I jumped out of my chair, only to see a message from my dad. “Sweetheart, did you forget about your poor dad in all your excitement over the scholarship? Don’t get cocky—this is just recognition of your hard work. Keep it up!” My chest tightened, tears threatening to spill over. I walked to an empty corner of the hallway and called my parents. The moment my dad’s face appeared on the screen, I burst into tears. Startled, he fumbled for words while my mom glared at him and took over. “Chloe, honey, what happened? Tell us everything.” Between sobs, I explained the scholarship situation. My mom’s expression darkened, and she smacked my dad on the shoulder. “Someone’s picking on my baby?! That advisor clearly doesn’t want her job anymore! Go talk to the president and get this fixed!” I sniffled. “I already emailed and called the president, and nothing happened. What could Dad possibly do?” My dad scratched his head sheepishly. “Well… about that. I may have forgotten to tell you… I’m on the school board.” I stared at him, stunned. My tears stopped instantly, replaced by a loud hiccup. Before I even made it back to the dorm, the university president called me personally. “Chloe, on behalf of the university, I sincerely apologize. I assure you the scholarship list will be corrected, and those involved will be disciplined.” As I walked into the dorm, Rachel had just returned, surrounded by roommates showering her with compliments. I put the president on speakerphone. “President, what will happen to my roommate who was involved in this?” “She will face disciplinary action, and the scholarship will be revoked.” “Thank you.” Before I could hang up, Rachel burst out laughing. “Chloe, you’ve lost it. Did you hire someone to pretend to be the president? That’s hilarious!” Lily chimed in, “Yeah, maybe all this stress messed with her head.” The president’s voice rang out clearly. “Who’s speaking?” I smirked. “That would be my roommate.” “Understood. Chloe, the corrected list will be posted on the university website tomorrow.” The call ended. I glanced at Rachel, who still didn’t seem to grasp the situation, and shook my head. Climbing into bed, I decided to let her figure it out on her own.

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