Author: Momo Chan

The day I accompanied my fiancé for our premarital checkup, his nominal sister, Verna Carllyle, a doctor in that hospital, strode into the corridor and let out a shrill, deliberate yell, “Chloe Kent partied with five men at a nightclub just last night. She’s even kept by an old geezer! She’s carrying a severe infection—discharge, inflammation, the whole mess, yet she still has the audacity to show up for a premarital checkup?” Pregnant women waiting in line gasped in shock, their ultrasound reports slipping from trembling hands and scattering across the floor. Without hesitation, they scrambled to put distance between themselves and me. In my past life, I had been on the verge of confronting Verna, but my fiancé, Ivan Tracy, dragged me away in a hurry. “Verna’s just throwing a childish tantrum. Don’t let her words get to you. You’re marrying me, and my trust in you is all that matters.” However, word of the incident soon leaked online. The backlash was so vicious that my parents were literally angered to death, and I myself was hounded to my last breath by radical netizens. When I opened my eyes once more, I found myself right back on the day of the checkup, with Verna’s venomous voice still ringing in my ears. “I fixed you up with that repair surgery just last month, and you’ve already ruined it again this time? With a private life this sordid, do you really think you deserve to marry Ivan?” Ivan shot Verna a helpless look. “Verna, that’s enough. Hurry up with the checkup. Chloe and I have a marriage license to collect afterward.” A cold sneer tugged at my lips as I stepped back. “Marriage license? When did I ever agree to marry you?” Ivan froze in place, then reached out to drag me towards the exit. “Chloe, what’s gotten into you? Today’s the day we get our license. Don’t be so childish.” Verna ripped off her face mask, jabbing a finger at me as she shrieked. “People may see you as the respectable heiress of the Kent family, but they have no idea how filthy you really are behind closed doors!” “Everyone in this hospital has heard about your sordid escapades! It’s only because Ivan’s got a heart of gold that he’s willing to take you in, you slut!” My mind went blank for a split second, and then it hit me—I had gone back in time. Meanwhile, disgusted murmurs rippled through the crowd around me. “Girls these days have no shame at all. They put on such innocent faces, but they’re nothing but cheap whores underneath. Who knows how much they charge for a night?” In my past life, shame had overwhelmed me completely. After Ivan pulled me away, I had made no attempt to defend myself, making myself seem guilty. This time, however, a cold laugh escaped my lips. “Everyone in the hospital knows? Are you from the obstetrics and gynecology department… or the STD clinic?” I retorted. “My checkup hasn’t even started yet, so how is your mouth spouting results like a diagnostic machine?” Verna froze, clearly caught off guard. She’d never expected the mild, meek me to talk back, let alone in front of such a crowd. Ivan frowned and reached out to grab my arm. “Chloe, you’re Verna’s future sister-in-law. With so many people watching, show her some respect.” I dodged nimbly to the side, brushing off my sleeve with a look of disgust. “Respect? Did she show me any respect when she made up such horrible lies about me?” “And what about you, Ivan?” I turned to Ivan, my gaze cold as ice as I stared at the man I’d once loved with all my heart. “When your fiancée is publicly humiliated, your first instinct is to tell me to stay quiet, all to protect this nominal sister who shares no blood with you?” Ivan’s patience wore thin. “Verna was originally the one my mother approved of as my wife. Now she’s acting as my sister just to avoid gossip.” “She meant no harm. It’s just a girl venting her frustration. Besides, if you haven’t done any of it, you have nothing to fear. Just get the checkup, and everything will be cleared up.” “Hurry up. We have real business to do later.” He was still clinging to his delusion of getting his way. In my past life, he’d used this exact line about proving my innocence to coax me into the examination room. What followed was Verna producing a fake STD report. Ivan had then put on a show of heartbreak, claiming he didn’t care about my “past” before pressuring me to sign a prenuptial agreement. The document forced me to transfer all my assets into his name for management. After my death, he’d wasted no time using my wealth to hold a grand wedding with Verna. Now that Ivan defended her, Verna’s arrogance swelled. “Chloe, you’re scared to get checked because you know you’re guilty, aren’t you?” “Everyone, look! This is the woman who seduces old men! She’s diseased, and she intends to hurt more!” The crowd of patients and their families swelled. Some even pulled out their phones to record the commotion. Ivan squirmed under my gaze, forcing an awkward smile. “Chloe, we…” I cut him off coldly, shifting my focus to Verna. “Who ever said I’m your sister-in-law?” “Verna, you’re an intern in this hospital’s obstetrics and gynecology department, aren’t you?” Verna’s expression flickered. “You… What are you up to?” Without hesitation, I dialed the police. “Nothing, just a friendly reminder that public defamation is a criminal offense.” “Tell me, when the police arrive, do you think your internship will still be intact?”

Ivan’s face drained of color instantly. He lunged forward, trying to knock the phone out of my hand. “Since when have you become so confrontational, Chloe? Family matters shouldn’t be dragged into public. Why call the police over something so trivial?” “Verna was only looking out for your health. Instead of being grateful, you’re threatening her future?” I stepped back quickly, avoiding his spit. “Family matters? Are we married? Am I part of her family?” “If we’re not family, what right does she have to slander me in front of everyone?” Ivan’s hand froze mid-air, caught off guard by my retort. Verna, however, was too impulsive to hold back. She shrieked, “Fine, call the police! Even they can’t change the fact that you’re a tramp!” Murmurs of disapproval rippled through the crowd. “She looks decent enough, but she’s shameless, and she’s here bullying an intern like that.” “Her reputation’s already in the gutter, and she still has the nerve to kick up a fuss. That man’s pitiful, almost becoming a cuckold.” Tears welled up in Verna’s eyes on cue. “Ivan, did I do something wrong? I shouldn’t have said it in public. I should’ve helped Chloe cover it up…” “But I’m a doctor. It’s what I do. I can’t stand by and let her deceive you into marriage, putting you at risk of catching some nasty bug!” Feeling sorry for her, he pulled her into a hug, patting her back gently. “Verna, sweetie, come on. I know you meant well.” When he turned to me, his gaze had turned icy. “Chloe, apologize to Verna.” “Apologize, and we’ll drop this. No more premarital checkup. I’ll trust you.” “And we’ll go get the marriage certificate right away.” Their hypocrisy made me snort softly. How had I been so blind in my past life? I’d actually believed their so-called “deep sibling bond.” I stepped forward and grabbed the collar of Verna’s uniform. “You claim I’m rotten and oozing pus, that I’ve had repair surgeries. Where’s the evidence?” “Where are the medical records? The surgical notes? Did you see it with your own eyes?” Verna gasped for air, struggling to push me away. She then fumbled in her pocket, pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, and waved it wildly. “Everyone, look! This is the proof! Chloe’s had repeated intimate repair surgeries!” “She got a postoperative infection with pus discharge, and they even had to remove foreign objects during surgery! She’s completely ruined down there!”

The crowd erupted into chaos instantly. Some even hurled rags at me. They jabbed me with mops, shoving me roughly in an attempt to drive me out. “That’s revolting! Foreign objects? You filthy creature, get out of here!” “Don’t you see there are pregnant women here? What if you infect them with some disease?” Ivan wore a look of heart-wrenching sorrow, reaching out as if to cover the paper. Yet he deliberately let the key details peek through for the onlookers to spot. “Chloe, I know you played wild in the past, but I don’t mind. I mean it. As long as you turn over a new leaf, that’s all that matters.” Ignoring the slanderous shouts, I snatched the paper from Verna’s hand. Panic flashed across Verna’s face immediately. “You can’t destroy the evidence! I’m telling you, there are backups in the system! Tearing it up won’t do a thing!” I held the paper high and moved closer to the camera of a passerby who was live-streaming. “Everyone, take a good look at this so-called ‘evidence’ from Dr. Carllyle.” “It claims I underwent intimate repair surgery and foreign object removal last Friday.” As my words fell, a murmur swept through the crowd. Ivan buried his face in his hands, his expression agony-stricken. “Chloe, stop reading… I know you’re doing this to get back at me, but there’s no need to broadcast such things. I told you. I don’t mind…” A cold laugh cut off his dramatic act. “Ivan, why don’t you tell everyone where we were last Friday?” Ivan froze, his eyes darting away nervously. “That day… I was working overtime at the company. Who knows where you were fooling around?” Typical Ivan, lying through his teeth to protect his nominal sister. I pulled out my phone and opened a video without hesitation. On screen, Ivan and I sat on a plane cruising in the air. The background carried the flight attendant’s announcements of the time and destination. “Excuse me, Dr. Carllyle, how exactly did you perform surgery on me while I was on a flight to the Maldives for vacation?” “Or does your scalpel have the power to stretch in the air and operate remotely?” Verna’s face blanched completely. She stumbled over her words for a moment before sputtering. “Well… Maybe I mixed up the date! But I did perform the surgery. I could never forget a patient like you!” Ivan rushed to back her up. “Verna sees dozens of patients every day. Mixing up dates is only normal.” “Chloe, don’t fixate on this tiny discrepancy. The truth is, you did have…” I cut him off, pointing to the surgeon’s signature at the bottom of the paper. “The operating doctor’s signature here is Chief Bell’s.” “Verna, didn’t you just claim you performed the surgery?” “Now you can not only operate remotely but also forge the chief’s signature?” At that moment, a stern, furious voice boomed from the back of the crowd. “Who dares to forge my signature?”

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619hMOR7CEVwt 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni635802”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

