Author: Momo Chan

I had a twin sister, a mirror image of myself, whom I hadn’t heard from since our parents’ tragic death. The void left by her absence had haunted me for years, a lingering shadow of what once was. Then, out of nowhere, I received a call—an invitation to her birthday party. It seemed like a chance to reconnect, to mend the fractured bond between us. I prepared myself for the occasion with careful attention, dressing up in the finest attire, unaware of the sinister plot that lay beneath the surface. As I arrived at the venue, the air was filled with a false sense of celebration. Yet, what awaited me was a brutal nightmare that would forever alter the course of my life. My sister’s husband, consumed by a wrathful rage, turned the evening into a scene of unspeakable violence. I was dragged, beaten, and humiliated in front of a crowd that mistook me for someone else. The agony I endured was not just physical but deeply emotional, culminating in the loss of my unborn child. Each blow, each moment of pain, was a grim testament to the cruelty that lay hidden behind the facade of family and festivity. In that harrowing moment of suffering, the horrifying truth revealed itself The wheel of fate, a relentless force, spun on with unforgiving precision. —— I stepped into the grand hall, where laughter and clinking glasses wove a tapestry of celebration. The opulent chandeliers above bathed the room in a warm, golden glow, their brilliance a stark contrast to the storm of emotions swirling within me. Despite the grandeur of the setting, my thoughts were consumed by the voice I had just heard on the other end of the line. “Elenor, are you here? It’s my birthday, I’m so glad! I miss you so much!” Amy’s voice had come through the receiver, sweet and inviting yet tinged with a tremor that spoke volumes of unspoken feelings. I paused, the air heavy with anticipation and the weight of years that had passed since we were last together. My breath hitched in my throat as I surveyed the room. The grandeur and luxury around me seemed almost surreal, a gilded backdrop to the painful memories and unresolved emotions that bubbled to the surface. I clutched the small, velvet box in my hand, its weight both reassuring and heavy with significance. Inside lay the diamond bracelet, a gem that had become the symbol of all my hopes and dreams for this reunion. It sparkled with the brilliance of our childhood fantasies, a treasure not just in its worth but in the irreplaceable memories it embodied. Every facet of the bracelet seemed to capture the light of our shared past, a beacon of the bond we once had. As I approached the grand entrance, my steps resonated with a mix of nervous excitement and longing. Then, just as I was about to cross the threshold, my phone buzzed insistently in my hand. The name flashing on the screen made my heart skip a beat, its familiarity both thrilling and unnerving. t was Amy. “Elenor, are you here?” Her voice, so familiar yet touched with a haunting distance, cut through the tension of the moment I paused, the echo of her voice resonating deep within my chest, stirring a torrent of emotions that I had long kept at bay. Each syllable seemed to wrap around my heart, a bittersweet reminder of the years lost and the bond we once shared. “I’m here, Amy,” I replied, my voice barely more than a whisper, yet it held the weight of every shared memory and every unspoken word. “I’m here.” “Can you have someone take my bag? I left it on the rear seat of my car.” There was a brief pause on the line, and then his voice came through, rich with a warmth that felt like a comforting embrace. “I’ll be there,” A rush of emotions surged through me, overwhelming my senses as memories of our fractured past swirled like a storm in my mind. Our parents, once the steadfast anchors of our lives, had been ripped away in a tragic accident that shattered the very foundation of our existence. I still remember that dreadful day with piercing clarity—the shock that hit me like a tidal wave, the profound grief that followed, leaving me with a hollow emptiness so deep it felt like it might swallow me whole. The world had seemed to crumble around me, its colors fading into a grim gray as the weight of loss settled heavily on my shoulders. Amy, my twin, had been abroad, engrossed in her studies when the tragedy struck. The cruel twist of fate had kept us apart in our darkest hour. Since that fateful day, the silence from her side had been a deafening void, a painful reminder of the bond severed by distance and circumstance. Every fleeting memory of her, every echo of our shared laughter and childhood dreams, now felt like fragile fragments scattered in the win. The thought of seeing Amy again, of finally sitting beside her at the main table, ignited a profound, almost overwhelming sense of gratitude within me. Despite everything, we had found our way back to each other. And now, I was ready to embrace the sister I had missed for so long. As soon as I stepped into the venue, my heart still racing with the anticipation of reuniting with Amy, something sharp and unexpected shattered the moment. Before I could even register what was happening, a hand grabbed my hair, yanking me back with a force that sent a jolt of pain down my spine. “Amy!” The voice, sharp and venomous, sliced through the festive air like a blade, causing a jarring dissonance to the cheerful ambiance of the hall. The rage in the tone was palpable, a storm of fury that seemed to crackle with electric intensity. My mind reeled, struggling to piece together the disorienting assault on my senses. The words came like a thunderclap, each syllable laden with a bitterness that seemed to seep into the very fabric of the celebration. “How dare you show up? You made me a cuckold! I gasped, my heart pounding in my chest. The room blurred as I tried to regain my balance, the words slicing through the confusion like a knife. My hand instinctively reached up to defend myself, but the grip on my hair tightened, dragging me closer to the source of the fury. “Today, I’ll show everyone what you have done!” His voice roared through the room, each word imbued with a seething rage that seemed to shake the very foundations of the grand hall. .My head buzzed with confusion and disbelief, struggling to process the full weight of his enraged proclamation. The guests, initially caught up in the revelry of the occasion, now stood frozen in stunned silence. Their expressions shifted from festive cheer to bewildered shock My scalp burned with a fierce, searing pain where he gripped my hair, the physical agony only a fraction of the torment I felt inside. “Now that you’ve made me lose face, you’re a dead ,eat!” he snarled, his voice rising to a fever pitch. The crowd around us was frozen in a collective gasp, the festive atmosphere shattered beyond repair. Faces that had once been lit with joy were now etched with shock and disbelief as they witnessed the spectacle unfolding before them. Amy’s husband, John Winson, had transformed into someone I scarcely recognized. His face twisted with fury, he yanked my hair with such force that my scalp screamed in agony, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. The room, once filled with laughter and music, now echoed with the sound of my struggle as John dragged me towards the stage. I tried to resist, but his grip was ironclad, his rage overpowering. The crowd, once celebrating, now watched in stunned silence, their faces a blur of shock and disbelief. Each step felt like a descent into a nightmare I couldn’t escape from. When we reached the center of the hall, John didn’t stop. With a brutal shove, he pressed me onto the table, forcing me down with a strength that left me gasping for breath. The cold surface beneath me contrasted sharply with the burning humiliation I felt. Every ounce of dignity I had was being stripped away as John kept me pinned down, my body shaking with a mixture of pain and fear. “I want everyone to see what a slut Amy is!” As I lay there on the table, still reeling from the pain and confusion, I could hear John’s voice cutting through the chaos. “Amy! You’re a slut!” he shouted, his voice dripping with venom. “John, Listen” I managed to croak out, my voice trembling with fear and bewilderment. Just then, a crisp, resounding sound cut through the air—a slap. The sting of John’s hand burning across my face. The air in the room grew thick with a palpable tension as John’s voice cut through the murmur of the crowd. “Then I’ll show everyone how slutty you are!” he roared, his eyes blazing with a malevolent fire. “Play the voice record!” With a snap of his fingers,the room fell into an eerie silence . My heart pounded in my chest, each beat a drum of foreboding In the voice recording, Amy’s voice was unmistakable. “Push harder, please,” she begged, her words laced with a desperate, pleading tone. Each utterance was a knife to my heart, but the horror escalated with the realization that there were not just one, but multiple voices—sounds of different men, their breaths and groans mingling with Amy’s own. The record played on, the sounds of her pleas and their responses blending into a cacophony of betrayal. The room erupted into gasps and whispers, the crowd’s shock palpable. The once-joyous atmosphere was now a vortex of scandal and disgrace. My own mind reeled, caught between disbelief and devastation. “A woman like her should be beaten hard!” came the final, chilling statement, a dark echo of violence that sent shivers down my spine. My scalp went numb as the words pounded into my consciousness, each statement a brutal blow that left me reeling. The crowd’s scorn was a palpable force, a tidal wave of hatred that threatened to drown me. My mind struggled to keep pace with the unfolding horror, but one realization cut through with chilling clarity—I was mistaken for Amy. ” I’m not Amy! ” I quickly explained loudly. John’s face contorted with fury as he turned towards me, his eyes blazing with an unrelenting anger. Before I could brace myself, his hand swung through the air with a brutal force. The slap landed with a sickening crack, the sting of it burning across my cheek. My head snapped to the side from the impact, and I staggered “Shut up!” John’s grip was relentless as he yanked me up from the table, dragging me toward the center of the stage where everyone could see. My legs felt like lead, each step a struggle as I tried to steady myself amid the confusion and pain. The room seemed to spin around me, the faces in the crowd a blur of judgment and hostility. “Look at her! She won’t even own up to her mistakes! She’s nothing but a fraud!” As the voice recording blared on, a chilling realization cut through the haze of confusion and anguish. A man’s voice echoed through the speakers,. “Didn’t you want this limited version bracelet last time? I bought it for you.” The words were a dagger to my heart. The bracelet he mentioned was no ordinary piece of jewelry—it was the exact same one I had meticulously chosen as a birthday present for Amy My heart ached with the strain of waiting, each second dragging by as I clung to the hope that Mike’s arrival would turn the tide. The thought struck me like a bolt of lightning. The party, which I had once seen as a hopeful reunion, was nothing more than a meticulously orchestrated trap. John’s rage was a storm of fury, his face twisted with a wrath that seemed to consume him completely. “Bitch! Keep denying it!” he spat, his voice a venomous hiss that cut through the tumult of the room. “Look at your bracelet! He gave it to you yesterday, and you came here with it today with that! You shameless bitch!” With a fierce grip, John seized my arm, his fingers like iron bands around my flesh. He dragged me across the stage, his movements brutal and unrelenting. My heart raced, each beat a frantic plea for this nightmare to end. He forced me to the ground, my wrist pressed against the cold, unforgiving surface. The pressure was immediate and crushing as he ground my wrist against the hard floor, a relentless force that made me cry out in pain. Desperation clawed at my throat as I struggled against the intense pain . “Can you listen to me? I really am not Amy!” I pleaded, my voice trembling as I tried to pierce through the storm of fury that enveloped John. John’s eyes, cold and unrelenting, remained fixed on me, his rage a formidable wall that seemed impenetrable. He brandished the bracelet with a fierce, almost manic intensity, its glittering surface catching the light in a way that seemed to taunt me. “You think you can just play innocent?” he spat, his voice a harsh. “You’re nothing but a lying whore!” John’s rage reached a fever pitch as he snapped the bracelet, the once-gleaming diamonds scattering across the floor like cruel confetti. The sound of the diamonds hitting the ground was a harsh, discordant note in the otherwise frantic chaos of the room. “If I remember correctly, you like it, don’t you?” John’s voice was a low growl, filled with a twisted satisfaction. “Alright then! I will plant it into your skin!” With a deranged fervor, John began to forcefully stuff the diamonds into my skin. Each piece of sharp, unyielding gem was driven into my flesh with a brutal force, the pain an unbearable fire that seared through every nerve. The diamonds dug into my skin, tearing through it with a sickening crunch, and each inch of the cruel intrusion was accompanied by a gush of blood that stained the floor beneath me. I could feel the diamonds cutting deeper, the sharp edges carving into my flesh and causing the blood to pool and seep out. Every instinct screamed at me to fight back, to prevent the diamonds from embedding deeper into my flesh. I twisted and writhed, my body slick with sweat and blood, the agony of the diamonds piercing my skin a constant, blinding torment. Just as I thought I might find some respite, John’s sister stormed onto the stage, her face a mask of rage and contempt. “You disgrace us! You bitch!” she yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos with a vicious edge. Her words were like a lash to my already wounded spirit. She seized my arm with a vice-like grip, adding her strength to John’s relentless assault. With her holding me down, John’s fury escalated further. He took advantage of the moment, forcefully jamming a diamond into my back. The sharp, cold gem sliced through my flesh with a sickening crunch, and the pain that exploded was a nauseating shock that made me cry out in anguish. The crowd around us, a grotesque assembly of onlookers, responded with a horrifying approval. John’s relatives, their faces twisted with malicious glee, began to applaud the scene before them. The air seemed to press down on me with an unbearable heaviness, and I could barely draw a breath. I stumbled forward, my hands instinctively reaching up to clutch at my throat,Blood began to seep from the wounds, staining the floor beneath me in a grotesque pool of red. The cheers and jeers that had filled the room were replaced by a haunting silence, broken only by the soft, disturbing sounds of my labored breathing and the trickle of blood pooling around me. With every ounce of willpower, I raised my head, my voice barely more than a strained whisper against the backdrop of my agony. “My husband is coming, and you will be over!” Laughter erupted, harsh and mocking, a cruel symphony that echoed through the hall. “What?” someone shouted, their tone dripping with derision. “Your husband?“ With those harsh words hanging in the air, John lunged towards me, his anger boiling over into a physical assault. His hands grasped at my dress with a violent force, tearing at the fabric with a frenzied determination. The sound of the fabric ripping was a brutal counterpoint to the desperate cries that escaped my lips. “Strip her, lash her, and fuck her, since you like to be fucked by men!” John roared, his voice a brutal command that shattered the fragile veneer of civility in the room. As John’s harsh command echoed through the room, his friends surged forward with a frenzied eagerness, their hands reaching out with ruthless intent. The room became a chaotic blur of motion as they descended upon me, their grip unyielding and determined. I fought back with every ounce of strength I had, my hands desperately trying to shield myself from their relentless assault. But against the sheer number of them, my resistance was futile. Their hands tore at my dress with a cruel efficiency, ripping through the fabric with a merciless disregard for my dignity. The sound of tearing cloth was a harsh, discordant symphony that filled the air, each rip a searing reminder of my helplessness. The last remnants of my dress were soon reduced to tatters, and I was left exposed in a state of complete vulnerability. The cold air against my bare skin was a stark contrast to the searing pain and the overwhelming humiliation I felt. My body was now on display, subjected to the harsh gaze of the jeering crowd. Someone began to reach out, their hands closing in on my exposed skin. I twisted and writhed, trying to dodge their touch, but the movement only intensified the sickening pain that shot through me. “Get out!” I yelled, my voice raw and desperate, but it was as if my words were swallowed by the storm of cruelty around me. The man paused, his expression vacant and unsettling, caught in a trance-like daze. John, his face a mask of unrelenting fury, stepped forward with a grim determination. He grabbed my arm with a vice-like grip and forced me to the ground, pinning me with a ruthless efficiency that left me utterly vulnerable. “Go on!” John’s command was a harsh, unyielding demand that reverberated through the room. The man, now driven by John’s cruel edict, did not hesitate. He extended his grotesque, repulsive tongue, his mouth emitting a foul odor that made my stomach churn violently. The sight and smell were unbearable, a nauseating assault that left me feeling utterly degraded and revolted. The air was thick with a sense of dread and despair, the echoes of my anguish mingling with the grotesque actions of those around me. Amidst the chaos, a new detail seized the crowd’s attention. Their eyes shifted with a mix of shock and intrigue as they noticed the slightly bulging curve of my abdomen, a stark and undeniable sign of my pregnancy. The revelation seemed to shift the atmosphere, amplifying John’s rage into a twisted, almost primal fury. His face, already contorted with anger, now twisted into something even darker. “If I hadn’t found out about all this today,” he spat, his voice quaking with the intensity of his emotions, “were you planning to let me raise someone else’s child for the rest of my life?” The sight of my pregnancy seemed to ignite a fury within him that bordered on madness. With a violent, jarring motion, John lifted his foot and drove it with unrestrained force into my exposed belly. The sharp, unforgiving pain was immediate and overwhelming, as though the very force of his kick shattered the fragile barrier between life and death within me. I clutched at my abdomen with both hands, desperately trying to shield it from the relentless assault. My fingers dug into my flesh, but it was no use—the pain was all-encompassing, a merciless wave that crashed over me with every breath I took. The world around me seemed to blur and darken. The once-clear line between pain and suffering dissolved into a suffocating haze of torment, leaving me gasping and shuddering as the crowd watched in horrified silence. Bright red blood began to trickle down my thighs, a stark and horrifying contrast against my pale, trembling skin. Suddenly, the grand doors swung open with a dramatic creak, and a procession of figures entered with a commanding presence. The crowd fell into a stunned silence as they took in the imposing sight of my husband, Mike Shura, leading the way.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294596”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem #重生Reborn

