Author: Momo Chan

As I walked home, Abby hurled a burger at me, smearing cheese across my face. “Phony werewolf,” she sneered, her friends’ laughter ringing in my ears as they left me humiliated. Tina, once my closest friend, now delighted in my disgrace. Graduation was near, but with no wolf in sight, I was nothing but a target. My parents, though respected, were quietly disappointed by my failure to shift. With my eighteenth birthday looming, the future felt bleak. Deputy Dean Judi stormed into my math class, summoning me to her office while my classmates snickered. Tina blocked my path, smirking. “Father’s expelled you from the pack,” she hissed. I ignored her and entered the office, only to be soaked by a bucket of water. Soaked and humiliated, I stood as my mother arrived, her eyes locked on Tina. With a swift slap, she sent Tina fleeing in tears. “They’re not worth it,” my mother said, leading me to the parking lot where a moving van waited. “We’re starting fresh, up north.” “Are we kicked out?” I asked, nausea twisting in my stomach. “Yes,” my father said, lighting a cigar. “But don’t worry—we’re heading to a better pack.” “I won’t stay with a pack that rejects my daughter,” Dad said firmly. Guilt gnawed at me for uprooting them. Mom squeezed my knee. “Everything will work out. You’re just starting late. You’re still a werewolf.” “We’re heading to the Crescent Pack,” Dad continued. “Alpha Antony is offering us refuge.” “The Crescent Pack? The one at war with Mountain Ridge?” I asked, alarmed. “Yes, but Alpha Antony is a good man, despite his reputation,” Mom assured. “But he’s a monster,” I countered. “He’s infamous for slaughtering packs, even his own father.” “Don’t believe the rumors,” Mom said. “He must have had his reasons. Besides, no one else would take us.” Dad promised I’d be fine if I proved myself. When we arrived, the snow-covered landscape was breathtaking, but exhaustion weighed heavy. A beta with black hair and guards approached, his eyes narrowing at me. “Alpha Antony wants you at the packhouse immediately,” he said coldly. “Is this your daughter?” “Yes, this is Katrina,” Dad replied, offering his hand to shift the focus. “Beta Matthew,” he nodded curtly. “I hear you were a Beta at your old Pack. We could use your skills here.” Dad nodded, introducing Mom. “This is Dianna, my wife.” “Nice to meet you,” Mom said, shaking Matthew’s hand. His earlier hostility softened, though his wariness lingered. Matthew hurried us into his black Porsche. “Follow us.” We trailed him through the quiet town to the edge of the woods, arriving at a grand marble home with a snow-covered roof and ivy-clad walls. The house was stunning, a sharp contrast to the anxiety gnawing at me. Inside, the décor was opulent—marble floors, a portrait of Alpha Antony, and spruce wood trim. Mom admired it all, while I stood in awe and fear. Matthew led us to a guest lift, knocking on an office door. A deep, magnetic voice called us in, sending shivers down my spine. Dad entered alone. Mom stayed with me. “The Alpha will speak with each of us separately to verify our stories.” “What story?” I whispered, my heart pounding. “The story about me not being able to shift,” I said, fighting tears. “If he finds out, he might hurt us.” Mom hugged me tightly. “Shifting doesn’t matter to the Alpha. You’ll find your wolf eventually.” I nodded, terrified but resigned. Mom entered the office as Dad opened the door. “It’s not too bad,” Dad explains. “Just a small cut, mixing blood, and a pledge to bond with the pack.” A scream suddenly pierces the air—Mom’s. Dad rushes to the door as I hear the struggle and the handle rattle. Mom emerges, sobbing, clutching her head. Dad helps her, worry etched on his face. “Go on, Katrina,” Mom urges, her voice trembling. I shake my head, paralyzed with fear. Dad grips my arms. “We need this. Please, for us.” I nod, my heart racing. Dad opens the door to the Alpha’s office. Inside, Alpha Antony sits at his desk, his presence dominating the room. His jet-black hair, chiseled features, and intense gaze make him both handsome and terrifying. He eyes me coldly, sensing my lack of a wolf. “Come closer,” he growls. I shuffle forward, my blood running cold. “There’s a chair,” he says, pointing. I sit on the edge, my parents watching anxiously. “Your name?” he asks, his voice low and commanding. “Katrina,” I manage to reply. “You can call me Antony,” he says briskly. “How old are you?” “Just turned 17,” I answer, my voice barely steady. He examines my ID, confirming my age. “You haven’t finished school yet?” I nod, feeling the weight of his scrutiny. “I’m surprised you’re switching schools so soon,” Antony says, scrutinizing me. “Most students stay for academic reasons. You’ll finish your studies here with our pack.” I stay silent, letting Mom take the blame for the incident with Tina, though it wasn’t the real reason we left. “Your parents mentioned the trouble with the Alpha’s daughter, and your mother’s reaction?” Antony probes. I nod. “Good riddance to Nkosi,” Antony sneers, clear disdain in his voice. He stands and gestures for me to come closer. A shiver runs down my spine. “I promise, Katrina, I will never hurt you,” he says, though trust feels risky. He pricks my finger, letting blood trickle onto the table. “Sorry, it stings a bit,” he adds with a smile. He offers his wrist, and I realize the bond involves drinking his blood. Despite my fear, the taste is oddly sweet. He pulls me close, whispering, “Now, pledge your loyalty.” I nod, reciting, “In the name of Alpha Antony, I, Katrina, pledge everlasting loyalty and the fulfillment of all your wishes.” His scent overwhelms me, and when I nearly fall, he catches me, his grip firm. The bond snaps into place as the voices of my former pack fade. Antony smiles. “It’s done,” he says as I look up, dazed. His arms around me make me blush with embarrassment. My parents rush in as I pull away. Antony turns, and Dad tries to reassure me, though his words feel empty. “Tomorrow, Matthew will show you your new home. Katrina, start school tomorrow, and join pack training on Friday. Meet me Monday for your training.” “Pack training?” I ask, shocked. Antony’s gaze sharpens as Mom nudges me to stay quiet. “It’s mandatory,” he says. Mom steps in, shaking hands with Antony. “No problem.” Antony turns to her. “I’m interested in your experience with teens. Volunteer at the high school and keep an eye on Katrina.” Matthew leads us to a secluded cottage at the edge of town. As we approach, he offers the keys. “If it feels too remote, there are other options.” “This is perfect,” Dad replies. I stood on the lawn as Matthew curiously sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing. “You smell different from most wolves,” he remarked, making me tense. “I’m not sure what you mean,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “Your wolf scent is distinct, yet subtle,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “You smell… familiar.” Before I could respond, he continued, “Pack training is every Friday at 5:00. No pressure if you can’t make it this week, but the pack will feel more comfortable with newcomers who attend.” “We’ll be there on time,” my father assured him. I took my things and went upstairs. The house felt musty and dim, the rich brown carpet almost black, and the large fireplace dominating one wall. My mother opened the windows to let in fresh air and light. As we unpacked, Matthew gave precise directions for each room. My bedroom was at the far end of the house, overlooking the woods. It was peaceful, but the loneliness gnawed at me. Three days flew by as we settled in. On Monday, I woke up, dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt, and packed my bag with as many textbooks as it could hold. It was the first day of school. My stomach churned with anxiety as we approached the school. My mother watched me in the rearview mirror. “It’ll be fine,” she said softly. “Just keep your head down and behave.” I groaned and slipped out the back door, staring up at the brick building, dread settling in. How awful it would be if they found out I didn’t have a wolf. As soon as I entered the office, a striking woman in her mid-30s greeted me. Her jet-black hair brushed her shoulders, and massive oval glasses perched on the bridge of her perfectly straight nose. She had cherry-red lips, and her warm smile instantly put me at ease. Her dark eyes met mine as I approached. “You must be Katrina,” she said warmly. She scanned my ID, then handed me my schedule, student card, and locker key. The combination was written on the card, and my stomach flipped when I saw the daily training sessions listed. “Two hours of classroom teaching and one hour of wolf training each day,” she explained. Panic bubbled up—I couldn’t hide my lack of a wolf for long. I thanked her and hurried to my locker, dreading the week ahead. The locker opened easily with the right code. As I grabbed my books, I noticed a girl watching me. She had a nose ring, short black hair, and thick eye makeup. “Hey, welcome,” she said with a grin. “I’m Ella.” She glanced at my agenda. “Ah, Katrina.” She seemed nice, so I followed her as she offered to show me around. “Word is you’re from Alpha Nkosi’s pack,” she said casually. The rumor was already spreading. “Beta Matthew and Alpha Antony were talking, and you must have Beta DNA,” Ella smiled. “It’s surprising Alpha Antony allowed a move since he despises Alpha Nkosi. Your parents must be something special.” She paused at an open classroom door. “No new students in years. Mr. Swift, our English teacher, is nice.” The students inside were engaged in calm conversations, a stark contrast to my last pack. I joined Ella at her table, where many students glanced our way. “That group over there—total nerds, always studying. And Nina, the blonde—she’s the worst. Avoid her,” Ella whispered. The teacher didn’t single me out as a new student, which was a relief. During lunch, as students and teachers prepared the training grounds, I noticed my mom and Alpha Antony arriving, which made me uneasy. “Does our Alpha often help with training?” I asked. “Every day, unless he’s in meetings,” Ella replied. We watched as Nina clung to Alpha Antony, clearly infatuated. “She thinks she’ll be his mate,” Ella commented. It made me anxious seeing Nina so close to him, but I kept my feelings hidden. Ella might be right about her being rude. The age difference between Alpha Antony and my old Alpha, who was in his sixties, was striking. “At 31, Alpha Antony’s a great leader—stern but fair. Thankfully, he’s not as awful as his father,” Ella said. “He took over after his father’s retirement?” I asked. “No,” Ella replied, lowering her voice. “At seventeen, Alpha Antony had him killed and seized control. But everyone welcomed the old Alpha’s death. He treated women like animals and killed anyone who disobeyed, even his mate.” My stomach churned. “That’s terrible,” I murmured. Ella nodded. “He disgusted all the packs. But when Alpha Antony took over, everything changed. He allowed women to join self-defense classes. Maybe that’s why he wanted your family here—your Beta genes give you an edge.” “Maybe,” I said, unsure. At noon, Ella and I changed into workout clothes and headed to the training grounds. “You want to watch the training?” she asked. I nodded. Alpha Antony invited me to sit with him in the stands. I watched as he helped the trainees, offering feedback. When he returned, he asked, “What do you think of school so far?” Feeling uneasy, I forced a smile. “Everything’s fine.” My mom’s anxious glance made me wary of him. “How often do you train with your mom?” he asked. “She doesn’t want me to miss training,” I replied. He nodded. “Good. Rest today and tomorrow, but on Monday, you’ll join the team.” Nina, standing in front of me, stared intently, her presence unsettling. “Nina, focus on training and get back to the pitch!” Antony shouted. She pouted, “I was just seeing if you needed help, Alpha.” Her interest in him was obvious. She narrowed her eyes at me before leaving, and I knew she’d be trouble from the start. Antony turned to me. “I have to head back out there, Katrina. See you around.” He walked over to my mom, who was scolding Nina for leaving the pitch. After school, my mom grabbed my arm as soon as she saw me, pulling me away from the crowd. “Katrina, you need to stay out of sight, especially from the Alpha and his Beta,” she warned. “I didn’t seek him out, Mom. He came to me.” “That doesn’t matter,” she snapped. “Just because you’re my daughter doesn’t mean you can slack off. Now, get out there and start running.” “What? Mom, seriously?” I protested. Beta Matthew appeared beside us. “Is there a problem?” he asked. Mom lowered her head. “No, Beta.” She pointed to the field. “Get going, Katrina.” Reluctantly, I threw my jumper at her and started running. Her sudden strictness confused me. “Thirty laps,” she yelled. I groaned and rolled my eyes as I began. By twenty laps, my legs burned, and my lungs felt like they were on fire. I stopped to catch my breath. “Ten more, Katrina! I didn’t say stop,” she barked. “This is ridiculous,” I muttered. “Want more added?” Mom threatened. Shaking my head, I pushed through the final laps, aware that Antony was watching, clearly displeased. When I finally collapsed onto the grass, gasping for air, my mom looked down at me. “Remember, Katrina, everything I do is for your benefit. I might go easy on you, but the pack won’t.” I tried to calm my breathing with my arms above my head, water bottle in hand. The pain was so intense I whimpered. Alpha Antony approached, but I stayed still, embarrassed by my weakness. “I need to speak with you, Dianna,” he said, heading toward my mom. I averted my eyes, feeling self-conscious. Ella handed me water, and I managed to sit up, though my legs felt like jelly. After school, as I struggled to get to my locker, Nina confronted me. Her blonde highlights and sparkling chocolate eyes made her look attractive, but her harsh demeanor revealed her cruelty. She shoved me against the wall and yanked at my shirt. “Don’t mess with the Alpha or I’ll make your life hell.” I wriggled free, sarcastically thanking her, “Wow, thanks for the heads up!” “Nina, stop it,” I said. She grabbed my hair, pulling hard. I punched her in the back of the head, causing her to scream and cover her face. Following my mom’s advice, I slapped her, causing blood to spill down her chin. “What’s going on?” Beta Matthew appeared in the corridor. Tina, sobbing, said, “The whore attacked me!” Ella spoke up, “She grabbed Katrina’s hair and threatened her.” I stayed silent as my mom and Alpha Antony arrived. My mom looked at Tina and said, “You brought this on yourself. Behave, or you’ll face worse in my training sessions.” Despite her strictness, I respected and loved her. Watching Tina flee in tears, I felt a pang of pity but quickly moved past it. She had become more of a rival than a classmate. Mom shook her head, clearly frustrated. “Katrina, trouble on your first day—goodness.” Ella stepped in. “Tina attacked her first. Katrina was just defending herself.” That made me appreciate Ella more. Alpha Antony announced, “Katrina, both of you will have detention tomorrow.” I noticed Mom’s displeased expression, though I didn’t quite understand it. Ella peered curiously. “Beta Mathew will deal with Tina,” Alpha Antony said, nodding to Mathew. “Go ahead,” Antony added, and I packed up quickly, trying to keep up with my mom as she stormed down the hall. “Always drawing attention to yourself,” she fumed. I ignored her, saying, “But you told me to defend myself.” “Katrina, I meant it. Without this pack, we have nowhere else to go. Nkosi made sure no other pack would take us.” She sighed deeply. “It was a miracle Alpha Antony took us in.” On the drive home, Mom was silent, her frustration evident in the way she slammed the steering wheel and sped off. The next day, during detention, I tried to stay out of the spotlight. When I got home, Dad stopped me before I could head to my room. “How was your first day at school?” he asked. Mom had told him about the argument and the detention. “Did you win?” he asked, always eager to support me. I forced a smile. Dad asked Mom, “What did you do to my daughter?” “We got home late because she had to run thirty laps,” Mom replied. I slipped away, feeling miserable. Mom told Dad, “Tomorrow, Katrina will have detention with the Alpha alone.” Dad’s face tightened. “Detention? We mustn’t anger the Alpha. If he finds out you don’t have a wolf before we prove your worth, we’re in trouble.” I worried about the embarrassment and burden on my family if we were expelled. The idea of standing out or being kicked out was terrifying. “Can I go now?” I asked, desperate to escape. Mom said, “Even if you go, remember that packs don’t tolerate members without wolves.” Feeling overwhelmed by their constant supervision, I went to bed early, hoping for some peace. The next morning, Mom yelled at me to get ready. She handed me a pie for the ride, and I ate it as she lectured me on fitting in. I nodded along, pretending to be attentive. At school, Ella waved and called, “Katrina!” “Geometry first,” she said, and I grunted in response. Despite my good grades, the class was excruciatingly dull and gave me a headache. While Mom spoke with teachers, Ella and I made the most of the first period. When noon came, I dreaded detention, but Antony hadn’t specified where. At the bell, Alpha Antony stormed into my classroom. I was stunned and anxious, knowing I’d disappoint Mom. Ella gave me a sympathetic look as I hurried out, deciding to face the Alpha despite my fear. “Does geometry class drag for you too?” Alpha Antony asks with a grin. “Yeah, a bit. Why do you ask?” I reply. “I used to skip it and get punished. Your expression reminds me of that.” I force a smile, hiding that my pain is his fault. He barks, “Let’s go,” and heads out. As he opens my locker, he chokes me lightly. “I know everything,” I say, raising an eyebrow. “High pulse rate. Your parents’ story doesn’t add up. I bet they didn’t leave just because your mother hit the Alpha’s daughter,” he says, rubbing my back. I wince as his grip on my hand numbs my arm. “Um, Alpha, your grip…” I start to say. “Sorry,” he releases me, confused. “What’s detention like?” I ask, following him down empty hallways. “Don’t worry, you won’t get in trouble,” he reassures me as we enter the faculty lounge. I sit in his chair, breathing deeply to mask his strong scent. Mathew enters with a dish of roasted meat and places it on the desk, eyeing me curiously. “Lunchtime?” I ask, confused. “Detention can be different. What do you prefer?” Antony raises an eyebrow. “Not this,” I admit, surprised by the laid-back approach. The meat is surprisingly good. After we finish, Mathew clears the trays and asks, “How’s it going here?” “Pretty well,” I reply, trying to smile. Mathew drapes an arm over my shoulder, sniffing me. I glance at Antony, who seems uninterested. When I try to move, Mathew pulls me closer. “Hands off, Mathew!” Antony shouts. Mathew grins, raises his hands, and steps back, giving us space. “Before you go, I have a few questions,” Antony says after Mathew leaves. “Why did you really join our pack?” he asks. “I wonder why you allowed us to join if you think we have secrets,” I reply, feeling awkward. Antony continues, “I chose the best fighters from Alpha Nkosi. I’m curious about your potential.” I ask, “What if I don’t meet expectations?” “You’ve got Beta blood. Your mother is a strong fighter,” he says, making me worry about my secret. “Can I ask a question?” I ask. “Sure,” he replies. “Have you met your mate yet?” “No, I’m not eighteen.” Antony presses, “Why did your family move?” I feel tight and sweaty, but say, “What my parents told you is true.” Antony nods, “You can go, Katrina, but we’ll talk again.” Alpha Antony’s POV As I watched Katrina leave, I knew her family was hiding something. If she weren’t my mate, I might’ve reconsidered admitting them. The chance to end the feud with Nkosi was too tempting. It was odd that Philip and Dianna never mentioned their children despite their high status. Katrina seemed off, though she came from a strong family. Mathew entered through the back, as I’d instructed, to investigate her further. “She’s your mate, right?” he asked. I sighed, acknowledging it. “I want to spend time alone with her.” Mathew asked, “Why not ask her parents directly?” “I don’t want to upset them. She’ll hate me if I clash with them,” I explained. “What’s next?” he inquired. “I don’t want to seem like a freak around her,” I admitted. Mathew suggested, “Check on her tomorrow. A pack run will be held every Friday. Let her adjust to the group first.” “Fine,” I said. Mathew asked with a smile, “Are you planning to confront her?” “Nothing major. Tina’s been a nuisance, so I paired her with Katrina for training,” I said, irritated. “Are you trying to provoke me?” Mathew asked. “I’ll ensure Tina doesn’t overstep. Her skills are useful, but her dislike of Katrina complicates things,” I replied. Katrina is fierce, no question. Mathew says “She will get what it takes.” “You best hope so because if she gets wounded, you will be dead.” “Her father was Beta and her mother fought well. Nothing to worry about.” Tina fights unfairly, as I’ve seen in crew training. I knew my partner could handle herself even in her condition. Given her strength and stamina, it would be intriguing to watch her wolf transformation. I was excited to meet her wolf. Hidden among the spectators, I avoided detection. Mathew’s pairing was odd. Dianna seems to be conversing to her kid as she approaches the playground. Katrina seemed sick and sweaty. “What’s the deal, is she truly doing fine?” I see Katrina go to the closest garbage can and puke. Dianna’s mother is strict. After staring at her daughter for what seemed like a lifetime, she told her to return to fieldwork. Ella approaches and shakily touches Katrina’s arm. Ella is a great buddy, and I’m happy to have her. Besides Tina and her friends, she gets along with everyone. Dianna, Katrina’s mother, advises her to “get it together,” and she nods before leaving. Katrina shakes Ella’s arm sharply after telling her to leave. “Why don’t you see any problems?” Mathew leans forward when I tell him. “To me, she appeared fine.”He answers. I wait on the stairs edge to observe Katrina and Tina enter their square before descending. Tina stands steadfast while Katrina staggers from weariness. Katrina’s wolf growls, keeping its distance. As Tina lunges, Katrina rolls onto her back to dodge, then kicks Tina in the face, sending her stumbling away with a bleeding nose. Katrina, drenched in sweat, looks troubled. My wolf growls, “Wolfsbane,” and I catch the scent. Mathew notices, “Something’s wrong.” She moved before I could take two steps down the stairway. The Katrina Pov My mother took me into her office on my way to training. “You scared me to death.” Her expressionless, steely face stared at me coldly. “Where have you been?” “Place of confinement; where else?” “I went looking for you, and I found out that neither you nor Tina were in custody.” “At fact, I am in the Alpha’s office.” “This is the day when the wolves go through their training.” Mom remarked forcefully, appearing alarmed. I’ll tell them I’m unwell, she says, shaking her head. A pocket item she pulls gives me the willies; I haven’t seen it in years. “You have to go, “she continues, but “we can make up a tale for why you can’t alter your situation if you take one of them. ” “I’m sorry, Mom, but it just can’t happen.” “There’s no way around it; we can’t risk them finding out until you’ve shown your usefulness to the pack.” Although I had no wolf, my mother fed me nevertheless when I was younger to hide it from the Alpha. She then fed me them to get me used to them so I wouldn’t have any issues. Until my dad discovered it. He stopped thinking about it, and I stopped taking the most fatal medicine to werewolves. “Don’t tell your father.”She warns. I told her my dad will smell it on me since he’s done it before. She opens her black medicine container. She opens it and shows me the white tablets. She hisses quietly while clenching her teeth. She expects me to swallow it. “No! ” She looks disgusted when I tell her. “But just because you’re acting like a spoilt brat won’t mean I’m going to throw everything away.” “And how should I explain?” “Just say you ate it somewhere,” Mom says, shoving the tablet into my hand. I refuse the water. “Swallow it now!” she commands. I chew the tablet, feeling excitement and fear clash inside me. If the Alpha finds out the truth, I’m in trouble. Outside, pain hits hard. “Mum!” I scream, clutching my stomach. “Kick their ass, just like I taught you.” “No, Mom, they’re wolves.” “Don’t let me down,” she echoes as she drags me to the pitch. I stagger to the nearest trash can, clutching my aching stomach, blood, and sweat pouring from me. “What’s happening, Katrina?” Ella’s voice fades as I blur out, unable to respond. My mother and Tina’s shouts ring in my ears. I can’t keep up; my legs give out. Tina charges at me, and I barely dodge her punch. I kick her away, but everything starts to darken. My bones ache, and I reach out mentally, whispering to my mother, “I’m sorry, Mom. I feel so weak.” As claws and teeth rush toward me, I brace for the worst. I open my eyes to see the brown wolf, and then the Alpha, bloody from Tina’s attack.