The day after I came back, an old classmate practically dragged me to a reunion. That was where I ran into my first love, Nina Zane, the woman I hadn’t seen in five years. In front of everyone, she pulled out a diamond ring and proposed to me. The private room erupted. Everyone thought I would say yes without hesitation. After all, back then, I had been the one who always gave in. The one who lingered, who refused to let go, who cast aside every shred of pride until she finally chose me. They all seemed to have forgotten. At our graduation ceremony, Nina had stood up for another man and, in front of the entire class, accused me of plagiarizing my thesis. In the end, the school revoked my diploma and had me escorted out of the ceremony in front of everyone. After that day, I left the country alone. Now that I was back, her best friend, Mira, came to me and said, “After you left, Nina went back and pulled strings through her family to get your diploma reinstated!” “Whatever happened in the past, she never stopped loving you. She’s been waiting for you this whole time. She said that as long as there’s still a little love left in your heart, you’ll always be the most important man in her life.” “Alexander Ford! I’m talking to you! Are you even listening?” “You know better than anyone how much Nina hates her family. She didn’t take a single cent from them when she started her business. But for your diploma, she still swallowed her pride and went to her father.” No sooner had I sat down than Mira, Nina’s best friend, scooted over and launched into a breathless stream of words. There was impatience in her expression, mixed with a trace of urgency. Around us, our former classmates all turned to look. Some were curious. Others barely bothered to hide their mockery. To my own surprise, hearing the name ‘Nina Zane’ again after five years felt oddly distant. Time had already worn away the fierce love I once felt for her. Five years ago, I left the country without a word. Back home, almost no one knew that I had already built a life of my own. Whether Mira was asking for herself or on someone else’s behalf no longer mattered to me. I held my tongue for a moment, then said quietly. “Nina and I have been over for a long time. So everything you’re telling me today… means nothing to me.” It wasn’t just Mira. Everyone at the table froze, staring at me in disbelief, utterly unprepared for that answer. After all, I had once loved her with a kind of reckless, blazing devotion for three whole years. Enough to create such a stir that almost reached the ears of the school administration. Every morning, no matter the weather, I showed up with breakfast in my hands. When her stomach acted up, I ran through a blizzard from pharmacy to pharmacy just to find her medicine. Whenever another guy made a move on her, I appeared instantly, as if staking a claim. When she dreamed of starting a business but had no capital, I drained everything I had: every gift, every living expense, even the coming-of-age present my parents gave me at eighteen. And in the shadows no one ever saw, I spent an entire semester surviving on nothing but plain buns and water. That was how I loved her. Eventually, after all that persistence, Nina agreed to give me a chance. Like any caring girlfriend, she asked if I was tired. When people mocked me as a ‘Simp’ or a ‘Boy toy’, she never hesitated to step in and defend me. When she closed her first deal, she told me about the future she dreamed of for us. I truly believed she was the one I would spend my life with. That illusion lasted— until my senior year, when John Rowe entered our lives. He was Nina’s childhood friend, the boy who had grown up at her side. After returning to the country, he transferred into my class. At first, I didn’t think much of it. I even made an effort to be friendly with him. But slowly, things began to change. Nina no longer came to see me whenever she had a free moment. Sometimes, when I asked her out, she would brush me off with one excuse after another. Little by little, I was no longer part of her spare time. On my birthday, she stood me up again. She said she had to rush to a neighboring city for work. Something didn’t sit right with me, so I went to her company in secret. And I saw John Rowe. He stood at the center of the room, surrounded by staff. Someone even called out, half-joking, ‘The boss’s boyfriend.’ And they all knew that I was the one she was actually with. What cut the deepest was this: Nina, the woman who had sworn she was miles away on business, was standing right there in the office. And when that title fell on him, when they so casually named him hers, she said nothing. She let it happen. As if that place beside her had never belonged to me at all. She only stood there and smiled. It felt as though a blade had been driven straight through my chest. When Nina finally noticed me, there wasn’t even a trace of guilt on her face, nothing you’d expect from someone who had just betrayed another. She only asked calmly, “Why are you here?” Just two words, spoken as if I were nothing more than a stranger who had wandered in by mistake. She was my first love. The woman I had once imagined growing old beside. I didn’t want confrontation. I didn’t want to tear anything apart. So I simply pointed at John and asked, my voice steady, “So this is your ‘business trip’? Celebrating with him here in the office?” There was no anger. No blame. Just a quiet question, laid bare. Nina frowned at once, irritation flickering across her face. “John’s coming to intern at the company. I was just throwing him a welcome party.” She exhaled sharply, impatience edging into her voice. “Can you stop overthinking everything? You’re suffocating me.” Her words pinned me in place. I had never imagined that the woman who had called me “honey” only days ago would cut me down so ruthlessly, in front of everyone. Perhaps she realized she’d crossed a line. Panic flickered across her face, and she hurried to backtrack. “Alex, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” I clenched my fist and looked straight into her eyes. “Then what did you mean?” “And why did you lie to me about going on a trip today?” She reached for my hand. “I didn’t lie,” she said at once. “I really was going to go. But the partner changed the schedule at the last minute. I just… I didn’t get the chance to tell you.” Her tone was intimate, effortless. Just like that, much of the resentment in my chest eased. But still, I couldn’t shake that phrase, ‘the boss’s boyfriend’. “Then why are your employees calling him that?” I asked. “It’s just them messing around!” She said, “Aww, you’re such a jealous baby. Everyone here knows you’re the only one for me.” She squeezed my hand lightly as she spoke, as if to soothe me. “Honey, don’t be upset, okay? It’s your birthday. Let me take you out somewhere nice tonight.” I was about to tell her not to joke like that again when John suddenly rushed over. “Mr. Ford, I’m so sorry,” he said in a fluster, “I didn’t mean to upset you. If it really bothers you, I… I can leave. I won’t intern here anymore. I don’t want you two arguing because of me.” As he spoke, his head dropped, inch by inch, humble to the point of performance. The others were quick to draw their conclusions: I was the one abusing my position. No one said a word, but every gaze shifted toward Nina. Seeing John like that, she let go of my hand and went to him. She comforted him softly, her movements slow and unhurried. That night, she didn’t stand me up. She really did take me out to dinner. Yet everything I ate tasted flat and dull. Because even with her sitting right beside me, every word she spoke, every casual remark, every passing thought, was about John. “John and I grew up together. He’s like a little brother to me.” “His parents came to me, asking for help with an internship. That’s why I brought him into the company.” “I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you’d read too much into it.” “If there were really something between us, we’d have been together a long time ago. Why would we wait until now?” “Alex, I know how good you are to me. You’re the only one in my heart.” She sounded sincere. Convincing enough that I couldn’t bring myself to push any further. All I did was nod. She reached into her bag and took out a pair of matching rings. After sliding the woman’s ring onto her own finger, she lifted my hand and eased the other one onto mine. “Alex,” she said softly, “this is all I can afford right now. I know it’s cheap. I wish I could give you something better.” “But trust me, once I make real money, I’ll bring the most expensive ring in the world in front of you.” Looking at the girl in my arms and the ring on my hand, for the first time that night, the unease in my heart finally faded. But in the end— She broke that promise. ***

From that day on, Nina no longer bothered to hide it. She came and went with John openly, without restraint. Before long, rumors swept through the campus, that she had dumped me and chosen him instead. I hadn’t even figured out where the gossip started when John came to me himself. The humility he once put on was gone. He stood there with his chin lifted, his gaze sharp and contemptuous, as if the victory were already his. “Alexander Ford, do you know what a truly pathetic man looks like?” His lips curled. “Just a simp like you.” “Nina chose me. So do yourself a favor and walk away.” I tightened my fist, refusing to give his taunts the dignity of a response. But his gaze was steady, self-assured, already triumphant. “If you insist on fooling yourself,” he said calmly, “Then I’ll be the one to drag you back to reality.” After he left, I told Nina everything at once. I never imagined she wouldn’t believe me. Over the phone, her voice was tight with impatience. “Alex, I’ve already explained this. There’s nothing between John and me. Why do you always jump to conclusions?” “I’ve known him since we were kids. I know exactly what kind of person he is. Why are you making things up about him like this?” “Making things up?” My voice rose before I could stop it. “Nina, is that really how you see me?” Silence fell on the other end of the line. It stretched on, heavy and uncomfortable, until she finally spoke. “If you really can’t stand it, then once John’s internship is over, I’ll let him leave.” Her tone was weary, edged with impatience. “But Alex, work is already giving me a headache. I don’t need you to help me, but can you at least stop making things harder right now? I’m exhausted.” “You should focus on your paper anyway. Maybe we shouldn’t see each other for a while. We both need some space. We can talk after your graduation ceremony.” Then came the empty beep on the other end, and the line fell silent. The dead tone in my ear seeped straight into my bones, leaving me cold all over. She would rather believe that I was smearing John than accept that he had actually said those things to my face. That was the first time I felt Nina wasn’t worth it. And it was the first time I shut her out. Nina meant what she said. For the next month, I didn’t reach out to her once. She didn’t contact me either. Even when we happened to cross paths on campus, she treated me as if I didn’t exist. Until the day of the graduation ceremony. I was just about to take my gown from my advisor when the department dean suddenly called me over. In front of the entire crowd, students and faculty alike, he asked, without preamble, “Alexander Ford, your thesis is identical to John Rowe’s. Which one of you copied the other?” I stared at him, stunned. “That’s impossible,” I said, “I wrote my paper myself.” John hurried over at once, his face etched with urgency. “Professor, I didn’t copy anyone,” he said at once. “Every word of that thesis was written by me.” “If you don’t believe me, ask Nina. She can vouch for me.” All eyes turned to Nina. Mine did too. She didn’t look back. By then, if I still hadn’t understood what was happening, I would’ve been beyond saving. I had always kept my drafts and files in the shared cloud drive Nina and I used together. So who had handed my thesis to John was painfully clear. The dean’s gaze settled on her. Nina took a slow, steadying breath. “Professor,” she said, “John is interning at my company right now. I’ve seen him stay late, working on his thesis.” With her testimony, the verdict was all but decided. Under everyone’s scornful stares, I walked up to her and asked, word by word, “Nina, are you telling them that I plagiarized John Rowe?” I saw hesitation flicker in her eyes, followed by a quiet struggle. But after a long wait, all I heard was. “All I know is that John wrote his paper himself.” A laugh slipped out of me. So this was the woman I had loved with everything I had for four full years. If I could, I would’ve booked myself an appointment with an eye doctor right then and there, to cure myself of the blindness that had lasted far too long. Seeing the way I laughed, a flicker of hesitation, almost pity, passed across Nina’s face. She was just about to speak when John cut in. “Alex, you may be Nina’s boyfriend, but that doesn’t give you the right to force her to lie for you.” His voice trembled, controlled, practiced. “I know you don’t like me. You’ve bullied me for a long time. You even made me send you exam answers.” “And when I refused,” he went on, “you hired street thugs to come after me.” As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, exposing a mess of bruises. “If Nina hadn’t shown up that day, those guys might’ve really hurt me.” For a moment, I honestly wondered if something was wrong with my ears. I understood every single word he said. But put together, none of it made sense. Bullying? Forcing him? Hiring thugs? “John Rowe, if you’re delusional, go see a doctor,” I said coldly. “Don’t drag me into your fantasies.” Before he could answer, Nina snapped, “Enough!” She turned to me. The guilt that had flickered in her eyes moments ago was gone, replaced by pure anger, even disgust. “The thugs already confessed,” she said sharply. “You paid them to go after John.” “Alexander Ford, I never imagined your heart could be this vicious,” she said, “John hasn’t even stepped out into the real world yet, and you’re already putting him through something like this.” I stood there, frozen. After a long moment, I finally spoke, my voice low and steady. “So, Nina… you’d rather believe John Rowe and a handful of street thugs than believe me. Is that it?” She fell silent. Only after a long pause did she answer, “I only believe what I’ve seen with my own eyes.” My heart sank as the last trace of warmth drained away. Around me, all I could hear were the sounds of contempt. Whispers, sneers, barely concealed ridicule. The department dean cut in sharply, his voice filled with anger. “I never imagined there would be a student of such poor character in my department,” he snapped. “You clearly do not meet the requirements for graduation. You will not be attending today’s ceremony.” “As for disciplinary action, that will be decided after I report this incident to the university. Now, leave!” I didn’t respond. I didn’t even seem to hear him. I just stood there, motionless, locking eyes with Nina. She turned away, her voice flat and cold. “Alex, just go back. Don’t make a scene and embarrass yourself. And don’t disrupt everyone else’s graduation.” “As for us,” she added without looking at me, “we’ll talk in private.” I stood there, humiliation burning through me, my voice trembling despite myself. “Nina… are you sure you won’t regret this?” She didn’t answer. She took John with her and walked away, never once looking back. From that day on, I became the laughingstock of the entire school. Even the people who had once called me a friend started keeping their distance, as if I were contagious. I bought a one-way ticket and left the country to join my parents. Before boarding, I slipped the ring off my finger and mailed it back to Nina, no note, no explanation. I pulled myself out of those memories. I looked at Mira and the others. “If this is all you wanted to say,” I said calmly, “then I’ll be going.” Mira hurried to block my path, panic edging into her voice. “Alex, wait. Nina’s on her way. Let her tell you herself.” I frowned. “There’s nothing left between us to talk about.” “And besides…” “I’m already married.” The words landed like a stone. The entire room fell into a dead, suffocating silence. ***

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619pAGO0jHK3O 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni590037”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

When I reached the hospital, my in-laws were already at death’s door. The doctor said the snake was extremely rare, and the hospital had no antidote. Only my wife’s company did. I called Laura again and again. Every call was rejected. On the hundredth attempt, she finally answered. “It’s Lucas’s birthday tonight,” she said impatiently. “I’ll stay with him for the night. Stop being like this.” My mind raced with the faces in the ER. I swallowed my anger and forced the words out. “Your parents and sister too, were bitten by a snake.” “The hospital doesn’t have the serum, only your company does. Just bring it here, please.” Before I could finish, Laura cut me off. Her tone was mocking and cold, full of sharp edges. “One vial costs over a hundred grand. Ethan, have you and your family no shame?” “Your whole family gets bitten, and do you have any idea how much it costs to save them all? I’m not a fool.” “Go figure that out yourself.” She hung up and blocked me. I slumped into a hospital chair, stunned. My head felt heavy from being pressed by those words, which I never thought I would hear from her mouth. Then a message from the Vacheron Constantin assistant, she told me the watch my parents prepared for my birthday had been collected by my wife. No need to guess. It was already on Lucas Reed’s wrist. This was not the first time. Taking my things and handing them to her haunting-crush like it was nothing. Every time I protested, she just laughed. “You’re married. Who’s even gonna notice an expensive watch on you? Give it to Lucas. He’s busy with deals.” “Don’t be so petty. Lucas is like my own brother. If you love me, then you have to accept it.” She put Lucas above everything, this man was her world. Watches, cars, houses—she gave them all. It was as if she’d take out her own heart and stamp his name on it. And me—her true husband— couldn’t even get a few doses of life-saving medicine. Ridiculous. I was typing to the assistant when Laura posted online: “The most handsome watch, for the one I love most. Tonight belongs to us.” Lucas posted right after: “I’ll be the knight who protects his princess forever. Your medicine didn’t just save my family—it saved my heart.” In the photo, they were leaning so close together, grinning like the world was theirs. My watch is on Lucas’s wrist. The antidote I begged for was in his hand. He smiled like a champion—and yes, he always was. I was seething with anger, almost collapsing. How can she be this heartless? She threw fortunes at Lucas to please him. while leaving her own family to die. The doctor walked out of the ER. I ran toward him. “Please, give me more time! I’ll get the cure!” But he shook his head and took off his mask. “It’s too late. I’m sorry.”