I was at the County Clerk’s Office, filing for divorce, when I accidentally dropped a positive pregnancy test. Just like that, everyone knew I was pregnant. My husband, Lucas Sullivan, stared at the test, his gaze darkening, and through gritted teeth, he managed to say, “You…” Panicked, I quickly blurted out, “Let me explain! This baby isn’t yours!” “Chloe Collins!” That day, Lucas confiscated our marriage certificate, grabbed my hand, and without a word, dragged me home. I knew I had really ticked him off. But I wasn’t sure if I could handle his wrath. In reality, this child—well, I had tricked my way into it. I didn’t think of it as Lucas’s baby; to me, this was my baby. Lucas and I had a marriage of convenience, arranged for business reasons. Before we got married, we’d already signed the divorce papers. Last month, the contract expired, and naturally, since his “first love,” Madeline Collins, had returned from abroad, it was time for us to part ways. But why should I let him go that easily? I’d spent over a decade loving this man, and I wasn’t about to hand him back to that woman without a fight! No way! “Lucas, fine, we’ll divorce, but if my second husband finds out I’m still a virgin, he’ll think I was ditched because I’m not attractive enough!” I took two steps forward, hooked my finger around his tie, and gently pulled him closer. His cold, chiseled face loomed in front of me. I’d practiced this seductive move in front of the mirror a dozen times, even popped a strawberry-flavored mint for good measure. “Come on, Mr. Sullivan, do me this one last favor. I promise, after that, we’ll head straight to the Clerk’s Office.” My heart pounded as his dark eyes locked onto mine, making me feel as though he could see right through me. No backing out now! This is my only shot! Push him down! Get him into bed! Just as I was about to make the first move, desperately recalling everything I’d crammed from those imported South Korean romance dramas, he acted. Effortlessly, Lucas scooped me up, his heated, toned muscles pressing against me through his shirt. After two years of marriage, this was my first time in his room. It was as minimalistic and organized as I’d imagined—just like him. He tossed me onto his sleek black bed, then began unbuttoning his shirt right in front of me. His powerful chest muscles peeked through the opening. And below that, a perfectly sculpted set of abs… My face flushed. If I were a kettle, I’d probably be whistling from the steam by now! How could a man so distant and refined be so rough once he took his clothes off? I regretted it for a second. But then… hmm, maybe not… Oh no, I’m regretting it again! I spent an entire day in bed recovering, but at least it happened. The next day, we submitted the divorce papers. There’s a one-month waiting period. So, technically, this child is still mine. I just want to take my baby and leave. End my long, bitter crush with a final period.

After we returned from the Clerk’s Office, Lucas seemed deep in thought. He stood by the window like a statue for what felt like an eternity before finally turning around and pulling me from my chair. “We’re going to the hospital.” I jerked back in panic. Hospital? Did he want to get rid of my baby? “No! I’m not going, even if you drag me there!” But he didn’t stop. His grip was firm, and despite my resistance, he carried me out of the house like I was a child. Sharing his body heat as we moved in sync, part of me wished the hospital wasn’t our destination. I could’ve stayed wrapped in his arms forever. At the entrance of the private hospital, after another struggle, Lucas finally got me into the maternity ward. It was all because of the words he whispered in my ear. “Be good. Listen.” His voice was both soothing and seductive, sending shivers from my ear straight to my heart. Pressed up against him, I felt like I was short-circuiting, and before I knew it, I let go of the door. Ugh… beauty is my downfall. Lucas registered me with a specialist. The doctor’s name was familiar. Madeline Collins. Lucas’s first love! She wasn’t beautiful in the same way I was. Her charm was in her gentle grace, her soft, serene smile, and her ever-tidy appearance that radiated a warm, morning light. “Chloe, you’re three weeks pregnant…” Her hand trembled slightly as she held the ultrasound report, but she smiled anyway. This was the kind of woman Lucas liked. Meanwhile, I used my cold, cruel words to protect my fragile pride. My mom had been the other woman, who had taken Madeline’s mother’s place in the Collins family. I was the shameless younger sister who had stolen Madeline’s engagement to Lucas. I was lucky enough to inherit my mother’s looks—seductive, cunning—and managed to steal two short years with Lucas in the shadows of my long, dreary life. Lucas’s brows furrowed—always a sign that he was annoyed. I’d been prepared for this, but it still hurt to see how angry my pregnancy made him. He stood up, brushed past me, and walked over to Madeline. Was he really that eager to comfort another woman right in front of me? We weren’t even divorced yet! Gently, he took the ultrasound printout from Madeline’s hands and straightened it out, his voice cold. “You creased it.” He pressed it down a few more times, but there were still fingerprints. He turned to Madeline and said seriously, “Print another one.” Me: ??? What kind of plot twist was this? His OCD was acting up at a time like this? For the first time, Madeline’s flawless smile faltered. “Lucas, I didn’t mean to.” Lucas’s gaze shifted to her. “My mom only had one child.” Then, without a hint of sarcasm, he added, “Are you my dad’s illegitimate daughter?” Tears welled up in Madeline’s eyes. “You’re being too harsh! I’ll tell your father!” Lucas nodded, “Feel free.”

I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. It was rare to see Madeline, that self-righteous woman, getting her comeuppance. If I didn’t know any better, I’d question if she was really Lucas’s first love. He hated being called “brother,” and he’d only ever been special to her. I used to call him “Lucas, my dear brother,” when I was trailing after him. He’d snapped at me with a warning, “Don’t call me brother. I will never be your brother!” After that, I buried my feelings even deeper, my unrequited love hidden away. By the time we got home, I still felt like I was floating in a daze, like I was walking on clouds, not sure if any of it was real. Lucas hadn’t forced me to get rid of the baby. In fact, he had carried me back in his arms with such care, like I was something precious. He even knelt down in front of me, those hands—hands that wielded power, commanded respect—gently slipping off my high heels and replacing them with soft, cozy slippers. No artisan in the world could have crafted hands as perfect as his. It was like they carried some sort of magic, pulling my gaze to them over and over again. What on earth was happening? This world had turned upside down! Two years of marriage, and we had barely even held hands, but on the day we were meant to finalize our divorce, he carried me twice and even changed my shoes! “Stop wearing high heels for now. They’re too risky.” He looked up at me as I sat on the bench, his gaze warm and tender. Lucas had these eyes that were both elegant and intense. Normally, he seemed cool and detached, but when he looked at you like that, you felt utterly adored. I nodded eagerly. At that moment, I would have agreed to anything. Heck, if he’d told me to eat my shoes, I’d have done it without a second thought! Lucas took the ultrasound print and framed it carefully, placing it in the most prominent spot in the living room. Then he had someone send over a massive stack of books: Pregnancy Guide, Tales for Baby, Child Psychology… It hit me then: I was gaining some prestige, thanks to this baby. Even Lucas, the powerful CEO, was now doting on me because of the child I carried. I hesitated before speaking. “So, about the divorce…” Lucas had been organizing the books, but at the sound of my voice, he froze and looked up quickly. My goodness. Was that… nervousness I saw in his eyes? The almighty Lucas Sullivan was worried? He stared at me, his throat working as if he were struggling with what to say. For a moment, he seemed almost… hurt. It was so brief, but it made my heart ache. Softening my voice, I sighed. “Let’s wait until after the baby is born, okay?” “Okay,” he agreed without hesitation. Everything seemed to be about the baby now. But for some reason, it only made me feel worse.

But it’s fine. The law says that for the first two years, custody automatically goes to the mother. Even if we divorce, he’ll have to see me if he wants to visit the baby. That means Lucas and I will be tied together, forever. Thinking about it like that, staying connected through the child seemed like a better deal than running away while pregnant! However, life has a funny way of knocking you down when you’re flying too high. My pregnancy symptoms hit hard, and by the time I was five months along, I couldn’t keep anything down. I lost over fifteen pounds, and I was barely surviving on medication. One day, after throwing up my favorite steamed cod for the third time, I broke down in tears. Lucas didn’t even flinch. Instead, he calmly wiped my face with a warm towel, treating me like I was a delicate piece of art. Between sobs, I whimpered, “Lucas, if I keep vomiting like this, the baby won’t survive. I really, really want this baby.” “I know,” he whispered. He pulled me against him, gently stroking my back, then slowly helped me drink small sips of water. The bitterness in my mouth began to fade, and my emotions gradually settled. It was then I realized how intimate our position was. If I tilted my head just a little, I could hear his heartbeat. Before I could act on the thought, Lucas called for the housekeeper to take me back to my room to rest. Ugh. He could talk for hours with Madeline, but when it came to me, all I got were “mm-hm’s,” “okay’s,” and “I know.” Was I really that bad? And come on, with that cold demeanor, how had Madeline even handled him? She wasn’t exactly curvy… While my thoughts spiraled, I suddenly got a message. It was from Madeline. She didn’t say anything—just sent a picture. It was a medical report. I didn’t understand most of the jargon, but the last line stood out: “Infertility suspected. IVF recommended.” The world around me seemed to dim. The report was Madeline’s. That means… she can’t have children. And Lucas—he must know. So… the baby inside me… was it meant for her all along?

Shaking, I forced myself to get up and go find Lucas. To make things easier for me, he had moved his bedroom from across the hall to the one right next to mine. The door was slightly ajar, and when I peeked inside, I saw him holding that pregnancy guide again, carefully taking notes. Once, I would’ve thought it was sweet, but now, it just felt cruel. “Lucas, you deserve an Oscar. You should’ve gone into acting, not business.” He quickly shut the book, his handsome face flushing slightly. He looked at me, and for a moment, his expression froze. “You’re not wearing slippers.” He turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm. “Is it true that Madeline can’t have children?” In the scuffle, the book slipped from his grasp, falling open on the floor. He quickly covered my eyes with his hand. “Don’t look…” What were they hiding? Had they done something even worse behind my back? If he didn’t want me to see it, I definitely had to. I forced his hand away and glanced down. My face immediately turned red. A line of text had been circled in red ink: “Safe to resume intercourse after three months of pregnancy.” Next to it, Lucas had written detailed notes, citing references and expert advice. He hurriedly picked up the book and locked it in a drawer, but my mind was still spinning with his scribbled handwriting, all those notes, and… those memories. His taut muscles, the beads of sweat, and those… intimate sounds. But all of it—everything he’d done for me—had been for someone else. All I’d been was a stand-in for another woman. “Chloe, you’re bleeding.” Bleeding? I touched my nose. It didn’t seem like I was… “Don’t worry. I’ll get you to the hospital right away!”

Drip… drip… I felt something warm trickling down my leg onto the floor… My stomach tightened, a dull pain spreading. I clasped my hands over my belly. “The baby…” “Breathe. Relax your body as much as you can.” Lucas’s voice was soothing, like he was guiding me through a crisis. I followed his rhythm, slowly calming down. Thump, thump, thump. Was that my heartbeat or his? I looked up, only able to make out his strong jaw, the tight set of his lips, and the muscles straining along his neck… “Don’t be afraid, Chloe.” “I won’t let anything happen to you.” Through the haze, I stared up at him. “Lucas, did you only want this baby because Madeline can’t have one?” “This is our child. It has nothing to do with her.” And just like that, I started crying uncontrollably. All the tension, the fear—it melted away like falling into warm water, soothing and comforting me. The hospital was chaos—flashes of light, shadows of blue and green. Then, the world went dark. I had a long, long dream. In the dream, I went back two years to when Madeline had first gone abroad. Just as I was about to celebrate, I got another bombshell of news: Lucas was leaving the country, too! His family business was in biotechnology, but he was going to France—wine, steak, luxury—just to chase after Madeline. If that wasn’t love, I didn’t know what was. Two years ago, I was full of youthful energy, determined not to give up. I wasn’t going to sit by and let him get away. I secretly followed him and booked the same flight. I didn’t dare fly first class, though, so I slummed it in economy, hoping not to get caught. But as soon as we landed, I realized just how stupid I’d been. I was terrible at languages—I barely spoke English, let alone French—and I’d lost track of him at the airport. What if I got kidnapped by some human traffickers? I was young and pretty—what if they sold me into a brothel or, worse, harvested my organs? I was about to cry when a deep, familiar voice spoke from behind me. “What are you doing here?” It was Lucas. If I listened closely, I could hear a faint tremor in his voice. “Lucas!” I whirled around and threw myself at him. “I was so scared! I thought I’d never see you again…” His body went rigid. “Let go.” It was like a bucket of cold water had doused my excitement, and the joy of seeing him vanished instantly.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294595”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem #重生Reborn

At graduation, I finally mustered up the courage to confess to my crush. But, as fate would have it, I got hit by a car. When I woke up, my crush stood right in front of me, staring at me coldly. “You’re awake? Great, let’s discuss the divorce agreement.” Me: ??? I haven’t even confessed yet! How did this turn into a divorce? At my graduation ceremony, I finally summoned the courage to confess to Zachary Warren, my long-time crush. On the other side of the crosswalk, Zach was standing there, looking sharp in his graduation gown, taking photos. I got so excited that I dashed toward him, completely missing the fact that the light was red. There was a loud crash. I was hit by a car, and everything went black. The next time I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the blinding white ceiling. And there he was. Zach, standing by my hospital bed. Still as handsome as ever. This might be the first time we’ve been this close. Zach was looking up at the IV drip, but his gaze slowly shifted to my face. I accidentally noticed the ring on his left hand. I’ve had a crush on him for so long. So, he’s already taken? Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I forced a smile and greeted him, “Zach, what are you doing here?” As I tried to sit up, I noticed that my arm was wrapped in thick bandages. The next second, Zach sat on the chair beside my bed, his voice cold and distant. “Jennifer, you’ve really mastered the art of manipulation. Risking your life just to push for a divorce?” I stared at Zach, completely confused. What is he talking about? Divorce? I haven’t even graduated yet, let alone gotten married. Where is this divorce thing coming from? Just then, a nurse came into the room, holding a tray for bandaging wounds. “Dr. Williams, you’re still here? Miss Niles, you don’t realize how lucky you are. You were hit by a car, but thankfully Dr. Williams happened to be nearby. He gave you emergency care right away. Otherwise, it wouldn’t just be a broken arm you’re dealing with.” The nurse bent down and carefully disinfected my wound. After she rested my hand on the side of the bed, I noticed… I was also wearing a ring on my right hand! And it matched Zach’s ring. A couple’s ring! A wave of fear and uncertainty washed over me. After the nurse left, I grabbed Zach’s sleeve in a panic. “Zach, you graduated from NYU Medical School in 2018, right?” He frowned, clearly annoyed. He shook my hand off and looked at me coldly. “Since you’re awake, let’s go over the divorce agreement.”

This is absolutely ridiculous! I was on my way to graduation, got hit by a car, and now I’m being accused of “faking an accident” to force a divorce from Zach? Either I’ve lost my mind, or Zach has. “Wait, Zach!” Before I could finish, a little kid suddenly ran into the room, jumping right into Zach’s arms. Me: ??? Wow, this kid is so adorable. I reached out with my good arm to pinch his cheek, but he immediately hid behind Zach, clearly scared. “Sorry, little guy. You’re just too cute. I couldn’t help myself.” Zach shot me a disapproving look. It suddenly hit me that I hadn’t even gotten to the main point. “Zach, this might sound crazy, but I don’t remember anything you’re talking about. All I recall is being on my way to the graduation ceremony…” Before I could finish, Zach cut me off impatiently. “So, you’re telling me you’ve lost your memory?” Amnesia? Yes, that must be it. Amnesia is the only explanation for why I don’t remember any of this. I nodded sincerely. Zach’s icy expression didn’t soften. He pulled a document from his bag and tossed it onto my lap. “This is the divorce agreement. The terms are exactly as you requested. If you have no objections, just sign it.” I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. The little boy in Zach’s arms looked sad, his lips trembling. “Zach, shouldn’t we avoid discussing such topics in front of a child? It’s not good for his emotional well-being.” “How considerate of you, Jennifer,” Zach sneered. “That’s our child.” … “And yet, when you were having dinner with another man, did you ever think about how that might affect his emotional well-being?” I hadn’t even processed his first sentence when the second one hit me like a ton of bricks. I stared at the little boy in disbelief. So, I didn’t just get married—I have a child too? But the little guy paid no attention to me. He buried his face in Zach’s neck, refusing to even look my way. Too much information. My brain couldn’t handle it. I was officially out of commission.

It took me a whole day to wrap my head around everything. It seems I really did lose my memory. I’m still me, and Zach is still Zach. The only difference is—we’re married, and we have a kid. But that divorce agreement sitting on the bed speaks volumes: there’s clearly a problem with our marriage. The problem is… did I cheat? No way, right? Why would I cheat on Zach? He’s good-looking and smart. I must’ve been crazy. So, what went wrong? How can I get my memory back? I scratched my head, completely frustrated. “Mommy.” A tiny voice came from the door. I looked up to see a small face peeking through the slightly open door. “Daddy said you need to disinfect your hand. Here’s the iodine. He said you should do it yourself.” The little boy held a bottle tightly in his tiny hands. I gestured for him to come closer. “Mommy’s hand hurts. Can you bring it over for me?” The boy hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded and shuffled over to the bed, placing the iodine on the bedside table. I pulled him onto my lap and studied his features. His eyes were big and round like mine, his nose straight like Zach’s, and his face… a perfect combination of both of us. This was our son. I couldn’t resist hugging him tight and planting a big kiss on his cheek. He smelled so sweet and innocent—absolutely irresistible. When I looked up, his face was bright red. He froze for a moment before wrapping his little arms around my neck and hugging me back tightly. He leaned in and whispered in my ear, “Mommy, you smell nice.” This little guy is the sweetest thing ever. As I basked in the joy of my son’s affection, the door opened again. Zach entered, his familiar presence filling the room. “Daddy!” The little boy immediately ran to Zach and held his arms out, waiting for him to pick him up. Zach had just showered, wearing casual loungewear, looking effortlessly sexy and relaxed. His hair was still slightly damp, with droplets running down his neck and disappearing into his collar. I swallowed. This man was dangerously attractive. As he came closer, my heart started racing. But then Zach’s words shattered my moment of bliss. “Jennifer, don’t you think it’s a little late to start being a good mom to Cooper?” “I… I didn’t mean to…” I tried to explain, but the look on Zach’s face told me he wouldn’t believe a word I said. So, I stayed silent. “Whatever. Do what you need to do. I’m heading out.” As I left the study, Cooper peeked out from Zach’s neck and gave me a glance. Watching the two of them so close, a wave of sadness washed over me. What good are a husband and child if my husband doesn’t love me? Even my son seems closer to him. I started questioning everything. Why did we get married in the first place? Why did we have a child? Outside, the full moon hung high in the sky. The night breeze blew through the balcony, scattering my emotions. Nothing has changed. Except for me.

The master bedroom had only one large bed. The entire room was decorated in a minimalist black, white, and gray palette. Apart from that, it was immaculately tidy, with a light scent of gardenias floating in the air. I recognized it instantly—it was my favorite fragrance. I headed to the walk-in closet, looking for my pajamas. But all I saw was a row of black clothes. And they were all men’s clothing. … I had no choice but to knock on the door of Zach’s study. “Zach… I mean, honey, sorry to bother you.” Zach looked up from his laptop, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. His whole demeanor was both tempting and distant. “Do you know where my pajamas are? I looked through the closet in the master bedroom but couldn’t find them.” Zach stared at me for a few seconds without saying a word. Just as I was about to give up and leave, he suddenly stood up and walked toward me. He towered over me, standing at six foot one while I barely reached five foot five. I felt like a child standing in front of him. Zach smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets. “So, are you planning to carry on with this amnesia act?” I gulped, unsure of what to say. The truth was, even if I told him the truth, he wouldn’t believe me. Thankfully, he didn’t make things difficult this time. He walked past me, heading toward another part of the house. I stood there, confused and not sure what to do next. He glanced back at me from the corner of his eye. “Well? Aren’t you coming?” I immediately followed him, keeping a safe distance. “Thanks.” Two minutes later, I eagerly opened the closet door in the guest bedroom to grab my pajamas. But the moment I saw what was inside, I slammed the door shut, my face flushed with embarrassment. Oh my God! “This is…” I didn’t even finish my sentence, but I knew Zach understood. He stood by the door, arms crossed, silently watching me with a look that said, “Keep going, I’m just here to watch the show.” … Taking a deep breath, I slowly reopened the closet door. Inside were outfits so revealing, they looked like they belonged on a nightclub dancer. Tiny scraps of fabric—there was hardly anything to cover up with! Was this how I dressed after graduation… I mean, after I got married? Had my style become this… provocative? To make things worse, Zach didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. I ignored his piercing gaze and continued searching through the clothes. But I couldn’t find anything even remotely “normal.” … I sighed inwardly and, for some reason, turned to Zach and asked, “Honey, which one do you like seeing me in?” His eyes immediately darkened, and without a word, he turned and walked out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him, and the sound made me jump. Why did he get mad? They say women are hard to understand, but men are even more of a mystery. I grabbed some pajamas and headed to the bathroom. A wild thought crossed my mind: could our impending divorce have something to do with… issues in the bedroom? After my shower, I wrapped myself in a robe and headed to Cooper’s room. The nursery was cozy, and it was clear Zach had put a lot of thought into it. Everything was designed with care. I tiptoed over to his bed. Cooper was fast asleep, clutching a little stuffed animal. I gently tucked the blanket around him and wiped his thumb, which he had been sucking on. For the first time, I felt a real connection to being a mother. But I still didn’t know how old he was. I looked over at our marriage certificate. It was dated four years ago. That meant Cooper must be around three. I ruffled his hair and quietly left the room. Just as I closed the door, I turned around and saw Zach standing right in front of me. We were so close that if I looked up, I could bump into his chin. My back pressed against the door, and Zach didn’t seem to realize—or care—that he was invading my personal space. My heart raced so fast, I thought it might leap out of my chest any second. “Are you done?” “Yeah.” The air was thick with awkwardness. I had no idea what to say next. “So… are you going to bed now?” Zach didn’t respond or make a move. I tightened the robe around me, making sure he couldn’t see the revealing pajamas underneath. “Okay, I’ll go to sleep first, then.” I stepped aside and practically bolted to the master bedroom. Without a second thought, I jumped into bed, pulled the covers over me, and lay still. Moments later, the bedroom door opened, and Zach walked in. He paused when he saw me lying in bed, seeming a little surprised. He stood there, just staring at me. His gaze made my scalp tingle. “Honey, which side do you usually sleep on?” No answer. Has Zach always been this strange? He’s so quiet, always just staring coldly, without saying a word. Frustrated, I got out of bed and stood by the side. “You pick first.” Zach finally moved. He walked to the other side, lay down, and shut off the bedside lamp with a loud click. … Now we were in total darkness. Great. Thankfully, I don’t have night blindness, or I’d really be angry right now! I fumbled in the dark, trying to get comfortable under the covers, but I couldn’t sleep. My mind was a chaotic mess, and to make matters worse, my arm, which was still sore from the accident, started to hurt again because of the way my robe was pressing against it. I shifted slightly, but Zach didn’t react, so I sat up and tried to remove my robe. As I finally managed to shrug it off, rubbing my sore arm, Zach suddenly opened his eyes. Before I could react, he rolled over and pinned me beneath him. I gasped, my breathing instantly becoming erratic. In the dark, I couldn’t see him clearly, but I could feel how close he was—so close that our breaths were mingling. “Jenny, what are you doing?” Zach asked, his voice low. “What do you mean?” “You wanted to get married, you went through so much trouble to get a divorce, and now you’re lying next to me, trying to seduce me. Jennifer, I don’t have time for your games. What do you want?” “Seduce you?” I stared at him, completely stunned, when suddenly I felt a chill across my chest. Looking down, I realized that my pajamas were way more revealing than I thought. No wonder Zach thought I was trying to seduce him. “I… I didn’t mean it like that. I’m sorry.” I reached for the robe I had tossed onto the floor, but Zach had already had enough. He got up from the bed, clearly done with the conversation. “Jennifer, I don’t care what you’re thinking. I don’t have any feelings for you anymore. I hope you understand that. Whether you’re faking amnesia or trying to seduce me, it doesn’t matter to me.” “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight. Do whatever you want.” Zach left. And now, I was alone in this big room, with nothing but my sadness.

I couldn’t sleep. I just lay there, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling until dawn. Around 7 a.m., I heard Zach’s voice outside, speaking to a woman who kept saying “okay, okay.” It was probably the nanny, I guessed. A little while later, the front door closed, and I heard the sound of the car engine starting. Zach had gone to work. I stayed in bed, staring at the ceiling while my mind raced. I’ve never been an outgoing person—if I were, I wouldn’t have been crushing on Zach for so many years without saying a word. But now, not only had my crush succeeded, but I had also become his wife. Along with the shock, there was a sense of joy I couldn’t suppress. I thought this was my one big chance from fate, but it turns out I played my cards terribly in this marriage. Emotional intelligence really is my weakness. As I was lost in thought, the bedroom door suddenly opened. A woman in a nanny uniform walked in. The moment she saw me, she apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone was in here.” “It’s fine, I was just about to get up.” I smiled at her, and she breathed a sigh of relief as she slowly walked into the room. “Mr. Warren left for work. I assumed no one was here since you usually slept in your own room.” My own room? Suddenly, memories from the day before came rushing back. There was definitely a bed in that other room where I grabbed my clothes. So, I had been sleeping in a different room all this time? Does that mean Zach and I had been living separately? It all made sense now—Zach’s strange behavior yesterday. Oh no, this is embarrassing. I buried my face in my hands, and a flood of regret washed over me. Hearing our conversation, Cooper came running to the bedroom door, his bare feet thumping against the floor. He stood there looking at me with big, expectant eyes, but didn’t dare come in. “Cooper, come to mommy.” I gently called to him, holding out my arms. The little guy’s face lit up with excitement. He sprinted across the room and jumped into my arms, knocking me onto the bed. He flashed a big smile, his tiny teeth showing. “Mommy,” he said, nuzzling his head against my chest. My heart melted. No matter how much Zach might hate me right now, Cooper is still my baby. I would always love him. After saying goodbye to the nanny, I took Cooper out for some quality time together. We went shopping. I bought him a bunch of cute clothes and treated myself to some more “normal” outfits. Honestly, the clothes I wore after getting married were a bit… much. Holding Cooper in my arms, I watched as he happily ate his ice cream, his face smudged with cream. I gently wiped his mouth. “Cooper, what was Mommy like before?” Cooper pouted, his voice soft with a hint of sadness. “You didn’t like Cooper.” Then he added, “You were always so mean.” Kids don’t lie. Hearing this broke my heart. So, I really had changed that much, to the point where even I wouldn’t recognize myself? Then why did Zach marry me? Was it out of love? If so, he sure had an interesting taste. “Mommy, I want that!” Sitting in my lap, Cooper pointed at a McDonald’s poster advertising the latest family meal. Well, kids will be kids—can’t resist the temptation. Me: “Let’s buy it!” An hour later, Cooper and I sat side by side on the couch in Zach’s office, looking like two children who had just been caught misbehaving.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294594”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem #重生Reborn

I’ve always been known as the prettiest and most popular teacher at our school. Everyone admired me. But then, one of my students, a boy I tried really hard to help, tricked me. He drugged me, and while I was out of it, calling him “sweetie,” he put his hand under my shirt. Afterwards, he bragged about it and shared videos everywhere. “What’s so great about her? I slept with her, and she’s not special at all,” he said. My world crashed. No one looked up to me anymore. My husband left me, my family was ostracized, and I got fired from the school. The online bullying was too much, so I jumped from the school’s roof. But then a miracle happened. I woke up again on the exact day that boy was supposed to transfer into my class. Once again, I stood in front of my senior-year class, wearing my familiar Bohemian dress and white sandals, looking as graceful as ever. I was still that young, beautiful English teacher. A new student had just joined our class, and today was his first day. As he walked in, everyone looked at him curiously and started whispering. “Whoa, he’s so ugly! My expectations have just been crushed.” “I’m not being mean, but he makes me feel sick. Sorry, not sorry.” He walked in with a limp, his face covered in acne scars, and a big mole under his nose. “Hi everyone, I’m Rolf Wagner. ” At that moment, he shyly greeted the class, his gaze fixed on me. I stopped breathing for a second. Rolf Wagner — no matter how many times I die, I’ll never forget that name. Hatred surged within me. In my previous life, I pitied him for his poor background, stood up to bullies for him, bought him new clothes, and taught him life lessons. But on a stormy night, Rolf Wagner followed me home. I let him in to avoid the rain, but he secretly drugged my drink. While I rested on the couch, calling my husband’s name in a daze, he trembled as he unbuttoned my shirt. I passed out completely, helpless. The next day, I woke up covered in bruises and marks. Panicking, I immediately called the police, but he was nowhere to be found. During the days he disappeared, I was constantly on edge. Then, I saw the explicit video that was spreading like wildfire in every group chat, captioned: “What’s the big deal about her? I’ve had her, and she’s nothing special.” The woman in the video being humiliated was me, sobbing helplessly, begging for mercy. The internet exploded with rumors, because once, my candid photos had gone viral, and I had been dubbed by netizens as the “Dream Girl” and “First Love Face.” #DreamGirlTeacherFakesDrunkennessToSeduceStudent# He didn’t come forward to admit what he did. Instead, he hid in the shadows and sent me a creepy anonymous text: “Mrs. Gregory, now you and I are both in the mud. Be with me, I’ll treat you well.” Ultimately, unable to withstand the online bullying, I jumped off the school’s rooftop in despair. At that time, I was already three months pregnant. From being praised by everyone as their ideal to falling from grace, I found myself in a hopeless abyss. But now, as I once again stand in front of the classroom, looking down at the students below. The gears of fate start turning. This is my chance to redeem myself.