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I Woke Up Trending, Labeled as the “Heartless Player” by the Entire Internet At night, the superstar I “abandoned” pinned me down. “Darling, you can’t escape this time…” 0 “Hello?” I answered the phone irritably. After spending the whole night out with friends, being woken up by a phone call left me with a splitting headache and in a foul mood. “Oh my God, young master, check the trending topics right now!” “What’s going on…” I mumbled as I opened the trending page. The top topic instantly jolted me awake. #AlexFosterComesOut #AlexFosterHeartbroken What!? My heart skipped a beat as a familiar handsome face flashed in my mind. Everyone knows that I, Zack Harrison, am a notorious spoiled rich kid in the capital city. Young but ruthless, I’ve built my own business empire at a tender age. Of course, I’m also quite the playboy. But no one knows that eight years ago, Zack Harrison was just scrounging for food in dumpsters, struggling to find his next meal, barely surviving. It was during one of those dumpster dives that I found Alex. I was 19, and he was 17. “Come with me,” I said to Alex. My mentally ill mother had committed suicide by jumping off a building when I was 16, leaving me with nothing but scars all over my body and a run-down house for shelter. Perhaps I saw a reflection of my former self in Alex. I didn’t ask where he came from or why he was there. I only asked his name before taking him home. 0

At 16, Alex still needed to continue his education. I paid his tuition fees. It turned out he was an excellent student. I couldn’t understand what his parents were thinking. It was already difficult enough to support myself, and now with Alex, I had to work multiple jobs every day. Alex didn’t say much, but he somehow managed to find ingredients to cook. Every time I returned home, there was always a hot meal waiting for me. Used to eating leftover takeout from restaurants, I suddenly felt this broken-down house become much warmer. After dinner, Alex would dutifully start washing the dishes. Looking at his skinny frame, I noticed that Alex was tall – even at 16, he was already slightly taller than me. But he was just too thin, seemingly malnourished. However, this didn’t detract from his handsomeness. As a first-time guardian, I made a mental note to ensure the kid got a balanced diet. I was actually starting to take on the role of a parent. At first, Alex didn’t like to talk much, and I didn’t force him. Sometimes I would just chat away, and gradually Alex began to open up. We weren’t that far apart in age and had similar experiences, so living together, we didn’t feel so lonely anymore. “Alex, call me brother,” I said with a grin, a cigarette dangling from my lips. Alex was doing his homework nearby, the dim light casting a glow on his handsome face. He looked up, frowning slightly, and walked towards me. That handsome face zoomed in before my eyes, and I froze. But Alex just took the cigarette from my mouth, put it out, and tossed it in the trash. I finally reacted, “Hey, what are you doing?” “Smoke less, it’s bad for your health,” Alex said without looking back, returning to his desk to continue his homework. I rebelled, “Who are you to tell me what to do?” Alex looked up, his beautiful eyes gazing at me, and simply said, “Brother.” That was enough to render me speechless. I mumbled as I quickly tried to escape the situation, “Fine, I won’t smoke.” Little did I know, Alex smiled after I turned my back. 0

Although both Alex and I were very frugal, money was still a headache, especially with Alex’s school fees and various expenses. To cover these costs, I took on as much work as I could. I was smart, young, hardworking, and not picky about jobs, so many middlemen liked working with me. But unknowingly, this started to infringe on some people’s interests. Every day, I was thinking about Alex – what to feed him to improve his nutrition, buying new clothes for him as the weather turned cold, getting some milk because he seemed stressed with his studies lately… Little did I know, I had already been targeted. Once, while serving food, a customer found a toothpick in their dish. They immediately slapped me across the face. I had been working so hard lately, day and night, that this slap made me see stars. My fair cheek immediately swelled up. But I kept apologizing with my head bowed. The manager came out to handle the situation, and in the end, the customer’s meal was comped. Back in the kitchen, the manager frowned as he questioned me, finally saying that the cost of the customer’s meal would be deducted from my wages. I looked up, “Why? It’s not entirely my fault, is it?” The manager, irritated by my defiance, shouted, “If you can handle it, stay. If not, get out!” I could only silently endure it. After the night shift ended, I confronted a few people who had been sabotaging me, “It was you guys, wasn’t it?” They laughed it off, but stopped when they saw me in the darkness. The leader spoke bluntly, “Working so hard, thought we’d teach you a lesson.” I smiled, which confused them. I suddenly charged out from the darkness, swinging a brick at them. It was several of them against just me, but having grown up fighting, I held my own. Finally, they couldn’t take it anymore. The leader gritted his teeth, “Damn, we’re done. You got lucky today!” But I wasn’t in great shape either, my injuries no better than theirs. I felt dizzy and worse than before, sitting down to rest with my eyes closed. “Are you okay?” A voice woke me up. It was a female student. I recognized the uniform; Alex had the same one. The student was very concerned about me and even bought some medicine from a nearby pharmacy to help bandage me up. I waved her off, “It’s not necessary.” “No, your injuries…” Our conversation was suddenly interrupted. “Zack.” A familiar voice. I looked up, and there was Alex, his face full of anxiety. Was it my imagination, or did his expression seem a bit cold? The girl blushed when she saw Alex and softly said, “Alex.” I frowned. Alex took me home and crouched down to help bandage my wounds, silent all the while. I felt something wet on my hand. Alex was crying. The usually strong and quiet Alex was crying. I was at a loss, “Don’t, don’t cry. It’s not like you’re the one who got beaten up.” Alex suddenly pulled me into his arms, using all his strength, as if trying to meld me into his bones. He cried on my shoulder, saying between sobs, “I won’t go to school anymore. I’ll get a job, I’ll earn money…” I got angry, “Don’t even think about it. Your brother is working so hard just so you can study. You can’t just decide not to go to school. It’s not possible…” Before I could finish, my mouth was covered. Alex pressed his lips against mine. I was stunned. The bitterness of tears exploded on my taste buds, and my mind exploded too. 0

After that kiss that day, I started avoiding Alex. Alex seemed to sense it, and we both tacitly agreed not to disturb each other. The nightclub was a kaleidoscope of flashing lights and writhing bodies – the most famous club in the capital city. I was quite satisfied with my new job. The patrons were either rich or powerful. With my good looks and sociable nature, I always got the most in drink commissions and tips. Although I occasionally had to put up with some groping, thinking about how this money could help Alex and me live better, I endured it. I just treated it like being bitten by a dog. Alex’s birthday was coming up, and it was his coming-of-age celebration. I had my eye on a watch that cost several thousand dollars, but I was worried about how to afford it. “Zack, take this to Room 302,” the manager called me over. I picked up the bottle and headed to Room 302. Seeing the people in the room, I knew I could make a lot of money today. They were all dressed expensively, each with beautiful men and women on their arms. They clearly weren’t short on cash. I started drinking games with the people in the room. If I drank ten bottles, they’d give me $5,000. Not bad, $500 a bottle. This money was too good to pass up. My alcohol tolerance was incredibly high, built up over time. I downed five bottles in a row, not noticing that the expressions of the leading men had changed as they watched me. But by the seventh bottle, I couldn’t take it anymore. My mouth burned, my stomach churned, and I could barely stand. But looking at the three bottles left, I gritted my teeth, opened the cap, and started pouring it down my throat. “That’s enough, you don’t need to drink anymore,” a refined voice said. “I can still…” I thought the man was trying to back out of the deal. The man interrupted me, “No need to drink more. Five thousand, I’ll still give it to you.” Only then did I put down the bottle. The man gave me five thousand and shooed me out. Although I was confused, I had the money in hand, so I didn’t think much of it. But as I walked, I felt something was off with my body. I felt weak all over, and there was a strange heat burning through my entire body. I hid in the bathroom, unbuttoned a couple of buttons, and splashed cold water on my face. But it didn’t help at all; instead, I felt even hotter. I leaned against the cold tiles, panting. “Zack—” A familiar voice. Seeing Alex was like seeing a lifeline. I didn’t even wonder why Alex was here. I threw myself at him, my voice trembling, “Alex, help me, help your brother…” I saw Alex’s eyes darken, “Okay.”

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In my dream, I was chained and collared. A tall man gazed at me with an almost manic look in his eyes, burying his face in my neck and inhaling deeply. “My puppy…” he whispered. “Don’t try to escape me.” I woke up with a start. I had heard from a coworker that the new general manager was mixed-race and supposedly very handsome. We were going to meet him this afternoon. When I saw that face, identical to the one in my dream, the blood in my body seemed to freeze instantly. I stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Then I saw the man smile at me before turning to greet everyone else. “Hello everyone, I’m Maxwell.” I remained stiff, not daring to move an inch. I opened my eyes to find darkness all around me. The damp, gloomy atmosphere made me frown. I raised my hand, hearing the sound of chains rattling. The cold touch made me uneasy, and I began to assess my current situation. I was restrained by chains on my hands and feet, unable to move. There was also a collar around my neck. This feeling of being trapped made me very uncomfortable. Suddenly, the sound of leather shoes on the floor appeared, getting louder and softer. I tensed up, cold sweat dripping from my forehead. After about ten seconds, a pair of leather shoes appeared in my line of sight. I looked up to check the person’s appearance, and when our eyes met, my body froze. The man before me had thin lips and wore a black suit. His tall, muscular frame fit the suit perfectly, showing off his flawless physique. Just as I was about to speak, my chin was grabbed. “Mmph!” The man’s eyes darkened. “Who… are you? Why are you here?” I wanted to say I didn’t know either, but the hand on my chin was like an iron clamp, not giving me any chance to speak. Just when I was about to suffocate, the man finally let go. I gasped for air, my eyes fixed on him. He was quite handsome, just not very human-like. As I was sizing him up, the man was also examining me. When I finally caught my breath, I spoke, “I don’t know where I came from. Do you know where this is?” The man replied in a deep voice, “This is my home.” His tone implied that I was trespassing. I: “…” I was about to speak again when a familiar sound suddenly rang in my ears. “Ding ding ding ding ding—” The sound of the alarm clock woke me up. As I recalled the scene just now, it felt as real as if it had actually happened. At first, I thought it was just a nightmare, but on the second night… Seeing the man appear before him again, my body stiffened, and I didn’t even dare to speak. The man simply leaned down and gently sucked on my earlobe, looking down to observe my reaction. My ears were very sensitive, and I would never let anyone touch them normally. But now, with someone holding it in their mouth, my reaction was intense. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but I thought I heard a soft chuckle. That laugh made my face even redder. “Don’t… don’t touch my ears…” I protested weakly, but the person on top of me didn’t stop at all. I wanted to speak again, but my open mouth was filled with two fingers, gently stirring inside. “Mmph!!” I was forced to keep my mouth open, tears welling up in my eyes from the physical reaction. “Be good, don’t resist.” … I suddenly opened my eyes in bed, gasping for air. It was still dark outside, and the dim room reminded me of the scene in my dream. My face instantly turned red. There was a sticky feeling down below. I lifted the covers to look. “…” I ran off to wash my underwear, my ears burning red. At the same time, in another place, Maxwell got out of bed with a dark expression and walked into the bathroom. In the bathroom, hot water poured over Maxwell’s body as he recalled the dream he just had. He felt like a spectator, watching himself make love to the man he had dreamed about yesterday. Was he really so desperate that even his dreams were about this? The recent events were indeed strange. Maxwell changed into his clothes, not bothering to go back to sleep. He directly opened his phone to search. [What does it mean to dream about the same person two days in a row?] The search results were varied and unreliable. Maxwell irritably closed his phone and got into bed, starting to ponder… I was still doing the same as usual, ordering takeout after work and lying on the couch scrolling through videos. I came across a video about formal wear, and suddenly some erotic images flashed through my mind. The phone fell onto the carpet with a muffled thud. My voice, gritting my teeth, echoed through the living room. “Caleb, you’re hopeless!” That night, I fell asleep again. Familiar place, familiar chains and collar. I felt like I was getting used to it. The man walked in. This time, he didn’t make any physical contact with me. The strange atmosphere made me a bit uneasy. The man knelt down, looking at me with an almost manic gaze. He buried his head in my neck, constantly inhaling my scent. It tickled a bit, but I didn’t dare move. The man’s current state scared me a little. The man’s low voice sounded strange in this dark, damp basement. “My puppy…” “Are you going to leave me too?” I turned my head with difficulty to look the man in the eye, but the emotion in his eyes made me pause. Was he… sad? A pain made me look down. A knife gleaming with a silver light entered my vision. Before losing consciousness, I heard the man’s vicious voice. “Don’t try to escape me.”

“Ah!” I woke up startled, cold sweat dripping from my forehead. The pain felt too real. The suffocating feeling of death made me fearful. I gasped for air, taking a long time to come back to my senses. I didn’t know what to say. The events in the dream were too bizarre. I opened my phone and saw that the gossip group I was in was chatting. They’re still not asleep at this hour? “New general manager? Mixed-race? And very handsome???” I looked at the messages popping up in the chat, picking out the keywords, feeling a bit confused. Whatever, I’ll see him this afternoon anyway. I didn’t feel excited; I still hadn’t recovered from the dream just now. Just thinking about being stabbed made me feel pain. On the other side, Maxwell woke up. Today he didn’t dream about that person again, and he felt a bit empty inside. But Maxwell quickly adjusted his state, preparing to wash up and go to the new company in the afternoon. The morning passed quickly. I was holding my lunch box when the conversation from the break room reached my ears. “I saw him! I saw him! He’s really incredibly handsome! Great body, handsome face, I feel like my HP is about to be cleared.” “Really?” Another person obviously didn’t quite believe it. “Oh come on, you’ll see for yourself this afternoon!” I quickly finished my meal and walked back to my seat, thinking about what to do after work tonight. Lost in thought, time passed quickly, and soon it was time to get off work. However, I received an order from my superior. “…We have to go welcome the new general manager?” I was speechless but had to obey. The location was a somewhat hidden barbecue restaurant, not easy to find. I circled around a few times before finding it. I silently prayed that the food would be good… Actually, it was nothing special, just eating some food and waiting for the main character to arrive. But the main character seemed to be late. I didn’t care, I was about to stuff a skewer of beef into my mouth when the door of the private room opened. I heard the rising and falling gasps around me and looked up, meeting the eyes of the man who walked in. For a moment, I felt like I was back in that dark, damp basement, with shackles on my hands. I felt like the blood in my body froze instantly. I held my breath, my hand involuntarily starting to tremble.

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The night was bitterly cold, and no matter how fast I ran, they would find me. “Fucking bitch.” I had to wait until their fury subsided as they hurled insults at me. Time dragged on. After nearly an hour, the last one spat at me and left. Shivering, I curled into a ball. I tried to summon happy thoughts, but nothing came. Since my parents left me at the pack, kindness was a stranger. The Alpha refused to let me go, no matter how many times I begged. The pack used me as a punching bag. Even though my wolf healing abilities were strong, I believed it only fueled their hatred. Not even the Alpha could heal as quickly as I did. I took a deep breath, feeling the heat in the air. It would end soon. One month later I sat with my wrists bound, the sounds of wailing filling the air. This wasn’t a miracle. The entire pack had tried to escape the massacre. I kept my eyes low, but I couldn’t help but notice the lead attacker standing near my Alpha’s fallen monument. Pathetic, my Alpha groaned on the ground. The man with his foot on the Alpha’s chest caught my attention. I licked my dry lips, eyes tracing from his head to his torso. He wore nothing but trousers and boots, his massive chest bare, scarred, but without ink. That scent—I knew it well. Why would he attack our pack if he was one of us? “You,” he commanded, pointing at the men. I followed his gaze to William, who was dragged to the center where the attacker waited. They’d tried to escape, but it was futile. He wasn’t alone. Men just as imposing surrounded him, smirking. The women were roped together, the men shackled. I hated being tied up, the restraints biting into my wrists. My breath caught as the man—now clearly the Alpha—drew a blade and plunged it into William’s stomach, driving it up to his heart. Blood pooled, and I had to look away before it made me sick. “You think your Alpha will save you?” He sneered, glaring at the others. “He’s weak, groveling on the floor like a coward.” I dared to glance up as he pounded his fist against his chest, the sound echoing like thunder. “You’ll pay,” he growled, scanning the crowd before signaling one of his men. They grabbed me—resistance was pointless. My pack wouldn’t save me. But they lifted me gently, one of them supporting my back as they led me to Charley. My pulse raced as they released me. I stood, waiting for his verdict, praying for a quick death. The ropes fell away. I stared at Charley, searching for a sign, but his expression was unreadable. His eyes, nearly black, bored into mine. Long brown hair framed a face that was both cruel and captivating. He flicked the blade, offering me the handle. “Finish him.” My wolf quivered in fear. “What?” “You heard me.” He kicked the moaning Alpha, curled up like a coward. I’d seen my Alpha beaten, but I knew he was no leader. He had ordered my own thrashings, and I had endured. William laughed, his voice cutting through the tension. “Well, well, I’m surprised.” Charley’s gaze never left mine. “Do you think I don’t know what this man has done?” He leaned in, his breath hot on my face. “I smell you. It’s alright, kid. I’m used to driving women wild. You’re not the first, won’t be the last.” “I won’t kill him.” “Why not? He’s tortured you for years. Has he broken you so much that you won’t seek revenge?” “How do you know?” “Why do you think I came here, Susan?” His voice was dark, persuasive. “I’ve seen it all. These monsters stood by, doing nothing, or helped in your suffering. You must avenge yourself—kill them.” William had always been different, sharp senses setting him apart even in foster care. He could hear whispered conversations from feet away. He was always prepared for an attack. Years of survival had hardened William. He’d learned to hunt, to adapt, to thrive. But being an Alpha? It was a burden he never wanted. Rogue wolves were dangerous, and he was their leader, whether he liked it or not. He caught my scent, his wolf growling with a need he couldn’t ignore. Mates were powerful, binding—but he didn’t want one. He’d bedded plenty of eager women, both human and wolf, but none made him feel this way. He noticed the mark on my neck, burned into my skin before my first shift. The Mark of the Unwanted. It was a curse, a brand that would repel other packs. Fury ignited in him. How could they do this? William had never seen a wolf heal so quickly. What took others weeks, I managed in hours. It stunned him, and his desire flared, his body betraying his restraint. “No,” I whispered, stepping back from the sword. His eyebrows shot up. “No?” “I won’t.” He threw his head back and laughed. “You won’t kill those who made your life hell?” “No.” “Do you understand these monsters hurt you?” “I’ve seen it all,” William growled, kicking the Alpha again. Hatred burned in his eyes, rare even for him. “Stop,” I pleaded. William seized the back of my neck, pulling me against him. His wolf craved me, the urge to claim overwhelming. As his lips brushed my neck, he struggled to control himself. “I had to watch them hurt you,” he murmured, voice thick with desire. “Never fighting back made you a coward. I know why you didn’t stop them—the Alpha commanded you to take the beatings like a good bitch.” “He won’t live for what he did to you.” “I don’t want his death on my conscience.” I stood before him, battered, branded, healing right before his eyes. My strength was undeniable. “Please, I want to leave without hurting the pack.” “Leave?” “I’ve begged him to let me go, but if I kill him, I’ll be trapped here forever.” William hoisted the Alpha, his legs shattered, unable to fight back. With a cruel grin, William gripped the man’s crotch, knowing he could rip it off with ease. “You can leave and never return.” For the first time, I smiled as William dropped the Alpha to the ground. “I can leave?” “Yes,” he said. “Go. Run.” I didn’t hesitate. I bolted. William branded every face that had ever hurt me with a flaming rod. This pack would bear the mark of shame and rejection forever. A month later, I walked into my tiny apartment, singing as I locked the door. Freedom had never felt so good. The place was small—just one bedroom, a bath, and a little kitchen. But it was mine. For the first time, I slept peacefully, breathing deeply without fear. I thought about William often. The crazy man. Even late at night, I imagined him nearby. Sometimes, I was sure I could hear him or feel his presence. Rogue wolves were always a threat without the pack, and I knew the dangers. But the peace was worth it. After my shower, I wrapped myself in a towel, my stomach rumbling as I headed to the kitchen for some spaghetti. I grabbed a knife, turning around—only to see William. My heart pounded at the sight of him. The knife slipped from my hand. “Why are you here?” “I came to check on you.” “You followed me?” William stepped closer. “I guess I stalked you. Your scent—it’s even more intoxicating now.” “Why are you here?” “Didn’t you miss me?” I stayed silent. He chuckled, pressing his body against mine. “That’s fine. No need to say it. Your body speaks for you.” “How did you get in here?” “The beast in me has many skills.” “And you’ve mastered invading privacy. I should’ve known.” He chuckled. “Don’t lie. Your pussy got wet the moment you saw me.” “I just want to sleep.” He grumbled, squeezing my ass. How could I want him? But I let him. I whimpered as his cock pressed against my core. His lips grazed my shoulder, teasing my neck. It took just one flick of his finger to drop the towel. Would he hurt me? The thought made me queasy, but his groan said otherwise. His brown eyes gleamed, filled with hunger. Was this real? William looked at me like he wanted to devour me. “I planned to take this slow, but I need a taste.” He scooped me up, carrying me to the bedroom. I lay helpless as his eyes roved over me, his hands sliding up my thighs, so close to my pussy. I didn’t stop him. I wanted him. My mind went blank as his fingers brushed my clit. “Oh, fuck,” he muttered. He stroked, gliding over me. “Now, let me taste.” I didn’t think pleasure could be greater until his lips met my clit. His tongue was pure bliss, sending me spiraling into ecstasy. But he’d waited too long. His cock strained against his trousers, his wolf desperate to claim me. Still, he held back, sliding his tongue over my clit, teasing until he smelled my arousal. Then he took me, riding me hard, filling me with his come and my own virgin blood. He reveled in my surrender. William kissed my clit, drawing out my orgasm, then swiped his tongue over my breasts before kissing me deeply. “And you have one tasty pussy.” I tried to push him off, but he was too strong. “You intrigue me.” He breathed deeply, sensing my wolf near. “Why?” “How long have you healed so quickly?” “Did you watch me?” “Yes. I was near your woods. I smelled you, saw what they did to you. They punished you for nothing.” “I did something wrong.” “Yet you heal in hours, but their marks remain in your mind.” “I’m fine.” “Now you’re lying. I hate liars.” “I’m being honest. I just want to forget. This was my chance to live my dream. I begged to leave.” “For how long?” he pressed. “No need to tell you.” “Why does it matter?” I shot back. “You know why.” “Get off me.” “Why? You like me on top. You like it.” I growled. “This is my apartment. I didn’t invite you.” “You’ve got a nice pussy.” “Don’t say I intrigue you. You could have any woman.” “But Susan, we both know no other woman will do for me. You’re my mate.” “We’re not mates.” “No? Then why do you get wet every time I’m near? I’m hot, but you ignored all the other guys around you.” “You never hurt me.” “Yes, but the body wants what it wants. We’re not human. You crave me, calling out in the night. Your body’s heat says it all. It wants me.” “Why did you demand he free me?” He grumbled. “I have no intention of taking anything from you. I’m yours, and you’re mine. You can’t change that.” He inhaled deeply. “I can feel your heat.” “What?” “You’ve never felt heat?” “I don’t know what you mean.” He smirked. “We’ve got a lot to discuss. But first, that lasagna isn’t going to eat itself, and I’m starving.” His stomach growled as he got out of bed. “What are you doing?” I asked. “See you in the kitchen. You grabbed a salad at the store. I’ll make it while you think, then we’ll talk.” He glanced at my body, struggling to hold back a groan. Full moon’s coming—wouldn’t be long now. A woman in mating heat was a dangerous thing. My wolf demanded his presence, the last few months a torturous build-up. Soon, his wolf would claim his mate. Humming, he headed to the fridge. The meager items inside were enough for supper—his mate needed good food. He chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumber with surprising ease. I quickly changed into sweatpants, glancing in the mirror before heading to the kitchen. Seeing William so at ease in the kitchen shocked me. He looked up, catching me staring. “You like what you see, little wolf?” Something under my skin itched. I grabbed a cold water bottle, pressing it to my neck. It helped, but not enough. William appeared behind me as I closed the fridge, his cock’s firm ridge brushing my back. “I know exactly what you’re thinking.” His voice was dark, knowing. “Don’t doubt me.” My wolf whimpered. I breathed deeply and stepped away, already missing his touch. “Dinner’s ready, my lady,” he said, carrying a salad dish. My body began to burn. “Have you experienced mating heat?” “No, and women only bear heat with their mates.” He chuckled. “Your wolf’s not quiet.” “Tell me,” he pressed. “How did you feel with my lips on your pussy?” Arousal surged between my thighs. “It’s impossible. You’re not my mate.” “Would you really say that? I’m amazed you’ve held on after everything they did to you—so stubborn. I half expected to find you at the pack’s edge, fighting yourself.” “I know what they did. I felt their pain.” William cut the lasagna in half before serving me. I devoured it, confused by my need, my hunger, my thirst. “I don’t understand why you let them live,” he said, his eyes darker than usual. “Revenge is natural, but you didn’t want it. Why?” “I’ve seen their marks.” “You noticed their tattoos?” “You want to examine my whole body?” “No, that’s unnecessary,” I replied. “Not a problem.” William shed his shirt and pants. He didn’t wear boxer briefs, and I couldn’t help but notice his firm cock before looking away. “Don’t mind me, dear. I’m yours.” “I don’t understand,” I whispered, the need overwhelming. I avoided his gaze as he approached, mocking. “My placid little wolf has some strength after all.” “I don’t know what you’re doing to me, but stop.” “It can only be stopped by giving in. You know that, but you resist. Why?” “I want you gone.” “Why?” “This isn’t your flat, and I’ll call the police if you stay.” He chuckled darkly. “How could you threaten innocent people when you can’t even harm the pack that tortured you?” “If you say I’m your mate, you’ll leave because I ask.” His grin disappeared, replaced by something darker. He stepped closer, his cheek brushing my neck. “One day, you won’t be able to push me away. I hope you’re ready for that day.” His hand gripped my neck, but I didn’t feel fear. Not until he leaned in, kissing me with a force that ignited every nerve. Then, just as abruptly, he pulled away, leaving me breathless as he walked out the door, shutting it behind him with a finality that made me flinch. I collapsed against the wall, hugging my knees, pulse racing. The heat that had flooded my body ebbed away, leaving me cold. If William brought the heat, it meant he was right. He was my mate. But why didn’t he claim me? Why didn’t he do it in front of my pack? “You’re in a mood,” Leon remarked, glancing up from his game. “Not in a mood.” “You’re practically vibrating. I’ve known you long enough to recognize when you’re struggling to control your anger.” In human society, letting rage take over was dangerous. He could kill or scare others in this state. “It’s nothing,” William muttered. Leon didn’t buy it. “It’s that woman again.” He sniffed the air, returning to his game. “I can smell her on you. Maybe try using the front door next time, or court her like a human.” William scoffed. “You mean meeting them at a pub?” “A drink isn’t worth it to wolves. The smells alone are foul.” He paused the game and looked up. “You look crazed again.” “You’re too into that game to notice.” Leon didn’t flinch. “You’re too busy avoiding claiming your mate. Does she even know she’s going into heat because of you?” William’s roar echoed through the room. The frustration, the need, the battle within him to keep from taking what he knew was his, all came to a head. Leon met his gaze calmly. “You’re losing control. She’ll feel it soon enough. What will you do then?” William clenched his fists, jaw tightening. “I’ll handle it.” “You’d better. Before she finds out the hard way.” “Want me to set up the castle?” “No.” William’s voice was sharp. The castle was a fortress, perched on a remote island, accessible only by aircraft. He hated flying, but he’d bought the place as a gamble. A secluded sanctuary, perfect for a mated pair. Their solitude would protect them. No one would hear their battles, their hunts, or their lovemaking. The idea had been intoxicating when he first realized what having a mate would mean. Someday, he wanted to call it home. “Think she’d like it?” Leon asked, watching William’s brooding expression. “What now?” William snapped. “Her heat risk goes up every time I’m near. If human guys start responding to her, things will get bad.” “Just pointing out the obvious. Is it working?” William’s jaw clenched. “I have all the answers.” But if men responded to her, his control would slip. The beast inside him would emerge, and if that happened, humanity would be wiped out. He liked his spotless record—never killed anyone, despite what the alphas thought. They didn’t understand him, and that was how he preferred it. He had learned long ago that money spoke louder than anything else in this world. And he’d made sure to have plenty of it. “You getting coffee?” Leon asked, as William poured himself a cup, the dark liquid swirling in the mug. “Why are you here?” William’s voice was a low growl. He didn’t need coffee to stay awake; he rarely slept since he’d met her. The dreams of demons haunted him, and he hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in ages. “Does she know you sneak into her room at night? Cuddle her to keep the nightmares away?” William’s roar echoed through the room, vibrating with barely contained fury. “So, she doesn’t know, and you didn’t tell her.” Leon paused his game, a smirk playing on his lips. “I’m surprised.” “Mates don’t need to be told everything,” William growled. “The start’s always rough. I enjoy a challenge, but I didn’t realize how much.” “Why keep me around then?” “Maybe for the fun. You’re probably the only one I haven’t killed yet. Plenty tried, though. Remember?” Unfortunately, it was true. Leon had been found by William at eighteen, bleeding and crawling up a steep slope. He had been thrown over the edge by a group of men who thought they’d seen the last of him. William, only twenty-one then, had murdered them, taken their things, and hidden Leon in a remote cabin, treating his wounds. It was the first time William had seen the brand of the unwanted—a mark that filled him with rage every time he saw it. When William had seen it on my neck, he’d felt that same fury. I tried to hide it with makeup or a scarf, but he’d noticed. Leon, on the other hand, had wanted to kill his tormentors. I was different. I didn’t crave revenge like the others. William glanced at Leon, who had gone still. “Don’t go back to that day,” William said, setting down his coffee. He moved closer, resting a hand on Leon’s knee. Leon shuddered at the touch. “They—” “Don’t think about it. You’re alive, they’re not.” William’s grip tightened on Leon’s neck. “I sent them over the edge alive. You know that.” “Why didn’t she want them dead? Why didn’t she want them all killed?” “I don’t know,” William replied, his voice thick with frustration. Leon’s eyes darkened. “I’ve been there, William. They beat me, they hated me. They tried to break me. My transition was agony because of them.” “I never healed like her,” Leon continued. “Her life must have been hell. But she healed so fast.” “I know,” William whispered, his voice tense. “I know.” Leonabruptly stood, saying, “I need to go for a walk.” They have experienced this numerous times. Leon was too hurt by his background to recover. He let it take control, and he had to run or walk it off. “Are you okay?” Wiliam asks. He couldn’t accompany him. Leon needed solitude. “I’ll be fine.” William sipped his coffee, trying to find calm. After pouring a second cup, he set it down and headed to her flat. He locked the door behind him and copied her key, returning it during her busy lunch. In the bedroom, he found me sobbing, nightmares haunting me. He lay beside me, wrapping his arms around me. The full moon was coming, and her flushed face told the story. Work had been brutal. Surrounded by men, young and old, all vying for victims. No one stopped me from leaving work. I kept my head down, but men bumped into me, leaning in to touch and smell me.  panic took over when i returned to my flat. I gasped . He looked arrogant and crossed his legs. “Why are you here again?” “I stayed in case something interesting happened today.” He showed her a watch on his wrist,. Wolves hardly noticed time. “you’re four hours early. Any reason?” “i had to leave town. ” William caught my wrist and pulled me into him. Arm heat subsided. “You know what happens.” “The first full moon away the pack. Only that. This is what they warn about.” He snorted. “Oh, please. That rogue nonsense again?” I tried to leave, but he stopped me. “If you were rogue, you wouldn’t have been with all those men today. I get your struggles.” Confused and angry, I snarled, “You did something to me!” “I did nothing. My presence affects you.” I tried to hit him, but he laughed and grabbed my hands. “Violence won’t help.” “I can’t stay,” I said. “You’re not leaving alone.” “Why?” “I need to do this alone.” “Are you stubborn?” “Yes. I need to show I’m not their prey anymore. A month of this is all I can handle.” I didn’t fight back as he dominated me. His kisses were irresistible. I struggled but gave in. I needed him. William lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his waist, craving his touch. Surprised by the intensity, I tore off his shirt, and he fell onto the bed. I straddled him, kissed his neck, and stroked his firm cock. “You’re hard,” I said, momentarily halting as I regained my composure. I pulled away, but William stood up. “No,” I tried to shut off my feelings, but it was impossible. His touch burned my back, and I recoiled. I bolted from the flat, not looking back. I had to escape, find peace. Apologizing to someone I bumped into, I ran into the busy street, men’s eyes devouring me. Darkness fell quickly. Sweat coated my skin. I stopped abruptly in the woods, its artificial scents jarring. William found me there, calm. “Done running?” he asked. “Leave me alone,” I snapped. “Why? Think you’re crazy?” “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” “I’ve been alone too. No one kicked me out. I’ve never lost control. I haven’t killed anyone.” “You have a pack,” I retorted. “They kept you down.” “I met my first wolf at twenty-one. His pack was trying to kill him. I took him in. I grew up in foster care, alone until then. I’m telling you the truth.” “Why?” “Because wolves would flee if they knew the truth. Strong packs need strong members.” William had fought the alpha role. He sought out the unwanted. Rumors of his resistance were well-known. He looked at me. “We’re bonded by mating heat. You’re not crazy. I promise.” I hugged him, sobbing. “I just want freedom and a mate. Someone to love me.” William’s beast roared inside him. He held me tightly, knowing his pack was the only protection I had. “We’ll go to the cabin tonight. First turns away from the pack should never be alone.” “Have you helped many?” I asked. “More than you’d think. Evil exists everywhere,” he said, tucking my hair behind my ear. “Sorry for earlier.” “For riding you with our clothes on?” I flushed. William smirked. “I’ll remember you’re a virgin despite your attitude.” “Does everything seem like a game?” I asked. “No, not everything. One day, you’ll trust me. I won’t bite until you ask. I only kill those who need it.” He touched my cold hand and called Leon. “Bring the car,” he said, giving the location. Leon pulled up and William helped me into the car. As we drove to the cottage, he told me Susan had already moved my things. I nestled into William’s side as Leon and Susan greeted each other. “Are you okay?” Leon asked. “I’m fine.” William said, “She’s not rejecting me. She’s just unsure.” Leon, dealing with his own sorrow, understood the struggle. Wolves bond deeply, their emotions setting them apart. Packs are meant to connect. Leon said, “The pack’s got your back every step of the way.” “Will you help her?” “Leon, you know her pain. Mating heat is agony. She needs a leader. It might not be me.” Leon sighed. “You undervalue yourself.” “I want to be prepared for everything. She’s confused by mating heat, thinks she’s losing her mind. She’s hurting in ways I can’t even grasp.” I added, “You don’t have to stay by my side.” I was exhausted. At the cottage, I fell asleep immediately. The next morning, I felt a chill. William cooked breakfast. The smell made her hungry. i recalled waking up to find William wrapped around me and wanted to be less dependent. “Why wouldn’t I stay with you?” “Don’t you have more important things to do?” “Being with my mate is everything.” The word “mate” hit me hard. I rubbed her chest, feeling anguish. The mating bond was still absent. “Stop overthinking,” William said. “You need to get used to the pack.” A knock at the door made her jump. “It’s fine,” William said, opening the door. Three more people entered, followed by Leon. There were two women and four men. Most had scars like hers. “Hello,” one man said. “Introduce yourself so she can learn your names.” “Ashley,” the short, brown-haired woman said. “Rainy.” “Peter.” “Texts.” “Nice to meet you all,” I said, glancing at Texts. “Is that a nickname?” “No, miss. It’s my real name. They denied me a nickname, so I’m called Texts because I like texting.” He smiled. “Best day of my life being found by this pack.” William chuckled. “Don’t get too comfortable. He takes in all the strays.” “Not true. I don’t house anyone. They find me, not the other way around.” “We’re just the unwanted,” Rainy said, nodding at my neck. “That mark must be painful.” “It is,” I said, tears welling up. “They all are,” William said. “It never stops.” Leon added, “We all have stories. Doesn’t make the pack sound like a great place to live.” “Yeah, but ours is the exception,” Texts said. “We live among humans, like spies. No one knows who we are.” Ashley muttered, “Be careful with him. He thinks he’s got the next big thing.” “I could,” Texts said. “And be a giant pain in the ass,” Ashley replied. The group chuckled. “What? We need to be inclusive now that the miss is here. Right?” Texts asked. Everyone looked at me. “What?” “What kind of drama shots do you like?” Texts asked. “Er, I don’t know.” “You’ve never watched drama shots?” “I didn’t have money for a TV . I didn’t think watching by payment was worth it.” “Ah, your pack is terrible.” Texts said. The pack laughed. “Enough,” William said, handing me a plate. “You’ll join us for night.” I took the knife and fork, waiting. “You can eat,” William said. “I can wait.” “Is that a pack rule?” Ashley asked. “You can’t eat until everyone else?” Her palm trembled. “We won’t starve you,” Rainy said. “Eat before it’s cold. Alpha cooking is important.” I cut mushrooms, dipped them in tomatoes, and ate. “Good food,” I said to William, biting into a sausage and moaning. Everyone laughed. “Honestly, I was a street rat. William helped me out and then left. I didn’t want to stay in my old life. My pack was cruel, starved me for fun,” “He’s the shit.” “Ew,” Ashley said. “Can’t you say something nice about him?” “Fine. He’s dog bollocks,” Liam replied. I laughed, not quite understanding but not questioning it. I relaxed, enjoying breakfast and watching them. They felt like family. William prepared tea and sat back, feet up, hands behind his head, smiling. “Now this is life. Cabin, pack, peace.” “Some of the pack?” I asked. “Yeah, there are more of us,” Rainy said. “The others are busy working,” Ashley added. “We’d need a bigger place otherwise.” “Are you guys staying here?” I asked. “Yes,” they said. “Oh.” “Don’t worry. We won’t undercut you,” Leon added. “We’ll be nearby, just in case.” I nodded, still adjusting to the pack’s constant presence. “Do you want to explain your deal?” Leon asked, bringing a tray of coffee. “My deal?” I asked. “We all have a vague idea why we’re unwanted. What’s your story?” Leon pressed. “We don’t need to dive into that,” William added. “I’m just… weird,” I replied. Everyone moved to the sitting room. William stood by the window, arms folded. “A freak?” Texts asked. “What does that mean?” I grabbed a knife from the kitchen, stabbed it into the table, and cried out. The pain was relentless. “What the fuck?” William rushed to me, and the pack intervened. I yanked the knife out, holding it up to show them my recovering body. “A freak.” Breakfast had gone smoothly until my outburst. William asked everyone to leave for a bigger cabin. “Holy fucking shit,” Texts said. “Did you see that?” “I saw,” Rainy said, arms crossed. “She calls herself a freak? Does she realize her strength?” “Is this common?” Texts asked. “It’s rare,” Rainy said. “I knew one in my old pack. They were revered. Their healing delayed aging.” “Wait,” Leon said. “You’re saying she could be much older?” “She looks about twenty,” Rainy replied. “But it could be longer.” “How old was your elder?” “About two hundred. Time slows down after they mature.” “I saw what they did to her,” Ashley added. “She didn’t resist.” “Because she was ordered not to,” Leon said. “Alpha’s rules are law.” “She’s damaged,” Rainy said. “And she’ll be a fucked-up woman.” I was nervous during dinner. “You want us to do what?” Peter asked. “I want you to stay back while Susan adjusts. We should keep our distance,” William replied. “Is hiding the heat normal?” Ashley asked. “Not sure,” Rainy said. “In my old pack, the elder was revered. I’ve never seen such pain.” “I’m heading back. Don’t stray far, and if you hear cries, stay alert. Rush in if they’re mine.” William entered, seeing me on the couch, my wound already healed. “Sorry I sent your pack away,”I said. “You didn’t send them away,” William reassured. “They worry about you.” “They call me a freak.” “They don’t. They’re concerned.” I shrugged. “I’m fine.” “‘Fine’ doesn’t explain stabbing yourself.” “All gone, like it never happened.” “No scar doesn’t mean it didn’t happen.” He was furious at my wrongdoers. “You bruised.” “They faded eventually.” “Did your healing abilities annoy them?” “Yes,” “They hated that nothing they did could last.” William paced, then drank heavily. “Does it help?” “Nope, but it stops me from killing everyone,” he said, throwing back another drink. “I need to walk.” “I’m coming with you.” “Please, let me go alone.” “No,” he said, drinking more. His body metabolized the alcohol quickly. “Fine. Do what you want.” I stormed out, and William followed a minute later, tracking my scent. He found me by an ancient tree and tackled me. I gasped as we fell to the ground. He kissed away my tears, then nuzzled me. “William?” “I know your needs,” William said, tearing my jeans with his claws. He spread my thighs, touched me, and focused on my clit with his tongue. I begged and rocked against his face, crying out his name. He held my ass tight, savoring every drop of me. “Thanks,” I gasped. “That’s just the start, baby,” he grinned. The next morning, I watched him sleep, remembering his touch and the heat between us. I was anxious about the pack’s absence—did they dislike me? William woke, catching me staring. “I can feel you thinking all the way from here.” I blushed. “I didn’t know you were awake.” He smirked. “I didn’t want you to think I was just admiring your tits and imagining what I could do between them.” His fingers traced my thighs, making me moan. I closed my eyes, feeling his passion. “No,” I whispered. “Why stop?” he asked, his touch persistent. “I want to give you something,” I said, straddling him. “I’m a virgin. Only you have been with me.” “I’m the only man you’ll ever be with,” he assured. “Let me please you,” I offered. “Get off me then,” he said, eager to make love. “I want to taste you,” I said, lowering myself cautiously between his legs. “Don’t bite,” he warned. “Touch me first.”

