Author: Momo Chan

In my hometown, there’s a custom: wedding cars can never go in reverse. Otherwise, the marriage will be cursed with misfortune. But on our wedding day, my groom Ethan Brooks reversed his entire convoy twenty kilometers just to make way for another wedding procession. I was about to roll down the window to ask what was going on when I overheard Ethan talking to his best man. “Going a hundred kilometers out of our way just to see Wendy off on her wedding day—you’re way too good to her.” “Aren’t you afraid Mandy will lose it?” Ethan’s voice was casual, unconcerned. “Relax. Mandy’s waited ten years. No matter how mad she gets, she won’t actually get out of the car and run.” “If my family wasn’t pressuring me so hard, why would I have agreed to marry her so easily?” “Wendy couldn’t marry me, so escorting her to her wedding is my way of making it up to her for all these years.” Wendy is his first love. I let out a bitter laugh. So this is what they call a happy ending after years of hardship. Turns out it was all just my own delusion. I opened my chat and sent my location to someone. “Still want to marry me? Get here fast.”

Twenty-four wedding cars reversed down the winding mountain road. Two of my bridesmaids frowned and complained. “Mandy, we’ve already backed up over twenty kilometers! If we keep going, we’ll be back at your front door!” “Seriously! The road’s wide enough—we could totally squeeze past!” My heart felt like a deflated balloon. The bridesmaids got out of the car to argue on my behalf. “Ethan, don’t you know wedding cars aren’t supposed to go in reverse?” “Yeah, we’ve already backed up over twenty kilometers! How much farther do you want us to go?” Ethan sensed the tension and strode over, leaning against my car window. His face was so close—those trembling eyes and that faint cedarwood scent used to be my weakness. But right now, I felt nothing. “Mandy, just hang in there a bit longer. Once we get to the next turnoff, we’ll stop reversing.” I looked at Wendy in the opposite wedding car, her face glowing with joy. My voice came out flat. “Whatever you want.” Ethan’s smile froze. He clearly hadn’t expected me to respond like that. The groomsmen crowded around. “Mandy, don’t be mad. The road’s too narrow to pass. We have to reverse.” “Yeah, and our convoy is closer to the turnoff anyway. It saves time if we’re the ones to back up.” “Exactly! Mandy, don’t give Ethan attitude. He’s doing his best here.” I let out a cold laugh. “Didn’t we just pass two turnoffs? Why didn’t you reverse onto those side roads?” The groomsmen were speechless, all looking at Ethan. Ethan grabbed my hand. “Mandy, this is my fault. I didn’t plan the route well. When we get home, I’ll make it up to you personally.” Did he really not plan the route well? Or did he deliberately take this detour to see Wendy off? I let out a calm breath and shook my head, not wanting to pursue it further. “No need, Ethan.” The groomsmen, missing my tone entirely, laughed and praised me. “See? Mandy’s so understanding and considerate of Ethan.” “Man, you guys are goals. We don’t even need to explain anything!” The group walked away laughing, taking Ethan with them. They went back to directing the wedding convoy to make way for Wendy’s procession. My phone buzzed repeatedly. “Mandy Foster, I thought you were supposed to be something special. Turns out even on your wedding day, you have to make way for me.” “Ha! I didn’t even have to lift a finger. Ethan cleared every obstacle for me. If you didn’t know better, you’d think I was his bride!” She forwarded me a screenshot. A post Ethan had just made on Instagram. “If I can’t marry you, at least I can pave you a smooth path covered in flowers.” I looked down at the road. It was covered in petals of Damascus roses—Wendy’s favorite. My nose stung, and hot tears slid down my cheeks. Voice nearly breaking, I called Ethan at the back of the convoy. “Ethan, I don’t want to reverse anymore.” The line went silent for two seconds. “Mandy, we’re almost—” I hung up and took a deep breath. Ethan, from this moment on, I’ll never make myself wait for you again.

I tried to open the door, but suddenly the back of the car dropped. My elbow and head slammed hard against the door. Sharp pain made me gasp. Screams erupted all around. Pure chaos. “The back wheel fell into the drainage ditch!” “Someone help! Quick!” “Mandy! Mandy, are you okay? Are you hurt?” The two bridesmaids pounded on the windows, checking on me. I touched my head. Warm liquid trickled from my forehead down my temple. In the rearview mirror, Ethan was rushing frantically toward the wedding car. He got closer and closer. But he didn’t stop at my tilted car. Instead, he ran straight to the car across from us. “Were you not paying attention?! Wendy’s shaking like a leaf!” Ethan pointed his finger right in the other driver’s face and yelled. Friends and family from both sides exchanged glances, smirking and covering their mouths. Laughing at the overturned car. Laughing at me inside it. I closed my eyes, praying for that person to come get me quickly. I didn’t want to stay here another second. The driver tried for ages but couldn’t get the stuck rear wheel out. Everyone discussed lifting the car. “Maybe the bride should get out first? What if she gets hurt again?” “Good idea. Better to be safe on such an important day.” Ethan came back after calming Wendy down, his face stern as he objected. “No. Mandy can only get out at the destination. Getting out midway is bad luck!” Everyone fell silent and used all their strength to lift the car out of the ditch. Ethan brushed the dirt off his hands, smiling brightly. “Mandy, you’re not hurt, are you? Today’s been all my fault.” “After the wedding’s over, I’ll take you to the Maldives for our honeymoon, okay?” He always used this kind of unfair tenderness to soothe my emotions. But right now, I just wanted to get out of here as fast as possible. “Once we get to the next turnoff, I’m going back hom—” “Ethan! Ethan, Wendy twisted her ankle!” The man dropped me and strode toward the other car. As if he were the groom in that wedding convoy. My bridesmaids were shaking with anger. “If her ankle’s twisted, she should rest! Why’s she making a scene?” “And their actual groom—is he useless or what? Something happens and all he does is yell for Ethan!” “Mandy, if you weren’t so dead-set on marrying him, I’d slap him right now and drive you home myself.” I smiled without saying a word. Soon. The person coming to get me was already on the way. A moment later, Ethan walked back from Wendy’s car, where he’d been crouching to check her injury, his brow furrowed. He pushed the bridesmaids aside and yanked the car door open. His voice was urgent, brooking no argument. “Wendy twisted her ankle. You studied medicine—get out and help her!” I grabbed the back of the passenger seat, resisting his pull. The bridesmaids blocked him. “Ethan, you just said yourself that it’s bad luck for the bride to get out midway! Forget already?” “Exactly! A twisted ankle isn’t life-threatening. Just put some ice on it.” “Stop making Mandy sacrifice everything for Wendy, okay?” Hearing my bridesmaids’ words, my eyes welled up with tears. But Ethan ignored them, pulling me even harder. “Mandy Foster, this is an emergency! Can you put aside those outdated superstitions for one second?!” “Ethan, I don’t want to.” My tears fell on the back of his hand. He flinched as if burned. But the next second, his cold voice rang out. “Please. I’m begging you.” “I’ll give you whatever you want, okay?” “Wendy can’t handle pain.” I looked at his anxious, stubborn eyes and laughed bitterly. “Whatever I want?” “Yes.” “Let’s break up.”

Ethan froze, then tilted his head in exasperation. “Mandy, playing hard to get only works on certain people.” “It doesn’t work on me.” I still gripped the seat back tightly, refusing to let go. He let out a cold laugh and shoved his hands into his pockets, releasing me. “You’re really going to be like this?” “Yes. Unless we break up, don’t expect me to do anything for you.” Ethan ran his tongue over his lower lip, glancing at Wendy. After just a moment, he quietly said, “Fine.” I got out of the car and brushed past Ethan. He whispered a warning. “If you take your anger out on Wendy on purpose, don’t blame me for being ruthless and leaving you here.” People from both wedding convoys stood along the roadside. I walked in my wedding dress and heels toward the other car. People whispered to each other, smirks on their faces. In the ten-million-dollar Mercedes SUV, Wendy sat draped in white, filling the entire back seat. She looked pure and elegant beyond words. Leaning back in her seat, she smiled and extended her foot. “Sorry to trouble you, Mandy!” “We studied medicine together in college. Who knew I’d twist my ankle on my wedding day and still get taken care of by a classmate? I’m so lucky!” “Ethan, you’d better treasure such a kind and caring bride.” “If you dare bully her, I’ll beat you up.” Ethan gazed at Wendy, his eyes full of happy smiles. I crouched down and lifted Wendy’s foot to examine the injury. “Ah!” “Mandy Foster! What are you doing?” Ethan yanked me away and cradled Wendy’s foot like it was precious jade. I fell hard onto the asphalt. My palms scraped and bled. “Wendy, Mandy didn’t even touch you yet! What are you screaming about?!” My bridesmaid pointed at Wendy and yelled. “And you, Ethan—what’s your problem? Doctors can’t treat injuries without causing some pain!” “This bitch screams once and you shove Mandy like that?!” “You—!” Ethan’s chest heaved. He knew he was in the wrong and had to swallow his anger. Reluctantly, he grabbed my shoulder and helped me up. “Sorry. I overreacted.” Wendy stuck out her tongue playfully. “Mandy, I’m sorry! You know me—I’m terrified of pain. Sorry about that!” I didn’t want to hear any more of this. I just wanted to bandage her up and get out of here. “Do you have ice? Gauze?” “We have gauze, but no ice. Just frozen bottled water.” “Bring both.” Seeing my complete lack of emotion, Ethan’s heart beat uneasily. He tried to help several times, but I subtly kept my distance. I dampened the gauze and wrapped it around her swollen ankle. “Ah!” Wendy kicked me in the face. I lost my balance and fell again. “Sorry, sorry, Mandy! I really didn’t mean it this time.” I lowered my head and took a deep breath. I didn’t see Ethan’s instinctive move to catch me. “Wendy, Mandy’s been crouching for so long. Stop messing with her.” Wendy pouted and shot Ethan a playful look. “I’ll apologize for Wendy. Let me help you up.” I pushed him away, polite but distant. “No need. Thank you.” I finished the last steps of treatment. “Without ice, you’ll need to pour cold water on the gauze every half hour to reduce the swelling.” “Don’t do strenuous exercise. Don’t stand for long periods.” Wendy examined her foot from different angles. “It’s wrapped so ugly. Thanks, though.” I walked back toward my wedding car without looking back. Ethan bumped shoulders with his groomsmen, speaking quietly. “See? Told you she was playing hard to get. I knew it. All that ‘break up’ stuff—she’s just trying to get a rise out of me.” “Ethan’s got her figured out completely.” “Women, man. You can’t give them too much face or they’ll walk all over you.” I said nothing. I opened the car door, grabbed my purse, and took my two bridesmaids with me. Then I walked toward the person coming to get me.

I brushed past them. The groomsmen and Ethan stood frozen. “Wait, what?” “She’s actually leaving?” Ethan watched my resolute back and caught up, grabbing my hand. His voice held barely detectable panic. “Mandy Foster, what the hell are you doing?!” “We’re breaking up. Exactly what it sounds like.” “Are you done with this tantrum? Don’t you see everyone’s waiting for you?” I looked back at the twenty-four wedding cars. Not a single person was waiting for me. “They’re waiting for you.” “Waiting for you to finish reversing for your precious childhood sweetheart, scatter rose petals for her, and see her off one last time.” Ethan clenched his jaw, too guilty to respond. I pulled my hand free and kept walking. He shouted furiously. “Mandy Foster! If you leave today, you’ll never get another chance to come back to me! Don’t you dare regret this!!” No one answered him. Let him perform this farce alone. That person sent me a shared location. The distance was closing. I walked quickly with my bridesmaids. The groomsmen saw things escalating and kept scratching their heads. “Ethan, you should go after her and smooth things over! Otherwise she really will leave.” Wendy stuck her head out the car window. “Ethan, this is all my fault. I made Mandy angry.” “Should I go apologize to her?” Ethan’s furrowed brow smoothed out instantly. “It’s bad luck for the bride to get out midway. Stay put. Don’t worry about her.” “But what if Mandy really leaves?” Ethan touched the diamond tiara on her head. “Be good. Today’s your most important day. I’ll make sure this road is completely clear for you.” “Don’t worry. She’s been chasing me for years. She won’t go far. She’s probably waiting in some shady spot for me to come apologize!” Wendy smiled and nuzzled his palm like a kitten. “Ethan, the wedding dress you gave me is beautiful. The diamond necklace, earrings, tiara, and bracelet—Wendy loves them all.” “Even though I can’t marry you, you’ll always be in my heart.” Ethan was distracted and didn’t really hear what Wendy said. He suddenly realized—Mandy wasn’t wearing any decent jewelry today. Ethan looked in the direction Mandy had gone. Would her heels hurt if she walked too long? The sun was so strong—did she even put on sunscreen? She’d rather walk away with her bridesmaids than stay. Was she really that angry? He turned around and quickly got the convoys moving. “Wendy, I’ll see you off to here.” Wendy threw open the car door, jumped out, and shouted something at him. He floored the gas pedal. The wind was too loud—he couldn’t hear a thing. “Ethan, look at you! Saying you’ll let go and then actually letting go. Just walking away like that—you’re so flexible!” “This is wild! Let’s go! Time to pick up the bride!” He was grinning ear to ear in the driver’s seat. For the first time, he believed the saying “boys will be boys.” He could already imagine how happy Mandy would look when she saw him catch up to her so quickly. She’d probably cry from happiness. Ethan wore his sunglasses, lips curving up involuntarily. But the mountain road twisted and turned. The further he drove, the less confident he felt. The more anxious he became. Fifteen minutes passed. He didn’t see a single soul. “Ethan, did Mandy hitch a ride and take off?” “Shut up. We were blocking the road. What ride could she hitch?” “Right, right! Don’t talk nonsense! She’s probably hiding somewhere waiting for us to find her!” “Keep driving.” Ethan pulled out his phone, hands shaking slightly. He called Mandy. After a few rings, she hung up mercilessly. He called again. She blocked him. He sent messages, tried SnapChat—everything disappeared into the void. He gripped the steering wheel, furious. “Hey! Ethan, look! There they are!” “They’re at the fifth curve!” Ethan focused and looked. His whole body relaxed. “Whoa! She even called a car and got herself a longer train for her dress!” “So she went to prepare a surprise for Ethan!” “Nice one, Mandy! You know how to make him happy!” Ethan couldn’t suppress the smile spreading across his face. Just then, his business rival of over a decade, Lucas Sterling, called. Ethan was in such a good mood he casually hit accept. With just one sentence from the other end, the phone slipped from his hand. “Ethan, thanks for giving Mandy to me.” Ethan gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles, his foot slamming the gas pedal nearly to the floor. Because he saw me, holding my dress train, climbing into Lucas Sterling’s wedding car.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416570”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My husband married into my family. But I was more than happy to support him. After all, he had the looks and the build—and most importantly, he had real talent. He could help me take the company to new heights. Until at the corporate year-end gala, I caught sight of the female VP who’d been shadowing him all evening. She leaned in slightly and smoothed down his cuff with practiced ease. That night when we got home, I tossed him a transfer order with a smile. “By next week, she’s being relocated to our European division.” Charlie frowned. “She’s still managing core projects.” I brushed at a non-existent wrinkle on my dress, my voice light and unhurried. “Do you know why I’ve never bothered to interfere with you two?” “Because in my world, people are like projects—I only keep the ones I can control.” He went silent for a long moment before finally speaking. “How long are you planning to send her away for?” I looked up at him, lips curving into a smile. “That depends on your performance.” After all, his first lesson should be: never make your master teach you the meaning of boundaries herself. ……

By the time I arrived, there was already a woman standing next to my husband Charlie. Long wavy hair, crimson lips, dressed in a bold red evening gown—her delicate hand resting naturally in the crook of Charlie’s arm. I raised an eyebrow and walked over to Charlie’s side without changing my expression. When Audrey saw me, she made no move to release Charlie’s arm. Instead, she leaned in slightly, smiling at me. “Miss Laura, you’re here. That dress looks stunning on you tonight—white really brings out your complexion.” Her words were complimentary, but her body pressed even closer to Charlie. She looked down, smoothing her own dress. “Not like me. I’ve been fighting in the trenches with Mr. Charlie for so long, I can’t pull off such an elegant color. I’d only ruin it.” I looked at her with a smile but said nothing. Charlie smoothly extracted his arm and took two steps forward to my side, wrapping his hand around my waist as he said quietly, “Mr. Brown is here today. Let’s go say hello.” Audrey was naturally left standing where she was, head lowered, lost in thought. Halfway through the gala, I stood beside Charlie with a glass of champagne, watching him exchange pleasantries with several directors from headquarters. At some point, Audrey had positioned herself on Charlie’s other side. She jumped into the conversation at just the right moments. She steered the discussion perfectly toward the high-stakes deals she and Charlie had closed together. And then, at just the right moment, she suddenly reached out and brushed something off Charlie’s cuff. “Mr. Charlie, right here.” Charlie glanced at me and shifted away from her hand. Audrey’s hand froze mid-air. She didn’t seem bothered, though. Instead, she turned to look at me, her eyes glistening. “Miss Laura, please don’t take offense. I’ve spent so many years building this empire alongside Mr. Charlie, taking care of him has become second nature.” She paused, her lips curving into a smile as she sighed. “Sometimes I wonder—if I’d been born with Miss Laura’s privileges, maybe I could’ve lived comfortably as a wealthy heiress instead of weathering every storm, grinding myself down into this rough version of who I am now.” Finally, she concluded: “I really envy you. I wasn’t so lucky.” I couldn’t help but laugh, studying her with interest for a few seconds. “Miss Audrey, has the pressure gotten to you? Are you having some kind of breakdown?” Audrey’s smile faltered. She stared at me in shock. I handed my champagne glass to Charlie beside me and straightened his collar. “Have you been putting too much pressure on Miss Audrey? She’s started talking nonsense in broad daylight.” “It’s embarrassing, really.” The area around us gradually fell silent. Several directors exchanged glances and smiled as they echoed my words. “That’s right, Audrey’s worked herself into some kind of delusion.” “Young people, ambition is good. But too much ambition makes you lose touch with reality. Do it long enough and you can’t tell the difference between privilege and fantasy anymore.” Audrey’s smile completely collapsed. “Gentlemen, you’re joking. I was only—” “Only what? Only envying President Laura’s good fortune?” “Young lady, President Laura doesn’t just sit at home drinking coffee. When she was managing billion-dollar investment portfolios, you and Mr. Charlie were probably still scraping by in the dirt.” The comment was cutting enough that it didn’t even spare Charlie. Someone laughed quietly. Audrey’s face went paler and paler. She looked at Charlie helplessly. Charlie rubbed his temples, his tone sharp as he addressed Audrey: “Apologize to Miss Laura. If the pressure’s too much, take some time off. Stop spouting nonsense.” Audrey froze. Her gaze shattered as she looked at me and said hoarsely, “Miss Laura, I’m sorry.” I didn’t look at her. I didn’t even wait for her to finish. Charlie called out softly, “Laura.” I turned the bracelet on my wrist, acting as if I hadn’t heard him, and said goodbye to the gentlemen. “Gentlemen, enjoy yourselves. I have a meeting early tomorrow.” After a few polite exchanges, I’d already taken two steps toward the exit. People around me began stepping aside, nodding in acknowledgment. “Miss Laura, have a good evening.” “Miss Laura, see you at next week’s meeting.” “Miss Laura, please give my regards to your father.” President Laura. Not Charlie’s wife.

