Author: Momo Chan

After the hard-won UK Government Scholarship was given to the Headmaster’s daughter, my tutor called me in for a chat. “Let Lily Brown take charge of your project from now on; you can assist her.” I was both angry and amused. Not only had they taken my scholarship, but now they wanted to steal my project outcomes too? I flatly refused. The tutor scoffed, “Once you enter the real world, you’ll see that these kinds of unspoken rules are everywhere!” The project outcomes had caught the attention of a national expert group, leading to the appointment of a professor to our university. The school sent Lily Brown to meet him, and the professor frowned. “Isn’t your daughter the head of this project?” Recently, the recipients of the highly competitive UK Government Scholarship were announced. Everyone in the department believed that I was the obvious choice for this year’s scholarship, and I thought so too. This wasn’t blind confidence; I genuinely stood out among the competitors. My academic performance spoke for itself. I had won first place in last year’s Student Start-up Competition and English Speaking Competition, had received national-level honours five times, and had even published a paper in a scientific journal last year. Thus, it was almost an unspoken agreement among everyone that I would be the scholarship winner. My flatmates had even booked a restaurant early on to celebrate my success. Everything was set; all I needed was the final confirmation. Little did I know, instead of a celebratory breeze, a bucket of cold water was about to be thrown over me. “I can’t believe some people can be so shameless! Popping champagne before the results, thinking they’re something special.” “Exactly! She’s like a clown, truly embarrassing for our department.” “Not to mention, our Lily was so understated and collected while winning the scholarship.” “Shh, keep it down; you don’t want her to hear you.” “Am I supposed to be scared she’ll hear me? She’s already made a fool of herself.” I tuned them out, expressionless as I walked into the lecture theatre. The previously noisy room fell silent in an instant. Everyone stopped what they were doing, all eyes fixed on me. I casually lifted my eyelids and scanned the crowd, finally resting my gaze on Chloe Smith, the one who claimed she wasn’t afraid of me. The moment our eyes met, her bravado faltered, and she quickly looked down, unable to maintain eye contact. Jessica noticed and smirked; she was known for her fiery temper. “Speak up! Cat got your tongue?” The students glanced at each other, like frightened birds scattering, leaving only Chloe with her head hung low, like an ostrich. “I’ve never seen someone so brazen, stealing from others and acting righteous about it.” “Exactly! I’ve never encountered someone so shameless. Who doesn’t know Lily only got the scholarship because of her father?” “Right? I’ve never seen such a devoted lapdog either.” My three flatmates chimed in, and Chloe’s face turned a mix of blue and white. A few people nearby chuckled. Chloe lifted her head, indignation etched on her face. “You…” “What’s that?” I shot her a sideways glance. She faltered, words caught in her throat, unable to decide whether to speak or stay silent, her frustration causing her to stomp her feet. After lunch, my tutor summoned me to his office. “Sophie, I know you’re a clever girl. For the past two years, you’ve consistently ranked at the top, winning numerous awards and bringing great honour to the school.” He started by flattering me, placing a metaphorical crown upon my head before shifting the topic. “But the scholarship isn’t just based on grades; there’s also your school conduct. Now, as for Lily Brown…” “Oh, you mean Lily Brown, the Headmaster’s daughter?” I interjected.

The tutor fell silent, staring at me, words caught in his throat. Finally, he let out a sigh. The office grew quiet, the hum of the air conditioning the only sound. If the award had gone to anyone else, I wouldn’t have questioned it. But there was nothing remarkable about Lily among the candidates. Coupled with her Headmaster father and the tutor’s reaction, it was clear there was foul play. Sure enough, what the tutor said next confirmed my suspicions. “In any case, the scholarship decision is final. I’m only here to inform you. Whether you accept it or not won’t affect the outcome. You’re a bright student; you should understand what I mean. Besides, you’re so talented that you can always try again next year. Think of this as a chance to be magnanimous.” “Let her have it?” I scoffed, “Why should I give up what’s mine?” “Sophie Carter!” The tutor slammed his hand on the desk, glaring at me. “I’ve been civil with you; don’t take it too far. I’m just trying to help you, so don’t bite the hand that feeds you!” His ugly side was laid bare before me. “Do you not understand? The scholarship has nothing to do with you anymore. What you think doesn’t matter. You can sugarcoat it by saying you’re letting her have it, but let’s be honest—this school is practically hers. She can have whatever she wants. If you want to blame someone, blame your lack of a good father!” The tutor’s tone grew harsh, veins bulging on his forehead. Seeing I remained unfazed, he took a deep breath and threw his water cup against the wall, the sound echoing in the silence. I frowned, suppressing my anger, my upbringing preventing me from acting out against a teacher. I inclined my head slightly. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.” With that, I stood up and headed for the door. Just as I reached it, I paused. “One piece of advice: be careful not to sink your own ship.” In response, there was another crash of objects being thrown. On my way back to class, I ran into a few flatmates. They noticed my foul mood and wisely chose not to ask. We chatted casually, and from a distance, I spotted those who had been gossiping earlier, now gathered around Lily, laughing. “Lily, you’ve truly brought glory to our halls!” “Of course! It’s a national award, not just anyone can win it—only our Lily is impressive!” Lily smiled coyly, pretending to be modest. “It’s all thanks to everyone’s support; otherwise, how could I have won the scholarship so easily?” “It’s all your own talent. Some people…” “You at least know your own worth, and understand you’re not deserving of it.” Jessica retorted sarcastically.

Chloe, who had been interrupted, was now as angry as a dog with its tail stepped on. “Jessica, don’t bully her!” Jessica turned, bewildered, “Where’s that barking coming from? Aren’t pets banned in school?” The flatmate shrugged innocently. “I don’t know, maybe it’s a wild dog that crawled in from some hole.” Fuming, Chloe marched toward us, but Lily swiftly held her back. Rising from her seat, she took a few steps toward me, looking apologetic. “Sorry, she was just happy for me, she didn’t mean to offend you.” I finally lifted my eyelids to look at her, curling my lips into a mocking smile. “I understand, after all, she hasn’t seen much of the world.” Lily’s expression darkened a bit, but she maintained her smile. “They’ve booked a restaurant tonight to celebrate; if you’re free, you should join us. The more, the merrier!” “Sorry.” I looked away, brushing past Lily. My tone was nonchalant. “I’m not interested in dining with those who thrive on the misfortunes of others.” Lily’s smile vanished in an instant, her hands clenching at her sides. I didn’t look back at her. The scholarship incident continued to spiral, with everyone chattering about it. Some felt Lily didn’t deserve the award, claiming it was obtained through dubious means. Others believed I was too arrogant, dreaming big without the capability to back it up. For the first few days, the outrage against Lily was dominant; after all, people were capable of reasoning. But by the third day, the tide turned, and many began to shift their criticism onto me, spewing insults—it was clear there was more to this situation. On Friday, my tutor summoned me again. He opened his mouth, and there was nothing good to hear. “From now on, let Lily handle the project; you’ll be there to assist.” I was incredulous. It was one thing to steal my scholarship; now they wanted to take my project outcomes as well? “That’s not happening.” The tutor froze, his brows furrowed in disbelief. “What did you just say?” “I said it’s not happening.” I met his gaze, “Is there a word in that sentence you don’t understand?” “Sophie Carter!” “My work will not be given to her. If she lacks the ability, she shouldn’t come looking for me!” “You think I’m asking for your opinion? I’m just informing you!” “Fine.” I scoffed, “Then I’m out. If she’s involved, I’m not.” “You’re threatening me? You dare to threaten me?!” The tutor’s face turned pale with rage, his eyes bulging. “Sophie Carter, I thought you learned your lesson from last time, but it seems not. Do you think your threats will matter? I’m just informing you, not asking for your opinion!” His face was turning red, and he sneered, “You think the world is fair? Let me tell you, when you step into society, you’ll see this kind of unspoken rule everywhere!” I laughed coldly. “You’ve been involved in quite a few, haven’t you?” The tutor’s posture stiffened, and he retorted, “What nonsense are you spouting? I’m only here to relay orders from above!” I smirked, looking at him with unabashed contempt, speaking slowly and clearly. “Those who do evil will inevitably suffer.”

The tutor’s face twisted under my gaze, his forehead bulging with veins as he trembled with anger. I turned my gaze away, brushing off nonexistent dust from my clothes and straightening up as I headed for the door. Lily was more pleased than ever, having taken my scholarship and now my project outcomes. She was completely swollen with pride. Rumours about me circulated more widely; everyone was waiting for me to fail. As for me, I was keeping my distance, enjoying life as usual. With no classes in the afternoon, I joined my flatmates at a nearby café to pass the time. I don’t enjoy bitter things, so I just ordered a small cake. We were chatting happily when the bell above the door jingled, and a group of boys walked in. I looked up and met James Thornton’s gaze. His deep, dark eyes locked onto mine. After a moment of connection, he smirked slightly and made his way toward me. He was one of the school’s stars, excelling either academically, like me, or coming from an impressive family background, like James. Even though he was from the adjacent art school, his reputation had spread widely. It was said that wherever he appeared, there was always quite a stir; luckily, the café was relatively quiet at this hour. “Sophie, the academic star.” He casually pulled out a chair and sat across from me. My flatmates immediately lowered their heads, pretending to look at their phones while secretly straining to listen. “I heard someone’s stolen your scholarship.” James lifted his chin slightly, his tone laid-back. “Want me to have someone teach them a lesson?” Before I could respond, I felt a piercing gaze boring into me. I looked up to find Lily and Chloe standing at the entrance, glaring at me. “Perfect timing,” James quipped, raising an eyebrow. “James, what a coincidence! You’re here too!” Lily exclaimed as she walked in. James ignored her entirely, not even glancing in her direction, his dark eyes fixed solely on me. Seeing that I wasn’t responding, he clicked his tongue. “Boring.” With that, James stood up, preparing to leave. Lily hurriedly called out, “James, tonight…” “Not interested; I don’t want to go,” he cut her off, amusement evident in his eyes. Lily turned pale, tears welling in her eyes. James subtly furrowed his brow before straightening up, waving a hand dismissively as he said, “I’m off.” “James, wait for us! We haven’t even gotten our coffee yet…” one of the boys protested. James smacked the back of his head playfully. “You’re such a nuisance.” The boy retorted, “You were the one who insisted on coming to the café…” “Shut up, grab your coffee, and let’s go.” I caught a glimpse of James’s ears turning red, but before I could see more, Lily stepped in front of me, blocking my view. “Sophie Carter.” With her arms crossed, Lily had a haughty demeanor. “You should know your place; some people aren’t within your reach. Consider this a warning: don’t dream unrealistic dreams.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294637”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

The day after my dad died, My mom, who had been missing for over twenty years, showed up with her children from another man, fighting for my dad’s estate. “They’re my kids too. Whatever you have, they should have it too.” Dressed in mourning, my eyes swollen from crying, I couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Oh, Mom, you don’t know, do you? After twenty years of being abandoned by you, I’ve become quite the vengeful little monster. “He’s dead! What’s the use of crying? Get up and start counting how much money that deadbeat left behind!” I was sprawled out in the funeral parlor, crying so hard that I felt weak and lightheaded, nearly passing out. I had no father now, and I was all alone in this world. But my mom—Margaret Gates—who’d disappeared for more than twenty years, was yanking on my mourning clothes, trying to pull me off the floor. “You’ve got no manners! It’s your first time meeting your brother and sister, and you’re not even saying hello? Just crying and crying—how pathetic!” I kept my head down, swallowing the fury rising in my chest. My dad worked himself to the bone his entire life, and I wasn’t going to let him worry about me from his coffin. When I didn’t respond, Margaret got even angrier. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and dragged me up off the ground, shoving me in front of a man and a woman. “This is Mark Cooper and Lisa Cooper, your brother and sister.” “Your dad’s gone now, and we need a man around the house. I brought Mark here so he could get familiar with the place. From now on, this will be his home.” “And stop pretending to cry your eyes out. Let’s get to counting your dad’s estate. By law, I get half, and the other half will be split between the four of us.” “I see this house was just remodeled not too long ago. I’ll decide—this house goes to Mark. Don’t worry, he won’t throw you out. He’ll leave you a room so you can stay here when you visit during the holidays.” She rambled on, getting more pleased with herself the longer she talked. I looked up at the man and woman standing in front of me, their eyes shifting around, greedily eyeing the house. The way they stared at my family’s mansion made me sick. “Let go,” I said, speaking to Margaret for the first time in over twenty years. She froze for a second, then slapped me on the back. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?” I looked up at her and slowly smiled. Satisfied, she raised her chin arrogantly. “That’s more like it. You’ve always needed a good beating to behave.” Before she could finish, I pulled out my trusty pocket knife and slashed her hand. “AHHHHH!!!” Margaret shrieked, letting go of my hair as blood dripped from her hand, leaving dark stains on the floor of our courtyard. Dad, look. No one can bully me anymore.

The night I was supposed to keep vigil for my dad turned into a scene at the police station. I leaned back in my chair, watching Margaret like she was the biggest fool on Earth. Maybe seeing the police officers standing tall in their uniforms made her feel like she had backup. Her face, which had been pale the whole way here, suddenly regained its color. She shoved her poorly bandaged hand toward the officers, wailing at the top of her lungs, “What did I do to deserve this? My own daughter pulled a knife on me!” The officer knocked on the table, frowning as he asked me, “What happened here?” I hadn’t even opened my mouth when Mark Cooper rolled up his sleeves and shouted, “Pay up! There’s no way we’re letting this go without compensation!” Margaret’s injury was minor, so as long as she agreed to drop the charges, the whole thing could be settled. I didn’t want to waste my time with them—I just wanted to get back to my dad’s vigil. So when Margaret, Mark, and Lisa finally whispered among themselves and asked for $2,000 in compensation, I didn’t hesitate to agree. Right in front of the officers, I took out my phone and transferred the money. Once the payment was confirmed, Margaret gleefully signed the waiver. As I watched her grinning ear to ear, I suddenly asked, “Don’t you feel any sadness at all?” She looked up, confused. “Sad about what?” I didn’t bother saying another word, just turned and walked out. As I passed by them, I overheard their whispered conversation. “Mom, she’s using the newest iPhone. It’s over a thousand bucks! You just got that money—buy me one.” “Mom, $2,000! She didn’t even blink when she agreed. Who knows how much her old man left her? We better come up with a plan.” I was halfway out the door when I heard Margaret ask the officer loudly, “Do you handle inheritance disputes too?”

The next day, after we buried my dad according to custom, I thanked all the relatives and neighbors from Maplewood Village who came to help. Once everyone had left, I stood alone in the now-empty mansion, the grief hitting me so hard I almost wished I’d gone with him. When I was just two or three years old, Margaret left my dad and me, running off with a butcher from out of town because she thought my dad was too poor. My dad became both mother and father to me, struggling to raise me on his own. Once I started elementary school and didn’t need to be by his side all the time, he finally had the time to start a small business. I didn’t know how big his business had grown, but I did know that life at home kept getting better. We built this mansion, and my dad loved buying me all kinds of luxury goods. I became the kid everyone at school envied—the rich girl who had it all. But no one knew there was a piece of me that was missing. That piece should’ve been my mother. During all the moments I needed her, she was never there. Over the years, I’d grown used to being the kid without a mom. I slowly packed up my dad’s belongings, crying as I went. I’d cry until I was exhausted, then fall asleep, wake up, and continue packing. Days blurred together until, eventually, I finished sorting through everything my dad left behind. I was shocked at just how wealthy my dad had been. During that time, I developed a habit. I’d sit in the courtyard, staring at the security camera on the wall, lost in thought. One evening, as the sky turned a beautiful shade of dusk, I sat in the courtyard quietly sipping the osmanthus wine my dad had made. The weather was perfect, the sunset gorgeous, and I hadn’t locked the front door. Margaret strolled in with Mark and Lisa, looking down at me from her position at the entrance. “It’s been days. You’ve gone through all the stuff your old man left behind, right?” “I brought Mark and Lisa. We need to figure out how to divide your dad’s estate.”

I smiled and motioned for them to sit down. Then, I went inside to grab paper and pens. “What are your ideas? Write them down, and let’s discuss.” Margaret seemed really pleased with how cooperative I was. She nodded. “I thought I’d have to beat some sense into you before you’d hand over the money.” “How much did your dad leave behind? Let’s see the inventory.” I handed her the list I’d prepared. As they looked it over, their eyes sparkled with greed. Margaret straightened up, taking on the role of the decision-maker. “Alright, I’ll decide how the inheritance gets split.” She’d clearly been thinking about how to divide my dad’s estate for a long time. Without hesitation, she scribbled her ideas down, her sloppy handwriting not affecting her excitement in the least. It didn’t take her long to finish. She handed me the paper with a flourish. “Lily, we’ll go with this plan. Tomorrow, we’ll get all the paperwork sorted, transfer the funds, and change the ownership of the house.” I looked at her deeply. “My name is Lily Gates, not ‘Lily.’” She gave an awkward smile. “Well, we always called you Lily when you were little.” I smiled back. “Funny how that works. When I was little, I had a mom too.” Lisa, growing impatient, snatched the paper from my hands, scanning it quickly. Her face fell. She slammed the paper down on the table. “Mom, you always talk about fairness. Why does Mark get the mansion and a few million dollars, and I only get $100,000 in cash?” I nodded enthusiastically, chiming in, “Exactly! I’m getting $200,000, but you’re her little princess. How is $100,000 fair for you?” Lisa wasn’t having it anymore. She threw herself on the ground, kicking and screaming. Mark, worried Margaret might take some of his share and give it to Lisa, grabbed her by the hair and slapped her hard across the face. “Shut up! Mom’s money, mom’s rules!” Lisa, shocked that Mark would hit her, froze for a moment before screaming and launching herself at him. “How dare you hit me? You want to die?” The two of them were rolling around, fighting like cats and dogs, while Margaret, frantic, jumped in to break them up. I quietly scooted my chair back, pulled out a bag of sunflower seeds, and settled in to enjoy the show. It was quite the spectacle in my courtyard, their howls echoing in the night. Margaret couldn’t pull them apart and even took a few accidental punches herself. Furious, she slapped both of them hard across the face. Her hand, still bandaged from my earlier cut, started bleeding again. Mark and Lisa weren’t much better off—one had a swollen eye, and the other had a split lip. Grinning, I said, “What’s going on here? You’re family! Why fight over a little money?” Margaret shot them both a dirty look and forced a smile at me. “Lily, you and Lisa are both my daughters. I can’t show too much favoritism. How about we take $50,000 from your share and give it to Lisa? Then you’ll each get $150,000. Fair enough?” I turned to Lisa. “Does that work for you?” Lisa glared at Mark, silent. Still smiling, I said, “Well, if everyone agrees, go ahead and sign.” I watched as all three of them signed the agreement, satisfied as I folded the paper and slipped it into my pocket. “Alright then, see you here tomorrow at ten. We’ll go finish up the paperwork.”

The next day, when Margaret, Mark, and Lisa showed up at my house, they were in for a surprise. The courtyard was packed full of people. Neighbors, relatives, everyone from Maplewood Village was there, chatting and munching on sunflower seeds, laughing and joking. When they spotted the three of them, Uncle Joe, the most respected elder in the village, put down his seeds and waved them over. Even though she’d run off over twenty years ago, Margaret had grown up in this village, and she knew all the elders. Uncle Joe was known for being fair and just, and no one in the village dared cross him. With everyone watching, Margaret reluctantly shuffled over to greet him. Though he was old, Uncle Joe was still sharp. Raising his voice, he asked, “Margaret, what are you doing here?” As soon as he spoke, the crowd went silent, all eyes on her. Seeing no point in lying, Margaret finally gave up and said, “I talked with Lily—uh, I mean, Lily—yesterday, and we’re here to finalize the inheritance today.” Uncle Joe shook his head, raising his voice even more. “These old ears aren’t so good anymore. What kind of inheritance?” Margaret bowed her head, biting her lip, not answering. Uncle Joe slammed his cane on the ground. “I asked you a question! What inheritance?” The force of his words made Margaret stumble back two steps. Mark stepped forward, unable to hold back anymore. He pointed at Uncle Joe, his voice filled with venom. “Old man, mind your business. My mom’s here to transfer this mansion into my name and to make sure the rest of that deadbeat’s money goes to me!” The crowd buzzed with shock and outrage. Margaret turned beet red as neighbors started shouting insults at her. “Margaret, you left John because he was poor! How do you have the nerve to come back now?” “Have some shame, woman! You’re an embarrassment!” Margaret swung her arm wildly, screaming back, “Shut up! I never divorced John! By law, I’m entitled to half of his estate—I’m the primary heir!”

Uncle Joe looked at me, puzzled. “Kid, what’s going on here?” I put on my most innocent expression. “I don’t know, Uncle Joe. Everyone’s watched me grow up here. Where did this so-called mom come from?” “Don’t give me that crap!” Margaret screamed, pointing at me angrily. She fished out a small, worn red booklet from her pocket and threw it onto the stone table. “Take a good look. This is my marriage certificate with that deadbeat. Stop going around telling people I ran off! I’m still legally his wife. Now that he’s dead, I have the right to inherit his estate.” “Well, isn’t that something!” I said as I leaned forward, picking up the little red book. After looking at it for a moment, I handed it over to Uncle Joe. “Uncle Joe, check it out. It’s a real marriage certificate.” Margaret lifted her head proudly, her face lighting up with a smug smile. “You can try to gang up on me all you want, but in the end, that deadbeat’s money? It’s all mine.” I couldn’t hold back my anger any longer. My face darkened as I said coldly, “Margaret, if I hear you call him a deadbeat one more time, you won’t get a single penny from me.” Margaret raised her hand, ready to slap me, but I stared back at her, hard. Uncle Joe’s cane thumped heavily on the ground, the sound reverberating through the courtyard. After a tense moment, Margaret spat on the ground in frustration. “You’ve seen the marriage certificate. No more questions, right? So, can we go ahead with the transfer now?” Uncle Joe and the other elders from Maplewood Village stood in stunned silence, not expecting this turn of events. No one said a word. Margaret’s smug grin grew wider as she turned to Mark and Lisa, flashing them a look of victory. I smiled too, lifting my finger to point at Mark and Lisa as I spoke lazily, “There’s still a problem. If you’re my dad’s legal wife and have inheritance rights, what about them?” Mark and Lisa’s faces paled, and they nervously glanced at Margaret. Margaret, still smiling, said, “Don’t try to scare me. I did my research. Non-marital and marital children have equal inheritance rights.” “They’re my kids. Whatever you get, they’re entitled to too.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294636”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

On the train, an old lady stole my ghost-binding rope. I smirked coldly. That thing was meant to save her son’s life. “My hand is injured. Switch seats with me. You sleep on the upper bunk,” she commanded. Her tone irritated me, and I looked up at her with displeasure. An old woman with her right arm in a sling, yet her voice was full of vigor. She grabbed my luggage and started tossing it onto the upper bunk. “Hurry up!” I made myself even more comfortable. “Thank you for offering your bed for my luggage. I was just thinking this bed was too small.” The man on the lower bunk opposite us spoke up for the old lady: “Young lady, you look pretty, but how can you bully an elderly person?” “Oh my, these city girls don’t care about us old country folks at all,” the old lady’s attitude suddenly became more aggressive when she saw someone backing her up. “What’s wrong with being from the countryside? I’m from there too,” I retorted. I clutched my stomach and groaned, “Oh, I don’t mind being a bit cramped, but what about my baby?” “My mom said not to tell anyone before three months, but I have no choice now!” The man on the middle bunk, annoyed at having his sleep disturbed, grumbled, “She looks much healthier than the young lady. My ears are ringing from her shouting.” The old lady was left speechless. Even the man who initially supported her changed sides and tossed her bag onto the upper bunk. “How shameless can you be, trying to take a pregnant woman’s seat?” The old lady glared at me and reluctantly climbed to the upper bunk. But she wasn’t content to stay quiet up there. She started bragging to the man about how successful her son was. “My son is so capable! He bought a big house in the city!” “When he heard about my injured hand, he specifically told me that kind-hearted people would surely offer to switch seats with me when they saw it.” When I returned from the bathroom, I mouthed to her: “I’m-not-pregnant.” The old lady’s boasting got stuck in her throat, and she pointed at me, glaring for a long time. Her chest heaved as if she was furious, and she lost all interest in bragging about her son. She probably wouldn’t sleep well that night. I could finally get some good rest.

At dawn, we arrived at our destination. I went to the address provided by my client. The old lady happened to be standing at the door of the house I was heading to. Seeing me behind her, the old lady immediately straightened her back. She looked me up and down, unable to contain her excitement. Suddenly, she started laughing hysterically like a madwoman. “So you’re the girlfriend my son’s been dating?” “It’s just a birthday, and you want to eat a $38 meal? Do you think my son is made of money?” “Eating his food, using his things, and still wanting him to help with housework.” “You’ve got some nerve.” “I came here specifically to teach you a lesson.” “Since you don’t know how to respect your elders, as long as I’m here, don’t even think about entering this door today.” She gripped the doorframe with both hands, her eyes glaring at me as if she would fight me to the death if I dared to step inside. After the old lady’s outburst, I had a pretty good idea of what was going on. My client had mentioned on SnapChat that he had a girlfriend, but she had been scared off long ago. The old lady had mistaken me for someone else. Looking at the house filled with resentment, I covered my face and pretended to sob quietly: “You don’t have to be so cruel. I’ll leave if that’s what you want.” The old lady’s face contorted as if she was constipated. Perhaps because I gave in so easily, she hadn’t had the chance to say all the nasty things she wanted to, and it left her feeling frustrated. I didn’t give her the opportunity either. After dropping that line, I quickly went downstairs and left the troublesome place. There really was a ghost in that house, and an evil one at that. The pay would have to be higher. This job was going to be a loss. 4 When I was five years old, my mother abandoned me at a train station. Since then, I’ve been wandering alone. Everyone said I was a cursed child, and I didn’t want to bring misfortune to others. So I became a haunted house cleaner, working alone. The job of a haunted house cleaner involves sleeping in so-called haunted houses, easily earning $10,000 per job. Most haunted houses are either cases where the owners have guilty consciences or someone is playing tricks. The work is essentially a vacation. Of course, occasionally there are real evil spirits at work. Like this time. My client, trying to save money, bought a $200,000 house for $50,000, and then spent another $10,000 to hire me to clean the haunted house. Just as I was pondering this, the phone rang. It was Jack – the old lady’s son. “Master, where are you?” His weak voice came through as soon as the call connected. I slurped some noodles and replied nonchalantly, “Your dear mother chased me away. She said as long as she’s there, she’d never let me in.” “Looks like I won’t be taking this job after all.” “I don’t know if you’ll live long enough to spend the money.” There was some quiet muttering on the other end of the line. Apparently, the old lady first denied it, then realized her son’s girlfriend had left long ago, and finally remembered what had happened. Suddenly, an intense argument broke out. I gave them my address, held the phone away, hung up, and calmly continued eating my noodles. 5 With the non-refundable deposit, I went to a spa and found a top-tier masseur. I couldn’t tell if the massage was good or not, but the guy was incredibly handsome with an honest face. I lightly brushed his arm with my foot, and he blushed shyly. It was quite therapeutic. While enjoying the massage, I opened the dark web and started browsing. Sure enough, Jack had posted another request for help. The reward was $15,000, and it was quickly accepted. I recognized the ID of the person who took the job. That person’s skills were mediocre, relying mostly on luck when cleaning haunted houses. The last time they encountered a real ghost, they came begging to me for help, scared out of their wits. In the end, they had to pay me a few thousand to exorcise the ghost. Knowing it was them, I closed my phone with satisfaction. In less than three days, the old lady would be begging at my doorstep. I needed to think carefully about how much to charge this time. Would it be enough to keep this young hunk as my sugar baby? 6 The old lady was even weaker than I had anticipated. Early the next morning, she showed up at my door. She looked much less spirited, her speech trembling. Gone was the arrogant demeanor from the train. She immediately knelt at my feet: “Master, I was blind to your greatness yesterday. Please forgive my ignorance and save my son!” I felt nothing inside. This old lady could certainly bend when she needed to. “Is your son now unable to leave that room? And is he awake for less time each day?” The old lady nodded repeatedly. “Does he feel excruciating pain every night at midnight, unable to move as if paralyzed?” Hope flashed in the old lady’s eyes as she clutched my knees. “Master, everything you say is correct.” It wasn’t that I had some supernatural foresight. The story of the exorcist getting scared witless the night before had spread throughout our circle. To save face, he had started exaggerating how vicious the ghost was. He claimed that surviving was a testament to his great skills, and that anyone else would have never made it out alive. Others didn’t know if it was true, but no one dared to go there now. After all, risking your life for $10,000 wasn’t worth it. 7 “Soon, he won’t suffer anymore.” Just as the old lady was getting excited, I poured cold water on her hopes: “Because he’ll never wake up again.” The old lady looked more distressed hearing her son was in mortal danger than if she had seen a ghost herself. She crawled forward on her knees, grabbing my hand and refusing to let go. “Please, you must save my son!” I leaned back in my chair, crossed my legs, and remained unmoved. The old lady was about to kowtow to me, but I quickly dodged: “No, no, no, I can’t accept that.” “Didn’t you say yesterday that as long as you were there, you’d never let me enter your house? How dare I go now?” The old lady was ruthless. She started slapping herself hard: “It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault. As long as you’re willing to save my son, I’ll do anything.” “Oh, anything… How about an even $50,000… is that okay?” 8 Hearing the figure of $50,000, the old lady stopped slapping herself, and her gaze towards me changed. She held back, barely managing not to curse at me outright. “Isn’t $50,000 a bit much? Look…” “$100,000.” Perhaps my price increase was too sudden. The old lady gasped and quickly pressed down the finger I had raised: “$50,000, just $50,000.” I raised an eyebrow slightly. I had expected more back-and-forth. I didn’t think she would agree so easily. It seemed they were much wealthier than I had imagined. 9 For the money, I went back with the old lady. Jack was lying on the bed, unconscious. The entire room was filled with black, resentful energy. A female ghost was pressing down on Jack’s body. Seeing that I could see her, she tilted her head and smiled at me. It was more of a stare-off, as her eye sockets were empty. Blood slowly flowed from her eyes, corroding her pale face. She rotated her head 360 degrees, trying to scare me and make me back off. I knew the female ghost wasn’t inherently evil, as even the previous exorcist had managed to escape unharmed, and the old lady was still in good spirits. She smiled at me, and I smiled back. But what could have happened to make her look like this, with such great resentment? Seeing that I wasn’t afraid, she gripped Jack’s neck harder, as a warning to me. I smiled reassuringly at her and said in a voice only we could hear: “Go ahead and press down. Are you tired? Do you want me to help?” I could see the resentful energy around the female ghost recede slightly, and even without eyes, her face showed a hint of confusion. Sigh! Where is the trust between humans and ghosts? I was being completely sincere. 10 Due to my sudden intervention, the female spirit dared not act rashly. Jack temporarily escaped danger, and the painful expression on his face gradually faded away. He slowly regained consciousness. Margaret, seeing her son awake, instantly lit up with joy. “Is my son alright now?” “Expert, is… is that evil spirit still here?” she asked nervously. Jack slowly sat up. “Mom, what happened? I feel much better now.” Margaret rushed to Jack’s side. “Oh, my boy, you’re finally awake!” Margaret mistook what I had said to the spirit as some kind of incantation and started praising my abilities to Jack. “The expert just said a couple of words, and that spirit was instantly scared shitless,” she exclaimed. Jack nodded at me, looking a bit dazed. He seemed to be about seven or eight years older than me, and I could still faintly see traces of his childhood features. After hearing his mother’s words, Jack first smiled, then frowned and started scolding her, “I told you she was capable, but you wouldn’t listen. You made me suffer for nothing.” Margaret, having emptied her savings and now being scolded by her own son, was still overjoyed. “It’s all Mom’s fault. But it’s okay now, everything’s fine,” she said, beaming. As mother and son shared their intimate moment, I felt like an invisible person. I lowered my head, fiddling with my talisman, realizing how much she loved her son. Yet, I was abandoned by her since childhood. 11 My life before the age of five was worse than animals. No exaggeration, I was actually kept in a pigsty, often going hungry because I couldn’t compete with the pigs for food. The reason I was confined to the pigsty was that I could see ghosts from a young age. I’d help Mom wash dishes, but end up breaking them all because a ghost crawled out of the pot and scared me. I’d scrub my brother’s back, but end up shaking with fear because a ghost was perched on his shoulder, grinning at me. So in Mom’s eyes, I was nothing but a bringer of misfortune, only fit to stay in the pigsty, not even allowed to compete with pigs for food. 12 When I was five, Mom finally let me out of the pigsty. She bathed me herself and even bought me new clothes. Little me was overwhelmed with joy and surprise. In my innocence, I thought Mom still loved me after all. Mom took me out, bought me ice cream I had never tasted before. She looked at me and frowned, “I didn’t expect you to be worth anything. Who knows what these rich people are thinking.” I didn’t understand what she meant. I just lowered my head and savored the ice cream, though sadly it melted too quickly in the hot weather. Mom took me to the bus station. After a long wait, someone came. The person sighed, “Well, tough luck for you. That family’s wife suddenly found out she’s pregnant, so they don’t want her anymore.” Mom still wouldn’t give up. “Then tell them I don’t want money anymore, I’ll give her away for free.” The person looked at me with disdain. “They’re going to have their own child now. Why would they want your daughter?” After the person left, Mom couldn’t contain her anger and slapped me twice. “You useless thing, I just bought you new clothes, and now I can’t even return them.” After a while, I heard her sigh softly, “Well, it’s not your fault. Are you hungry? I’ll go buy you something to eat.” I nodded eagerly. But I sat on the chair waiting and waiting, for a long time, and Mom never came back. Until the staff were about to close, “Little girl, where are your parents?” I couldn’t help but burst into tears, “Mommy… Mommy doesn’t want me anymore.” In the end, I was sent to an orphanage. When I was sixteen, I was already the oldest child in the orphanage. Surprisingly, someone was willing to adopt me instead of those sweet younger kids. It was a couple who looked well-educated and polite at first glance. They treated me just like their own daughter. That blissful life lasted less than a year before they died in a car accident. Not only did their death seem somewhat mysterious, but they were also branded with the stigma of trafficking women. And at that time, I was almost eighteen, couldn’t go back to the orphanage, and had no money. Out of twenty-four hours a day, I could only sleep for three or four. I went to school during the day and did all kinds of part-time jobs in my spare time. By the time I came to my senses, it had been a long time since my adoptive parents’ incident. It was also from that time that I accepted the fact that I could see ghosts and slowly turned it into my profession. Since no one loved me, nothing was more important than money. 1

As usual, before taking on a job, I always investigated the client’s background. This investigation revealed some interesting things. It turned out that my client was none other than my dear older brother. I hadn’t planned on revenge or anything, but since I stumbled upon this, I had to take the job. Learning that my mother was also on her way, I deliberately gave up a first-class flight seat and decided to see what she looked like now on the train. Well… she was as annoying as ever. To me, she was just a stranger, an old woman. That was also the last chance I gave her. Not only did she fail to cherish it, but she also put her son’s life at stake. While they were celebrating, I timely told them the truth: “The ghost hasn’t left. She’s right beside you, ready to strike again at any moment.” The old lady’s expression turned vicious and malevolent upon hearing this. She looked around. With me backing her up, she wasn’t even afraid of ghosts anymore: “Master, you must help me drive this evil ghost away.” “It’s best if you make her disappear completely.” I nodded: “I will certainly make the evil one disappear.” 1

I laid out my magical items all over the floor, pretending to wave my wand in the air. The female ghost hid in the corner, watching me vigilantly and confusedly. I pretended to be attacked and fell backward. I collapsed on the ground, clutching my chest, acting weak… and winked at the female ghost. “Look how weak you are, why don’t you absorb more of his energy?” Seeing that I truly meant her no harm, the female ghost grew bolder. While the old lady watched in bewilderment, Jack suddenly cried out. He clutched his neck, as if being pinned down by someone, struggling desperately but unable to get up. Jack’s face turned the color of a pig’s liver: “Spare… spare me.” The old lady crawled to the bedside: “My son, my son, what’s wrong?” Jack was too preoccupied to respond, so the old lady turned to look at me. “Master, you must save my son!” “Master, I paid you $50,000.” I stood up and walked towards her, holding my waist and questioning her: “Did you steal my bag?” The old lady’s demeanor suddenly weakened, her eyes darting around as she stammered: “What bag? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” “On the train, the thing I had in my pocket. Wasn’t it you who stole it?” My words hit the mark, and the old lady suddenly reacted like her tail had been stepped on, screeching: “Don’t accuse me! I wouldn’t even look at your things. I can afford to buy them myself.” Seeing her act like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, I let out a light “Oh”: “I don’t know about that. It’s just that I can’t find that thing, and I don’t know if your son will live to see tomorrow’s sun.” The old lady was successfully frightened to tears by me, trembling as she said: “I thought you had something valuable, so I… it was just a rope, I threw it away at the train station.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294635”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

Returning from studying abroad, I found an unexpected future sister-in-law at home. She proclaimed herself the future mistress of our family, threatening to teach me, her never-before-met sister-in-law a lesson. But no one told her that my brother was adopted. I am the sole heir to the Sanders family, and even my brother has to watch his step around me. When my brother picked me up from the airport and brought me home, my parents were eagerly waiting for me. Due to the pandemic, I hadn’t been home for a long time, and everyone was incredibly excited. As I was catching up with my family and expressing how much I had missed them, my brother pulled over a stranger and introduced her to me. With a hint of shyness, he said, “This is my girlfriend, Chloe, your future sister-in-law.” Then, turning to her with a slight nod, he added, “And this is my sister I’ve often told you about, Mollie Sanders. You can call her Mollie.” “Hello,” she greeted me with a polite smile, extending both hands. I was still caught up in the excitement of being home. After exchanging pleasantries with her, I turned back to continue chatting animatedly with my parents. That evening, as I cuddled up with my mom, she filled me in on the details. According to her, this Chloe was an intern my brother had met at the branch company he managed. She seemed pure and gentle, and my brother was head over heels for her. They hadn’t been together long before he brought her home, declaring his intention to marry her. I was as excited as if I’d just heard the juiciest gossip. “And then? Is my brother really going to get married?” “Your father and I would prefer someone from a similar background, of course. But if he insists, we can’t say much. If he truly loves her, we’ll let him be,” my mom replied, always the open-minded one. I wasn’t worried about my brother. But little did I know, when I met Chloe the next day, I realized I had severely underestimated her. Due to jet lag, I woke up in the afternoon. I went downstairs to find something to eat and sat at the dining table for breakfast when I heard a voice from behind, “Sister, you’re just waking up? Your brother has already been at the office for half a day.” What’s wrong with you? A question mark floated above my head. I turned around to see it was Chloe speaking. “Oh, were you talking to me?” I asked, somewhat incredulously. She rolled her eyes, her pupils nearly disappearing into her skull, and slowly walked down the stairs with her arms crossed. Wow, she already had the air of the mistress of the house. She had seemed normal in front of my parents yesterday, but behind their backs, she couldn’t wait to start giving me attitude. “Who else would I be talking to? Is there a third person in this room right now?” Her tone was filled with undisguised hostility. Clearly, I hadn’t misunderstood her. After my initial shock, I found it amusing. “I thought you were talking to someone else. After all, we’re not that close, so don’t call me sister. My family doesn’t have any older sisters.” I shot back at her and turned back to continue eating. What kind of person is this? My brother must have been blinded by love to fall for her. She continued walking towards me, about to speak with an aggressive attitude when we heard the front door open. Chloe immediately switched to a different persona, her expression turning fragile and her tone a complete reversal from her previous snarky attitude. “Don’t be angry. If you don’t want me to call you that, I won’t in the future.” Wow, I can’t believe there are still such textbook examples of green tea bitches in the 21st century. Doesn’t she find herself too fake? At that moment, my mom and brother walked in together. Seeing Chloe’s pitiful look, they were confused and quickly came over to ask, “What’s wrong? What happened?” With my brother back, Chloe became even more dramatic. She even managed to squeeze out two tears that welled up in her eyes, looking truly pitiful. “It’s nothing. Mollie, I mean, she doesn’t want me to call her sister. I won’t call her that anymore. I thought it would show closeness, but I didn’t expect to upset her. I didn’t mean to, I just won’t call her that anymore.” I was stunned by her words. In my twenty-plus years, I’d never seen such a real drama queen. I guess I’ve finally seen one. My mom tried to mediate, “Oh, it’s just a small thing, no need to get upset.” My brother also chimed in, “Mollie might just be having some morning grumpiness. She probably hasn’t adjusted to the time difference yet. Don’t take it to heart.” He gave me a look and then comforted the seemingly pitiful Chloe back to their room. I didn’t need to continue eating; I was already full from anger. My mom looked at me and asked what happened. I said it was nothing. I want to see what other tricks this person can pull.

Having just returned to the country, I was busy meeting up with old friends every day. During this time, I originally didn’t have time to bother with Chloe, but unexpectedly, one of my friends brought her up. “How are you getting along with your future sister-in-law? She’s quite something, isn’t she?” The speaker was my childhood friend, Brian White. His expression and demeanor clearly said, ‘I know everything, but I’m not telling. I’m waiting for you to ask.’ This guy has been like this since we were kids. I gave him a sidelong glance. His smile became even more sly. “This little girl was just an intern in your family’s company. She hadn’t been there long before she had your fool of a brother completely smitten.” I scoffed, “Is that all? Who doesn’t know that? Tell me something I don’t know.” Brian wasn’t offended and continued, “Well, did you know that this person had only one goal from the moment she entered the company? It was to seduce your brother. Now she’s going around calling herself the Sanders family’s daughter-in-law, using this identity to show off everywhere.” I finally turned to look at him. Brian proudly took out his phone and showed me several screenshots of conversations between Chloe and her girlfriends. [William Sanders is already in my pocket. What kind of rich young master? He’s putty in my hands.] [William took me home to meet his parents. The Sanders’ house is so big, and they even have a housekeeper. I must hold onto this tightly.] [William’s sister is coming home soon. In families like this, the sister-in-law is always a potential threat. When she gets home, I need to give her a good lesson to put her in her place.] How foolish, to dare to boast about such things. She really can’t keep her mouth shut. I inwardly criticized, then turned back to Brian, “And what’s your relationship with the person in these screenshots?” Brian grinned, and I looked at him with disdain. He was quite frank about it. “What’s the big deal? It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. Who’s like your brother?”

However, I couldn’t help but keep an eye on Chloe. From my observations, this person’s ambition was not small. On the surface, she appeared gentle, kind, and innocent, not fighting or grabbing for anything, seemingly not after anything. But in reality, she didn’t deprive herself of anything. She had my brother convert her to a full-time employee, promote her, and give her a cushy position in the department. She went from occasionally staying over to practically moving into our house. She was good at playing the victim and knew how to make people like her. In this house, except for me and the housekeeper, she greeted everyone with a smile. Pleasing my parents was to win over her future in-laws, and coddling my brother was to get married quickly and become the real Mrs. Sanders. Only towards me, her sister-in-law, she didn’t even bother to pretend. When she saw Mrs. Wilson bringing me a late-night snack, she made a fuss about wanting some too. But it was already very late, and the soup had been simmering for hours. It was too late to make it now, and Mrs. Wilson was about to go to bed. When she heard Mrs. Wilson was unwilling, she put her hands on her hips and put on her young mistress airs again. “What? I want to have some soup and you can’t make it for me? Are you the Sanders family’s housekeeper or some pampered lady? Can’t I even give you an order now?” Mrs. Wilson had no choice but to go make it for her. She was so domineering, yet in front of my parents, she always yielded to me. I couldn’t be bothered to play such a poor act with her, never giving her a good face. This contrast made me look like the unreasonable one. I once tentatively asked my brother if he really wanted to marry Chloe. Did he really know this person? My brother just treated it as me throwing a childish tantrum, saying he would marry her in the future and hoped I would get along well with her. My parents were also becoming increasingly fond of Chloe. Chloe would accompany my mom shopping, buying bags. No matter what my mom liked, she would praise my mom’s taste, flattering her to no end. Of course, she would often receive gifts from her future mother-in-law. Exchanging emotional value for material value, both of them were very satisfied. My brother was naturally happy to see their good relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. I was the only one in this family who didn’t like her. This contrast became increasingly obvious, and I started to look like the real villain. Because of this, Chloe became more confident in facing me, treating me even more excessively in places where my parents couldn’t see. “Sister’s room is really big. When I marry your brother, can we move to this room? After all, you’ll be married off by then. I think the lighting and space here are the best. It would be a shame if it were left vacant.” It sounded like she was asking, but her tone was more like she was informing me. So she had her eye on my room from the beginning. I glanced at my brother standing nearby, and he didn’t say a word. I laughed in anger, “Is that so? You might not even marry into this family, and you’re already thinking about taking my room? And since you’ve hooked my brother, isn’t he going to buy you your own marital home? Why do you have to stay in my family’s house?” “Mollie! Don’t talk nonsense.” My mom had heard what I said and came over. “Chloe, don’t take her seriously.” My mom even turned to comfort Chloe, then said to me, “Is that how you should talk? Quickly apologize to your brother and Chloe.” I wouldn’t. Although I realized I shouldn’t have said that, I refused to apologize in front of Chloe. Seeing my mom also taking her side, Chloe’s look towards me became even more arrogant. “It’s okay, Auntie. Mollie is just throwing a tantrum. We won’t move out. William and I want to stay with you. I want to take care of you in your old age.” After challenging me with her eyes, she easily spouted flattering words to my mom. My brother also played the peacemaker, “Don’t blame Mollie. It was Chloe joking about switching rooms with her. Chloe took it seriously.” He turned to me as if coaxing a child who doesn’t understand, “Your sister-in-law was just teasing you. Don’t be angry, okay?” My mom also repeatedly praised her for being understanding and scolded me for being petty, saying it was just a joke and reprimanding me for being intolerant.

Seeing that they were really starting to prepare for the wedding, I began to panic. I couldn’t let her really marry into my family. We couldn’t possibly live with this drama queen, could we? Taking advantage of a day when Chloe wasn’t at our house, I called a family meeting with my parents and brother. “I don’t agree with Chloe marrying into our family.” As soon as I said this, my parents and brother looked at me. My mom said, “Mollie, don’t make trouble.” My brother seemed unsurprised, “As your sister-in-law predicted, you really don’t agree.” Well done, she even predicted this. My brother seemed somewhat exasperated, “Why are you so dissatisfied with Chloe? You seem to dislike her in every way. When she told me, I didn’t believe it. I didn’t expect you to still try to make things difficult for her at this time.” As he spoke, my brother had a look of feeling wronged on her behalf, “Mollie, can’t you just give her a chance for my sake? If you really don’t like her, after we get married, I’ll move out. Is that okay? We won’t live together.” It seems Chloe had already given my brother a preemptive warning. I knew that whatever I said next, he would think it was just an excuse because I didn’t like Chloe. She really was deeply scheming. I knew it was useless to say anything more, so I directly took out those chat records between Chloe and her girlfriends.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294634”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

My adopted daughter knelt before me, refusing to get up after causing a hit-and-run accident. “Mom, I just got accepted into MIT. I have a bright future ahead of me. If I go to prison, my life will be over. Please, I’m begging you, save me…” I agreed. During my two years in prison, neither father nor daughter visited me once. After my release, I discovered it had all been a scheme by my husband and daughter. They had already transferred all my assets to themselves. The daughter who had once cried and begged me to take the blame now cursed me as a criminal, an ugly old fool, and kicked me in the chest. I died from cardiac arrest. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day we received the MIT offer. “Mom, Dad, I got accepted into MIT!” Keira Thompson exclaimed excitedly. “That’s my girl! MIT is one of the top universities in the country. Well done, sweetheart,” Jack Thompson beamed. “Honey, didn’t you just get a $500,000 year-end bonus last month? Let’s use all of it to buy our daughter a BMW. She deserves it.” This conversation felt eerily familiar. I suddenly realized I had been given a second chance at life. “Dad, I’m still young. Buying a car would be too flashy. Besides, Mom worked hard for that money. I can’t bear to spend it,” Keira said sweetly. In my previous life, I always thought she was a considerate, filial, and kind girl. It wasn’t until I went to prison that I discovered how evil she truly was. “But sweetie, I promised you a BMW if you got into MIT, remember?” Jack said, glancing at me expectantly. He was a stay-at-home husband, and all our household expenses came from my income. In my previous life, I felt guilty for not giving him a child. How foolish I was. “Why are you looking at me? You made that promise, not me,” I said coldly. Father and daughter exchanged shocked glances, their eyes wide with surprise. In my previous life, they always acted in concert – one playing the innocent flower, the other the doting father – constantly squeezing money out of me. And in my previous life, I always thought my adopted daughter was considerate and my husband was open-minded, treating her like his own flesh and blood. Watching them act now made me feel sick to my stomach. “Have you lost your mind? Our daughter got into MIT, and you won’t even buy her a car? What kind of mother are you? Or do you not see Keira as your real daughter?” Jack shouted at me. “Dad, don’t say that. $500,000 isn’t a small amount, and Mom’s company needs cash flow. It’s okay if we don’t buy the car,” Keira said, still playing the “understanding” card. “Fine, how about a $300,000 car then? Surely that’s not too much to ask?” Jack yelled at me. “Have you lost touch with reality? Since when is a $300,000 car considered cheap? If you’re so capable, why don’t you buy it for Keira yourself?” I scoffed. Jack was dumbfounded that I would say such a thing. Keira also wore an expression of disbelief. In my previous life, this tactic worked on me every time. I always fell for it, thinking they were good people. “Mom, Dad, I don’t want a car anymore. Please stop fighting. It’s all my fault,” Keira said pitifully, tears welling up in her eyes on cue. In my previous life, I would have hugged her and fulfilled all her demands. But this time, I knew she was a vicious demon. Watching her cry made my blood boil. SLAP! I struck her hard across the face. Father and daughter stood frozen in shock. Keira stared at me, terrified and confused. “Oh, there was a mosquito on your face. I was too hasty and hit too hard,” I said, feigning concern as I reached out to caress her reddening cheek.

The next day at the office, I immediately changed all my bank card PINs, mobile payment passwords, and began planning to transfer my assets. This time, I couldn’t let Jack get his hands on my money. Later, I requested Keira’s GPA from the school. I was shocked – with such low scores, there was no way she could have been accepted to MIT. In my previous life, Keira had shown me her GPA and offer letter several times. I believed her completely then, but now I realized both must have been forged. That afternoon, I went to a private detective agency and asked them to thoroughly investigate Jack and Keira. I suspected they might actually be father and daughter. Twelve years ago, Jack took me to an orphanage. Among dozens of children, he chose Keira. When Keira first met Jack, she displayed a natural affinity for him. At the time, I thought they just clicked, that it was fate. I liked her too. But now, thinking about how they could team up against me, I realized their relationship could only be that of father and daughter. If that was true, it was truly chilling to think about. They had been playing this long game for twelve years, slowly emptying my bank accounts. A week later, I received a credit card alert at the office. My supplementary card had been used to spend $300,000. I had forgotten to cancel that card. I had given Jack a supplementary card for groceries and household expenses. I didn’t need to guess to know that $300,000 was for buying a car. I quickly called the bank to cancel the supplementary card.

That evening, as I approached our building, I saw a new BMW X2 without license plates parked outside. As soon as I entered the house, Keira sweetly brought me my slippers. “Welcome home, Mom. You must be tired from work.” Seeing her fake smile, I wanted to slap her again, but I couldn’t reveal my hand before the investigation was complete. “Hmm, your dad bought you a car?” I asked casually. “Mom, I kept refusing, but Dad wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t do anything about it,” she said, feigning innocence and helplessness. “I’ve cancelled your supplementary card. From now on, I’ll give you $10,000 a month for household expenses. If you need to buy anything big, let me know and I’ll handle it.” “What do you mean? Shouldn’t we reward our daughter for getting into MIT?” Jack angrily demanded. I almost exposed them. With a 1.2 GPA, that trash wouldn’t get into MIT in her next life. Fortunately, I held my tongue. “I’m thinking of our daughter’s best interests. She’s still young and just got her driver’s license. What if she gets into an accident and meets her maker?” I said seriously, cursing her. Jack jumped up, slamming the table. “How dare you curse my daughter?” At that moment, I was certain Keira was Jack’s biological daughter. “I’m just worried about her safety. I care about her,” I said. “Hmph, you’re just stingy,” Jack shouted. “Mom, are you upset that Dad spent your money to buy me a car?” Keira asked, tears in her eyes. I stroked her head and said gently, “How could Mom ever be reluctant to spend money on you? I’m just worried about your driving skills. If something happened to you, how could Mom go on living?” You want to act? I can act too! “Mom, I got into MIT! One of the top universities in the country. If it were someone else’s mother, they’d throw a celebration dinner and buy expensive gifts. But you haven’t done anything. Don’t you love me anymore?” she said, tears flowing. Her acting was truly impressive! I continued stroking her head and said, “The government is promoting frugality now. Throwing a dinner party would be too wasteful. Besides, we should be low-key. Being too showy will make people jealous. As for gifts, isn’t that BMW a gift?” “Mom, you don’t love me anymore. You know what? I didn’t want the car to show off or for my own convenience. I had a dream. Mom, you’ve sacrificed so much for me over the years. I wanted to drive you on a road trip across the country.” “I’m touched that you have such intentions, but don’t you think something’s odd?” I asked. “What’s odd?” she asked, confused. “You should earn money yourself to buy a car, then take me on a road trip. It’s like saying you’ll treat me to dinner, but I end up paying. Isn’t that strange?” I said seriously. She was stunned, wanting to argue but unable to. “Chloe Johnson, are you even a mother? How can you crush our daughter’s good intentions like that?” Jack said, winking at Keira. “Mom, you’re too much. You don’t love me anymore…” she cried as she ran out. “Keira…” Jack chased after her. I suddenly remembered the notice at the entrance of our complex: Last night, the security cameras were damaged. The property management has contacted repair technicians. Residents, please secure your belongings and lock your doors and windows. Were they setting a trap for me? I was alone now, and with the cameras down, there would be no witnesses if they framed me. Realizing this, I immediately called my assistant, Chen. She lived only a mile from my house. Then I called five other employees, saying there was an urgent meeting at my home. I told them to come as quickly as possible and that I would reimburse their travel expenses. At 9 PM, I heard the front door open. I walked out of the study. “Have you been home the whole time?” Jack asked. “Yes.” “I don’t believe you. Didn’t you go look for Keira?” “She’s not a child anymore. She can take care of herself.” “Are you even Keira’s mother? How can you say such heartless things?” “We can’t protect her forever. She has to walk her own path in life,” I said calmly. After arguing with him for about fifteen minutes, Keira returned, panic-stricken. As soon as she entered, she knelt before me: “Mom, I hit someone and ran away. Can you take the blame for me? Please save me. I don’t want to go to jail. I just got my acceptance letter from MIT. My life is just beginning…” Hearing these familiar words, my anger flared. I wanted to strangle her right there. In my previous life, I was so foolish to take the blame for her. “Keira, don’t be afraid,” I said, hugging her and pretending to comfort her. “Mom, will you help me?” she asked pitifully. “Of course I’ll help you. You’re my precious daughter.” “Mom, I knew you wouldn’t abandon me. You still love me. I swear, when you get out of prison, I’ll repay you double.” “What do you mean, ‘get out of prison’?” I pushed her away, feigning surprise. “Mom, didn’t you say you’d help me? Aren’t you going to take the blame for me?” she asked, confused. “When I said I’d help you, I meant I’d hire a good lawyer for you to seek leniency,” I said. Keira was dumbfounded. “Chloe, if you hadn’t upset our daughter, she wouldn’t have run out, and this wouldn’t have happened. You should take responsibility and take the blame for her,” Jack argued forcefully. “Why don’t you take the blame for her? Keira, listen to Mom. Your dad is just a stay-at-home dad, a few years in prison won’t matter much. But Mom is different. I run a company, I earn the money. If I go to prison, who will pay for your college?” I said. Jack was speechless, his face turning red with anger. “Mom, Dad can’t take the blame for me. After I hit that woman, I got out to check on her. She suddenly grabbed my ankle. I screamed, and the woman didn’t see me, but she must have heard my voice,” Keira said. I sighed and put my hands on Keira’s shoulders. “Keira, don’t try to run away from your problems. You need to be brave and take responsibility. Turn yourself in. You’re young, a few years in prison won’t matter much. Besides, you’ll still have Mom. When you get out, you can come work at my company.” Keira’s mouth formed an O shape, unable to believe that her once doting adoptive mother had changed so much.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294633”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

Jack’s junior, Emma, got hounded by loan sharks. I tried to stop Jack from getting involved, but Emma was driven to suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Jack, unaffected, continued to plan our wedding. Until one day, after getting drunk, he tenderly caressed a photo of Emma and forced me to down a bottle of sleeping pills. He said if it weren’t for my cold, heartless, and selfish attitude, Emma wouldn’t have taken her own life. If I had a second chance, I wouldn’t meddle in their business anymore. I had been reborn—reborn to the day when James Hamilton started borrowing money all over the place for Emily Rose. Emily was his junior, and just like her name suggests, she was gentle and delicate, with features as pretty as a painting. But she had a father addicted to gambling, and over the years, he’d borrowed a huge amount of money from loan sharks. Unable to repay it, he took his own life, leaving behind a daughter who was hounded by creditors day and night. To be fair, James treated me well—everyone knew he loved me like no other. That’s why, in my previous life, when he started borrowing money for Emily, saying she was like a sister to him and he couldn’t bear to see her suffer, I didn’t think much of it. But Emily’s father owed over $8 million. Coming up with that kind of money was nearly impossible. Plus, these loan sharks weren’t exactly good people—you could lose more than just money if you got mixed up with them. Naturally, I didn’t want my soon-to-be-husband getting dragged into this mess, so I gave James all of my savings on the condition that he stop involving himself with Emily’s problems and focus on our wedding. But I never expected Emily would take her own life by overdosing on sleeping pills. When I heard the news, I felt a pang of sorrow. After all, she was just a young woman burdened with a father like that. James seemed sad for a brief moment, but he didn’t say much to me. What I couldn’t have imagined was that he would one day kill me for Emily. Now, as I looked at James standing anxiously before me, his last words to me before I died played on repeat in my mind. “I told you, Emily and I weren’t like that! Why, why couldn’t you just help her? “Your family’s got money, doesn’t it? You rich people never understand this kind of desperation. Clara, you’re selfish and heartless!” “You can watch her die and still expect me to marry someone as cold and cruel as you? “All rich people are scum!” Thinking back, I laughed. My family’s annual income was in the millions, and as their only child, my parents never liked James, who came from a rural background. They wanted me to marry someone more suitable, but I was so in love with James that they cut off my finances, hoping I’d come to my senses. But James resented me because I didn’t ask my family for money to save his precious junior. $8 million—did he really think I’d ruin my life just to help him and his little crush?

Seeing I hadn’t responded, James cupped my face tenderly. The expression I once loved now filled me with disgust. “Babe, you know I just feel sorry for her. She’s been through so much. You know how long we’ve known each other, and Emily really likes you too.” I brushed his hands off and said coldly, “I’m not getting money from my parents anymore because of you. Where would I get the money to give to you?” James didn’t seem to pick up on the sarcasm in my voice. “Babe, you’re their only child. If you explain the situation, your parents will definitely help, won’t they?” I shot back, “Do you like Emily?” For a second, guilt flickered across his eyes, but he quickly hid it. “How could I, babe? Everyone knows you’re the one I love most. Emily’s just my junior, and I feel sorry for her. That’s all. Don’t overthink it.” I stood up, not even glancing his way. “She’s your friend, not mine. I have no obligation to fix her family’s mess.” James frowned. “Clara, aren’t you the kindest, most understanding person? What’s happened to your empathy? Your family’s rich. Your parents are still alive and well, and they’ve got income. But Emily? Her mom’s been gone for years, and she’s stuck with a father like that. You’re acting like Marie Antoinette!” Saying that, he grabbed his debit card and stormed out, heading straight for Emily’s house. I couldn’t believe the audacity—how could James make it seem like all of Emily’s problems were somehow my fault? I quickly packed my bags and sent him a text: We’re done. Then, I blocked him from everything. This time, I wanted to see how long James could survive without my support. Right now, his company was still in its startup phase. In my past life, I knelt before my parents to help him, drank myself sick at business dinners, and gave my all for his company. And what did he do? Did he even love me? During those intimate nights, who was really on his mind—me, or his junior, Emily, who had already taken her own life?

I returned home with my bags, and my parents were visibly shocked. My dad huffed, “If you’re back because of him, you might as well leave. Your mom and I can’t stand the sight of you when it’s about him.” Seeing my parents healthy and alive, I couldn’t stop the tears from welling up. In my last life, after James killed me, how devastated must my parents have been when they found my body? At that thought, I collapsed at the doorway, sobbing uncontrollably. My mom nudged my dad and frowned. “This is your fault! Why do you have to be so harsh? Look at her, she’s crying her heart out.” I buried my face in my mom’s arms and cried until there was nothing left. Regret, bitterness, all of it poured out. “It’s okay, sweetie. What happened? Did James hurt you?” I nodded. “I… I broke up with him. I don’t love him anymore. I want to come home.” The look on my parents’ faces was priceless—they looked like they’d finally been freed from years of torment. Just to make sure, my dad cautiously asked, “You mean, the kind of breakup where you won’t be getting back together?” I smiled through my tears and nodded, then told them the whole story. My parents were furious. “I always knew that James was bad news! Your company, your future, everything—he made you put it all on the line. And now he has the nerve to turn it all back on you?” As my parents raged, I felt a pang of guilt. What had possessed me in my past life to throw my family aside for a man? “Welcome home, sweetheart. Welcome home.” My mom gently patted my back, soothing me the way she used to when I was a child. After such an overwhelming day, I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep. The next morning, I woke up to find twenty missed calls from James and a new Instagram post from Emily. In the photo, she was sitting in the passenger seat of James’s car, with him lovingly wiping her tears. The caption read: No matter what happens, I’ll always be by your side. Even though I had braced myself for this, my heart still ached when I saw it. James and I had been together for six years, and people used to joke that if we didn’t end up getting married, they’d stop believing in love. I guess love really does change, doesn’t it? My phone buzzed with a message from Emily: Clara, I’m so sorry about that Instagram post. You know my family’s situation has been really complicated, and Jack… well, he just felt sorry for me, so he stayed with me last night. I heard you broke up with him, but please don’t let it be because of me. I’d feel so guilty. I didn’t respond. Emily’s manipulations were so transparent, I didn’t even want to bother. Posting that picture, then sending me this message—what did she expect me to do? Beg James to come back to me? Or storm into her place and slap her? Emma Miles was as disgusting as James, a two-faced backstabber.

I once accidentally came across some of the messages between James and Emily. “You’re such a great senior, I’m so envious of Clara for finding a boyfriend like you.” “Clara’s so lucky. She has a loving family and a boyfriend who dotes on her. I wish I could have the same.” And, of course, James ate it all up, insisting on treating her like a little sister—bringing her food when she was hungry, water when she was thirsty. When Megan heard that I’d broken up with James, she insisted on dragging me out to celebrate. Her lively energy was contagious, and soon, I found myself in a much better mood. “You have no idea how much I’ve hated James,” Megan said, grinning from ear to ear. “Ever since you started dating him, you’ve barely had time to grab lunch with me. Being blinded by love is how people start losing themselves—and you, my friend, were the poster child for that!” Hearing her ramble on, I pulled her close and nodded eagerly in agreement. “I’m sorry, I really was an idiot, okay? You happy now?” Megan finally nodded with satisfaction and proceeded to drag me into every luxury store in the mall. As I walked through the aisles, it struck me how much I had changed since dating James. I’d stopped being my own person, morphing into someone whose life revolved entirely around him. With his business just taking off, he was always strapped for cash, and I hadn’t visited these beloved stores in ages. “Hey, isn’t that James?” Megan suddenly gasped, her eyes wide. I followed her gaze and spotted James, along with Emily, who was pulling a suitcase behind her. They seemed to be sneaking around, as if they were up to something. I didn’t want anything to do with them anymore, but Megan’s curiosity got the best of her. She insisted we go check it out. We watched as they entered a second-hand luxury bag store, and a suspicion began forming in my mind. “Isn’t that the limited edition bag I got you two years ago for your birthday?” Megan pointed to a high-end bag on display inside. I frowned. I’d left behind some things at James’s place when I packed up, planning to send movers to retrieve them later. I hadn’t expected James to take my bag and sell it for Emily’s sake. Without hesitation, I walked into the store. The moment James saw me, his face went from guilty to gleeful in an instant. “Clara! What a surprise! I’ve been trying to reach you. I was planning to explain everything once I wrapped up a few things—” Whack! I didn’t wait for him to finish. My hand landed square on his cheek, and James stared at me, utterly stunned. Emily quickly stepped forward to tend to his reddened face. “Clara, how could you hit him? He’s—” Whack! Another slap, this time for Emily. “Hitting you was just something I did on impulse,” I said, voice cold. Megan burst out laughing, while the rest of the store turned to watch the spectacle unfold.

“Clara, you crazy woman! Why are you hitting Emily? What did she ever do to you?” James pushed Emily behind him, shielding her like a mother hen. I pointed to the display of bags. “You’re selling my things without permission. Did you even bother to ask me first?” James’s face turned crimson. “I’m just borrowing them. It’s not like I wasn’t going to give them back.” “Borrow my things without asking? Do you realize that’s called theft? And we’ve broken up, James. You don’t get to touch my stuff anymore.” “Clara, how could you be so shallow? They’re just bags! You can always buy more. But you can’t put a price on someone’s life. Are you really okay watching Emily get pushed to the edge?” James was growing more agitated by the second, as if I was the one at fault in all of this. I couldn’t believe how shameless he was. “You’re trying to guilt-trip me? Let me tell you something—I don’t fall for that.” By now, the surrounding crowd was whispering among themselves, phones raised to record. “First of all, we’re no longer together. Second, those are my bags. And lastly, whatever help you want to give your dear Emily is none of my concern. What’s next? If you marry someone and have kids, are you going to ask me to pay their college tuition too?” James was left speechless. He knew he was in the wrong, but with everyone filming, he couldn’t afford to dig himself deeper. Reluctantly, he muttered, “Fine. These three bags—I bought them. I have every right to sell them.” Megan and I were floored. What kind of twisted logic was that? Since when does a boyfriend get to take back gifts after a breakup? “Fine, sell them if you want,” I replied dismissively. I had no interest in prolonging the argument. I turned to the store manager and said, “The rest of the bags are mine. Please assess their resale value and transfer the amount to my account.” It seemed that James knew his company’s finances were stretched thin, so he’d resorted to sneaky tactics like this. Men like him always want everything, don’t they? “Clara, are you really going to break up with me? You’re 28 now. Do you even realize how old that is? If you leave me now, who’s going to want you? Look, I’ll make it simple. Ask your parents for $500,000 to pay off Emily’s debt, and we can work things out.” James said this seriously, as if he was doing me a huge favor. “You’re delusional, James. If anything, you were the one who got lucky with me.” Megan, unable to contain herself any longer, chimed in. “Plus, my brother’s 32, single, and practically a golden bachelor—tall, handsome, and rich. Clara will be way better off without you. Go run back to your little green-tea princess.” With that, Megan grabbed my arm, and we stormed out of the store without looking back.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294632”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

After losing passion with my husband, I asked my best friend to help me relax. Little did I know, she would take me to a very different kind of club, and that night became an unforgettable turning point in my life… Yesterday, my husband Tom Bennett and I had a huge argument. The reason? His inappropriate closeness with a colleague. Tom works as an executive at Harper & Sons, a young and successful man, tall and handsome. Naturally, there are plenty of women with ulterior motives around him. This isn’t the first time we’ve fought over this. Yesterday, on a whim, I decided to surprise him at work with lunch. I walked in just in time to see a curvy woman leaning over his shoulder under the pretext of delivering documents, her low-cut blouse leaving little to the imagination. Rage bubbled up inside me, and we ended up having a fight right there in his office. Needless to say, it didn’t end well. That night, Tom didn’t come home. Every time we have a fight, he uses this tactic. I was shaking with anger and had no one to turn to. On a sudden impulse, I decided to visit my best friend, Rania Collins. Little did I know that this decision would change my life. Rania and I are very close, and we know each other’s door codes. I called her first, but there was no answer. Thinking she must have gone to bed early, I decided to head over anyway. When I arrived, I let myself in easily with her door code. But as I walked into the living room, I was met with the unmistakable sounds of passion coming from her bedroom. I was puzzled. Isn’t her husband, Lee, supposed to be away on a year-long business trip? How could he be back so soon? Then a strange thought crossed my mind. Rania was cheating! Without even thinking, I walked to her bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. Through the crack, I saw two bodies entwined. The man’s body was young and muscular, his strong arms gripping Rania’s slim waist tightly. Her smooth, pale skin was pressed against his dark, toned physique, their bodies colliding with such intensity that I stood there, red-faced and frozen. Rania was indeed cheating! And with a younger man! It was the kind of thing I only ever fantasized about in my lonelier moments. But beneath my embarrassment, I realized something more. I was envious. After all these years of marriage, I had never truly experienced pleasure as a woman. Our marital life had always been rushed and unfulfilling. Deep down, I too had longed for a young, strong man who could release the tension I’d been carrying for so long. Just as I was lost in thought, I suddenly heard the bathroom door creak open behind me. A voice of surprise called out. “Who’s there?” My mind snapped back to reality. The sounds in the bedroom immediately stopped, and both Rania and the man turned to look at me. … “I… I didn’t mean to… I tried calling, but you didn’t answer, so I…” I stammered, embarrassed, trying to explain to Rania. But to my surprise, she waved it off nonchalantly, dismissing the two young men in the room before casually pulling me over to the sofa for a chat. “Another fight with Tom?” She didn’t seem fazed at all. Relieved that she wasn’t bothered by me seeing her earlier, I let out a deep breath and started pouring out my frustrations. But after hearing everything, she simply rolled her eyes at me in annoyance. “He’s out there flirting with other women. Why don’t you just find someone else?” I was shocked by her words. Then, without hesitation, she started telling me about the two young men from earlier. She said they were personal trainers. I’d heard of that sort of thing—personal trainers who, in reality, offered more than just fitness coaching. So naturally, I declined. But Rania wasn’t the least bit concerned. Instead, she casually showed me a video she had taken. In the video, she was lying on a soft hotel bed. At her feet, several shirtless, muscular men were kissing her legs… As her moans grew louder in the video, I looked away, blushing. … It was impossible not to feel tempted. But as an educated adult, I struggled to reconcile such morally questionable behavior. “I can’t… I’m married. What if Tom finds out…” “You’re still worried about Tom? Has he ever considered your feelings?” Rania interrupted, clearly frustrated, and pulled me up from the sofa. “Emily, I can’t stand your hesitation. You’re coming out with me right now!” That very night, I reluctantly put on the outfit Rania had chosen for me, and she took me to a club in Croydon Central.

Rania gave her name at the front desk, and we were escorted to a private lounge. The lighting was soft and suggestive, the decor luxurious—like a five-star hotel. In the dim glow of the large TV screen, I could make out several oversized sofas that looked more like beds, and three men dressed in minimal clothing. As soon as they saw us, they approached with warm smiles, politely taking our bags. “Good evening, ladies.” Their physiques were impressive, clearly the result of years of training. Their faces were handsome too, obviously carefully selected. I guess that was the specialty of this place. They wore only tight shorts, showing off their broad shoulders and firm abs. Seeing their bodies and the outlines beneath their shorts made me blush uncontrollably. Youth is truly something special. Rania had been quietly watching my reactions, and when she saw my flushed face, she smiled in satisfaction. “Oh, stop with the theatrics and get on with helping this lovely lady relax.” She gave me a playful push toward one of the men, winking suggestively. “Don’t be shy. You’re here now, so just let loose. No point wasting time over an unfaithful husband. From now on, you can both do your own thing!” “And what about you, Rania?” As she spoke, a dark-haired man came forward, grinning at her. His skin was a deep tan, and I recognized him immediately as the man I had seen in Rania’s bedroom earlier. His name was Luke Evans, according to Rania. Luke wrapped his arm around Rania’s neck and asked, “The usual?” “Of course, the usual.” Rania wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes filled with desire. “I didn’t quite get enough earlier. Let’s pick up where we left off.” “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied tonight.” Without a second thought, they started kissing passionately. Rania boldly pushed Luke onto the sofa and began undressing, her body moving sensuously. She’s really fearless. Luke was clearly aroused, his eyes dark with desire as he grabbed her, pulling her underneath him. The two of them had no qualms about engaging in their passion right in front of us, and soon the lounge was filled with the sounds of their pleasure. As their intensity grew, Rania’s legs stiffened, and her moans became uncontrollable. I could feel the man in front of me breathing heavily, his body reacting to the scene. “Aren’t you getting more excited with an audience?” “You seem to be too. I’ve never seen you so into it…” Though I’d been married for years, our physical relationship had always been…ordinary. Watching this explicit scene unfold in front of me, hearing the sounds of their bodies colliding, made my breath hitch. This was going too far… Rania, now flushed and delirious, turned her head towards me, panting as she whispered, “See, darling? There’s nothing to be afraid of. After all, Tom cheated on you first. Don’t you deserve to do the same?” With that, she wrapped her legs tightly around Luke’s waist. “Darling, let’s go to the back room. I want to try the new toys.” “Whatever you want, babe.” Luke lifted her into his arms, giving a knowing look to the young man beside me, and the three of them disappeared into the adjacent room. Soon, Rania’s excited voice could be heard through the walls. Hearing the noises from the other room, the man holding me, Ryan James, couldn’t stay quiet any longer. “Would you like to relax here first? Or shall we head straight in?” As he spoke, his hands slid naturally onto my hips, the heat of his body sending a shiver down my spine. “I… I don’t know.” I lowered my head, too nervous to meet his gaze. Ryan chuckled softly at my hesitation. “You’re so sweet. It’s your first time here, right? You must be shy. How about we go straight to the private room?” Even a fool could understand the implication behind his words, and once again, my face flushed. But this time, I didn’t resist. “Alright.”

The private room was set up with an intimate ambiance. Soft, golden lighting illuminated the round, canopied bed in the center of the room. Across from it was a large mirror, tall enough to reflect everything that happened on the bed. A few lace lingerie pieces were laid out on the bed. This kind of sensuality was something Tom had never introduced into our marriage. As I imagined what was about to happen, my heart pounded with anticipation. Noticing this, Ryan smiled and wrapped his arms around me. “You’re nervous, aren’t you? No need to be. Just think of me as your boyfriend.” I turned around and threw my arms around him, letting myself melt into his embrace. His body was firm and muscular, reminding me of my first love, the nervous excitement of touching someone so fit. Since getting married, I hadn’t felt this youthful energy, this rush of adrenaline, from being with a man. “So, you like my chest muscles, huh?” Ryan whispered teasingly in my ear, planting a soft kiss on my neck. “But I’ve got some pretty solid abs too. Want to feel them? Or maybe… somewhere else?” His voice grew more seductive, and his breath on my neck sent shivers through me. His hands started to roam, caressing my body with a deliberate slowness that made me feel like I was about to lose control. I felt overwhelmed, not knowing how to respond. My brain was screaming that this was wrong, that I was married, but my body had a mind of its own. My heart was pounding, my thoughts spinning as Ryan’s hands continued to explore. “But… I’m married,” I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. “Isn’t this… isn’t this wrong?” Even as I said the words, I could feel my resolve crumbling. I had already come this far. The memory of Tom’s distant, cold face flashed in my mind, making it hard to concentrate. My head was a mess of emotions, confusion, and guilt. “Is your husband good to you?” Ryan asked suddenly, his tone a bit more serious as his hand slipped to one of my more sensitive spots. I gasped at the sensation. My mind flashed to Tom’s indifference, the way he barely paid attention to me anymore, treating me like an afterthought. “I… I don’t know,” I replied, my voice faltering. “You do know, Emily,” Ryan said softly, “if he was treating you right, you wouldn’t be here. Would you?” His words hit me hard. In that moment, something inside me snapped. I began to cry softly, the tears falling against Ryan’s chest. Years of loneliness, frustration, and unmet desires seemed to pour out all at once. “Let me help you relax,” he whispered. “You’re so tense.” “…Okay,” I whispered, finally letting go of the last bit of resistance. I let him undress me, piece by piece, until there was nothing between us. His hands moved across my body, but instead of easing my tension, they only heightened the desire I had been suppressing for so long. It wasn’t long before I was lost in the sensation, everything else fading away as Ryan took me deeper into the moment. Just when I thought I had fully surrendered, I heard voices from the next room. It was Luke and Rania. “Babe, can you put this on?” I heard Luke’s voice through the thin walls. “I want to try the largest size.” Moments later, Rania’s voice followed, breathy and excited, “Yes, do it! I can’t wait.” I couldn’t believe it—they were using toys in there. I had known Rania was adventurous, but this was beyond anything I had imagined. She had always been more open-minded than I was. After all, she had spent years studying abroad, dating men from all sorts of backgrounds, including her ex, a blonde, blue-eyed European. Her open attitude toward sex didn’t surprise me, but the level of their play did. The sounds from the room were impossible to ignore. Rania’s moans, mixed with Luke’s gruff commands, filled the air. The wall between us was so thin, it felt like we were in the same room. Meanwhile, Ryan’s hands continued their work, and before long, I could feel my own body responding. The combination of his touch and the sounds from next door soon had me trembling.

I couldn’t hold back anymore. I turned and kissed Ryan deeply, pulling him closer. The tension, the guilt, the uncertainty—it all melted away as I let myself fully indulge in the moment. We became a tangle of limbs, lost in each other, and soon, I was completely consumed by my desire. Just like Rania, I had given in. Ryan was incredibly experienced. His moves were smooth and confident, his hands knowing exactly where to touch. His stamina was something I hadn’t experienced in years. At first, I was able to keep up with him, even take the lead now and then. But when he reached over and pulled out a blindfold and some toys from the bedside drawer, I knew I was out of my league. The things he had were on another level. I started to panic, trying to back away, but he was too strong. His body was overpowering, and soon, I was under him again, my mind surrendering to the overwhelming sensations. “Don’t think about anything, Emily,” he whispered in my ear. “Just enjoy.” Eventually, I lost track of time, and everything became a blur. Ryan was relentless, and before I knew it, I had lost all sense of reality. At some point, I felt him lift me up, and I opened my eyes, realizing he was carrying me out of the room. “Where… where are we going?” I asked, still dazed and confused. He didn’t answer. Instead, I felt a sudden chill on my back, and I realized he had placed me on a cold surface. I looked around and saw that he had carried me out of the private room and into the main lounge area. I was lying on a large table, right in front of the glass window looking out into the corridor. Ryan didn’t stop. He positioned himself over me again, a playful smirk on his face. “Exciting, isn’t it, Emily?” he asked. I bit my lip, too overwhelmed to answer, as my body gave in once again to the intensity of the moment. “I wish my husband was half as passionate as you…” I admitted, my voice trembling. Hearing that seemed to fuel Ryan even more. His grip on me tightened, and soon, I was swept up in another wave of pleasure, oblivious to everything around us. But just as I was about to reach my peak, I heard footsteps approaching. I turned my head to see Rania and Luke entering the room. They had clearly finished, their faces flushed and satisfied. Rania’s hair was tousled, and her smile was one of pure contentment. To my surprise, they weren’t the only ones. In the other corners of the room, more couples were entangled in their own pleasures. The lounge was now filled with the sound of multiple people, all lost in their own world. My gaze locked on Rania, who was now completely caught up with Luke, their bodies moving together again. Compared to Ryan, Luke was more intense, more aggressive. Watching them, I couldn’t help but imagine what it would be like to be with Luke instead. He had been eyeing me earlier, and I knew he was attracted to me. The way his eyes lingered on me when I first walked into the lounge had sent a thrill through me. He looked like a predator eyeing his prey. And although I seemed reserved on the outside, I secretly longed for something more intense. Tom had never been able to satisfy me like that. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, I pushed it away. No—I couldn’t let myself go that far. However, Ryan, who had noticed the way I was staring at Rania and Luke, paused. He leaned in closer, whispering in my ear, “Do you want to try something new?” “What do you mean?” I asked, suddenly alert. Ryan’s eyes met Luke’s across the room, and without a word, they exchanged a knowing glance. I immediately knew what they were suggesting. But this was too much. I couldn’t possibly… could I? I turned to Rania, hoping she would intervene, but instead, she seemed excited by the idea. She even encouraged them to go ahead and start. “Come on, Emily,” she coaxed. “You’re already here. Why not live a little?” I hesitated, my mind a whirlwind of fear and temptation. And after a few moments of gentle persuasion, I found myself agreeing, drawn deeper into the dangerous thrill of the night.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294631”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

Recently, I’ve discovered something strange. The daughter I painstakingly carried for nine months looks exactly like my husband’s late first love! 1、 This weekend was Eric’s middle school reunion. Eric’s family home is in another city, and since his parents passed away a few years ago, we hadn’t gone back since our wedding. This reunion seemed like a good chance to visit his old home. Originally, he was supposed to go alone, but our six-year-old daughter, Lily, insisted on going with her dad. Left with no choice, I drove there as well. Before the event started, I went to the restroom, leaving Eric to look after Lily. Some of his middle school friends came over to chat with him. From a distance, I overheard one of them say, “Is this your kid with Sophie? She looks just like her mom.” Sophie—Eric’s first girlfriend. “Wow, Eric! You really managed to win over the goddess. Why didn’t you invite us to the wedding?” It was meant as a joke, but I saw Eric’s expression change. He took a step forward and shielded Lily behind him. “You’re mistaken. Sophie passed away eight years ago.” Then, noticing me, Eric quickly led Lily over and linked his arm with mine. “This is my wife, Charisse.” I pretended not to hear the earlier conversation and smiled warmly at his friends. His friends awkwardly scratched their noses, afraid that I had overheard. They quickly changed the subject. As the night went on, the chatter and drinks flowed, but my mind kept replaying that one comment from his friend. That’s when I realized… my daughter, Lily, doesn’t really look like me. Lily’s lips and eyebrows resemble Eric’s, as if they were cut from the same mold. But while both Eric and I have almond-shaped eyes, our daughter has big, round eyes. And her face shape—Eric and I both have long, oval faces, but Lily’s face is round and square. I had always assumed she hadn’t grown into her features yet, that she just had a baby’s chubby, round face. But after what his friend said, I vaguely recalled the photo of Sophie that Eric kept in his wallet—round face, big eyes. So, Lily looks more like Eric and Sophie than me! Not like me at all. That realization sent chills down my spine. But just as quickly, I laughed at myself for overthinking. After all, Sophie had been dead for eight years, and Lily was only six. How could the daughter I carried for nine months not be mine? Eric never hid anything about Sophie from me. When we met, Sophie had already passed away. He couldn’t forget her, but under pressure from his family to marry, he reluctantly agreed to go on a blind date. At that first meeting, he told me their tragic love story, and I even teared up listening to it. I was focused on my career and wasn’t bothered by the fact that he still had feelings for Sophie. I just wanted to find a good man, and we clicked. Less than a year after we got married, we had our daughter, Lily. Our marriage has been pretty sweet, and we’ve hardly argued about anything, except for one thing—our daughter’s nickname, Lily. So, the fact that Lily doesn’t look like me? I chalked it up to a passing thought, and by the end of the reunion, I had forgotten all about it. But what happened next made me realize that maybe, just maybe… Lily really wasn’t my daughter. 2、 Lily just turned six, and after summer break, she’ll be starting first grade. We’d already enrolled her at Central Elementary School, which is conveniently close to home. According to the school’s rules, all incoming students must have a health check before starting the year. Eric was busy with work, so I didn’t mention it to him. I took Lily to New York General Hospital on my own. Lily was unusually quiet on the drive there, pouting and refusing to talk. “What’s wrong, Lily? Something bothering you? Can you tell Mommy?” She raised her chubby little face, “Mommy, Daddy won’t let me cut my hair, but I think short hair is cool. Long hair is uncomfortable! I’ve had long hair my whole life, and I want a new look for the new school year.” I had been so caught up in work that Eric had always taken care of Lily. Since she never brought it up, I hadn’t noticed that she had always had long hair. Even when it was hard to manage as a baby, Eric insisted she keep it. Now that she was older, it made sense that she’d want her own style. I didn’t want her to be upset over something small, so I said, “Alright, Lily. But you have to promise not to cry when they take your blood during the checkup, and then Mommy will take you to get your favorite haircut. Deal?” Lily was thrilled and eagerly agreed, “Deal!” The medical report wouldn’t be ready until the next day, so after the checkup, I took Lily to a nearby salon and got her the short haircut she wanted. I never expected the reaction I got from Eric when he came home that evening. The moment he saw Lily’s short hair, his face darkened, and he yelled at me. “Who told you to cut her hair?!” Lily was so scared she immediately hid behind me, nervously peeking at Eric’s angry expression. I was annoyed too. “Lily said long hair was uncomfortable, so I let her cut it. She likes it short. It’s not your hair, so why are you so mad? You’re scaring her.” Eric’s face was livid. Without even taking off his shoes, he strode past me and yanked Lily out from behind. “You like short hair?! Didn’t you promise Daddy you’d keep it long? Why did you cut it?!” Lily, just a child, had never seen her father so furious. She immediately burst into tears, crying out for me. My heart ached for her, and I quickly scooped her up, holding her close to comfort her. “What’s wrong with you? It’s just a haircut! Why are you acting like a madman? Look, you’ve scared her. I’m her mother. I can take her for a haircut if I want to.” Eric let out a cold laugh. “Now you remember you’re her mother? Have you ever taken care of her all these years?” I frowned. “Eric, didn’t we agree? After I had the baby, I wouldn’t stop working, and you promised to take care of her. Now you’re blaming me?” Eric realized he had overreacted and quickly changed his tone. “That’s not what I meant. I’ve been really stressed at work lately, and I took it out on you both. I’m sorry.” “Come here, Lily. Daddy’s sorry. Let me hug my little princess.” But Lily was too scared, still crying quietly in my arms. I ignored him, took Lily to her room, and she clung to me, asking me to stay with her for the night. I assumed she was just shaken, so I grabbed a pillow and stayed in her little room. But after telling her two bedtime stories, she still wouldn’t sleep. “Mommy, why do I have two mommies?” I frowned and gently asked, “What do you mean, Lily?” She blinked her big eyes, and what she said next hit me like a bolt of lightning. “The other night, Daddy thought I was asleep, and I heard him whispering that I’m looking more and more like my other mommy. He sounded happy, but he was crying when he said it.” “Mommy, who’s my other mommy? Why do I have two mommies?” 3、 I suppressed the anger rising inside me and managed to soothe Lily to sleep. When I got back to our bedroom, Eric was still awake. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring blankly at his wallet. I knew he was looking at Sophie’s picture again. Fury surged inside me, and I snatched the wallet from his hands. “Eric, she’s been dead for years! Can’t you let her rest in peace?!” Eric spoke through gritted teeth, “Charisse, I’m sorry about today. Let’s not fight. Lily’s asleep, and I’m not in the mood for this. Just give me back my wallet.” “Hah,” I scoffed, “You’re the one who can’t accept reality. Stop trying to drag my daughter into your fantasies! Wake up, Eric. Lily is my child, not yours and Sophie’s!” I threw the wallet at him, grabbed my pillow, and stormed off to our daughter’s room. I didn’t notice the flash of coldness in Eric’s eyes as I left. I spent the next day thinking about what Lily had said. It left me so drained I could barely focus at work. Luckily, I had my own office, so zoning out wasn’t an issue. During my lunch break, I went to New York General Hospital to pick up Lily’s medical report. Lily was perfectly healthy and ready to start school. I breathed a sigh of relief, but then something strange caught my eye. There was something off about the report. I laid it out on my desk and reviewed it carefully. What I saw made me gasp. Lily’s blood type was listed as B. But I’m type A, and Eric is type O. Based on basic biology, there’s no way we could have a child with type B blood! Suddenly, Lily’s words from last night echoed in my mind: “Why do I have two mommies?” And Eric’s friend’s joke from the reunion—“This kid looks just like Sophie.” Two mommies? An answer started forming in my mind, but I couldn’t bring myself to say it. No. It couldn’t be. Sophie’s been dead for eight years! Lily was born after I carried her for nine months. I was there. I watched the doctor cut the umbilical cord myself. There couldn’t be a mistake. But the facts were staring me in the face, and I couldn’t ignore them. The room spun as the weight of everything hit me. I sank into my chair, trying to steady myself. Could the daughter I had raised all these years not be mine? It was absurd. Impossible. I refused to believe it. In the end, I decided to go back to the hospital. Maybe there was a mistake with the tests? I took the day off work and drove straight to the hospital. But when I got there, they confirmed that the results were accurate. No mistakes. Which meant there was something wrong with Lily. I wanted to ask Eric, but when I thought about his behavior last night, something didn’t sit right. Could he be involved? The thought sent shivers down my spine. I didn’t want to believe it, but it was the only explanation that made sense. Who else had access to switch my child? But why would Eric do that? If Lily isn’t my daughter, then whose child is she? She can’t be Sophie’s—Sophie’s been dead for eight years. How could a dead woman have a child? I had to stop myself from spiraling into endless what-ifs. Instead, I gathered some of Lily’s hair from her hairbrush, as well as samples from both Eric and me, and sent them to the DNA testing center. 4、 The results would take a week. During that week, I didn’t tell anyone what I had done, not wanting to raise suspicion. Instead, I found myself constantly watching Lily, trying to find any resemblance to me. But no matter how much I looked, the only similarity between us was that we were both female. There was nothing else that tied us together. Even my family’s characteristic olive skin hadn’t passed down to Lily. She was pale, with round eyes and a square face—nothing like me. I read everything I could about genetics. Even with strong genes from one parent, children usually share at least some traits with both parents. The week dragged on in agony, but finally, the results came in. The DNA test confirmed it. Lily wasn’t my biological daughter. But Eric… he was Lily’s father. The truth hit me like a bucket of ice water. My hands trembled uncontrollably as I stared at the results. I wasn’t Lily’s mother, but Eric was her father. So who was her mother? Sophie had been dead for years, which meant only one possibility: my loving husband had cheated on me either before or after I got pregnant. And this other woman had given birth around the same time and swapped her child for mine. I had raised someone else’s child all these years. But where was my child? What had happened to her? Rage flooded my chest. I drove home as fast as I could. Eric was playing with Lily’s Barbie dolls. She was brushing the doll’s hair when she saw me. She immediately dropped the doll and ran over to me, her sweet voice calling out, “Mommy!” But all I could think about was my missing daughter. Was she out there somewhere? Was she warm, well-fed? Could she be living as happily as Lily? I knew it wasn’t Lily’s fault, but it didn’t stop me from feeling a growing distance from her. Every time I looked at her, I thought of my own daughter, suffering somewhere, without me. I forced a smile and said, “Lily, be a good girl. Mommy needs to talk to Daddy. Go play with your dolls in your room for a bit, okay?” Lily looked up at me, then over at Eric. It seemed like she sensed something was wrong, but she obediently nodded and took her doll back to her room. Once I was sure she couldn’t hear us, I turned to Eric, fury burning inside me. He was sitting on the couch, looking confused. “What’s your problem now?” I forced myself to stay calm. Instead of slapping him like I wanted to, I pulled out the DNA results and Lily’s medical report. “Explain this, Eric.” He picked up the results, and his pupils shrank. His hands trembled slightly. “This… this can’t be right.” But he quickly regained his composure, setting the papers back down and giving me a smile. “That’s impossible. Lily is the daughter you carried for nine months. The DNA center must have made a mistake.” “How could she not be related to you?” “Charisse, have you been reading too many novels? We’re not some rich, powerful family where baby swaps happen. Why would anyone swap our child?” As I stared at his calm face, my heart turned to ice. Up until that moment, I had hoped he didn’t know. But seeing him now, I realized my darkest suspicion was true. He knew. He had known all along. And worse, he was the one who had done this. Eric was still rambling on. “There must be some mistake. We’ve raised Lily together all these years. How could she not be yours?” “How about this, Charisse? Let’s go together and get another test. The three of us.” 5、 I didn’t turn down his offer. We went to a larger hospital to get a second opinion. But I didn’t believe a word he said. I had already contacted the hospital where I gave birth, and they assured me that they had never had any cases of swapped babies. I even went to the doctor who had delivered Lily. He couldn’t believe what I was telling him. When I showed him the DNA results, he was visibly shocked. We reviewed the surveillance footage from my time in the hospital, going through it frame by frame. There was no sign of any wrongdoing there. The doctor adjusted his glasses. “Mrs. Williams, I’m so sorry about this, but I can personally vouch for this hospital. We’re a reputable institution. There’s no way a child could have been swapped here. But after you gave birth, you transferred to Riverside Family Care Center. Maybe you should check there. You might find your biological daughter.” The doctor had a point. It couldn’t have happened in the hospital. When I gave birth, I nearly died. After an emergency C-section, Eric had taken care of Lily. He had the time and opportunity to swap our daughter. But I still couldn’t understand why. Why would Eric do such a thing? And if Lily wasn’t our child, then who was she? I contacted Riverside Family Care Center next, but unfortunately, the video records from that time had long been lost. I was overwhelmed with exhaustion as I dragged myself home. Eric and Lily were waiting for me at the dinner table. The sight of a table full of food didn’t stir my appetite at all. Without warning, Eric set the new DNA results down in front of me. “See? I told you the hospital must have made a mistake. I’ve heard online that some shady DNA centers give everyone false results just to make a quick buck. Maybe that’s what happened to you.” Lily stared up at me with wide eyes. “Mommy, don’t you want me anymore?” My heart felt like it was going to burst. I forced the softest smile I could manage and said, “Mommy would never stop loving you, Lily. You’re too young to understand what’s going on right now. Why don’t you go back to your room, sweetheart?” Once Lily was out of earshot, I turned to Eric with a steely glare. “What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you tell her that? This is between you and me. Why drag a little girl into it?” Eric smiled and pushed the fake DNA results toward me again. “It wasn’t my choice. Lily’s been really upset these past few days. She thinks you don’t want her anymore. She hasn’t been eating well. I had to tell her the truth.” “You know she’s just a child. How do you expect her to process the idea that the mother who raised her might not be her biological mother?” “Look, the test results are out. Let’s stop fighting. I told you, the hospital made a mistake.” I scoffed. “You really think I’ll believe the results from a test you rigged? I didn’t tell you this earlier, but I sent all three of our DNA samples to a trusted lab. The results came back saying you and Lily are related, but she’s not mine. What lab would only fake one side of a test?” “Things have gone too far, Eric. You’d better tell me where my daughter is, or I swear I’ll take this to the police.” 6、 Eric’s face stiffened when he heard my words, but he quickly composed himself, still holding onto that feeble DNA test result. “Charisse, what’s going on with you? Are you under too much pressure at work, imagining things? Lily is our daughter, how could you even doubt her?” Before I could respond, Lily’s cries interrupted us. She ran over, clutching my leg. “Mommy, Mommy, don’t leave me. I’ll be good—please don’t leave me!” Her cries pierced my brain like needles. I had no choice but to pause the conversation with Eric, picking her up and gently soothing her. “Mommy’s not leaving you, Lily. Why would you think that? You’re Mommy’s precious baby. It’s not like what you’re thinking. Mommy and Daddy just have something to work through, but we would never stop loving you.” With Lily’s crying, Eric and I didn’t resolve anything that night. Lily clung to me, afraid that I’d leave her the moment she closed her eyes. She insisted on sleeping with me. I was just as eager to avoid sharing a room with Eric, so I took my pillow and blanket and went to Lily’s room. Even though Lily was exhausted, she was restless and wouldn’t fall asleep, even after I told her several stories. “Mommy, will I become an unwanted child?” I kissed her forehead. “What a silly thought, sweetheart. What mommy would ever abandon her own daughter?” “But Daddy said… Daddy said you don’t think I’m your real daughter anymore. And that you’re going to bring home a new sister. When that happens, you won’t love me anymore. You’ll leave me.” Her eyes filled with tears as she spoke. My heart ached as I held her tightly, emotions swirling inside me. Honestly, I knew Lily was innocent in all this, but every time I thought about how my real daughter might be suffering somewhere because of her, the pain became unbearable. I hated Eric for being so despicable. This was between us, yet he dragged an innocent child into it, trying to use her as leverage against me. But he was wrong—nothing could throw me off course. Lily peeked up from my embrace. “Mommy, please don’t leave me. Daddy’s been acting weird. He says strange things when he’s asleep, and he won’t let me cut my hair. I don’t want to live with just Daddy.” Weird things? I latched onto those words, my curiosity piqued. Because of work, Eric had always been the one to put Lily to bed. “What strange things has Daddy been saying, Lily? Can you tell Mommy?” Lily furrowed her little brow, thinking hard before quietly saying, “Daddy says he misses Mommy. Sometimes he even cries, saying how cruel Mommy was for leaving us. But you’re right here with us, Mommy.” Her voice grew smaller, and she nestled closer to me. “Mommy, Daddy is really strange. I don’t want to live with him alone. He even gives me baths when you’re not around and tells me not to tell you.” “What?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294630”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

We broke up a year ago. Out of the blue, my ex-boyfriend, Jack Hart, decided to come back from the dead and text me. “Do you remember that lipstick you used to wear when we were together? What was the shade? I’m trying to buy one for my crush.” I paused for two seconds, then replied. “Oh, I forgot. You should ask one of your basketball teammates, he’s the one who bought it for me.” My phone stayed quiet for about two seconds before it started buzzing non-stop. “WTF!” “Who? Which teammate?” “Who the hell is it?!” “Answer me, I’m begging you.” I sent him a smirking emoji. “None of your business.” Friday night. I was happily slurping down my favorite mac & cheese when Jack decided to pop back into my life. Seeing the text light up my phone, I nearly did a 360-degree jump off the couch. Not because I missed him, but because there’s a certain satisfaction in knowing I won. When we broke up, I went all out—deleted and blocked Jack from everywhere. Complete breakup protocol. But I left his number untouched, waiting to see who would break first. He did. I immediately took a screenshot and called up my bestie, Sarah Grim: “Guess who just texted me? Jack!” She gasped, “No way! What does he want?” “Obviously, he’s realized how good he had it with me and is probably crying his eyes out right now.” I opened his message, ready to read some heartfelt apology or something, and hit him with a quick TD (which stands for “Too Dumb,” just my go-to response for these situations). But when I saw the content, the smile froze on my face. “Do you remember that lipstick you used to wear? What shade was it? I want to buy it for my crush.” Wow. Not only did he move on, but he’s chasing some new girl already. Guess the joke’s on me. Jack, always the smooth-talker. I took two seconds and shot back: “Oh, forgot. Why don’t you ask one of your basketball teammates? He bought it for me.” Then I shut off my phone. When I came back from washing dishes, I saw 99+ notifications. “?” “Anna, you better explain yourself!” “WTF!!” “Which teammate?!” “Who the hell is it? You better tell me!” “Where are you?!” “Answer me, I’m begging you.” “Don’t pretend you didn’t see this.” “So, you’re not going to tell me, huh?” Jack’s messages were flying in like they were free. I had no choice but to hit him with my ultimate move. I sent him a cheeky little emoji of a yellow bean sticking its tongue out, captioned: “None of your business.” The messages stopped for a moment. Then— “Anna Carter!” “You wait. I’m coming to your house right now.” Uh-oh. Someone’s pissed.

Jack and I started dating back in college, but we broke up after graduation. He’s a total contradiction. Before we dated, he had this cold, brooding, “untouchable” vibe. Once we started dating, though, that mouth of his turned sharp as a knife. If I took off my jacket, he’d say I looked like a bird spreading its wings. If I bent down to tie my shoes, he’d joke that I was a Transformer. This “untouchable” guy turned out to have a real gift for being annoying. I ranted to Sarah about it, and she said it’s just this thing now—boyfriends with “unexpected contrast.” Apparently, it’s trendy. But, to be fair, Jack had his good points. For example, he did all my elective course assignments. He also somehow got me through calculus, which I’d have failed without his help. And even my thesis framework? All Jack’s doing. It was so good it got voted “Outstanding Thesis,” and Jack stayed up late making the PowerPoint for my defense. The price of being an “academic queen” was that while Jack was killing it in his internship on Wall Street, I was just a lowly editor at a small studio. That’s also when we started drifting apart. Jack was swamped with his internship at the investment firm, so we barely talked. I’d hear from him two or three times a week, which was a far cry from what we used to be. I got it, though. He was working hard to secure his future. But what really ticked me off was this one time he finally had some time to be with me. After we had an amazing time together, I wanted to lie there and just trace my fingers over his six-pack. But nope. Jack got up, grabbed his laptop, and went straight back to work. Talk about cold-hearted. I lost it. I ripped off the necklace he bought me with his first paycheck and threw it at him. “Jack, I want to break up.” His face twisted, storm clouds gathering. Just thinking about it makes me shudder. Ugh, bad vibes. I lay down and tried to count sheep: “Jack’s cursed, cursed, cursed…” Just as I was drifting off, my phone rang. I sat up straight: “What? Jack’s in the hospital?” Was my wish that powerful? Should I buy a lottery ticket? “Miss Carter, you should come to the hospital. It’s not looking good.”

I rushed to St. Thomas’ Hospital. The emergency department was packed with people. I finally found the VIP ward and pushed the door open. Jack looked up at the sound. His white shirt was stained with a large patch of blood, half of his body exposed, arm in a cast. Luckily, that pretty face of his was still intact. The doctor handed me the report: “The patient was in a car accident. He’s got severe abrasions on his back, a broken arm, and a concussion.” That serious? Did he hit his head too? “He’s not going to have amnesia, is he?” I walked over to Jack and asked if he still knew who he was. Jack stared at me for a long moment before shaking his head. Great. This kind of cheesy plot only happens in bad TV dramas. Now it’s happening to me. The doctor sighed. “Miss Carter, please go to the front desk to settle the bill.” I blinked. “But I barely know him.” The doctor turned to Jack. “Didn’t you say she’s your girlfriend?” I shot him a glare. What’s going on? Jack quietly pulled out his phone and showed the doctor a picture of us together. In the photo, we were all cozy, kissing in the throes of young love. As if that wasn’t enough, he pulled up an old social media post from our college days—us, the perfect campus couple. I couldn’t believe he still had that. I had a sneaking suspicion Jack had been waiting for this exact moment to trap me. The doctor, convinced we were just a quarreling couple, waved it off and left. Now it was just the two of us in the room. I dropped the act. “I don’t have any money, so I’m leaving.” Jack suddenly grabbed me, but he accidentally tugged at his injured back, letting out a low, pained hiss. That sound… deep, restrained… Let’s just say it didn’t take much to make my mind go places, especially in the middle of the night, in a quiet hospital room. Jack, shameless as ever, gave me these big, sad puppy-dog eyes. “Babe, are we fighting? All the photos in my gallery are of you, and the chat logs are with you. Why can I only text you?” I swear, Jack’s face could make anyone weak. And now, with the added battle scars? It was almost too much. I clenched my hands to stop myself from swooning and said, “Jack, are you seriously faking amnesia?” “How long have we been broken up?” Jack’s breathing hitched, and he let his hand fall. “Babe, I’m not faking it. My memory might be foggy, but my love for you isn’t. “No matter what happened before, I’m sorry. “Don’t leave me, okay?” I couldn’t take it anymore. Even the strongest woman in the world wouldn’t be able to resist Jack when he was being all soft and vulnerable. What, was he bankrupt now? Faking amnesia just to save on hospital bills? Jack pulled out his phone. “Babe, can we at least add each other back on WhatsApp?” I responded coldly, “No way. Do you think you’re on my level to even ask?” Jack, unfazed, continued, “Babe, I’ll transfer you twenty grand. “Just pay the bill tonight, and you can keep the rest.” I have to admit, I finally found a man with a soft heart and a fat wallet. Without hesitation, I pulled out my phone. “Alright, fine.” Jack smiled in relief and scanned my WhatsApp. As soon as I walked out of the hospital, I called up Sarah and told her the entire weird story. Sarah immediately replied: “He’s faking it! He thinks life is some kind of soap opera. Be careful, girl, don’t let that jerk fool you!” I sent her a screenshot of the remaining balance—over ten grand. “Don’t worry, I got the cash. I’ll be gone by tomorrow.” Playing Jack is easier than playing fetch with a dog. Sarah sent me a big thumbs-up and a sharp review: “Only a tough girl like you could handle someone like him! You’re amazing, Anna!”

By the time I was done with everything, it was already past midnight. I figured I’d just crash at Jack’s VIP hospital room for the night. It would save me from hearing him complain that I took the money and ran. Dragging my feet back to the room, I found Jack sitting there like a sad, abandoned puppy. The moment he saw me come back, his eyes lit up. “You’re back.” I nodded and headed straight for the visitor’s bed, pulling the blanket over myself. The silence in the room was thick, the kind that buzzes with unspoken words. Jack broke it, his eyes boring into me. “Babe, who’s this ‘teammate’ you mentioned in your text?” I stiffened. I knew this was coming. “Why did he buy you lipstick? What shade was it?” I sat up abruptly. Of course, this was going to be a thing. When people are uncomfortable, they tend to fidget. I couldn’t come up with a decent explanation because, well… his teammate really did buy me that lipstick! But still, we were broken up. Jack had no right to grill me about it. I shot back, “I haven’t even asked you about this ‘crush’ you’re chasing. How long have you been after her, huh? Were you into her before we broke up?” Jack’s face darkened immediately. “I can’t remember much right now, but I know one thing for sure—I never had a crush.” Ah, so now we’re playing the amnesia card again. I rolled my eyes and lay back down, opening up TikTok to distract myself. The algorithm must know me well because it immediately started showing me videos of ripped, shirtless guys with abs for days. I started tapping the little red hearts, drooling at the sight. I didn’t even notice the way Jack’s gaze was drilling holes into me. Finally, my phone flashed the low-battery warning, and I turned to him. “Hey, did you bring a charger?” I wasn’t really expecting him to have one, but to my surprise, Jack mumbled, “In my bag.” Who brings a charger to the hospital? Typical Jack, always prepared. I hopped out of bed to grab it from his bag. He had one of those fancy leather briefcases, the kind every finance guy on Wall Street seems to own. But what really caught my eye was the tiny peanut keychain hanging off the side, completely out of place with the rest of the bag. I smiled, remembering that I’d given him that keychain for his birthday. I’d told him it symbolized “good things to come.” He’d acted all annoyed when I gave it to him, but here it was, still with him after all this time. Damn it, memories were starting to hit me again. I quickly found the charger and jumped back into bed. The next morning, I woke up to something that nearly made me choke. There was Jack, squatting next to my bed, completely shirtless. And those abs? Right there in my face, all eight of them, glistening in the morning light. No filters. No censorship. “Morning, babe. You’re finally up.” Babe? Jack only used that word in… well, certain situations. Yesterday, he’d been grossing me out with it all night. Now, we were doing this again? His face inched closer to mine, and I panicked. I shoved him away. “Seriously, dude? I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet!”

I never realized just how strong I was until that moment. Jack’s tall frame—what, he’s like 6’2”?—fell right to the ground with just one push. Unfortunately, he landed on his injured arm and winced. That pained sound he made? It was, well… let’s just say it made my heart skip a beat. Frantically, I jumped out of bed to help him up. My hand, completely on its own, managed to “accidentally” graze those glorious abs. Yep, still as firm and smooth as ever. Actually, they were even more defined than they had been back in college. Jack smirked, clearly enjoying this way too much. He grabbed my hand and pressed it against his abs, pushing my fingers along the ridges. With a low, seductive voice, he whispered in my ear, “You like them? I worked out just for you.” Cue instant heart palpitations. My face flushed as I yanked my hand back. “Have you no shame?” Instead of getting angry, Jack burst out laughing, his grin so wide it practically reached the back of his head. This guy… did that car accident knock something loose in his brain? He was acting like a completely different person. Before I could say anything else, the nurse walked in, clearing her throat loudly. “Alright, alright. Let’s get you patched up.” I wanted to die from embarrassment. I bolted for the bathroom to get myself together. By the time I came back, Jack had finished his treatment, sitting there in his hospital gown with a lazy smile. The nurse handed me two tubes of ointment. “Apply these once a day.” She turned to Jack, giving him a stern warning, “And no strenuous activities!” Jack winked at me as the nurse left, and I shot him a withering glare. I gathered up my things, though there wasn’t much—just my phone. Jack, still looking pitiful, asked, “Babe, where are you going?” “To work.” “But it’s Saturday.” I hesitated. Jack, ever persistent, pushed on, “I’m so badly injured, and I can’t feed myself. Can’t you stay and take care of me?” He was really laying it on thick now. “I already asked the doctor. You’ll be out of here in two or three days. You’re not exactly paralyzed.” Still, Jack wouldn’t let up. “Babe, how about this? I’ll pay you a thousand bucks a day just to bring me food.” I laughed, giving him a look. “Since when are you this loaded?” He shrugged. “I can’t remember exactly, but judging by my bank statements, I’m probably making at least a million a year.” I blinked. What the hell? I barely make seven grand a month! The gap between us was wider than I thought. “Alright, fine. I guess if it’s a humanitarian effort…” Jack’s transfer was smoother than clockwork.

Back home. I took a long, hot shower, then collapsed onto my bed, trying to make sense of everything. The extra money in my account was making my head spin. When Jack and I broke up, he acted like I owed him something. I used to fantasize about somehow making him pay, getting one over on him. Well, now I’ve got the money. But somehow, it didn’t feel as good as I thought it would. What Jack was doing didn’t feel like some desperate act of love. It felt more like he was trying to set me up, like a silent assassin. I didn’t tell Sarah about the money or anything else—she’d chew me out for sure. So, I buried myself in work to keep my mind off it. At mealtime, I ordered takeout for Jack, pretended I cooked it myself, and brought it to the hospital. Jack ate it up with enthusiasm and, for once, kept his mouth shut. He even complimented my “cooking,” saying it was great. One evening, while he was eating, I was busy working on a project. Suddenly, I heard a camera click. I looked up, frowning. “Don’t take pictures of me.” Jack, of course, ignored me, looking smug as he admired his phone screen. “I’m changing my wallpaper. The nurse thinks I’m single and keeps trying to set me up with her niece.” I bit my lip, stealing a glance at his sharp profile. I wasn’t stupid. I knew what Jack was doing. He was angling for a reunion, and I was starting to think maybe I should just let him have it—give him a way back into my life. But I needed to discuss it with Sarah first. But then, Jack slapped me with a reality check. And it hurt. A few days later, I arrived at the hospital about thirty minutes early to bring him dinner. As I reached the door to his room, I stopped dead in my tracks. There was Jack, hurriedly stripping off his suit jacket and slipping into his hospital gown. Standing next to him was a sophisticated woman, with soft, wavy hair and a form-fitting business suit that emphasized her figure. She moved with an ease that suggested they were familiar—too familiar. She was helping him with his tie, her hands brushing against his neck. “Slow down, no need to rush,” she said softly. The way they stood together, the comfortable closeness… it was clear they were more than casual acquaintances. Jack didn’t even seem to notice the intimacy of it all, letting her touch him like it was completely natural. I let out a bitter laugh, turned on my heel, and walked away. I had been played. Twice. If I ever let Jack back into my life again, I’d be a fool.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294629”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic

“I need to go on a work trip for a month. Could you come by my place to feed my cat? Also, the mango juice in the fridge is about to expire.” At two in the morning, I was jolted awake by my phone vibrating. I grabbed my phone and saw it was a message from my best mate, Chloe. The next moment, I was wide awake and drenched in cold sweat. First, she’s a freelancer, so there’s no such thing as a work trip for her. Second, she doesn’t have a cat. Third, she’s allergic to mangoes. “Emma, I need to go on a work trip for a month. Could you come by my place to feed my cat? Also, the mango juice in the fridge is about to expire.” At two in the morning, I was jolted awake by my phone vibrating. I picked up my phone from the bedside and saw it was a message from my best friend, Chloe Harris. I’m a light sleeper; it’s no exaggeration to say that if a pin dropped in the night, I’d wake up immediately. Chloe knew this all too well, which is why she never texts me in the middle of the night. In the next second, I suddenly realized something, and sleep fled from me, replaced by a wave of cold fear. I’ve known Chloe for over a decade; she’s my closest friend, and nobody understands her better than I do. First, she’s a freelancer; there’s no such thing as a work trip for her. Second, she doesn’t have a cat. Third, she’s allergic to mangoes. Recently, Chloe and I watched a film about the safety of women living alone, which included a plot point where two best mates had a secret code in case they were in danger. “Emma, if I ever send you a strange message, you must come and save me.” My heart raced, and I instinctively reached for Chloe’s number to call her. But I quickly realized she was hinting at something alarming rather than directly telling me what was happening, which could only mean that the attacker was right next to her, watching her every move. At two-thirty in the morning, it seemed like the power was out, and everything was pitch black outside. In the darkness, it felt as though countless eyes were watching me, my heart racing wildly, the strong beats echoing in my ears, as if they might burst from my chest. I hurriedly grabbed my medication from the drawer and swallowed a couple of pills dry, taking a while to regain my composure. Once I calmed down, I called James Thornton first, then reported it to the police. James is my boyfriend—he’s smart and tall. Whether I’m facing the police or going to find Chloe, I always feel safer with him by my side. As soon as I saw James, I rushed into his arms, crying uncontrollably. “Emma, don’t be scared. I’m here; no one will hurt you again,” James murmured, patting my back softly. Inhaling his subtle scent, my fear gradually dissipated. Thank goodness I have James. About five minutes later, the police arrived. I sat on the sofa, listening to James talk to them. “Emma Smith?” said one of the officers, his voice laced with surprise. I looked up to the door and was astonished to see a familiar face. It was David Collins. What a coincidence; David and I go way back. We were classmates in secondary school, and he was technically my first love. However, the circumstances of our breakup were rather tragic, something I’ve never forgotten. We were young and didn’t understand much. The kind of childish romance we had didn’t hold any weight. Even so, seeing David now brought an inexplicable awkwardness. David was all business, though, and had no intention of reminiscing. He said matter-of-factly, “We understand the situation. We’re going to Chloe’s house now.” “I’m coming with you,” I said, summoning my courage. David shot me a disapproving glance, as if he thought I’d just complicate things. James also advised, “I know you’re worried about Chloe, but this is something the police should handle.” I bit my lip stubbornly and insisted, “Chloe is my best friend. I need to see her safe before I can relax. Plus, I have her keys; I can help.” Seeing my determination, James and David had no choice but to relent. They both knew I’m quite stubborn about what I set my mind on. Reluctantly, David allowed James and me to tag along.

Chloe lived in an upscale house as a standard wealthy second-generation; her security system was top-notch. David immediately instructed his team to pull up the surveillance footage, and he followed James and me straight to Chloe’s flat. As we reached the front door, we caught a whiff of something metallic in the air. I shuddered, a sense of foreboding washing over me. My breathing quickened as I fumbled for the keys in my bag. The more anxious I became, the less I could think clearly. The keys, usually on the outside of my bag, were nowhere to be found. Seemingly sensing my fear, James wrapped his arms around me from behind, whispering, “Emma, don’t be scared. I’m here.” I took a few deep breaths, forcing myself to stay calm, and finally found the keys, handing them to David. David shot me an irritated glance, likely thinking I was taking too long, but he didn’t say anything and turned to open the door. Chloe’s house was dark, and the sharp, metallic scent made it hard to breathe. I stared at the closed door, an inexplicable panic gripping me, as if some monstrous beast was about to leap out from the darkness. I clutched James’s arm tightly, hoping it would somehow comfort me. When the door swung open, David stepped inside first, fumbling for the light switch in the living room. What I saw in the centre of the room would haunt me forever. Chloe was dead. In her own living room, in a grotesquely violent manner. She was nailed to a cross in a kneeling position, her face mutilated, and her body stabbed numerous times, blood splattered everywhere. I screamed in terror and nearly collapsed. Fortunately, James caught me just in time and pulled out his medication, handing it to me. After taking the pills, I felt a bit better, but I was still sobbing uncontrollably. “It’s all my fault. I came too late. If I’d come earlier…” David stood a few feet away, shooting me a glare. “The killer is exceptionally brutal. If you’d arrived sooner, there would have been another body to contend with.” I felt sheepish. David always had a sharp tongue, just like before. That was just typical. The police quickly cordoned off the area with tape. The officer who went to review the footage returned empty-handed. “The cameras nearby were damaged.” I sat dazed on the steps, feeling lost. To lose my best friend like this, at home, was unbearable for anyone. While I was lost in thought, a furry head suddenly appeared in front of me, startling me out of my wits. Thankfully, James was right there, pulling me into his embrace. “Come back, you silly dog!” David called sternly. I realized it was just a police dog. “I’m sorry; Emma is scared of dogs. Could you please keep it on a tight leash?” I heard James’s displeased voice. David held the leash, casting me a contemplative glance. I imagined he was thinking about when I had started fearing dogs. After all, back when we dated, we had adopted a puppy together. But people change. As the one who reported the incident, David proceeded to question me alone. “What was your relationship with the deceased, Chloe Harris?” “She’s my best friend.” I thought, he should know this without asking, considering we were all secondary school classmates, and I’ve been closest to Chloe since then. Rather than saying she was my best friend, I should say she was my only friend.

My dad was a gambling addict and a deadbeat; my mum ran an unlicensed massage shop in town. Somehow, the news leaked out, and the whole school knew, leaving no one willing to befriend me except Chloe. Having Chloe by my side made my entire youth feel less bleak. She was more important to me than my estranged parents. “What did she do for a living? Did she have any enemies?” “She was a culinary influencer. She rarely got into disputes with anyone, and I truly can’t think of anyone who would hate her enough to kill her so brutally.” As I spoke, my voice trembled, and I buried my face in my hands. “Did she have any romantic entanglements?” I racked my brain for a while, shaking my head in confusion. “I don’t know; I never really pried into her love life.” “Aren’t you best friends?” David squinted slightly. I felt a bit awkward. “Even best friends don’t share everything, do they?” David didn’t respond and continued, “What about you? What do you do for a living now?” I hesitated before replying honestly, “I just resigned recently; I’m currently unemployed.” “Why did you resign?” “David, does your line of questioning even relate to Chloe’s death, or do you suspect I’m the killer?” I felt angry, but David remained coldly objective. “Chloe died in her home; there were no signs of forced entry. The killer might have been someone she knew—someone she let in, or someone who had a key to her house.” “You mentioned when you called the police that you received a strange text from Chloe, but we didn’t find her phone at the scene.” At this point, I realized he genuinely suspected me. I let out a bitter laugh. “So you think that I, without a stable job or income, killed my friend out of jealousy because she had a better life than mine?” “Answer my question.” His tone was devoid of warmth. I relented. “Fine. I resigned because I have an anxiety disorder that makes it difficult for me to live and work normally.” I looked down, not wanting to see pity in his eyes. To be honest, his lack of trust made me feel rather down. But then again, when we were together, he never really trusted me fully either. To him, I was merely a familiar stranger; why would he believe what I said? David scrutinized me, as if trying to detect any signs of guilt or panic on my face. We sat in silence for what felt like an eternity until he suddenly pulled out an evidence bag and placed it gently on the table. “This phone is yours, isn’t it?” It was an outdated model. The screen lit up, revealing my selfie on the display. Given Chloe’s background, there was no way she would use such a cheap phone; hers had always been the latest model. I stared at the phone for a long moment before nodding. “Yes, it’s mine.” “Can you explain why your phone was found at the crime scene?” David pressed.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294628”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #现实主义Realistic #浪漫Romance #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #校园School #惊悚Thriller #魔幻Magic