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On the night of my 80th birthday, my husband of 55 years stabbed me 10 times, each blow fatal. After the final stab, he finally let go with satisfaction. The knife clattered to the floor. “Rachel Lee, I’m finally free of you,” he said. Pain spread throughout my body. I had no strength left to cry out. Bright red blood flowed from my heart onto the floor, staining my favorite floral jacket. Gabriel Gray stood before me, hunched over, carefully wiping the blood off the knife with his sleeve. At 81 years old, his movements were unsteady. I wanted to remind him that the blood left on his sleeve would still be evidence and he’d be convicted anyway. But I didn’t have the strength to open my mouth or lift a hand. Perhaps it was a final moment of clarity before death, but I saw visions of Gabriel at different ages before my eyes. 10-year-old Gabriel, 20-year-old Gabriel, all the way up to 81-year-old Gabriel. They all smiled at me and gently called me “Rachel.” But behind those smiles was a cold knife, piercing my heart. As I felt my body growing colder, Gabriel and I’s life together flashed before my eyes like a montage.

Gabriel and I had indeed been entangled for a lifetime. By the time I was ten, I was already the little girl who followed Gabriel around everywhere. Although we weren’t in the same elementary school, every holiday I would shamelessly go to Gabriel’s house to do homework together. Perhaps it was because my resentment was too strong, but after death my soul began to drift through various scenes of my interactions with Gabriel. Although I could only watch helplessly as everything unfolded, fortunately I could now hear Gabriel’s inner thoughts. Before my eyes was a little girl chewing on her pen and staring blankly at a difficult problem. She looked to be about 10 years old. Across from her sat a boy diligently working on his own problems. This was 10-year-old me and 11-year-old Gabriel. “Gabriel, how do you do this one? Can you teach me?” “I” finally gave up on the difficult problem and looked at the boy across from me with pleading eyes. He didn’t say anything. The air fell into a brief silence, but at that moment I heard his inner voice: “So annoying. She still can’t do two-digit addition and subtraction at this age. Why is she pretending?” Hearing those words, I froze in place. In my memories, the young Gabriel had been like a gentle older brother. Those harsh words would never have come out of his mouth. I had grown up without a father’s love, so I was more likely to show my vulnerable side to a boy my age. Seeing the boy hadn’t responded, the girl continued speaking. She pushed her workbook in front of him with a pitiful expression. “I really don’t know how to do it. I’m not lying.” “Just do your homework quietly,” the boy still didn’t look up at the girl. “So annoying. I wish she would leave already.” At the same time, I heard his inner voice speaking again. The scene ended with the girl leaving with red-rimmed eyes, her backpack slung over her shoulder. What had seemed like a heart-warming moment ended with such an abrupt and careless conclusion. The “stage” was now empty, with both the male and female leads gone. But as an audience member, I still couldn’t process what I had seen. Because I clearly remembered that I really had been stuck on those two-digit addition and subtraction problems back then. I never imagined Gabriel had been so annoyed with me even then. So why did he agree to my requests?

After a moment of silence, I could feel my soul being forcibly torn away. The white light became a vortex that swallowed my soul whole. When I came to, the first thing I saw was the asphalt road in front of the school gates. It was early summer then. The cicadas were buzzing loudly. The shadows of the evergreen trees dappled our bodies. Everything seemed too beautiful to be real. Gabriel was a year ahead of me. At this time we were in high school. “Gabriel, how are your studies going lately?” he asked. That day, my voice suddenly became halting and stumbling as I answered his question. I forgot what I said in the middle, but I ended with “I like you.” That day I confessed to Gabriel. But after hearing it, Gabriel only responded with an expressionless “Mm” and said nothing else. He was known for being a cold, aloof top student at school. So when I heard that “Mm”, I was overjoyed. He usually wouldn’t even acknowledge me, so maybe I had a chance? That’s what I thought. But now I heard Gabriel say in an impatient tone: “Can you stop following me around all the time? You’re like a fly.” I didn’t understand. I had only asked him one question. How had it turned into this? Although I couldn’t feel any physical pain, the place where my heart should be still ached. But the young woman before me was still immersed in her supposed happiness, coyly asking Gabriel: “So how have you been lately?” We rarely saw each other since Gabriel had moved. The young man paused in his steps. A gust of hot wind blew past him. I caught a glimpse of a blush on his face. “Fine,” he said. But I heard another cold voice in my ear saying: “It would be even better without you.” The young woman also stopped walking. Just as she was about to pull out the chocolate hidden behind her back, she was interrupted by a male voice. The owner of the voice slung his arm around Gabriel’s shoulder and said: “Come on, let’s go study.” Gabriel’s eyes lit up at that moment. Without responding to the girl behind him, he was about to link arms with his friend and leave. The girl’s beautiful confession had been abruptly cut off. Still unwilling to give up, she timidly asked: “Can I come find you during summer break after exams are over?” “Sure,” Gabriel’s retreating figure replied. The world froze again. At the same time, that cold voice appeared again: “This should get rid of her, right?” I was stunned for a long time. I never imagined that the man I had loved for nearly 70 years actually hated me so much. Thinking back on everything I had done, I still couldn’t find a reason for Gabriel to hate me.

Click-clack. The previously shattered world reassembled itself. This time we were at a college class reunion. At this point, “I” was being pressured by friends to play Truth or Dare. My luck wasn’t great – I kept drawing “Truth” cards. Having a crush on Gabriel seemed to be my secret. Even after four drinks, I still wasn’t willing to reveal it. When the wine glass pointed at me again, the cheering from the others seemed even louder than before. My best friend grabbed my hand. “We agreed, you can’t drink five glasses in a row.” I clutched my phone, my head a bit fuzzy from all the alcohol. The “Dare” I drew was: Call the first person on your contacts list and tell them “I’m drunk, can you come pick me up?” The ringing of the phone had everyone on edge. “Hello? What’s up?” It connected! Gabriel’s cool voice came through. Even though I knew Gabriel didn’t like me, my non-existent heart still skipped a beat as a disembodied soul. My friend nudged me and mouthed: Say it! Only then did I speak up coyly, my voice tinged with real drunkenness: “Gabriel, I’m drunk. Can you come pick me up?” My face visibly reddened. I was about to say something else when my friend snatched the phone and hung up. According to her, this was the way to hook someone – just enough ambiguity to be intriguing. Sitting on the couch, I clutched my phone tightly, my heart pounding. I wasn’t sure if Gabriel would come. Gabriel was a surgical resident who had just graduated two years ago. It could be said this was his busiest time. In the end, Gabriel didn’t come. The one who came was Luke, his classmate who had competed with him for top of the class. “No, don’t go with him.” When I saw Luke’s face, the defenses I had carefully built up suddenly crumbled. I tried desperately to grab myself, but my hands just passed through my body over and over. Only then did I realize I truly couldn’t do anything.

Unable to face the pain directly, I wanted to see what Gabriel was doing at that moment. Why did Luke come when I had called Gabriel? I floated out about two meters before being forcibly pulled back. After several attempts, the result was the same – I came to a conclusion that I couldn’t leave my past self. I didn’t want to watch the next scene. I crouched down and covered my head in pain, but I couldn’t block out the sounds. Accompanied by the noisy voices, painful memories were awakened. Images automatically floated through my mind. “She’s so pretty, how could Gabriel not want her?” Luke carried my half-drunk, half-conscious body out of the bar. As he looked me up and down, his hands started roaming over my body. “Ah! What are you doing?” My drunken self felt something groping my body. I opened my eyes to find a strange man trying to molest me. Luke gripped my hand tightly. I had no way to escape. I could only use my last bit of reason to take out my phone and dial Gabriel’s number. “Gabriel! Help me!” That pale, desperate cry for help was truly the only action my past self could take to help herself at that moment. At this moment, it was as if I had overcome my inner demons. I stood up and coldly watched the scene. Luke snatched the phone and tossed it aside. “Gabriel doesn’t even want you anymore. Why are you still calling him?” I floated over to their side, looking at my half-unconscious self who was in shock. I reached out to wipe away her tears, but my hand passed through her face again.

A force kicked Luke flying. He let out a cry of pain. Only then did I see the man approaching in the moonlight. When Gabriel arrived, Luke had already stripped me down to my underwear. “Gabriel, are you crazy…” “Get lost.” Gabriel dismissed Luke with one word. Gabriel looked at me, who had fallen into a deep sleep. He took off his coat and gently wrapped it around me before carrying me away. The scene froze again, leaving only a mess on the ground. The second half was like rewatching a movie. I focused on finding various details I hadn’t been aware of at the time. Like my dependence on Gabriel. Like my trust in Gabriel. Like how I couldn’t hear Gabriel’s inner voice. From when Gabriel entered until he left, I could only hear that one word: “Get lost.” Perhaps the situation was too urgent and he didn’t have time to think. The world reassembled once more. The clock ticked. This time we were at a wedding. I was holding Gabriel’s arm, my face filled with happiness. “Gabriel, we’re finally married.” This was 3 years after that drunken night. After I sobered up, I confessed to Gabriel again and he agreed. 3 years had given us time to stabilize our careers. The day before, I had proposed marriage and Gabriel had gone to get the paperwork done the very next day. I knew Gabriel was a workaholic, but I didn’t want him working too hard, so I suggested to him: “Gabriel, can you come home for dinner in the future? And don’t work yourself too hard.” Gabriel just frowned slightly, then his expression smoothed out again. After a long while, he finally spoke: “Okay.” I happily held Gabriel’s arm tighter with one hand, while holding up our marriage certificate to look at in the sunlight with the other. “Gabriel, do you think if my past self knew I really married you, she would be impressed with me now?” The sound suddenly stopped. The scene paused on the marriage certificate backlit by the sun. I didn’t know what this scene was for. I only knew that I truly couldn’t hear Gabriel’s inner voice anymore. In those few seconds when he frowned and was silent, my world was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The next few scenes had very short time intervals between them. The clips were also very short, with similar content – me quietly waiting for my husband after making dinner, and the doorbell ringing as Gabriel arrived home on time. Over these 55 years together, Gabriel could absolutely be called a dutiful, responsible husband. He was considerate to his wife, successful in his career, and never philandered. It’s just that this wife could have been anyone. Until Gabriel stabbed me to death, we had never been intimate or had children. The familiar white light flashed. A table and two people appeared before me. The lights were dimmed, with only candlelight flickering. This was Gabriel’s 30th birthday. I was very afraid of childbirth. My only relative, my mother, had also passed away from cancer. There were no direct relatives left to pressure me about having children. Gabriel’s mother had gently brought up the topic of having children multiple times, saying it would be good to have someone to take care of us when we were older. This time, I brought it up: “Gabriel, do you like children?” I had cut my steak halfway. I put down my utensils and looked at Gabriel’s face in the dim candlelight. Gabriel swallowed his bite of steak. “I don’t like them.” I hadn’t noticed before when I was blinded by love, but now I really felt Gabriel’s manners were too good. I could clearly see the disgust on Gabriel’s face for a split second before he looked up. Perhaps seeing my probing expression, that disgust was replaced by indifference. He could even hate my breathing, yet he still responded to me, not letting me feel he didn’t care about me, giving me enough dignity and fantasy. The play had just reached its climax, and the actors continued performing. I lowered my head, not daring to look at Gabriel’s eyes. “Then is it okay if we don’t have children?” There was no response. I lowered my head in shame. Soon, I felt a force on my shoulder, then a hand caressing my face. Gabriel bent down, his breath tickling my ear: “If you don’t like it, we won’t have any.” “I’ll talk to my mom about it.” I happily grabbed his large hand, pulling us even closer together. “Mm, thank you Gabriel. Happy birthday.” As if to repay him, I made him a promise: “I’ll celebrate every birthday with you from now on.”

I The final scene was of interlocked hands, like a couple deeply in love. I stared intently at the image, not noticing any flaws. After that day, Gabriel’s mother never brought up the topic of children with me again. I had thought Gabriel was respecting my wishes, but now it seems he probably couldn’t wait to be rid of me. But why didn’t he divorce me and instead lived with me until we were 80? A piece of information flashed through my mind. It wasn’t that I couldn’t hear Gabriel’s inner voice anymore, but that my words no longer provoked any reaction from him. He didn’t even feel disgust towards me anymore. The scene before me blurred, then came back into focus. Surprisingly, it was 81-year-old Gabriel wiping the knife. This was when I went to get the cake! Gabriel was alone at home. He sat in front of the coffee table, carefully wiping the knife. Each movement was very gentle, as if he was handling some precious treasure. The knife gleamed as he polished it, reflecting his wrinkled face. This time I could hear Gabriel speaking again. “My darling, my precious darling.” “My darling, my precious darling.” He seemed to have gone mad, repeating this phrase over and over. The door opened with a click. I had just picked up the cake from the floor when I was startled by the gleaming knife in Gabriel’s hand. “Gabriel… there’s a knife here to cut the cake.”

I walked forward slowly and with difficulty, holding the cake. I didn’t understand why he had suddenly picked up a knife. Gabriel didn’t speak, but approached me step by step with the knife. In his mind, he was still saying: “My darling, my precious darling.” Watching this scene sent chills down my non-existent spine. Until Gabriel pushed my physical self to the ground and plunged the knife straight into my heart. As a surgeon, Gabriel aimed precisely to kill me. But his advanced age seemed to have weakened his strength. He pulled out the knife, bright red blood splattering onto his face. Gabriel paid no attention to it and raised the knife again, stabbing viciously into the same spot. After ten stabs, the old woman lying on the ground had long since stopped breathing. Only then did Gabriel let out a sigh of relief. He slowly stood up, supporting himself on the sofa. The knife clattered to the floor in the pool of blood. “Rachel Lee, I’m finally free of you.”These words he spoke aloud.

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Six months after my death, Liam called me. He cursed me for being unreasonable, ungrateful, and accused me of cheating. Everyone advised me to initiate the divorce and even spoke up for the other woman, urging me to let them be together. “Don’t you all know? Our classmate, Nora, died in that accident.” Crash! The glass in Liam’s hand slipped and shattered on the floor, spilling red wine everywhere. At a reunion, a college classmate revealed that I had died in a plane crash. Liam went mad, but I just laughed. I came from a well-off family and was a firm believer in staying single. Having children was the furthest thing from my mind. But when a rival company dealt a severe blow to our family business, I had no choice but to become a sacrificial lamb in a business marriage. Watching my father’s hair turn increasingly gray, seeing the sudden wrinkles covering my mother’s face, and witnessing my sister tirelessly drinking and negotiating business deals day and night, I finally nodded in agreement. A once-staunch single was about to be forced into marriage. The marriage partner had been pre-selected by my parents. He was the new CEO of Anderson Group. In the past, Anderson Group wouldn’t have been considered a match for us, but now that my family had fallen on hard times, a partnership with the Andersons could revitalize our family business. I met the new female CEO of Anderson Group once before the wedding. It was then that I discovered she was actually Liam, a classmate from my university department. Apparently, after his mother passed away years ago, his father had also recently died, leaving him to take over the entire group. Liam seemed to have known beforehand that I was his intended partner. He smiled at me, and the first thing he said was, “I’ve secretly liked you since university.” Because of this statement, I felt a little less resistant to this arranged marriage.

Our wedding was incredibly grand, mostly funded by Anderson Group. Even the house and car we lived in were bought by Liam, who even made sure to add my name to the property deed. “This will be our little home from now on,” he said, holding my hand with a face full of happiness. Soon after our marriage, with Anderson Group’s help, our family business quickly revived. The two large enterprises complemented each other, developing even better than before. My life with Liam was also very happy. He told me not to worry about business matters and to focus on developing my hobbies. With him at the helm, I felt at ease and tried to enjoy life. Although I wasn’t used to it at first, I gradually adapted. This lifestyle continued for six years. Just when I thought the rest of our days would pass by peacefully like this, Stella returned to the country.

I didn’t know who Stella was, but I had heard Liam’s friends mention her at previous gatherings. They said Stella was beautiful and smart, and had studied at a prestigious university abroad. At the time, I was sipping red wine on the side, listening to them reminisce about the past, finding it quite interesting. Until they started wondering if Stella had found a boyfriend yet, saying she might even be married by now. Liam suddenly spoke up to stop them. The others immediately changed the subject, as if those words had never been spoken. That was the first time I felt something was off. From what I knew of Liam, he was definitely angry just then. Even though his face remained expressionless, I could hear the anger in his voice. He was furious. Was it because he didn’t like the topic? Or because he didn’t like the main character in this topic? I didn’t pay much attention at the time, but today I finally understood why Liam was so angry then. It was because he couldn’t bear to hear that Stella might be married…

Starting last month, Liam began to come home less frequently. At first, he would return home very late at night. Then it progressed to not seeing him for four or five days at a time. This time, he hadn’t been home for a whole week. Every time I called, it would take a long time for him to answer. Sometimes, the call would be directly hung up or go unanswered. Initially, I still believed he was working overtime, but with the same excuse repeatedly, even a fool wouldn’t believe it anymore. Finally, today, I couldn’t stand it and secretly went to his company. Sure enough, he wasn’t there. Then I called his secretary, who hesitantly gave me the name of a couple’s restaurant. I had a bad feeling about this. In the end, I saw Liam and Stella intimately embracing each other at the hotel. They were holding hands, snuggling close and whispering to each other. I walked directly towards them, but I froze when I saw that face that could easily be mistaken for mine. I also ignored Liam’s momentary panic and embarrassment upon seeing me. After what seemed like an eternity, Stella walked towards me with a smile. She extended her hand and said, “You must be Nora. Thank you for taking care of Liam for me all these years.”

That night, I still brought Liam home. We were silent the entire way. After entering, I first asked the housekeeper to rest, then sat with Liam on opposite sofas. The man who once loved to stick close to me now clearly didn’t want to be near me. Why is that? Maybe because I’m just a substitute, a stand-in for Stella. Perhaps because I had caught him red-handed, Liam didn’t try to hide anything and directly proposed divorce. “You don’t need to worry about the company. I’ll set up a fund and give you $20,000 every month.” But I just kept looking at him without saying a word. Liam kept checking the time, not noticing my gaze. Right, he had promised Stella earlier that he would definitely go back to accompany her tonight. He finally couldn’t wait any longer: “Nora, just tell me what you want. I’ll fulfill whatever I can. I just hope you can let me be with Stella. She’s finally back after so long, I can’t bear to lose her again.” I was stunned. What did he take me for? How could he treat me like this? In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to say these words out loud. Forcing myself to stay calm, I asked, “I just want to ask one thing. Did you only agree to marry me because I look like her?” Liam glanced at me. “Yes.” “So when we first met, and you said you had liked me since university, that was a lie too?” I clenched my fists. Liam neither confirmed nor denied it. “I did notice you in university.” So he had only noticed me. Of course, suddenly seeing someone who looked so much like the person you love, anyone would take a second look. So everything, all of it, was fake. The happy life we had, it was all just him projecting his longing for Stella onto my face. Humiliation, anger, at that moment, my heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

I left, before dawn the next day. I moved to a small house I had bought on a whim in the suburbs two years ago. This was a place only I knew about, Liam didn’t know, so he wouldn’t come to bother me. I blocked all his contact methods, and anyone related to him was also blocked. I won’t divorce him, at least not now. Not because I still can’t let go of him, but because I don’t want Stella to move into the house and replace me so quickly. I don’t want them to become a couple so soon. For a whole week, I lived very comfortably, with no one to disturb me. My parents called, but after hearing the truth, they unwaveringly chose to stand by my side. They also comforted me, telling me not to worry about the family, saying that Ning Corporation is now stronger than it was a few years ago. A weight was finally lifted from my heart, but what I didn’t expect was that on the eighth day after I moved out, someone still found me. That person turned out to be my brother, Neil. My relationship with Neil was quite good. In the past, I always protected him, and he would make porridge for me when he drank too much and his stomach hurt. But today, Neil looked at me with a serious face, his eyes carrying a hint of dissatisfaction. I invited him in and asked what had happened. My first reaction was that something had happened to our parents or the family company. Had Liam started to move against the family because he couldn’t find me? “Nora, you should divorce Liam, right?” “What?” I didn’t expect my brother’s first words to be this. “Nora, you don’t know, Stella has had it very hard all these years. She just wants to be with the man she loves now. Can you let them be together? Please? Consider it a favor to your brother.” Neil’s attitude was very humble. He had never said the word “please” to me before, but today he said it, and it was for that woman. I looked at him in disbelief and questioned him: “Neil, do you know what you’re saying? That Stella interfered with my marriage, and now you’re here begging me on her behalf? Begging me to step aside for her? Neil, have you gone mad?!” Neil’s face showed a hint of embarrassment, but he still tried to persuade me: “Nora, I know, I know all of this. Liam is just a scumbag, he doesn’t deserve you. So after you divorce, I’ll definitely help you find a better man. You don’t need this Liam anyway. But Stella only has this one love in her life, so can you please give Liam to her?” At this moment, I felt that the brother in front of me was very unfamiliar. When did my brother stop standing on my side and start standing on my enemy’s side? I shook my head, not wanting to say anything more to him. I pointed at the front door, asking him to leave: “Just go! I won’t divorce now, and you don’t need to say anything more.” “Nora…” “I said go!” Maybe my attitude was too harsh, but Neil finally left. However, when he reached the door, he still said: “I’ll come back, Nora. Think about it carefully.” I have nothing to think about. I’m not doing charity work, voluntarily making way for them.

After Neil left, the more I thought about it, the stranger this whole thing seemed. I unblocked the number of one of Liam’s good friends from my phone’s blacklist. This person was his childhood neighbor, and maybe because she was a woman, she was the one I got along with best among Liam’s circle of friends. She also seemed to dislike Stella. I dialed the number, and it was quickly answered. “Nora, you finally showed up. I was heartbroken for a long time after you blocked me,” Tina’s wailing voice came from the other end of the phone. But I had no time for jokes with her. “Tina, do you know if anything happened between my brother and Stella?” “Your brother? Neil?” “Yes.” I told her about Neil coming to ask me to divorce Liam to let Stella be with him. Tina on the other end of the phone burst into laughter, “Hahahahaha, I didn’t expect that after so many years, your brother is still such a lovesick puppy. He’s really good at self-delusion!” “What do you mean?” “Actually, your brother and Stella met at a competition once. It seems your brother really admired Stella’s talent and fell in love with her at first sight. Liam found out about this later and wanted to go beat up your brother, but Stella stopped him. After that, the two of them just stayed out of each other’s way. Stella went abroad after high school graduation. I don’t know if she kept in touch with your brother during that time. But your brother is quite a few years older than you, right? He’s never had a girlfriend and never showed any intention of getting married. Looks like he’s still waiting for someone~” Tina teased on the other end of the phone. I was shocked. I never expected that my brother would like Stella, and even stayed single for so many years because of her. How charming must Stella be to make my brother say such things to his own sister even now?

After hanging up the phone with Tina, I realized I couldn’t stay here anymore. I immediately packed my luggage and changed my residence again. I never thought there would come a day when I would be forced to run around by my own brother. I decided to go to another state. Coincidentally, one of my college classmates was working there. Although we weren’t in the same department, she was one of my few good friends. But because I got married, we gradually lost touch. The last time we met was several years ago. I felt quite sorry towards her and prepared to go find her and apologize properly. After contacting my friend, I boarded a plane to the other state that evening. But I didn’t expect that trip would become the last journey of my life. The next morning, news of a major plane crash was everywhere, almost all news media were devoted to this news, and social media was also flooded with it. In an instant, all the families of the victims rushed to the scene. Because I had lost my ID, they couldn’t contact my relatives for a while. Only my friend Tina, who knew about my whereabouts, came to the airport after seeing the news. It was she who helped identify my body remains, and she who helped retrieve the only phone fragment that could be found.

So I floated in mid-air, watching Tina secretly wiping her tears. Even though it was because of me that we hadn’t met for so many years, seeing her like this now, I really felt very guilty in my heart. But now I was already dead, just a soul floating around, with no way to give her a hug or comfort her. Soon a ghost official came. I thought he was coming to take me away, but unexpectedly, he told me that the karma of this life hadn’t been resolved yet, so he wouldn’t take me to reincarnate for now. I asked him how to resolve it? He said it depended on my own fate, then he patted me, saying he would send me to the side of the person with whom I had the deepest karma. My vision went black, and when I opened my eyes again, I found myself in the house where I had lived for nearly seven years. At this moment, Liam, who should have been at work, was at home, holding Stella, the two of them entwined on the sofa. I felt a bit sick instantly, but more than that, I felt they were desecrating the expensive custom-made sofa I had ordered. They cuddled for a while, then Liam let go of Stella. Stella seemed a bit unsatisfied and pounced back onto Liam, asking somewhat pitifully, “Liam, can’t we yet? Don’t you love me anymore?” Looking at her like that was really disgusting. Liam was also stunned for a moment, but in the end, reason seemed to overcome emotion. He comforted Stella, saying he would divorce as soon as possible, and then immediately marry Stella. So it was because Liam was still married, and he didn’t want Stella to be labeled as the other woman. How considerate and gentle. Maybe it’s because I’m dead now, in a state of a wandering soul, my heart doesn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. I just find all of this very laughable. “Okay, then when the time comes, we’ll start from the living room to the bedroom, from the bedroom to the kitchen…” “Alright, whatever you like,” Liam smiled and hugged her, using the tone he used to speak to me to tease Stella.

Time flew by, and more than a week had passed. I didn’t know why I always followed Liam; I couldn’t leave his side on my own, I could only go wherever he went. During these six months, I saw that apart from eating, sleeping, working, and coaxing Stella, he was frantically calling me, but without exception, my phone was unreachable. I heard him cursing at the busy tone on the phone. He cursed me for being unreasonable, ungrateful, said he shouldn’t have married me in the first place, shouldn’t have helped my family, and even accused me of having another man outside and not coming home. But what he didn’t know was that when he was cursing me, I was right across from him, watching him, watching his handsome face reveal a fierce expression, spitting out the most vicious words. Maybe it’s because I’ve really become a ghost, my heart seems to have disappeared along with it. Hearing these words, I wasn’t very angry, I just thought he was too noisy. After that, he went to find everyone who might have had contact with me, including my parents and my brother Neil, but everyone said they didn’t know my whereabouts either. Because Tina initially thought I had run away from home, and she didn’t have my family’s contact information, in her anger, she didn’t tell my parents that I was already dead. And Liam didn’t know about my relationship with Tina, so he didn’t go to her to find out what had happened. Now everyone probably thinks I ran away quietly to avoid divorce, right? No matter what they think, I don’t care anymore.

Recently, Stella’s mood doesn’t seem to be very good. She started frequently asking Liam when he could divorce me, where I had gone, when they would get married. At first, Liam would patiently comfort her, coax her, promise her that he would resolve these issues as soon as possible, but as the frequency increased, Liam’s patience was also exhausted. The last time was yesterday. When Stella asked again, Liam yelled at her, saying he was very troubled, that he had many things to do, and couldn’t always spend time looking for me. “So can you calm down? I said I would marry you and I will definitely do it. Now we can’t find Nora anywhere, and if I don’t divorce her, I’m still married. At worst, after two years of separation, I’ll file for divorce. So can you stop asking?” Stella probably never dreamed that this man who always said he loved her, who even forced away his legal wife for her, would one day yell at her too. At this moment, I was floating behind Liam, watching all of Stella’s expressions. It was quite funny, but I have to say, Stella is indeed beautiful. Even when she’s this angry, she’s not ugly. Liam realized his mistake and quickly went to hug Stella, softly coaxing her, but Stella just kept a cold face. One was coaxing, the other wasn’t accepting it. This scene was really boring, but I had no way to leave, I could only float in place watching this pair of “star-crossed lovers”.

Today I finally got to go somewhere new because Liam brought Stella to attend a banquet. It was originally a reunion for our university department, but Liam still brought Stella along. He really didn’t care about my face at all. The moment he entered with Stella, the originally lively crowd suddenly fell silent. Everyone unanimously looked at them. Some people were full of curiosity, some felt disgust, some were thinking about how to curry favor with Liam, but there was also a group of men whose gazes were on Stella. However, these people were all glared back by Liam. He really was protective. When everyone had arrived, the student union president from university days raised his glass and said some words to liven up the atmosphere. Everyone else also raised their glasses. After three rounds of drinks, the people at the scene had basically loosened up. Everyone was chatting in their own groups, it was quite lively. “Hey, do you know about that plane crash half a year ago?” “Who doesn’t know? It dominated the headlines for a whole week.” “My distant uncle’s whole family was on it. It’s really tragic. My uncle was quite good to me, it’s such a pity…” “Yeah, a whole plane full of people, it’s too tragic.” “But I really didn’t expect this kind of thing would happen to one of our classmates…” The topic was led to the plane crash that caused my death, but unexpectedly, a classmate suddenly came out with this sentence. This statement made everyone very concerned, and they hurriedly asked what he meant. “Don’t you all know? Our classmate, Nora, died in that accident.” Crash! The glass in Liam’s hand next to me slipped and shattered on the ground, making a crisp sound. The red wine inside spilled all over the floor.

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After giving birth, my mother-in-law posted a picture of the condoms my husband and I use on TikTok. She captioned it: “Young people these days have no self-control. They’re already at it right after having a baby.” I responded by posting a photo of her cheating on my father-in-law with his brother. My caption read: “Older folks sure know how to play the field.” I had just put the baby to sleep and opened TikTok to relax for a bit. I habitually checked my notifications, replying to friends and family who had shared videos with me. As I scrolled down, I was surprised to see a TikTok shared by a stranger asking, “Is this you?” I recognized the profile picture as a former male colleague from my old company. Curious, I opened the shared video and immediately felt my face burn with embarrassment when I saw the caption. The video was secretly recorded by Martha, my mother-in-law, when she came to wake me up to make breakfast for Derek. In the video, I was sound asleep, my head resting on Derek’s arm. The camera panned to the right, showing a blurry condom wrapper, then zoomed in to focus on it deliberately. The caption read: “Young people these days have no self-control. They’re already at it right after having a baby.” My blood boiled, and my heart raced. Last night, it was her son who had begged me, and I reluctantly agreed out of pity. Now his mother was spreading rumors online. I now realize that feeling sorry for a man only leads to trouble.

Trembling, I shared the video with Derek, telling him to ask his mom to delete it immediately. TikTok’s friend recommendation feature is powerful, and even my former colleagues had come across the video. I didn’t dare imagine what my parents, neighbors, and relatives would think if they saw it! After a while, Derek messaged back, “Isn’t my mom right? You were pretty enthusiastic last night!” followed by two suggestive emojis. “Just kidding, honey. You’re not mad, are you?” he added. “Besides, you can barely tell it’s us. I had to look closely to figure it out.” I sent him a screenshot of my former colleague sharing the video with me. “Look for yourself. This is from my ex-coworker.” To my surprise, he replied, “Your ex-coworker must be paying close attention to you if they recognized you after you’ve gained so much weight.” He added a jealous emoji. Reading Derek’s messages, my heart ached, and I felt my blood run cold. I took a deep breath, looked at our baby beside me, and forced myself to calm down.

I went straight to Martha’s room and got right to the point, “Mom, please delete the TikTok video you posted this morning.” Martha played dumb, “What TikTok video? You follow my account, and I didn’t post anything today!” Noticing her phone screen was still on, I snatched it from her hand and opened TikTok. I tapped on “My Posts” and saw the video pinned at the top. She had even pinned it! I was about to delete it when Martha headbutted me in the stomach, causing me to drop the phone. Ignoring the pain in my stomach, I got up to retrieve the phone, but the screen was already shattered and unusable. Martha stood by, gloating, “The phone’s broken. Perfect excuse for my son to buy me a new one.” “That was my most liked TikTok video ever. There’s no way I’m deleting it.” Shaking with anger, I smashed the phone on the ground, completely destroying it. “If this video isn’t deleted by the time Derek gets home tonight, I’ll report you for invasion of privacy.” “And remember, I control the bank card. Whether you get a new phone depends on me!”

Back in my room, I watched the video over and over. It now had 1,000 likes and over 2,000 comments. The comment section was filled with insults towards the daughter-in-law, some saying she looked attractive and making lewd suggestions. As I was about to screenshot these comments to send to Derek, the baby woke up, and I had to put down my phone to tend to her. When Derek came home from work that evening, he first complained about me breaking his mother’s phone and having to buy a new one. I snapped back, “She deserved it!” “And please read the comments under the video before you speak to me!” Derek said, “It’s just a bunch of nonsense. What’s there to see?” He was clearly avoiding the issue. He didn’t say a word about all the insulting comments. I opened TikTok and started reading the comments aloud to Derek: “The daughter-in-law is hot, let’s take her out to play!” “Your daughter-in-law has a great figure, your son is lucky.” “It’s better when the daughter-in-law is a bit naughty!” “Is this what you call criticizing the daughter-in-law?” As I was about to continue, the door suddenly burst open, and Martha stormed in: “Living off my son’s money and still daring to scold him.” “When people say you have big breasts, they’re complimenting your figure. It’s your dirty mind that’s the problem, not their comments.” Not wanting to argue with her, I played the voice message I had received from the lawyer I consulted earlier that afternoon. After hearing it, Derek quickly pulled Martha out of the room. Twenty minutes later, Derek returned with a bouquet of jasmine flowers, smiling apologetically, “Honey, don’t be angry. Mom has deleted the video and apologized. Look, she even asked me to buy you these jasmine flowers, your favorite.” I opened my phone and checked Martha’s profile. The video had indeed been deleted. “Don’t be mad, honey. I know I was wrong, and Mom knows she was wrong too. It won’t happen again.” I looked at Derek, feeling exhausted. Seeing my silence, Derek gave up trying to placate me. He tossed the flowers aside and said he was going to sleep in the study. 6 Lying awake for half the night, I still couldn’t fall asleep. My family is from a city in the neighboring state. I’m an only child, and although my parents are divorced and have new families, they still care for me deeply. When I told my family I was dating Derek, they disapproved. My mother would often call to tell me stories about girls who married far from home and suffered, or about parents who never saw their daughters again after they moved away. At the time, I found it annoying. When my father tried to introduce me to a young colleague at his company, I even said, “Didn’t you and Mom divorce because you didn’t know each other well enough before marriage?” Seeing that they couldn’t persuade me, my parents finally agreed to our engagement and marriage. Suddenly, I heard muffled voices coming from the study. I got up and pressed my ear against the wall, but I could only make out vague sounds. I remembered the stethoscope we had bought for the baby to check for illness and retrieved it. Placing it against the wall, I could hear every word clearly. “Your wife is so dramatic! It was just a bit of arm and chest showing, and she insisted on deleting it!” Martha complained to Derek. “Mom, you should have let me post it for you. I could have blocked her, and none of this would have happened!” Derek replied. “I just forgot! Don’t worry, I posted it on my secondary account too.” “You’re so clever, Mom. Have you gained more followers recently?” My heart raced, and I felt my blood boil. Derek clearly knew about this and was likely the mastermind! The thought of him making his mother post such risqué videos for money made me sick to my stomach. I want a divorce! Divorce! I suddenly remembered when I was four months pregnant, Derek would come home every day hinting that the economy was bad, his year-end bonus was cut in half, and his monthly salary wasn’t enough. He’d talk about how someone’s wife became an internet celebrity and earned $10,000 a month. Now I realize he was trying to get me to make suggestive videos too. Martha continued excitedly, “My secondary account is about to reach 10,000 followers. If your dad hadn’t stopped me from using TikTok two years ago, I’d be a top influencer by now.” “Your wife wouldn’t stand a chance!” Derek added, “Mom, I feel bad for making you film these videos.” “Son, I feel bad that you had to marry such a woman!” “If she wasn’t an only child with a house worth millions, I would have divorced her and found you a better daughter-in-law long ago!” “Son!” “Mom!” After hearing their conversation, I had only one thought: Find Martha’s secondary account and expose this mother-son duo! 7 On one hand, I contacted a friend in another state and asked her to pose as a brand representative interested in collaborating with Martha’s main account. She deliberately mentioned that the more followers, the more money could be earned. Martha immediately sent my friend her secondary account and asked how much she could make with it. On the other hand, I hired a private investigator to keep an eye on Derek. After all, if I wanted him to pay divorce compensation, I needed to find some dirt on him! After getting Martha’s secondary account, I thoroughly examined it. Martha was an uneducated woman from the countryside who married Robert, a high school teacher, because of her good looks and figure when she was young. In Martha’s eyes, being a teacher was a good, respectable job with a high salary. However, in this day and age, teachers’ salaries haven’t increased much, while the cost of living has skyrocketed. When Martha saw her old friends from the village become famous on TikTok by posting suggestive videos, earning enough to buy cars, houses, and travel the world, she always wanted to do the same. She had actually tried it once before, but I caught her and told Robert. He got angry and scolded her, forcing her to delete the video. Martha’s secondary account had posted over 90 videos, with a total of over 100,000 likes and exactly 10,000 followers. The video of me now had over 10,000 likes and more than 20,000 comments. More than 80 of her videos featured her wearing tight clothes, heavy makeup, and lip-syncing to cheesy songs. The comments were full of crude remarks like “You’re so beautiful” and “Your chest is so big.” I saved all these videos to a USB drive and sent it to my friend. I also carefully examined the comments and found one asking Martha if she had a partner. She had immediately replied “No.” In these 80-plus videos, there was one account that consistently appeared in the comments. I clicked on their profile and was surprised to see a hand wearing a pearl bracelet. That pearl bracelet was from a luxury brand. Martha had said it was a fake she wore for fun, but now it seemed there was more to the story. 8 During this time, Derek had been on his best behavior, and I couldn’t catch him doing anything wrong. Martha, on the other hand, was often going out. I installed cameras in various rooms of the house and, without consulting Derek, hired a nanny using his money. When they saw the nanny, they naturally wanted to let her go. I told them the contract had been signed and the salary paid. We could dismiss the nanny, but the money wouldn’t be refunded. During the day, I pretended to be job hunting, leaving the house early with my resume. In reality, I was sitting in a dessert shop near our apartment complex, waiting for Martha to leave. Martha loved sweets but was afraid of gaining weight, so she would usually walk quickly past dessert shops, pretending not to see them. With a bit of disguise, I managed to avoid being discovered for a whole week. However, Martha only went shopping for clothes and jewelry that week before returning home. Finally, on a Wednesday, I caught Martha heading to a dessert shop in a mall. Inside the shop, Martha went straight to a well-dressed man in his 50s, wearing a large gold necklace and a designer watch. I assumed this was the sponsor behind Martha’s TikTok videos. As soon as they met, they shared a deep kiss in public. I recorded the whole thing, but Martha was so well-covered that it was impossible to tell it was her. The shop was crowded and noisy, so I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I did, however, get a clear view of the man. The more I looked, the more uneasy I felt. Derek’s sister, Zoe, looked incredibly similar to this man! They say sons take after their mothers and daughters after their fathers. I had asked Derek before why his sister didn’t look like Robert or Martha at all, and he had dismissed it as a genetic quirk. Now, seeing this man, a ridiculous thought crossed my mind. When I got home, I took Robert, Martha, and Derek’s toothbrushes for a paternity test.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294560”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem #玄幻Fantsy #惊悚Thriller

My twin sister attempted suicide and was hospitalized. Her tormentors followed her to the hospital, mocking her for bringing it upon herself. Later, I went to school wearing an identical face to my sister’s. The bullies were excited, but I was even more so. Because I am a born monster, and the only one who could suppress my evil thoughts was my sister. This was my sister’s second suicide attempt. Our parents didn’t hesitate to call the police this time. But even when faced with law enforcement, the main bully remained smug and defiant. “How can you say I bullied her? I could say she bullied me!” she protested. “That’s right, my daughter is such a sweetheart. She wouldn’t even hurt an ant,” her mother chimed in. I watched this mother-daughter duo defend themselves from the other side of the security camera feed. Meanwhile, my sister – who had greeted me cheerfully just this morning – lay weak and pale in her hospital bed. Zoe, the ringleader of the bullies, raised an eyebrow and smirked. “If she acts like a b*tch, I’ll treat her like one. Simple as that. What are you going to do about it? Throw me in jail? I dare you!” She then made a mocking face at my sister, showing not a shred of remorse or fear. Zoe’s mother met my mom’s gaze, her eyes filled with contempt. She quickly looked away, clicking her tongue. “Tch, like mother like daughter. Cut from the same cloth, I see.” My mom let out a casual laugh. I knew that laugh – mom was angry. Mia, Zoe’s little sidekick, seemed to have found her courage. She glared at my sister with disgust. “Cutting your wrists? That’s nothing. If she really wanted to die, she should’ve jumped from the 18th floor. That would’ve turned her into mush for sure. Why bother with wrists? She didn’t even die. I bet she just wants to extort money from us. Right, Zoe?” “Hmph! Ugly people always make a fuss,” Zoe sneered. Due to lack of concrete evidence and the fact that they were all minors, the incident ended with Zoe giving a verbal apology. Back home, our little princess – the one we had cherished and protected – lay motionless in her bed. Bruises of various sizes covered her body. My parents and I finally noticed some things we had missed before. After a long silence, I said, “I’ll go to school in my sister’s place.” My parents understood what I meant. They knew what I was going to do. I turned and went into the bathroom. In the mirror, I saw a face identical to my sister’s staring back at me.

My sister and I are twins. Most people can’t tell us apart. Even our parents have almost mixed us up a few times. Lily loves pink. Her backpack, stationery, and even her bedding are all pink. I, on the other hand, prefer black. Mom often teases Lily, “If I hadn’t given birth to you myself, I’d think we picked you up somewhere!” Mom’s joke isn’t without reason. In our family, Lily is the special one. She’s different from us. She’s naturally pure and kind-hearted, carefully protected by me and our parents since childhood. I, on the other hand, was born with a “condition”. I’m a monster in the eyes of others. Since childhood, only Lily would play with me. To protect others, our parents had me study at home. I didn’t complain because with Lily around, I never felt lonely. Our parents said Lily was our family’s top priority for protection. So, from a young age, I’ve always protected her from the shadows. But we never imagined that after just one year of high school, Lily would end up like this. The doctor said we needed to be careful with Lily’s emotions. I stroked Lily’s forehead and whispered, “Lily, big sister will definitely avenge you.” Just then, a jarring phone ringtone broke the silence. Lily’s face turned ghostly pale. She covered her ears and started screaming. I picked up the phone and opened the message. It was a video. In it, Lily was being held down under a faucet in the bathroom, her wet hair plastered to her cheeks. Her face was red from choking on water. The perpetrators were laughing hysterically in the background. “If I catch you talking to him again, I’ll scratch up your face. See how you like seducing boys in our class then!” The video ended with this threat from the bully. Rage nearly burst through my chest. I closed my eyes for a moment and turned off the phone. Lily’s teeth were chattering. She stammered, “They… they took so many videos of me… without clothes.” I stroked Lily’s hair, looking at her tenderly. “Do you trust your big sister?” Lily nodded. I opened the door and walked into the backyard, where I dug another small patch of fallow ground with a hoe. Soon, there would be another addition here. Nearby, curses and pleas could be heard. “You’ll be struck by lightning! You’ll die a horrible death!”

I put on my sister’s backpack. From now on, I would be Lily, no longer Emma. As soon as I entered the classroom, a book flew towards my face. I dodged it easily. “Where’s Zoe’s breakfast? You want to die?” It was Mia, Zoe’s lapdog. She had been laughing the hardest in the video. It seemed bullying others gave her a sick pleasure. I ignored her and walked straight to my sister’s desk. The wooden desk was covered in insulting words carved into its surface – “btch”, “slt”… “Still admiring those words made specially for you? Can’t get enough? How about we carve them on your face instead?” Mia approached me, looking down with a sneer. Her narrow eyes narrowed further, a malicious smile spreading across her face. “I think that’s a great idea. Zoe would love it.” Something began to swell in my veins, gradually boiling and spreading throughout my body. It was uncontrollable, and I didn’t want to control it. Seeing Mia’s smile made me even more irritated. I stepped forward quickly and swung my right arm. A loud slap echoed through the classroom. Clear fingerprints appeared on her face. “You dare hit me? Just wait until Zoe gets back. You’re dead meat!” Her voice suddenly became shrill, as if her vocal cords had been struck by lightning. “Tsk tsk tsk…” The other classmates seemed surprised that I had hit her. Their smiles quickly froze on their faces. I narrowed my eyes. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you laughing anymore?” When she finally reacted and raised her hand to hit me back, the bell for class rang. She glared at me viciously before returning to her seat. I stuffed my backpack into the desk. It felt wet and sticky inside. It was full of oily residue from various snacks, emitting a nauseating smell. Soon, the homeroom teacher came in. She looked at me first, then said, “Lily, class has started. Why aren’t you sitting down?” “My desk is full of garbage that Zoe and her gang stuffed in there. The chair is also covered in glue.” I watched her expression gradually stiffen. She slowly raised her eyes and snorted coldly. “Are you saying Zoe is targeting you?” I didn’t speak, just stared at her silently. She sneered, “How is that possible? Zoe is the top student in our grade. Why would she target you? Even though Zoe is absent today, I won’t allow you to baselessly accuse her!” Mia looked at me smugly, nodding slightly with a small smirk. “Ms. Lee, I think she’s just jealous of Zoe’s good grades. All the teachers know Zoe is a good student in our class.” “Sit down. If you don’t want to listen to the lesson, that’s fine, but don’t disturb other students,” Ms. Lee glared at me. I pushed the desk over, spilling its contents onto the floor. The garbage was exposed, and oil stains spread across the floor, causing gasps from those around us. Mia glared at me fiercely. “Maybe you’re just a glutton and a slob. You ate snacks and didn’t throw away the trash. Now you’re trying to frame me!” Ms. Lee nodded thoughtfully. “I don’t think Zoe is that kind of person. If she really is targeting you, you should think about why. Why doesn’t she target anyone else? As they say, it takes two to tango…” I rushed forward in one swift motion. A crisp slap echoed through the classroom. I looked at the homeroom teacher contemptuously. “Ms. Lee, do you hear how loud one hand can clap?” No one had expected me to be so bold. Even the homeroom teacher was stunned. My action inevitably infuriated her. Her face turned red, her neck swelling as if about to explode. “Lily! How dare you… how dare you lay hands on a teacher! I see you don’t want to study anymore! I’m calling your parents right now. They can take you home. I don’t think you need to continue your education here!”

Soon, my mom arrived at the school. When she saw me, she gave a slight smile, as if to say “well done.” In the office, the homeroom teacher poured out a litany of complaints to my mom, emphasizing how unruly and disrespectful I was. “As a teacher, I just said one word to her, and she dared to hit me? I’ve been teaching for most of my life, and I’ve never encountered such a disrespectful student!” My mom tilted her head slightly, glancing at her with deep disgust in her eyes. “Ms. Lee, that’s where you’re wrong. Why did Lily only hit you and not other teachers? Have you considered that it might be your problem?” These words sounded familiar. I smiled. The homeroom teacher couldn’t utter a word in response to my mom’s smiling-yet-not-smiling face. In the end, she said, “Let’s go see the principal. We’ll see if they want to keep this worthless student or me, a teacher.” “Fine,” my mom agreed. As soon as we saw the principal, my mom rushed forward to shake his hand. “To think such a small matter would trouble the principal. Our Lily is really inconsiderate. How about this – my husband and I have discussed it. For any student from a poor family with good character, we can sponsor them all the way through graduation.” The principal’s eyes lit up at this. “Really?” My mom nodded. When she looked at the homeroom teacher, her eyes flashed with a challenging light. “We wouldn’t joke about such an important matter, of course.” “That’s good, that’s good. Actually, this isn’t a big deal. Children, you know, are at a mischievous age. She just accidentally hit Ms. Lee once. Ms. Lee has been teaching here for so long, she’s seen all kinds of students. Apart from being a bit naughty, Lily doesn’t have any other problems, right, Ms. Lee?” The homeroom teacher was shaking with anger, her face ashen. After a long while, she nodded. The words she had prepared to expel me stuck in her throat, neither able to come up nor go down. Her face turned an iron blue. I chuckled lightly. This was just the beginning. I believe my sister must have reached out to the homeroom teacher before, begging her to pull her out of the mire. But she chose to turn a blind eye and even aided the bullies. My foolish sister, don’t you see? The very methods you despise are often the most effective in manipulating people. Even when pushed to the brink of suicide, she never told me or our parents about what was happening at school. Whenever we asked, she always brushed it off, saying the teachers were good, the classmates were nice. Even now, she’s still protecting those demons. Because my sister knows that if those people fell into my or our parents’ hands, death would be a mercy for them.

Zoe came back. She seemed to have heard about my story from other classmates. For example, “Lily’s personality has changed dramatically. She even hit a teacher and caused a scene with the principal.” She kicked over my desk. “I was away for two days and you’ve become so tough? Which hand did you use to hit Mia? Let me see.” I smirked coldly, not even bothering to lift my eyelids. I slapped her across the face. “See? I used both hands.” Zoe’s fingers clenched into fists, her knuckles cracking. “You b*tch, how dare you hit me!” She charged at me, and we tumbled into a fight. Her little tricks were nothing new to me. It was just hair-pulling and arm-pinching. She quickly found herself at a disadvantage. I dragged her into the bathroom and shoved her head into the sink. This scene reminded me of my sister. She too had been held under water, unable to breathe. Mia seemed scared stiff. She stood at the bathroom door, hesitating to come in. It wasn’t until Zoe let out a yell that she finally entered, holding a mop. “Mia, what are you standing there for? Strip her clothes off. I’m going to post her video online today and make her famous!” Zoe’s eyes suddenly turned vicious as she was held down in the sink. Her features twisted into a grimace of extreme anger. “If you had the guts to fight me fair and square, I might have some respect for you. But you resort to these dirty tricks. It’s disgusting.” Mia took advantage of my distraction and hit me hard on the back with the mop. In that moment, Zoe broke free from my grip and pinned me down. “Btch, slt, how dare you hit me.” Her nails raked across my face. Only then did the anger on her face give way to pleasure. “You filthy sl*t, let’s see how you seduce men now!” The taste of blood spread in my mouth. Thinking about this, I suddenly laughed. “You target me so much just because I’m prettier than you? You’re jealous that all the boys in class revolve around me, right?” I guessed right. As soon as I said this, Zoe’s face changed. “Who told you to look like such a seductress? Are you so desperate for men? Huh?” My sister’s beauty was undeniable, everyone could see that. Our family had always put a lot of effort into maintaining our appearance. Because… we have our own methods. Looking at Zoe and Mia in front of me, I laughed so hard I could barely stand up straight. People like them should have an even better effect on our beauty regimen. “What are you laughing at, you b*tch!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294559”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem #玄幻Fantsy #惊悚Thriller

The scorching heatwave was approaching, and I had stocked up on all the necessary supplies. However, my husband, concerned about our weak female neighbor, invited her to stay with us. “We have plenty of supplies, and how much can a frail woman eat? What’s wrong with helping out a neighbor?” he said. Later, I caught them having a steamy session in my bathroom. The neighbor girl blushed, saying shyly, “Your ‘big popsicle’ is the best way to cool down in this heat, honey.” When I caught them in the act, they panicked and locked me out on the balcony under the scorching sun. In the end, I died from heat stroke and dehydration. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the first day of the terrifying heatwave. My phone was pushing out a high-temperature warning: [Tomorrow, our city will reach a new high temperature of over 107°F (42°C). All citizens are advised to stay indoors and avoid going out.] When I saw this message, my whole body shuddered. There was no pain from dehydration or near-death experience, and I was casually holding an iced Americano. I tilted my head back, trembling, and gulped down the iced Americano like a person about to die of thirst. In my previous life, I did indeed die of thirst. I’m a well-known risk assessment expert in the industry. Before the terrifying heatwave hit, I had already noticed the drastic effects of global warming. So, I stocked up my luxury mansion with supplies and cooling measures. The house even had its own internal circulation system and power supply box. Even if doomsday came, we could be self-sufficient for over a year. Originally, this was supposed to be the perfect shelter for me and my husband. But in my past life, Samuel Song suddenly had a moment of inspiration and insisted on being charitable. He felt sorry for our single neighbor living next door, Molly, who was frail and couldn’t withstand the high temperatures alone. He proactively suggested bringing her to live with us. “It’s just an extra set of cutlery, really. Her husband is overseas and can’t take care of her. We’re neighbors, what’s wrong with lending a helping hand?” he said. At first, I strongly disagreed. Although Molly was our neighbor, she had only moved in a few months ago, and we weren’t close. Secondly, as a married woman, it wasn’t convenient for her to stay in someone else’s home. “Honey, if you’re worried about her frailty, I can go check on her every day,” I said. But my husband directly pulled Molly in front of me, crying like a fragile flower. “Aria, I know I’ll be a bother, but I have fainting spells and can’t handle the extreme heat. If I faint alone at home, I’m afraid I’ll die without anyone even knowing,” Molly said. Even Samuel frowned: “Yeah, honey, why are you being so stingy? We have so many supplies, and plenty of rooms. It’s just for a few days!” I had no choice but to agree. Before the terrifying heat hit and the power and water were cut off, we welcomed Molly to live under the same roof. Until that day, Samuel said he wanted to eat some fresh vegetables and asked me to go buy some. By then, the outside temperature was already close to 122°F (50°C), and you had to wear protective gear to go out. Samuel had a nosebleed and claimed he was lacking vitamins and might get sepsis. I had no choice but to brave the scorching sun and drive to a national cold storage facility dozens of miles away to buy vegetables. But when I returned, I caught my husband and Molly together, with the air conditioning set to a cool 75°F (24°C), taking a bubble bath in my bathtub. Molly was completely naked, her delicate hands resting softly on Samuel’s chest. “Where’s my cucumber? I still need to make a cucumber face mask!” she said. Samuel carelessly wrapped his arms around her smooth arms. “I’ve already asked Aria to go buy it. She shouldn’t be back so soon. That woman is madly in love with me, she’s just my lapdog. We can stay here comfortably and treat her like a maid.” They were living in my house, enjoying my supplies, and yet they were rolling around together right under my nose! I was instantly overcome with anger and rushed into the bathroom to catch them in the act. But this pair of scoundrels panicked and jumped at me, stripping off my protective gear and locking me out on the north-facing balcony. In the terrifying heat of over 122°F (50°C), I collapsed on the ground, parched and desperate. Before long, I was literally steamed into a mummy! After my death, Molly even persuaded my husband to dismember my body and throw it into the sewer, taking over all my property. At this moment, my phone rang again with a call from Samuel. I calmly answered. It was Samuel’s breathless voice: “Honey, come to 3044 quickly and give me a hand. Bring me a valve stem wrench!”

3044 was where Molly lived. Today, with temperatures soaring to 104°F (40°C), my husband wasn’t resting at noon but was helping our female neighbor fix her air conditioner. When I arrived, Molly was wearing a skimpy crop top, leaving little to the imagination. She was sucking on a banana-flavored popsicle, not biting it, letting it melt and coat her lips with a glistening sheen. Meanwhile, Samuel was standing on a chair, sweating profusely as he fiddled with the central air conditioning unit. “So cool! But it doesn’t really beat the heat. Though with you here fixing my AC, I don’t feel hot at all,” Molly said with a dazzling smile. She turned and saw me, feigning surprise and sticking out her tongue playfully. After experiencing my past life and this one, I finally understood that her carefree act was just a ploy to seduce men. I walked past her and looked up at my husband, whose back was soaked with sweat. “What are you doing?” I asked. He scratched his head sheepishly. “Honey, I grew up in the countryside. My dad used to fix appliances, so I’m used to doing this stuff. It’s a piece of cake.” Samuel was too lazy to even change a light bulb at home, always calling the housekeeper to do it. But now he was enthusiastically exploring new territory from scratch. It seems beauty really can make men more diligent than a lapdog. “Did you bring the valve stem wrench?” he asked. I shook my head. “You’ve never done this kind of work at home. We don’t have the wrench you mentioned.” “Oh well, forget it then, Sam. You should go back with Aria. I’ll call a professional to fix the AC. Don’t trouble yourself,” Molly said, hugging her arms. Her thin fabric was almost see-through, and from Samuel’s angle, he could perfectly see her enticing curves. After years of marriage, based on my understanding of him, I noticed Samuel was actually getting aroused. He quickly turned away, trying to hide it. “Alright then, call me if you need any more help,” he said. I looked around, taking in the messy state of the room. On the large table were instant noodle cups that had been left out for a long time, while the window table displayed an elaborate dessert stand. On an old plastic hanger hung a pair of GUCCI’s latest black stockings. The contrast between slovenliness and sophistication was perfectly embodied in one person. Molly was a boudoir model. She normally couldn’t afford to live in our neighborhood, but she had rented this house for a photoshoot. Her Instagram was full of posts showing a luxurious lifestyle and artistic poetry. And my husband would comment “Admirable!” on every single post, consistently liking them rain or shine, his excessive care almost spilling off the screen. I had never noticed these thoughts of his before because I didn’t use Instagram. She looked at Samuel standing next to me with a sour expression: “I’m so envious of Aria! Financially independent, with such a good husband by her side every day. Not like me.” Molly had been married for three years, but her husband worked overseas and only came back a few times a year. At this moment, I suddenly noticed a brand new Hermès bag on the table. Without even thinking, I knew Samuel had bought it for her. She saw me staring and proudly lifted her chin. “Isn’t it pretty? A big fan bought it for me!” “You know, as a woman, you have to be independent. You can’t just rely on your husband. The real skill is making other men willingly spend money on you.” Samuel’s expression didn’t change a bit. “Honey, do you like this style? I’ll buy you one someday.” I almost laughed out cold. He really was a hypocrite through and through, using my money to play the generous and gallant man. When I first met Samuel, he was still a vibrant college student on the green football field. I was already working at a research institute and had made a name for myself. Occasionally, when I went back to my alma mater as a guest lecturer, I would see him on the basketball court. When he dunked, the wind would lift his tank top, revealing his pumping abs. His waist and abdomen would contract, his eyes blazing with passion. Whenever he saw me, his ears would turn bright red as he called me “big sis.” There was a six-year age gap between us. Although I was moved, I didn’t really entertain any serious thoughts. Later, he took a part-time job at the gym where I had a membership, volunteering to be my diving instructor. One thing led to another, and we naturally got together. In adult relationships, I didn’t shy away from what we were both after. Before we got married, I made it clear to him that as long as he maintained his abs, I could support him financially. He wouldn’t need to worry about making money. Besides working at the research institute, I also invested in the US stock market and had a considerable income. I would give him $200,000 in pocket money every month. My only requirement for him, apart from maintaining his physique, was fidelity. Yet he still fell for someone else. Unfortunately, once a man is tainted, there’s no reason for him to exist anymore.

These past few days, the temperature on the streets at noon had reached a frightening 113°F (45°C). Just like in my previous life, I had stocked up on various supplies and was calmly facing this natural disaster. All outdoor work had completely stopped, switching to online remote work. Only personnel in certain special positions were still gritting their teeth and persevering. The internet was constantly filled with anxiety. Even a one-hour water outage could cause widespread panic. The recent trending topic was about an elderly scavenger who collapsed on the street. His skin stuck to the asphalt surface, causing severe burns that led to his death. Netizens were praying and mourning, but no one used the candle emoji anymore because it was just too hot. As the high temperatures persisted, power systems in many places experienced problems, and news of heat-related deaths became more frequent. But in my little mansion, I remained vigilant, conserving electricity and not daring to let my guard down. Fortunately, my parents lived in a colder northern city, where the terrifying heatwave hadn’t spread yet. “Aria, it’s only in the 80s (30s°C) here, and we have enough supplies. Don’t worry about us, just take good care of yourself!” my mom said. I reminded my parents to use the air conditioning without hesitation, and then transferred $10,000 to them for electricity bills. This allowed me to focus on devising a perfect hunting plan to get revenge on the cheating couple. As the heatwave descended, Molly had already fainted several times at home, each time calling my husband to take her to the hospital. I didn’t stop him, still calmly eating ice-cold watermelon on the sofa while watching TV. Samuel finally couldn’t hold back and made the same request to me. “Aria, why don’t we invite Molly to stay with us?” “We have plenty of supplies, and how much can a frail woman eat? What’s wrong with helping out a neighbor?” This time, I didn’t even think before agreeing. “Sure, honey. Of course we should help our neighbors.” I smiled and went along with Samuel. He seemed surprised that I agreed so readily, nodding appreciatively. “I knew my wife was the most kind-hearted and generous. Please don’t feel bothered by this.” But he didn’t know that I had already upgraded the whole-house system of the mansion. Dear husband, how could I feel bothered? I can’t wait for you both to come and deliver yourselves to death. On the first day Molly moved in, she secretly wore clothes from my walk-in closet. When I called her out for dinner, Samuel’s eyes were filled with undisguised admiration. “Why are you wearing Aria’s clothes?” he asked. Molly said, “I saw so many beautiful clothes in Aria’s closet, I couldn’t resist trying them on.” My husband couldn’t help but praise her again. “I think it suits you very well. Aria has so many clothes anyway, this one can be yours.” He didn’t even ask for my opinion, clearly treating me like thin air. But I just shrugged indifferently. It was just a piece of clothing, I didn’t mind at all being the most patient hunter. Even while staying home to avoid the heat, Molly claimed to be career-minded and wouldn’t give up her modeling work. Samuel enjoyed photography as a hobby, so Molly asked him to help her shoot a set of photos, even coming up with a title: #HotandSpicy! Goddess Street Style in the Heatwave. She said proudly: “I plan to send it to the editor of a fashion magazine. I have a feeling this set will definitely go viral.” I glanced at Molly’s new outfit. It turned out she had cut up my $20,000 dress, transforming it from its original simple home style into a revealing, tattered look. In my past life, as they were taking photos like this, they ended up rolling into the bathtub together. Samuel knew that I always had a regular schedule, going to bed early at 9:30 PM. Today, I even made an excuse that I wasn’t feeling well due to my period, telling him to sleep alone, conveniently creating the perfect opportunity for him. As night fell, I coldly stared at the computer screen. Sure enough, Samuel and Molly went to my largest bathroom. While countless people outside were dying from the heat, they turned on the air conditioning to a cool 75°F (24°C), not cherishing the precious electricity resources at all, and started taking a bubble bath together. Samuel hugged the woman in his arms, gently massaging shower gel onto her body. Seductive moans could be heard from the bathroom. Molly looked at him with bedroom eyes. “If your wife finds out, she’ll definitely kill me. Your wife is so scary.” Although she said this, she showed no fear at all, giggling flirtatiously. Samuel frowned: “That old hag? I’m just putting on an act with her. She’s after my looks, I’m after her money. She’s crazy about me, no need to worry about her.” He cupped the woman’s face, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “Tonight, why don’t you be on top? I’ll be at your mercy.” Molly playfully hit his chest. “You tease! Only you know how to sweet-talk me like that.” I felt sick to my stomach. How could I ever have fallen for such a despicable man? Meanwhile, I acted like the sleeping husband in those Japanese movies, completely oblivious. Fifteen minutes later, they finished, not realizing the bathroom door had automatically locked. Samuel grinned mischievously, “Still feeling hot?” Molly blushed, mumbling something indistinct. “…Your ‘big popsicle’ is the best way to cool down in this heat, honey.” Afterwards, they turned on the overhead shower, embracing under the water. Through the surveillance, I watched their entangled bodies. My bathroom was also a sauna room, with remotely controlled temperature and shower settings. When the sauna mode was activated, the dry heat could reach over 167°F (75°C), potentially going as high as 212°F (100°C). However, the human body can hardly withstand such extreme heat and sweating. If the time isn’t controlled, it can easily be fatal. Remembering how I was literally roasted to death in my past life, I shuddered, my teeth chattering from the cold in this scorching weather. Since they were seeking thrills, why not indulge them? With that thought, I pressed the temperature control button without hesitation.

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At my cousin’s wedding, she announced in front of everyone that I had over a hundred million dollars in savings and demanded that I buy a new house for the newlyweds. She then incited our relatives to pressure me into revealing my secret to wealth. I opened my phone to show them my overdue payment messages, looking helpless. “Megan, have you gone mad with poverty? Where would I get that kind of money?” Two months ago, Megan discovered my social media account. She kept sending me private messages trying to confirm my identity, but I ignored them all, pretending not to see. Over the next few days, my videos were repeatedly reported for no reason. After multiple appeals, the platform finally restored my account. I knew Megan was behind this, but I chose to continue playing dumb. Three days ago, I received an invitation to my cousin’s wedding. I initially planned to just send a cash gift and not attend, but then Grandpa called, saying he missed me and wanted me to come back for sure. Before moving away for middle school, I had always lived with Grandpa. He was very good to me. Realizing that the last time I visited was during the New Year, I decided to make the trip this time. But before going back, I had to make thorough preparations. On the day of the wedding, I rushed to the village right after getting off the plane. These days, not many people hold weddings in villages anymore, as most prefer hotels to appear more prestigious. The bride was from a neighboring village, and after discussing it, both families decided to hold the wedding in the village to save money. When I arrived, the ceremony had already started. Megan spotted me from afar and ran over to help with my luggage. I nervously clutched my suitcase, not letting her take it. She smiled at me, “Lily, let me help you carry it inside. You must be tired from the trip, right?” I quickly waved her off, “No, no, I’m not tired at all. I’ll go see Grandpa at his house first, then come over later.” Seeing me run off in a panic, she became certain that I was the million-dollar influencer she suspected. I chatted with Grandpa for a while, taking out the clothes, pants, and supplements I had brought for him from my suitcase. Grandpa had always been frugal, with four sons and one daughter. He always thought of his children first, while he remained skinny as a rail and still worked on the farm. Just as I was about to take out the prepared cash gift to give to Grandpa, Megan burst in. “Cousin, what nice things did you bring back? Did you bring any gifts for me?” She was wearing what appeared to be an expensive outfit, but the loose threads at the seams screamed “cheap knockoff.” Before I could stop her, she snatched the cash gift from my hand. She felt its thickness and sneered, “Is that all? You’re so stingy! You should give Grandpa at least twenty or thirty thousand!” I grabbed the envelope back from her and gave it to Grandpa. “Keep this for yourself, don’t give it to anyone else. They’re all able-bodied and can earn their own money. An old man like you doesn’t need to support them.” Grandpa lowered his head without a word and put the envelope under his pillow. I turned and pulled Megan outside. “I don’t know how much you gave Grandpa. Twenty thousand? Or thirty thousand?” Megan choked, “How could I have that kind of money? Unlike you, who’s earned so much without telling us.” I didn’t respond and walked straight to the wedding venue. There were a lot of relatives, but I wasn’t close to many of them. After moving away as a child, I rarely came back. I had only added a few cousins on social media in recent years, but we hardly ever communicated. However, they seemed overly enthusiastic when they saw me. I could guess who was behind this.

My aunt Sarah came over and put her arm around my shoulders, fawning, “Oh my, Lily, you’ve become more and more beautiful. They say money nourishes a person, and it seems to be true!” I smiled politely, “Aunt Sarah, you’re joking. What does this have to do with money? I’ve always been pretty.” Aunt Sarah wasn’t angry at my retort. “Yes, yes, our Lily has always been beautiful. Come, sit with us at our table.” She pulled me to a round table and sat me down. This was the main table for the groom’s closest relatives. I instinctively wanted to leave, but Aunt Sarah firmly held me in place. “Don’t go, just sit here.” Aunt Sarah smiled at me, but I found it rather creepy. When most of the guests had arrived, the kitchen started serving the dishes. While everyone around was chatting and laughing, the people at this table were silently staring at me. Aunt Sarah, sitting next to me, kept putting food on my plate. An ominous feeling swept over me. Sure enough, Aunt Sarah spoke up: “Lily, what kind of work are you doing these days?” I added a piece of braised beef to my plate. “Just a regular job, what else could I do?” Megan snorted coldly: “You’re no fun like this. I saw your account, you know. Over two million followers!” I looked at her in confusion: “What account? What followers?” Megan seemed surprised that I would deny it. She stood up and took out her phone to show me. “This one, with the username ‘Sesame Seed.’ Isn’t this you?” I shook my head, hiding my nervousness, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Megan became more agitated. “Fine, pretend you don’t know. But I’ve already confirmed that this account is yours! You accept so many sponsorship deals every day, you must be making at least a million dollars a month, right?” Everyone at the table’s eyes lit up. “A million dollars? A million dollars a month? My goodness, that’s incredible.” Megan came over trying to look at my phone, but I protected it, not letting her see. She smugly said, “What are you hiding? Didn’t you say you don’t know what I’m talking about? You’re really not being fair.” “We’re all struggling here as a family, and you’re secretly making a fortune? Without even helping us out!” I put down my chopsticks and looked into her eyes, seeing nothing but greed. “I really don’t know what you’re talking about. If I could make a million dollars a month, why wouldn’t I tell you all?” Megan didn’t believe me at all. “Hmph, you say you don’t have money. Then how did you get that Hermès bag? That bag must cost over a hundred thousand dollars, right? How could you afford such an expensive bag if you don’t have money?” I stood up and showed the bag to Megan. “Is this Hermès? Really? I just bought it online randomly. It only cost forty or fifty dollars!” Megan came closer to examine my bag, looking at it for a while before taking out her phone to search for images online. “You’re lying, this is Hermès!” She showed the phone to Aunt Sarah sitting next to me. “Aunt, look, isn’t it exactly the same!” Aunt Sarah looked at the phone and then at my bag. “It does look similar, but the capital H seems a bit different. See, it doesn’t protrude on the sides. The one in the phone image protrudes.” Hearing this, Megan ran over to compare, “It really is different! Cousin, don’t tell me you deliberately brought a fake bag to trick us.” My heart skipped a beat, she had actually guessed it, but I definitely couldn’t admit it. I quickly took out my phone and found the order. “I bought this several months ago, why would I trick you?” Everyone immediately lost interest, looking at their phones as if the big money tree they imagined had suddenly vanished into thin air. Uncle David muttered, “I knew all that talk about getting rich overnight was nonsense. People only have the fate of earning money through honest work. Our family just isn’t destined for wealth.”

I nodded along, “That’s right, isn’t it better to earn money honestly? Life should be down-to-earth, don’t always daydream.” Megan still wasn’t giving up. She took out her phone and kept sending messages. Suddenly, she shouted, “Look at this influencer’s IP address! She’s in Cloud City right now! It’s you! You’re just pretending to be poor, aren’t you?” My secret had been exposed, and I nervously took a sip of cola from the table. Aunt Sarah got excited and patted my shoulder, “Lily, tell Auntie the truth, do you really have money or not?” Uncle David chimed in, “Yeah, we’re all family, give us a straight answer. Look at your second uncle’s wedding today, we originally wanted to have it at a restaurant in town.” “It’s only because we didn’t have money that we’re having it in the countryside. If you have money, you should contribute some to help the family. Life is hard for everyone, you can’t be so selfish.” Megan coldly walked towards me, “Cousin, how much did you give as a wedding gift? Why don’t you just buy a house in the county for your second cousin? A house in the county only costs about a million dollars, you earn that in a month.” Aunt Sarah wasn’t happy, “Your eldest cousin doesn’t have a house either. Buy one for him first!” The groom and bride happened to come to our table for a toast. Everyone stood up to raise their glasses with them. After exchanging pleasantries, I was about to sit down when Megan said, “Brother, Lily has promised to buy you a house in the county! You should thank her quickly.” My second aunt’s eyes widened, “Really? Lily, are you really buying a house for my son?” I laughed awkwardly, “Don’t listen to Megan’s nonsense. Where would I get money to buy a house? I’m still renting myself.” The newlyweds smiled and moved on to the next table, but my second aunt pushed my second uncle to sit with us. Megan looked at me sideways, her face full of calculation. I couldn’t eat another bite at this table, just listening to Megan speak again, “I heard before that Aunt Linda was selfish, but I didn’t expect you to be just as selfish as her.” My hand on my leg tightened. This bitch dared to insult my mom! I held back from lashing out, after all, it was someone’s wedding. I couldn’t make too big a scene, but I couldn’t sit still anymore. I had already toasted the couple, so I stood up to leave. Unexpectedly, Megan rushed over and snatched my bag, starting to rummage through it in front of me. The bag wasn’t big, with only a few items inside: a phone, a cushion compact, and a hotel key card. Megan looked at the key card back and forth, “Lily, why are you staying in a hotel when you’ve come back home?” She stared at me greedily, making my back break out in a cold sweat. I sat down and took back my things, “My business is none of your concern. You dropout troublemaker, haven’t you caused enough chaos outside? Now you’re making a scene at your second cousin’s wedding! Has your brain gone bad?” “If you’re sick, you need treatment. A small illness untreated becomes a big one, and a big illness untreated leads only to death!” I took my things and walked towards the exit. Megan angrily cursed behind me, “You bitch, how dare you insult me! Your brain is the one that’s messed up, your whole family’s brains are messed up! Didn’t your mom die of a brain tumor? I bet you won’t live long either!!!” I stopped and turned back to look. Megan’s expression was particularly vicious, with the people around her wearing expressions of schadenfreude. I smiled at her, took out my phone to switch accounts, and sent her a message. …

[You’re destined to be poor and lowly. Even beggars on the street have more integrity than you. You’re just a maggot squirming in a trash can! Even if you try your hardest, you’ll only make it from the trash can to the dump, you worthless piece of garbage!] Megan saw the message and ran out screaming, trying to grab me. I was one step ahead, getting into the taxi waiting at the village entrance. Through the car window, I waved goodbye to Megan. She screamed hysterically, even scaring the taxi driver. “What’s wrong with that young lady? Does she have some business with you?” the driver asked. I smiled and answered, “It’s nothing, she’s just hungry.” The driver didn’t ask any more questions. I returned to the hotel and immediately packed my things to return to New York. Knowing Megan, I was sure she would come after me. Just as I arrived at the airport, she sent me a message. [I’m already downstairs at your hotel, don’t think you can escape. I’ll definitely catch you, and you must hand over the money.] [Aunt Sarah, Aunt Linda, and Aunt Mary are all here. You just wait!] I took a photo of the airport and sent it to her. [Dear sister, have you ever been on a plane in your life?] The next second, I blocked her account. I could imagine her screaming and shouting in frustration now, as that’s her only trick. The drama Megan stirred up continued for over two months. My account kept receiving baseless reports, so I simply stopped updating it. After all, I had other accounts. Megan sent harassing messages to my WeChat every day. I set her to “Do Not Disturb” and let her rant. Such colorful and vulgar language was usually off-limits, but I guess I learned something new.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “294557”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #重生Reborn #校园School #浪漫Romance #魔幻Magic #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #后宫Harem #玄幻Fantsy