When we got home, Charlie opened the car door for me. Under the dim courtyard lights, I studied that handsome face and suddenly remembered the first time he met my father. My father had been drinking coffee, asking him what his plans were. He’d said he wanted to start a business, to help me expand the family empire. My father had smiled and simply said, “Ambitious.” Later, he’d delivered on that promise. The subsidiary company he managed had launched a new brand. In just five years, the brand’s valuation had increased tenfold. The people in our social circle who’d once mocked Charlie for marrying into my family now addressed him respectfully as “Mr. Charlie.” Too bad shortcuts have a way of making you forget how you got to where you are. I looked at Charlie standing before me and brushed an invisible speck off his shoulder. “By next week at the latest, transfer Audrey to the European division.” Charlie frowned. “She’s still managing core projects—” I raised my eyes, my voice calm. “I’m informing you, not asking for your input.” Charlie pressed his lips together. “Laura, you know nothing’s happened between Audrey and me.” I nodded, looking down to smooth the pale fabric of my dress. “Charlie, do you know why I passed over so many excellent strategic matches and chose to marry you?” Charlie’s expression turned uncomfortable. Back then, when we’d gotten together, he’d been the one to push open my bedroom door and offer himself. I smiled, unconcerned. “Because you’re smart. You knew you had no background, no connections—but your ambition and hunger were strong enough that you refused to settle. So you came to me.” “And what I valued was exactly that refusal to settle. People who refuse to settle claw their way up. They treat the family business like their own life, fighting for it with everything they have. I needed someone like that.” He stood in the shadows, his expression dazed. I touched his face. “Charlie, these past five years you’ve exceeded my expectations. I trust you won’t disappoint me going forward, will you?” He stood in the shadows, silent. I couldn’t make out his expression. I smiled and walked past him into the house. If he knew when to advance and when to retreat, I wouldn’t mind helping him climb even higher. The next morning, the butler told me Charlie had stood in the courtyard for half the night. I sipped my coffee and raised an eyebrow at the latest personnel announcement on my phone. Rushed and bare-bones, but apparently effective immediately. Audrey had been transferred to Europe. The matter should have ended there, naturally. But a year later, during the holidays, I found Audrey at Charlie’s parents’ house. She answered the door, then casually took the gift bags from my assistant’s hands with familiar ease. “Miss Laura, long time no see.” She smiled warmly, wearing an apron and the slippers I usually wore when I visited. “Come in, come in. I’m cooking today—don’t be shy, eat as much as you like.” Charlie’s mother stood in the living room, wringing her hands nervously. “Laura’s here… come in, come in…” I lifted my chin slightly, my face cold as I stared at Audrey. “Are you going to leave on your own, or should I have someone help you leave?” Her lips twitched, but she maintained her composure as she spoke. “Miss Laura, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come.” “I’ve always treated Charlie’s mother like my own. I used to visit often to keep her company, go shopping with her.” “This past year I was transferred to Europe, and I felt so empty inside. So the moment I got time off, I wanted to come back to see her, and to see… everyone.” I let out a cold laugh, seizing on her deliberately ambiguous tone. “Audrey, do you think I’m an idiot?” “I let you off once. Did you think that made me soft-hearted and merciful?” “Last time. Are you leaving or not?” I raised my hand slightly. Security guards nearby moved in closer. “Miss Laura!” Audrey’s voice turned sharp and shrill, her face showing undisguised defiance and humiliation. “I know you look down on me. You were born with privilege, with luck, with an amazing husband like Mr. Charlie. But what gives you the right to trample me underfoot?” “People like us aren’t like you. We fight with everything we have just to get a little bit. We cherish every little thing we manage to get. What’s wrong with that?” The living room fell silent. I turned my head toward Charlie, who’d just finished a phone call and walked in. “When she says ‘us,’ does that include you?”

Charlie pressed his lips together and glanced at me before walking over to Audrey, whose eyes were red but chin still raised high in defiance. “You should go.” Audrey’s eyes flushed crimson as she called out, “Mr. Charlie.” Charlie didn’t look at her again. He lowered his eyes, his voice quiet. “I’ll have someone take you home.” Audrey removed the apron and slippers, then walked away in her heels. Charlie’s parents’ house fell into silence. His mother tiptoed upstairs. Charlie walked up to me, his voice gentle as he explained. “I didn’t know she was coming. You know my mom has a soft heart. When Mom had her surgery, Audrey stayed by her bedside for an entire week.” “So when Audrey said she wanted to visit, Mom didn’t think it through and said yes.” I looked quietly into his eyes. He didn’t look away. “Charlie, this is the second time you’ve allowed her in front of me.” Charlie sighed. “Laura, I told you I didn’t invite her here.” “You didn’t invite her. You just allowed it.” “You got here half a day before me. You weren’t blind when you walked in, were you? You saw her bustling around your parents’ house, and you let her stay.” I looked at him. “What were you waiting for?” He said nothing. I smiled, though the smile didn’t reach my eyes. “Charlie, there won’t be a third time.” I didn’t go inside Charlie’s parents’ house that day. As I was leaving, Charlie chased after me and blocked my way. “If you leave now, what will my parents think? You only see them once a year. Do you really have to humiliate them like this?” I didn’t stop walking. His voice finally lost that calm composure. “Fine. I apologize, okay? Is that enough?” I stopped, my voice colder than his. “When you let Audrey through that door, did you think about the consequences?” His face turned ashen as he stared at me. I let out a cold laugh and got into the car without looking back. No one in this world had been born yet who could make me swallow my pride and suffer in silence. He was overestimating himself. Charlie stayed at his parents’ house that night. He didn’t come home for three days straight. It wasn’t until my family’s estate hosted a New Year’s party that he finally showed up. My friend Rosen stood beside me and whistled, his tone full of schadenfreude. “Showing up right when the party’s about to start—looks like President Laura’s lost control of her prize horse. You’ve let him run wild.” I stared coldly at Charlie’s car, though my voice remained calm. “If he’s gone wild, that means he needs to be disciplined.” Rosen raised an eyebrow but didn’t respond. At the dinner party, I held onto Charlie’s arm with a gentle smile, as if there had never been any rift between us. Charlie, on the other hand, seemed uncomfortable. The arm I held was tense with rigid muscles. I turned my head, pretending to adjust his tie, and whispered, “Relax. Smile.” He looked down at me and forced his lips into a curve. It looked terrible. My eyes went completely cold. He hadn’t even reached the top yet, and he already thought he had enough skill and confidence to defy me. I tightened my grip. Just as I was about to threaten him, Rosen’s lazy voice drifted over. “Well, well, well, who do we have here? If it isn’t Mr. Charlie himself.” Charlie turned his head and nodded slightly. “Mr. Rosen, it’s been a while.” Rosen’s smile was absolutely genuine. “My old man’s been singing your praises for years now. Mr. Charlie’s impressive—being able to build up a subsidiary to this level isn’t something just anyone can do.” Charlie smiled but didn’t respond. Rosen winked at me. “But you know, talent sometimes comes down to luck.” “Some people claw their way up for decades and never make it. Others hook up with the right person and reach the top in five years.” The air went still for a moment. Charlie’s jawline went rigid. Rosen acted like he hadn’t noticed and kept talking. “Of course, hooking up with the right person is a talent in itself.” “You’ve got to know how to read the room, when to push forward, when to pull back. And most importantly, you’ve got to remember who you are and whose boat you’re standing on.” He tilted his head, swirling his drink with a smile as he looked at Charlie. “Oh man, was that too harsh? Don’t take it personally, Mr. Charlie. I didn’t mean anything by it. Just making an observation.” “After all, these days it’s pretty rare to see someone ride their wife’s coattails as successfully as you have, Mr. Charlie.” Charlie’s face turned dark. He looked at me.

I let out a soft laugh, slowly raising my glass to take a small sip. I made no move to rescue him. More meaningful glances turned our way. Rosen sighed, putting on a show of sympathy for Charlie. “Don’t blame me for being blunt, Mr. Charlie.” “I feel for you, really. You’ve worked so hard to get where you are today. Some people praise you as a young talent, but behind your back, they say all kinds of things.” He paused, lowering his voice. “They say you got where you are by riding your wife’s success. That without President Laura, you’d be nothing.” “Those words sting, don’t they? I hate hearing them too. But you’ve got to admit, there’s… some truth to what they’re saying.” Charlie was silent for a few seconds before his voice came out tight. “Thank you for your concern, Mr. Rosen. But I don’t need a spoiled rich kid who does nothing all day to worry about me.” The party wasn’t even halfway through when Charlie left abruptly. Rosen stood beside me as we watched Charlie’s car drive away. “So how are you going to thank me?” I withdrew my gaze and smiled at him. “Some of Charlie’s projects can be redirected to you going forward.” Rosen raised an eyebrow. “Decided on divorce?” I texted my assistant to prepare divorce papers. “He’s used up his chances. Time to send him back where he belongs.” He climbed the wall and started tearing down the ladder, thinking he’d grown wings. He forgot who built that ladder in the first place. But I could give him the ladder to heaven, and I could just as easily let him come crashing down. That night at the party, I accompanied my father alone as we saw off the last batch of guests. My father suddenly spoke. “Made up your mind?” I adjusted my shawl and answered softly, “He forgot who he is.” As I walked out of the estate, I glanced back. This was where Charlie had stood at the entrance with a ring, proposing to me. Fine beads of sweat had dotted his forehead, but every word came out steady and firm. “Laura, give me a chance. I’ll prove to you that choosing me was the right decision.” At the time, I’d thought he was interesting. He didn’t want money. Didn’t want shares. He’d even volunteered to sign a prenup. I’d believed in him. Given him a chance. Too bad people’s hearts can change. When I got home, it was already eleven o’clock. The lights by the entrance were on. Charlie sat on the sofa with a bottle of wine, drinking straight from the bottle. This man who was usually steady as a rock and unshakeable looked unusually disheveled. Hearing footsteps, he didn’t get up or turn around. “Miss Laura. You’re back.” I set my purse on the entrance table and walked barefoot across the carpet, sitting down on the armchair across from him. He didn’t look at me. His gaze was unfocused, staring at some point in empty space. “Those things Rosen said—that was your doing, wasn’t it?” I didn’t deny it. He finally raised his eyes, anger that had been building all evening blazing in them. “Laura, are you satisfied?” “Humiliating me in front of all those people, having someone point at my face and call me a freeloader, letting them watch me like I’m some kind of circus act—are you satisfied now?” I propped my chin on my hand and leaned back against the sofa, watching him quietly. Charlie hurled the wine bottle onto the white carpet. “I know that in your eyes, I’ll always be someone who exists only because of you.” “I live in your house, drive the car you assigned me, and everyone knows Mr. Charlie is just a high-level employee. The real boss is you, Miss Laura.” He twisted his lips into a sarcastic smile. “But I’m still a person. I still have dignity.” “You had Rosen humiliate me in public. You just stood there holding your glass, watching me like I was some servant who’d messed up.” He stood up, looking down at me from above. “Laura, people like you will never learn what respect means because you’re always looking down from above!” “You humiliate Audrey, you humiliate me. Will people like us who clawed our way up from the bottom never earn the right to be seen as equals by people like you?!” I couldn’t help but laugh. He frowned. “What are you laughing at?” “I’m laughing at you.” I stood up. I was half a head shorter than him, but my presence was no less commanding. “Charlie, these past five years you’ve been the successful and accomplished Mr. Charlie out in the world, and the thoughtful, caring husband at home. When I worked late you’d bring me food. Everyone said Laura had excellent taste in husbands.” “I thought you truly accepted this marriage. I never held back on giving you resources. When you couldn’t crack tough deals, I visited every uncle one by one, asking them to take care of you.” “But it turns out you’ve resented it all along.” “You should have said something sooner. I don’t need you specifically.” His face showed confusion. He didn’t speak. I took a step forward. He took half a step back. “You say I don’t respect you. So tell me, what does respect look like?” “Should I have pretended not to see when Audrey took your arm? Should I have praised her dedication when she straightened your cuff?” “Or when your mother welcomed her into your house to wear my slippers, sit in my seat, acting like the lady of the house—should I have smiled and accepted it, shaken her hand and welcomed her, for that to count as respecting you?” He opened his mouth. “My mom was just being soft-hearted…” “But you weren’t.” I cut him off. “You were just waiting. Waiting for me to arrive, to see, to get angry.” “What were you testing?” He fell silent. After a long pause, he said hoarsely, “Audrey and I really haven’t done anything.” “She walked this journey with me to get where I am today. She helped me a lot. So sometimes I… I couldn’t bring myself to be harsh with her.” I looked at him quietly. “You can be soft-hearted. But you can’t play dumb.” “Charlie, you’re too smart.” “So smart that from the first time Audrey got close to you, you knew exactly what she was thinking. You didn’t push her away because you needed her. You needed a loyal subordinate, a woman who would give everything for you.” “You allowed her to get close, enjoyed her admiration, and then conveniently used her to train and test me.” His face went pale, bit by bit. “Too bad you miscalculated. I’m Laura. I’m not your accessory wife.” “You want to mold me into the shape you want? Dream on.” I held out the manila envelope I’d been holding. “We’re done.” “The agreement has a detailed property division plan. After you sign it, give it to the lawyer. You can stay in the house until the end of the month.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416569”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

A week before Valentine’s Day, my roommate Eve suddenly started being nice to me, clearly trying to butter me up so she could borrow my car. I didn’t even think twice before turning her down. She’d borrowed my car plenty of times before, but she never cleaned it afterward. It was always left filthy. When I refused, Eve didn’t say anything at the time. But on Valentine’s Day itself, I got a call asking me to move my car. I immediately pulled up my car’s remote camera system to see what was going on, and discovered that the person who’d stolen my car was none other than my roommate, Eve. And her boyfriend Lawrence was sitting in the passenger seat. “This car is amazing! I had no idea you were so loaded!” “Let’s do something exciting tonight. What do you say we try it in the car?” Eve giggled and said “stop it,” but I was already so disgusted I wanted to throw up. Stealing my car to go out was one thing, but they were planning to do THAT in it? I noticed they’d parked at the location of a famous food festival. It would be packed with people tonight. Well then, I’d make sure they got plenty of attention. Let them get their “excitement” in front of everyone! ……

On Valentine’s Day, I was the only single person left in the dorm. Everyone else had gone out on dates. I’d just finished my takeout and was about to take a nap when I suddenly got a call asking me to move my car. “Hello, your parking time is up. We’re opening the food festival tonight, so you need to come move your car as soon as possible.” His words confused me. My car had just been sent to the shop for maintenance yesterday. How could it be parked outside? Instantly, I remembered news stories I’d seen online. Shop employees would secretly take customers’ cars out for joyrides. Had they stolen my car? I quickly hung up and opened my car’s remote camera app, rewinding to this morning to see what had happened. The image on my phone screen made me freeze completely. The person who’d taken my car wasn’t a shop employee. It was my roommate. Eve. She’d brought her boyfriend Lawrence and two guys I didn’t recognize. They looked like they were probably Lawrence’s roommates. From the moment they got in the car, they’d been complimenting Eve non-stop. “Wow, this car is incredible! I had no idea you were so loaded!” “This is my first time in a Tesla. It feels so cool!” Lawrence was sitting in the passenger seat, looking smug. “Well, look whose girlfriend she is. You think I’d date just anyone?” As he spoke, his hand wandered inappropriately onto Eve’s thigh. “But babe, your family must be so rich! You haven’t even graduated and they bought you such an expensive car.” Eve let Lawrence touch her leg without any shame, lying through her teeth. “It’s just a commuter car. My dad saw that my internship was pretty far away and didn’t want me taking the subway, so he just bought it on a whim. He said when I graduate, he’ll get me something even better.” The two guys in the back seat gasped. “This is just a commuter car? How rich is your family?” “Damn, I’m hanging out with wealthy people now.” “Can I take some photos in the driver’s seat? I want to brag to my friends.” Eve casually agreed. “Sure, no problem.” Lawrence stroked his chin creepily. “Let’s do something exciting tonight. I think this back seat is big enough. Want to try it out later?” As soon as he said that, Eve responded with a coy “stop it!” while the two guys in the back pretended not to hear and kept taking photos. Watching through my phone screen, I felt so disgusted I almost threw up. I should have suspected it was Eve all along.

Ever since my dad bought me this new car, Eve had been constantly asking for rides, sometimes even borrowing the car outright. At first, I felt awkward refusing since we were roommates, so I lent it to her a few times. But every single time Eve used the car, she didn’t clean it, and she’d drain the entire battery without charging it. She wouldn’t even pay the few dozen dollars it cost to charge. I wasn’t going to be a pushover, so of course I stopped lending her the car. Because of this, Eve and I had a cold war in the dorm for a long time, only recently patching things up a bit. A week before Valentine’s Day, Eve suddenly bought me a milk tea as a peace offering. “Karen, I’ve realized what I did wrong. I promise if I use your car again, I’ll definitely clean it. Can we still be friends?” I couldn’t very well ignore her when she was making an effort. So I accepted the milk tea and made peace with her. “As long as you know what you did wrong. We’ve been living together for so long, I’m not going to hold a small thing like this against you.” Hearing my words, Eve eagerly grabbed my arm. “That’s great! Karen, I knew you were the most beautiful and generous person! So, do you have plans for Valentine’s Day? Want to hang out with me?” I calmly pulled my arm free and declined. “No thanks. You should spend that day with your boyfriend. I don’t want to be a third wheel.” “Oh, okay then.” Eve sighed with fake disappointment, then revealed her true intentions. “Could I borrow your car then? I want to go on a road trip with my boyfriend. I promise I won’t make it dirty this time!” Hearing her ask to borrow the car again, I instinctively shook my head. “I already sent my car in for maintenance. I can’t lend it to you that day.” This wasn’t a lie—I really had taken my car in for maintenance. I was single and didn’t have a date anyway, so I didn’t need to pick a specific day for car maintenance. I thought Eve might get angry when I refused, but surprisingly, she didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, she looked excited as she pressed me for more information. “Is it the same shop as before?” “Yeah.” I answered, a bit puzzled. “Since it’s in for maintenance, I won’t borrow it then. I’m going out on my date now. Enjoy your milk tea.” With that, Eve happily left. At the time, I didn’t understand why Eve seemed happy even though she couldn’t borrow the car. Now I realized she’d already planned to steal my car. Thinking of this, I picked up my phone and called the shop. As soon as they answered, I confronted them. “Why did you let someone take my car from your shop without even calling me?” The employee answered nervously. “Miss Karen, wasn’t that your sister who picked it up? She gave us your phone number and knew your name, so we gave her the car.” “Sister?” I couldn’t help raising my voice. Eve had claimed to be my sister. “Yeah.” The employee sounded confused. “This isn’t the first time she’s picked up the car. She’s come for it during previous maintenance appointments too, returning it after a couple days. That’s why we gave it to her. Don’t you know her?” His words gave me a bad feeling. This wasn’t the first time Eve had stolen my car. But why had Lawrence just said this was his first time in this car? What had Eve been doing with my car? I quickly told the employee that only I could pick up the car from now on, then hung up. Then, based on when my car had been in for maintenance, I checked through my dashcam footage. What I saw nearly made me die of anger.

Eve had been stealing my car and renting it out to other people to have sex in! No wonder the car was always such a mess when she borrowed it, with that weird smell. She’d been using my car as a mobile hotel! My whole body started trembling. I grabbed the dorm bunk bed and dry-heaved several times. This was the first car my dad had ever bought me, a graduation gift, and now Eve had ruined it like this! Just then, the dorm door opened. It was my best friend Mia coming back. She was holding a little cake she’d brought for me. “Pretty sweet of me, right? Even on my date, I was thinking of you.” As soon as I saw her, I threw my phone aside and rushed into her arms, telling her everything that had just happened. My best friend was furious. She grabbed her phone to call Eve and confront her directly. But I stopped her. “Wait!” My friend looked at me in confusion. “What’s wrong, Karen? You’re not thinking of forgiving her, are you? Absolutely not! This is theft!” “Of course I’m not going to forgive her.” A sly gleam flashed in my eyes. “I just have a better way to deal with her. Right now, you need to take me to the night market on your electric scooter. Fast!” My friend thought I wanted to confront Eve in person, so without another word, she pulled me downstairs. On the way to the night market, I scrolled through Instagram and actually saw a post from Eve. She’d posted a nine-photo grid, all posed shots in my car, with the middle photo being a couple shot with Lawrence. The caption made me want to laugh. “Haven’t even graduated from college and my dad insists on buying me a car. I told him it was too flashy and I didn’t need it, but he got it anyway, so I guess I’ll show it off~” Our mutual friends had all liked it, and there were plenty of comments. “Wow, I had no idea you were rich, Eve!” “When do you have time to hang out? We should go for a drive in your new car.” “Does your dad need a son? I can be your brother.” Seriously? Eve didn’t even block me from seeing this? That bold? I immediately took a screenshot and posted it directly to our dorm group chat, tagging Eve to scare her a bit. “Isn’t this my car? Eve, you’re using my car without even telling me?” After I sent the message, no one in the group chat said anything. My friend also tagged Eve with me. “Stop playing dead and explain yourself, or we’re calling the police.” This time Eve responded quickly. “What do you mean ‘your car’? Are all Teslas yours now? My family bought this for me. Why would I need to tell you anything?” Her tone was so confident it almost made me doubt myself. If I hadn’t just seen Eve driving my car through the dashcam, I might actually have been fooled. Another roommate started defending Eve. “Eve’s right. Just because the car model is the same doesn’t mean it’s your car. Are you saying only you can buy a car and no one else can?” This roommate had always been close with Eve, like her little sidekick. Usually in the dorm, it was me and my best friend hanging out together, and the two of them hanging out together. Except for when Eve borrowed my car, we generally didn’t interact much. My friend was stunned by Eve’s shamelessness. “Oh really? If Eve bought the car herself, fine. Just post the purchase receipt in the group chat and we’ll believe the car is yours.” “Why should I have to prove anything to you?” Eve was finally getting defensive. “Anyway, this car isn’t Karen’s. Stop bothering me while I’m on my date with my boyfriend.” After that, she sent a voice message in the group. It was Lawrence’s voice. “I’ve always heard girls’ dorms are full of drama, and I guess it’s true. It’s normal for you to be jealous of my girlfriend. After all, she’s rich and has an amazing boyfriend like me. But stop harassing her, okay? Don’t ruin our romantic time together, or I’ll make things difficult for you.”

After sending that message, Eve disappeared and stopped responding in the group. By then, my friend and I had arrived at the night market. This night market was a very unique local spot. During the day it was a parking lot, but at night it transformed into a bustling night market full of people. But Eve and Lawrence weren’t from around here, so they probably didn’t know about this. Otherwise they wouldn’t have parked the car there. Just then, the staff member called me again about moving my car. “Hello ma’am, our night market is already getting very crowded. If you don’t come soon, we’ll have to tow your car. Otherwise it’ll interfere with the vendors’ business.” “Can you ask the vendors around my car how much they make in one night?” My tone was calm. “I can’t move my car right now. I’ll cover the lost revenue for all the nearby vendors. Just let my car stay parked right in the middle of the night market.” The staff member paused, probably never having encountered such a generous car owner before. After a long moment, he responded. “The vendors just told me they make around $20,000 in one night.” “Okay, give me an account number and I’ll transfer it to you.” After I said that, I hung up. My friend looked confused. “We’re not going to find those two cheaters directly? Why are we paying the vendors?” I didn’t say anything. I just silently opened the app connected to my dashcam. It immediately showed the current scene inside the car. The two guys from Lawrence’s dorm who’d been in the back seat were no longer in the car. They were probably out eating at the night market. Only Eve and Lawrence remained in the car. They’d hung clothes over the front windows, and the two of them were embracing in the back seat. “Why are there more and more people here? Maybe we should leave?” Eve looked at the crowd outside, her face showing some discomfort. “No need.” Lawrence didn’t care at all. “I actually think this is perfect. More people makes it more exciting.” “But babe, is this car really yours? How come you never mentioned your family was so rich?” Lawrence suddenly changed the subject, catching Eve off guard. She answered somewhat nervously. “I was testing you before. Now that you’ve passed the test, I won’t hide it from you anymore.” “That’s great! I already told my mom about us. She’s urging us to get married after we graduate.” “Really? Your parents approve of us?” Eve’s eyes lit up. “Of course. You’re so great, and your family is well-off. What wouldn’t my parents approve of?” As he spoke, Lawrence started getting handsy again. I had no interest in watching them put on an inappropriate show for me. I immediately exited the app. My friend beside me had already covered her eyes, traumatized by what she’d seen. “Eve is crazy! She’s actually doing this kind of thing in your car? She’s so disgusting! Karen, how are you going to deal with them?” A cold smile curved my lips. I grabbed my friend’s hand and walked straight toward my car. By now, the area around my car was already full of people visiting the night market. Calculating the time, Eve and Lawrence should have already taken off their clothes by now. Under my friend’s puzzled gaze, I pulled out my phone, opened the car’s bluetooth key, and activated the convertible mode. In an instant, the car’s top slowly retracted. Passersby were drawn to it and stopped to watch. In front of everyone’s eyes, Eve and Lawrence appeared before us, half-dressed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416568”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I’d been in a secret relationship with my best friend’s brother for eight years. During the day, Ethan Rivers treated me like just another secretary at the office. At night, he cherished me completely, holding me close and whispering sweet promises of love. One day, I accidentally discovered he’d bought a lifetime commitment ring – the kind you can only customize once in your life. Heart full of joy, I followed him to the prepared venue. Only to watch Ethan kneel on one knee before a woman who looked eerily like me, promising to marry no one else but her. After the successful proposal, Ethan’s friends congratulated him while teasing: “Now that your first love is back, when are you planning to break up with Luna?” Ethan exhaled a lazy smoke ring, his eyes dark and unreadable: “Luna is crazy about me. She can’t leave me even if she wanted to. Let’s just… take our time with that.” I pressed my hand over my mouth to muffle my sobs, turned around, and texted my family: [Mom, I agree to come back for the arranged marriage.] By pure coincidence, Ethan’s wedding day happened to fall on the exact same day I was getting my marriage certificate. When he saw the photo of my marriage announcement, his face went deathly pale…

After calling my mother to finalize the arranged marriage, I immediately booked a plane ticket. Forcing myself not to replay what I’d just witnessed, I rushed home and started packing as fast as I could. When I went to the living room to grab some things, Ethan came home. He wrapped his arms around me, his expression happier than I’d ever seen it. “Luna, I love you so much. Let’s stay together forever, okay?” He leaned in to kiss me, his breath reeking of alcohol, the gardenia perfume on him so strong it was suffocating. Ethan used to constantly give me gardenia-scented perfume. Even after I told him countless times that I preferred jasmine, he kept enthusiastically buying me gardenia. A few times when I forgot to wear it, he got really angry with me. Only now did I understand – the one who loved this perfume, the one Ethan truly loved, had always been another woman. From the very beginning, he’d only been trying to recreate a substitute. Nausea rising in my throat, I dodged away from Ethan’s advance. But the desire on his face didn’t fade. He suddenly pinned me against the door, his cool hands already sliding under my clothes. “Ethan! Let go of me!” The man’s eyes flashed with surprise. I’d never used this tone with him before. Just as Ethan was about to speak, the doorbell rang. When he opened the door, a woman rushed in and threw her arms around him, quickly planting a kiss on his cheek. She saw me and smiled brilliantly, blindingly so. “You must be Miss Grey, the secretary who’s been by Ethan’s side for eight years, right?” “Hi there! I’m Vivian, Ethan’s fiancée. Thank you so much for taking care of him all these years!” The strong scent of gardenias rushed into my nostrils as she moved, the exact same fragrance that was all over Ethan just moments ago. I didn’t move, just looked at Ethan. Ethan only froze for a moment before avoiding my eyes and nodding. “Yes, she’s the secretary I told you about.” “She doesn’t make much, so I let her stay in the guest room here. It’s convenient having her around to help with various tasks.” Vivian waved her hand dismissively: “Ethan, why are you explaining this to me again? I’m not some petty woman who can’t separate business from personal matters.” “Besides, Miss Grey looks so much like me – of course you’d feel more comfortable and familiar having her around! Actually, I should be thanking Miss Grey!” “Oh, and since Miss Grey is familiar with the layout here, I’ll trouble you to move all my luggage to Ethan’s room! Ethan and I are getting married soon, so it’s time we started living together!” Vivian excitedly bossed me around. Ethan showed no sign of objecting. I remembered the several times I’d begged to move into the master bedroom. Ethan had always refused, saying couples also needed their own space. Only occasionally, when passion struck, would he let me stay the night in his room. If I accidentally left anything behind, he’d darken his expression and say he hoped I could be more mindful of boundaries. So in the end, it was simply because the position of mistress of the house had never been meant for me. Ethan suddenly gestured at his phone. I looked down to see a message from him in our chat. [Vivian and I are only in a nominal alliance marriage, just for show for the company merger. Don’t misunderstand.] I couldn’t help but laugh. Even now, Ethan was still treating me like a three-year-old child. Fine. If he said his alliance marriage was fake, then it was fake. As long as mine was real, that’s all that mattered. I headed to the guest room to finish packing my luggage, but saw Vivian get there first. “Miss Grey, Ethan is going to be all over me from now on, so it won’t be convenient for you to keep living here. You should hurry up and pack your things and find your own place…” “Oh my, Miss Grey, you’ve already packed half your stuff? And your clothing style is so similar to mine! We’re so meant to be!”A chill spread through my heart, impossible to stop.

What Ethan loved most was buying me clothes and jewelry. I used to think it was proof of how much he cherished and loved me. Now, looking at this roomful of clothing and accessories that completely clashed with my own style, I could see that every single piece would look absolutely perfect on Vivian. It made me look like the intruder who’d stolen someone else’s nest. I didn’t want to question anything anymore, but Ethan grabbed my hand with a dark expression, his tone urgent: “Why would you suddenly start packing for no reason? Answer me!” I turned my face away, not wanting to respond, when I saw Vivian reaching for my music box. “Don’t touch it!” CRASH! The music box fell heavily to the floor, the lid and the little figurines scattering everywhere, shards covering the ground. “Ah… I’m so sorry, Miss Grey, I didn’t mean to… Ethan, my hand… it hurts so much…” Vivian clutched the scratch on her palm and started crying. Ethan ran over to check her wound. The next second, he stomped his foot down hard on the music box remains, his face black with anger. He glared at me viciously: “It’s just a broken decoration! Did you really need to deliberately scare people like that, Luna!?” “Hurry up and throw this pile of garbage away. I don’t want to see it in my house again!” After saying this, Ethan ground his foot harder on the remains, then picked up Vivian and left without looking back. Tears splashed onto the music box wreckage. The shards cut my fingers, but I couldn’t feel any pain. When I was sixteen, my parents were getting divorced. Not knowing what to do, I ran to my best friend Claire Rivers’ house. She wasn’t there, but I ran into Ethan, who’d just come back from playing ball with friends. “Luna, you’re Claire’s friend, right? Why are you crying? Tell me what’s wrong.” Eyes red, I tried to leave, but Ethan grabbed me, frowning as he chased away the friends who wanted him to game with them. He told me to wait, then ran out alone in the rain to buy the best desserts and cakes in the entire city, piling them all in front of me. He ruffled my hair to comfort me, then mysteriously pulled out a music box from behind his back. It played a gentle melody, with little figurines of a hero and princess slowly spinning in circles on top. “Luna, don’t be afraid.” “No matter how others treat you in the future, I’ll protect you for the rest of my life. Let this music box be my promise.” The way teenage boys comfort people is always pure and direct, but in that moment of helplessness, it made me fall completely for him. From that day until today, I’d loved Ethan Rivers for a full ten years. I still remembered the promise he made. But the person who made that promise had long since forgotten it completely. Cradling the remains in my palms, I took one last look before throwing them in the trash. If that’s how it was, then I didn’t want the promise or Ethan anymore. Never again. Ethan didn’t come back until the next morning. After shipping my luggage home, I went to the office to print my resignation letter, preparing to hand it in to Ethan’s office. On the way, Ethan sent me a message. [Baby, I spoke too harshly yesterday. I ended up sleeping at the office after working late last night, just woke up. I’ll head home soon.] I looked up at Ethan’s empty office in front of me and placed the resignation letter on his desk. I didn’t reply, just exited the chat and unpinned him from the top of my messages. A red notification appeared in my contacts – Vivian had added me. The moment I accepted, a message from her popped up. [Ethan, when you get back from the convenience store, remember to buy a few more boxes of condoms! You were so intense last night… you used up everything we had at home!] Followed by several blushing emojis. Right at the two-minute mark, Vivian deleted the message. [OMG I’m so sorry Miss Grey… I sent that to the wrong person… You didn’t see anything, did you?] My heart ached, but I was too tired to play along with her act. Still, I instinctively opened her Instagram. Photos and posts unfolded before me like a movie. Turns out Vivian had been back for a month. During that month, Ethan had taken every spare moment to travel with her to various places. Looking back at the dates, I realized these were all trips Ethan had claimed he was assigning to other employees so I wouldn’t be overworked. The Eiffel Tower in Paris, Mount Fuji in Tokyo… All places I’d begged Ethan to take me to. He’d always held me and coaxed me, saying yes, yes, as soon as work wasn’t so busy, he’d take me. I waited eight years and never saw the day when he’d have free time. Vivian had only been back one month, and suddenly he wasn’t busy anymore. At each location, Ethan cooperated with Vivian to take many photos. But during all these years with Ethan, I’d never been allowed to point my camera at him. “If my sister finds out I stole her best friend away, she’d probably kill me.” “Luna, you’re my secretary after all. Office romances attract gossip – I don’t want you to get hurt.” But when you truly love someone, how can you possibly hide it? I was too slow to realize – Ethan had kept our relationship shrouded in secrecy for eight years. I should have understood long ago that he simply didn’t love me! I was about to exit the app when I saw a new photo pop up on Vivian’s profile. The background showed a bed. Vivian wore a skimpy camisole, her slender fingers trailing across the man’s firm, muscular abs. Tears finally spilled out uncontrollably, landing right on Vivian’s caption. [Last night’s beautiful memory. He said the imitation is just an imitation – it could never compare to even half the flavor of me, the original.]

I wiped away my tears and casually liked the post. Turning to leave the office, I ran into my best friend Claire Rivers, who was there on business. I told her directly that I’d be going back to get married soon. All these years, because Ethan made me keep our relationship secret, whenever Claire brought up romantic topics, I’d deliberately change the subject. Now that I was leaving, I at least needed to tell her goodbye properly. Claire looked completely shocked. “So sudden! Does that mean we’ll barely get to see each other anymore!” I nodded helplessly. The next second, she grabbed me playfully. “Luna, you always said you were too busy with work, so I never got a chance to have my mom really meet my best friend.” “Now that you’re leaving, you absolutely cannot bail on me today!” Just like that, Claire dragged me to attend a dinner party her family was hosting that evening. I’d always avoided Claire’s invitations before because Ethan said he wanted to wait until he officially made our relationship public to personally introduce me as the future Rivers daughter-in-law. In all these years together, I never got to see the day when Ethan would introduce me to his family. Who would have thought that now, as I was leaving, I’d finally get the chance. After getting styled, Claire and I arrived at the Rivers estate just as the family dinner was already halfway through. Ethan stood beside Mr. and Mrs. Rivers with Vivian on his arm. Various celebrities and elites took turns coming forward to offer congratulations on their engagement. So that’s what tonight’s dinner was for – to officially announce their engagement. Ethan Rivers really couldn’t wait to tell the whole world he was marrying Vivian. I instinctively wanted to leave, but Claire was already pulling me toward them. “Dad! Mom! I brought my dear best friend to meet you!” When Ethan saw me, his expression froze, and he slightly loosened his arm from around Vivian. The moment Mrs. Rivers saw me, her face lit up with joy. “I’ve always heard my daughter mention she has such an accomplished and kind best friend. Now that I’ve met you in person, you really are as lovely and sweet as she said!” I shook my head awkwardly. Looking at Mrs. Rivers holding my hand so warmly and affectionately, I felt an indescribable desolation. We’d almost been able to become mother and daughter-in-law who genuinely got along. “By the way, Miss Grey, Claire mentioned you’ve been so busy with work all these years that you haven’t had time to date anyone. There are many wonderful young men at our dinner party tonight – would you like me to introduce you to someone?” Before I could refuse, Ethan let out a cold laugh: “She doesn’t need that.” Right, I didn’t need it anymore. After all, I was about to go back for an arranged marriage. Claire jumped in to help explain: “Mom, Luna really doesn’t need it. My precious best friend is about to go to New York to get married. I don’t even know how many times a year I’ll get to see her after this…” Hearing this, Ethan’s previously smug expression suddenly froze. He stared at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. Midway through, I went to the restroom. When I returned to the banquet hall, Ethan pulled me into a corner and held me in his arms. The man lazily lowered his head, his voice carrying a hint of reproach as he spoke in my ear. “Baby, don’t make up stories about marrying someone else anymore. Even I get jealous hearing that.” I looked at him, finding it somehow absurd: “But aren’t you about to marry another woman too?” Ethan frowned. “Don’t be difficult. You know this is just for the company.” A moment later, he softened his voice to coax me: “Alright, baby, you’ve always been so understanding, haven’t you? After the banquet ends, go home and finish packing. I’ll take you to move into the new apartment.” “After all, Vivian and I are officially engaged. It’s not appropriate for you to keep living at the house.” Because I was understanding, I obediently stayed in a secret relationship with Ethan for eight years that no one knew about. Now, was he planning to keep me as some kind of mistress who could never see the light of day? I was about to say “no thanks” when Vivian’s crying suddenly echoed from the main hall. Ethan immediately released me and rushed over.

“What’s wrong, Vivian?” Vivian held out her left hand, pointing at her empty ring finger, sobbing uncontrollably. “Ethan, the proposal ring you gave me is gone… That’s the ring you can only customize once in your life, and it was still there before I went to the restroom…” Vivian looked at me, then grabbed me while crying: “Miss Grey, you and I were the only ones in the restroom… I know you’ve been Ethan’s secretary for many years, so you probably have some possessive feelings toward your boss… but that ring is really important to me. If you took it, please, I’m begging you to give it back!” With this move, Vivian made everyone see me as the thief. “I knew these secretaries were all trouble. She even deliberately made herself look like Miss Vivian. A sparrow is still a sparrow – did she really think using cheap tricks would turn her into a phoenix!?” “Exactly! And she actually had the audacity to steal an engagement ring! This kind of low-class woman should be permanently banned from our circle!” All kinds of cutting, mocking words shot toward me. I instinctively looked at Ethan, only to see him darkening his expression and snapping at me: “Hand it over!” Even knowing he didn’t love me, I still couldn’t believe that in his heart, he actually thought I was capable of doing something like this. “How am I supposed to hand over something I never even saw!” I bit my lip hard, struggling to control the sob in my voice. I absolutely could not cry here. If I cried, I would truly lose everything. Ethan shook his head, his eyes filled with disappointment in me. “You’re still making excuses!? Since you won’t return it voluntarily, I’ll have to have you searched!” With that, Ethan called over several servants to search me on the spot. Claire rushed over: “Ethan, don’t do this to Luna! I’ve known her for years – she would never do something like this!” Mrs. Rivers also anxiously tried to intervene: “That’s right, Ethan. I also think Miss Grey doesn’t seem like someone who would do this. Could there be some misunderstanding?” Ethan laughed coldly: “There can’t be any misunderstanding! Vivian has always been kind-hearted, not the type to falsely accuse people. If she hadn’t done something, why would Vivian suspect her for no reason?” My heart turned to ash. Even Mrs. Rivers, who’d only just met me, was willing to believe in my character and speak up for me. But Ethan had known me for ten years, and we’d been together for a full eight years! One casual accusation from Vivian made him completely disregard all those years we’d spent together, nailing me to the pillar of shame as someone with rotten character! The difference between being loved and not being loved truly was the most insurmountable chasm in this world! I was held down by several servants and could only close my eyes in despair as they roughly searched me. Only after they’d searched everywhere did Vivian suddenly cry out in surprise. She pulled the engagement ring out of her purse: “Oh my… I’m so careless… I forgot I’d already put it in my bag before washing my hands…” “Miss Grey, I’m so sorry… I misunderstood you. I apologize…” Vivian spoke the words of apology, but the next second she covered her face and ran out crying. Ethan only glanced at me once, said nothing, and then chased after Vivian to comfort her. Exhausted in body and soul, I declined Mr. and Mrs. Rivers’ apologies on Ethan’s behalf, left the Rivers estate, and got straight into a cab headed for the airport. I sat numbly in the airport waiting to board my rescheduled flight. In the meantime, Ethan sent me a message. [You shouldn’t have made Vivian lose face like that at the event. She’s technically your superior now. Remember to apologize to her later.] The announcement for my flight boarding just happened to come over the speakers. A relationship no one knew about didn’t need a breakup. I replied with a simple [Okay], treating it as my final goodbye to Ethan. Then I exited the chat, blocked him on every platform, and boarded the plane to New York without looking back. …… A few days later, Ethan’s wedding day with Vivian arrived. But he stood in the wedding hall smoking one cigarette after another. When his friends asked what was wrong, his furrowed brow showed concern: “Luna hasn’t made a peep these past few days. With how big my wedding is today, she’s probably crying somewhere right now.” One of his friends looked stunned and pulled out his phone, showing it to Ethan: “You don’t know yet? The Cross family – New York’s wealthiest – just announced a wedding this morning. Their eldest son, Sebastian Cross, is marrying your secretary…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416567”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

My girlfriend Sophia has a serious sex addiction. Every night, her demands are insatiable. In the eight years we’ve been together, I’ve been tortured to the point of wanting to die. So the moment I learned her first love was coming back to the country, I was so excited I cried tears of joy. Finally, there was light at the end of the tunnel. I’d planned to just slip away quietly. But thinking back on these eight years, Sophia had treated me pretty well. So I decided to cook her one last meal. “Honey, what do you want for dinner?” Sophia’s cold voice came through the phone. “Fish.” I flinched. “Sophia, how about we have something else…” Before I could finish, I heard the dial tone. She’d hung up. This was just bullying. Screw it. It’s the last time anyway. I refuse to believe I can’t handle her. **1.** That night, I was panting heavily, so exhausted I could barely keep my eyes open. Sophia had it worse. She went limp in my arms, her body trembling uncontrollably. Her usual cold detachment had completely melted away. Her eyes and brows were heavy with desire. Looking at the adorable person in my arms, I shamefully got hard again. Sensing my reaction, Sophia struggled to escape from my embrace. After a long while, she asked softly, “Ryan, is something bothering you?” I slapped my thigh. Damn it, I got so caught up I forgot the important thing. I needed to tell her while she was in a good mood. “Honey, I heard Ethan came back from Europe?” Sophia frowned. “What does it matter to you whether he’s back or not?” How could it not matter? He’s the first love you’ve been pining for all these years. I tried to reason with her. “Sophia, I know you’ve never forgotten him all these years.” “Now that he’s back, I’m willing to let you go. I want you two to be happy together.” “If I can’t make you happy, then I’ll give you your freedom back.” The more I spoke, the more emotional I got. I almost moved myself to tears. But Sophia’s face turned cold, a strange chill appearing in her eyes. I knew this was a sign she was getting angry. So I wisely shut my mouth. After a long silence, she sighed, turned over, and lay with her back to me. “Ryan, don’t say things like that anymore.” Seeing her look so helpless, I wanted to curse. ‘What are you pretending for? Everyone knows you’ve never gotten over Ethan.’ ‘I’m voluntarily making room, and you’re still not happy about it.’ Fine. If we can’t talk this through, don’t blame me for running away. Having made up my mind, I closed my eyes and stopped looking at Sophia. Soon, drowsiness overtook me and I drifted off. When I opened my eyes again, it was already bright outside, and the bed beside me was empty. Sophia was a disciplined person and very driven. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have become VP of a publicly traded company just eight years after graduation. I was the complete opposite—pretty laid-back. After graduation, I’d just been coasting at a big tech company. Almost thirty now, and I was still just a department head. After getting up and washing up, I called my boss and took a day off. Then I met up with the real estate agent I’d contacted yesterday and went straight to the new apartment. I’d picked out this place early on. The day I learned Ethan was coming back, I knew it was time for me to leave. So I immediately started looking for apartments online. After viewing it with the agent, I was very satisfied. It had utilities, internet, new furniture, and most importantly, it was very close to work. So I didn’t even haggle on the price—I signed the contract with the agent right away. When he heard I wanted to move in immediately, he enthusiastically helped me contact a moving company. I didn’t have much—my work computer, clothes, and some books. By midmorning, everything was moved out cleanly. Walking out of the building, I looked back at the apartment where I’d lived for eight years, feeling a pang of sadness. This was the place Sophia and I had lived together for eight years. Even after we had more money, we never moved. In my heart, I’d long considered this home. But to survive, I had no choice but to leave. After all, everyone knows the power of a first love. If I moved even a bit too slowly, I might be completely destroyed. **2.** After moving into the new place, I cleaned the whole apartment until it sparkled. That evening, looking at the clean and bright room, I felt much better. Just as I was admiring my handiwork, my phone kept dinging with notifications. I opened it to find that our usually quiet high school class chat had suddenly come alive. The class president had started the conversation. “Everyone, to welcome Ethan back to the country, tomorrow night at 8 PM, my treat—I’m hosting a banquet for everyone at the VIP hall on the sixth floor of the International Grand Hotel. I hope all classmates can make it.” Marcus was Ethan’s best friend, so it made sense he’d throw a welcome-back party for him. Classmates started responding enthusiastically. Some praised Marcus for being generous, others welcomed Ethan home. The chat became quite lively. Ethan also sent a message to the group. “Thanks, everyone, for still remembering me. I hope you can all make it.” Then he sent out ten red envelopes, each worth two hundred dollars. The group exploded. Everyone thanked him profusely. I silently watched without saying anything or grabbing any red envelopes. Tiffany, Ethan’s high school desk mate, suddenly asked, “How come Sophia isn’t saying anything? Is she not in the group?” “Is she coming to the reunion tomorrow?” The group suddenly went quiet. In high school, Ethan and Sophia were the perfect couple in everyone’s eyes. Handsome guy, beautiful girl, both excellent students, constantly occupying the top two spots in our grade. Even our usually strict homeroom teacher turned a blind eye to their relationship. Back then, Sophia was the perfect girlfriend. Cold and distant to other boys, never giving them the time of day. But with Ethan, she was gentle and caring. Every time she looked at him, her eyes were full of admiration. When Ethan played basketball, she’d stand on the sidelines holding his water bottle. When Ethan ate, she’d move the meat and vegetables from her tray to his. All us guys watched with envy, jealousy, and hate. Unfortunately, after high school graduation, Ethan chose to study abroad. The two of them had a big fight about it. Sophia begged him to stay, but Ethan was determined to go. He even asked her to go abroad with him. But Sophia’s family couldn’t afford the cost of studying abroad. In the end, they broke up. In college, Sophia was depressed for a long time. As her high school classmate and secret admirer, I knew my chance had come. She’d just gone through a breakup and was in a new environment—she was at her most vulnerable. So I boldly made my move. During winter break of freshman year, after one drunken night, I finally got what I wanted. I’ll admit, I’m not some noble person. My feelings for Sophia were just instinctive attraction. I never thought about the future. But the next morning, when I saw that spot of red on the sheets, I froze. In that moment, I knew I was in deep. After Sophia and I made it official, I started giving it my all. But Sophia remained lukewarm toward me. I understood. After all, I’d taken advantage of her vulnerability. It was only natural she’d see me as companionship during her lonely, wounded time. I still gave her my whole heart and treated her with everything I had. Back then, I was young and thought that if I was good enough to her, someday she’d see my sincerity. So when she told me not to post on Instagram about our relationship, I didn’t. Every time she had a promotion celebration dinner and told me not to come, I didn’t go. For eight years, she was cold to outsiders and indifferent to me, and I endured it all. After all, that was just her personality. But on those nights when I’d suddenly wake up and see Sophia standing on the balcony with melancholy eyes, I knew what she was doing. She was remembering him. Remembering that person far away who haunted her dreams. **3.** The dinging of my phone pulled me back to reality. The high school group chat was in full swing. “Sophia will definitely come. Has anyone heard about her dating anyone all these years?” “Right, she must be waiting for our Ethan.” “But Ethan, now that you’re back to develop your career here, are you trying to win back a certain someone?” Ethan replied with a smiley face emoji, saying nothing yet saying everything. I’d already decided to let them be together. But my heart inexplicably clenched, sour and painful. I smiled bitterly. It seemed Ethan was determined to win Sophia back. My phone rang. It was Sophia calling. I answered, and her cold voice came through the receiver. “Ryan, I’m working late tonight. Don’t wait up for dinner. Bye.” She clearly hadn’t been home yet—she didn’t even know I’d moved out. As she was about to hang up, I stopped her. “Wait, don’t hang up.” “Sophia, did you see the high school group chat?” Sophia’s voice was calm. “No, I didn’t. I don’t have time.” I took a deep breath and gathered my courage to ask, “Sophia, tomorrow night they’re throwing a welcome-back party for Ethan. Are you going?” There was a long silence on the other end before her icy voice came through. “No. Why, do you want to go?” What kind of question was that? Was she saying she wouldn’t go but also wouldn’t let me go? Besides, who knew if she was lying about not going and planning to sneak off anyway? “Of course I’m going. Why wouldn’t I?” “After all, if we both don’t show up, someone might get the wrong idea.” Sophia caught the implication in my words, and her voice grew even colder. “Ryan, stop with the passive-aggressive tone.” “You’ve called me by my name three times today. I’m not happy.” With that, she hung up. I pursed my lips. You’re not happy? Well, I’m not happy either. For eight years, I’d called Sophia “honey,” but she’d always just called me Ryan. Only when she was in the throes of passion would she call me “honey.” I’d given eight years, and she’d practically drained me dry. Now I was awake. I wasn’t going to keep foolishly giving everything for a term of endearment that would never come. I opened the class group chat again. Everyone was now discussing what it would be like when Ethan and Sophia reunited. Watching their increasingly ridiculous speculation, I put down my phone, my heart aching densely. Even though I was leaving decisively, it didn’t mean I didn’t love Sophia. On the contrary, I loved her very much. But after eight years without reciprocation, no matter how much I loved her, it was time to let go. To keep clinging would just be rude. That night, I was sleeping soundly when the phone rang abruptly. I groggily answered, and Sophia’s ice-cold voice came through. “Ryan, where are you?” I shivered, instantly awake. “Sophia… I moved out.” For some reason, I felt inexplicably guilty saying those words. The person on the other end was grinding her teeth so hard I could hear it. “Give me a reason.” Did I need a reason? Your first love came back to rekindle your romance, and I’m just being tactful. “No particular reason. I don’t like you anymore. Let’s break up.” Silence on the other end. I didn’t say anything more either. We just quietly listened to each other breathe. After a long while, Sophia’s voice softened. “Ryan, I noticed something was off with you these past few days.” “I asked but you wouldn’t tell me.” “We’ve been together for eight years. If you’re facing difficulties, you need to tell me. We’ll face them together.” I laughed coldly. Face them together? How? This was about the first love she’d been pining for all these years. “Sophia, save your fake concern.” “I’m not facing any difficulties. I just don’t like you anymore. Let’s break up.” I hung up before she could respond. Before the call disconnected, I thought I heard soft sobbing on the other end. Impossible. Sophia crying over me? No way. It must be a hallucination. Definitely a hallucination. **4.** When I woke up the next morning, I stretched and felt refreshed. Turns out living alone was pretty great. No more desperately trying to satisfy Sophia’s insatiable appetite. After going downstairs, I enjoyed a nice breakfast. Then I started planning my day. It was Saturday, no work. I was definitely going to the reunion tonight. I had to see whether Sophia, who said she wasn’t going, would secretly show up behind my back. After eating, I went to the barbershop. I got a sharp new haircut. Looking at myself in the mirror, I looked pretty handsome—just dressed a bit frumpy. Plaid shirt, jeans, hiking boots. No wonder Sophia didn’t want to make our relationship public with me looking so sloppy. Thinking about it now, I guess I couldn’t entirely blame her. I turned around and went to the mall, bought a suit, and got a facial at a spa. After getting cleaned up, I looked at myself in the mirror and nodded with satisfaction. Turns out shopping twice a year at decent stores was actually necessary. At 6 PM, I arrived right on time at the VIP hall on the sixth floor of the International Grand Hotel. When I got there, almost everyone had arrived. People were holding wine glasses and catching up. A sharply dressed man stood at the center of the crowd, smiling as he enjoyed everyone’s flattery. “Ethan, I heard you started a private equity fund. Do you guys in private equity all have insider information?” The man smiled without answering, giving off an air of mystery. Seeing he wouldn’t talk, the classmates got anxious. “Ethan, we’re all classmates here. If you’ve got any money-making tips, you can’t keep them to yourself.” Marcus, standing next to Ethan, waved his hand generously. “Don’t worry, Ethan’s not like that.” “I guarantee, if there’s any good opportunity, he won’t forget about us.” Hearing this, everyone finally relaxed and started sucking up to Ethan and Marcus with smiles and bows. Seeing me enter, Marcus raised his glass toward me. “Ryan’s here.” In high school, I wasn’t particularly notable, so I was surprised he remembered me. Ethan followed his gaze and looked at me, nodding politely. But I felt like there was something off about the look in his eyes. I walked over and greeted Marcus. He was a rich kid without much guile. In school, he was always loud and boisterous, but not a bad person. After greeting him, I looked at Ethan. Eight years later, he was even more handsome than before, exuding mature masculine charm. Definitely better than someone like me who’d just thrown myself together at the last minute. Ethan raised his glass to me. “Ryan, I heard you and Sophia went to the same college.” I nodded, waiting for him to continue. Ethan asked naturally, “So are you two still in touch?” Before I could answer, Tiffany, Ethan’s desk mate and fangirl, scoffed. “Sophia’s standards are so high, how could she possibly keep in touch with him?” “I remember in high school, he and Sophia never even talked to each other.” The classmates burst into laughter. I shrugged indifferently. I’d already broken up with Sophia anyway, so they could say whatever they wanted. Besides, I never planned to show off about dating Sophia. Marcus looked at the laughing classmates and frowned. “What are you laughing at? Like any of you ever talked to Sophia either.” Now the guys stopped laughing. True—in high school, except for Ethan, she barely talked to any guys. Tiffany noticed Ethan kept glancing toward the door. She teased with a laugh, “Ethan, your heart’s practically flying out the door.” Ethan smiled warmly. “If you’re so anxious, why don’t you just call Sophia?” “We don’t have her contact info, but you must, right?” Ethan didn’t say whether he had Sophia’s contact information or not. Instead, he changed the subject. “Whether she comes or not is her choice. I don’t want my call to influence her decision.” Tiffany looked at him with adoration. “Ethan, you’re such a gentleman.” I felt sour inside. He was really pulling it off perfectly. But he was right. If he personally called, Sophia would definitely come. Just then, the banquet hall doors slowly opened. Sophia appeared in the doorway wearing business attire. Seeing their high school goddess again, the classmates swarmed around her. I pursed my lips disdainfully. Didn’t she say she wasn’t coming? Why was she making this grand entrance now? Did she need to be the center of attention like this? But I had to admit, the power of a first love was truly unbeatable. Anyone with half a brain could figure out who she came for. Ethan walked slowly up to Sophia, his eyes gentle. “Sophia, you came.” Sophia didn’t look pleased. She radiated an icy aura, like a glacier. She ignored Ethan, her eyes searching around as if looking for something. Ethan asked with concern, “Sophia, your eyes are swollen. Didn’t you sleep well?” Hearing this, I looked up from the edge of the crowd. Sure enough, her beautiful eyes were swollen from crying. I scoffed inwardly. It’s just seeing Ethan—was she so excited she cried? Sophia acted as if she hadn’t heard Ethan at all. Her gaze landed directly on me.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416566”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I went undercover to an overseas R&D center for two years, working in isolation to crack the core AI chip technology for my husband’s tech company. He promised me that once we achieved the technical breakthrough, I would be named co-founder when the company went public. But when I returned home with patents that could revolutionize the entire industry, I discovered my private office had been turned into a nursery. At the pre-IPO celebration party, he was holding my intern assistant in his arms, announcing that she was now the company’s youngest CTO. The intern rubbed her slightly rounded belly, her face full of smug satisfaction. I let out a cold laugh and shut down all the core servers with a flick of my wrist. Want to use my life’s work to elevate your mistress? I’ll make your entire company go down with you! **1** Bang! I shoved open the doors to the penthouse ballroom. Inside, the lights blazed and designer dresses swirled. To crack that critical technical barrier, I’d worked day and night in Silicon Valley for two years. I slept less than four hours a day and ended up in the ER three times from exhaustion. I came back with the final patent authorization, thrilled to give my husband Ethan Chase a huge surprise. But the scene before me was like a bucket of ice water poured from the top of my head straight down to my feet. On the stage in the center of the ballroom, Ethan wore the custom-tailored suit I’d personally ordered for him. His arm was wrapped intimately around the waist of a young woman. It was Madison, the intern assistant I’d hired before going abroad. A fresh graduate who couldn’t even write basic code and only knew how to act cute and flirt. Right now, she was wearing a gorgeous evening gown with that sapphire necklace around her neck—the one I’d admired at an auction, the one Ethan had said was “too expensive, maybe later.” “Ladies and gentlemen, investors!” Ethan raised his glass, his voice booming with pride. “Today is the most important day in Summers Tech’s history! Our core AI chip development is finally complete, and next month, the company will officially ring the bell on the stock exchange!” Thunderous applause erupted below. Ethan lowered his head and kissed Madison on the forehead, his eyes dripping with affection. “Here, I want to give special thanks to one person. Our company’s new CTO, and my future wife—Madison!” “These past two years, she led the team working day and night to achieve today’s technical breakthrough. And she’s also carrying my child. Double blessings!” The whole room exploded. “Mr. Chase and Ms. Cooper are such a perfect match!” “Congratulations, Mr. Chase! Double blessings indeed!” “Ms. Cooper is so young and already shouldering the technical operations—what a powerhouse!” I stood in the doorway listening to this nauseating flattery, feeling like I’d entered some absurd alternate reality. Madison led the team? Technical breakthrough? She couldn’t tell C++ from Java if her life depended on it. What the hell did she break through? These past two years, I was overseas with a handful of core engineers, under crushing pressure, writing that underlying core code line by line. I’d traded half my life for these results, and now they’d become her ticket to promotion and status as the mother of his child? I took a deep breath, my heels clicking as I walked toward the stage step by step. The sound of my stilettos striking the marble floor rang especially clear in the gradually quieting ballroom. The crowd automatically parted to make way. The executives who used to call me “Ms. Summers” all changed their expressions when they saw me, their eyes shifty, whispering among themselves. When Ethan saw me, the smile froze on his face. He instinctively released his arm from around Madison, a flash of panic in his eyes, quickly replaced by coldness and impatience. Madison saw me too. Not only did she show no guilt, she actually thrust out her barely visible belly and leaned closer to Ethan, speaking in a saccharine voice. “Oh, Lila! You’re finally back!” She raised her glass of juice, looking down at me from her position above, every inch the victor. “Please, have a seat. Everyone’s celebrating. You’ve worked hard ‘studying abroad’ these two years. Now that I’m handling the company’s technical R&D, you can just rest easy.” I looked at her smug face and laughed coldly. “Studying abroad? Handling things?” I turned and stared hard at Ethan. “Ethan Chase, is this what you told them about me? I nearly killed myself developing technology for you overseas, and you told them I went to study abroad?” Ethan frowned, hurried down from the stage, and hissed at me in a low voice: “Lila, what are you making a scene for? There are investors here. Don’t embarrass me!” “Embarrass you?” I shook off his outstretched hand. “You’re using code I wrote to elevate your mistress, and you don’t feel embarrassed, so why should I?” **2** Ethan’s face turned iron gray. “What are you talking about! What do you mean ‘your code’? That’s the collective achievement of the company team! Madison, as project lead, made invaluable contributions!” “Lila, I know you feel bitter. But you need to face reality. These two years you weren’t in the country, Madison helped me manage everything at the company, top to bottom.” “She’s not only capable at work, she’s also carrying my child. I owe her something.” His self-righteous tone made it sound like I was the one who’d cheated and stolen credit. I was so angry I laughed, pointing at Madison’s meticulously made-up face. “Capable at work? She can’t even understand basic algorithmic logic. What project could she possibly lead? The project of providing you inspiration in bed?” “Smack!” Ethan suddenly raised his hand and slapped me hard across the face. The force was so strong it made me stumble and fall to the ground. I tasted blood at the corner of my mouth. The entire room fell deathly silent. Madison screamed and hid behind Ethan, clutching her belly and putting on a fragile act. “Ethan, don’t hit Lila, she just can’t accept it yet… Oh! My stomach hurts a little…” Hearing this, Ethan immediately tensed up, quickly supporting Madison, then turning to point at me viciously. “Lila! Watch your mouth! If you dare hurt the baby in Madison’s belly, I’ll never forgive you!” The surrounding executives and colleagues started criticizing me too. “Lila, you’re being so unreasonable. Mr. Chase is worth billions now—what’s wrong with getting a younger, prettier wife?” “Exactly. Ms. Cooper is a company hero now. You haven’t contributed anything in two years, so what gives you the right to make a scene here?” “Just apologize to Ms. Cooper and stop making Mr. Chase angry.” I got up from the floor, wiped the blood from my mouth, and looked at these boot-licking faces. My heart went completely cold. Years ago, Ethan and I started our business in a hundred-square-foot basement apartment. To land our first investment, I drank with investors until I had a stomach hemorrhage and spent two weeks in the hospital. To meet project deadlines, I pulled so many all-nighters I developed sudden hearing loss in my left ear. My hearing still hasn’t fully recovered. I built him up from a penniless nobody into the glamorous tech mogul he is today. Now that he’s successful, he wants to dump his devoted wife? “Ethan Chase, have you forgotten that I own forty-nine percent of Summers Tech’s shares!” I stared at him coldly. “Want me gone? Fine. Split the company in half, and I’ll take what’s mine!” Ethan laughed like he’d heard the funniest joke in the world. He straightened his tie, walked up to me, and said in a voice only we could hear: “Shares? Lila, while you were abroad these two years, the domestic equity went through several rounds of dilution and restructuring.” “The shares you hold now amount to less than one percent.” “For old times’ sake, I’ve prepared five hundred thousand in compensation. Take the money, sign the divorce papers, and hand over the core source code.” “Otherwise, you won’t get a dime, and I’ll make sure you can’t work anywhere in this industry!” My whole body trembled as I clenched my teeth. “Five hundred thousand? To buy out half my company? To buy two years of my life?” “Ethan Chase, dream on!” I turned to leave. “Stop!” Ethan shouted. A dozen burly security guards immediately rushed forward and surrounded me. Ethan walked up behind me, his voice icy. “Lila, don’t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a penalty. Without that source code, the company’s chips can’t go into production and the IPO will fall through.” “If you don’t hand over the hard drive with the source code today, don’t think about leaving through that door.” He was going to rob me outright. I looked at the menacing security guards around me and pulled a black encrypted hard drive from my bag. Ethan’s eyes lit up as he reached to snatch it. I laughed coldly and smashed the hard drive toward the champagne tower beside us. “Crash—” The sound of shattering glass rang out. The hard drive fell to the floor, and without hesitation, I raised my stiletto heel and stomped down hard. “Crack!” The hard drive shattered into pieces. “Want the source code? In your next life!” Ethan’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as he lunged at me like a madman. “Lila! You crazy bitch! I’ll kill you!” I took advantage of the chaos to shove a guard aside and ran out of the ballroom without looking back. **3** Outside, the rain was pouring. I didn’t have an umbrella. I was soaked through, and the cold wind cut straight to my heart. I got in a cab and went back to the downtown villa Ethan and I shared. We’d bought it for our third wedding anniversary. I’d sold the old house my mom left me to come up with the down payment. I walked to the door and habitually entered my fingerprint. “Beep—fingerprint error.” I froze for a moment, then entered the passcode. “Passcode error.” I pounded on the door. “Open up! Let me in!” After a while, the door finally cracked open. It was Ethan’s mother—my mother-in-law. She wore a silk robe and held a glass of red wine, looking at me with complete irritation. “Wailing like a banshee in the middle of the night! What’s all the noise!” Seeing it was me, she rolled her eyes and moved to close the door. I jammed my hand against the doorframe, staring at her coldly. “This is my home. Let me in.” My mother-in-law scoffed and looked me up and down in my bedraggled state. “Your home? The property deed has my son’s name on it! You can’t even have children—what gives you the right to call this your home?” “Ethan already told me you’re getting divorced. Madison’s moving in soon, and she’s carrying our family’s heir!” “Get lost and don’t bring your poverty stench into our house!” The sound of high heels came from inside. Madison appeared wearing my limited-edition slippers and my cashmere wrap, holding an apple, walking over leisurely. “Mom, who’s making all that noise? It’s upsetting the baby.” My mother-in-law immediately put on a fawning smile and rushed to support her. “Oh, my precious! Walk slowly, don’t disturb the baby. It’s just a beggar. I’ll get rid of her right away.” Madison walked to the door and looked at me with fake surprise. “Oh my, Lila! Look at you, all soaked! Didn’t Ethan arrange a hotel for you?” “You know, Ethan said the master bedroom decor is too old-fashioned. Tomorrow they’re tearing it all out to renovate and make it into a nursery for me.” “All your raggedy old clothes and junk—I had the maid pack them up and throw them in the trash bins in the basement garage.” I shoved past my mother-in-law, forced my way inside, and ran straight for the second-floor study. That’s where my father’s last possession was kept—a programming notebook he’d written by hand. It was my most precious treasure! I burst into the study. It had already been ransacked. My desk had been cleared out. All the books on the shelves were gone. I whipped around, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at Madison, who’d followed me up. “Where’s my dad’s notebook?!” Madison covered her mouth and giggled. “That ratty old thing? The pages were all yellow, covered in chicken scratch I couldn’t even read. I thought it was dirty, so I had the maid burn it as scrap paper.” “Lila, you’re not going to get mad at me over some old notebook, are you? I’m pregnant, you know.” Burned… My mind went “boom,” and my last shred of rationality snapped completely. I charged at her like a crazed lioness, grabbed her hair, and slapped her hard across the face. “Smack!” “You dared burn my father’s belongings! I’ll kill you!” Madison let out a pig-like squeal, struggling desperately. My mother-in-law screeched and rushed at me, scratching and clawing, yanking at my clothes. “You jinx! You dare hit my grandson’s mother! I’ll kill you!” I kicked my mother-in-law, sending her sprawling, grabbed Madison by the hair, and slammed her face hard against the wall. “Give me back my dad’s notebook! Give it back!” Madison’s forehead split open and bled. She burst into hysterical tears. “Help! Murder! Mom, save me!” Suddenly urgent footsteps came from outside. Ethan burst in with several bodyguards. Seeing the scene, his eyes went wild and he roared: “Lila! Stop it right now!” He rushed forward and kicked me in the stomach without mercy. I flew backward and crashed hard into the stair railing. My internal organs felt like they’d shifted. I curled up on the ground in agony, unable to breathe for what felt like forever. Ethan tenderly gathered Madison’s bloodied form into his arms. “Madison, Madison, are you okay? Does your stomach hurt?” Madison collapsed into his embrace, crying pitifully. “Ethan, it hurts so much… Lila tried to kill me, she tried to kill our baby…” Ethan turned his head, his eyes vicious enough to devour someone. “Lila, you’re absolutely insane! A monster!” “Let me tell you, after what you did to Madison today, I will never forgive you!” “Throw her out! Never let her set foot in here again!” Several bodyguards came over, dragged me up from the floor like a dead dog, and threw me out the front door. “Bang!” The heavy door slammed shut mercilessly in front of me. I lay in the freezing rain, the violent pain in my abdomen nearly making me pass out. Rainwater mixed with mud streamed into my eyes, blurring my vision. I bit my lip hard until I tasted thick blood. Ethan Chase. Madison Cooper. That old hag. You’ll pay back everything you owe me a thousand times, ten thousand times over! **4** I don’t know how long I lay there in the rain. Until a pair of black custom leather shoes stopped in front of me. A black umbrella opened above my head, blocking out the torrential downpour. I struggled to lift my head. Before me was an extremely cold, sharply defined face. Adrian Sterling. CEO of Sterling Empire, Ethan Chase’s biggest business rival. And for the past two years, my true “secret partner” overseas. “Ms. Summers, seems like your celebration tonight wasn’t very pleasant.” Adrian’s voice was deep and magnetic, with a barely detectable hint of mockery. I pushed myself up from the ground, swaying as I stood, and looked at him coldly. “Mr. Sterling here to watch me suffer?” Adrian chuckled softly, took off his black trench coat, and draped it over my shoulders. “I’m just here to take my Chief Technology Officer home.” “The car’s outside. Let’s go.” I didn’t refuse. I followed him to the Rolls-Royce Phantom parked by the curb. The cabin had the heat on. Adrian handed me a cup of hot coffee. “That hard drive—destroyed?” he asked casually. I cradled the coffee cup, feeling its warmth. “Fake. It had the complete series of some old cartoons on it.” Adrian raised an eyebrow, a smile of appreciation curving his lips. “And the real source code?” I pointed to my own head. “All in here. No one else in the world can make that system run except me.” Adrian leaned back in the leather seat, his long fingers tapping lightly on his knee. “Ethan thinks that as long as he kicks you out, he can take your technology to ring the bell at the stock exchange.” “He has no idea you already built a backdoor into that system.” I laughed coldly, a flash of ruthlessness in my eyes. “Did he really think he could just take what’s mine?” “I’m going to make him fall as hard as he’s climbed.” Adrian turned to look at me, his gaze deep. “What do you need me to do?” “Help me prepare a big gift.” I looked out at the speeding nightscape. “Ethan wants to hold his IPO bell-ringing ceremony, doesn’t he? I want the whole world to see his true face.” The next morning. I was still resting in the hotel Adrian had arranged when my phone started ringing like crazy. It was Ethan calling. I hit answer and turned on the recording. “Lila! What the hell did you do to the source code!” On the other end, Ethan’s voice was frantic, like a rabid boar. “Why is all the test data showing errors? The system won’t even start!” “The investors are coming to see the final demo tomorrow. Hand over the decryption file right now!” I took a leisurely sip of milk. “Mr. Chase, we’re getting divorced. Whether your company goes public or not has nothing to do with me.” Ethan gritted his teeth. “Lila, don’t push me!” “You think I can’t do anything if you don’t hand it over?” “Your brother’s kidney transplant surgery years ago—that went through company accounts! Three hundred thousand dollars!” “I have all the transfer records and signatures. If I report this to the police, that’s embezzlement, misappropriation of company funds!” “Enough to put you away for ten years or more!” My hand clenched suddenly, nails digging deep into my palm. My brother had sudden kidney failure years ago and urgently needed a transplant. I was overseas in lockdown development and couldn’t get back. Ethan had volunteered to advance the money from company funds, saying I could pay it back from my dividends when I returned. Turns out he’d been calculating this from the very beginning. He’d deliberately made this transaction look like evidence of embezzlement just so he could have leverage over me today! “Ethan Chase, you’re truly despicable,” I said through clenched teeth. “No mercy in war!” Ethan sneered. “Three o’clock this afternoon. Come to the office, sign the divorce papers, and hand over the decryption file.” “Otherwise, just wait for the court summons and spend the rest of your life in prison!” The call was brutally disconnected. I looked at the blackened phone screen and laughed in fury. Fine. Very good. Ethan Chase, if you want to play, let’s play big.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416565”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I was the daughter my parents prayed for after three years of bitter medicinal treatments. They once treasured me like a precious jewel. When I casually mentioned wanting to see the ocean, Dad immediately bought plane tickets and flew me to the coast. Mom hand-sewed princess dresses for me, saying I was heaven’s greatest gift to her. Later, Mom unexpectedly gave birth to my little brother. She kissed my forehead and said love wouldn’t diminish—it would only grow, with one more person to protect me. But my brother had severe asthma. He couldn’t tolerate even the slightest irritating smell. That day, I saw my brother sleeping restlessly, so I lit the aromatherapy candle Mom usually used to help her relax. When Mom smelled the fragrance, her eyes filled with rage. She slapped me so hard I fell to the ground, then grabbed my hair and screamed, “Your brother can’t breathe smoke! Are you trying to kill him?!” I was dragged into the basement home theater—a room that had just been soundproofed but didn’t have a ventilation system installed yet. The heavy soundproof door was locked from the outside. “You’re so vicious! Stay in this absolutely quiet place and think about what you’ve done!” Mom and Dad rushed my brother to the hospital in a panic. They both forgot. Once that expensive professional soundproof door closed, not even a wisp of air could get through. In the extreme oxygen deprivation and darkness, I clawed desperately at the door. As my consciousness faded, I could only think: if I apologize, will they love me again? **1** With a loud BANG, the heavy professional soundproof door of the basement home theater slammed shut. Immediately after, I heard the lock turning from outside. The sound was particularly harsh in the dead-silent basement, like a death sentence being pronounced. “Mom! I was wrong! Please let me out!” “Dad! It’s so dark in here, I’m scared! Please, please open the door…” I ignored my swollen cheek from Mom’s slap and the stinging pain where she’d pulled my hair. I crawled to the door and pounded on the cold metal with all my strength. But this home theater had been specially built for the ultimate viewing experience. All four walls were covered with thick sound-absorbing foam, and even the door seams had the tightest seals. My cries, my desperate pounding—everything was greedily swallowed by the foam. Not a sound escaped to the outside. I was surrounded by absolute darkness and deathly silence. I could even hear my own heart pounding violently from fear—thump, thump, thump—so fast it felt like it would jump out of my throat. “Is anyone there? Help me…” I called out hoarsely, but only silence answered. As time passed, the air in the home theater grew thinner and thinner. Without a ventilation system installed, this place was like a completely sealed can. Each breath felt like inhaling burning flames. My lungs were seared with tearing pain. Sweat rolled down my forehead in large drops, hitting the cold floor. My vision blurred, and my oxygen-starved brain grew dizzy. Just when I was about to collapse, I suddenly felt the children’s smartwatch on my wrist. It was the birthday gift Dad had given me last month. “Anna, if you ever encounter danger, just press this button and Daddy will immediately come protect you.” Dad’s gentle words from back then seemed to echo in my ears. I grabbed onto this last lifeline. With trembling fingers, I pressed the speed dial button for Dad. “Ring… ring…” The dialing tone sounded in the silent room. Each pause made my heart skip a beat. Answer the phone, Dad. Please answer the phone… Finally, the call connected. “Hello?” Dad’s impatient voice came through, with the chaotic sounds of a hospital emergency room and my brother’s weak crying in the background. “Dad… save me… I can’t breathe…” I used every ounce of strength to force these words into the watch microphone. “Anna Johnson! You have the nerve to call?!” Dad’s voice instantly shot up, filled with barely suppressed rage. “Your brother is still being treated! Do you know you almost killed him?!” “I didn’t… I just wanted to help him sleep better… Dad, I feel terrible, there’s no air in the basement…” I begged through tears, which fell in large drops onto the watch screen. “Enough! How long are you going to keep pretending? It’s bad enough you compete for attention at home, but now you’ve learned to lie too! The basement is huge—how could there be no air? You stay in there and think about what you’ve done! No one’s letting you out without your mother’s permission!” “Beep, beep, beep…” The call was mercilessly disconnected. I stared blankly at the darkened watch screen as my last shred of hope died. Why? Why didn’t they believe me? Why didn’t Dad, who used to love me so much, even have the patience to hear me out anymore? Scenes from the past flashed uncontrollably through my mind. When I was five, I ran a high fever in the middle of the night. Dad was so panicked he didn’t even put on shoes—he ran two kilometers through the snow carrying me to the hospital. He sat by my bed, gripping my hand tightly, his eyes red as he said, “Don’t be afraid, Anna. Daddy’s here. Daddy will bear all your pain for you.” When I was six, some kids at preschool bullied me. Mom stormed into the school like an enraged lioness, pointed at the boy’s nose and yelled at him, then held me gently and comforted me: “Anna is Mommy’s most precious little princess. No one can bully you.” But after my brother Asher was born, everything changed. They gave all their love and attention to their sickly little boy. I became superfluous—a “dangerous element” who might hurt my brother at any moment. I just saw my brother coughing and unable to sleep. I remembered how Mom would light that aromatherapy candle whenever she had a headache, saying the scent helped her relax. I thought it would help my brother feel better too. I really never meant to hurt him. I don’t want to die… I really don’t want to die… I threw myself at the door again, desperately clawing at the seams, trying to create a gap for air to get through. My fingernails broke off. Blood ran down the door panel. The pain shot through my fingers and made my whole body shake, but I didn’t dare stop. “Mommy… Daddy… Anna was wrong… Anna won’t make brother angry anymore…” “Please… let me out…” My voice grew weaker and weaker until it became meaningless mumbling. My eyelids felt heavy as lead. I finally couldn’t hold on anymore and slowly slid down the cold door panel to the floor. In the last moment before losing consciousness, I seemed to see a beam of light. Mom pushed open the door and walked toward me, backlit. She crouched down and gently touched my bleeding fingers, her tears dropping onto my cheeks. “Anna, my baby, I’m sorry. Mommy came too late…” I tried so hard to smile, to tell her I forgave her. As long as you can love me like before, I don’t mind suffering a little. But that beam of light gradually dimmed, and Mom’s face became blurry. I fell completely into endless darkness. **2** I seemed to have a very, very long dream. In the dream, there was no suffocating pain, no terrifying darkness—only lightness and freedom. When I “opened” my eyes again, I found myself floating in midair. I looked down at myself. My body was semi-transparent, emitting a faint glow. Am I… dead? This thought had barely crossed my mind when a familiar sound of the door opening interrupted it. Mom and Dad came home from the hospital with my brother. “Mom!” I instinctively called out and tried to throw myself into her arms. But my body passed straight through hers. She couldn’t feel me or hear my voice. Mom carefully placed my sleeping brother on the sofa, covered him with a thin blanket, then let out a long sigh of relief. “Thank God, the doctor said Asher only had a mild asthma attack. If we’d gotten there any later, the consequences would have been unthinkable.” Mom’s voice still trembled with lingering fear. Dad lovingly put his arm around Mom’s shoulders and comforted her. “It’s okay now. Asher has divine protection.” Mom took a deep breath. Her originally gentle eyes instantly became filled with poisonous hatred. She said through gritted teeth, “It’s all that wretched girl Anna’s fault! She’s just jealous that we treat Asher well, so she came up with such a vicious way to hurt him!” “To be so cruel at such a young age—what will she be like when she grows up?! She’s rotten to the core!” Hearing Mom’s words, my heart felt like it was being stabbed with needles. I’m not rotten! I didn’t try to hurt my brother! I just wanted to help him! I floated in front of them, shaking my head desperately and explaining loudly, but they couldn’t hear anything. Dad frowned and sighed. “Come on, she’s still just a kid. Maybe she was confused for a moment. We’ve locked her in the basement for so long—she’s probably scared enough. Go get her and have her apologize to Asher. Then we’ll call it even.” “Apologize? What good is an apology? Who’s going to suffer for what Asher went through?” Mom’s voice shot up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She stomped angrily to my first-floor bedroom door and pounded on it hard. “Anna Johnson! Get out here! Don’t think you can avoid responsibility by hiding in there playing dead!” “Your brother almost died because of you! Can’t you even say you’re sorry? Did a dog eat your conscience?!” I floated beside Mom, looking at her face twisted with anger, feeling deeply powerless. Mom, I’m not in my room. I’m in the basement, in that soundproof room you locked with your own hands. I’m already dead. But of course there was no response from the room. Mom’s fury was completely ignited by the silence. She turned around, her eyes searching everywhere in the living room, as if looking for something to vent on. Suddenly, her gaze fell on the exquisite cat bed on the balcony. Inside slept a beautiful Ragdoll cat named Snowball. I’d found her as a stray in the bushes on a rainy day. She was dying then, and I used my allowance to take her to the vet and nursed her back to health until she became this white, plump, adorable cat. Mom used to love Snowball too, saying she looked like a little snowball. But now, Mom’s eyes were filled with disgust. “We have someone with asthma in this house, and we’re still keeping this furry creature! Anna just doesn’t want Asher to be well!” She strode over and grabbed the cat bed, ignoring Snowball’s terrified cries. “Mom! No! Please don’t hurt Snowball!” I desperately rushed over, trying to stop her. But I could only watch helplessly as she opened the balcony window and, without hesitation, threw the cat bed with Snowball inside from the fifteenth floor. “Meow—” Snowball’s piercing shriek cut through the night, then abruptly stopped. I floated in midair, staring into the bottomless darkness outside the window, feeling my very soul trembling. Dad stood in the living room, watching all this, only frowning slightly. “Well, it needed to go anyway. Asher’s allergic to cat fur.” He spoke in a flat tone, as if what had been thrown out was just a piece of worthless trash. “Forget about that girl. Let her go hungry for a couple meals—she’ll realize her mistake.” They turned and went back to the master bedroom, closing the door. The living room returned to dead silence. Only I remained, drifting alone in this home that had once been filled with laughter and joy.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416564”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

I had been Mrs. Sterling, living a life of splendor, for thirty years. Our marriage was filled with love, our home bustling with children and grandchildren; I had no regrets. But on my deathbed, my husband gripped my hand and confessed: “Actually, Lucas isn’t your biological son.” “He’s mine and Sophia’s. We swapped the babies back then, and as for our child, yours and mine, he died long ago.” My mind went blank. I stared numbly at the son who was wiping my hands and feet by my side. He didn’t even lift his head, but his cold voice pierced my ears like a knife: “You’re in poor health because I poisoned you.” “I hate you for taking my mother’s place, for preventing our family from being whole.” I grabbed Ethan Sterling’s hand, my blurry, bloodshot eyes wide. “Why… why didn’t you keep lying to me?” “Because Sophia is kind. She said she couldn’t bear to see you die still in the dark.” “Now, you can rest in peace.” His voice was gentle as he closed my eyes. I gagged, coughing up a mouthful of blood, and died in a storm of grief, indignation, and hatred. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I gave birth. The excited voice of the obstetrician reached my ears: “Congratulations, Mrs. Sterling! It’s a boy!”

The air was thick with a foul, humid heat. Soaked in sweat, I gasped for breath, grateful to be alive. In my ears, I could still hear Ethan’s words from before I died in my past life: “Lucas isn’t your biological son, we swapped the babies back then…” Seeing the doctor about to take my baby away, I ignored the searing pain in my body and stumbled off the delivery bed. “Stop! Give me back my baby!” The doctor didn’t stop; she quickened her pace instead. I grabbed an alcohol bottle from the cart and smashed it hard against her head. “I told you to stop!” The doctor collapsed to the ground, clutching her head. I frantically snatched the baby and held him tightly in my arms. The baby’s high-pitched cries tore at my heart. Tears blurred my vision. My hands trembled as I repeatedly stroked the baby’s body. Then, my hands brushed his lower body, and I froze. “It’s a girl. I gave birth to a daughter…” I laughed and cried at the same time, tears streaming down my face. How ridiculous that I was deceived for thirty years in my last life, believing until my death that I had given birth to a son! The doctor picked herself up from the floor, her face full of panic, holding her bleeding forehead: “Mrs. Sterling, you just gave birth, how could you just…” I cut her off with a slap across her face, hitting her with all my strength. “Bitch!” “I clearly gave birth to a daughter, why did you say it was a son and let people be mistaken?” Seeing my rage, a group of nurses exchanged glances, heads bowed, not daring to speak. The doctor quickly slipped out to inform Ethan. Ethan strode in, pointing at me, fuming: “Olivia! The doctor just wanted to show me the baby, what are you doing, acting crazy!” I couldn’t help but sneer, “Ethan, as my husband, and the father of my child, where were you when I was fighting for my life to give birth?” “Now that I’ve just had a baby, you, of all people, start by accusing me!” A look of helplessness flashed across his face. He softened his expression, explaining: “I went to the airport to pick up Sophia.” “She’s only in poor health because she saved me back then, so of course, I have to be attentive to her.” As Ethan spoke, he reached for the baby, but I dodged him. I didn’t spare him a glance: “I need to feed my daughter. You two, please leave.” Ethan’s hand froze in mid-air. His eyes were full of impatience and irritation, and he was about to speak. Suddenly, his phone rang loudly. Sophia’s voice, laced with sobs, came through: “Ethan, my stomach hurts so much, please come be with me!” Ethan immediately turned and left, no longer looking at me. After years of marriage, I had just given birth, and he wouldn’t even offer a word of concern. Holding my baby, my heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife. Memories, like a flood that had broken its dam, surged over me. Sophia was an orphan. She had saved Ethan’s life during a shooting incident overseas and was adopted by my mother-in-law as a foster daughter. I once tried to introduce her to a good man, but Ethan flew into a rage, holding a knife to his own throat to threaten me. “Sophia’s not well, are you trying to force her to marry just to kill her?” “If that’s the case, then I’ll return this life to her!” Because of those words, I let Sophia stay by his side for five years. When my parents passed away, Ethan accompanied Sophia to an art exhibition overseas. Meanwhile, I knelt in the funeral hall, overcome with grief, collapsing and miscarrying. My calls for him to come back went unanswered, one after another, all hung up. All I got was a single reprimand. “Sophia finally agreed to go out. Do you really have to cause a scene now?” And this time, during my pregnancy, Ethan had used the excuse of Sophia going overseas for an exchange program, claiming he needed to personally accompany her, and didn’t return for more than half a year. He used the “debt of a life saved” to silence me for thirty years. In the end, I toiled my entire life, raising another woman’s child, only to pave the way for her happiness. I dialed the number that had been dormant in my phone for years: “Are the words you said back then still true?”

The next day, Ethan came to me holding a baby. “Sophia found this boy when she was volunteering at the orphanage today. He should have been born on the same day as our daughter.” “I feel like it’s fate, so I named him Lucas Sterling and plan to raise him under your name.” I spoke softly, soothing my daughter, and glanced at the baby boy. “Some random kid from who knows where, does he deserve to be raised by me? Send him back to the orphanage.” “Olivia, how can you call Lucas a random kid?” “You’re a mother yourself. How heartbroken would his parents be if they heard that?” Sophia’s eyes welled with tears. She clung weakly to Ethan, feigning fragility, and coughed a few times at just the right moment. Ethan immediately wrapped her in his arms, soothing her, then kicked over a table and roared at me: “Olivia, when did you become so vicious? You can’t even tolerate a child!” I covered my daughter’s ears, casually saying: “If I raise him today, then tomorrow everyone will throw their unwanted pets at me. Am I supposed to raise them all?” Especially since this one was a viper. In my previous life, I devotedly raised and loved him for over twenty years, only to be poisoned to death by him. Sophia’s tears were about to fall. She looked at Ethan despairingly. Ethan immediately took her hand and promised: “The Sterling family is not hers to command. Don’t worry, Sophia, I’ll adopt Lucas and raise him by your side.” I couldn’t be bothered with their little show and went into the room with my daughter. “I need to rest, you two can leave.” Looking at my daughter’s rosy, adorable sleeping face, my heart was full of joy. Just as I was celebrating successfully protecting my daughter in this life, the door was suddenly kicked open. Ethan rushed in, grabbing my neck, his eyes bloodshot as he growled: “Olivia, why did you throw Lucas downstairs?” “He’s just a baby!” I coughed violently, squeezing out broken explanations from my throat: “I, I didn’t…” “Who else but you would harm a newborn baby!” He ignored the fact that I had just given birth and dragged me out by the hand. I couldn’t keep up and fell to the ground. Rough pebbles scraped my calf, leaving a long bloody trail. At the hospital, Sophia was sobbing uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face, holding the unconscious baby. “Olivia, I know you don’t like me, but why would you try to hurt Lucas!” The doctor said anxiously, “This child has a deep cut on his thigh and is losing a lot of blood. The hospital’s blood bank isn’t enough right now… I remember Mrs. Sterling and the child have the same blood type.” Sophia fell to her knees in front of me, tears gushing down her face: “Olivia, please save Lucas, I’ll do anything you want!” Ethan lovingly helped her up, then backhanded me across the face. “Bitch!” A metallic taste spread in my mouth. My postpartum abdomen began to cramp again. I bit my lower lip, my voice barely a whisper: “I didn’t do it, and I won’t admit to something I didn’t do.” Ethan gritted his teeth, kicked my knee, and dragged me in front of the doctor. “Olivia, if you’re unwilling, then we’ll use your daughter’s blood.” He immediately called home: “Mr. Davies, bring the young mistress to the hospital.” All the blood in my body instantly froze. I stared at him in disbelief. There was no tenderness in his sharp eyes, only a ruthless desire to get revenge for Sophia and her son. I scrambled and crawled to my knees in front of the doctor, unhesitatingly rolling up my sleeve to expose my arm. “Don’t touch my daughter, I’ll do it.” I had five bags of blood drawn. When the needle was pulled out, I was close to passing out. A clap of thunder split the sky, and rain poured down. I stumbled out of bed, tried to hail a cab in the street to go home and check on my daughter. But I found my daughter crying uncontrollably, burning with fever. I cried out, calling for an ambulance. But the operator regretfully stated: “I’m sorry, all doctors today have been called to treat the young master of the Sterling family.” “Even the hospital gates have been sealed, and ambulances can’t get out.” Holding my daughter, I ran wildly through the rain. The hospital lobby doors were tightly shut, only the lights were on. I cried as I pounded on the doors, my fingers almost breaking, blood dripping onto the ground, mixing with the rainwater to form a pool of blood.

In the VIP room on the second floor, Ethan watched me from the window. I quickly dialed his number. Before I could speak, I heard Sophia’s sobs: “Olivia is deliberately trying to snatch the doctors away, to keep them from treating my Lucas…” Ethan immediately rushed downstairs, pointing at me and cursing: “Olivia, you would use our daughter to compete for attention, do you even deserve to be a mother!” My hands trembled uncontrollably. I knelt on the ground, clutching Ethan’s pants, sobbing brokenly: “No, it’s not like that… Annie is really sick, please, just let them check on my daughter!” My daughter’s face was flushed, turning purplish, and my heart was breaking. A flicker of reluctance crossed Ethan’s eyes. He was about to give in, but Sophia called: “Lucas! Lucas fainted again!” Ethan immediately shook off my hand. “If you want to kneel, then keep kneeling. You can get up when Lucas wakes up.” My scraped wounds were still bleeding. I tightly held my daughter and stood up, wanting to find a doctor at a clinic. But after just one step, my vision went black, and I collapsed in the rain. In a daze, I saw a church where white doves circled. Ethan slipped a diamond ring onto my ring finger. His eyes red, he kissed my tears: “Olivia, I will only love you in this life.” The scene shifted, he held me in his arms and smiled. “Olivia, have a daughter as beautiful as you for me. I want her to be the happiest young lady in the entire Emerald City.” But then it froze on him, expressionless, holding my hand, his voice as cold as ice: “Actually, our child died long ago.” “The one I love has always been Sophia…” I sat up abruptly, drenched in cold sweat. The bed beside me was empty, only the nurse changing my IV was there. “Mrs. Sterling, you’re finally awake. You’ve been unconscious for three days…” “Annie, where’s my daughter?” I swung my legs off the bed, wanting to find my daughter. But Ethan, who had just opened the door, stopped me. He picked me up and gently placed me back on the bed. “The child has been sent for treatment. There’s a party at home tomorrow, you’ll see her then.” I gripped his hand tightly, almost falling to my knees, tears gushing down my face. “Okay, okay… I’ll listen to you, as long as you don’t hurt my daughter.” He told me many stories about our past. Numb and submissive, I bit my lip, shedding tears, without a word. The next day, the house was brightly lit. In the front hall, Sophia held a baby, surrounded by society wives. “Oh, he’s certainly Mr. Sterling’s child, look how strong his little hands are.” “His eyes resemble Mrs. Sterling, so lively…” I excitedly rushed over, wanting to see my daughter. But the moment I saw the child, I froze. “Why is it him? Where’s my daughter?” A group of wealthy ladies smiled and took my hand, congratulating me: “Congratulations, Mrs. Sterling, on your baby boy!” “A boy for your first child, truly blessed…” “No!” I screamed, backing away, “I gave birth to a daughter, where is my daughter!” But everyone looked at me as if I were insane. Sophia held the child, standing in the crowd, and slowly curled her lips, saying each word clearly: “Olivia is confused again, you clearly gave birth to a boy.” She handed the child to the nanny, then supported my arm, explaining to the other ladies with a show of concern: “My sister-in-law’s mental state has been unstable during her pregnancy. She was diagnosed with severe postpartum depression and keeps saying she gave birth to a daughter, even harming the baby for no reason…” “My brother only let her out today because she seemed a little better, but I didn’t expect her to have another episode.” She then looked at me, comforting softly: “Olivia, everyone in Emerald City knows you gave birth to a son, don’t keep forgetting.” I didn’t miss the fleeting glimpse of triumph in her eyes. I slapped Sophia across the face, then went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, held it to her throat, and screamed hysterically: “Give me back my daughter, or I’ll kill you!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416563”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

The day I died, I heard my ex-husband’s laughter echoing outside the hospital room. He was picking out wedding invitations with Vivian Monroe. I lay in the ICU with tubes running through my body, dependent on machines just to breathe. And there he stood, just fifteen feet away in the hallway, planning his future with another woman. During our six years of marriage, I helped him take a failing company and turn it into a business with over a hundred million in annual revenue. His reward? A divorce agreement and five words: “You can leave now.” In my previous life, I didn’t sign. I thought if I just held on, he’d eventually remember all I’d done for him. Instead, he had Vivian cut off every escape route I had. I died alone in a rental apartment. The landlord found me three days later. I was still clutching a family photo. The moment I’m reborn, Ethan Shaw sits in his study, sliding a divorce agreement across the desk toward me. “Sign it, Emma. Vivian’s back. It’s time we ended this.” I look at his cold, perfect face and suddenly laugh. In my previous life, I gave everything for you. This time around, I’m going to live for myself. **Chapter 1** “What are you laughing at?” Ethan frowns, clearly finding my reaction abnormal. In my previous life at this moment, I was on my knees begging him not to divorce me. I cried all night, clinging to his legs, promising I could do better. He shoved me away in disgust and said, “You’re pathetic. It makes me sick.” Looking back now, the pathetic one was me. Six years together, six years of sacrifice, and I couldn’t even get a dignified exit. I stop laughing and pick up the pen from the desk. “How much is the settlement?” Ethan freezes. He clearly didn’t expect me to ask about money so directly. The old Emma never talked about money. The old Emma thought talking about money ruined relationships. “Three hundred thousand.” He pushes a bank card across the desk, his voice flat. “Plus a condo downtown. Enough for you to live on.” Three hundred thousand dollars. Six years of my youth, six years of work, forty million in client relationships, thirty-seven late nights saving his business—all worth three hundred thousand in the end. Cheaper than buying wholesale. I don’t negotiate. Not because I’ve given up. Because I know this three hundred thousand will become three hundred million. “I have one condition.” His guard goes up. “What condition?” “Add two hundred thousand to the settlement. Five hundred total.” “Are you kidding me?” His voice rises half an octave. I set down the pen and look him dead in the eye. “Your company went from bankruptcy to a hundred million in revenue because of whose client relationships? You know the answer.” “Five hundred thousand buys out every connection I have with those clients. From now on, I won’t contact them, and they won’t do you any favors because of me.” “Do the math yourself. Is it worth it?” The study falls silent for ten full seconds. Ethan stares at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. Finally, he opens a drawer, pulls out another card, and slides it over. “Fine. Take the money and don’t show your face around me again.” I pocket both cards and sign “Emma Carter” on the divorce agreement. Quick and decisive, without a second of hesitation. When I walk out the front door of the Shaw residence, his driver is already waiting. “Mrs. Shaw—” “No need.” I cut him off and open Uber on my phone. I’m not a Shaw, and I’m nobody’s Mrs. anymore. Starting today, I’m just Emma. **Chapter 2** The Uber drops me at a budget hotel in the city center. I don’t go see the condo Ethan gave me. In my previous life, I lived there for eight months before Vivian kicked me out, claiming “Ethan got this place ready for our wedding.” This time around, I don’t want that apartment. But the money? I’m not giving her a cent. I sit on the hotel bed and pull up my phone, searching for a name: Morgan Hayes. In my previous life, while dying alone in that rental apartment, I stumbled across a news article— “New retail queen Morgan Hayes breaks into the hundred-billion valuation club, named to Forbes Global Business Leaders list.” The article said her company started as a three-person studio, funded by an initial angel investment of five hundred thousand dollars. Lying on that broken bed, I remember thinking: I wish that investor had been me. Now, I have exactly five hundred thousand in my hands. And right now, Morgan Hayes is just a small brand founder who can barely make payroll. I dial her company number. The woman who answers sounds exhausted. “Hello, Vine Design Studio.” “Is Morgan available?” “Speaking.” “Hi Morgan, my name is Emma Carter. I’d like to learn more about your brand and discuss potential investment opportunities.” Silence on the other end for three seconds. Probably been a while since anyone called to discuss “investment.” “You… want to invest in us?” “Yes. Five hundred thousand, angel round. Can we meet today if you’re available?” The next morning, I’m sitting in Morgan’s studio. Calling it a studio is generous—it’s barely three hundred square feet, tables piled with fabric samples and design sketches. Morgan is younger than I expected, not even thirty, her thin face marked by all-nighters. But her eyes are bright. “I’ll be honest, we don’t get many investors.” She smiles somewhat sheepishly. “We’re too small. We haven’t turned a profit yet.” “But I’m confident about this direction. New retail, live-streaming, democratized designer brands—these three trends are going to explode in the next five years.” I nod. I don’t just know they’ll explode. I know exactly which year and which model will break through. “You don’t need to convince me.” I slide the bank card across the table. “Five hundred thousand for 20% equity. Only one condition: all major decisions get discussed with me first.” Morgan stares at the card for a long moment. “Emma, why do you trust me so much?” “Because I’m not investing in a project. I’m investing in a person.” It’s the truth. In my previous life, I watched too many people give up when they couldn’t see the future. Morgan is the type who’ll grit her teeth and push through no matter how hard it gets. After signing the contract, I do something else— I enroll in an executive business management program. In my previous life, everything I learned working alongside Ethan was fragmented and self-taught. This time, I’m going to learn systematically and properly. I can’t survive just by “knowing the future.” Because someone who knows the future but lacks the ability to seize it will still end up with nothing. **Chapter 3** The program meets in a commercial building on the west side of the city. The instructor is a well-known professor in the industry. Tuition is twenty-eight thousand for a three-month session. I pay the fee, collect my materials, and on day one, I sit in the back row right on time. The content is harder than I expected. Business models, financial statement analysis, equity structure design—I recognize every word individually, but together they might as well be hieroglyphics. But I’m not afraid. In my previous life, when I handled client relationships and negotiated contracts for Ethan, I started from zero too. I learned then. I can learn now. After the first class, I’ve filled eight pages of notes. My hand aches, but my heart feels steady. During the break, I head to the restroom and push open the door to see a familiar face. Vivian Monroe. She’s touching up her lipstick at the sink. She spots me in the mirror and her hand pauses. Then she smiles. “Oh, if it isn’t Emma.” She turns around, looking me up and down, her tone dripping with condescending concern. “Didn’t Ethan give you money? What are you doing taking a class like this?” “This kind of high-end executive program isn’t for people like you. Everyone here is a company executive or investor.” She raises an eyebrow, her smile deepening. “You spent six years as a housewife. What could you possibly understand in here?” I shake the water off my hands and grab a paper towel. “You’re right.” She blinks, surprised. “I was a housewife for six years.” I toss the towel in the trash and look her straight in the eye. “But starting today, I’m not anymore.” As I walk out of the restroom, I hear her laughing loudly behind me. Probably wants everyone in the hallway to hear. “Girls, Emma thinks taking one business class will make her an entrepreneur.” “Six years as a housewife, can’t even read a financial statement, and she’s here learning business management—” “Some people just don’t know their own limits.” A few people in the hallway laugh along. I don’t look back. Plenty of people mocked me in my previous life too. But in that life, they were right—I really did have nothing. This time, I’ll make sure they can’t laugh anymore. Back at my seat, I keep organizing my notes. There are concepts I didn’t understand, so I look up explanations on my phone and copy them down word by word. A woman sitting in front of me turns around, glances at my notebook, and looks surprised. “You take really detailed notes.” “I’m behind, so I have to work twice as hard.” She smiles and hands me a business card. “I’m Caroline Reed. I’m an analyst at a private equity fund. Feel free to ask if you don’t understand something.” I take the card and thank her. She’s the first stranger to show me kindness since I was reborn. I tuck the card into my notebook. Kindness is rare. I’ll remember every bit I receive. **Chapter 4** One month later. Morgan sends me a message: “Emma, our first livestream hit a hundred thousand viewers!” I look at my phone and smile slightly. A hundred thousand is just the beginning. In the news from my previous life, Morgan’s first real breakthrough came four months after getting angel funding—a collaborative livestream with a well-known influencer that brought in five million in sales in a single session. I know exactly who that influencer is. Right now, she’s just a small creator with fewer than fifty thousand followers. Her schedule is wide open, and her collaboration fee is practically nothing. I message Morgan: “I’m recommending an influencer—Vivienne Blake. Try doing a collaboration with her.” Morgan: “She only has a few tens of thousands of followers. Will it work?” Me: “Trust me.” She doesn’t ask again. Over this past month, she’s developed a strange trust in me—every direction I recommend turns out remarkably well after execution. She doesn’t know why. But she’s learned one thing: when Emma says something, execute first, understand later. That same afternoon, while I’m reviewing notes in class, my phone buzzes. A text from an unknown number: “Emma, it’s Robert Williams. Heard you left Ethan’s company? I’ve got a project I’d like to discuss with you. Are you available?” Robert Williams. Ethan’s biggest client. In my previous life, it was Robert’s order that kept Ethan’s company alive through its hardest first year. And I was the one who brought in that order. Before getting married, I worked in event management and got to know Robert. He only works with people he trusts, not companies. When he gave Ethan that order, it was 100% because of me. After the divorce in my previous life, Vivian blacklisted me and I was too ashamed to contact anyone. This life is different. “Robert, I’m always available.” That evening, a café. Robert Williams is in his mid-fifties, gray-haired but energetic. The moment he sees me, he slaps the table laughing. “Emma, I knew you’d eventually strike out on your own! Working for Ethan was a waste of your talent.” “I won’t beat around the bush—I’ve got a batch of cultural tourism projects that need execution. I was working with Ethan’s company before, but ever since you left… let’s just say it’s been rough.” He lowers his voice. “Last proposal went through six revisions and still didn’t pass. You in?” I set down my coffee. “Robert, I haven’t registered a company yet. But I can come in as a consultant first and help you build the proposal framework. Once I’m set up on my end, I’ll take all the follow-up projects.” He slaps the table. “Deal! That’s settled then!” Walking out of the café, the night air is cool. In my previous life, I gave all my connections and resources to Ethan for free. He used the network I built to rise to the top. Meanwhile, I shrank smaller and smaller under that same network until I was completely forgotten. This time, I’m weaving the network myself and using it for myself.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “416562”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster

1 I just got back from a business trip, and my boyfriend and I had a wild, breathless night. But as the fog of passion cleared, a cold realization hit me. His rhythm was all wrong. The way he held me, the angles, the touch—it wasn’t him. I grabbed him by the shoulder, my eyes scanning his face for any sign of betrayal, any detail that would confirm he was cheating. The next second, his eyes met mine, trembling. “Hey… Elias’s girl… I can’t do another round…” I froze. He looked at me with puppy-dog eyes, completely exhausted. “I have a basketball game tonight. If we go again, my legs are going to turn to jelly.” My heart stopped. It was like a bolt of lightning had cleared my dazed mind. I suddenly realized the man in my bed wasn’t my boyfriend, Elias. It was his younger brother, Chase. The college kid who hadn’t even graduated yet. No wonder his haircut felt slightly different when I walked in. A cold sweat broke out across my skin, chilling me to the bone. I yanked the sheets up to cover myself and let out a choked scream. “What are you doing here?! Why are you in my apartment?!” Silence fell over the room, thick and suffocating. His long eyelashes fluttered as he stared at me, his voice raw with disbelief. “What is that supposed to mean? You were so happy a second ago. Did you really not know who you were with?” He looked deeply hurt, like a kicked puppy. The explanation of my face blindness died in my throat. I couldn’t bring myself to say it. I took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to steady my racing heart. “Where is Elias? Why isn’t he home?” Chase lowered his gaze. “I came down for a game at the local college. The hotels were completely booked, so I had to crash at Elias’s. He didn’t want to wake me up when he left, so he stayed at the office. Neither of us knew you’d be back early.” His voice trailed off, his expression becoming softer, more helpless. No. I couldn’t let his innocent act fool me. I gritted my teeth. “Then why didn’t you say something before you took your clothes off?!” Chase’s shoulders slumped. “You kissed me the second you walked through the door. I didn’t even have a chance to breathe, let alone explain. “I know you’re worried about Elias finding out. I won’t tell him. “Let’s just pretend today was a dream.” As he spoke, he slipped back into his clothes and quietly began stripping the bed, replacing the sheets with fresh ones to erase every trace of what we had done. It was the perfect, clean resolution I should have wanted. But watching him, I felt like the worst person on earth. Finally, as he picked up my lacy thong to wash it by hand, I couldn’t take it anymore. “I’ll do that.” As I stepped closer, he flinched back as if burned, his eyes rimmed with red. “I’m the one who dirtied it,” he whispered. God help me. I felt like a criminal. 2 My phone buzzed. It was a voice message from Elias. I went to play it, but with Chase’s tearful eyes locked on me, a wave of guilt washed over me. I clicked the text-conversion button instead. Hey baby, when are you getting back? I just learned a new recipe. Miss you so much. One of the reasons I fell for Elias in the first place was his cooking. He always took care of my sensitive stomach, saving me from a lifetime of takeout. A small smile tugged at my lips. Beside me, Chase murmured, “That new recipe he learned? I’m the one who taught him.” I looked up in surprise. Chase was already pulling open the fridge, desperate to prove himself. “There are still ingredients from yesterday. If you don’t believe me, I’ll cook for you right now.” Before I could stop him, he pulled off his shirt and tied Elias’s apron around his waist. Why did he have to take his shirt off to cook? I followed him into the kitchen. Chase was incredibly fast, chopping, washing, and tossing ingredients in the pan with practiced ease. The apron strings wrapped snugly around his waist, accentuating the lean, muscular contours of his back. “Hey, wait,” I stammered, my eyes darting around. “Why are you cooking right now? This isn’t the time!” But the food was already plated. He turned to me, his eyes full of quiet anticipation. “Tessa, don’t you want a taste?” A taste of what? This raw, athletic college kid? My mind split into two screaming voices. One was telling me to run, while the other was whispering how dangerous and thrilling this whole mess was. Chase set the plate down and took a slow step toward me, towering over me. “Tessa, why aren’t you saying anything?” The air in the kitchen grew heavy, charged with a strange, suffocating heat. “You should call me your brother’s girl,” I whispered, my throat dry. He froze. His eyes darkened. “Is that what you want me to call you when we’re in bed?” The words hung in the air. Before I could answer, the sound of the front door unlocking shattered the silence. My scalp went numb. A second later, Elias’s voice echoed from the hallway. “A suitcase? Baby, is that you? Are you home?” 3 Three of us. One room. Total, dead silence. Cold sweat poured down my neck as I frantically tried to think of a lie, but my brain had completely short-circuited. Then, Chase spoke up, his voice perfectly casual. “Oh, hey, Elias. You’re back. Tessa just walked in a minute ago, right as I finished making lunch.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Elias kicked off his shoes and immediately wrapped his arms around me, lifting me off my feet. “Baby, why didn’t you tell me you were coming back early? You didn’t reply to my texts!” He spun me around, and my exhausted, dizzy head swam. Thankfully, Chase cut in. “Let’s eat, Elias.” His voice was cool, but as he turned back to the stove, his bare, muscular back was on full display. Elias frowned. “Chase, where are your clothes?” Chase paused. My fingers tensed, twisting together. “They’re in the wash,” Chase said quietly, heading back into the kitchen. My heart did a violent flip. There were clothes hanging on the balcony. But so was my freshly washed lace thong. If Elias went out there… Desperate, I grabbed Elias by the collar and pulled him down into a hard, sudden kiss. He froze, caught off guard, but quickly melted into it, returning the kiss with fierce passion. His breathing turned shallow and heavy. “Baby, wait… Chase is still here…” 4 Clatter. A plate shattered on the kitchen floor. Chase stood there, his eyes instantly turning red. Elias and I pulled apart. Elias cleared his throat, looking slightly embarrassed. “Sorry, man. We haven’t seen each other in a while. Just pretend you didn’t see that.” Chase’s lips trembled. “Must be nice… being so swept up in the moment.” Elias didn’t catch the bitterness in his voice. “What?” Chase didn’t answer. He knelt down, silently sweeping up the broken shards. From where I stood, I could only see the lonely, tense line of his shoulders. We sat down to eat, but the delicious food tasted like ash in my mouth. My entire focus was on the subtle, deliberate friction brushing against my right leg under the table. I knew it wasn’t Elias. Elias was sitting on my left. The silence at the table was suffocating. Then, Chase picked up a piece of green pepper and dropped it into Elias’s bowl. “Eat your veggies, bro,” Chase said softly. Then, he picked up a perfectly glazed rib and placed it gently into my bowl. Elias’s expression froze. I choked, coughing violently. Elias looked at me, his eyes unreadable. “Baby, let me get you some water.” Yes. Please. Anything to break this agonizing tension. I nodded frantically. The moment Elias walked away, I let out a long breath and glared at Chase. “What are you doing?!” He didn’t look up, chewing his food slowly. Then, he murmured, “The fridge is on the balcony, Tessa.” The balcony. The thong. It hit me like a physical blow. I sprang up and bolted toward the balcony, but Elias was already coming back with a glass of water. His face was entirely calm. “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked. I swallowed hard, my throat tight. But I noticed his lips were slightly pale. “Were you that thirsty?” he asked softly. 5 I felt like I was sitting on a bed of nails. Elias didn’t ask any questions, but the heavy, unsaid suspicion in the air was driving me insane. I was terrified he was just gathering evidence, waiting for Chase to leave so he could confront me. The suspense was agonizing. Finally, Elias looked up, his voice cold and flat. “You should leave today.” He was talking to his brother. The two men locked eyes. For a moment, the entire world seemed to go silent. My soul felt like it had left my body. By the time I came to, Chase was already packing his bags. He walked to the door and gave me one last, lingering look. “See you next time, Tessa.” The door clicked shut. Only Elias and I were left in the apartment. Everything looked perfectly normal, yet I couldn’t bring myself to look him in the eye. Suddenly, Elias grabbed my wrist. I looked up. His eyes were rimmed with red. “Tessa… you have no idea how much I missed you these past few days.” A suffocating wave of guilt crashed over me. I took a deep breath, preparing to tell him the truth. But before I could speak, Elias leaned down and covered my mouth with his. He kissed me with a desperate, almost feral intensity, his tears spilling onto my cheeks. This time, there was no gentle rhythm. He was burning hot, pulling me into a chaotic storm of pleasure and pain. In my dazed, drifting mind, I heard Elias whisper against my ear: “Baby… does he make you feel better than I do?” My eyes snapped wide open. “What did you say?!” But another wave of passion crashed over us, and he didn’t answer, pouring all his energy into making me forget everything else. It was as if what I heard was just a hallucination. He knew my body too well. Within seconds, my thoughts dissolved again. When it was over, I was completely drained, on the verge of falling asleep. In the quiet haze, a raspy, quiet voice began to tell a story. “Chase was born when I was four. He always knew how to charm everyone. I couldn’t help but be jealous of him. I took everything he had, all through our childhood. On his eighteenth birthday, our parents and I went on a trip. He called, crying for help. I thought he was just trying to steal their attention again, so I secretly turned off my parents’ phones. When we got back, we found out he had acute pancreatitis. He was left alone, and he almost died in that empty house.” Elias paused, his voice cracking. “I swore to him then that I would never take anything he loved ever again. But Tessa… why did it have to be you?” 6 The next morning, the apartment was spotless. The leftover food was gone, and my suitcase was neatly put away. Elias was always like this, quietly taking care of everything. I picked up my phone and noticed a new contact request. Tessa, are you coming to my game tonight? I’d be really happy if you did. I didn’t need to ask who it was. Chase and I had made a terrible mistake, and I needed to end it. I would cut ties with Chase completely, and then… I would beg Elias for forgiveness. With my mind made up, I called him. He answered almost instantly. “Tessa?” His voice had a hopeful lift to it. I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Delete my number after this. We can’t contact each other anymore.” Silence fell over the line. Then, a sudden, violent crash echoed through the phone. Someone on the other end started screaming in a panic. “Chase! Oh my god, Chase! Quick, call an ambulance!” My heart squeezed tight. “Chase?! Chase, what happened?!” 7 The call went dead. Panic clawed at my chest. Something had happened to Chase. I tried calling back, but it kept going straight to voicemail. Was it because of what I said? I spent the entire day in a state of agonizing anxiety. At the end of the day, Elias picked me up from work. “I have to drop by the hospital. I’ll take you home first.” “The hospital?!” My voice pitched high. “Who’s hurt?!” Elias glanced at me, his eyes dark. “How did you know someone was hurt, and not sick?” My breath caught. I opened my mouth to explain, but no words came out. The light turned green, and Elias stepped on the gas. After a long, suffocating silence, he spoke in a low, hollow voice. “It’s Chase. He’s hurt. Do you… want to come?” It really was Chase. And it was because of my phone call. I gripped the seatbelt, my voice trembling. “I have to go, Elias. Please, take me with you.” 8 When we arrived, his teammates confirmed my worst fears. They said Chase was on the phone, and suddenly his face went completely pale. A stray basketball had flown right toward him, but he didn’t even try to dodge it. He fell backward, cracking his head against the concrete bleachers. He was still unconscious. “Chase usually has crazy reflexes,” one teammate said, pacing the hallway. “But he got that call from a girl and just lost it. Otherwise, there’s no way he wouldn’t have dodged that ball.” The hallway fell into a heavy silence. Elias’s expression was grim, completely unreadable. I stood there, my mind a chaotic mess of guilt and fear. Everything was spiraling because of me. I took a slow step toward Elias. The urge to confess, to lay everything bare, was overwhelming. No matter what happened next, the tragedy was my fault. “Elias…” I whispered, my fingers trembling. He looked up, a raw, fragile pain flickering in his eyes. “Don’t,” he rasped, his fists clenching so hard the veins bulged on his thighs. “Don’t say it. I don’t want to hear it right now.” A dull ache spread through my chest. Just then, the ward door opened. A nurse stepped out. “The patient is awake.” Chase lay in the bed, his head wrapped in thick white bandages. Despite the distance, his eyes locked onto me the second I walked in. “Tessa… my head hurts,” he whispered.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “462285”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel