Author: Momo Chan

## The guy next door keeps stealing my food deliveries. The man with gout from across the hall has a nasty habit of swiping my takeout. And yet, he still has the audacity to trash-talk me in the neighborhood group chat: “Only prostitute order takeout!” I just smiled coldly at his nonsense and started doing some research. “Foods that people with gout should never eat.” “Which foods spike uric acid levels the most?” If he wants to steal my food so badly, I might as well help him out. The guy next door keeps stealing my food deliveries. The man with gout from across the hall has a nasty habit of swiping my takeout. And yet, he still has the audacity to trash-talk me in the neighborhood group chat: “Only people who don’t know how to cook order takeout!” I just smiled coldly at his nonsense and started doing some research. “Foods that people with gout should never eat.” “Which foods spike uric acid levels the most?” If he wants to steal my food so badly, I might as well help him out. On my way home from work one night, I decided to order some spicy crawfish. The delivery driver arrived a minute before I did, so I told him to leave it by my door. When I got off the elevator, though, the food was gone. Looking around, I noticed a trail of crawfish sauce dripping on the floor, leading straight to my neighbor’s door: Mrs. Jenkins. Well, specifically, to her grandson Jake Jenkins. He’d just moved in a few weeks ago and was apparently… a “character.” I knocked on the door, and a greasy, sweaty guy with pockmarked skin opened it. “Excuse me,” I said politely, “have you seen my food delivery?” He waved me off, annoyed. “I’ve been home all day. Why would I have seen your food?” If it weren’t for the trail of sauce on the floor—and the telltale grease on his lips—I might’ve believed him. Before I could say anything else, he slammed the door in my face. I sighed and shook my head. Maybe I was just too hungry to think straight. But deep down, I knew I’d been right. This wasn’t the first time. I’d lost count of how many deliveries had gone missing. Burgers, milkshakes, donuts—he didn’t discriminate. As long as it was food, he’d take it. But tonight’s timing was suspicious. The delivery driver had barely left before I came back downstairs. It couldn’t have been anyone else. And now that I thought about it, all of this started happening right after Jake moved in. He’d already made a stellar impression when he first joined the neighborhood group chat: “Nowadays women don’t know how to live within their means. Always ordering takeout instead of cooking like real women. Total waste of money!” At the time, I’d just rolled my eyes and ignored him. I thought he was just another internet troll who happened to live next door. But then he doubled down a week later—and even had the nerve to tag me directly. So, of course, I clapped back: “Look, I know you’re not the brightest bulb in the box, but maybe don’t let your mouth bypass your brain next time? And seriously, if you’re so obsessed with other people’s business, why don’t you go sample the septic truck outside to see if it’s salty enough?” After that, Jake gave me death glares every time he saw me. Hungry and furious, I called my best friend to vent. “You’re such an idiot,” she said, exasperated. “Don’t you have a security camera by your door? Just check the footage!” I smacked my forehead. Of course! I’d installed a camera after the last time my food got stolen, but I’d been too hangry to think straight. I opened the app on my phone and rewound the footage. And there he was: Jake Jenkins, in all his glory. The video showed him sneaking out of his apartment, snatching my food from the floor, and running back inside. Crawfish sauce dripped everywhere as he muttered under his breath: “Crawfish? What a spoiled little brat. Must be nice to have the money to waste on food like this. Stupid gold-digger!” I was so angry I could feel steam coming out of my ears. Mrs. Jenkins seemed like such a sweet old lady. How could her grandson be such a nightmare? When I told my best friend what happened, she just shook her head and laughed. “Haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’? Check your footage again—I bet you’ll find something even worse.” I didn’t believe her. But oh, how wrong I was. 2 When Jake opened the door, he casually snatched up my delivery like it was his own. Standing beside him, Mrs. Jenkins, the sweet old lady from across the hall, was on the lookout, her eyes darting left and right. She didn’t look like the kind, grandmotherly woman I knew. Her face twisted with disdain as she spat on the ground. “Takeout again? That little tramp sure loves wasting money. Whoever marries her is gonna have their family rolling in their graves!” Then she crouched down and inspected the flowerpot she’d placed near my door. “Jake, does this thing need new batteries? If it dies, we won’t capture anything useful.” I froze as I zoomed in on the screenshot from my security footage. A chill ran down my spine. The flowerpot had a plum blossom design on it, but hidden in the tree’s trunk was an incredibly tiny hole—just big enough for a pinhole camera. That flowerpot had been a “housewarming gift” from Mrs. Jenkins. When I’d told her I wasn’t great with plants, she’d said, “Don’t worry, just leave it by your door—I’ll help water it when I pass by.” Turns out, it wasn’t about watering at all. It was about surveillance. Jake suddenly cursed, snapping me back to the present. “This stupid chick is such a pain in the ass! I’ve already taken the deposit, and the guys in the group are waiting on something good!” He spat the words out, pacing angrily. “Every day, she goes out dressed like a damn nun. Who does she think she’s fooling?” Then he turned and barked at Mrs. Jenkins, clearly irritated. “Didn’t you say you’d already earned her trust? Why are we still getting nowhere? Get your act together and cozy up to her so we can plant the equipment inside her apartment already. “The guys in the group love her prim-and-proper act. If we catch something juicy, I’ll be rolling in cash once I sell it!” The two of them kept whispering by my door, but I’d heard enough. Jake wasn’t just a petty thief. He was the ringleader of an online group that profited from secretly filming women and selling the footage. And Mrs. Jenkins? She wasn’t just his doting grandmother. She was his accomplice. I shuddered. Thank God I always dressed conservatively when I went out. If I hadn’t, who knows what they might’ve already captured? Their scheme was disturbingly calculated. They used Mrs. Jenkins’ frail, grandmotherly appearance to lower the guard of women living alone. She’d bring over cookies, make small talk, and offer help until she gained their trust. Once inside, they’d install hidden cameras to spy on their victims. If it weren’t for Jake’s habit of stealing my food, I never would’ve discovered what was really going on. Judging by how smoothly they worked together, I was sure I wasn’t their first target. God only knows how many women had already been victimized. As I continued watching the footage, their actions proved even more disgusting. After their whispered conversation, they carefully sliced a small hole into my doormat and installed another hidden camera—this time angled to capture upskirt shots. When they’d finished, Mrs. Jenkins lovingly patted Jake on the head. “My smart boy. You’re gonna make your grandma proud!” Then she laughed cruelly and added: “That little tramp acts so innocent, but I’ve seen through her fake act. Spending $50, $100 on takeout like it’s nothing? She’s definitely making her money the dirty way, probably sleeping around to earn it! “We’re doing her a favor by filming her. If anything, she should be thanking us for helping her… advertise! Who knows, maybe one day she’ll come begging us to film more!” There were only two apartments on this floor, and they clearly hadn’t noticed the hidden position of my security camera. They thought I was an easy target. They thought I wouldn’t fight back. But as the video ended, my blood ran cold—and then boiled with anger. The sweet, grandmotherly Mrs. Jenkins wasn’t just a wolf in sheep’s clothing. She was a predator in human skin. It wasn’t too late to stop them. Let’s see who’s really tougher when the fight begins. 3 The next morning, Mrs. Jenkins knocked on my door bright and early. She stood there with her usual sweet smile, holding a trendy preserved flower arrangement in her hands. “Oh, sweetie, I’m so sorry,” she said, her voice dripping with kindness. “I’ve failed you. I should’ve kept a better eye on things for you. “You mentioned how real flowers are such a hassle to take care of, didn’t you? Well, I heard these preserved flowers are all the rage now. They smell lovely, and you don’t have to water them! Please, take this as my apology for not looking out for you properly.” If I hadn’t seen the security footage, I might’ve genuinely fallen for her act. But if it’s a performance she wants, then I’ll play along. Feigning excitement, I gasped and took the flowers from her hands. “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this! I’ve wanted one of these forever, but they’re always sold out! Mrs. Jenkins, you’re amazing for finding one. Thank you so much!” The preserved flowers were vibrant and fragrant, radiating charm as they sat in my arms. But all I could think was: Where’s the camera hidden this time? Back inside, I placed the flowers on my dining table. I didn’t want to tip them off just yet. If they wanted to spy on me, fine—I’d give them something to watch. Sitting directly in front of the flowers, I started a mock “mukbang.” I stuffed my face theatrically, smirking at the thought of them getting frustrated on the other side of the camera. Let’s see if watching me eat drives you crazy. As I ate, I replayed everything in my mind, plotting my next move. Letting people like Jake and Mrs. Jenkins get away with this wasn’t an option. My philosophy has always been simple: Never let the wicked walk free. Jake was a disgusting creep, and Mrs. Jenkins was a manipulative old hag. People like them deserved to rot behind bars. But before that, I planned to have a little fun. They needed to understand what it felt like to mess with the wrong person. I was halfway through my “show” when I heard shouting in the hallway. Quietly, I crept to the door and peeked through the peephole. Jake was standing there, his bloated face red with fury as he screamed at Mrs. Jenkins. “You useless old hag! Can’t even cook a decent meal! What the hell are you good for?” He jabbed a finger at her face, his voice dripping with venom. “If it weren’t for you killing my parents, I wouldn’t be stuck in this miserable situation! You screw up one more time, and I swear, I’m kicking you out! I’m done taking care of dead weight!” He slammed his door shut with so much force, it rattled the hallway. Mrs. Jenkins collapsed onto the floor, sobbing loudly. If I hadn’t known better, I might’ve felt sorry for her. An elderly woman, humiliated and berated by her own grandson—it was pitiful. Hell, I might’ve even opened my door, invited her inside, and tried to comfort her. But I knew better. She was cunning, and this was all part of their game. If I let her in, it would only give her more opportunities to worm her way into my life. Still, she committed to the act. Between sobs, she kept glancing toward my door, her eyes darting back and forth. Ah, so this is the plan. A little “pity party” for me to see through the hidden camera. She started wailing even louder, slapping her thighs dramatically. “Why am I still alive? Why hasn’t the good Lord taken me yet?” she cried. “I’m doing this for you, Jake! The doctor said your uric acid is high, and you can’t eat those foods anymore. I’m just trying to help you!” Her words carried a sharp edge of bitterness, as if she were airing her real grievances with Jake while keeping up the charade. I couldn’t help but laugh quietly. The performance was impressive, but painfully transparent. I walked away from the door, leaving her to stew in her fake misery. “Don’t worry,” I thought to myself. “The storm that’s coming for you is already on its way.”

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## Winning $5 million in the lottery was supposed to be a turning point for our family. My husband, Ryan, promised to buy me a beautiful new house—a symbol of our success and a fresh start. But on the very day we moved in, his first love waltzed through the door, clutching her son, tears streaming down her face. She claimed her husband had recently passed away and that she had nowhere else to go. Before I could even react, Ryan’s face filled with pity, and he ushered her and her son into the house without so much as a second thought. And not just anywhere—he moved her into the master bedroom. Yes, our bedroom. Now there were three of us in the house, except one of us happened to be the woman Ryan dated for seven years. When I lost my temper, yelling and demanding an explanation, Ryan didn’t apologize. Instead, he turned on me, full of righteous indignation. “Emily, how could you be so cruel? You know her husband just died! She’s a widow with a child. You want me to throw them out on the street? When did you become so heartless?” Even Ryan’s mom, who had always acted like the sweet, doting grandma, suddenly revealed her true colors. “Look at all those rich men with four or five wives,” she said with a smug smile. “My son’s a millionaire now—it’s only natural he’d take in another woman. And since she was here first, it’s perfectly fair to let you be the second wife. You should consider yourself lucky!” I looked at Ryan, hoping he’d at least argue against his mother’s outrageous claims, but instead, he nodded quietly in agreement. That was it. I picked up my phone and called my lawyer. Ryan assumed I was giving in. He even had the audacity to walk around the house with his ex, Michelle, gleefully showing her the villa as if they were a happy couple buying their dream home. But what Ryan forgot—what Michelle didn’t know—was that the $5 million was my lottery win. And I’d rather donate every last cent to charity than let him spend a dime on his mistress.

I had just hung up the phone with my lawyer when Ryan appeared behind me, his tone full of forced patience, as if I were the one being unreasonable. “Emily, listen,” he began, his voice dripping with condescension. “If I hadn’t been picking you up from work that day years ago, I wouldn’t have missed Michelle’s wedding. She wouldn’t have ended up marrying that jerk, and maybe he wouldn’t have died so young. Now she’s a widow, and she has a kid to take care of. If I don’t help them, who will?” I turned to look at him, stunned by his twisted reasoning. “And moving her into our bedroom? What’s the plan, Ryan—should the three of us all sleep together now? Or would a hotel not work for her? Does she have to live here just to make me uncomfortable?” Ryan’s face darkened with irritation. “Emily, why are you being so irrational? Michelle and I are history, you know that. If her husband hadn’t died suddenly, she wouldn’t even be here. She’s out of options—I’m just doing what any decent person would. Why are you so obsessed with targeting her?” Targeting her? That was rich. Michelle and Ryan had been high school sweethearts, dating all the way through college for seven years until their relationship fell apart because of long-distance jobs. Two months after their breakup, she married an older, wealthy businessman. When I met Ryan, he was drowning his sorrows in a bar, heartbroken and bitter over Michelle’s betrayal. He seemed like a loyal, devoted man, so much so that I actually felt bad for him. We reconnected a few weeks later at work, and I took it as a sign—fate, even. I added him on social media, and over time, we became close. Eventually, he moved on from Michelle and fell for me. We had a whirlwind romance, and just months later, we got married. I still remember our wedding day vividly. Ryan stood in front of all our family and friends, holding my hands as he said I was the one who had saved him, the love of his life, and the reason he believed in happiness again. But now, here he was, willing to make me cry just so Michelle and her son could live in our home. I clutched my chest, taking a deep breath to steady myself. “So, you’re really insisting on letting Michelle move in?” I asked, my voice calm but cold. Ryan hesitated for a moment, then clenched his jaw and said, “It’s not like I’m making her my wife, Emily. Why are you blowing this out of proportion? Her son calls me Uncle Ryan—I have a responsibility to them. And now that we’ve won the lottery, I’m the only one who can give Michelle the life she deserves.” I stared at him, my heart sinking further with every word. “She’s a widow, Emily,” he continued, completely blind to how hurt I was. “How can I leave her out there, alone, struggling to raise her child? And it’s not like we can’t afford it. Michelle even said she’d handle all the housework—cleaning, cooking, taking care of our daughter. What else do you want?” It was clear to me now. Ryan had already decided how this new arrangement would work. He’d play the role of the generous provider, Michelle would be the homemaker, and I—his actual wife—was apparently just a bystander in my own marriage. I remained silent, unable to find the words to express how betrayed I felt. Seeing me hesitate, Ryan’s tone grew sharper, more aggressive. “You know her husband just died!” he snapped. “And you still want to throw her onto the streets? When did you become so cruel, Emily? When did you turn into such a heartless, selfish woman?” I lifted my head to meet his gaze, expecting to see regret or even shame in his eyes. But there was none. Instead, he looked at me with anger and disgust, as if I were the one in the wrong. In that moment, something inside me broke. I felt nothing but emptiness. “Fine,” I said quietly, my voice void of emotion. “She can stay as long as she wants.” Ryan blinked, caught off guard by my sudden change in tone. Then, a triumphant smirk spread across his face. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?” he said, his voice dripping with condescension. “If you’d just been reasonable from the start, we wouldn’t have had to argue. Now come help Michelle bring in her bags.” I shook my head and looked him dead in the eye. “Congratulations, Ryan. I hope you and Michelle have a long and happy life together. I’ll be heading back to my parents’ house for now.” His smile disappeared in an instant. He stepped forward, blocking my path, his face dark with anger. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he demanded. “It means,” I said evenly, “that I’m done. With you. With this marriage. With all of it.” I reached for my four-year-old daughter’s hand and started toward the stairs, but before I could make it, Ryan’s mother stormed into the room, her face twisted with fury. “You’re not taking my granddaughter anywhere!” she shrieked. “What will people say if you walk out on my son? Do you want to ruin his reputation? You’ll stay right here where you belong!” I let out a bitter laugh, meeting her glare with one of my own. “Oh, I see,” I said sarcastically. “You want me to stay so I can play maid to your son’s mistress? How thoughtful of you.”

Ryan’s mom stared at me with utter disdain, her voice dripping with mockery. “Who are you calling a mistress? Watch your mouth! If we’re going by who came first, you’re the other woman!” She crossed her arms smugly and continued, “Look at all those casino tycoons with four or five wives. My son’s rich now—what’s so wrong with him taking care of another woman? Michelle’s prettier and better suited to represent the family in public anyway. Why don’t you just stay home, do the chores, and serve us?” Her audacity left me speechless for a moment, then I laughed. “All this over $5 million? You’re comparing yourselves to billionaires? What are you even bringing to the table—your half-baked ideas and your underdeveloped brain?” I laughed louder than I should have, but I didn’t care. “Ah, yes, you’re ugly, but at least you’ve got delusions of grandeur!” That was all it took for Ryan’s mom to lose it. She jabbed her finger in my face, her voice shrill and furious. “How dare you talk to me like that? No manners at all! You’ve been in this new house for weeks, and you still don’t know how to cook! You have no respect for the family. My son must have been cursed in his past life to end up with someone like you!” Ryan, of course, silently took her side, stepping closer to her with a cold glare aimed at me. Like mother, like son. The same rotten attitude. I crossed my arms, my gaze icy as I stood my ground. “Didn’t your new bride promise to handle all the housework? Let her do it!” Michelle must have overheard me, because she immediately appeared in the doorway, tears welling up in her eyes. She let out a pitiful sob and bolted for the kitchen, as if I’d just shattered her fragile world. Seeing this, Ryan instantly panicked. “Can’t you all just stop? I only let Michelle stay here temporarily to help her out! Emily, why do you have to act so jealous and petty? You’re the one I married, and we even have a child together! Do you really think I’d ever go back to her?” He paused, then added with a sneer, “If I couldn’t let her go, do you really think you’d be the one having my kid?” His words hit me like a slap in the face. My chest tightened, and I had to fight the sting of tears. “Fine,” I said, my voice trembling but firm. “Let her settle in as much as she wants. I’m leaving.” Ryan’s mom’s face twisted with fury. “You ungrateful brat! Michelle just moved in yesterday, and her son’s already calling me grandma. She even massaged my legs and shoulders to show her respect. And look at your daughter—what a mute little thing! She can’t even speak properly!” Her words nearly pushed me over the edge. My daughter was not mute. When she was little, Ryan’s mom had taken her out shopping and lost her. I searched for an entire day and night before finally finding her curled up, unconscious, in a filthy dumpster. The police later reviewed the security footage and discovered that my daughter had cleverly hidden there to escape a trafficker who had been trying to snatch her. The trauma left her unable to speak for months. Ryan’s mom had been wracked with guilt back then, spoiling my daughter endlessly to make up for what had happened. She even tore into the neighbor’s kid once for making a silly face at her. But now? Now she was willing to turn on us the moment some “new grandson” came along. I looked at Ryan and his mother, both radiating open disdain for me, and I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Sure, sure,” I said. “Anyone who wants to play the doting grandparent or obedient child can go ahead. It’s got nothing to do with me.” Ryan, sensing that I was softening, tried a different approach. His voice dropped, sounding almost reasonable now. “Emily, think about this. If you take our daughter and go back to your parents’ house, people are going to start talking. They’ll say I’m abusive or cheating on you. Is that what you want? For your husband’s reputation to be ruined? Does that make you happy?” I stared at him, a cold smile curling at the edges of my lips. “Cheating? Ryan, weren’t you already doing that? Why pretend otherwise?” But I didn’t say it out loud. I knew his game too well. Every time I called Michelle what she really was—a mistress—Ryan and his mother would suddenly act like paragons of virtue, scolding me for being “petty” and “unreasonable.” Ryan sighed, pulling out his phone. A moment later, he transferred $10,000 into my account, his tone softening as he handed me his “apology.” “I shouldn’t have said those things earlier,” he said. “I got carried away. But isn’t this what you wanted? Some extra spending money? There, you’ve got it now. Be satisfied and don’t push your luck.” He frowned and added, “And tone down your jealousy, Emily. Next time, I won’t be so forgiving.” Ah, the classic Ryan move: insult me, then throw some money at me and expect everything to be fine. This was how he dealt with every argument—cut me down, then act like the bigger person once he’d tossed me a small bribe. For years, I let it slide. I told myself it wasn’t worth fighting over. But after we got married and had a child, his behavior only got worse, his disrespect more blatant. Now? Now I realized I should’ve stood my ground the first time he crossed the line. Because people like Ryan don’t change—they just keep testing how much you’re willing to tolerate. And I was finally done tolerating him.

Ignoring Ryan completely, I picked up my daughter and headed downstairs. But as I reached the door, Michelle appeared out of nowhere, blocking my path. She had somehow changed into a maid costume—yes, a literal maid costume—that hugged her curves in all the right places. She stood in front of me with a broom in hand, a smug look on her face as if she owned the house. The floor around her? Spotless. Naturally, Ryan’s mom was beyond impressed. She clapped her hands and beamed. “Now this is what a real woman looks like! Michelle is not only beautiful but hardworking too. Not like some people who don’t even know how to use a mop!” Michelle gave Ryan a shy, flirtatious smile and said softly, “Oh, I just have a little thing about cleanliness. I like to keep the house spotless, especially since I want the people I care about to feel happy and comfortable here.” I stared at her, completely unbothered, and shoved her to the side. “Move.” Because honestly, some people kneel so much, they forget how to stand up. Ryan’s mom’s face twisted with anger, her disapproval written all over her. “Emily! Look at Michelle—she’s been cleaning all morning, sweating her heart out to make your house look nice. You should be thanking her for helping you, not insulting her. Honestly, you’re a disgrace to women everywhere!” I snorted, unable to hold back a laugh. “Thank her? For what? She’s been living here rent-free, eating food she didn’t pay for, and now she wants a gold medal for sweeping the floor? Are you out of your mind, or do you just think I’ve lost mine?” The words were barely out of my mouth when Michelle’s big crocodile tears started to fall. “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” she whimpered, her voice trembling as she looked at Ryan with watery eyes. “Ryan, maybe I should just leave. I don’t want to ruin your marriage or make your wife misunderstand me.” Ryan’s face immediately darkened, his anger bubbling to the surface. “That’s enough, Emily!” he roared. I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they might get stuck. “Enough? Are you kidding me? I didn’t invite her here to clean or play house! If she wants to leave, she knows where the door is!” Suddenly, Ryan’s father stormed into the room, snatched the broom out of Michelle’s hands, and threw it to the ground. “Enough with the yelling!” he bellowed. The room fell into an awkward silence, but the tension was suffocating. Michelle, Ryan, and Ryan’s mom stood in a neat little line, their expressions united in their disdain for me, the outsider. Funny, wasn’t it? From the moment Michelle showed up, Ryan’s mom had been throwing snide remarks my way. Ryan had been shouting at me as if I was the problem. And now that I raised my voice for once, that’s when my father-in-law decided to step in and play referee. When we got married, I didn’t ask for a dowry. I even brought a car and a house as part of my dowry. Back then, Ryan’s parents promised me that if their son ever mistreated me, they’d make sure to keep him in line. They told me to treat their home as my own, to do whatever made me happy. But looking at them now, their loyalty was clear. This wasn’t my family—it was theirs. I might as well have been a stranger in their perfect little picture. I let out a bitter laugh and turned to leave, intending to drop my daughter off somewhere safe before dealing with this circus. But before I could take another step, Michelle suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me, blocking my path once again. “Please, Emily,” she begged, her voice trembling. “Don’t blame Ryan or his mom. This is all my fault. If I wasn’t so desperate, I never would’ve come here. I’ll leave right now. I’ll take my son and sleep under a bridge if I have to. I don’t want to be the reason your family is falling apart.” Her words might have sounded self-sacrificing, but her body betrayed her. Instead of leaving, she stumbled to her feet and leaned into Ryan, practically collapsing into his arms. Ryan didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly as if she were the most fragile thing in the world. “Emily,” he said, his voice dripping with disappointment, “I can’t believe you. Michelle and her son are only staying here temporarily. How can you, as a mother yourself, be so heartless? Do you really want to throw them out onto the streets? If you’re angry, take it out on me, not on a single mom who’s already been through so much!” Michelle, now nestled comfortably in Ryan’s embrace, tilted her head ever so slightly, just enough to give me a smug, triumphant smile. Ryan’s father chimed in, his tone exasperated. “All this arguing is ridiculous! It’s the first day in the new house, and you’re already making a scene. You’re going to scare away the good fortune!” I looked at the three of them—Michelle, Ryan, and my in-laws—all standing together like a united front. And I couldn’t help but wonder: if I hadn’t scratched off that $5 million lottery ticket, if I hadn’t brought this money into their lives, would they still have the nerve to act so smug, so self-satisfied? Would they still stand there, so confident and secure, as if the world owed them everything?

I gave my father-in-law my sweetest, most obedient smile and nodded. “You’re absolutely right, Dad. I don’t want to argue in front of the kids. But since there’s already a new ‘wife’ in the house, I think I’ll take my daughter and spend a few days with my family.” Michelle’s eyes lit up with satisfaction, though she quickly replaced her smug expression with a faux-concerned look. “Emily, you can’t leave! If you go, how will I ever manage to take care of Ryan all by myself?” Ryan frowned, clearly annoyed with me. “What kind of game are you playing now? Don’t you hear your kid’s stomach growling? Go make dinner instead of running off and trying to piss me off!” I rolled my eyes, picked up my daughter, and walked straight to the new car I had just bought. As I opened the door, Michelle turned to Ryan, feigning helplessness. “Ryan, what if she doesn’t come back? Emily loves you so much—how are you just letting her leave like this?” Ryan let out a cold laugh, brushing off her dramatics. “Don’t worry. She’ll come crawling back in less than three days. She’s got nowhere else to go, especially after cutting ties with her family for me.” I couldn’t help but scoff inwardly at how ridiculous he sounded. This was the same man who used to stay by my bedside for hours when I had the flu, worried sick about me. Now? He knew full well I might not even have a place to go, and yet he was standing here, willing to let me walk out the door just so he could keep his ex-girlfriend in the house. This wasn’t love. It was a test—a blatant, shameless test of how much humiliation I’d take before I finally broke. If I stayed, it wouldn’t stop here. Someday, they’d expect me to take care of the mistress, her child, and maybe even the baby she’d eventually have with Ryan. No thanks. When it comes to toxic men, the only solution is to run. I got my daughter settled in the passenger seat, grabbed my suitcase, and started loading it into the trunk. Michelle, of course, couldn’t resist one last jab as she stood in the doorway, pretending to care. “Emily, don’t take this too far. Just apologize to Ryan, and everything will go back to normal. Why embarrass yourself by running back to your parents?” Ryan stood next to her, arms crossed, looking smug. “Emily, think this through. If you grab that suitcase and leave now, you might not even be able to get into your parents’ house. You and the kid might end up wandering the streets. Don’t come crying to me when that happens.” I ignored both of them, not wasting a single word on their nonsense. Michelle, seeing my determined expression, smirked to herself and turned to go back inside, clearly pleased with how things were unfolding. I finished packing, climbed into the driver’s seat, and started the car. But just as I was about to pull out of the driveway, Ryan stepped in front of my car, slamming his hand on the window. His face was dark, his voice low and threatening. “Emily, if you leave now, don’t say I didn’t warn you. You’ll regret this.” I let out a cold laugh, slammed the door shut, and drove off, finally leaving him in my rearview mirror. A second later, I heard his phone buzz. Ryan glanced down at the screen, and his expression changed instantly. His eyes widened in panic as he ran toward my car, pounding on the window. “Emily! Wait! Where’s the lottery money? Which account did you transfer it to?”

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I grew up with Nora Shaw in an orphanage. We met, became friends, fell in love, and got married. Shortly after she gave birth to our child, her biological parents found her, and she became the only daughter of the Sanders family. Our son received an elite education from a young age and took on the Sanders surname. Years later, when I handed Nora the divorce papers, She seemed impatient and asked why. I calmly replied: “Because last night, the dinner I made got cold.” Nora Shaw and I grew up together in an orphanage. We met, became friends, fell in love, and got married. Shortly after she gave birth to our son, her biological parents found her. She became the only daughter of the Sanders family. Our son received an elite education from a young age and took on the Sanders surname. Years later, when I handed Nora the divorce papers, she seemed impatient and asked why. I replied calmly, “Because last night, the dinner I made got cold.” “You want to leave with nothing?” Nora asked, her eyes not leaving her phone screen. Her company was about to go public. I used to be proud of her changes, but now all that’s left is a shattered dream. “I’m giving up custody of Zach Sanders,” I said. “Before we got married, I only had that small apartment. That’s all I want to keep.” Mentioning our former cramped living space made Nora’s expression soften slightly. “Are you still upset about Luke Parker driving me home yesterday? He’s just a business associate.” Yeah, a “friend” who knows you’re married but still pursues you relentlessly. I didn’t respond, just looked at Nora. It had been a long time since I had the chance to really look at her. Nora was impeccably dressed, with pink diamond earrings worth several months of our old expenses. In just a few years, everything had changed. Seeing me shake my head, she asked impatiently why I wanted a divorce. I replied calmly, “Because last night, the dinner I made got cold.” Before Nora was found by the Sanders family, I was a full-time novelist, and my only hobby was cooking. Nora studied finance and had a low starting salary. She worked hard and often skipped meals. I would pack food for her every day and bring it to her. She always said it was the best food she’d ever eaten. After Nora was found by the Sanders family, she insisted on keeping her surname and refused to divorce me. I continued to prepare three meals a day for her, just like before. The first year, she told me she wanted to eat my cooking for the rest of her life. But after a few years, she came home drunk, brought back by a suitor. I took her from the man’s shoulder and urged her to eat something to settle her stomach. Looking at the food I had prepared, she said with disgust, “We have professional chefs at home. You don’t need to do this every day.” “Why don’t you go work at the company like I asked? Are you always this idle?” I didn’t like business and didn’t want to get involved with the Sanders family’s enterprises. Zach was very attached to her and only came down to eat when he heard her voice. I handed him the food, but he shook his head. I asked why he wouldn’t eat. Nora thought my tone was too harsh: “He likes gourmet food, not ordinary dishes. What’s the problem?” Feeling emboldened by his mother’s support, Zach pushed the bowl hard. The porcelain bowl shattered, and the hot soup scalded my arm. Nora hugged the child and comforted him softly. Then she turned to me and said, “Just have the maid clean it up. I’m tired.” Looking at Nora’s confused expression, I didn’t bother to explain further. In her eyes, only the flow of millions of dollars in capital mattered now. As for Zach, he couldn’t care less about this situation. He had been exposed to elite education from a young age and had dreamed more than once of having a more impressive father. A man who could dominate the business world, not someone who liked to cook in the kitchen. In the daylight, Nora finally noticed the burn on my arm. She called Zach over: “Dad got hurt last night. Go comfort him.” Zach was eloquent in various speech competitions, but he always disdained to speak in front of me. I never had a father, so I thought that investing enough care would earn my child’s love. But the fact proved that I didn’t have this gift. Zach just looked at me coldly. Apart from the few times he called me “Dad” when he was learning to talk, I never heard him call for me again. “You don’t deserve to be my dad,” he said. Nora lightly tapped Zach’s nose as a form of punishment. “The old apartment is too run-down. It’ll take some time to process the paperwork, so you can still stay here for now,” she said. “Don’t you love the cookware set I gave you? It would be a shame to take it with you.” I had packed my things last night, just one suitcase. “That cookware set can be thrown away if no one uses it,” I replied. Suddenly, I found it amusing. The Sanders family had people specially preparing and delivering meals. If it weren’t for me, this residence wouldn’t even need to consider a kitchen, let alone have an expensive set of cookware. “Are you going back to the old apartment?” Nora asked. “I can have Uncle Wang drive you.” I declined, looking at the mother and son with a smile: “You two are allergic to many things. Remember to have the family doctor check and inform the chefs.” With that, I turned and left, not looking back at the two people I once loved most in this world. I didn’t go straight back to the old apartment. Instead, I went to the orphanage, the place that raised me. Nora and I had talked about coming here together. But the Sanders family probably thought it wasn’t glamorous enough, and the plan was postponed again and again. Over the years, I had been donating part of my writing income to the orphanage. As soon as I entered, the director recognized me. She didn’t know about my divorce from Nora yet, and she reminisced about when we were kids. Nora and I grew up here. She was a year younger than me, and we were both small back then. The director suddenly pointed to the kitchen, saying I used to watch the cook intently, wanting to cook for myself. Nora didn’t like rosemary, and the orphanage’s conditions didn’t allow children to be picky. But later, whenever I cooked, I would secretly leave out the rosemary. The director’s sudden reminiscence sparked my interest, and I took on the task of being the chef for lunch that day. I lit the fire, chopped vegetables, and made soup. Several children gathered around me, chattering: “A brother who can cook is so cool!” “It smells so good! I want to be a chef when I grow up! Give me ten stars, all of you!” Amidst these praises, I remembered the first time I met Nora’s parents. Nora was even more nervous than I was. When they heard that my profession was writing and my hobby was cooking, if it weren’t for their inherent wealthy manners and the guilt of owing their daughter so much, they would have practically written “please leave” on their faces. Mr. Sanders only said, “What use is it for a man to cook?” Word spread quickly in their circle, and suddenly Nora had many more relatives and friends. Every one who came to visit would tease Nora when they saw me cooking: “Your husband is quite rare, he can actually cook.” Luke Parker also frowned and expressed concern: “Nora, doesn’t your husband smell like food? Can you sleep well at night?” After hearing these jokes too many times, Nora couldn’t keep face anymore. But she still cared about my feelings and only told me gently: “When friends come over in the future, let the staff cook.” “The Sanders family can afford to hire chefs.” Zach was also influenced by this: “My dad isn’t just some smelly cook who only knows how to make food.” “You’re so embarrassing. My dad should be a great hero.” I stayed at the orphanage for a few days before returning to my old apartment. Suppressing the memories that seemed to be everywhere, I started clearing things out. When Nora was found by her birth family, the Sanders told us not to bring anything, as they had everything the child would need. All the furnishings in the old house were frozen in time from that day. I thought I had won the lottery, but it turned out to be the moment I woke up from a beautiful dream. After clearing out everything related to Nora, I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until noon. I found over a dozen missed calls on my phone, all from Nora. As I was checking my phone, an unknown number called: “Hello, is this Zach Sanders’ father?” “I’m Zach’s homeroom teacher. The child refuses to eat lunch in the cafeteria, saying his father usually packs lunch for him.” The voice paused, then politely asked again: “Did you forget it’s the first day of school?” I frowned, not understanding what Zach was up to. Zach attended the best elementary school in the country, where the cafeteria not only focused on taste but also on nutritional balance. Moreover, the few times I had packed lunch for him, he had brought it back untouched. “Hello, teacher. He doesn’t need my packed lunches. From now on, it should be the family chef taking care of his meals,” I said calmly. I added, “I’m no longer Zach Sanders’ father. For his matters, you can contact his mother directly. There’s no need to bother me anymore.” Perhaps the teacher had me on speakerphone, and Zach was standing right beside her, hearing everything clearly. I heard a sudden exclamation from the other end: “Zach, don’t run!” The teacher quickly apologized to me before hanging up. I thought back to my childhood, wondering if I ever had such an unpredictable adolescence. But Zach’s emotions had always been quite stable, actually. His grandparents didn’t want him to stay with me, so they would take him back every summer vacation. Zach’s attitude towards me grew colder and colder. At first, he would still ask me: “Why do you always do the servants’ work?” “Don’t you feel like you’re wasting your time and value?” “Why can other uncles fly planes, but you only know how to cook at home?” Later, he refused to communicate with me at all. I only learned about his school tasks through the parent group chat. He didn’t care about this at all, and the Sanders elders were happy to see Zach distancing himself from me. I hung up the phone and went shopping at the mall. As I was carefully comparing products, Nora called: “What did you say to Zach? He refuses to eat.” “Can you come back? The child still needs you.” I heard a deep male voice in the background: “Let’s take Zach to my newly opened French restaurant.” Nora seemed to move away from him, and when no one was around, she continued: “That was a business partner. Do you know where my allergy medicine is? The chef didn’t know I’m allergic to carrots.” I heard a hint of grievance in her voice and frowned helplessly: “Nora, if you can’t find something, just order it online or have the staff buy it. It’ll be faster than waiting for my call.” “I told you to have a doctor test you and Zach for allergies to avoid situations like this.” Nora was silent for a moment: “Can you send your recipes to the chef? Great-grandpa really misses your cooking.” “What about Zach’s family assignments? Are you not going to handle them anymore? I’m usually busy at the company.” At the mention of Great-grandpa, my heart immediately softened. He was the only elder in the Sanders family who truly supported me and really liked my cooking. But I didn’t want to get more entangled with the Sanders family: “You can find common home-style recipes online easily.” “Nora, the child never acknowledged me as his father, and you know that very well.” “I need to start my own new life. Don’t bother me anymore, all of you. Take care.”

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My parents got divorced. The court granted my custody to my mom, but I stayed with my dad for the sake of my education. The big house we’re living in now was transferred to my name after my parents reached an agreement. After my dad remarried, my stepmom moved in with her daughter. The little brat started causing trouble and even asked my dad to arrange for her to be in the same class as me, under the pretext of taking care of her. After a fight with my stepmom and her daughter, I changed the password on the smart lock, set the central air conditioning to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, and then went to my grandparents’ house in the countryside with all the remote controls for the household appliances. With the summer heat in River City reaching nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit, they were stuck with the heating on. When they called me, I was sitting in my grandpa’s recliner, munching on ice-cold watermelon. After my dad remarried, my stepmom Lily moved in with her daughter Zoe. We didn’t get along at all. I had always been the apple of my family’s eye, and everything at home revolved around me. But ever since Zoe came to our house, she wanted a share of everything I had, even trying to claim my things as her own. I heard that Zoe’s biological father was a gambling addict who sold everything valuable in their house. He even almost pawned his wife and child to loan sharks. So, she was incredibly envious of how my family doted on me. On her first day at our house, when she saw my bedroom – the largest in the house with the best view, and even its own bathroom and walk-in closet – she clung to my dad with a pitiful look and said, “Dad Jack, I’m so envious of Ava. She gets to live in such a big room. I’ve never had my own room my entire life.” My dad patted her shoulder sympathetically and then turned to me, saying, “Ava, why don’t you let your sister have your room? She’s never lived in such a big house before.” I scoffed, “Is it my fault she’s never lived in a big house? Why should I give up my room for her? Just because she calls you ‘Dad Jack’ doesn’t mean you’re her real father. Why don’t you two get a DNA test? Maybe she really is your biological daughter!” Before my dad could respond, I turned to Zoe and said, “Let me tell you something. This house was bought by my dad and my mom together. Now it’s in my name. It’s already generous of me to let you and your mom live here. If you’re not happy with it, you can leave. Don’t be so picky.” Seeing the tense atmosphere, Lily quickly came over to smooth things over. She laughed awkwardly and said, “No, no, we don’t need to take your room. The guest room is fine too. It’s much bigger than our old place.” Zoe wiped away non-existent tears and nodded, following Lily to the guest room. My parents met in college. My grandparents on my mom’s side were university professors, so naturally, my mom was very accomplished. My dad came from a poor background but studied very hard, so my grandparents approved of their relationship when my parents got together. It wasn’t until after they got married that my mom realized my dad was weak-willed and indecisive, and a total mama’s boy. My mom had received higher education in the city, while my paternal grandmother was uneducated and very traditional, always trying to change my mom’s ways. So, their relationship as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was always tense. My dad always sided with his mother, expecting my mom to give in to grandma in everything. That’s why my mom chose to divorce him. It wasn’t until I was in 11th grade that my dad married Zoe’s mom, and Zoe moved into our house. After the divorce, my mom went abroad to develop her career. My maternal grandparents had always loved rural life, so they returned to their countryside home after retirement. Although I was legally under my mom’s custody, I still lived with my dad for the convenience of schooling. “Ava, Zoe is your sister. You shouldn’t be so harsh to her,” my dad came to lecture me after they went back to their room. I flipped through the book in my hand, not even bothering to look up. “Mom only had me. I don’t have any sister.” Knowing my temperament, my dad could only shake his head helplessly and then said, “Zoe has transferred to your school and should be in your class. You can take care of her a bit, right?” “She’s in my school? Who’s paying for her tuition? You or her dad?” I asked. The high school I attended was a private school with excellent teaching quality and a nice environment, so the tuition wasn’t cheap. Zoe’s dad owed a ton of debt and definitely couldn’t afford the tuition, and as for her mom, she didn’t seem to have a job at the moment. “Your Aunt Lily has found a job and starts tomorrow, so she’ll pay for Zoe’s tuition. I’ll only cover her daily expenses. After all, we’re married now, and it doesn’t feel right to be too calculative about these small matters. Dad hopes you can understand,” my dad replied. I nodded, indicating that I was fine with it. “But my allowance needs to increase.” My dad fondly patted my head and said, “No problem.” Just when I was relieved that this new sister, though a bit annoying at first, seemed okay after a few days of living together, she started causing trouble. Although my mom worked abroad, she still sent me gifts every month, mostly jewelry and clothes. I kept them all carefully in my room. Every time I opened a package, Zoe would come over to look. I had reminded her not to enter my room without permission, and she had obediently agreed. Until one summer day, I accidentally discovered a selfie in her social media posts. She was wearing a dress from a niche luxury brand. It happened to be exactly the same as the birthday gift my mom had sent me last year. When I got home and opened my closet, the dress was indeed missing. During dinner that evening, I pretended to casually mention that I had seen her photo and asked Zoe, “Your dress is very pretty. When did you buy it?” A flash of panic crossed her face as she stammered, “Just… just a while ago. I bought it randomly while shopping.” “Isn’t that dress quite expensive? Since when did you have so much money?” I continued to ask. Unexpectedly, Zoe suddenly got angry and slammed the table. “Why do you keep asking? Can’t I buy clothes? Are you jealous that I have nice things?” “I’m just asking because I just lost a dress exactly like yours,” I explained. “You lost something and you’re questioning me? I’ve never been in your room!” she shouted self-righteously. I nodded, “If you’ve never been in my room, then there must be a thief in the house. The price of the dress I lost is enough to file a police report.” I said as I took out my phone, preparing to call the police. “Why are you calling the police? I… I thought the dress looked nice, so I wanted to borrow it,” Zoe tried to grab my phone but I dodged her. “Borrow? Did you ask me? Did I agree? Taking without asking is stealing!” I retorted. “You’re being too harsh! I just wore it once! I was going to return it to you!” Zoe yelled at me. “Where’s the dress? Give it back to me!” I extended my hand towards her. She reluctantly took out a crumpled dress from her backpack and handed it to me. The brand new dress now had a large tear in it. “I… I accidentally damaged it,” she said, her voice filled with guilt. “I had never worn this dress. It cost $1,280. Pay up,” I said, putting the dress back in her hands. “How can it be over a thousand dollars? Just say you want to extort money from me!” Zoe jumped up angrily when she heard the price. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. I went back to my room and found the receipt, then handed it to her. To my surprise, she snatched the receipt and tore it into pieces, then threw it along with the dress into the trash can. She said smugly, “Now there’s no receipt, and your dress is just garbage. I won’t pay for it.” The birthday gift from my mom that I hadn’t even worn myself, she ruined it and called it garbage. Filled with rage, I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face. Zoe was stunned for a few seconds before she started fighting back. Just then, Lily came home from work and saw us wrestling on the floor. She rushed over to pull us apart. On the surface, she was breaking up the fight, but she was actually pinching my soft waist several times. So I simply started fighting both of them indiscriminately. Seeing that I was attacking without discrimination, Lily also began to pull my hair. While fighting, she cursed, “You little bitch, your dad is on a business trip, and no one can protect you now. You’ve been so arrogant towards us. If I don’t beat you to death today, I’m not Lily!” I couldn’t fight both of them alone. Seizing the opportunity, I bit down hard on Lily’s thigh. She screamed, pounding on me to make me let go, but the more she and Zoe hit me, the harder I bit down, until my mouth was filled with the taste of blood. Only when Lily and Zoe let go did I release my bite, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth. While they went to the hospital to get bandaged, I quickly went back to my room to pack my luggage. The next day, I woke up early. While Lily and her daughter were still asleep, I set the central air conditioning temperature to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and packed all the remote controls and keys into my suitcase. Before leaving, I changed the password on the smart lock and locked the door. The smart lock couldn’t be opened from the inside without the password. With the summer heat in River City reaching nearly 104 degrees Fahrenheit, you two can enjoy yourselves at home. After doing all this, I dragged my suitcase out, my hair messy and clothes torn from yesterday’s fight with Lily and her daughter. To exit the community, I had to pass through a small park within the complex. At this time, it was when the elderly residents did their morning exercises. We had lived in this community for a long time. My parents were kind people, and I often tutored the neighborhood kids because of my good grades, so many residents knew me. I walked towards the main gate, crying. Soon, I was stopped by someone. “Oh my, isn’t this the little girl from the Ava’s family? What happened to you?” an old lady asked me. I shook my head, wiping my tears without saying a word. I knew this old lady. Her name was Mrs. Johnson, and she lived in apartment 301 of our building. “Where’s your dad? Who bullied you? Tell me, grandma will stand up for you,” Mrs. Johnson said, holding my hand sympathetically. At the mention of my dad, I cried even louder, saying I missed my parents. Hearing the commotion, people nearby gathered around, asking what had happened. Between sobs, I told them about yesterday’s events. During my story, a kind-hearted aunt, knowing I hadn’t eaten, even gave me two sandwiches. I cried while saying I couldn’t stay in that house anymore and was going to find my grandparents. The aunt who gave me the sandwiches was Mrs. Brown, known in our community for being gossipy but kind-hearted. After hearing my story, Mrs. Brown slapped her thigh and said, “I knew that mother and daughter weren’t good people. When they first moved in, they were so unfriendly when I greeted them. I can’t believe they would bully the child like this when her father is away. They really have no conscience!” “That’s right, no stepmother truly cares for her stepchild. Poor Ava,” someone else chimed in. “She’s a mother herself, how could she do such a thing?” another person added. Mrs. Johnson combed my messy hair while speaking, and Mrs. Brown went home to get some iodine to disinfect the scratches on my neck. After Mrs. Brown finished treating my wounds, I stood up and bowed to thank everyone, saying I was going to stay at my grandparents’ house. As I left the community, I could still hear indignant discussions behind me. You’ve messed with the wrong person. The neighbors’ gossip alone will drown you. Just as I got into the car, Lily’s call came through. I hung up and then turned off my phone.

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A week before our wedding, my fiancée Chloe told me she needed to marry her first love Ryan first, before she could marry me. Apparently, Ryan’s mother had passed away, leaving behind a dying wish for them to get married. “Ryan’s mom always hoped he would settle down. I’m just fulfilling an old lady’s last wish, don’t overthink it,” Chloe explained. But our company had already planned to launch the “True Love” jewelry collection on the day of our grand wedding. She impatiently retorted, “It’s just a billion-dollar project. How can that compare to Ryan’s filial piety? If you’re so keen on making that money, go find someone else to marry.” Faced with her cold words, I understood everything clearly. I turned and dialed home. “Sis, can you help set me up with a new bride?” When I got home, my sister-in-law looked shocked. “You’re calling off the wedding?” “No, she’s marrying someone else.” I gave a bitter smile. To be with Chloe, I had fought tooth and nail against my family’s objections to finally get my parents’ approval. We even scheduled the launch of the “True Love” jewelry collection on our wedding day. But now, it was all for nothing. My sister-in-law was stunned for a long while before saying, “Then I guess Stella is the only option. Her family’s been pressuring her to get married, and she’s been looking for a match recently.” I frowned. Stella was my arch-nemesis. On my engagement day, she had even cursed that my marriage would fall apart. Who knew her words would come true. Time was tight, so I could only say, “Alright, it’s her then. Can you ask about her intentions? If not, I’ll have to find another way.” My sister-in-law spoke quickly, “No need to ask, she’ll definitely agree.” “What?” Before I could ask further, a group of people surrounded me. “Are you Chloe’s fiancé? You’re so handsome!” “Are you here to pick up Chloe after work? You two are so sweet together.” I gripped the steering wheel, lowering my eyes to hide the self-mockery in them. Chloe had introduced me to her colleagues and friends early on. In everyone’s eyes, we were the enviable model couple. But who would have thought, she was about to marry someone else. After saying goodbye to everyone, Chloe got in the car and handed me a toy airplane. “Ryan asked me to give this to you. He said you embarrassed him at the funeral yesterday, so you should apologize when you have time.” The airplane was a miniature version, obviously a freebie that came with buying the real product. I had seen it in Chloe’s shopping cart a couple days ago. I said flatly, “I don’t want it.” Chloe frowned, “What are you upset about now? You barged into the funeral saying I wasn’t his fiancée and embarrassed him. He didn’t hold it against you and even thought to bring you a gift. How can you be so ungrateful?” The Chloe who used to protect me was gone. Now she cherished someone else. Chloe irritably opened the window for some air. After a while, seeing that I wasn’t going to comfort her, she finally said, “Fine, today’s a good day to try on wedding dresses. I won’t argue with you.” This was the first time she had backed down this year. When we arrived at the bridal shop, the attendant greeted us: “Miss Chloe, the 120 custom wedding gowns Mr. Li ordered for you are ready.” But Chloe’s attention wasn’t on the dresses. She was looking down at her phone, her expression slightly urgent. Noticing my gaze, she quickly put away her phone, a hint of apology on her face: “William, something came up with Ryan. I need to rush over there right away. Can you help me pick out a dress? I trust your taste.” With that, she hurriedly hailed a taxi and left, leaving me alone. The attendant came over tentatively and asked, “Mr. Li, will you be selecting the dress yourself?” I looked away and nodded. Of course I would choose a dress. But not for Chloe. After all, there was a new bride now. I drove home, thinking Chloe would be gone all night. But she returned before dinner. She strode over to me, holding a takeout box. “I went all over town to buy this for you – dim sum from Hei Rui’s.” I looked at the box of shrimp dumplings. There were three fewer than usual, and one had a bite mark, clearly eaten by someone. Half an hour ago, I had seen Ryan’s social media post. The photo was of the very meal in front of me. “My wife still remembers to buy me late night snacks. Thanks honey, muah!” I put down my chopsticks with a self-deprecating smile, instantly losing my appetite. “I don’t want it. Throw it away.” Chloe looked at me with displeasure, but held back from lashing out. She sat down next to me and complained: “You have no idea how pitiful Ryan was today. My parents went to his place demanding a bride price. He was so upset he cried.” “Ryan just got back to the country and doesn’t have much money. I was thinking of giving him my bride price first.” She shook my arm, as if trying to act cute. I looked at her sarcastically, “So I’m supposed to pay the bride price for your husband?”

In the past, I cared so much for Chloe that I would give her anything she asked for and do anything for her. But now she had woken me up herself. Thinking back, ever since Ryan returned to the country, everything she did was for him. She had forgotten that I was supposed to be the one spending the rest of my life with her. My response angered Chloe: “What do you mean by that? You’re not willing? You’d better understand this – Ryan is my best friend. You’d better make him happy, or I won’t marry you!” With that, she stormed out, slamming the door. Feeling frustrated, I went down to the park for a run. After just one lap, I got a call from Stella. Thinking of Stella’s perpetual icy expression, I hesitated for two seconds before answering. “Once you’re on my ship, you’re my person. Try to run and I’ll break your legs!” Stella’s first words were a direct hit. I stayed silent, and she continued: “Send me your ID card first so we can get the marriage license.” “I’m afraid you’ll change your mind.” Stella, you’re acting strange. In my mind, I had already imagined thousands of ways she could use this marriage to torment me. In the end, I could only squeeze out, “See you at the wedding, Miss Song.” Just as I finished speaking, Chloe suddenly appeared behind me: “You’re inviting Stella to our wedding? I forbid it!” She glared at me as if facing a formidable enemy: “William, didn’t I tell you not to associate with Stella? Her intentions toward you aren’t pure. If you insist on inviting her to our wedding, don’t blame me for getting upset!” Before I could say a word, she had already laid down her ultimatum. Chloe had always disliked Stella, harboring an inexplicable hostility. When we first got together, she even had a jealous outburst because Stella and I often bantered on social media. After that, I gradually cut off contact with Stella. But she actually said… Stella had impure intentions toward me? I was about to ask further when Ryan suddenly stumbled and leaned against Chloe’s neck. “Chloe, you’re pinching me…” Only then did I notice their intertwined fingers as they walked. Chloe coughed awkwardly twice, but made no move to let go of his hand. Ryan gazed at Chloe tenderly, then turned to me with a helpless expression: “Will, I’m sorry. Chloe and I were just practicing the wedding procedure. Please don’t mind.” “I won’t tell anyone about you hitting me or vandalizing my mother’s grave. But please don’t hurt Chloe. True love can’t withstand tests.” I didn’t want to watch this act, so I turned to leave: “Since you’re so eager, I’ll have someone beat you up tonight and dig up your mom’s grave.” Slap! Chloe slapped me hard across the face. “William, how can you be so vicious?!” Her brows were furrowed, her chest heaving. I’m vicious? She believed someone else’s lies so easily, yet five years of our relationship couldn’t earn me even a shred of her trust. Anger suddenly welled up inside me. I wanted to confront Chloe, but Ryan stepped in front of her: “Will, please. As soon as the wedding’s over, I’ll return Chloe to you.” “Have mercy and don’t hurt the people around me, or Chloe.” As he spoke, he was about to kneel before me. Chloe quickly wrapped her arms around his waist to stop him from kneeling, glaring at me furiously. “William, stop playing your rich boy bullying games!” “You know I hate that the most. If you still want to marry me, stop making trouble!” With that, she warned me not to appear before them again until the wedding. But the very next day, Chloe contacted me herself. She started off with a barrage of scolding: “William, you really went and dug up Mrs. Wood’s grave. I can’t believe you’re this kind of person!” Utterly confused, I called my assistant to investigate, only to uncover a shocking truth. Ryan’s mother… wasn’t dead.

No wonder Ryan could be so heartless as to dig up his own mother’s grave to frame me. It turns out her death was all a scam. I texted Chloe: “Ryan’s mother isn’t dead. The truth is in the email I sent you.” Whether she looked at it or not was no longer my concern. My flight was booked for three days later. Stella had made the reservation herself. When Chloe came back, she saw me packing. Half my clothes were thrown out, with a small portion being shipped to South City. “Why are you packing clothes?” Chloe asked, her expression doubtful. I gave a perfunctory reply: “Moving.” She was silent for a moment, not catching on to anything amiss, and continued on her own: “The Li family company is in South City. We’ll be settling there after we get married, so it’s good to pack early.” Then she fixed me with a harsh stare. “Apologize for Ryan’s mother’s incident as soon as possible. Don’t make things difficult for me. How about on our wedding day?” With that, she tossed down her phone and went to look for her ID. Today was the day she and Ryan were getting their marriage license. She didn’t come back until late that night. I opened my phone to find a message from Ryan pop up. It was a dim photo of a beautiful woman. In the picture, Chloe was wearing a maid outfit, looking at the camera. I closed my eyes, my heart still aching despite myself. I forcefully suppressed that feeling and turned off my phone. Late into the night, the phone by my pillow vibrated every hour. Each time it vibrated, it was Ryan sending me provocative videos of him and Chloe. Until early the next morning, when Stella sent me a message. “Mr. Li, the flowers have bloomed. You may slowly return.” The attached photo showed two red booklets. And a pot of vibrant red peonies. I hadn’t expected her to still be caring for the plant I had casually given her years ago. Inexplicably, a strange feeling welled up in my heart. I replied with a single word: “Okay.” I put down my phone to pack up my work files on the computer. I didn’t notice when Chloe had returned. She was packing her daily necessities: “I’m moving in with Ryan for a few days. He’s too busy preparing for the wedding on his own. Remember to show up on time for the wedding in two days. Don’t be late.” After saying that, she went on a long explanation about how she was just going to help out normally, telling me not to make trouble again. “Mm, I won’t go,” I said, keeping my eyes lowered. After last night, the last bit of affection I had for her had completely dissipated. Seeing my calm demeanor, a nameless panic swept over Chloe. She suddenly hesitated. But thinking of Ryan’s cloying acts of affection, she loosened her grip on her phone. William loved her so much, what could possibly go wrong? Thinking this, she breathed a sigh of relief and stopped arguing with me, disappearing from my sight. I watched her retreating figure and made a phone call. That evening, a helicopter landed in the square. A man walked up to me: “Mr. Li, the helicopter you ordered has arrived. It will safely transport you to South City in half an hour.” I nodded, then handed him an envelope. “Deliver this envelope to the wedding venue tomorrow. It’s my wedding gift for the bride and groom.”

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I confirmed Lucas’s betrayal on Christmas Eve. 28-year-old Lucas was dressed as Santa Claus, entertaining a young woman. I returned home in a daze and sat numbly in the living room for hours. When Lucas finally came home, I asked him, “When are we getting married?” He frowned and replied without hesitation, “Didn’t we agree to discuss this after the company is more stable?” I nodded and went to bed. The next morning, I woke up early and packed my things, ready to leave. Later, I sold my company shares to Lucas’s competitor. When I discovered that Santa was actually Lucas, I wasn’t even angry. Even though he had just flirted with a young woman right under my nose and then kissed her. I simply calmly confirmed the fact of his betrayal. Light snow was still falling from the sky, and a thick layer had already accumulated on the ground. In this weather, staying in a warm room with the heater on would have been so comfortable. Unfortunately, I was out running errands for the company. I had just received a message that my business partner couldn’t make it. Which meant that after waiting for three hours, I had been stood up. Perhaps the cold had numbed me, to the point where even seeing Lucas’s betrayal didn’t stir much emotion in me. I moved my nearly numb legs and decided to take a cab home. When I returned to the home Lucas and I shared, the living room was pitch black. I turned on the lights, and it finally brightened up. On the dining table was the loving breakfast I had made for Lucas before leaving this morning, untouched. Next to it was a sticky note with hearts and smiley faces drawn on it. I froze for a moment, unconsciously picking up the note. Lucas had taught me how to draw these simple doodles back when we were still in the honeymoon phase. He had held my hand and shown me how to draw them. It was just a simple sketch, but he had insisted on being close to me while teaching it. Now, it had been five years already. I suddenly realized Lucas and I had been together for five years. It had been such a long time, no wonder he had fallen for someone else. After a moment of silence, I tore up the note in my hand and threw it in the trash along with the untouched breakfast. It had gone cold anyway, no point in keeping it. Might as well throw it out. Sitting on the couch, I didn’t know what to do for a moment. I was tired today and didn’t want to go to the office. In the past, I would have been excitedly making travel plans at a time like this. So that Lucas and I could go on a trip together when he had time. I loved traveling, but Lucas didn’t enjoy it as much. As a result, out of ten times, Lucas was only willing to accompany me once or twice. And even on those occasions, it was mostly because I had landed a big deal for the company. Thinking of this, I gave a self-deprecating smile. I didn’t know when I had become one of those people I used to look down on. Before getting together with Lucas, I would encounter women who mistreated themselves for love. I always found it incomprehensible. Now that I was in the same situation, I could understand a little. It was just craving some warmth after all. Who doesn’t have some unforgettable memories when they’re in love? I don’t know how much time passed before Lucas came home.

“Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Lucas frowned as soon as he saw me. I couldn’t tell if his words were out of concern or accusation. He used to say this in the past too. Back then, he would follow up with another question. “Is something bothering you?” But now, I waited and waited. And never heard those words. Of course, I had just witnessed his betrayal with my own eyes. Why was I still clinging to these things? I didn’t answer him, just looked up and stared at him intently. “Lucas, when are we getting married?” This was the first time I had asked this question directly. But I had said similar things countless times before. Back then, I would ask: “Lucas, when are you going to marry me?” But the result was always a polite refusal. This time was no exception. “Why are you asking about this again?” “Didn’t I tell you before? We’ll talk about these things after the company is more stable.” I wanted to argue – what exactly counted as stable? The company had already gone public, wasn’t that enough? But I didn’t ask. I just nodded and went to bed. I hadn’t really expected him to agree anyway. I was just asking one last time, for the sake of these five years. The bedroom was very cozy, with warm color tones. It allowed my mind to relax a little whenever I was exhausted from work. Lucas and I had chosen it together. There were still many stuffed animals on the bed, remnants of our honeymoon phase. Back then, he would say: “What guy plays with these things?” While shouting loudly to me: “Baby, come quick, this stuffed animal is so cute!” Those sweet memories flashed through my mind, but ultimately froze on the image of Lucas embracing and kissing that young woman today. I paused, then packed up my things and went to the guest room. As expected, Lucas didn’t ask me a single question. I slept until dawn. When I woke up, there was probably still a smile on my face. Because in my dream, I had seen those beautiful memories from the past. In the dream, 23-year-old Lucas was still holding my hand, loudly promising: “We’ll be together forever!” But when I woke up, I had to face the reality of 28-year-old Lucas’s betrayal. The huge gap left me feeling disoriented.

I decided to move out. When I made this decision, I felt a bit sad. Not for any other reason. But because the house was under Lucas’s name. If it had been under my name, I could have asked Lucas to move out now. Instead of having to leave myself. I realized again that Lucas probably stopped loving me long ago. If it was the Lucas from before, he should have put the house under my name when we bought it last year. For men, where the money goes is where the love goes. No exceptions. As I was packing, I ran into a problem. In the short year since moving in, I had already accumulated many items. Things that seemed insignificant in daily life all needed to be taken when moving. I was packing frantically, not even noticing when Lucas woke up. “What are you doing?” Maybe the dream from this morning still had too much of an effect, because hearing his voice made me feel a bit nauseous. I held my chest, patting it lightly. Before I could speak, he spoke first. “You’re not pregnant, are you?” Pregnant? Realizing my period was late this month, my face instantly turned pale. Although Lucas and I always used protection, what if…? Lucas must have noticed something was off, because he immediately took me to the hospital. The whole way there, Lucas seemed to have returned to how he was before. Asking if I was feeling alright, constantly checking if I was uncomfortable. If I didn’t know about his betrayal, I might have been fooled by this facade. This all lasted until we ran into that young woman at the hospital. “Jasmine, why are you here?” Lucas immediately let go of my arm when he saw her. The worried look on his face was something I hadn’t seen in a long time. I looked at the young woman. Before this, I hadn’t planned on confronting her. Because I had thought that maybe she was tricked by Lucas. That she didn’t know Lucas already had a girlfriend. But it wasn’t until I clearly saw her face that I realized. She and I were actually old acquaintances. Jasmine. Jasmine Lin. The junior I had personally mentored. I stood there, watching them fuss over each other in front of me. After a while, Lucas finally brought Jasmine over. “Senior.” Jasmine greeted me sweetly, not showing any sign of guilt. “Jasmine wasn’t feeling well, and she’s never been to a hospital before, so she’s not familiar with the procedures. I’m going to help her out.” “You’re more familiar with hospitals, and it’s probably nothing serious anyway, so why don’t you go first? I’ll come pick you up when I’m done.” Lucas had some nerve, accompanying an employee to see the doctor while leaving his official girlfriend behind. It was truly laughable. But right now I was anxious to confirm whether I was pregnant or not, so I didn’t have the energy to deal with them. If I wasn’t pregnant, that would be fine. But if I really was pregnant, I’d have to suffer through it. Fortunately, my streak of bad luck didn’t continue. It was just an irregular period. I left the hospital, planning to take a cab home by myself. But then I heard Jasmine’s voice.

Jasmine was sitting in Lucas’s passenger seat, waving at me. Her face was radiant with joy, making her look bright and lively. “Senior, come on!” This made it impossible for me to pretend I hadn’t heard. Might as well take the ride. The whole way, Lucas and Jasmine were chatting and laughing. Making me feel like an outsider. I kept quiet, not intending to interrupt their little world. But Jasmine kept trying to provoke me. “Senior, Lucas is so thoughtful and caring, you must be very happy!” “Senior, you have to treat Lucas well, I’m so envious of you!” “Senior…” “That’s enough, be quiet!” I finally couldn’t stand her constant chatter. I just wanted to get home in peace, was that so hard? “Why are you yelling? Jasmine was just saying a few words.” “When did your temper get so bad? Jasmine is still your junior.” I had only raised my voice a little, but Lucas was already defending her. “She’s my junior, why are you speaking for her?” I couldn’t help but snap back at him. “Jasmine is my employee too, what’s wrong with me saying a few words for her?” “Employee?” I found it laughable. “More like your little mistress, right?” As soon as I said that, the car fell silent. After a while, Lucas coughed awkwardly. “What nonsense are you talking about? Jasmine and I are completely innocent.” Seeing his reaction, I turned to Jasmine. “What, you’re with him but he won’t even give you a proper title?” Jasmine stammered, unable to reply. I gave a cold laugh, not saying anything more. Jasmine got out of the car first. On the way back home, Lucas and I didn’t speak. When we got home, I ignored Lucas behind me. I went straight to finish packing the luggage I hadn’t finished this morning. These were gifts Lucas had given me, I didn’t want them anymore. These were things Lucas and I had bought together while shopping, I didn’t want those either. After clearing things out for a long time, I finally realized that most of the items were related to Lucas in some way. I didn’t want any of it. It’s not like I was short on money anyway. I could just buy new things later. I sorted out some things I particularly liked and some essentials I had to take. As I was about to leave, Lucas finally spoke up. Before that, Lucas had just been quietly watching me. He seemed convinced that I was just putting on an act. “Olivia, are you really leaving?” “There’s nothing going on between Jasmine and me, can you stop being so petty?” “I didn’t say anything when you were out drinking with those businessmen all night for work, I just accompanied her to the hospital once.” “Slap!” Lucas’s words made me tremble with anger. I turned around and slapped him. “Nothing going on between you and Jasmine? You’re still trying to fool me, I saw everything yesterday!” After saying that, I took a deep breath. “Forget about your betrayal, what did you mean by what you just said?” “What do you mean I was out drinking with those men until late?” “If I hadn’t worked so hard to land those big deals, would the company be this successful?” “Now that the company has gone public, you’re using this against me? Where were you when I was drinking until I vomited blood?” I couldn’t believe that the person speaking to me so harshly now was the boyfriend I had loved for five years. The person who used to care for me so tenderly. My throat hurt from yelling earlier. “Lucas.” I couldn’t help it, my voice cracked a little. He was the only person I had ever truly loved. “Let’s end this here.” I left without looking back. Two months ago, I had bought myself a house. Without telling anyone.

Maybe I had already sensed something was wrong back then. It’s too easy for a woman to notice when something’s off with her partner. Not coming home at night, unexplained overtime. Suddenly finding cute little decorations at home that weren’t there before. All these little things, I had long suspected something was wrong. But Lucas had hidden it so well, I just couldn’t find any evidence. Wiping away my tears, I moved my things from the car into my new home. I didn’t have the energy to properly unpack everything, so I just rested for now. Things had gotten to this point with Lucas, and I wasn’t short on money anyway. I still had to go to the company tomorrow. Lucas owned 30% of the company shares, while I owned 21%. There was no reason for him to sit in the office every day while I had to run around for business, putting on fake smiles and drinking until I threw up. The next day when I arrived at the company, I noticed everyone looking at me strangely. Before I could ask, my former assistant quietly told me. Lucas had promoted Jasmine to be his personal secretary. The two of them were openly affectionate at the office, no longer caring about others’ opinions. “Olivia… this…” My assistant felt indignant on my behalf, but I shook my head. “Lucas and I have broken up, his business is none of my concern.” I actually have a very gentle personality. In the past, my friends would call me a pushover. Because I seemed to never get angry, not even knowing how to fight back when bullied. After getting together with Lucas, he would always stand up for me when I was wronged. But now, Lucas was the one bullying me. I didn’t know what to do. I decided to resign. There was no point in staying at this company anymore. I arranged all my work and gave instructions. I had shares in the company, so I didn’t need to worry about money. Now I wanted to travel and relax, not be a workhorse anymore. “Senior, what’s wrong?” I heard Jasmine’s voice as I was giving instructions. The smugness in her tone was about to overflow. I couldn’t be bothered to deal with her and continued delegating tasks. “Senior is resigning? Why not stay on? Even though you broke up with Lucas, if I put in a good word, you could still keep working here.” “After all, our company’s benefits are quite good. Most people wouldn’t want to leave. Don’t you agree, senior?” Jasmine sat down at my desk, crossing her legs and playing with her nails. Seeing her arrogant attitude, I couldn’t imagine how this Jasmine was the same person who had begged me for help before. Back then, she had clung to me, constantly calling me “senior”. Later she said she couldn’t find a job. I pulled some strings to get her into the company, and personally mentored her on how to negotiate deals. But Jasmine couldn’t adapt to running around for business. So I arranged a cushy job for her instead. But now that she had hooked up with Lucas, she came to flaunt her power in front of me. I looked down at her and smiled. “You should stop calling me senior. I don’t have any juniors who are homewreckers.”

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On what should have been my wedding day with Caleb Foster, I ended up being a bridesmaid instead. As I walked down the aisle in the wedding dress Caleb had chosen for me, I realized his gaze wasn’t on me. His eyes looked past me, fixed on Mia Lawson behind me. Just as I was about to ruin the wedding, a message appeared before my eyes. [This woman is really something, clinging to this rotten cabbage and not even glancing at our little tyrant.] [Please, I beg you, turn around and look at Liam! He’s ready to end it all thinking you’re getting married!] Startled, I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed a number I hadn’t touched in ages. In my panic, I blurted out, “Liam! Didn’t you say you were going to crash the wedding? Why haven’t you come to get me yet?” Mia’s wedding dress was incomparably more luxurious than mine. As she passed by, she looked at me like I was a stray dog. She clearly thought I had lost my mind. After giving me a once-over from head to toe, she let out a small snort and walked on. Caleb, completely indifferent, held Mia’s hand as they walked towards their marital altar. The spotlight shone on them as their vows echoed in my ears. But at that moment, I couldn’t care less about their wedding. The phone remained silent, and I was getting increasingly anxious. One second, two seconds… Just as I was about to tear off the wedding dress and run out, a deep voice came through the phone. “Okay.” The messages before my eyes suddenly changed: [Ah, I’ll spare your life this time, supporting character. You finally showed some conscience!] [But how did she suddenly become so clever? I thought she was going to remain stupid until the end.] [She must be fake. Rejecting the handsome, rich, and loyal childhood friend, and insisting on clinging to this petty man.] [Hope she can stay smart, otherwise Caleb could play her like a fiddle with just a crook of his finger.] Looking at the messages, I slowly pieced together the plot. Apparently, I was the princess of the Knight family, but I fell in love with the bookish Caleb Foster. However, Caleb saw me as a cash cow, using my money to string me along. Even this wedding was paid for with my money! The plot then goes on with the male and female leads labeling me as the vicious third wheel interfering in their love story, posting about me online and subjecting me to cyberbullying. Then their fans track me down in real life and stab me to death? What kind of melodramatic plot is this? As I thought about this, my anger started to boil. Before I could act, I was pulled into a cold embrace. The man’s arms squeezed me tightly, almost painfully, but he just buried his head in the crook of my neck, as if afraid I would run away again. I looked up and saw Liam, who was also my boss. “How did you get here so quickly?” Hearing my question, the man was visibly taken aback. “Aria, I…” His helpless expression made him look like a child who had done something wrong, softening my heart. I spoke up, “I mean, how did you drive here so fast? Weren’t you just at the beach? I can still smell the sea breeze on you.” The man’s rigid face relaxed a bit when he heard the concern in my voice. At this moment, more messages appeared: [She’s changed today? How come she’s speaking nicely?] [Ah, poor Liam. If this supporting character had spoken nicely earlier, there wouldn’t have been so many misunderstandings between them.] Misunderstandings? I made a mental note to ask Liam about this later. Liam looked at the happy couple on stage, his face troubled. He squeezed my hand and asked, “Aria, do you want me to take you away?” Looking at that despicable couple, I curved my lips and walked towards the stage, holding Liam’s hand. As we walked, I said, “Liam, didn’t you say you wanted to marry me?” The floating messages became increasingly frantic: [What is she going to do? What is she going to do! It can’t be what I’m thinking, right?] Liam was also caught off guard by my actions, but he quickly understood. His large, warm hand actively enveloped mine, leading me onto the stage. On stage, Mia was still listening to Caleb’s heartfelt vows, tears and snot running down her face. I snatched the microphone from his hand and said, “Ahem, sorry to interrupt the newlyweds, but do you mind if we join in?” Mia’s mouth twitched as she said, “Are you okay, Aria? Caleb doesn’t like you and won’t marry you. Can you stop making a fool of yourself?” Caleb sneered, “Aria, you’re still as childish as ever. Don’t think this will make me feel sorry for you.” Seeing him ramble on endlessly, I couldn’t help but interrupt, “Stop, stop, stop. So you’re saying you don’t mind, right?” His face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, but he nodded. Great! I turned to Liam with the microphone and said, “For better or for worse, in sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, do you promise to spend your life with me, never to part?” “I do.” Liam’s voice was hoarse and restrained. I thought that was the end of it, but to my surprise, he pulled out a ring from his pocket and got down on one knee. “Aria, I promise to protect you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?” Although I had dragged him onto the stage, I never expected him to actually have a ring prepared. After saying this, he pushed the ring deep onto my finger and pulled me into his arms for a passionate kiss. At this moment, more messages floated up: [Ahh, although… Liam finally married the person he’s been pining for!] There were also those mocking Caleb: [Haha, Caleb thought he had Aria wrapped around his finger, didn’t expect this, did you!] Seeing their words, I couldn’t help but glance at the people beside us. Caleb’s mouth was twisted with anger. The next second, my tongue stung as I met those bottomless eyes that seemed to want to pull me in. Messages: [Haha, Liam is jealous~] [You’re in for it now, Liam is actually a huge jealous guy!] I ignored those messages because I no longer had the energy! After the kiss, I nestled in Liam’s arms, panting heavily, while watching the despicable couple gnash their teeth. Messages: [Mia’s eyes are about to fall out looking at that huge diamond on Aria’s hand, aren’t they? How about asking your dear Caleb to buy you one~] [Don’t know if you remember, but this is the one Aria casually mentioned she liked once, and Liam actually went abroad to buy it.] Seeing this message, I couldn’t help but look up at the man beside me, and coincidentally, he was looking at me too. He said softly: “Let’s go home.” I nodded, and he was about to carry me away when Caleb stopped us. “Aria! What the hell are you doing? Come back to me now, and I’ll give you one more chance!” Hearing his words, I struggled to get down from Liam. At the same time, I felt the man’s fingertips start to turn cold. Messages also floated incessantly: [Oh no, she can’t be this love-struck, can she??] [Someone save Liam, he’s about to break!] After I stood firm, I took a deep breath and cursed, “Who do you think you are? You think you can summon me at will? Look at yourself, what part of you is worthy of me?” “You didn’t really think I was head over heels for you, did you? Sorry, I have standards!” “Oh, weren’t you two getting married? Why don’t you continue? Consider the venue rented to you, remember to settle the bill later~” After saying this, I jumped onto Liam’s back and whispered in his ear: “Let’s go~” After witnessing my performance, the man laughed softly. I lay on his back, listening to his deep laughter. Looking at his broad shoulders, I couldn’t help but reflect on how brain-dead I must have been to like Caleb before. Thinking about Caleb’s scrawny figure, I couldn’t help but shake my head. In the blink of an eye, Liam had carried me to the villa he bought, right by the sea with a beautiful view. Walking into the villa, I couldn’t help but marvel that every aspect of the decoration and layout was exactly to my liking. The man followed closely behind me, carefully observing my expression. “This place is so beautiful, Liam. I love it!” I said with a big smile. Liam didn’t speak, but his face looked much better. Messages: [If he had a tail, it would be wagging like crazy, haha.] He handed me a cup of hot tea and slowly said, “Aria, I know you don’t like me, and the wedding just now was just an act.” “But this villa is yours. You can come anytime you want. If you don’t like me, I can leave!” His inexplicable panic made his words come out in a jumble, as if he was pouring out all the thoughts in his head at once. Seeing him like this, I felt a bit sorry for him and gently stroked his head. His hair was soft and fluffy, feeling very much like a small animal. The man under my hand calmed down due to my soothing. Just as he was about to continue speaking, we were interrupted by a phone call. I took out my phone and saw it was Caleb. The contact name still read: “Darling Husband”. Messages: [DarlingHusband, can the supporting character survive tonight?] Feeling the gaze of the man beside me, I felt inexplicably guilty. I was about to hang up, but someone pressed the answer button first. “Aria, I’m home. Iron my clothes, I have an interview tomorrow.” “I want to eat tofu tonight, hurry back and prepare it.” Messages: [Want to eat tofu and asking her to prepare it? Who do you think you are, a king?] Hearing him rattle off orders to me, I couldn’t help but ask, “Um? Didn’t you and Mia get married?” He didn’t expect me to bring this up. After all, if it were the old me, I would probably be rushing to him by now. He stammered, “Aria, how could I possibly marry her? You’re the only one in my heart, always have been!” The messages quickly chimed in: [Don’t believe him, supporting character! Mia is in his arms right now!] Hearing his sweet talk, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes and say, “Then why did you marry her at the wedding?” He thought my attitude had softened and immediately said, “I just wanted to make you jealous…” I looked up at Liam, whose face had turned impossibly dark. I was about to speak when suddenly that handsome face came closer and closer. Liam kissed me. But the phone call hadn’t been hung up yet. Messages went crazy: [Oh my god, this is so intense!! As expected of a boss.]

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He sent me a photo of blooming hyacinths: “The flowers have bloomed. Waiting for you to come home.” White hyacinths symbolize unspoken love. My heart soared, thinking my secret crush was finally reciprocated. But then I saw him arm-in-arm with another woman: “Rose, meet your future sister-in-law.” My hopes were crushed. I could only force a smile and offer my congratulations, swallowing the bitterness. Later, on a snowy New Year’s Eve, he showed up with an armful of hyacinths, pleading: “Rose, come home with me? Let’s not be siblings anymore.” My husband raised an eyebrow and smirked: “We should visit home. After all, we should let your brother know we got married.” “Rose, meet your future sister-in-law.” Ivo introduced me to a stranger on his arm. I stared at him in disbelief, my heart clenching painfully. Just a week ago, he had sent me a photo of white hyacinths: “The flowers have bloomed. Waiting for you to come home.” Blooming hyacinths, a secret love revealed. I had rushed home, filled with joy and anticipation. But now he was engaged, about to start a family with someone else. After a long moment, I finally found my voice: “This is so sudden?” “Ivo proposed out of the blue, so we decided to combine it with his birthday celebration,” his fiancée said softly, blushing. The darkness in Ivo’s eyes churned before settling, and he forced a smile: “Yeah, you came back just in time.” Just in time? Not really. For this possible outcome, I had postponed all my work and endured dozens of hours of flights to rush back. Unfortunately, fate never favors me. Just when I think I’ve touched happiness, I’m knocked back to square one. I clutched the gift I had carefully prepared, feeling awkward and disappointed. “Are you Rose? You’re as sweet as Ivo described,” the future sister-in-law greeted me warmly. I managed to return a smile. If only she knew – I wasn’t sweet at all. I coveted my adopted brother, her soon-to-be husband.

Ivo had found me when the Winstons’ daughter went missing. Mrs. Winston fell into depression and chose me as her replacement daughter. They showered all their love on me, giving me a warm home. But that life of pampering was like a bubble floating in the air – seemingly beautiful, but fragile. At sixteen, Natalie returned in a disheveled state. Naturally, she took away all of our parents’ attention. I wasn’t kicked out for losing my value, but became an invisible fixture in the house. I was grateful for the Winstons’ kindness, but inevitably lost my sense of home. The returned Natalie vented all her negative emotions on me. Isolation, insults, and beatings left my skin bruised under my school uniform. I couldn’t tell anyone. I couldn’t be the ungrateful wretch who destroyed the Winstons’ happiness. Only my adopted brother Ivo didn’t neglect me because of Natalie. He would comfort me when I cried at night. He would also make sure to get me the same gifts as Natalie. When bullies cornered me and I hid away, he was the one who found me and said: “Rose, I’ll take you home.” Home. I wanted to have a home with him. In the confused, tender years of sixteen and seventeen, I fell hopelessly in love with him.

“You’re here.” He called out to me, standing tall and graceful, with a backdrop of blooming white hyacinths. I was momentarily dazed. Three years ago, I had gathered the courage to give Ivo a bouquet of white hyacinths. Because they symbolize secret love – the feelings I had for Ivo that I couldn’t express. He was shocked and refused the flowers at first, but just when I thought my crush was hopeless… A few days later, he personally planted white hyacinth bulbs in the garden. He patted my head, his eyes full of tenderness that made me melt: “They should bloom in about three years.” Three years was an ambiguous timeline. I would graduate, and he would take over the family business. It seemed we would have the freedom to choose our future. But now, the flowers had bloomed, and he was getting engaged. I was just his adopted sister, with no right or standing to question anything. But this garden full of blooming hyacinths made me unwilling to give up. I picked a few stems and held them out to him, using all my strength to speak: “Ivo, do you want these?” Do you want my heart? Do you still want to have a home with me? His eyes reddened, and he hesitantly raised his hand. His pale fingertips touched the petals, then paused. My heart was about to leap out of my throat, and my hand holding the flower stems went weak. “I’m sorry.” In the end, he spoke hoarsely, clenching his fist and slowly withdrawing his hand. My elated heart plummeted back into my chest. It took a long while before I could feel my numb limbs again. “It’s okay.” I pulled back the flowers and looked up with a faint smile. It was already good enough. Even without love, he had been the salvation of my troubled youth. One must be content, I told myself silently. His eyes were full of pity as he raised his hand to touch my face, wanting to comfort me as he had countless times before. I stepped back, my tone sincere: “Happy birthday, big brother. Congratulations on your engagement.”

I threw myself into work, actively avoiding everything related to the Winston family. But Natalie wouldn’t leave me alone, always snatching away my resources. Including this supporting role in a movie I was going for. My agent pulled some strings and brought me to a dinner party, hoping to get the contract signed. I don’t drink, so I just sat there silently as a prop. But I could feel several assistant directors eyeing me. “Natalie Winston wants this role too. We can’t afford to offend the Winston family.” I had never revealed my connection to the Winstons publicly. After all, I was just their adopted daughter. Better not cause them any trouble. My agent smiled apologetically as he refilled the glasses: “The role was decided by Director Yates. It’s just the contract…” But one assistant director pushed his glass towards me, his yellowed teeth showing: “The contract can be discussed. But first, a toast.” I looked at my agent’s flushed, alcohol-soaked face, then picked up the glass with a forced smile: “Cheers to you.” The alcohol was unexpectedly harsh and stimulating. It made me choke and tear up. Through my blurry vision, someone walked in. The room suddenly went quiet. The person sat down next to me. A cool, fresh scent wafted over, dispelling the nauseating smell of alcohol. I finally saw him clearly – chiseled features, handsome and cold. It was Jude Yates, the A-list actor turned director whose every film was a box office hit. Why was he here? And frowning, no less. He stared at the glass in my hand and spoke coolly: “You can drink that much?” I wasn’t sure what he meant, so I stayed silent. The assistant director eagerly refilled my glass: “Director Yates is here. Hurry and toast him.” My throat and stomach felt like they were on fire, but I still gritted my teeth to drink. Jude suddenly snatched my glass away. The cold liquid splashed on my face. Before I could react, his warm fingertips gently pressed against the corner of my mouth. My taut nerves snapped. I reflexively slapped his hand away hard. His fair hand immediately turned red. I froze in place. Everyone around gasped. Jude slowly flexed his fingers, then smiled for no apparent reason: “Rose Winston. Very good.”

My agent wailed as he pulled me aside: “How could you mess up so badly? You’ve lost the role for sure.” I didn’t want everyone’s hard work to go to waste because of my impulsive action. So I decided to find Jude and talk to him again. When I reached the private room, the assistant directors were suddenly bowing and apologizing to me before leaving awkwardly. Jude was leaning by the window smoking. He looked weary. Seeing me approach, he put out his cigarette. I bowed and apologized: “I’m sorry.” He turned around and studied me with his arms crossed for a while before speaking coolly: “Rose Winston, why did you come to a dinner party like this?” I fidgeted with my clothes, suddenly feeling lost and helpless. I couldn’t tell others about Natalie’s bullying. If I came to these parties as a Winston daughter, it would seem like I was debasing myself. His gaze seemed to pierce through me. I couldn’t help but tremble: “Because… the contract for this role hasn’t been signed yet.” If it wasn’t signed, it didn’t belong to me. And if it didn’t belong to me, I would lose it. He seemed to chuckle softly. He walked over, his tall figure looming over me. “How did the Winstons raise such a naive daughter? Natalie is much more cunning than you. The roles I decide on never change. They were trying to get something for nothing. No, more like trying to trap a stupid rabbit.” How did he know I was part of the Winston family? I stood frozen, looking at him in confusion: “Who are you?” He lost his smile, his eyes turning serious: “Rose Winston, why do you want to act in this film?” His sudden change of topic caught me off guard. The official answer slipped out: “Because everyone wants to be in your films. They make actors famous.” He smirked mockingly: “Then why should I cast you? Anyone would become famous.” I lowered my head, clutching my hands in embarrassment. He was right – I had never been special. Not in the Winston family, not in acting either. But even if I was ordinary, I still wanted to fight for myself. “Because I love acting. I…” A sudden wave of nausea cut me off. An annoyed “tch” came from across me, startling me again. But then a dark handkerchief was held out in front of me. “Why are you crying? I said the role was decided and wouldn’t change. You’re making it seem like I bullied you.” I looked up at him in surprise. He immediately turned his face away awkwardly. He shoved the handkerchief into my arms and walked past me. “Sign the contract tomorrow, crybaby.”

Jude was a strange person, but he was highly efficient. The contract was sent to the company quickly. Unexpectedly, Ivo, Natalie, and Jude were all there. Ivo placed a contract on the table, smiling gently: “Rose, Natalie wants to trade a luxury brand endorsement for Jude’s movie role.” He nodded to Jude: “Director Yates said to ask you first.” Jude sat with his long legs crossed, resting his chin on his hand as he studied me with interest. I didn’t understand why Jude would personally deliver the contract for a supporting role. I understood even less why Natalie would trade a luxury endorsement for a supporting role. She had never let me have anything good. “This endorsement would take your commercial value and fame to the next level,” Ivo said softly, handing me the pen. I chose to enter the entertainment industry to stand in the spotlight, hoping my birth parents would see me. Ivo knew this, and was now offering me the best choice. I should have no reason to refuse, but my heart felt heavy and stifled. I just couldn’t bring myself to sign. Suddenly, Natalie leaned in close. I instantly felt chills down my spine. She whined sweetly: “Sis, just give me that role, okay?” I had tasted the consequences of refusing her before. All the scars on my body seemed to ache faintly. I trembled, almost uncontrollably, instinctively following her wishes and picking up the pen. Agree with her, or it will hurt. “Thank y-” Suddenly, my shaking arm was gripped. Jude’s voice came from above: “Rose Winston, why are you shaking? What are you afraid of?” His tone was still cool and indifferent, but it instantly pulled me out of my painful memories. He looked down at me, pressing the film contract under my pen: “You said you love acting. As it happens, I never change my cast. Sign it.” Driven by his gaze, I clumsily signed my name. It wasn’t until Natalie glared at me viciously that I realized I had actually defied her. But it seemed… not so terrible after all. I was no longer the 17-year-old Rose.

Soon, filming for “The Woman in the Mist” began. My supporting role was a nightclub girl, the one who led the female lead down a path of degradation. The first scene was teaching the female lead about nightclub life, meant to crush her self-esteem. “Don’t act like some chaste virgin here. Make the most of your youth while you can.” I smiled and put my arm around the male supporting actor’s shoulder. He started to open my clothes. I froze, a chill running down my spine. After several NGs, the assistant director, angry but afraid to speak up, went to get Jude. I braced myself for a scolding, but Jude just watched the playback silently, then studied me intently. I shrank back, my voice hoarse: “It’s because I…” The makeup artist exclaimed softly: “Ms. Winston, what happened to your back…” Her voice was cut off by Jude’s actions. He pulled down the back of my clothes. I closed my eyes in shame. Jude would see the large patches of old, messy scars on my back. If I sweated, the smeared concealer would stick to my skin and undershirt like mud. Ugly. Hideous. “Like a centipede turning over in the dirt,” a director once said. My whole body went cold. “What is this, Rose Winston?” His shocked voice came from behind. As expected, not only was it unsightly, but I was causing trouble for the crew. I clutched my clothes, apologizing softly: “I’m sorry.” Curious gazes stabbed at me from all around. But the next second, my collar was neatly tucked back in place. His hand rested on the back of my neck for a few seconds. I could have sworn I felt his hand trembling. I wanted to turn and check. But he quickly let go of me, acting as if nothing had happened, and left with the makeup artist. The gazes focused on me soon dispersed. My limbs gradually warmed up as I stood there in a daze. When the makeup artist returned, she washed off the concealer on my back. The assistant director had me change my movements, and the scriptwriter altered the lines. I put my arm around the female lead’s shoulder and stripped off my own clothes: “Look at these scars from resisting as a ‘virtuous woman’.” “You gave in?” “No. When you see these scars, you know I’ve been hurt, but you also know I’ve healed.” As I finished the lines, tears unconsciously fell from my eyes. Scars weren’t just remnants of pain, but proof of healing. It was the first time someone had said that to me.

After much thought, I made some food to thank Jude and went to his room. To my surprise, he was standing right outside my door. He strode in with his long legs. He looked to be in a bad mood again, his handsome features clouded with gloom. At nearly 6’2″, he loomed over me intimidatingly. He wasn’t here to terminate my contract, was he? My heart tightened as I sat stiffly on the stool. He spoke in a low voice: “Who did it?” I was confused for a moment before realizing he meant the scars. I hugged the lunchbox, answering softly: “No one. I just fell by accident.” He gave a short laugh, his voice suddenly sharp, clearly holding back anger: “Falls can cause burn scars? Do you think I’m blind or stupid? Tell the truth!” I flinched, the scars on my back seeming to burn again. “Sis, your hair is so pretty. Did you use a curling iron? Like this?” Natalie’s voice echoed in my mind like a demon’s whisper, making me curl up in pain. I think I had cried for help, but those people came over and pinned down my hands and feet. “Please, let me go…” My ears were suddenly covered, blocking out all the voices in my head. I opened my tear-soaked eyes to see Jude’s handsome face inches from mine. I didn’t know when he had crouched down and covered my ears. Then he dropped a bombshell: “Was it Natalie?” I stared at him with wide eyes, too shocked to speak. “Is it so hard to guess? She’s competing with you for roles, and you’ve hidden your identity.” His eyes were deep and gloomy, clearly reflecting my panicked face. “And you tremble when you see her.” He seemed to see through my disguises so easily. All these years, I thought I had hidden it so well.

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The first week God let me reincarnate, I played cards with him for seven whole days. After deliberately losing the three-thousandth game to God, finally… he rewarded me with a magic potion. Not only did it allow me to successfully retain my memories from my previous life, but it also showed me that 18 years later, a girl would come crying to our door claiming she was my parents’ real daughter. No way! Was the life of a princess I had traded for with so many losses going to disappear just like that!? Dream on! I’ve seen plenty of baby swapping stories! What’s mine is mine, and no one can take it away! Before the gates of reincarnation, I played three thousand games of cards with God. For seven whole days, I played from dawn till dusk, losing all the merits and fortune I had accumulated in my previous life to him. Finally… the old man smiled with satisfaction and secretly slipped me a magic potion. I knew that reincarnation couldn’t be rushed. Look, this new life of supreme wealth and status was now in my hands! But just as I was smugly swallowing the potion, nodding my head in self-satisfaction, A vision of 18 years later appeared before my eyes: a girl crying at our door, claiming she was my parents’ real daughter. My heart skipped a beat. How could this be! How could this blessed life given by the Goddess of Fate be reversed? It was too late. With my first cry, when I opened my eyes again, I saw not my beautiful and wealthy parents, But a sneaky-looking woman. She swapped me with the baby in the basket next to me. Damn it! What’s going on! Doesn’t this mean I’ve just changed from an heiress to an ordinary person! After she left, the nurse came in for a routine check. I immediately started wailing at the top of my lungs. Nurse, help! I don’t want my life swapped! The nurse quickly noticed something was wrong with me and gently picked me up to comfort me: “What’s wrong, little one? Are you tired?” No! My whole life is about to be ruined! She gently patted my back and was about to put me back in the crib. I panicked even more. If I was put back, wouldn’t all these years of suffering be for nothing? At this critical moment, the head nurse pushed open the door: “What’s going on? I could hear this child crying from the hallway.” The moment she saw me, the experienced head nurse frowned slightly: “This isn’t right. This baby looks so thin, clearly not matching the weight noted above.” I immediately stopped crying and tried my best to nod, hoping she would understand. The two of them hurriedly reweighed me and the baby in the crib next to me. After confirming we had been swapped, the nurse’s legs went weak with fear: “Oh my God! Thank goodness you came in, sis. If this had slipped by, my career would have been over.” The head nurse sighed, also frightened in hindsight: “You need to be more careful. This baby is the heiress of Sullivan Group. If anything had happened, do you know how many people would be implicated? The hospital director might even be fired.” As the two whispered privately, the weight on my chest lifted. In this life, and even in my previous one, I had never cried so hard before. No one can steal my fortune. Returning home from the hospital, I looked at the spacious and luxurious penthouse in the heart of the city, prime real estate, and laughed heartily. Damn, it’s good to be rich! Grandpa named me Ariana Sullivan. I also have two older brothers. Alex, the eldest, is elite and handsome, steady and stylish. At a young age, he had already taken over the family business, doubling the company’s market value. An undisputed CEO, although cold to outsiders, he’s especially doting towards me, his little sister. Zachary, the second brother, is lively and cheerful, brimming with talent. When he grew up, he became a top celebrity, the kind whose smile could make fangirls scream. Although Zach seems carefree, he would cry for me, his little sister. Despite their contrasting personalities, they both adore me. They want to bring the best things in the world to me. From the moment I was born, they would play with me by my crib every day, even saving their pocket money to buy me snacks and toys. When I was bullied by boys in middle school, they found out in the morning and beat them up in the afternoon. Even the day before the SATs, the most crucial moment in life. Just because I threw up while eating, Zach snuck out of his film set to take me to the hospital, staying by my side all night without sleep. The next day, he went back to filming with dark circles under his eyes. I grew up day by day surrounded by love. Just when I hoped my life would continue to be so carefree… My 18th birthday nightmare still came. That day’s scene could be described as dazzling with wealth. At the party, Grandpa handed me the keys to the latest Rolls-Royce. Alex was even more generous, directly transferring the deed of the best located villa in the city to me. Saying it would be my foundation for standing firm in society from now on. Zach brought me a new Hermès bag personally designed by the designer for me. Mom and Dad shook their heads helplessly: “You’re going to spoil her rotten!” Alex stroked my head lovingly: “So what if we spoil her? We have the ability to protect Ariana and keep her safe for life.” The atmosphere reached a climax with this statement. I excitedly threw myself into Alex’s arms. Just as I was about to say something, the main door was suddenly kicked open by a plainly dressed girl. The luxurious birthday party venue was crowded with political and business elites she would never see in her lifetime. Those high and mighty figures were all smiling at that moment, surrounding me. The table in the center was piled with expensive gifts. Even the necklace around my neck was worth enough to buy a house. Jealousy was about to consume her. She looked at the lavish birthday scene with resentment and shouted: “I am the real Sullivan heiress! Ariana is just a fake!” Chloe Brown had finally come. On my 18th birthday. My grandpa, my mom, and my two brothers. Four pairs of eyes instantly shot at my dad from different directions: With just a few glances, my dad felt the threat as if a knife was at his throat, He hurriedly stepped back, so scared he started to stutter: “It’s not true! You all know my character best, even my assistant is male! How could I have an affair outside!” Of course I knew who this girl was. I had seen this scene before I was born. I secretly laughed inside. This old trick, I had seen it in my previous life. I suddenly pinched my thigh hard and started to put on a big show, tears instantly streaming down my face: “Dad, Mom, are you going to abandon Ariana… What did I do wrong for you to treat me like this…” Seeing me cry, Mom hurriedly came over to comfort me: “Don’t cry, baby! Mommy loves you the most. I’ll definitely find out who this woman is and won’t let you… Ah!!” Before she could finish speaking, Chloe suddenly went crazy and grabbed the red wine on the table, splashing it on my face. I turned my head to dodge, but the red wine still dripped down my hair onto my dress. Red stains appeared on the white skirt, along with a dampened mood. I sucked in a cold breath. Earlier was fake crying, now I was really angry. From the day I was born until now, I had never suffered such humiliation! My dad rushed over to check if I was hurt: “Ariana, are you okay? Does it hurt?” I shook my head without saying anything. My dad was furious and glared at Chloe fiercely: “Where did this crazy woman come from! I don’t know you at all! And there’s no way you’re my daughter! You’re so ill-mannered, barging in and hitting people! Is this how your family taught you!” Chloe was startled, biting her lip pitifully as she walked up trying to hold onto my dad’s arm: “That’s not true. Back then, the nurse at the hospital switched the babies. I’m your real daughter, Dad!” That “Dad” was loud and clear, giving my dad goosebumps. My mom rushed over to shield me behind her: “You think just saying so makes it true! You don’t have any proof, and moreover, you’re so rude. I couldn’t have given birth to a daughter like you!” My mom had also been pampered since childhood. Although her face was red with anger, She still wouldn’t use swear words. Alex also glared at her coldly. Just when the whole family was on guard to protect me in this heartwarming moment, I suddenly realized something was off. Where was Zach? So many years had passed since that incident back then, and things had been peaceful all these years. I thought I was safe long ago. But now I suddenly understood, this wouldn’t end so easily. The main door was pushed open again, but this time the one who came in was actually my second brother Zachary: “Mom, Dad, you’ve seen it too. Chloe is my real sister. We’ve already wronged her so much, we can’t keep going on like this without clarity!” I almost spat out my drink. It was actually Zach who was turned first?! Could it be… that he had something to do with Chloe’s sudden appearance? Seeing someone speak up for her, Chloe’s tears started falling. Completely different from her arrogant manner earlier, anyone who didn’t know better would think I had bullied her: “I’m sorry, Mom and Dad. I was too excited earlier. I’ve had such a hard life before, and finally found a warm family. I couldn’t control myself…” As she spoke, she kept looking up to observe Mom and Dad’s reactions. Mom frowned at Zachary: “Zach, what do you mean? You knew about all this already? Did you arrange for her to come make trouble today?” Zachary hesitated and said: “The first time I saw her, I realized this. She was wearing the necklace I gave to my sister. I wasn’t sure, so…” I remembered, during the time when our identities were switched, he had secretly come to see the two of us. He put a necklace around Chloe’s neck, never expecting it would become a weapon to identify me now. I was speechless, but Chloe thought I was speechless because I was guilty: “See! She has nothing to say! After occupying my position for so many years, it’s time to give it up!” Mom and Dad were probably encountering this kind of thing for the first time and didn’t know what to say. Zachary added fuel to the fire on the side: “Chloe has suffered so much. I can’t watch her not even be able to enter the family home. Let’s have her move in and live with us!” The corner of my mouth twitched. What was all this nonsense! It was still Alex who retained some rationality, rubbing his brow helplessly: “Alright, before things are clear, it would be embarrassing for people to see her move in. Don’t we still have a villa in the suburbs? Let her live there first. We’ll decide how to handle her after we investigate clearly.” But unexpectedly, Zachary still defended her: “But we’ve already wronged Chloe so much in the past. Wouldn’t it be bad if she’s seen living outside and people take photos?” Mom softened her heart and bit her lip: “Fine, fine. They’re both my children anyway. Let her stay. But one thing, Ariana can’t leave. She’s the daughter I’ve loved for so many years. I can’t bear for her to leave!” Originally this handling was already quite appropriate, but Zachary was still unsatisfied: “This fake has already had so many good years. It’s already a blessing for her!” I looked at him in surprise. This brother who had loved me for many years seemed to have become a different person. His eyes were full of disgust and dissatisfaction towards me. But none of this was my fault. When I was little, because I had memories from my previous life, I was much more mature than children of the same age. When Zachary was scolded by Mom and Dad, it was always me who rushed up to protect him. I never expected it would end up like this. Just as I was about to speak, Alex’s stern reprimand ended the topic: “Enough! She can move in, but Ariana absolutely cannot move out. She’s a girl, what if something happens!” Zachary had always been afraid of Alex since childhood, so he could only look at him unwillingly. Swallowing the rest of his words. The DNA test results would take a week. During this week, with Zachary’s help, Chloe not only moved into my home, But also transferred to our school with great fanfare. On her first day of school, news of my background quickly spread throughout the school. Everyone unanimously determined that I was an unwelcome fake heiress who would ultimately be kicked out. The final result was that a few girls who usually had the best relationship with me silently walked over to Chloe’s side. When they saw me, they even mocked: “Some people think occupying someone else’s identity makes them a real heiress. Now that they’ve been exposed, they’re still clinging to other people’s home and not leaving. I’ve never seen someone with such thick skin!” The person speaking used to always try to curry favor with me. But I saw that her character had major problems and was cold towards her. I never expected her to harbor such resentment. I directly retorted: “Oh my, even my parents aren’t sure which of us is real or fake. How do you know?” She blushed at my retort: “Your brother has admitted it! You’re still in denial!” Chloe felt proud that someone was standing up for her and raised her chin to look at me from the corner of her eye. Just as I was about to open my mouth to continue cursing, my best friend Lily suddenly appeared, holding my hand and calming me with her eyes. Her mouth directly cursed back: “If you’re uneducated, read more books, okay? Haven’t you heard of something called DNA testing? Before the results come out, she’s still the Sullivan heiress. Who are you to talk to her like this?” I looked at Lily gratefully. After this incident, I could see more clearly who were true friends and who were fake. I think our friendship will last a lifetime. After they were scolded away by us, I leaned on the railing and asked Lily: “Lily, if I’m really fake, will you look down on me?” Lily suddenly smiled: “My princess, even if you’re fake, I can support you! We’re best friends for life.” With her words, I felt much better in my heart. Before I could answer, She suddenly sighed: “But this Chloe really has some issues. Not only is she trying to steal your brothers, she’s not even sparing your fiancé.” The smile on my lips instantly froze. My fiancé. I was in such a hurry when reincarnating that I actually forgot about the marriage column. Yeah, Chloe was determined to make things difficult for me. How could she let the people around me go? It’s just that I’m not even familiar with my fiancé! We’re only together because of the so-called family engagement. Most importantly, when God showed me my life script before reincarnating, It only recorded that I would marry someone with “Yu” in their name, so when Mom proposed several matchmaking candidates, I chose Lucas Shaw without hesitation. Although we’ve rarely met over the years and don’t have much of a relationship, I always thought our relationship was stable! Did he betray me too? I was just about to ask for clarification when I saw Chloe holding Lucas Shaw’s hand, swaggering over: “No need to look anymore. We’re here.” I widened my eyes. The worst outcome had still appeared. “Why? Wasn’t I good to you?” I blurted out, looking at Lucas Shaw in shock. He didn’t seem to feel guilty at all and sneered: “To tell you the truth, I’ve had enough of you long ago. We’re engaged after all, right? You won’t even let me kiss you. What’s the point of being with you? Chloe is much more sensible. With me…” “Enough! Don’t say anymore!” Chloe hurriedly covered his mouth with her hand, her face still blushing suspiciously. I instantly understood everything. I didn’t expect she would go to such lengths to take my place! “Ariana Sullivan, do you see clearly now? Everyone around you likes me more. What reason do you have to stay here?” Her smile grew more and more arrogant. She really deserved a beating. My arm raised very honestly, about to land on her face. Suddenly Zachary’s excited voice came from behind: “It’s out! It’s out! The DNA report is out!” With this exclamation, everyone’s attention focused on him. I couldn’t help rushing forward and snatching the manila envelope from his hand, tearing open the outer covering in three quick moves. Originally, me being my parents’ biological daughter was a sure thing. Who knew that the document would clearly state That my genetic test with my parents didn’t match. I wasn’t their biological child at all! The document in my hand instantly fell to the ground. I instinctively took a step back: “Impossible! This is impossible!” In that moment, I even doubted myself. Were the memories I had been carrying all along fake! God, you lied to me! Chloe walked up smugly, picking up the document from the ground: “Do you see clearly now? I am the real Sullivan heiress. You’re just an impostor!”

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Liam Blackwood’s mother thought I wasn’t good enough for her precious son. She tried to bribe me with $7 million to leave him. My best friend Scarlett disagreed, “True love conquers all. Your pure love shouldn’t be tainted by money. If you take the money and run now, you’ll live with guilt towards Liam forever.” I foolishly believed her nonsense. I didn’t want the money; I just wanted Liam to treat me well. But later, I discovered Liam had been fooling around with Scarlett all along. In the end, I lost both love and money, and the stress even gave me breast cancer. Meanwhile, Scarlett turned around and accepted $14 million from Liam’s mother to cut ties with him. I found her at her luxury villa, kneeling and begging her to lend me money for surgery. She just threw a glass of red wine in my face. “You idiot! You’re so stupid it’s killing you! I stole your boyfriend, took the breakup fee that should have been yours, and now you think I’d help you? I can’t wait to get rid of you, let alone save you.” In the end, I died slowly from the disease. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment Liam’s mother offered me $7 million to leave her precious son. I took off my Bluetooth earpiece, turned off my phone, and shook my head at Mrs. Blackwood, “I’m sorry, but I’m pregnant with Liam’s child.” “My son is the CEO of Blackwood Corp, voted the city’s most eligible bachelor. You’re a poor factory worker who didn’t even finish high school. You’re not a good match. Even if you stay together, it’ll end badly,” she said. “Why not listen to me? Take the money and leave Liam. It’s better for both of you.” The check fell lightly into my palm, feeling like it was crushing my skull. I sat up straight, holding the check with both hands, carefully examining the numbers. “You can’t take this money. If you do, it’ll create a crack in your relationship with Liam. You’ll never have a chance with him again.” “True love conquers all. Your pure feelings shouldn’t be tainted by money,” Scarlett’s voice kept coming through the earpiece, making my chest ache with anger. I simply took off the earpiece and turned off my phone. I sighed, pushed the check back to Mrs. Blackwood, and shook my head, “I’m afraid that won’t work, ma’am!” Her face darkened as she took back the check, “Ungrateful! You’ll regret this later.” I held down one corner of the check, looking at her meaningfully, “I’m pregnant with Liam’s child.” Her face instantly turned black. She gasped for air, thinking I wanted to use the child to marry into their wealthy family. “Ma’am, you know, an abortion is quite expensive, and it’s harmful to my body. As for my mental state—” “$14 million!” Mrs. Blackwood cut me off, seeing through my little scheme. “Deal!” I agreed readily, taking back the check from her hand. That’s more like it. Why give Scarlett 14 million and only offer me 7 million? We should be treated equally. I left the restaurant and went straight to the bank to transfer the money. When I have time, I’ll learn about investing to make plans for the future. All afternoon, my heart felt like fireworks were exploding inside, so excited I wanted to scream. I admit I’m materialistic, a woman who values wealth. On the cab ride home, the heater was cool, the driver was friendly, and my chest felt clear. In my previous life, I had told Scarlett about Mrs. Blackwood wanting to meet me, asking for her advice. She told me to wear an earpiece and follow her instructions. When I heard Mrs. Blackwood was offering $7 million for me to leave her son, Scarlett immediately exploded with anger and anxiety. “True love is tested by worldly pressures. Only after going through all hardships is it true love. Aria, this is all a test of your relationship.” “You can’t take this money. If you do, it’ll create a crack in your relationship with Liam. You’ll never have a chance with him again.” “True love conquers all. Your pure feelings shouldn’t be tainted by money.” “Have some backbone, don’t let people look down on you.” So I believed her and didn’t take the money. I just wanted Liam to be devoted to me. It wasn’t until Liam broke up with me that I realized I was just a replacement for his dead ex-girlfriend. Coincidentally, Scarlett also looked quite similar to me. So the two of them had been fooling around behind my back for a long time. He said, “You’re so boring and prudish. In bed, you can’t even compare to a single strand of Scarlett’s hair.” “I’m a CEO making millions. Every day I have to coax and beg just to get a kiss from you, wasting half my day.” “I’ve had enough. I don’t want to keep coaxing you anymore, and I don’t want to keep hiding with Scarlett. I want to give her a proper status.” In the end, I lost both love and money, and the stress even gave me breast cancer. Scarlett, who had initially advised me to stay pure, ended up accepting $14 million from Mrs. Blackwood as a breakup fee. She traveled the world and dated freely. I finally managed to find her when she returned to the country, at her luxury villa. But she just threw a glass of red wine in my face. She tapped my forehead with her finger, looking at me like I was a clown. “You idiot! You’re so stupid it’s killing you! I stole your boyfriend, took the breakup fee that should have been yours, and now you think I’d help you? I can’t wait to get rid of you, let alone save you. The sooner you die, the sooner you’ll be at peace.” Of course, I knew she had schemed against me. But I had no choice but to beg them. I had no parents and knew only them. In the end, I died slowly from the disease in a basement. Perhaps even the heavens couldn’t bear to watch my laughable and tragic life? Given another chance, I swore I wouldn’t make the same mistakes. The money is mine, and whoever wants the man can have him. I got out of the cab with a smile, immediately spotting Scarlett pacing anxiously at the entrance of our apartment complex. Seeing me, she ran over, her eyes fixed on the departing cab, “How could you afford a cab? It costs $30 from downtown to here. Don’t tell me you had no backbone and took the old lady’s money.” She was panting, looking utterly disappointed in me. I tried hard to suppress my smile, “No, I was just scared and wanted to get home quickly to see you.” Her expression improved a bit, and she linked arms with me affectionately. “Don’t think I’m nagging. There’s a difference between eating one meal and eating every meal.” “Now that you’ve got Liam, it’s like you’ve got the Blackwood family’s billions. How could you ever be poor again?” “Right now, you need to act high and mighty. Tell Liam, tell the Blackwoods, that you’re not after their money. You want Liam for who he is. Don’t let them look down on you.” “Otherwise, once you marry in, life won’t be easy. They’ll definitely treat you like dirt.” “So you must refuse all the bags and jewelry Liam gives you, understand?” … Scarlett chattered on and on as we walked. I suddenly stopped, pulling away from her, “Scarlett, stop saying these things.” She froze, looking at me helplessly, her lips moving but no sound coming out. “My relationship with Liam is pure, sacred and inviolable. I won’t let you talk about it like this.” Hearing this, she smiled, “That’s what I mean. I’m glad you understand.” “Scarlett!” I stared into her eyes, “Why didn’t you come back from the bathroom at yesterday’s banquet? And you didn’t even come home last night.” Her face instantly turned pale, her expression frozen, “I… I drank too much, so I slept at a hotel.” “Oh, did you see Liam? You two left one after another. He said he had company business, but what business could there be in the middle of the night?” She licked her lips, touching her nose, “Maybe it was foreign clients? You know his business is international.” I smiled, “You’re right!” She took out her keys and ran off, saying she’d go open the door. But I saw her patting her chest in relief as she ran. Well, well. So they were already fooling around at this point. I was such an idiot in my previous life, not suspecting anything at all. Feeling a bit angry, to prevent getting breast cancer, I took out my phone and opened my chat with Liam. I accepted his $14,000 transfer from yesterday. Then I sent, “I’ve picked out my birthday gift. How about that limited edition pink Maserati?” He replied instantly, “You… have a driver’s license?” Whether I have a license or not doesn’t matter. What matters is that it’s valuable and will hold its value. And it’ll make me feel better. “Liam, how can you talk like that? Not very CEO-like at all. When I say I want something, you should just give it to me. Why ask so many questions? Are you stalling because you have someone else outside?” The screen showed “typing” for a while before his message came through. “I’m sorry, I was wrong. But I swear there’s only you.” Yeah, right. Who knows how many mementos of his dead ex he’s collected behind my back. This time around, I only want money. Whoever wants the love can have it. On my birthday, Liam rented out the most luxurious hotel in the city and invited all his friends. Scarlett arrived fashionably late. She wore a tight-fitting evening gown that showed off her curves beautifully. The emerald necklace around her neck was dazzling. I’d seen a celebrity wear this necklace set before. It was said to be worth over $40 million. The night the celebrity wore it, it was bought by a mysterious tycoon. So that mysterious tycoon was Liam, huh? I held my head and smiled bitterly. They were so blatant last time, and I didn’t suspect a thing. I really was clueless. Scarlett stood timidly at the door, her watery eyes looking at me. Waiting for me to invite her to sit in the empty seat next to Liam. I suddenly dropped my smile and threw down the Maserati keys. “Liam, you’ve really disappointed me.” Seeing his confused face, I continued, “Scarlett, a waitress making 2,000 a month,is wearing a limiteded edition gown and a nemerald necklace worth 40 million. “Look at me, I don’t have a single expensive thing on. Does this make sense? And for my birthday gift, you only gave me a $600,000 Maserati. Are you trying to mistreat me?” Everyone around covered their mouths, trying not to laugh out loud. Liam’s face turned pale. He was very embarrassed. “Didn’t you say not to give you expensive gifts? That you wanted to have an equal relationship with me?” “It was Scarlett who told me not to accept money from men, so I wouldn’t be looked down on. She said to have some backbone.” I frowned and walked towards the flustered Scarlett, “Right, so where did all this come from? Did you win the lottery?” Scarlett’s lips were pressed white. Her gaze passed over me to look at Liam behind me, on the verge of tears. Liam pulled me back, whispering in my ear, “They might be fake. Don’t push her. Can’t you see she’s about to cry? Aren’t you two best friends?” “Fake!” I deliberately raised my voice, “Don’t insult her. I knew her before all these rumors. She’s too proud to buy fakes. Right, Scarlett?” Meeting my gaze, Scarlett burst into tears, her makeup ruined. Surrounded by everyone’s speculative looks, she was extremely embarrassed. “They’re fake, I admit they’re fake! I just didn’t want to be looked down on by you all. I didn’t want to seem too shabby. What’s wrong with that? You were born with silver spoons and don’t understand me, fine!” She looked at me with teary eyes, “What about you? We’re the same kind of people. Don’t you understand me? Or are you doing this on purpose, wanting to see me humiliated?” I swirled my wine glass, “Who’s the same as you? Can you find a boyfriend as handsome and rich as Liam? You’re so ugly, no one wants you!” My expression turned cold, and I poured the whole glass of red wine on her white dress. “Yes, I did it on purpose. I just can’t stand your self-righteousness.” “You say the necklace is fake, fine. I’ll transfer you $14,000 to keep the necklace. Otherwise, it’s real, and I’ll investigate who gave it to you.” Scarlett’s knuckles turned white as she angrily took off the necklace and turned to leave. “Wait, what about the ring and earrings? They’re a set.” Scarlett cried as she took them off. I felt bad watching, let alone Liam. Sitting back down, he asked me quietly, “You’re usually so good-tempered. Why are you so angry at her today?” “I feel like she’s being someone’s mistress. I can’t let her keep making mistakes, you know?” Seeing my good intentions, Liam patted my shoulder, “You’ve worked hard! I’m going to the bathroom first.” Watching him walk away, I smiled. The fish had finally taken the bait. After some small talk, I also excused myself. Hiding in the stairwell, I opened my phone. On the screen, Liam had Scarlett pinned against the bathroom wall. One hand controlled both her hands, while the other roamed her body. His mouth kept kissing away her tears. “Look how busy he is,” I couldn’t help but comment. Scarlett pushed his hand away and questioned, “Who’s prettier, me or her? Do you like her more or me?” “You’re prettier. I only like you, baby,” Liam said without missing a beat. “She won’t let me touch her. How can she compare to your passion? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take responsibility for you after I touch you.” “I’m waiting for a chance to break up with her and make things official with you.” Scarlett was coaxed from tears to smiles. “Heh, that’s men for you. They’ll say anything to anyone.” Before I could finish speaking, intimate sounds came from the phone. My cheeks flushed red, and I suddenly stood up. My hand shook, and the phone fell to the ground. I bent down to pick it up, but a large hand beat me to it. The man’s gaze fell on the screen, the corner of his mouth curling into an intriguing smile. I remembered him. Earlier in the private room, his burning gaze had almost burned a hole through me. It’s normal for rich second-generation guys like Liam to have some shady friends, so I didn’t think much of it. I didn’t expect him to follow me. I stood on tiptoe, trying to snatch the phone from his hand, but he took the opportunity to press me against the railing. Surrounded by the unfamiliar scent of the man, with intimate sounds lingering in the air, my face instantly burned hot. Suddenly, the phone rang. The man glanced at it and answered, putting it to my ear. “I have an urgent matter at the company. You guys keep having fun. I’ll have the driver take you home when you’re done.” “Oh~——” I hurriedly covered my mouth, glaring fiercely at the man in front of me. He had taken advantage of my distraction to lift my shirt at the waist, and his palm landed on my skin.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295362”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #惊悚Thriller #玄幻Fantsy #重生Reborn