My nose burned. The pain rushed up all at once. Just hours ago, they were still talking and laughing. Now they lay cold in a hospital morgue, lifeless and silent. And their daughter was still out there, celebrating with joy, pretending nothing had happened. How disgusting. I swallowed my tears and messaged the sales assistant. “I never had anyone pick up the watch. Someone must have taken it under my name. Please report this to the police immediately.” The doctor said the snake was almost extinct here, and that was why the hospital had no antidote. What a coincidence. A rare snake inside their tent. Five people bitten. Five deaths. The police took it quite seriously. The investigation moved fast. It didn’t take long to uncover the truth—someone had bought venomous snakes in bulk online and released them. The suspects were actually Lucas Reed’s parents. The family she had rushed to save. The very people who wiped out hers. I wondered how she’d look when the truth finally caught up with her. The officer explained gently, “Sir, we’ve confirmed the situation. But the suspects are currently hospitalized and can’t be questioned yet.” I replied flatly, “They were bitten too. But their poison’s already been neutralized.” “They can take the questioning, just go ahead.” He gave me a puzzled look, clearly wondering how I knew. But seeing how drained I looked, he didn’t ask more. “Rest assured,” he said. “We’ll find out what really happened.” After they left, I started to prepare a lawsuit. Then a sudden call cut in. It’s Laura. She sounded furious. “Ethan, are you picking a fight on purpose?” “I’m your wife. What’s wrong with me picking up a watch for you?” “How can you call the police?”—were you bitten too? Or did you lose your mind?” The accusations came fast and sharp, one after another. She didn’t spare a second to care how I was feeling at the moment. I replied calmly. “It’s indeed a problem. Because I never saw the watch.” “You said you picked it up. Fine. Then tell me—where is it now?” Silence, a long silence. We stayed like that for a while. Then her tone softened. “We are a couple, what’s yours is mine anyway.” “Lucas wanted a limited-edition watch. There’s only one of this edition in the country.” “And it happened to be his birthday. I just wanted him to be happy.” “It looks perfect on him. Giving brings joy. Don’t be so petty.” The shamelessness was breathtaking. I snapped back without hesitation. “You actually have the nerve to say that? Why didn’t you pay for it yourself?” “How useless you are?” Laura froze for a moment, disbelief cracking her voice. “You dare say that again?” “Are you crazy?” I almost laughed out. I used to guard her pride as if it were my inborn duty and choose every word carefully. Now I see it clearly—she was just utterly shameless. I didn’t give her a chance to argue. “If you have a tiny little bit of conscience,” I said coldly, “come to the hospital now.” “Come and see what you’ve done.” “They’re already dead!” she shouted. “What difference would it make if I go?” “It’s a good day—don’t screw it!” Then she added, casually, “Don’t cremate your parents yet. See if you can send the bodies to my company, we need cadavers for research.” “Oh—and Lucas’s parents had an accident. He’s not doing well; I’m going to stay with him.” Then she hung up. I found it so ridiculous that I lost my voice. So she thought the dead were my family. I had originally planned to lay her parents to rest as soon as possible. Since it was what she wanted, I ordered five industrial freezers. I took the bodies out of the morgue and shipped them straight to her company..

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619i3qptJ0pWZ 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni649140”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

Late at night, I had just finished a ten-hour surgery when my phone buzzed frantically in the locker. It was a new intern in our department. She tagged everyone in the hospital group chat. “Getting married tomorrow! Everyone has to come celebrate! No gifts needed — my husband’s covering everything!” Exhausted, I replied out of politeness. “Sorry, I have plans tomorrow. Congratulations!” The next second, she messaged me directly. “Dr. Clarke, don’t be ungrateful. My fiancé is a major investor in this hospital. You really think a broke doctor like you can afford to make an enemy of him?” “I even saved you a spot helping with reception. Isn’t this exactly the kind of upscale event where a washed-up woman like you might actually meet someone?” A moment later, she posted her wedding photos in the hospital group chat. When I saw my husband kissing her in one of the pictures, I laughed. So the man who married into my family and owed everything to us had the nerve to keep a mistress — and actually planned to marry her. I replied directly in the group chat. “Fine. I’ll give you a gift you won’t forget.” I turned off my phone and headed straight home. The house was a mess. I’d left in a rush that morning, and the shoes by the door were still lying sideways. My husband, Ethan Walker, hadn’t come home either. Too busy with wedding preparations to remember he had a wife. He’d clawed his way up from nothing, all thanks to my family, the Clarkes. Step by step, he became what people now called a promising young investor. My long-term neglect had apparently made him forget where he came from. He actually believed he was someone important now. I let out a cold laugh and dialed the family attorney. “Freeze all assets under Ethan’s name immediately. Cancel every card I authorized for him.” “Also, have a special package prepared and delivered to the wedding venue by morning.” I didn’t sleep that night, but I wasn’t tired. Just a strange, cold clarity. Just as I was heading out in the morning, a text from Ethan came through. “Honey, you must be exhausted with all those surgeries lately. When I get back from my trip, I’ll make it up to you.” “I’ve even got a surprise lined up for you.” Playing the devoted husband, same as always. I typed back. “Great. And when you see me, I’ll have a big surprise for you too.” At the venue, the new intern — Abigail Mitchell — stood in her wedding dress, beaming as she greeted colleagues from the hospital. “Oh, really, no gifts necessary. My fiancé’s taken care of everything.” “He’s the lead investor in our hospital, so going forward, he’ll be looking out for everyone here.” Someone spotted me and shifted into a snide register immediately. “Well, look who it is. The untouchable Dr. Clarke. What brings you to Abigail’s wedding?” A nurse beside her jumped in. “I heard Dr. Clarke’s past thirty and still on her own. Maybe she heard Abigail’s fiancé is a major investor and came to work the room.” “Dr. Clarke, you always acted like you were above all of us. Guess you’re just like the rest of us after all.” I ignored them. Instead, I wheeled over a gift box — prepared by the household staff — that stood taller than a person and placed it directly in front of Abigail. Hanging from the top of the box was a dog collar. Her face went pale instantly. “Charlotte Clarke! What is your problem? I was generous enough to invite you, and you show up with a dog collar? Who exactly are you calling a dog?” I replied evenly. “I have a male dog at home. He marks territory everywhere — might’ve gotten to you without you knowing. I figured the collar might come in handy someday.” Abigail snapped. “Charlotte! Say that again! Who’s the dog? You came here just to start something, didn’t you?” “You’re just a woman who got left behind. You see me young, happy, marrying well — and you can’t handle it.” “My fiancé is on his way. One word from him and you’re done at that hospital.” I took a slow step back to stay out of range. Then I nodded toward the gift box. “Alright. Time to open your present.” I tore off the wrapping in front of everyone. Inside was a large custom display board. “To the bitch and the dog — may you haunt each other forever. To the cheater and the mistress — may you never be apart. And may karma collect from you both.”

The room went dead silent. Abigail was shaking. “Charlotte! You’re out of your mind! You’re jealous I’m marrying someone like Mr. Walker, so you pull this cheap stunt for attention!” I rubbed my temple like her shrieking was giving me a headache. “Abigail, are you absolutely sure you want to marry him?” She lifted her chin. “Obviously. My fiancé Ethan is the hospital’s biggest investor — worth a fortune. You’re a doctor on a salary. He generates that in a month.” “Once I marry him, I’ll be in a different league entirely. Someone you all have to look up to.” Her sycophants immediately joined in. “Abigail was born for this. Not like some people, still chasing validation at her age.” “Dr. Clarke, after a stunt like this, how are you going to show your face at work?” “Offend an investor’s wife? Might as well start updating your résumé.” Absolutely ridiculous. Chasing validation? If they only knew I was the one who built that man from scratch. Becoming a doctor had been my only ambition growing up. The year I graduated from medical school, my father gave me a hospital — so I could practice medicine in a place I loved, without the politics. Ethan? An investor? He was someone I’d taken a chance on. Someone I could just as easily take back. Abigail, mistaking my silence for retreat, grinned wider. She pulled out her phone, dialed, and put it on speaker. “Honey, where are you? Some woman is making a scene at our wedding — that Charlotte from my department. She crashed the ceremony and brought a display board trashing us!” Ethan’s panicked voice crackled through. “What? Charlotte? Stay calm, baby, I’m almost there. Don’t make it worse!” She hung up, smug. “Hear that? My man’s on his way. You’re finished, Charlotte. Not just fired — I’ll make sure no hospital in this city touches you.” Our colleagues whispered. “She’s really done it this time.” “Dr. Clarke’s usually so sharp — what got into her?” Abigail turned back to me, savoring it. “Charlotte, I’ll give you one chance. Since we’re colleagues — apologize, take that board down, and I’ll ask my fiancé to go easy on you.” I stepped forward, eyes steady on hers. “Apologize to you?” “You’re not worth it.” I pulled a framed photo from my bag and held it up in front of her face. “Look closely. That billionaire you’re about to marry is my legal husband.” “You’re just the other woman playing dress-up.”

The photo frame hit Abigail’s hands and clattered to the floor. She froze for a second — then broke into exaggerated laughter. “Charlotte, have you completely lost it? You’re so desperate you photoshopped a fake wedding picture and convinced yourself my fiancé belongs to you?” She picked up the photo, didn’t even look at it, and tore it in half. “I’ve heard rumors about some of the women on staff here being unstable — now I know it’s you.” “You found out my fiancé is a major investor and just couldn’t control yourself. What are you going to do next — throw yourself at him the second he walks in?” She turned to the crowd, playing it to the room. “Everyone, take a look! A senior doctor in my department, fabricating lies, claiming my fiancé is hers. Has anyone ever heard anything more pathetic?” One of her loyal followers stepped up immediately. “Dr. Clarke, I’ve worked beside you for years. I never realized you were capable of this.” “Mr. Walker is completely out of your league. Just leave before you embarrass yourself any further.” Voices joined in from all sides. People started pushing me toward the exit. “Get out! Don’t ruin Abigail’s day!” I stumbled backward, my lower back catching the sharp corner of a table. After ten hours of surgery, my body had nothing left in reserve. Black spots crowded my vision. I gripped the wall and stayed on my feet. Abigail picked up a glass of champagne and threw it in my face. “Apologize. If you beg nicely, I might still let you help with reception.” And then someone unexpected walked through the door.