He gave me a shy smile, and when our eyes met, a shiver ran down my spine. I tried to stay calm. After all, I had a second chance, and he had no idea about it. I could still stop everything from happening. “We have a new student today. Who wants to sit next to him?” I announced. Since he started school late, he was older than the rest of us, already twenty, and he wasn’t what you’d call good-looking. The classroom fell silent—nobody wanted to pair up with him. Just then, the top student in our class raised her hand. “Mrs. Gregory, I’ll sit next to him.” Her kind face reminded me so much of my past life. I replied coldly, “I’ve heard that Wagner is struggling academically. I wouldn’t want him to hold you back. Let’s have him sit by himself in the last row.” There were plenty of empty seats where he could sit with someone, but I chose the harshest way possible. He seemed puzzled, as if he couldn’t believe my indifferent attitude and how I was deliberately making things hard for him. Rolf Wagner muttered to himself, “Why she treated me like this…” Every word he said sent chills down my spine. After class, I bolted back to my office, my back soaked with cold sweat. I gulped down some hot coffee but didn’t even feel the heat. My mind was racing. Should I quit and leave now? I had worked so hard to get this job. Why should I give it all up because of him? I sat there, dazed, until it was time to go home. My husband, Albert Gregory, was waiting in the car at the school gate for half an hour. When he saw me coming down, he hurriedly got out and pulled me into his arms. “You seem really upset. What happened?” he asked. Smelling his warm, familiar scent, I couldn’t hold back my tears any longer. Albert and I had a great relationship. In my previous life, he divorced me to protect me from online bullying, moving with me to another city under new identities. When he saw how much I was suffering, he even took a knife to confront Rolf Wagner, but Rolf turned the tables on him, leaving him dead in a pool of blood. Looking at Albert’s handsome face, I wiped away my tears and forced a smile. “It’s nothing, just feeling a bit unwell. Let’s go home.” Albert was still worried, insisting on taking me to the hospital for a check-up. An hour later, the blood test results were in. I was pregnant. Albert, over the moon, lifted me and spun me around. “Honey, this is amazing! We’re going to have a baby!” “If it’s a girl, she’ll be as beautiful and cute as you,” he said. I laughed through my tears, silently vowing to protect this hard-earned happiness. The next day, I went to class as usual, using a microphone because my voice was hoarse. The loudspeaker drowned out all my chaotic thoughts. I didn’t look towards that corner of the room, focusing solely on teaching. A few days passed peacefully, until Thursday afternoon. After my last class, I was heading back to the office when several female students blocked my way. They were supporting Rolf Wagner, who smelled like the bathroom and was covered in injuries. His limp was worse than ever. I knew his pitiful demeanor was just a facade. He was strong enough to fight back but never did, silently enduring the bullying from a few troublemakers. His nails were long and dirty, and his left hand was bloody, with a chunk of skin missing. “Mrs. Gregory! Rolf got bullied, and his finger’s skin was ripped off. What should we do?” one of the girls asked, standing up for him. Rolf looked at me pitifully, his nose scrunched in pain, making his face even more disgusting. “Please help me, Mrs. Gregory…” I didn’t want to deal with it and told them to take him to the nurse’s office, turning to leave. “But, Mrs. Gregory, you have a first aid kit in your office. The nurse’s office is too far. Can’t you bandage him up here?” A student called out. I hesitated, seeing Rolf’s pleading eyes and his bleeding hand. Just then, the bell rang. I suddenly nodded. “Alright, follow me. Everyone else, go back to class.” Rolf flashed a barely noticeable sly smile. He followed me to the office, which was empty because it was class time. I opened the first aid kit and pulled out some alcohol, tweezers, and gauze. “Sit down, I’ll dress your wound,” I said. The breeze fluttered the curtains, lightly ringing the seashell wind chime near the window. I gently and meticulously cleaned his wound. As I worked, he suddenly blushed. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Mrs. Gregory, you… you’re really beautiful,” Rolf said, staring blankly at me. Taking advantage of his distraction, I smiled and dunked his entire finger into the bottle of alcohol. His wound, already down to the raw flesh, was now submerged in disinfectant. “Be a good boy and let me disinfect it, okay?” I said. He screamed in pain, trying to pull away, his face contorted in agony. “It hurts, teacher! It hurts so much!” But I kept smiling, gripping his wrist tightly, forcing his finger into the narrow bottle neck, soaking it in alcohol until it turned red. He bit his lip, drawing blood, his eyes bulging in shock. For the first time, I saw clear hatred in his eyes.

He could see clearly that I was kind and gentle to everyone—everyone except him, the monster I knew he was. Because of his serious injuries, the school nurse sent him to the hospital. After a few days, Rolf Wagner came back to school with his hand wrapped in bandages. He worked hard in my classes, raising his hand to answer questions, but I always ignored him. Even when he won first place in the school computer competition, I gave him no praise. His enthusiasm gradually dimmed. One day, he approached me and asked, “Mrs. Gregory, why can’t I earn your approval no matter how hard I try?” I slightly swiveled in my office chair, not even looking at him. If showing mercy and compassion results in betrayal, then I didn’t mind being the villain. As long as I can protect myself. “Because you’re unworthy. Some things can’t be changed with effort. Your disgusting heart is far uglier than your face,” I said, feeling justified. Just days ago, on my way home, I caught him torturing a stray cat. By the time I saw it, the poor kitten had been scalded to death with boiling water. He had smiled and said, “That little cat-so naughty! It scratched me.” And back to the moment, Rolf Wagner glared at me, his hand clenching slightly under his sleeve. I didn’t care and continued to treat him coldly. Even the headmaster noticed and frowned while reminding me, “Mrs. Gregory, treat all students equally. Don’t be harsh on him; he needs extra care.” But I didn’t hide my disdain. Right in front of Rolf, I said, “What’s so special about him? He is no different from the other kids. If I treated him differently, would that be fair to the other students?” As a result, he began to hate me, spreading rumors about an improper relationship between me and the principal. However, whenever he saw me, he still put on a smile and greeted me. As fall turned to winter, he started wearing shabby jackets and torn jeans, sticking out in our well-dressed student body. I heard he lost his parents young and was raised by his grandmother, who spoiled him rotten. On my twenty-fifth birthday, I was awarded the title of Outstanding Teacher at the city level—a double celebration. I had a great relationship with my students, making this job something I loved deeply. A few students pooled their money to buy me a beautiful, grand bouquet, which I accepted with a smile. Just as I was laughing and chatting with the students, I saw an unexpected guest in the crowd. Rolf came up to give me a flower as well. He handed me a single white rose, its petals crushed and oozing sap—a hideous sight. “Mrs. Gregory, I saved up my allowance for a week to buy this for you. Please like it,” he said, full of hope. But I, with my smile gone, took a tissue, picked up the flower with it, and tossed it to the ground in front of all the teachers and students. I wrinkled my nose in disdain. “Gross.” Rolf’s mouth quivered, but he still bent down to pick up the flower and walked away silently. His brooding gaze sent chills down my spine, but I didn’t turn back. I wasn’t afraid of his hatred. He always directed his anger toward those weaker than him, while he feared the strong.

My husband, Albert Gregory, had earned a black belt in Taekwondo in his spare time. I had even picked up some basic moves for self-defense. When I got home, Albert was waiting with a big bouquet of roses, his voice soft and loving. “Happy birthday to my amazing wife!” Despite his efforts, I couldn’t shake off my worries. During our candlelight dinner, he mentioned his upcoming overseas research trip. “This trip is really important, honey. I’ll be away for two months and I won’t be around to take care of you,” he sighed. I surprised him by firmly saying no. Knowing he wouldn’t believe in superstitions, I explained, “Albert, I had a dream a few nights ago. After you left, a guy broke into our house, tortured me, and you got killed while trying to protect me.” “Our whole family was ruined, while the bad guy got away,” I said, trembling. Albert squeezed my hand, worried. “How could that happen? We live in a safe neighborhood. Are you feeling okay?” After a lot of pleading, Albert decided to stay and give up his scholarship opportunity. I felt bad for holding him back, but I couldn’t ignore the grim date approaching—that stormy night when Rolf Wagner had broken into our home before. Fate seemed cruel. I remembered it was a Friday. After school, Rolf had once followed me in the rain, begging to come inside. That night, Albert was delayed by a storm. I grew anxious after I couldn’t reach him. He finally texted me, “Honey, the rain’s causing accidents on the highway. Traffic’s crazy, and I can’t make it back. Rest up, okay?” By 10:30 PM, there was no knock at the door. The rain pounded harder, drowning out my scattered thoughts. I began to relax a bit and got sleepy. My body was sticky with cold sweat, so I decided to take a shower before bed. The hot water felt comforting against my skin. In the bathroom mirror, I saw my reflection—cherry-like lips, a dainty nose, and big almond eyes with long lashes. I looked beautiful. I touched my still-flat belly. Albert always said I was beautiful, and he wasn’t bad-looking either. Our baby would be adorable. Lost in thought, I grabbed a towel. But then I saw a shadowy face in the foggy mirror moving towards me. It was Rolf Wagner! Panic surged through me. This wasn’t a hallucination. He had somehow cracked our door lock. A cold, muddy hand reached in. I screamed, but he quickly grabbed my waist, his other hand moving up my body. “Mrs. Gregory, it’s raining outside, and I’m so cold. Can you… hold me?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294593”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem #重生Reborn

The day I bled during my food live stream was a big deal—it was my first time hitting a hundred thousand viewers. My brother rushed into the frame and slapped me across the face. My boyfriend, sitting next to me, scoffed, “She’s just faking it for the views.” Because of that, I was slammed with online bullying, and some folks even started using voodoo dolls on me. But they had no clue that I’d been diagnosed with stomach cancer two months prior. Eventually, I decided to live stream my final moments, so everyone could witness my journey. The viewers skyrocketed to three million, and my brother and boyfriend sped to the hospital, driving like they were in a race. I probably ate way too much, and suddenly, I couldn’t help but cough up blood. Just like that, my viewership jumped to over a hundred thousand. The chat was loaded with people concerned about me. It felt nice to know some folks still cared, and it lifted my spirits. Higher traffic meant I could make the leaderboard and score a bonus to plan myself a decent funeral. Just as I was about to speak, the sharp slap stung me again. For a moment, I thought I had really gone to heaven. Stars danced in front of my eyes. “They’re just acting for the views,” my brother, Jake, said, completely unfazed. I turned to look at him; his face showed nothing but indifference, while my brother, Ethan, glared furiously at me. “Don’t believe her, folks; you should check out Sophie instead. She’s the real deal.” How ridiculous! I was bleeding, yet they were still trying to promote Sophie. “I’m not faking it!” I forced out the words through the pain in my stomach. But suddenly, the chat turned against me. The same viewers who had once been sympathetic were now throwing insults my way. “Damn, I really thought she was sick.” “She’s disgusting. Go watch Sophie instead.” Soon, half the viewers had left. Then the live stream got shut down after someone reported me for faking it. No bonus for me today. The dream for a nice funeral also shattered. “Get that blood cleaned up; it’s gross!” Jake looked at me with disgust. Ethan wasn’t about to show me any sympathy, either. To them, I was just a faker. “Effie, Sophie’s mom is sick and needs that bonus way more than you do. You can’t take this from her and expect us to be nice.” Ethan’s voice was ice cold. Who would’ve expected this was my boyfriend of five years? He was once the guy who said he loved me and wanted to marry me. Now, he was taking Sophie’s side. After they left, I coughed up another mouthful of blood. The bright white tiles were stained red, and I suddenly thought back to the doctor’s words from two months ago. “Do you have any family?” “They’re all gone.” I sucked on a lollipop, pretending it didn’t bother me, while the doctor looked shocked. He wasn’t the first one to react like that; everyone thought I was joking. But in my heart, losing my family felt as real as death itself. My best friend had stolen my boyfriend. Soon after, she was with my brother. Then she told them I’d tried to have her killed to snag the live stream bonus. Everyone believed her and pitied her. Even my mom thought she was a better daughter than me because she was sweet and caring. While I felt incompetent, believing I had been the reason my dad had died. Everyone hated me, so I decided to think of them as dead. I wouldn’t bother them with my illness. “You’ve got stomach cancer. You’ve got at most six months left,” said the doctor, trying to sound serious. “But there’s hope with aggressive treatment.” I bit down on the lollipop. Just then, a text from my mom popped up. “No bother to come home for the anniversary of your dad’s passing. I don’t want to see you.” I burst out laughing; I had always been the bad girl in their eyes. If I died, so be it. Later on, Sophie somehow got wind of my illness. On my birthday, she showed up, grinning wickedly. “You have cancer, right? You planning to tell everyone? Just you wait! I’ll make everyone hate you!” At dinner that night, she told everyone I’d faked my cancer diagnosis. She even showed them the fabricated medical document. Mom, Jake, and Ethan all swallowed it whole. 2. Mom slapped me hard right then and there. Jake tossed aside the cake he bought for me. Ethan said, “You’re disgusting.” From then on, they all thought of me as a lying b*tch. I tried to explain it was all a misunderstanding, but they wouldn’t believe me. “Let’s go out to eat.” Ethan stormed back in. When he spotted the blood on the floor, his brow furrowed tightly. “Effie, can you stop pretending? It’s only making us hate you more.” I looked up at his handsome face, one I’d known forever. We had been close since we were kids—partners in crime. He once said, “I’ll stay with you forever.” Yet now, he’d chosen Sophie over me. In my room, they had been all over each other, and it made me sick. His excuse for cheating was “a drunken mistake.” “Ethan, let’s break up.” I wiped the blood from my lips and said it calmly. His eyes widened, rushing at me and grabbing my shoulders. “Is this about me interrupting your stream?” He snorted. “Effie, can’t you be a little grateful? You’ve got a brother and me. You’re from a well-off family.” “But Sophie has nothing, and her mom is sick!” I forced a bitter smile. Happy? Jake hated me, Ethan cheated on me, and even if I told my mom I was sick, she wouldn’t give me a dime. Was that happiness? “I’m breaking up with you.” I kept speaking as the pain danced in my stomach again. The doctor said just last week that I couldn’t keep binging; otherwise, I’d end up dead in no time. But I needed the cash. Before I pass, I just wanted to make a little more money for a decent funeral. I wanted to leave this world in style since I hadn’t lived right in it. This would be my final gift to myself. “Fine, you said it. Let’s break up then.” Ethan let go and walked out. Moments later, Sophie messaged me. “lol your loved ones all hate you. How’s it feel?” I didn’t respond, just took a screenshot. My gallery was loaded with our past messages. I hoped there’d be a day when the truth would shine through. … I cleaned myself up and headed to my cozy little hub. Whenever I felt down, I would retreat here. Inside, I had a ten-year-old sister I’d adopted; her name was Effie as well. She had my name, and I thought we were alike. She had been abandoned by her family. I adopted her because I saw myself in her. “Effie, you’re here! Check this! I got a perfect score on my report card!” As soon as she saw me, she jumped into my arms. I ruffled her hair. “Ef, you’re amazing! How about a special meal?” She had no idea about my cancer. I didn’t want to burden her with my problems because such conversations only brought sadness. “Yeah! Let’s hit KFC!” “Sounds good!” Every time I celebrated her achievements, we would go to KFC. Never to McDonald, though, for some reasons. When w arrived, I placed the order. Just then, Jake and Sophie walked in. Sophie saw me, gasping in shock. “Oh my gosh, Effie, is that your a bastard child?” If only I could sew her mouth shut because she drove me insane. Jake strolled over, firing off questions. “Whose child is this?” “Hey, I’m Effie as well. You can call me Ef. Effie adopted me.” They fell silent at Ef’s words. But Jake quickly scoffed, “You keep acting sick, yet you’re here at KFC? Effie, you’re a fucking liar.” With that, he and Sophie turned and left. Halfway through my meal, pain gripped my stomach, and I vomited blood. “What’s wrong, sister?” Ef rushed over, worriedly hugging me. I felt dizzy from the pain. “I… I’m fine.” Just then, Jake rushed in and checked on me. Funny. Hadn’t he thought I was faking all along? Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital room. My brother was glaring at me, furious. “Are you done with the act? You know I was going to KFC with Sophie, so you decided to fake the blood, right?” “Don’t hit my sister!” Ef shoved him back. “Effie, come here,” I said softly. She held my hand tightly, looking up at Jake, the brother I felt I barely knew anymore. My cheeks burned from the pain as my heart sank. No one had clued him in about my illness? Even after I was sent to the hospital? And for god’s sake, he himself is a f*cking doc! If he’d just care to take a look, he’d realize how serious my condition was. “Get lost.” I said quietly. He seethed in anger. “Effie, you’ve grown some guts!” He raised his hand to hit me again. “Brother.” I said it soft enough to break through to him. He seemed stunned. It had been ages since I’d called him “brother”. “Let’s sever ties. I won’t bother you any longer.” I never imagined it would come to this day. He was once so gentle and kind toward me. Everyone knew how Jake was tough with the world yet soft with me. He had always treated me like a princess. He would stay by my side through fevers, buying me anything I wished. One birthday, I mentioned wanting to visit the Grand Canyon, and he drove me overnight. He had once told me, “Effie, I’ll protect you forever.” And yet, everything changed when Sophie came along. “Say that again!” Jake’s fists were clenched. “I said, I want to cut ties.” “I’m no longer your sister, just like you’re no longer my brother.” I didn’t need a family like this anyway. “Fine. You said it.” He stormed out, slamming the door. Then a young intern in a white coat strolled in. I glanced at his name tag. It read “Shawn.” He came over and adjusted my IV. “This should help.” “Thanks.” Looking at Ef by my side, I saw her red-rimmed eyes filled with concern. “Effie, are you sick?” Tears began to flow again without warning. “I’m good. You should head home for now; I’ll be back soon.” She was always obedient, nodding before leaving with her backpack. Once she was gone, Shawn sighed deeply. “Your health is deteriorating; you need hospitalization and chemotherapy, or you won’t make it.” “Then I’ll go for the chemo.” I had initially planned to earn enough money to handle my situation. But now my funds were gone. That night, Ethan came back to see me. He brought me my favorite fruits. “I heard from the doctor that you’re fine; let’s get out of here. Stop fighting with Jake.” I’d told Shawn not to share my condition without my okay, so he hadn’t spilled the beans to Ethan either. I always wanted to let them know, but now I didn’t want to share that burden. “First off, I’ve broken up with you.” “Secondly, my problems with Jake aren’t your concern.” His face darkened. “Effie, everyone’s been so good to you! Why insist on being difficult?” Good to me? Did they genuinely care? It felt ridiculous. “Get out, will you?” “I’m sick of looking at you.” Every time I saw him, I imagined him with Sophie, tangled up together. It made my stomach turn. Suddenly, Jake burst back in. “Effie, are you still not done?” He rushed toward me and slap me hard again. This time, it sent a ringing in my ears. He had never been like this before; he hadn’t raised his voice at me ever. I guess everything changed over time, and he started to treat me differently. “I’m giving you a chance to back down, and you still want to throw a fit?” “You don’t want me as your sister? Well, I don’t want you as my brother either!” Ethan shook his head in disappointment, then walked out. It was as if everyone who once treated me kindly was now drifting away. But I didn’t care; I didn’t want them around anyway. The next day, Jake strolled in wearing his lab coat, holding McDonald’s. Seeing that iconic logo made my face pale. “Get lost; I’m not eating.” He said, “It’s your dad’s death anniversary; weren’t you always asking for McDonald’s on this day? I’m letting you feast.” When he hurried over to shove the greasy chicken into my mouth, it lodged painfully in my throat. Everything flashed back to that day years ago. Suddenly, I vomited blood, pressing the emergency button in a panic. In came Shawn, ready to fight. “Have you lost your mind? She has stomach cancer!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294592”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem #重生Reborn

Substitute, substitute – just a replacement for his true love. His true love was coming back, and I was supposed to gracefully exit. Who knew the obsessive male lead would try to force me to stay. His eyes flashed red as he spoke coldly: “Run away again, and I’ll have a cage made just for you.” I rolled my eyes. “This is a society of laws, you psycho.” But when I got home after finalizing the divorce, I saw a giant golden cage in the living room! I gasped. Was it too late to run now? That’s right, I was playing a role. The kind where you step into an over-the-top romance novel to help the original female lead fulfill her wishes. The original Aria had been a substitute for billionaire CEO Dominic Thorne for five years, falling hopelessly in love with him. She even schemed against his true love, Ethan White, just to win Dominic’s heart. In the end, she fell ill from despair and passed away quietly. I scoffed at this. If a man doesn’t work out, just find another one. But the original Aria was determined to hang onto Dominic Thorne. Her dying wish was for me to win Dominic’s heart. And then crush it! Trample it! Destroy it! Clearly, when love becomes an obsession, people go a bit crazy.

I stepped into the story three months before Ethan White was due to return. As soon as I opened my eyes, I heard a husky, suppressed voice say, “Shut up. Don’t make a sound. Your voice doesn’t sound like his.” I thought to myself, I haven’t even said anything! Then I realized something was off… Oh crap… we were in bed! Well, talk about perfect timing for my arrival. Whatever, since I’m here, might as well enjoy myself. I closed my eyes, ready to fully experience whether the male lead was any good. Suddenly, a stinging heat spread across my backside. Dominic had actually spanked me. “You’re being disobedient today. This is your punishment.” “Count.” Help! Why didn’t anyone tell me this male lead was a pervert? I gritted my teeth, thinking about my mission – win his heart, then crush it mercilessly! At that moment, I deeply understood the original Aria’s feelings. Swallowing my shame, I stammered out the count: “One.” “Smack!” “Two.” “Smack!” “Three.” … Meanwhile, I was forming a plan in my mind. Step one, to win someone’s heart, you first need to make them feel sorry for you. Sympathy is the precursor to love. I inwardly smirked. Feeling sorry for a man is the beginning of misfortune. Dominic Thorne, just you wait. Apart from counting as Dominic demanded, I didn’t say another word. I just let tears well up in my eyes, on the verge of falling but not quite. I stared at Dominic, my face full of grievance. But he remained unmoved. If anything, his movements became even more forceful. I could barely stand it and accidentally cursed out loud. Crap, I’d broken character before even getting started. Dominic suddenly froze. “…” Silence. Silence filled the large bed tonight. He sat up, gripping my chin, and said coldly, “What did you say? Say it again.” You bastard. But outwardly, I could only pout weakly and pitifully, “I didn’t say anything…” As for what happened after that… I don’t want to remember.

The next morning when I woke up, I was alone in the big bed. Dominic was nowhere to be seen. I gingerly tried to get up, my body aching all over. But for the sake of my mission, I gritted my teeth and got out of bed. Dominic is a wealthy CEO, very busy most of the time. I, as his substitute, had nothing to do except wait for his beck and call. This wouldn’t do. How could being a substitute be considered a proper job? It’s not like Dominic was paying me benefits or insurance. So, I decided to find a job first. Hmm, self-reliant people are the most beautiful. A regular nine-to-five wouldn’t work. What if Dominic called and I had to skip work to be his substitute? I’d easily get fired. I went to a bar, or more accurately, a gay bar. There were all kinds of men inside. I thought this job would be pretty good. I said I wanted to be a resident singer, and the owner pointed to the high stage, telling me to perform a song. This was easy for me. I took a few steps onto the stage and gave them a song and dance performance. The music was deafening, and the colorful lights flashed dizzily. I danced passionately on stage. The audience went wild, with many people shouting and some even trying to climb up to hug me. Lost in the performance, I took off my jacket. The short T-shirt underneath barely covered my waist, revealing glimpses of skin with each movement. Then I flashed a smile at the audience and tossed my jacket down, causing an uproar. Of course, I didn’t notice that Dominic, drinking with friends in a private booth, had already darkened his face. Whatever, with so many people in the audience, who was he to judge? When the song ended, I thought the owner would be satisfied, but he looked anxious instead. I asked in confusion, “What’s wrong? Was the atmosphere not lively enough? Should I do another song?” The owner quickly waved his hands and grabbed me, looking troubled. Before he could speak, I heard a familiar voice. “It seems I was too gentle last night.” Dominic leaned lazily against the counter, holding a glass of wine. He took a sip, then walked closer. His breath tickled my face. I lowered my eyes and said softly, “I don’t know how to do anything else. I can only do this kind of work. I’m sorry.” Dominic impatiently said, “Haven’t I given you money?” “But… but,” I bit my lip, a stark contrast to my wild performance earlier, “What if you don’t want me someday?” A faint wetness glazed my eyes, making them sparkle even more. I continued, “I heard people say Ethan White is coming back…” “Tch, so you’re looking for a backup plan?” Dominic laughed, “Finding a new sugar daddy in my own establishment? What kind of person do you take me for?” “No!” I quickly refuted, then looked up directly at Dominic, my eyes filled with an intense love that couldn’t be dissolved, “Actually, I know this place belongs to you. I… I…” “Why are you stammering? Spit it out!” So I continued, “I just thought, after you don’t want me anymore, if I work here, maybe someday when you come… I could see you from afar.” Dominic’s hand holding the wine glass paused. He seemed a bit irritated, “You like me that much?” I didn’t answer, but reached for the glass in his hand. He didn’t give it to me, instead pulling me into his arms and bringing the glass to my lips. I took a small sip, then turned my head and kissed him lightly, laughing softly, “Sweet.” Dominic’s eyes darkened, his hand on my waist tightening. Seeing his expression, I pressed on, hugging his neck. Though my voice was clearly reluctant, I pretended to be calm, “Don’t worry, I know I’m worlds apart from Ethan White. After he comes back, I’ll leave quietly. I won’t bother you two.” “But before he returns, can you… can you love me a little more?”

It turns out that acting weak and pitiful always works on men. Dominic didn’t let me work at the bar. Instead, he arranged for me to work at his company as his assistant. Tch, now we’d be seeing each other all day, every day. I went to work with him every morning and returned home together every evening. I completed every task exceptionally well, proving myself smart and capable. I could clearly feel that Dominic was no longer as cold towards me as before. Oh, and I secretly learned a bunch of cooking tutorials, bringing homemade lunches to eat with him. “I know you don’t eat onions, ginger, garlic, or soy sauce. I’ve been careful about all that. Try this sandwich, how is it?” I looked at Dominic with hopeful eyes. Step two, to capture a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach. Imagine, who wouldn’t be moved by someone who cooks for you every day? Dominic sat on the couch, glanced at the lunchbox, and asked, “You made this?” “Yes, I watched some tutorials. The taste should be okay. Try it and see if you like it?” I said, then quickly added, “It’s fine if you don’t!” Dominic raised an eyebrow, “You commute with me every day, and you’re not free at night either. Where did you find time to watch tutorials? You weren’t slacking off at work, were you?” I hurriedly explained, my face slightly flushed, “Of course not! I… I watched them after you left at night.” Damn, he keeps me up so late every night! I can only stay up even later to watch tutorials. Dominic pulled me onto his lap, his large hands gripping my waist tightly. He said, “Then I won’t leave from now on. I’ll stay and make sure you don’t stay up late.” I immediately put on a delighted expression, “Really?” He used to go back to his own room to sleep after… well, you know. I’ve never even been to his room, only staying in the guest room. Dominic nodded, his magnetic, deep voice sounding by my ear, “Mm, come sleep in my room.” Sitting on his lap in broad daylight discussing this kind of topic inevitably led to some thoughts, inevitably led to some sparks flying. His hand slowly moved down, caressing from my waist to my butt, even trying to explore further. I felt a certain part of him changing, let out a soft gasp, and pushed against his chest with a red face, “Let’s… let’s eat first.” Dominic laughed out loud. I rarely saw him laugh so purely before, and was momentarily stunned. Damn, this face really is male lead material for a dramatic romance novel! “Alright, let’s eat first,” he was unusually gentle, but his next words revealed his true nature, “Then I’ll eat you.” He finished the sandwich in a few bites. When I asked if it was good, he said it was delicious, but his eyes were fixed only on me. Heh, men.

He went into the rest room for a moment, and when he came out, he had a tie and a black box in his hand. I thought, oh no, and the next second, Dominic blindfolded me with the tie. “Be good, we’re going to play a game of Red Light, Green Light today.” “…What?” Dominic took my hand and led me to the large office chair behind his desk. He picked me up and set me on the desk. “The rules of the game are, when I say the command, you must immediately freeze in whatever position you’re in. No talking, no laughing, no moving, no making a sound.” His hand caressed my throat, and I couldn’t help but swallow. I heard him chuckle, then he continued, “If you move or make a sound, you must accept a punishment.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Understand?” I nodded obediently. He then took my hands and placed my palms flat on the desk, saying “Then the game begins.” I thought he would immediately call out the command, so I tensed up. Being blindfolded made me a bit nervous, losing my sense of sight. But Dominic didn’t say anything for a while. He kissed me. First on my blindfolded eyes, then the tip of my nose, and finally my soft lips. The kiss was brief. It was replaced by his fingers. “Mmm…” My tongue was like a small fish between his fingers, slippery and playful. I could even feel the lines on his fingertips, though that was probably just my imagination. His fingers were long with distinct knuckles. I couldn’t help but inwardly grumble, why did they have to be so long! I could only open my mouth slightly to breathe in more air. At that moment, Dominic suddenly called out the command. !!! I froze. He just had to call it now of all times! Saliva was about to uncontrollably drip out, but I couldn’t move or make a sound. Damn it, perverted Dominic! This is too embarrassing. And while I couldn’t move, Dominic could! His other hand started roaming everywhere. The enemy was too cunning. I ultimately lost. I couldn’t help but bite down on his fingers, mumbling accusingly, “You’re bullying me…” Dominic didn’t mind being bitten. He gently pulled his hand away, took out a tissue to wipe the corner of my mouth, and smiled mischievously, “You broke the rules. You have to accept punishment.” I raised my hand to hug his hand before he could pull it back completely, gently kissing it with my lips, and looked at him pitifully, asking in a small voice, “Can the punishment be lighter?” But Dominic didn’t answer. He took off his own tie and then embraced me, tying my hands behind my back. Only then did he say, “For the first time, it can be.” I moved my wrists a bit. The tie was tied quite tightly. Then Dominic started unbuttoning my shirt, but not with his hands. Mm, he lowered his head and came closer, using his agile lips. The faint dampness was like wind and clouds, elusive and intangible. Although I couldn’t see his expression, my heartbeat shamefully quickened. Ah, men! They’re all the same at their core. I scorned myself. When he unbuttoned my chest, I couldn’t help but think, if my hands weren’t tied, as a normal man, I’d really want to press his head down hard right now, making him show a vulnerable and confused expression because of me. But alas, now I was at his mercy. I got lost in my thoughts, a bit distracted, until Dominic kissed a certain spot and then called out the command. I jolted! He’s doing this kind of thing again! I closed my mouth tightly, determined not to move or make a sound, not giving Dominic any chance to torment me. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as planned. When Dominic used his teeth to gently grind, I really couldn’t control myself and let out a moan. Dominic then let go of me, laughing happily, “That’s the second time. What should I punish you with this time?” “I’ll give you a pair of little butterflies.” I was stunned. What little butterflies? I heard Dominic seem to open a box and take something out. While I was still guessing what he had taken out, a sudden pain shot through my chest. Ah ah ah ah ah damn it! I know what Dominic took out now! What kind of decent person keeps these things in their office?! Dominic adjusted a bit, then gently flicked with his hand. The metal butterfly wings clinked together, making a delicate sound. He praised, “Beautiful.”

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A sudden rainstorm led Asher to seek shelter in a lounge bar, unaware that this chance encounter would stir his emotions and change his life forever. “The first time I saw you, you were wearing a deep red cheongsam. Your pale thighs flashed before my eyes. Do you know what I thought before my brain short-circuited?” “What?” “I got hard.” “…” Asher shook the raindrops off his umbrella, gazing at the dense curtain of rain in the distance. He sighed and stepped into the stylishly minimalist lounge bar in front of him. He had heard about this place from his colleagues long ago but had never visited, as he usually stuck to a regular routine. Today was an exception. His car was in for maintenance, and with the heavy rain, he didn’t fancy taking a cab due to his germaphobia. So, he decided to wait for the rain to let up a bit before leaving. In the meantime, he might as well relax in this lounge bar. Asher put away his umbrella and sat down. His tall, striking figure attracted numerous glances, but he remained oblivious. With a calm expression, he ordered a drink and sipped it slowly. Suddenly, a flash of red caught his eye. Asher’s hand froze mid-air, still holding his glass. Whether it was the alcohol or a surge of hormones, Asher felt a tingling sensation spread through his body. His eyes were drawn to that splash of crimson. “She” had a beautiful, elegant face with subtle makeup. Despite exuding sensuality, “she” maintained a cold demeanor, radiating an unapproachable aura. “She” sat down right next to Asher, ordered a strong drink, and waited lazily, propping her chin up. It was another kind of beauty to be savored slowly. Asher’s gaze traveled downward. The red dress perfectly covered “her” thighs, yet hinted at a glimpse of pale skin. In an instant, Asher felt himself react. Embarrassed, he sat rigidly for about five or six minutes before his body gradually relaxed. Asher swallowed hard. “She” was so close to him, barely a few inches away. Close enough for him to catch “her” scent. Asher was gay, not because he had been “turned,” but because he had immediately recognized that this cold, red-dressed “woman” was actually a man. Asher had noticed from the moment “she” entered. This person had a tall, masculine frame and facial features that were distinctly aggressive. However, it seemed no one else had noticed, still entranced by the beauty that had appeared before their eyes. Asher felt a bit nervous. This was the first time he had encountered his ideal type. After about a minute, he finally mustered the courage to speak. “Excuse me, sir, I…” “She” seemed surprised that Asher had discovered “her” true gender. “She” looked up and studied Asher carefully. After a moment, “she” smiled softly. Her voice was deep and magnetic. “You’re the first one to notice. I’m Chris. And you are?” Asher hurriedly gave his name, “I’m Asher.” Chris smiled, and all the coldness melted away, revealing an androgynous beauty that was both soft and sensual. Chris’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Asher, you like me.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement of fact. Asher hadn’t expected his feelings to be so easily read. He felt a bit embarrassed. Chris finished his last sip of alcohol, stood up, and asked Asher, “Want to come with me?” Asher hesitated for a moment but decided to follow.

Chris walked quickly, moving in high heels as if they were sneakers. It was only then that Asher realized Chris was actually half a head taller than him, probably around 6’3″. He wondered if Chris liked shorter guys… Chris opened the passenger door, gallantly inviting Asher to get in. Asher complied, feeling a bit nervous. Chris smiled, “You don’t need to be so tense. I don’t bite.” Asher loosened his tie and gave Chris a gentle smile. “I’m not nervous. My tie was just a bit tight. I’m fine now. You can drive.” As Chris drove, he casually asked while waiting at a red light, “Do you want to go home or come with me?” The implication was clear. Asher naturally agreed. After all, Chris was his ideal type. Chris’s home was a villa slightly distant from the city center. It was spacious, about the same size as Asher’s house. Asher took a shower first. When he came out, there was only one set of clothes left on the bed. Asher tried them on and was surprised to find they fit perfectly, exactly his size. Asher sat on the bed. As time passed, he got a bit bored. He didn’t have the habit of playing with his phone for long periods, so he turned his attention to the bookshelf. He casually picked up a book and started reading… When Chris finished his shower and walked into the room, his body was still damp. Chris had short, neat hair; the vivid long hair from before was just a wig. Asher felt a bit disappointed. He had quite liked Chris in the wig, but Chris looked handsome like this too. It wasn’t until Chris pressed him down and started kissing the corner of his mouth that Asher’s calm expression finally began to crumble. “You’re a top?!” Asher’s voice was filled with disbelief. He seemed to want to struggle, but surprisingly, his strength wasn’t greater than Chris’s. “Don’t move. Be good,” Chris gently bit Asher’s neck, his hand applying a bit of pressure as he gripped Asher’s sensitive spot. Asher’s body instantly went limp. All he could do was glare at the man above him with reddened eyes. Chris’s voice was husky and magnetic, seemingly possessing a bewitching power. “Relax, Asher…” With that, he spread Asher’s legs and thrust in.

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You have a beautiful canary. You keep him imprisoned in a golden cage, admiring his beauty, vulnerability, and what you consider his “ugly side”. He never hides his hatred for you, and coincidentally, you’ve never shown him your love either. “Come here.” He seems not to have heard your command. You watch him leisurely, your expression showing no displeasure. His gaze, filled with caution and observation, remains fixed on you, as if trying to guess your current mood. “I’ll say it one more time. Liam, come here.” He hesitates for a moment but eventually walks over. As he moves, the chains constantly jingle. You don’t find it jarring; instead, you watch him with a pleasant mood. “Do you remember what we’re supposed to do today?” He frowns. His once clear and bright eyes are now a dull gray, and his whole demeanor is listless, yet there’s a kind of reckless beauty about him. Yes, beautiful. In bed, you often say things to insult him. Although his parents didn’t care much for him growing up, he had a very good material life. His strength isn’t great, and his desperate resistance is easily overcome by you. You can effortlessly bring him to the bed. In his desperate gaze, you torment him again and again. At first, he would cry. Unlike his cold body temperature, his tears are scalding hot. Sometimes you gently wipe away his tears, sometimes you get more excited, and sometimes you pretend to let him go, only to punish him severely after hope has sparked in his eyes. And you, you always prefer the third option. You really like seeing his incredulous look. That fragile feeling of shattered hope. Ah, truly… irresistible to you. However, because of these actions, you have no credibility in his eyes. In the dark room, there’s a moment of silence. You twist the ring on your right ring finger, saying carelessly, “Oh? Forgot?” You know he hasn’t forgotten; he’s already trembling. He looks so pitiful. You smile. You look at his downcast eyes. “Avoidance won’t work, be good, Liam.” He slowly walks forward, like a walking corpse, and opens the door for you. This is also your wicked pleasure.

You gave him the key to the golden cage. This golden cage isn’t actually very big, but it’s exquisite. In the past, after being bullied and cleaned up by you, he would often curl up in the corner, hugging his knees. You didn’t know if he cried or not. He was quiet, not making a sound, even when tears streamed down his face from your torment, he would only make a little noise when you were particularly rough. Actually, you were unsatisfied, and this dissatisfaction manifested in even more intense sexual encounters. But he seemed to be stubborn with you, refusing to give in to your wishes. You didn’t care, it wasn’t you who was in pain. Moreover, his behavior made it easier to arouse your sadistic desires. It must be said that during those days, you had a particularly good time. But he was in a much worse state. After cleaning him up, you said, “Liam, you need to be good, understand?” … He lay on the bed, eyes closed, not sure if he heard. “Three, two, one…” “Mm.” An unwilling sound came from under the blanket. Satisfaction flashed in your eyes. As a reward, you decided to go abroad to discuss a few projects first, and not torment Liam for a while.

One time, you walked over to him, forcibly lifted his chin, and examined his face. His eyes still had a hint of redness. “Why are you crying?” He glared at you. You said indifferently, “Your performance was decent this time. Do you want to see your parents?” Liam’s expression darkened. In the first few days, he would often curse you as a beast, saying he wanted to break off the engagement, that he wanted to go home. He even attempted suicide several times. Under your repeated violent suppression and torture, he submitted.

Liam Harper was the eldest son of the Harper family, which actually held quite a high social status, though not as high as yours. Originally, the Harper family had planned to arrange a marriage between their younger daughter and you, as your public image was that of a decent person. But you said, “Mrs. Harper, actually, I’ve liked Liam for a long time.” Mrs. Harper was surprised, but remembering that you and Liam were from the same high school and likely had quite a bit of interaction, and given that their family was quite open-minded, she agreed to the marriage. Moreover, your family’s influence was broader, so of course, they agreed to the engagement. Thus, in the second year after your graduation, you and Liam got married. At first, you wore a mask of gentleness, treating him well. You and he maintained a respectful distance. After about two or three months, once you had prepared the basement, on Liam’s nineteenth birthday, you locked him in the golden cage. From then on, day and night, he could only endure everything alone. You still remember his incredulous gaze, his tearful pleas, his helpless and frightened appearance, his embarrassed face-covering… His fierce resistance in the past made you particularly excited. Sometimes you wanted him to be more obedient, after all, you were tired after a long day and wanted to relax in a gentle embrace, but he was so disobedient. Now he’s much more docile, but you find yourself missing his previous demeanor. “Didn’t you used to cry and make a fuss about wanting to go home? Why don’t you want to go back now?” His hands clenched into fists, his voice still hoarse. As he spoke, tears fell uncontrollably. He lowered his head, not letting you see his post-climax expression. “I thought…” He couldn’t finish his sentence, but you knew what he wanted to say. After all, he was now a “dead” person. In what capacity could he go see his parents? Moreover, his parents had their own new children now. How would they care about this child from a previous marriage?

When he first learned that he had been declared “dead”, his mood was very low, but you didn’t spare him. Five years had passed, and you were very familiar with his body. You easily aroused him, making him very disheveled. However, good-looking people have a kind of beauty no matter what state they’re in. You took photos. Actually, in the year he turned nineteen, in those few months when you revealed your true nature, you took many photos of him. There’s a printer at home. You personally printed those photos and plastered them all over an entire room, as his twentieth birthday gift. He said you were crazy. You laughed, pointing at those unspeakable photos, lazily saying, “How beautiful. Liam really doesn’t know how to appreciate.”

Liam actually had a cleanliness obsession. Because of this, he was very generous. During spring and autumn outings, he would buy snacks and distribute them to his friends, often one pack per person. Many people secretly said how good it was to be friends with Liam. But since you discovered this, you had to make good use of it. As for how you discovered it? You are a very wicked person. You’ve always known this. You like to see him dirty. Sometimes you deliberately don’t help him clean up. At those times, he would use what little strength he had left, his slender white hands reaching through the golden bars, grabbing your pant leg. Then, hoarsely begging you. “Help me…” The first time you were called back, you raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding his meaning. “Help you what?” “Help me… clean up…” Your expression almost instantly darkened. “What? You think it’s dirty?” “…” He didn’t know how to answer. “I feel uncomfortable…” He showed weakness. It must be said. If he had always spoken to you like this, you would definitely have treated him well. But who knows? He only begs for mercy when he can’t bear it anymore. Tsk.

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Logan had been active on Twitter for years and was familiar with the rules of fan circles. He knew that fan groups had zero tolerance for anyone insulting their idols. However, after only a moment’s hesitation, he pressed the post button. “Did you insult someone today: @ZacharyYe What redeeming qualities do you have besides your face? Arrogant, ignorant, and stupid. How could anyone like such a piece of trash?” Indeed, he had insulted Zachary, the current hot commodity in the entertainment industry. Not only did he use his full name instead of initials, but he also directly tagged him, truly testing the limits. However, Logan was fearless. It was just a small account with only 23 followers. Fans shouldn’t be able to find him, and even if they did, what could they do? He was already being generous by not using his main account to insult him. But he ultimately underestimated the abilities of fans and netizens. The next morning, as Logan was preparing to write and save drafts for his new work, his editor’s eighteen urgent calls disrupted his train of thought. He irritably answered the phone: “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” “Wait, wait! Little Wood, was that you who insulted Zachary on Twitter?” Logan snorted when he heard Zachary’s name, “So what if I insulted him?” “It’s not ‘so what,’ it’s trending! ‘Original author of ‘The Path’ uses small account to insult male lead online, it’s not just boiling, it’s exploding!’ The editor’s exasperated voice came through the speaker, causing Logan’s ears to hurt, and he had to move the phone away a bit. He realized what was going on but remained calm, reassuring, “Well, that just saved the crew some publicity costs. They should thank me.” “I’m going to check it out and see if I can make two explosions in three days. We’ll talk later if anything comes up.” After hanging up, Logan opened Twitter but wisely didn’t log into his small account. Instead, he first logged into his main account to observe the situation. To his surprise, even this author account with a million followers had been overwhelmed. He ignored the 99+ comments and messages and opened the trending list. #Please apologize to Zachary, author of ‘The Path’# #Did you insult someone today Logan# #Protect the best Zachary in the world# #Zachary has someone he likes# “Tsk, my first time trending and it’s asking me to apologize to that thing?” Logan didn’t care much about those unpleasant comments, just briefly looked at the cause and effect. It turned out that his small account and main account Logan were mutually following each other, and there was a photo of his left hand in the album that netizens dug up and found to be identical to one Logan had posted before. He didn’t care at all about how fans were cursing him and had no intention of replying. After sending a message to his editor, he simply turned off his phone and decided to focus on writing. What nonsense trending topics, is it a big deal to have someone you like? Eyesore! By evening, things had fermented more and more seriously. Many fans even began to jointly “petition,” demanding that Zachary give up the male lead role in “The Path,” but neither side had made any public response. Gossip marketing accounts began to comb through the love-hate relationship between Logan and Zachary over and over again, but no matter how much they combed, they couldn’t find any intersection between the two. In the end, they concluded that Logan was probably very dissatisfied with Zachary playing his male lead. In fact, although Zachary was undoubtedly the top traffic in the entertainment industry, his acting skills were really average. More than half of those millions of fans were there for his face. Whether or not there was data to prove it, anyway, Logan firmly believed this. Logan, who had spent three hours writing five hundred words, decided not to struggle anymore. He decisively closed his computer and prepared to go to sleep. But when he really lay down, he couldn’t help but take out his phone and watch the video that had angered him to curse again. It was a video of a movie roadshow scene. In the video, a reporter asked Zachary if he would like someone with the female lead’s personality in real life. Zachary, in a black suit, shook his head gracefully, indicating he wouldn’t. The reporter was about to follow up when they heard him slowly say: I have someone I like. Logan sneered at his phone, wishing he could poke out his dog eyes with his fingers. He gestured a few times, but unexpectedly, he didn’t hold back and poked the like button. He hurriedly unliked it, thinking to himself, damn it, will this trend again?! Out of sight, out of mind. Logan finally decided to turn off his phone and go to sleep, but a SnapChat message suddenly popped up on the screen. Seeing that familiar name, Logan’s eyelids twitched. He wanted to ignore it, but he was still curious about what the other person would say. Zachary: Are you there? Logan: If you’re here to ask if I’m the one who insulted you on the trending topic, then there’s no need to ask, it was me. If you’re here to ask why I insulted you, there’s also no need to ask, do I need a reason to insult you? Zachary had just finished work and returned to the hotel. Seeing that the other person had been typing for half a minute and sent such a message, he couldn’t help but laugh. But then he thought of something, his expression darkened, and his smile faded. He slowly typed “No” and sent it without waiting for Logan’s reply, then sent another message. Zachary: I just wanted to ask if you want to get back together? Logan looked at the message on the screen, speechless for a moment, then exploded: Go get back together with the person you like! After sending it, he felt that he had revealed his emotions too obviously. Being so angry made it seem like he still liked him. After hesitating for a moment, Logan decisively chose to recall the message, then haughtily replied with one word. Logan: Fuck off. Later, until midnight, Logan didn’t receive a reply. Logan and Zachary had a history, even a long one. In college, when he first started writing on the website, he didn’t have much popularity, so he remembered very clearly the early readers who often commented on his work. Zachary was one of the few readers he could remember. The reason was simple: while others either praised Logan for writing well or encouraged him to keep going, only Zachary, under a username, seriously said that if he ever became famous, he would definitely play this male lead. This book was “The Path.” At first, Logan thought Zachary was just showing off, but later, after each update, he could see Zachary commenting and analyzing the plot. Over time, the two got to know each other. Later, they discovered that they were actually schoolmates, and their relationship became even closer. Logan fell in love first, boldly and passionately pursuing Zachary for a month before succeeding. Five years passed like this. Zachary became a hot star, while Logan also became a god-tier author who could easily sell the copyright for tens of millions. But six months ago, Logan unilaterally proposed a breakup, ending their cohabitation. At that time, Zachary had asked many times why, but Logan never answered.

The like that Logan accidentally tapped did indeed trend again. However, unlike what he had expected, this time, some gossip netizens let their imaginations run wild, concocting a drama of a god-tier author secretly loving the current top traffic star but unable to have him, thus hating him out of love. Isn’t there a saying, the deeper the love, the harsher the criticism? Logan pretended not to know about this, but Zachary shared a love song expressing secret love on Twitter, seemingly in response, which sparked another round of heated discussion. “Is our Zachary saying he has a secret crush on someone?!” “Taking Zachary away, going to listen to the song, not interested in anyone else.” “As an outsider, I feel a bit sorry for Zachary hahaha. He played the lead role but got harshly criticized by the author, really unfortunate.” “I think that Logan guy’s criticism was quite right. What does Zachary have going for him besides his face? Fans, don’t talk about acting skills. If that’s called acting, I could win an Oscar.” “This song sounds so heartbreaking, so who hurt who hahaha…” Of course, Logan also saw Zachary’s Twitter post but didn’t think much of it, assuming it had nothing to do with him. Who knew that later, Zachary would even share this song with him on SnapChat. Logan: ??? Zachary: Do you like it? Logan: Are you crazy? Zachary: Come to the opening ceremony of “The Path” the day after tomorrow. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. Although Logan had previously agreed to attend, why did seeing Zachary say this make him so uncomfortable? Logan didn’t reply for a long time, and Zachary sent another question mark. Logan: Want me to perform a live diss of Zachary for the reporters? Zachary: … Zachary: Whatever makes you happy Zachary: It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you Logan was taken aback. Indeed, since their breakup, they hadn’t seen each other once in these six months. Thinking of this, Logan’s not-so-young heart began to flutter again. He knew he was being a bit pathetic. They had already broken up, and it should have been a clean break, but he still couldn’t help wanting to see him. After all, it had been half a year, 6 months, 180 days. Zachary: If I don’t see you that day Zachary: You better be prepared to get screwed. ????????WTF??? The opening ceremony for “The Path” was held at a high-end hotel near the film base in Hillsdale. The venue was packed, mostly with reporters from various media outlets. Logan sat on the stage with the director and main creative team, but he secretly grumbled, seeing the reporters’ fiery gazes, knowing they wanted to see him and Zachary battle it out live. Tsk, shouldn’t have come. Before going on stage, the event organizer’s person in charge smiled apologetically at Logan while “advising” him to be considerate and not start a verbal battle on stage. It would be best to clarify that he and Zachary had a good relationship, which was why he had vented on Twitter. Logan agreed with “okay, okay, okay” while inwardly mocking, do you think netizens are all idiots? They’ll believe whatever you say? Whether intentional or not, he was arranged to sit on the far left, with four or five people between him and Zachary. This way, even if they wanted to have a duel with their gazes, it would be difficult to achieve. Zachary arrived relatively late, so Logan hadn’t run into him yet. Even if they were face to face, he wouldn’t know what to say. Finally, it came to the media Q&A session at the end of the press conference. By this time, the reporters were all excited and eager to ask questions. Logan saw this and just wanted to roll his eyes. “Zachary, may I ask how you view Logan’s comments about you on Twitter?” Zachary picked up the microphone and smiled, “I appreciate Logan’s supervision.” “Zachary, do you have any thoughts on playing the male lead Crispian in ‘The Path’?” Hearing this question, Logan slightly turned his body to look at Zachary. “I’m very honored,” Zachary pondered for a moment, then continued, “I really like the book ‘The Path,’ and playing Crispian has been a dream of mine for a long time.” The reporters below nodded understandingly, just pleasantries after all, everyone would say that. However, the fact that Zachary could maintain this attitude towards someone who had publicly insulted him showed that his demeanor was indeed quite good. This statement actually gained Zachary quite a bit of goodwill. Logan appeared very calm on the surface, but no one knew what emotions were hidden beneath that rather handsome face. The next reporter then threw a question at Logan, “Logan, what’s your opinion on Zachary playing Crispian?” Logan: “Well, he needs to work hard.” The audience burst into laughter, looking at him with meaningful gazes. Zachary suddenly chimed in, “In the future, I hope Teacher Logan will give me more guidance.” He said the last four words very slowly. For some reason, Logan suddenly had a bad feeling. The reporters specially invited to the press conference all had a sense of propriety and wouldn’t throw out questions that were too sharp or embarrassing. So this press conference ended smoothly without any incidents. There was also a small banquet in the evening. Logan didn’t plan to stay long, but Zachary had specifically called him on SnapChat to come, yet didn’t even give him a glance or specially seek him out. What did that mean? Logan said goodbye to the organizers and was about to leave when he was stopped by the staff member he had greeted earlier just as he was leaving the hotel. “Excuse me, are you Mr. Logan?” “I am, is there something?” The staff member pointed to a young man holding a bouquet of flowers nearby, “This gentleman said there’s a flower order, the address is here, and the recipient is you.” The young man also came over and handed the bouquet to Logan, “Sir, here are your flowers.” Logan was confused but accepted the bouquet. He found it contained a type of flower he had never seen before, with a card inserted in the middle that only had two lines of text, and next to it was a room key card. Logan’s face darkened when he saw it clearly. “Trash flowers for a piece of trash, perfect match.” “9 PM, Royal Hotel Room 1106, wait for me.” Zachary, you bastard! Logan naturally refused to obediently go to the hotel and wait for him. Holding a bouquet of trash flowers, he decisively left.

After the banquet ended, Zachary went to the Royal Hotel, but there was no one in Room 1106. He wasn’t too surprised; if Logan had really listened to him like this, he wouldn’t have insisted on breaking up with him. Mentioning this, Zachary was extremely depressed. Zachary could swear he hadn’t cheated, hadn’t neglected him, hadn’t lied to him, hadn’t done anything to wrong him. Why was Logan so determined to break up? Was all their years of affection fake? He had asked Logan many times, but the answers were all similar. Logan said there were no feelings left, so they should separate. But this didn’t make sense. To say Logan didn’t like Zachary? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that. When Logan was pursuing Zachary back then, he had really put in a lot of effort. Zachary thought that since Logan wanted to be apart for a while, he’d let him be. Anyway, he would eventually come back to him. Who knew that after six months apart, Logan still showed no intention of coming back. Zachary vaguely felt something was wrong. He looked at the hung-up phone call, hesitated for a moment, then turned and left. Six months was long enough. His Logan should come back now. “Logan, why are you back so late?” The security guard, familiar with Logan, casually asked. “Went out for some air, to clear my head. Otherwise, I kept feeling like I was a big idiot.” “Ah? Haha, Logan, you’re really funny.” As Logan walked towards his home, he was cursing himself in his mind. Logan, you’re a complete and utter idiot. Wandering around the hotel area for 5 hours just because of a bouquet of trash flowers? He was just saying it, why did you take it seriously? What’s the use of waiting until 9 o’clock or even 11 o’clock? Didn’t you still not see a single shadow? He could hardly believe that such a stupid thing was actually done by himself! The key is that he didn’t even wait for him! That trash Zachary didn’t come at all! The more he thought about it, the more he wished he could travel back in time and slap himself. Unfortunately, time travel couldn’t be realized, so Logan could only go to sleep quickly, attempting to forget everything after a good night’s rest. However, wanting to forget everything? That was certainly impossible. Logan was woken up by knocking on the door. He rubbed his eyes and irritably scratched his head. “Who is it? So early in the morning.” Logan opened the door and saw Zachary’s rather good-looking face. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming. “It’s already 11 o’clock, and you say it’s early?” Zachary didn’t wait for an invitation and slipped past Logan into the house. Logan quickly closed the door and chased after him, “Who are you?! Did I let you in?” Zachary made himself at home, “I’ve been driving for several hours. Let me rest for a bit.” “Who knows where you were messing around last night!” Zachary paused in his movements, pointed his index finger at Logan, and said, “Didn’t I tell you to wait for me in 1106?” Mentioning this, Logan became furious: “Bullshit, you didn’t even go. You told me to wait for you?!” “You went to the Royal Hotel last night? I arrived at the hotel at nine o’clock. How come I didn’t see you?” Logan was speechless. He had waited so long at the entrance, yet didn’t see him? Logan suddenly realized that a big star like Zachary might have entered through the side door… Zachary: “Speak.” “No! Am I crazy to go look for you?” Zachary looked at him for a few moments, not asking further, then sat down on the sofa. “…” How can this person be so brazen? “Zachary! Get up, this is my home!” Logan said, then reached out to pull him, but unexpectedly was pulled into Zachary’s arms. The two fell onto the sofa. Zachary half-embraced Logan, his warm breath blowing on his face, making him feel a bit itchy. Logan struggled, “Get off! Don’t crush me!” “Don’t move!” Zachary stared quietly at Logan, “It’s been half a year since we last met. I really missed you.” After saying this, he lowered his head and tightly hugged Logan. Logan’s breath caught, and his heart began to soften, losing its sharp edges. Zachary raised his head to see Logan not reacting, lifted the corner of his mouth slightly, then gently kissed his lips. Unlike their first kiss, which was careful and tentative, this one was gentle enough. “Enough! Zachary!” Logan suddenly pushed him away hard, his face expressionless as he pursed his lips. “What’s wrong?” Zachary acted as if nothing had happened, adjusted his posture a bit, and made some space for Logan. Logan: “What do you mean what’s wrong? Zachary, we’ve already broken up.” Zachary looked up at him and said calmly: “So?” “So we should keep our distance. Zachary, please leave immediately.” Although Logan was usually easy to explode and carefree, when he really put on a serious face, it was quite intimidating. But Zachary was unmoved, even laughing, and ruffled Logan’s hair like before they broke up, “Stop messing around, Logan. Move back in.” Logan was speechless. The original mix of emotions – happiness, difficulty, hesitation, heartache – suddenly deflated like a balloon, all gone at once. Zachary had never taken the breakup seriously. From beginning to end, he didn’t know why Logan wanted to break up, and he… didn’t care. Logan smiled for the first time, but it was shallow and fleeting. “Zachary, listen carefully, I’ll say it one last time,” Logan paused, seeing Zachary’s expression sink, no longer as relaxed as before, then continued, “We, I Logan and you, Zachary, have broken up, with no connection anymore. I won’t appear in front of you again in the future, and please, don’t come to bother me anymore.” Hearing this, Zachary felt a faint uneasiness in his heart. He wanted to appear more at ease, but his words came out tense, “Logan, I haven’t agreed to break up yet.” Logan: “That’s not important. What’s important is… I have no feelings for you anymore.” “You’re lying to me,” Zachary said, “I don’t believe you don’t like me anymore.” Hearing these words, Logan couldn’t help but laugh. Yes, I don’t believe it either, that I wouldn’t like you anymore, but do you really like me? “What don’t you believe? You will eventually be with the person you like, and I will meet someone else, confess, fall in love, and spend a lifetime together. In a person’s life, they will meet many people and forget many people. You and I are just a part of each other’s life journeys.” “Even if we walked hand in hand for many years, were happy, and… loved,” Logan hesitated, then said softly, “But now we’ve separated.” “Zachary, let’s part on good terms—” “To hell with parting on good terms!” Zachary kicked the coffee table hard, a harsh and loud scraping sound making his anger seem so real. To be fair, Zachary was actually a person with quite a good temper. In all the years Logan had been with him, he had rarely seen him lose his temper. Zachary took several deep breaths, seemingly trying to calm himself down, “Logan, even if we break up, shouldn’t you give me a reason? Have I, Zachary, wronged you in any way? You say nothing and unilaterally break up. I don’t agree, and you move out while I’m not home. When I go to find you, you shut me out. Even if I did something wrong, shouldn’t you give me a chance to explain?” “But you didn’t. You just stubbornly insisted on your own thoughts. That’s fine too. I thought maybe you wanted to be apart for a while, change your mood, and you would come back one day. In these six months, how many times have I asked you to get back together? And how did you answer me?” “If it wasn’t ‘fuck off,’ it was ‘impossible.’ Logan, I really want to know, what exactly did I do that made you detest me so much?” Logan listened quietly, showing no reaction. When he heard Zachary ask, he coldly said, “You did nothing wrong.” Zachary was amused by his anger, “I did nothing wrong, so why did you break up?” Logan no longer looked at him, but stared at the oranges that had fallen to the ground, slowly saying, “I just… don’t love you anymore, Zachary.” The large living room suddenly fell silent. Logan could even hear his own heartbeat in his chest. After who knows how long, maybe a second, maybe ten minutes, Zachary suddenly laughed, breaking the room’s silence. “If that’s the case, I really didn’t do anything wrong.” Zachary ignored Logan and walked straight to the door. Logan stood in place, only daring to look up at him when Zachary reached the door. Logan silently opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to call out to him, but ultimately didn’t make a sound. “Logan,” Zachary had already opened the door but stopped and turned around to call out. Logan met his gaze, not speaking, just waiting for his next words. Zachary shook his head, ultimately not continuing.

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My husband’s first love has the same diamond ring on her ring finger as I do. I opened my mouth, ready to demand a divorce. “But the supercar you ordered will be delivered next month,” Ethan said casually. I swallowed the word “divorce” back down.I clenched my fists, the word “divorce” sliding back down my throat like a bitter pill. I could endure this, just a little longer, for the car that would be mine, but only until next month. “I bought a cute little bunny outfit. Make sure you’re home early tonight, honey,” I said, flashing him a smile. Ethan leaned down and kissed me on the lips. “Of course, babe. I can’t wait to see your little bunny outfit.” I saw Lily White’s latest Instagram story: “Finally back in the States, everything feels so familiar.” The post was accompanied by a photo taken at a Starbucks in Manhattan. But what caught my eye was the hand peeking out from the bottom right corner of the photo—a pale, slender hand with long fingers, wearing the same ring as mine. Ethan was there with her. I couldn’t believe it. Lily had barely returned, and he couldn’t wait to rush over to see her. I got out of the Jacuzzi in our Malibu beach house and began my usual skincare routine. Thanks to Ethan’s hard work over the years, I’ve enjoyed the life of a pampered princess. But now that his first love is back, it looks like my reign is coming to an end. Might as well enjoy it while I can. I was sure I’d be alone tonight, but as I drifted off to sleep, a warm body slipped into bed beside me… The next morning, I woke up, lying flat on my back, staring at the ceiling. Divorce! I need to divorce him, or I’ll be dead before I hit thirty! I reached out for my phone to check the time—11 a.m. Typical Ethan. “You’re awake? Stop lying around and get up for breakfast!” Ethan called, opening the door. He was still wearing the black apron I had bought him, looking every bit like a doting househusband. Ugh, where’s the tough CEO I married?

“How come you have time today?” I asked, looking at the meticulously prepared meal on the table. A thought crossed my mind—guilt. Is he making this fancy breakfast because he feels guilty about something with Lily? “I just finished up a big project, thought I’d take a break.” Yeah, right! He just wants to relax because his precious Lily is back in town. Workaholics like him don’t just decide to “take a break.” Ethan placed a piece of fish on my plate. “Eat up, you need to keep your strength up.” Ugh, you scoundrel! I glared at him before burying my face in my food, deciding not to say anything more. After breakfast, I lounged on the couch, watching my favorite trashy romance drama, while Ethan sliced up some fruit and settled beside me, checking the stock market on his iPad. The drama on TV was so over-the-top that I couldn’t resist pulling out my phone to scroll through Instagram. That’s when I saw it trending:#Lily White Returns.# That’s right! Lily White, once a famous natural beauty in Hollywood, had left without a word to study abroad. Her fans were devastated. Sure enough, the comments under the trending topic were flooded with her fans’ cheers: “Welcome back, Lily!” “Is Lily making a comeback? So excited!” “Finally, we get to see Lily more often!” I suddenly grew curious about Ethan’s reaction and turned to him. “Did you know Lily White is back?” “Oh, really? So what?” Ethan responded without much emotion. I snorted quietly. He’s such a good actor. If I hadn’t seen that Instagram story, he might have fooled me! That evening, Ethan’s friend Big Mike called. “Hey, sis! You and Ethan should come out tonight. My bar’s having its grand opening. I’m begging you to show up!” I looked over at Ethan, who was reading. “Why didn’t you call him directly?” I asked. “Because you’ve trained him well, sis! Ethan told me he’s a married man now, and he can’t go out at night without checking in with you first. Plus, it’s a bar—if you don’t approve, he won’t come.” What?! I almost believed I was some sort of control freak! I’ve never stopped him from going out before. I thought we were just going to show up to support his friend, but when we arrived, I was taken aback. Lily White was there too. “Sis, Ethan,” Big Mike led us to our seats. Noticing my gaze fixed on Lily, he quickly added, “That’s someone Evan Moore brought along. Apparently, she used to be a small-time actress.” Big Mike had known Ethan for years, so he had to be aware of Ethan and Lily’s history. Was he just pretending not to know? “Ethan, long time no see,” Evan Moore called from across the room, lounging on a sofa. I smiled and nodded in response. Our families had business dealings, so we knew each other fairly well. Ethan wrapped his arm around me and led us to the opposite end of the room, sitting as far from Lily as possible. I could tell he was a little upset. Hmm? Did they have a fight?

Sure enough, I caught him glancing at Lily multiple times. His face was set in a frown, and he barely acknowledged people who greeted him. What’s wrong? Seeing Lily with someone else bothers you that much? Ugh, you jerk. Honestly, I wasn’t feeling great either. Ethan and I grew up together—our families have been friends for ages. Later, I went abroad for college, and when I came back, I heard Ethan had a “first love.” It seems childhood sweethearts really can’t compete with fate, huh? After that, Lily left for some unknown reason, and Ethan turned around and proposed to me. At the time, my family was in a bit of a business crisis and needed a quick influx of cash, so I agreed to marry him. After we got married, Ethan was pretty good to me—whatever I wanted, I got. Even my mom said I was lucky to have married him; no one else could afford to keep up with my lifestyle. But now, looking at the situation, I’m starting to wonder if I really married the right person. I grabbed the glass of wine on the table and downed it in one go. The burn of the alcohol jolted me awake. This marriage has to end! “Why are you drinking so much?” Ethan grabbed my glass. “Feeling down?” “None of your business!” That drink was stronger than I thought, and soon I was feeling a bit tipsy, leaning into Ethan, my hands wandering under his shirt. Ethan grabbed my hand, his voice rougher than usual. “What do you think you’re doing?” “I’m just having a feel!” I wasn’t about to let him keep up this charade in front of his first love. No way! “Let’s go home.” Ethan didn’t hesitate, standing up and pulling me along, practically shoving me into the car. “You behave, or we’ll deal with this at home.” “I won’t, I won’t!” I kicked off my heels and sat in the passenger seat, pouting. “I’m warning you, don’t touch me, or I’ll… mmph.” I didn’t even finish my sentence before his burning lips were on mine, pinning me against the seat. Just then, I saw Lily and Evan walk past, getting into the same car together. Ah, I see now. Ethan was jealous and trying to get Lily’s attention by using me. On the drive back, the more I thought about it, the angrier I got, until finally, I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Ethan, let’s get a divorce.” “You’re drunk,” he replied flatly. “I’m not.” The cold air had cleared my head, and I was more rational than ever, even sensing the car speed up. When we got home, I had barely stepped into the bathroom before Ethan was on me, kissing me like a madman. I might not have been entirely sober, but I found myself getting lost in his kiss. Our breaths grew heavier, and Ethan’s lips gently bit mine as he murmured, his words slurring together. “Stay away from Evan Moore from now on.” Evan? What does he have to do with this?

The next morning, Ethan was already at the office, and I was left lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling like I had failed yet again to start my day right. My best friend Jessica called at the perfect time. “LV just got a new shipment. Let’s go check it out!” “No way, I’m not even out of bed yet.” Jessica’s voice turned teasing. “Someone’s living the good life, huh?” “Shut up! I’ve got real business to take care of today, let’s go another time.” Today, I was determined to talk to Ethan about the divorce! After breakfast, I drove to his office. Over the years, Ethan’s business had grown exponentially, and I hadn’t stepped foot in his company for a long time. Fortunately, the receptionist still recognized me. But she didn’t seem to know Lily. “Sorry, ma’am, but you need an appointment to see Mr. Carter. Without one, I can’t let you in.” Seeing Lily being shut down made me inwardly cheer. I strutted over, playing it cool. “Miss Chen, is Ethan in?” The receptionist immediately bowed deeply. “Yes, Mrs. Carter. The CEO said you could go straight up whenever you like. I’ll get the elevator for you.” I shot Lily a smug look as I started to walk away, but she suddenly called out, “Can we talk?” I pointed to the sofa by the window. “We can chat over there for a bit. I’m in a hurry.” Lily clenched her fists and, as soon as I sat down, blurted out, “You should divorce Ethan. He loves me.” “So what? I’m the one who’s Mrs. Carter now.” I leaned back on the sofa, casually showing off my figure. “I’m the only one who can go straight to the top floor without an appointment. You, on the other hand, will have to wait your turn.” “Why are you clinging to Ethan?” Lily’s forehead veins were practically popping out; she looked like she was about to attack me. “There are security guards everywhere, so you’d better not try anything. But if you want me to divorce Ethan, that’s not impossible.” Lily’s eyes flickered. “What do you want?” “Two million, and I’ll divorce him immediately.” Lily looked utterly shocked. I continued, “I know it’s tough out there in showbiz, so let’s make it five million, and I’ll tell the press we split amicably. Seven million, and I’ll even claim we’ve been having issues for a long time.” “Your choice,” I said, grinning. “You’re shameless!” Lily spat. “Is money all you care about? How could you not appreciate someone as good as Ethan?” What kind of logic is that? “Do you need time to think it over? You’d better hurry, though, because if you don’t decide soon, I’ll raise the price. As soon as the money hits my account, I’ll start talking to Ethan about splitting our assets.” “You’re planning to take Ethan’s money when you divorce?” Of course!

Now it was my turn to be shocked. “Did studying abroad make you lose your mind? Why would I walk away with nothing? The seven million is to buy the end of our marriage, and I’ll make sure your reputation stays intact. But why wouldn’t I get half of what Ethan earned during our marriage?” “Why should you?” Lily practically jumped out of her seat in anger. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Ever heard of marital property?” “But you…” Lily hesitated before continuing. “But what have you ever done for Ethan? He’s been the one working hard all these years, while you just spend his money every day.” “Spending my husband’s money is my right!” I stood up and leaned in close, lowering my voice. “And who says I haven’t helped him? I’ve been taking care of his physical needs, haven’t I? Do you think I’ve been letting him sleep with me for free these past two years?” My back nearly breaks from all the time I spend in bed with him. Not getting some cash in return would be a total loss! Lily was still in shock, speechless, so I left her there and took the elevator up to the top floor. When I entered the office, Ethan was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, talking on the phone. His back was to me, tall and broad, with a narrow waist. To be honest, he was the perfect man—handsome, rich, a great cook, and amazing in bed. Sure, he might get a little too lively at night, but it was bearable. Too bad his heart wasn’t in it for me. “What brings you here?” Ethan hung up the phone and sat down. I cleared my throat, “Um, we need to talk about our…” “Oh, by the way, I have some news for you,” Ethan interrupted. “The supercar you’ve been eyeing will be delivered next month.” Supercar? “You mean the pink Lamborghini I saw at the dealership in Venice Beach? The one that’s one of only three in the world?” Ethan smiled and nodded. My eyes lit up. This is the kind of car that money can’t even buy! Ethan chuckled. “So, what were you about to tell me?” I was having an internal battle. If I leave Ethan, I definitely won’t get the car. He might even give it to Lily. I can’t take that kind of loss. Maybe I should hold off on the divorce until the car arrives? I smiled and walked around his desk, wrapping my arms around him. “Oh, nothing. I just missed you and wanted to see you. And about that car…” Ethan’s smile deepened as he pulled me onto his lap, one hand gently rubbing my waist. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure my wife gets it. But what about a little reward?” We’ve been married for two years; I know exactly what he meant by that. For my supercar, I’m willing to do anything! “I bought a cute little bunny outfit. Come home early tonight, okay?” Ethan nodded, placing a kiss on my lips. “I can’t wait to see my little bunny tonight.” It took me two full days to piece myself back together, my spirit battered and bruised. Finally, after my best friend Jessica relentlessly hounded me, refusing to let me wallow in my misery, I begrudgingly agreed to go out shopping.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294587”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #玄幻Fantsy #狼人werewolf #擦边Steamy #励志Inspiring #现实主义Realistic #校园School #后宫Harem #重生Reborn