“Charlotte? What is going on here?” I turned around. It was my mentor, Dr. Callan Carter — one of the most respected surgeons in the country. I crossed the room toward him, ignoring the champagne still dripping down my face. “Dr. Carter. I didn’t know you’d be here.” He was the person I respected most in the world. Years ago, when I went abroad for my fellowship, he wrote my letter of recommendation. He wasn’t just a mentor — he was the closest thing to a second father I’d ever had. He took my hand and sighed. “I heard one of the junior residents was getting married. Thought I’d stop in.” His gaze moved across the display board, then landed on Abigail — face twisted, eyes burning with fury. His brow furrowed. Abigail rushed over immediately, tears already forming. “Dr. Carter, please — you have to hear me out. She’s been bullying me just because she has seniority!” Callan Carter had always made a point of protecting younger staff. “Charlotte, what is this? Whatever the conflict, a wedding isn’t the place.” Before I could say anything, Abigail got there first. “Dr. Carter, she’s completely out of line! She’s fixated on my fiancé and crashed my wedding to humiliate me in front of everyone! She brought a dog collar and that disgusting sign!” The colleagues around her piled on, twisting every detail. Dr. Carter’s expression fell as he looked at me. Disappointed. “Charlotte. You’re a senior physician. You set the standard for the younger staff. This is beneath you.” “Apologize. Take that board down. Right now.” My chest tightened. Even the person I respected most — without knowing any of the truth — had taken her side. She’d played the victim and he’d walked straight into it. Then Abigail stepped forward and swung a bottle directly at my head. “Ever hear that what goes around comes around, Dr. Clarke? You try to ruin someone’s happiness, it has a way of finding you.” “I’m three months pregnant with Ethan’s child, by the way. Even if you’re still holding out hope — that door is closed.” Colleagues grabbed my arms and forced my head down. Glass from the bottle opened a cut on my cheek. And I laughed. Because honestly — what was more absurd than this? I pulled out my phone through the blood and sent a quick text to the household staff. Abigail stopped at my laughter. I pushed her off and stood up straight. I looked around the room. Then my eyes settled on her stomach. “Since you want this child so badly. Since you want to be Mrs. Walker so badly…” “Let me give you one more gift.” Her expression shifted. “What are you doing?” Seconds later, the hotel’s main screen lit up. Abigail’s face drained. And Ethan — who had just walked in — stood frozen, staring at the screen.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619hWiH38klxA 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni762685”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

The man I called my uncle, Jayden Lloyd, was drugged with an aphrodisiac. In his haze, I became his only way out. After a night of reckless intimacy, we woke up. My grandfather demanded that he marry me, since we were not related by blood. Jayden believed a forced marriage would destroy his love. In a drunken spiral, he threw himself onto the railway tracks. I tried to save him, ending up losing both of my legs. With his eyes red and swollen, Jayden finally agreed to the marriage. However, on our wedding night, he dumped me in the basement of a nightclub. I was tied to a bed. He sat not far away and watched with open amusement. After round after round of humiliation, I found my chance to set the window drapes on fire. The flames consumed the entire club, including Jayden and me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Jayden was drugged. Uncle Jayden, this time, I chose to let you have your love. *** The man pressed against me suddenly tightened his grip around my waist, and the sharp pain jolted me awake. The moment I opened my eyes, I met my uncle Jayden Lloyd’s bloodshot gaze, thick with a desire so deep that it seemed bottomless. Instinctively, I looked around. None of the revolting sex toys were in sight. I took a careful breath. Even the heavy, obscene scent that had once filled the air was gone. Jayden increased the pressure of his hand. “Did you not understand what I said? Take your clothes off.” Only then did it hit me that I had reborned to the very night he was drugged. He was so close that my mind blurred, dragged back to my previous life?to the men who had once piled on top of me. One of them had pressed his foul-smelling lips against my neck. Another had yanked my clothes apart, letting out a leering laugh. I forced myself to stop thinking about it and opened my mouth, biting down hard on Jayden’s arm. “Get off me!” Jayden cried out. The pain snapped him partially back to his senses. When he saw my crooked neckline, something flickered in his eyes, an instant of awkward restraint, only to be replaced by disgust the next second. “Winifred, you are disgusting.” “Do not think that sleeping with me means I will ever like you,” he added coldly. My heart clenched in pain. Thinking about how I had died so horribly in my previous life, I wanted nothing more than to rush into the kitchen and stab him. But I could not. Grandpa adored him, and I could not destroy myself for his sake all over again. I swallowed my revulsion and spoke evenly. “Where is your girlfriend? I will go get her.” Jayden froze for a moment. “How did you know I have a girlfriend?” “Is this really the time to ask that?” I looked straight at him. He studied me for two full seconds, suspicion filling his eyes. Finally, he gave me an address. “I want to see her within half an hour.” I nodded and drove as fast as I could. When I returned with his girlfriend, only twenty minutes had passed. Yvonne Juniper stepped out of the car with unsteady legs, her eyes rimmed red. “Jayden, I do not know how I offended her,” she complained in a soft, aggrieved tone as she clung to him. “She drove the entire way like a maniac. I was scared to death.” The sharp, biting voice she had used to mock me in the car was nowhere to be found. When Yvonne noticed Jayden’s flushed face, she paused slightly, fake surprise flashing across her eyes. “Jayden, are you okay? Do you feel unwell anywhere? I can go to the hospital with you?” she said anxiously. Before she could finish, Jayden pulled her inside. The door slammed shut in front of me. At last, my heart settled. This time, the twisted bond between Jayden and me would not continue.

Yvonne had been my classmate. She came from a poor family, and often could not even bring herself to buy expensive organic vegetables. I often lied and said I had ordered too much food, so she would join me for meals. During Christmas, she complained about being alone, so I brought her home with me. Even though we had maids who cooked, she still got up early to help. Every evening, Yvonne asked each of us about our preferences and planned dinner accordingly. I truly believed I had found a friend for life. But later, everything changed. The emerald pendant Jayden had given me suddenly went missing. I searched the entire villa and eventually found shattered pieces in the kitchen. That pendant had been a gift from Jayden. I had treasured it beyond measure. I had only told Yvonne where I kept the emerald pendant, as well as about my feelings for Jayden, feelings that now seemed cheap and disgraceful. When I confronted her, she stood outside my house in thin clothing and said, “I just did it by accident.” Blinded by anger, I had people throw all her belongings out, even though she had nowhere to go. She got up from the ground and limped away, step by step. At the doorway, she ran into Jayden. Seeing how weak she looked, Jayden felt a surge of pity. I had been angry, yet I had also been afraid that Jayden would learn about my feelings for him and grow distant from me. In the end, I could only let her scheme succeed. What I had not expected was for them to become lovers. Yvonne sent me intimate photos again and again. I told Jayden about the things Yvonne had done in the past, but he refused to believe me. “You only care about marriage alliances. You have no idea what true love is!” Jayden shouted at me in fury. The situation turned ugly. Jayden eventually moved out of the house altogether. Tonight, Grandpa asked me to deliver some documents to Jayden. When I arrived at his place, I ran into him while he was under the influence of drugs. But after remembering the provocative look in Yvonne’s eyes before she entered earlier, I finally understood. This had all been a trap she had set. For a girl from a poor background who wanted to marry into a wealthy family, drugging the target was the most direct method. In my previous life, I had ruined everything. This time, I was going to watch Jayden walk straight into it himself.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619RY4UxFHHFz 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni255633”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

After I returned to the company from a six-month business trip, the lunch my housekeeper brought me had been stolen seven days in a row. Today, I saw my husband’s newly hired assistant trying to take my lunch again. I grabbed it back without hesitation. But I didn’t expect her to start cursing at me. “Who the hell are you? I can have you fired with a single word.” I didn’t respond. She shoved me without warning. “Listen up, this company belongs to my husband. You should be honored that I like your food.” “Better learn your place. Go buy me some snacks now.” I nearly laughed at how absurd she sounded. I’ve never seen such a self-righteous person. I immediately called my husband, Chris Green. “Chris, is your new wife so poor she can’t even afford a meal?” I had just hung up when the assistant grabbed my collar and started shouting insults. “Everyone knows that here. Gifts from home or takeouts, you have to offer me a share first!” “This lunch of yours is obviously homemade. You should be honored, not so petty!” I was so furious I almost laughed. I’ve never seen such a shameless person. As she spoke, she reached out again to snatch the lunch box from my hands. Her tone grew even more arrogant. “You must be new, right? You don’t know who I am?” “Let me tell you, Mr. Green is my husband. This whole company belongs to me. Who do you think you are, daring to offend me?” “Let go.” My voice turned cold. It was ridiculous. How could Chris allow such a parasite to grow inside his own company? She was actually stealing employees’ lunches? How did she even get hired? My calmness made her angrier. Her grip on my collar tightened as she shoved me against the wall. “Let go? You don’t understand human language? I’m eating this lunch today, and if you know what’s good for you…” Before she could finish, I grabbed her arm and applied a bit of force. She screamed. “You fucking dare touch me?” Her face twisted in pain. “I’m Mr. Green’s wife. Touch me, and he will make sure you’ll be kicked out of Shorecity!” The employees gathered around when they saw this. I naturally assumed they were being exploited too and had come to confront this assistant with me. But instead, their faces were full of flattery. “Karen helps us handle so much work every day. What’s wrong with eating your lunch?” “Exactly. Newcomers who don’t know the rules do need some lessons.” “Everyone knows Karen under Mr. Green. Offering her things is an unspoken rule here.” “What’s wrong with you? Karen eating your lunch means she thinks highly of you. This newcomer really doesn’t know her place.” With people backing her up, Karen didn’t forget to threaten me even while baring her teeth in pain. “Did you hear that? Everyone in the company knows this. Hurry up and apologize, then respectfully hand over the food. Otherwise, you’ll be kicked out!” I scanned those bootlicking faces and felt confused. I’d only been gone for half a year. How had Chris let the company’s culture rot like this? He had always been strict. Once, a department manager was scolded so badly that he resigned on the spot just for having an employee pick up takeout for him. It seemed this assistant had been abusing her power while Chris was away. I looked at Karen’s smug face and sneered. “So what if I don’t give you my lunch?” As soon as she heard that, Karen raised her hand and slapped me. There was a sharp crack. Half my face instantly burned and went numb. I reacted quickly, grabbed her wrist, and slammed her against the wall. Her head hit the wall and she screamed in pain. “How dare you! You actually hit me?” I sidestepped, lifted my leg, and kicked into her knee. With just a bit of force, she staggered and dropped to her knees. That completely enraged her. “Someone come here! Teach this crazy woman a lesson!” Several burly men in black suits rushed over. Karen pointed at me and shouted, “It’s her! She dared to defy me. Break her legs if you have to!” The bodyguards reached out to grab me. I frowned and stopped them. “Stop! You’re Chris’s people? You don’t even recognize me anymore?” They paused, clearly finding me familiar. Hesitation showed on their faces. I shook free of their hands. “I’m Chris’s legal wife. Don’t you know who you should be listening to?” Before I could finish speaking, Karen suddenly laughed. “Legal wife? What the fuck are you talking about? Everyone in the company knows I’m with Chris!” She pointed at the two bodyguards and said, “They were personally assigned by Chris to protect me. Who the hell are you?” The bodyguards exchanged a look, as if they had thought of something. They reached for me again. “Mr. Green gave instructions. Karen’s safety comes first. Anyone who interferes with her doesn’t deserve mercy.” Someone suddenly kicked me hard in the back. I stumbled forward and fell to the ground. The food spilled everywhere from the lunch box. Before I could push myself up, the two bodyguards pinned my shoulders from either side. Their knees pressed hard into my back. Looking down at me, Karen said, “How dare you pretend to be Chris’s wife? Today I’ll show you who really runs things here!” She raised her hand and slapped me again and again. The sound echoed down the hallway, mixed with the sharp intakes of breath from the surrounding employees. Half my face quickly swelled. Blood seeped from the corner of my mouth, and the metallic taste filled my mouth. “Stubborn, huh?” The slapping continued. “Do you know you were wrong yet?” I was pinned down and couldn’t move. I could only grit my teeth. “Keep hitting her. Beat her until she gives in.” With the order given, the bodyguards continued to beat me. “Stop hitting my mommy!”

I jerked my head to the side and saw Elsa being dragged by Eric. Her small body struggled desperately forward. “Elsa!” I wanted to tell her not to come over. But the moment I opened my mouth, the taste of blood surged up my throat. “They’re bad people! They’re bullying my mommy!” Karen was startled by the sudden disturbance. The viciousness in her eyes deepened. “Where did this little brat come from? You dare meddle in my business?” Elsa had never been shouted at like this before. She trembled in fear, yet still craned her neck and shouted back, “You’re a bad person. You stole our food and hit my mommy!” “You’re asking for it!” Being talked back to by a child humiliated her even further. She lifted her foot and kicked toward her. Eric reacted quickly and shielded Elsa behind him. He took the blow himself and bent over with a muffled groan. “This is Mr. Green’s daughter. How dare you?” “Mr. Green’s daughter?” Karen laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke. She reached out to grab Elsa. “I think she’s just some bastard. How dare you pretend to be Mr. Green’s child? Get lost!” Elsa was frightened by her ferocious expression and burst into tears. She clung tightly to my arm and refused to let go. “Let go of my mommy! If you hit my mommy again, I’ll ask Daddy to fire you!” “You still dare to mention Chris?” Karen raised her hand and swung it toward Elsa’s face. “Get away from her!” I suddenly threw off the bodyguards pinning me down. They hadn’t expected me to still have the strength to fight back. They stumbled back a couple of steps. As I lunged forward, Karen’s hand had already landed on Elsa’s arm. It didn’t hit her face, but it shoved her so hard she staggered. “Elsa!” I pulled my daughter into my arms. The wounds on my back screamed in pain, but I held her tightly and refused to let go. She was shaking all over, but she still asked me carefully, “Mommy, does it hurt? They’re bad people. I’ll tell Daddy!” “You little bastard! How dare you bite me?” Elsa had left teeth marks on Karen while struggling. Karen was livid, her face twisted as she kicked toward the back of my knee. “So ill-mannered! You got it from your mother?” Holding Elsa, I twisted aside to dodge. My knee buckled and I nearly collapsed. “Karen.” I looked up. Half my face was swollen and numb. “If you touch my daughter again today, I’ll make sure you get serious punishment.” She was startled by the viciousness in my eyes. Then she sneered. “You think you can scare me? Useless trash who got beaten to the ground still dares to threaten me? I think you’ve been beaten stupid!” As she spoke, she reached out again to grab Elsa. “Where did this bastard come from? Get her out of here!” I shot to my feet and shielded Elsa tightly in my arms. Veins bulged on my forehead. “She is Chris’s daughter. Don’t you dare touch her again!” Karen burst out laughing. “Chris’s daughter? How come I’ve never heard he has such a bastard?” She stepped closer, her gaze sweeping over the trembling Elsa. “Since you failed to educate her properly, I’ll teach her how to behave for you.” “Drag her away. Teach her some manners!” The bodyguards hesitated for a moment. In the end, they still reached toward Elsa in my arms. Seeing this, Eric stomped his feet in panic and rushed forward to stop them. Another bodyguard roughly pinned his shoulder. “Stay down!” Eric stumbled into the wall and let out a painful groan. He still roared, “You can’t touch Elsa! Mr. Green won’t let you off!” Karen stepped on the hand I was using to protect Elsa and ground it under her heel. “I make the rules here! Today I’m not only going to slap the kid, but also make you watch her cry!” She shouted at the bodyguards, “What are you standing around for? Do it!” My daughter was on the verge of tears. “Mommy…” At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door. “What’s all this noise about?”

It was Chris. He strode quickly to Karen’s side, his face full of concern. “What happened? Are you hurt?” Karen shook her head. She looked aggrieved. “I was just caring about the employees. I was curious about what she was eating. I didn’t expect her to say I wasn’t worthy of knowing…” Chris turned to look at me and frowned. “Rachel, can’t you stop making trouble for me?” He spoke with clear impatience in his voice. “You’ve only been back from a six-month business trip for one day and you’re already causing trouble. Do you think the company is too peaceful, so you have to stir things up before you’re satisfied?” My arms tightened around Elsa. “She was the one who stole…” “Enough.” He raised his hand and cut me off. “I don’t care who’s at fault. The whole company is watching a joke right now.” “Look at yourself. You’re fighting like a shrew, and you even brought your kid here to make things worse. You’re not ashamed, but I am.” “Daddy, that’s not…” Elsa tried to explain, but he silenced her with a glare. “This isn’t your place to speak.” Chris’s gaze fell back on me. “You’re nothing but trouble. You’ve always been this way. I’m already exhausted dealing with company matters. Can’t you behave yourself for once?” He pointed at the red mark on Karen’s arm. “Karen is a high-priced talent I hired. And you went straight to using violence. If anything happened to her, could you afford the consequences?” “Chris, can you get your facts straight? She stole my lunch and even called Elsa a bastard…” I clenched my fists. My heart went completely cold. “It’s just food. You should be honored that she wanted your lunch.” Chris let out a mocking laugh. “I know you were the one making a scene first.” “Rachel, no matter what you do, you still reek of small-time thinking. No wonder you’ll never amount to anything.” Small-time thinking? I laughed. He had stayed in a position of power for too long and had forgotten what kind of charity case he used to be. Elsa was shaking as she cried. “Daddy, how can you say that about Mommy…” “Don’t call me Daddy!” Chris shouted coldly. “I don’t want a daughter as ill-mannered as you. Leave now. Stop being an eyesore here!” I looked at the man in front of me, who felt utterly unfamiliar. My heart finally turned to ice. After I went on my business trip, Chris said he was busy with work and sent Elsa to stay with my parents. In just half a year, he had not only forgotten me. He was even this heartless to our own daughter. “Chris, you really are something.” Looking at the impatience written all over Chris’s face, I suddenly laughed. I said, picking Elsa up. “Fine. Since I’m such an eyesore to you, I quit.” Chris raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard a joke. “You think quitting will solve the problem? Rachel, do you think this is child’s play?” “Not just that.” I stared straight into his eyes and spoke slowly, word by word. “Chris, we’re getting a divorce.” The moment those words fell, the surroundings went completely silent. Even the smugness on Karen’s face froze for a split second as she looked at Chris. She seemed to realize, in shock, that I really was Chris’s wife. I thought he would at least hesitate. He didn’t. He only frowned and said, “Fine. If that’s what you want.” He noticed Karen’s gaze and reached out to straighten her collar. “Yeah, she is my wife, well, she was. From now on, I only want you.” Then he looked back at me. “You can resign, but you’ll have to pay the breach-of-contract penalty. And Karen was frightened today. So you still have to pay the compensation for emotional distress.” He seemed to think of something and then said, “Well, you can just transfer that riverside villa you own in Shorecity to Karen’s name. That will cover both amounts.” Karen’s eyes lit up instantly. She might not know the villa’s exact value, but the words “Shorecity riverside” alone were enough to make her excited. She immediately hooked her arm around Chris’s and looked at me provocatively. “Chris, you’re the best!” I raised an eyebrow and turned to my housekeeper. “Eric, call my father’s assistant. Tell him to bring over the property deed for the Riverplex villa. The sooner, the better.” Eric froze for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.” There was a hint of coldness in the way he looked at Chris. “Seems you really don’t know who you’re living off. Your good days are probably coming to an end.” Chris’s expression shifted slightly. He clearly hadn’t expected me to agree so readily. That villa was my premarital property, worth nearly a hundred million. He had assumed I would argue or feel heartache. He hadn’t expected this. His tone tightened. “Rachel, stop pretending to be generous here! Do you think I don’t know that villa is your only…” I smiled. Whether it was my only property would become clear soon enough. They waited for about ten minutes. When no one showed up, impatience crept in. “Rachel, did you even ask anyone to deliver the property deed? Are you deliberately stalling so you can call the police?” Karen immediately chimed in. “I don’t think she has it. Maybe that villa was mortgaged long ago. She’s just putting on a brave front here!” She stepped closer. “Doesn’t that make sense? A gold digger like you, dumped by her husband, probably won’t even have money for food tomorrow.” The employees around us started whispering again. Some were sympathetic. Some were contemptuous. Most were watching the spectacle with schadenfreude. “Stop wasting our time.” Chris took out his phone. “Since you refuse to compensate, let’s call the police. Let them judge what punishment someone who disrupts company order and assaults others should receive.” I stood there holding Elsa. I didn’t even lift my eyelids. “What’s the rush? They’re on their way.” “Still acting tough?” Karen sneered and reached out to grab my phone. “I think you’re just playing us. Today I’ll make sure you…” At that moment, a fleet of black Rolls-Royces pulled up neatly in front of the company. Several men in suits stepped out and opened the doors respectfully. When Elsa saw who it was, her eyes lit up. “Grandpa!”

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619UavIlKs2fh 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni220659”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

I never forget a slight. If anyone dares to smear me, I’ll turn their entire family’s life into a living hell. When I was a kid, an old neighbor accused me of stealing cash from her kitchen drawer. So I went and ripped the roof off her house in the middle of the night. At work, a colleague spread rumors that I’d slept my way to the top. So I dug up hidden camera footage of her and our boss in the storage room and played it on loop at the company annual party. After that, no one dared to cross me anymore. Everyone called me a vindictive lunatic—until my family arranged a strategic marriage for me. Then came the night before the wedding, at the pre-wedding party. His so-called friend leaned all over him and sneered at me. “Margery, I heard your mom was some home-wrecker who clawed her way up. And you’re just a gold-digger who got dumped by your last sugar daddy before you latched onto Edwin, right?” Edwin Nelson’s friends burst out laughing, waiting to see me humiliated. I smashed a bottle and pressed the broken edge toward her mouth. “Edwin, you have so many friends. One less wouldn’t matter, right?” Edwin’s face darkened instantly. He shoved my hand away. “Margery, what’s wrong with you now?” “Hannah was just joking. Do you have to go this far?” His friends behind him joined in. “Yeah, Margery. Someone like Edwin marrying you is a blessing for you. Can’t you take a joke?” “Hannah’s been one of us since we were kids. And here you are trying to threaten her? Really shows how clueless you are.” My jaw dropped. Picking up a shard of glass from the floor, I twirled it between my fingers. “I’ve never had much of a sense of humor. I don’t get jokes.” “So anyone who jokes with me? I make them the joke.” My gaze landed on the challenge written all over Hannah’s face. “For example, if someone spread rumors that my mom was the other woman, I have every reason to believe her mom was the homewrecker.” “Which would make her an illegitimate child, kept in hiding. Am I right?” Hannah froze, her body stiff. Tears welled up instantly. Seeing her like this, Edwin grabbed my wrist. “Margery, apologize to Hannah right now!” “How dare you say such things? Hannah’s father died saving my dad. My family looks after her because we owe her that!” “If you keep spouting nonsense, I’ll make you leave.” Hannah hid behind him, putting on a pitiful act. “Edwin, don’t blame Margery… Maybe I said the wrong thing. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have joked like that.” Everyone around began pointing fingers at me. “Hannah already apologized, Margery. What more do you want?” “Besides, she’s not wrong—we’ve seen you getting out of different men’s cars more than once.” “Since you’re marrying Edwin, maybe you should clean up your act. Getting mad over a joke? If you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t have come tonight.” I almost found them entertaining. Before I came, my dad earnestly told me the Nelsons were important business partners and this marriage benefited both families. But I had known since I was little that tears and backing down are the most useless things in this world. The only way not to be pushed around was to be wilder and fiercer than they were. If anyone dared to mess with me, I would give it back tenfold. Slowly, I unclenched my palm and let the glass shard fall. “You’re right. Getting angry over something so small does mean I can’t take a joke.” Smug looks spread across their faces. Edwin’s expression softened slightly, and he was about to speak. I cut him off. “But… when it comes to playing games, I’m the best.” “You want to play? Fine. Let’s keep going.”

I glanced around at the crowd that was clearly enjoying the drama. Picking up a glass, I poured seven or eight different liquors into it. “Loser drinks this, then answers a truth question from the winner.” “If you dare lie—or refuse to answer—you drink three more.” One snorted mockingly, “Margery, we’ll play, but where’s the stake? No stakes, no fun.” I swirled the drink in my glass, my smile growing even deeper. Then I pulled out a black card and slapped it on the table. “Whoever makes me take a single sip tonight gets this card. No limit.” The room fell completely silent. Edwin’s face turned ashen. “Margery, are you quite finished? Does your family’s money give you the right to treat people like this?” I didn’t even glance his way, keeping my eyes locked on Hannah. “What’s the matter? Lost your nerve? You seemed so quick with the jokes earlier.” “Hannah, you’re up.” Hannah—eyes practically glued to the black card—shook the dice cup. I revealed my roll without bothering to look. Six sixes. The color drained from Hannah’s face. She’d lost. I didn’t wait a beat. “Truth: Did your mother marry your father before you were born, or after?” Hannah’s entire body trembled. “I—I pick dare!” I nodded and slid the glass of spirits toward her. “Too cowardly to tell the truth? Fine. Drink this, then call your mother and say it loud and clear: ‘Hannah’s mother is the other woman.’” Hannah shattered instantly. “Edwin! I don’t want to! I’m not playing anymore!” Pathetic. You thought you could go up against me? I tore your mask off in two moves. Finally, Edwin snapped. He shoved me back. “Margery, enough! Hannah’s a woman! How can you be so cruel?” I stared at him in disbelief. Edwin, you idiot—couldn’t even see through the most obvious act. “When she smeared my mother and insulted me, why didn’t you remember she was ‘a woman’ then?” I stepped closer, closing the space between us. “Edwin, you defend her so fiercely… people might start wondering if she’s your little secret.” “Is this what you call a friend? The kind you just… sleep with?” Edwin, completely provoked, raised his hand as if to strike. I didn’t move. Just lifted my chin and held his gaze. “Go on. Hit me.” “Let everyone see the Nelson heir raise his hand to his own fiancée—over some mistress’s daughter.” “Should I call your father right now and tell him tomorrow’s wedding is off?” I reached for my phone. Edwin lunged, snatched it from my hand, and hurled it to the floor. “Margery, you’re out of line!” “Tomorrow is our wedding. Tonight, you’d better think hard about your behavior. Don’t humiliate yourself at the altar.” Arm around a weeping Hannah, he stormed out. His friends trailed behind, throwing mocking glances and chuckles my way. Alone in the wreckage, I let a slow smile spread across my face. I was the one who would be humiliated? Fine. We would see who was really humiliated tomorrow.

Back home, I pulled out a backup phone and dialed a number. “Dig up everything on Hannah Robinson—and her father, the one who supposedly died saving Edwin Nelson’s dad.” “I want all the dirt on her family. The filthier, the better.” A low chuckle came from the other end. “Miss, it’s the night before your wedding. Playing this rough?” “Cut the crap.” “Get everything to my inbox before morning.” Hanging up, I stared at my cold reflection in the mirror. Edwin. Hannah. You thought this was over? You started this fire. Now I was going to burn your whole world down with it. The next day, the Nelson–Flynn wedding shook the entire city. My father whispered to me before we entered, “Margery, rein in that temper. Today’s your big day.” “If you don’t like Edwin, think of him as an accessory, not a partner. We control this arrangement.” I smiled faintly and said nothing. My temper had never been something I could just switch off. As soon as I stepped into the venue, my phone rang. I answered—and heard Hannah’s trembling, pitiful voice. Instantly sensing the play, I switched my phone to the main speakers. The entire hall of guests froze at what followed. Hannah’s voice came, weepy and soft. “Edwin, it’s all my fault… If you hadn’t comforted me last night, we wouldn’t have… ended up in bed together.” “But you’re getting married today. Your first time was with me…” “What if Margery finds out and ruins the wedding?” Then Edwin’s voice came, calm and reassuring. “It’s not your fault. If Margery hadn’t provoked everyone, this never would’ve happened.” “If there’s a child, keep it. I’ll take care of you both.” I strolled onto the stage and picked up the microphone. “My apologies, everyone. It seems my fiancé has some… unfinished business to settle before the ceremony begins.” Edwin’s parents turned pale with rage, shouting toward the back. “Edwin, you disgrace! Get out here now!” Edwin appeared moments later from the back lounge. His father, Logan Nelson, slapped him across the face. “You will apologize to Margery. If she doesn’t accept it by the end of today, you’re disowned.” When Edwin realized what had just played over the speakers, he glared at me with pure hatred. But under his father’s glare, he forced the words out. “I’m sorry, Margery.” ”What happened with Hannah was a mistake. I swear I’ll never see her again.” Resentment burned in his eyes. I smiled back, light and unbothered. You really thought you could play this game with me? You were still green. But this marriage alliance had clearly run its course. A tainted man wasn’t worth keeping. Just as I was about to speak, my phone buzzed with a photo. I tapped it open—and froze, all color draining from my face.

In the photo, my mother was bound with rope, hanging from the edge of a rooftop. My phone rang immediately. I answered in a panic. “Margery. Do you want your mother to live?” “Come to the rooftop terrace—alone. Try anything clever, and I’ll drop her off this building.” The call ended. I sprinted toward the roof. But the moment I pushed the door open, several figures slammed me to the ground. Hannah’s face appeared above me, twisted with malicious glee. “You love to play games, don’t you, Margery?” “You took everything from Edwin and me. Now it’s my turn.” “And I’ll make sure everyone sees you—pathetic and pleading—beneath a man who owns you body and soul.” Edwin’s friends closed in, their faces glowing with schadenfreude. “Where’s that famous sharp attitude now, Margery? Show us again.” “Brace yourself. After this, you’ll be running from us for the rest of your life.” Hannah crouched down and struck me sharply across the cheek. “Margery, I’m going to stream every second of this. Let your high‑society circle admire your… little humiliating secrets.” “Do you think your father will thank us when he sees you like this?or wish we’d just drowned you in the river instead?” Grinning wildly, she forced a handful of pills into my mouth. Heat rushed through me. My face flushed. She tapped my cheek excitedly. “Cat got your tongue, princess? Where’s that famous temper?” “Beg me. Now. Maybe I’ll tell them to be gentle.” She leaned close to my ear. “After we’re done with you… it’ll be your mother’s turn on stream.” “Do you think people will enjoy watching a mother–daughter… double feature?” I looked at my mother, bound and struggling desperately. Then my trembling body shook with something else—laughter. One of the men kicked me impatiently. “What’s so funny?” I was laughing because this was hilarious. Truly hilarious. Hannah still had no idea what would happen. Just then, the wedding march began playing from the floor below. “And now, let’s welcome the bride and groom with a round of applause!” The music played on. After the applause came a long, awkward silence. Minutes passed. Murmurs rose from downstairs. “The groom’s been waiting forever. Where’s the bride?” “No idea.she was just here. Did she get cold feet?” Then a sudden gasp came. “Look—the screens!” Across the city, major public screens began lighting up one after another. The sound of heavy, indecent panting filled the streets.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619bIS6D3u1Lc 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni890502”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

The shipwreck hurled me, Lydia Johnson, onto a lonely island. In the end, I survived like a castaway. It wasn’t until the eighteenth time the massive brown bear tore apart the shelter I had rebuilt with my own hands that something inside me finally snapped. At that moment, three years of bottled loneliness and despair erupted all at once. In a rage, I howled and rammed my stone spear into the bear’s belly. That was when I found that the beast was actually screaming in a human voice. I froze on the spot. The dialogue I had overheard last time I nearly died burst into my mind. “You feel sorry for her? She had it coming. She took Miss Juliet Johnson’s identity for twenty-six years. Of course President Owen had to stand up for the woman he truly loves.” “Her parents? Mr. and Mrs. Johnson already erased her from the household registry. The Johnson family has only one daughter now—Juliet.” “Her brother? He cut ties with her long ago. He’d rather she vanished without a trace.” The truth hit me with brutal clarity. There was no supernatural bear. Only a carefully staged deception—one meant to leave me wishing I were dead. *** When I was about to catch up to the “bear,” something pricked the back of my neck, sharp, like a needle. Darkness swallowed me instantly. Torrential rain beat me awake. When I opened my eyes, everything seemed to have reset to its primitive state. The storm beat down mercilessly, washing away what little body heat I had left. My limbs felt heavy, as if filled with lead. By the time I dragged myself back to the cave, fever had already set in. There were 1,096 tally marks carved into the rock wall—one for each day I had survived here. Three years. A bitter smile tugged at my lips. The fire inside me guttered out. I curled into myself, my body turning cold and rigid like a stone slowly losing its warmth. Then she appeared again. The girl. A hallucination born of my fractured mind. Every time my body reached its limit, she would show up. “Lydia, don’t die,” she urged. “I just saw your parents come looking for you. Go outside—go see.” I said nothing. I knew exactly what she was doing. Trying to lure me back into the rain. Trying to trick me toward another dead end. I had fallen for it too many times. She kept her distance, her tone growing impatient. “Fine. Your brother Andy Johnson came, but you must kneel and bow before he’ll show himself.” My fingers twitched. Then I shut my eyes. After three years, my knees wore armor-like calluses. “Your husband, Dunn Owen, brought the mango cupcakes you loved. He was here to bring you home!” The more frantic she grew, the calmer I became. Anyone force-fed ten mango cakes would loathe them forever. “You won’t even move! You’re so ungrateful! No wonder they discarded you!” Her shriek was a bayonet in my heart. My breath caught in my throat, a sour ache spreading through every limb. I could hold on no longer; my hands went limp and let go. I collapsed to the ground. As darkness swallowed me again, the girl rushed close, speaking to someone I could not see. “Looks like she’s dying… Mm… Mm.” But the instant those warm hands touched me, I opened my eyes and knocked her out. It was all fake. Even the hallucination was counterfeit. She was not the self who consoled me. She was one more link in the trap. She lay senseless, while I plucked the earpiece from her ear. “Flora, is she dead? Wake her up!” “Miss Juliet Johnson has landed. If she misses the show, we lose the bonus.” “Let’s steer her to the west stream this time. Dozens of piranhas are waiting!” I staggered unsteadily to my feet. The rain had stopped, but in the next second, the blood in my veins froze. “Today is Juliet’s birthday. Add a few electric eels to the stream!” It was Dunn, the man who had sworn at our wedding to protect me forever, now ordering my death to amuse my sister. I advanced towards the stream, kneeling at every step. Juliet gave a soft choke. “Dunnie… Though Lydia bullied me, today is also her birthday. Let’s leave, please.” Dunn’s voice was icy. “It’s because it’s her birthday that she needs to remember this lesson. What she owes you?she’ll pay every last bit.” My knees hit the sharp stones, leaving a trail of blood behind me, yet I felt no pain. For three years, each kowtow had been a prayer. That was my wish for them to find me. Hmph. How ridiculous. Recalling that earlier near-death moment, I began to feign. A blissful smile spread across my face. Half awake, half dreaming. The stream became my lost dining room; my family waved me to the table. I stepped in without hesitation. Piranhas tore fiercely into the flesh of my legs; electric eels left me completely paralyzed. I sank fully into the water. Through the haze, I heard a voice from hell. “Revive her. I haven’t finished watching this show yet.” That was exactly what I had waited for!

They carried me to a fully-equipped medical room. Shocked, the doctors and nurses tending to me didn’t have the heart to see my broken body. “Not one patch of unbroken skin… Mr. Owen must hate her to the bone.” “He wouldn’t even let us use anesthesia. Quick, start the transfusion!” But before the blood could reach my veins, Dunn burst in, cradling Juliet. Ignoring my mangled, blood-soaked form, he roughly shoved me off the bed onto the floor. “Juliet’s having a hypoglycemic episode. Give her blood now!” Dunn said, frantic. The doctor hesitated. “We only have one unit of plasma left, and Miss Johnson is severely anemic…” Dunn didn’t hesitate. “If Lydia hadn’t kept Juliet from eating all those years, do you think Juliet would have hypoglycemia?” “Besides, this woman is tough. Her life is hard to take. Three years have passed, and she’s still alive.” Yet Juliet looked panic-stricken. “Dunnie, I can’t take anything more from Lydia. When she wakes, she’ll hate me…” He spoke gently, each word a rusty saw across my heart, “Juliet, remember, everything Lydia ever possessed, the Johnson heiress title, her parents’ love, even Andy’s love and mine, did any of it ever truly belong to her?” “We are merely returning things to their rightful owner.” The sentence felt like a verdict. It was I who had stolen Juliet’s identity and lived the life of a pampered heiress for twenty-six years. Then, at the happiest moment of my life, it all came to a screeching halt. At the wedding, Dunn was kneeling to place the ring on my finger. Amid the blessings of all our guests, Juliet barged in. She wore a dress washed until it was pale, her voice trembling with careful restraint, yet it carried to every corner of the room. “Miss Johnson, can you give back the life you stole from me?” In that instant, my world was utterly overturned. Dunn was my last lifeline, and I clung to him tightly. We had sex desperately in bed, and he promised over and over, “Lydia, as childhood sweethearts, we’ve been in love for ten years. No matter who you are, I’ll never abandon you.’ But he broke that promise. Our parents held the grandest recognition ceremony for Juliet, and Andy showered her with hundreds of gifts. It was only right. They owed her that, after all. So I didn’t let the jeers and mockery get to me. I still had Dunn. But there were things I didn’t know. Dunn had repeatedly spent time with Juliet, making up for the childhood she’d missed. He’d even given her our memories. When I found out, he said impatiently, “Lydia, I’m helping you make it up to her.” Therefore, he missed the anniversary of our first date. And later, our wedding anniversary. On our birthday, I spent months learning to cook, prepared a feast, and bought Juliet twenty-seven birthday gifts. But they all kept it from me and took Juliet to Europe instead, renting a castle to celebrate her birthday. Now I’d say, “You don’t need to hide it from me. I could have just been an audience member down below, clapping for you guys.” But back then, I made a scene. And I dumped all my resentment on Dunn. His eyes filled with disappointment. “If you hadn’t targeted Juliet, why would we have needed to keep it from you?” I widened my eyes, explaining over and over, “I wasn’t targeting her. I even spent five months designing a dress for her!” But Dunn produced a recording and laughed at me. “You’re smart. Surveillance is erased, and the people you arranged are flawless.” “But Juliet, true to being Mom and Dad’s biological daughter, secretly recorded every time she met you.” I screamed hysterically, “I didn’t! That’s AI-generated!” He scoffed. “Tell me, does a girl who grew up in deep mountains even understand this kind of tech?” “I’m the one who taught her to use her smartphone and made her first social media post.” I was utterly desperate. Pain crushed my chest. My body seized, and blood spilled from my mouth. There was a voice roaring inside my mind. “So, Dunn, you used these technologies I don’t understand to build a prison on an island for me, to deceive and punish me?”

Dunn was taken aback and asked instinctively, “Why did Lydia vomit blood?” The doctor hesitated and stammered, “She has been suffering from malnutrition for a long time and endured so many injuries…” He seemed incredulous. “Didn’t I instruct you to deliver food regularly?” Dunn’s voice changed instantly, filled with anger. “Save her!” “If she dies, all of you will pay with your lives!” Juliet timidly spoke up, “Lydia must have been deliberately starving herself during that period, which damaged her stomach.” I remembered. At that time, I was like someone bewitched. Juliet, nurtured by money and love, transformed from a beautiful swan into a noble phoenix. She drew all of Dunn’s attention and affection. Meanwhile, I went mad with dieting, working out, and undergoing cosmetic procedures. I even went to clubs to learn flirting techniques. Finally, I put on those humiliating clothes, trampling on my once proud self. Yet all I got from Dunn was a glance of disgust. “Disgusting.” Though he lay in bed, he turned his back to me. I felt as if I had fallen into an icy abyss, staying awake until dawn. It seemed that Dunn remembered this incident and believed what Juliet had said. He hoarsely instructed, “Treat her stomach for the next couple of days.” Then I vomited blood again. The doctor finally realized something was wrong. He pried open my eyelids and said, “Mr. Owen… She… She seems to have lost the will to live…” Suddenly, there was a commotion around me. My soul felt like it was about to dissipate. But I was not willing to give up. So when I was transported back to Eldermere and taken to the operating room, my spirit regained control of my body. Without looking back, I held my breath and ran without hesitation. From the trash bin to the sewer, I suddenly felt the urge to visit my home in Sunscorch. But the moment I emerged from the sewer, my brother Andy, who had been with me for over twenty years, appeared in front of me. He crushed my hand with his foot, his gaze cold and indifferent. “You’ve been hiding for three years. Why show up today? Couldn’t you just stay in the sewer like a rat?” “Is it because Juliet ruined your wedding that you want to ruin hers today?” Before I could explain anything, he ordered his men to gag me and tie me up, dragging me to a basement. He then thoughtfully turned on the television for me. The screen was broadcasting a live stream of a once-in-a-century aerial wedding. Juliet, in a pure white wedding dress, was with Dunn in a hot air balloon. He promised her, “In this world, you’re my only love.” Under the bright blue sky, the diamond ring sparkled, and the couple shared a lingering kiss. At the same moment, thousands of pink balloons rose into the air, turning the scene into a fairy tale. I thought I wouldn’t feel heartbroken anymore. But the pain in my heart at this moment overshadowed all the injuries on my body. Andy laughed at me mercilessly. “Look at yourself now. You never belonged to our world.” He stared at my right hand and ordered the bodyguard, “This is the hand that poisoned Juliet, right? Break her hand.” The next second, I screamed in agony, the intense pain making me black out and fall to the ground. In my dazed consciousness, I remembered what he said. After Dunn refused to share a bed with me, I discovered I was pregnant. Overjoyed, I hired three caregivers to look after me. Everyone’s relationship with me improved because of the baby. Juliet even sent over a meal she had prepared for me. I treasured it and ate every bit, but then my stomach started to cramp. Lying on the hospital bed, I had the vomit tested for toxins. I showed them the report, but they all thought I was framing her again. Juliet cried pitifully, “Lydia, how could you be so cruel, using an innocent life to accuse me?” They forced me to admit my jealousy, to confess my schemes. They made me apologize to Juliet and pressured me to divorce Dunn. In grief, I refused it all. Everyone left without mercy, never looking back. They were all filled with resentment towards me.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619rUy5ywYyla 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni104027”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

I was eating in the company break room. Suddenly, something hit my face hard. The pudding I had placed in the office fridge that morning somehow ended up on my face, splattering all over my lunch. Daisy Forrest, a colleague who was currently breastfeeding, was glaring at me furiously. She snapped, “Skye, who gave you permission to put that disgusting thing in the fridge? I told you — this fridge space is for my breast milk only. No other food is allowed.” “Don’t you know dairy spoils easily? If my breast milk gets contaminated and my baby gets sick, who’s going to be responsible?” I instantly felt my blood boil and decided to confront her head-on. Iris Bloom, another colleague, quickly grabbed my arm. “Don’t lose your temper. Her husband is Caspian Drake, CEO of Drake Group. Even Mr. Locke plays nice with her. You really want to mess with her and risk your job?” Her husband? CEO of Drake Group? I froze. Caspian was holding me close just this morning, not letting go. How was he suddenly Daisy’s husband? *** While I was stunned, Daisy obviously overheard Iris. A smug look crossed her face immediately. “Now you are afraid? That cheap dessert you picked up from some random corner shop? How dare you put it next to my breast milk?” Cheap? Caspian had trained under a world-renowned pastry chef. He woke up at 4 a.m. to make that dessert just for me. I pulled free from Iris’s grip and stood up to face Daisy. “Daisy, this is a shared fridge, not your private property. I can put whatever I want in here. It’s not your place to boss me around.” “Besides,” I added, “the company has a dedicated lactation room with its own fridge just for you, but you’re using it to store snacks and drinks.” ”Now you’re trying to hog the shared fridge. That’s just shameless.” Some coworkers nodded quietly, clearly fed up with Daisy for a long time. The intern, Anna Crane, even had tears welling up in her eyes. Last week, when Anna put her lunch in the fridge, Daisy threw the whole box at her head and screamed at her without mercy. I wanted to defend Anna back then, but the other colleagues stopped me. I wondered how everyone could put up with so much. It turned out Daisy used Caspian’s name to intimidate them all. Daisy showed no shame. In fact, she got even more arrogant. “So what? Listen up. Even the fridge in Mr. Locke’s office is mine. He never even dares to say no to me.” “What do you think you are, daring to challenge me here? Go ahead. Complain and see who ends up kicked out.” As soon as Daisy spoke, the murmuring colleagues immediately bowed their heads, too afraid to say a word. “What’s all this noise about?” a stern voice cut in. It was the boss, Zephyr Locke. “Iris, what happened?” Zephyr said. After hearing the gist of the situation, Zephyr frowned. He didn’t blame Daisy at all. Instead, he looked annoyed. “It’s not worth making a big scene over such a small matter.” “Skye, Daisy is breastfeeding right now. Someday, you’ll have a baby, too. Can’t you try to be a little more understanding?” “Why don’t you apologize to Daisy and pay her two thousand dollars? Then we can move on.” I nearly laughed in disbelief. “Apologize? Pay money? Mr. Locke, are you serious?” Zephyr’s face darkened. He gave a look to his assistant, Ethan. Ethan immediately pulled me aside and spoke in a friendly tone. “Skye, take my advice. Don’t be stubborn.You really can’t mess with Daisy.“ ” Her husband is Caspian, and Mr. Locke is counting on her connection to the Drake family.” I sneered, “How can you be so sure her husband is Caspian?” Ethan pulled out his phone and showed me Daisy’s Instagram. “Look. She’s been posting about it for a whole month.” The screen showed Daisy’s recent posts featuring luxury bags, jewelry, and other expensive items. Each post included a photo of two older people, captioned: “Another day being spoiled by the whole family. Grateful to have married the right person to know what it feels like to be truly valued.” Those two older people were Caspian’s parents. They were once power players in the business world, with connections everywhere. Without a second thought, I called Caspian. The phone rang for a long time, but he didn’t answer. Just then, I heard hurried footsteps behind me. I turned around. Daisy was grabbing her bag and rushing out. I looked at Iris in confusion. “What’s going on?” I asked. She whispered, “Daisy just got a call. Sounds like something happened to her child.”

The moment I heard the child was in trouble, I fell silent. Daisy might be crazy and hateful, but the kid was innocent. Still, I needed to get to the bottom of the things mentioned in Daisy’s posts. So I kept texting Caspian, but by 3 P.M., he still hadn’t replied. Then, the work chat exploded with messages. I opened it and saw Daisy going ballistic again. She posted a photo showing a tiny red spot on her son’s cheek, and typed: “Skye, it’s your filthy stuff contaminating my breast milk that caused this rash on my son’s face.” “My son carries the Drake family bloodline. If anything happens to him, you and your whole family won’t be able to afford to pay for it. Just you wait. I won’t let go.” I looked at the photo and saw that the spot was so small that it was almost invisible. I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. I replied, “Daisy, I suggest you get yourself checked at a psych ward ASAP.” Almost immediately, Ethan messaged me. “Skye, get some flowers and gifts ready. You and Mr. Locke are going to visit Daisy’s son at the hospital, and you’ll cover the costs to show good faith.” There was no way I was spending money on gifts for someone smearing me. I texted back, “I’m not going.And I won’t pay a penny for something I didn’t do. ” Ethan replied, “Mr. Locke said if you don’t go, don’t expect to see your salary or bonuses again.” I snorted. Did they really think labor laws meant nothing? Besides, I didn’t care about that money. I replied, “Fine.” Right after, I suddenly remembered those photos on Daisy’s Instagram. I had to figure this out. I asked Ethan, “Is her husband at the hospital, too?” Ethan quickly answered, “Of course, he is.” “Mr. Locke only went because of that.” I was curious to see who Daisy’s husband really was. I messaged, “I’ll go, but I won’t buy flowers or gifts.” – At the hospital, I didn’t see Daisy’s husband anywhere. Zephyr looked even more disappointed than I was. When Daisy saw me, her eyes turned into poisoned knives. She ignored the flowers Zephyr offered and gave a look to the maid beside her. “Take the kid outside for some fresh air. Don’t let him get contaminated by dirty people.” Then she fixed a cold glare on me and ordered the two bodyguards at the door. “Hold her down.” Before I could react, my arms were tightly grabbed. I was frozen, unable to move. “Daisy, what are you trying to do?” I shouted. Zephyr stood silently nearby, lips moving but not uttering a word. Daisy stepped in front of me. “What am I doing? Teaching you a lesson.” Before she said more, she raised her hand and slapped me hard across the face. A burning pain exploded on my cheek. “I want you to remember this slap forever. Watch your mouth from now on. You talk big in the group chat, but in front of me, you’re nothing.” I slowly turned my head, locking my eyes on her face. “Daisy. You’re finished.” At that moment, my phone rang. The caller ID said honey. Daisy snatched the phone from my pocket. She looked at the screen, her eyes darting, then a sinister smile spread across her face. She beckoned to Ethan, who was stunned nearby. “Come here.”

Ethan walked over, clearly confused. Daisy whispered a few quick words in his ear. Instantly, Ethan’s eyes widened in shock and anxiety. Daisy’s glare turned sharp and intimidating. Ethan nervously glanced at me, then reluctantly nodded. He pressed the answer button and switched to speakerphone. At the same time, the bodyguards clamped a hand tightly over my mouth. “Honey,” came Caspian’s voice from the other end. “I was just in a board meeting and had my phone on silent. I saw your messages. Something about a colleague’s child? I honestly don’t know what’s going on—” “Your wife just went to take a shower,” Ethan interrupted loudly, following Daisy’s instructions. “Man, your wife’s amazing. She is very eager. She even says you can’t satisfy her as I do. Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her for you.” Caspian abruptly hung up. Daisy laughed gleefully, “Heard that? It’s so funny. Even your man won’t want you. A bitch is a bitch.” I closed my eyes in despair. She was finished, completely finished. Caspian and I grew up together. I know him too well. He had definitely figured out my situation by now. If anyone hurt me, he’d go insane, ruining them utterly, bankrupting families, destroying lives. And he was definitely on his way to the hospital now. He had secretly installed a tracker on my phone—I’d just been pretending not to notice. After her laughter died down, Daisy told the bodyguards. “Alright, I’ve had enough fun. Strip her and toss her out.” “Stop. You dare!” I struggled desperately, scanning the room with fierce eyes. “I’m Caspian’s wife. Who here dares touch me?” I shouted. The room fell deathly silent. “Oh really? “ ”You’re Caspian’s wife? Skye, are you crazy? Dreaming in broad daylight,” Daisy sneered. “I’m the real Mrs. Drake,” I added. Zephyr leaned in with a serious tone. “Skye, stop making things up. Just apologize properly to Daisy. Maybe this will all blow over.” “Apologize?” Daisy cut him off sharply. “I’m not accepting that bitch’s apology. Today, I’m stripping her naked and tossing her out on the street so she knows what happens when she messes with me.” With that, the two bodyguards pinned me against the wall and began ripping at my coat and shirt collar. I struggled with all my might. But the strength gap was too great. In the midst of this chaotic moment, a voice rang out. “Stop!”

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/202606197oplmx3jjQ 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni542238”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix

On the day of the Empress Dowager’s birthday, my husband’s childhood sweetheart, Wendy Shaw, showed up half-naked, wailing that my brother had ruined her purity. The noble ladies pointed at our family and spat. “Miss Shaw is a candidate for imperial consort. I can’t believe Mr. Greenwood would do something so bold! He should be beaten to death!” I took out the Imperial Pardon Token that our family received after our father died on the battlefield and begged for mercy. In the end, the Emperor spared my brother’s life and even bestowed a marriage between him and Wendy. But the very next moment, my husband, Eric Jones, struck in public and broke both of my brother’s legs. He leaned close to my ear and sighed softly. “If His Majesty’s anger isn’t vented now, he might remember this later and exterminate the entire Greenwood family.” My brother and I swallowed the humiliation. But seven and a half months later, Wendy gave birth to an eight-pound baby boy. My brother cried out, blood in his tears, “I’ve said it a thousand times, I never even touched a single finger of hers!” He had repeated those words countless times on that day, yet no one believed him. They only mocked him for daring to act but not to admit it. Dragging his crippled legs, he picked up the child and tried to file a formal accusation before the throne, only to have his skull smashed from behind by Eric. I opened my mouth to scream, but his hand clamped around my throat. “Have you ever thought about how Wendy and the child will live if you and your brother take this to His Majesty?” His eyes were ruthless. He strangled me to death, even as I was heavily pregnant. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the very day of the birthday banquet. This time, I directly had my brother bound and locked inside a side hall. Yet Wendy still cried that someone had defiled her innocence. *** Wendy slammed her forehead against the dragon-carved pillar until blood streaked down her face. Sobbing, she collapsed into the arms of several noble ladies, trembling as if the world had ended. “I’ve lost my purity. I’ve shamed the Shaw ancestors, and I can no longer face His Majesty. Just let me die!” The ladies shot me vicious looks, their eyes sharp as knives. Each of them burned with righteous fury, as if they wished to spit on me where I stood. “The Greenwood family has grown too arrogant! Guarding the frontier and then returning to violate a maiden chosen for the imperial consort selection?” “They rely on their military merit to act lawlessly, as if even the Emperor were beneath them!” “They brag about strict discipline in the army, yet dare behave so wildly under the Son of Heaven’s gaze. Who knows how many women at the border he’s already ruined!” I glanced at the man who was standing right next to Wendy. It was my husband, Eric. I suppressed the sneer tugging at my lips and spoke calmly, my voice slow and cold. “Miss Shaw, I’d suggest you think about what you say very carefully. Was it really my brother who raped you?” Wendy’s body stiffened, but then she cried even harder. “I already belong to Adam. Why must you humiliate me like this, my lady? I… I might as well die!” She lunged for the pillar again, but the noble ladies hurriedly grabbed her and held her back. Eric walked over to me and dragged me to one side. “Laura Greenwood,” he said through clenched teeth, “your brother committed a beastly crime, yet instead of making him confess, you dare use your status to bully and interrogate Wendy? The honor your Greenwood men won with their blood on the battlefield has been completely ruined by you siblings!” I winced at the pain from his tight grip. But inside, I couldn’t help letting out a cold, silent laugh.

About an hour ago, I personally tied Adam up as if he were a prisoner of war and locked him in a side hall. How could he possibly have slipped out and violated Wendy? I lifted my gaze, fearless, and met Eric’s eyes. “Eric, are you certain it was my brother?” His expression turned vicious. He leaned close, spitting the words at my face. “I knocked that beast unconscious myself, tied him up, and saved Wendy. Do you think I wouldn’t recognize my own brother-in-law?” My heart skipped a beat at those words. Could it be that Adam had broken out of the side hall? “How long are you going to keep this up, Mrs. Jones?” one of the elder matron asked. “As the wife of a court official, instead of easing your husband’s burdens, you shield your scandalous, debauched brother. You are utterly unfit to be the mistress of the Jones household!” “Must Lord Jones twist the law for your sake? Must he protect that disgraceful brother of yours and drive Miss Shaw to her death before you’re satisfied?” Eric glared at me. “Stop embarrassing yourself, Laura!” I snorted and scanned everyone in the room, who thought they were on the side of justice. “Looks like you’re going to pin the blame on my brother no matter if Miss Shaw is raped or not today.” “What?” Tears streamed down Wendy’s cheeks as if she had suffered a huge grievance. She trembled as she took out a handkerchief covered in blood and threw it at my feet. Her voice broke, every word soaked in grievance. “I, Wendy, a sheltered maiden of good family, am I some shameless, wanton harlot who would willingly debase herself? If the Greenwood family refuses to acknowledge this, then I will die here today and never stain your noble name with my presence!” With that, she turned and rushed toward the pillar again. The noble ladies cried out in alarm, grabbing her and holding her fast. “Don’t do that, silly girl. It’s all that pervert from the Greenwood family’s fault! It’s already bad enough that you were raped; we can’t let you just kill yourself like that. We can’t let that bastard off that easily!” shouted the elderly woman. She then turned to me, “Miss Shaw is a candidate for imperial consort. One day she may bear heirs for the royal family! Your Greenwood household is only a minor marquisate. Do you really think you’re some prized treasure, that she would ruin her own reputation just to frame you?” Eric frowned and seized my wrist, putting on the guise of someone acting for my own good. “Stop this nonsense, Laura. Just admit that Adam’s behind all of this and make preparations for Adam and Wendy’s wedding. After that, you need to beg His Majesty for his forgiveness. His Majesty is benevolent. Perhaps he’ll spare Adam’s life. Otherwise, merely for defiling a consort candidate, extermination of the entire family would be considered lenient.” In my previous life, I was tricked by those same words. I believed my brother had truly committed a drunken mistake. Out of guilt, I handed over half the Northern Marquis’ Estate as betrothal gifts to the Shaw family, and treated Wendy like an honored ancestor. In the end, she gave birth to a bastard child after only seven and a half months, and destroyed my entire family. The memory made my stomach churn with nausea. I used all my strength to pull my arm out of Eric’s hand. “You want Wendy to marry into our family? No way!” I shouted. Eric’s face immediately darkened, his gaze turning vicious. Before he could lash out, a commotion rippled through the crowd. Wendy’s father, John Shaw, hurried in.

His face was livid, his whole body trembling with fury. He strode straight up to her and raised his hand. A loud, sharp slap rang out. The blow sent her sprawling to the ground, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth. “Why are you still alive, you embarrassing piece of shit? Guards! Take this whore away and strangle her to death! I don’t want her embarrassing the Shaw family!” Two servants of the Shaw family immediately walked forward. “That won’t be necessary, Father,” cried Wendy as she took off her silver hairpin and stabbed it at her own neck. The hall erupted at once. Some were gasping, some tried to stop Wendy, and others turned to me. “Mrs. Jones, are you just going to stand and watch all of this? If your brother hadn’t done something so vile, would Miss Shaw be driven to this? Where’s your conscience?” I watched the spectacle with cold eyes and said nothing. A ruthless look flashed in Wendy’s eyes as she pushed the hairpin into her neck. Blood gushed out instantly. All the noble ladies gasped. “Heavens above! The Greenwood family has driven someone to suicide!” Eric’s face completely changed. He rushed forward and took the hairpin from Wendy’s hand. “Quick! Summon the imperial doctor!” He quickly ripped off a piece of his clothes and pressed it against the bleeding wound on Wendy’s neck. Wendy was surrounded by people as she blinked weakly. Yet when her gaze brushed past me, there was no will to die in her eyes, only a faint, triumphant gleam, as if victory were already within reach. After Wendy’s wound was taken care of, Eric walked up to me. “You evil bitch!” he cursed angrily and slapped me hard across my face. The blow caused me to stumble and fall. My palms skidded across the cold, hard floor and immediately began to bleed. My left cheek was burning with pain, and my left ear was ringing as well. Eric pointed at me as he looked at me with cunning eyes. “How can you be so ruthless? Do you really want to force Wendy to her death? The Jones family has no place for such a ruthless woman like you! I’ll divorce you right now!” All the noble ladies nodded in agreement. They even began clapping and cheering. “You did the right thing, Mr. Jones! You should divorce this evil bitch!” I was bombarded with curses and insults. They all looked like they wanted to throw rotten eggs at me. I swallowed the blood in my mouth and ignored the scorching pain in my palm as I forced myself up from the ground. “Accusations require proof, Mr. Jones. Which one of you has actually seen my brother raping Wendy?” Everyone present looked at each other in a daze. Eric sneered. “Looks like you just don’t know when to give up!” He walked quickly to the corner of the hall and kicked a sack that was guarded by a couple of guards. He then bent down and untied the rope, reached in, felt around a little, and pulled out a Silver Cloud Circlet. He held the circlet high and turned to face the others. “Take a look, everyone! This Silver Cloud Circlet is something only a Marquis can wear! Of all the Marquises in the kingdom, only my brother-in-law, Adam Greenwood, is missing! The rest are all present!” Eric’s gaze was sharp as a knife. He threw the circlet, which still had a few strands of hair on it, towards me. “What else do you have to say, Laura?” My heart sank at the sight of the circlet. This circlet was indeed the one that Adam was wearing today. Could it be that someone had released Adam after I left? No, that was impossible! John cursed, “Are you still going to say it’s not your brother now that we have solid evidence?” I gritted my teeth and looked straight at Eric as I laughed sarcastically. “Well, that’s strange. My brother and I have only just gotten back to Impelia from the boarders. We might not have attended banquets often, but we’ve never caused any problems. Why was it that when I especially told my brother to stay by your side, Eric, to learn proper etiquette, such a thing happened? Who exactly is having an affair with Wendy and wants to frame my brother and family for it?” “That’s nonsense!” Eric shouted angrily. He was clearly in a panic. A couple of men held him back. Everyone present shook their heads at me. “You’ve really lost it! You are actually trying to frame your husband just to protect your brother!” “You really have no conscience! Looks like you want to drag the Jones family down with you!” “I really feel sorry for Eric to have married such a heartless woman!” A couple of kind elders came over and tried to calm me down. “Let’s not make things more complicated than they already are, Laura. Just apologize to Eric. We can still work something out.” I pushed their hands away and sneered. “Why should I apologize? I did nothing wrong!” Someone present mumbled, “Mr. Jones and Miss Shaw grew up together. If there really was something between them, would Eric have married her?” Everyone present felt the statement sounded a little weird, but soon, realization dawned on them. An elderly lady of the Jones family became anxious and grabbed my arm. “What’s gotten into you? All the men of the Greenwood family have died on the battlefield, and your brother’s the only man left! If His Majesty and Empress Dowager find out about this, what would they do to your brother?” I couldn’t help but recall what happened in my previous life. After Adam’s legs were crippled, all he could do was lie in bed all day. His wound became infected and began to rot. He used to be the most talented young general in the army, but ended up being a cripple who couldn’t even walk. I couldn’t forget the hopeless look in his eyes when he was nothing but skin and bones and wishing he were dead.

Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260619dDrZw2P8Zr 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni650779”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix