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In my past life, Liam’s first love died taking a knife for me. He hated me to the core, so he locked me up, beginning years of day-and-night torment. Until my twenty-second birthday, physically and mentally exhausted, I finally couldn’t hold on anymore. I chose to slit my wrists and commit suicide. Right before I died, I saw Liam’s bloodshot eyes. He warned me, “In your next life, don’t fall for me, and don’t come between me and Chloe.” As he wished. When I woke up again, I was sitting in my senior year classroom. The noise of a basketball game drifted in from the field outside. Liam pushed the door open and casually threw his school jacket into my lap: “Hold this for me. Chloe is coming to watch the game later.” For the first time, I didn’t eagerly run up to him, full of joy. Liam didn’t know yet. In this life, I would automatically stay far, far away from him. 1 The school jacket landed softly on my desk. I instinctively moved my wrists. There was no bone-deep pain. These wrists… in my past life, Liam had tied them to the headboard with a tie for seven whole days. Just because on the anniversary of Chloe’s death, I still refused to admit I was wrong. What mistake was I supposed to admit? Chloe was my older sister, the true biological daughter of the family. As soon as she was found and brought home, she gained the love of everyone in the family. I admit, I was jealous of her once. And for a very long time, I resented her. I resented that the moment she appeared, she stole my mom and dad. Stole my “Brother Liam.” But she was so thin and small. When she was first brought back, her face was pale. She would only gently call me, “Mia.” My heart suddenly softened. I thought, maybe having an older sister… wouldn’t be so bad. Mom and Dad told me that my sister was in poor health. I needed to yield to her in everything. So, she wanted my room. I yielded. She wanted my dolls, I yielded. She liked the pretty dresses I picked out, I yielded them all. But when I entered middle school, I realized my sister also liked Liam. This time, I refused to yield. That was my favorite Brother Liam; we grew up together. I couldn’t yield. But I never expected that the only time I ever fought Chloe for something… Just that once. The cost would be a human life. And four years of absolute darkness for me. … Chloe taking the knife for me happened very suddenly. She fell into a pool of blood. Her last words were: “Mia… I’m giving Liam back to you. Don’t blame me anymore, okay?” At that moment, Liam rushed over and saw this exact scene. Chloe took a knife for me. She hemorrhaged heavily. And because she had a blood clotting disorder, before the ambulance even arrived, She died on the spot. And her ambiguous last words made Liam hate me with a venomous passion. That day, my Brother Liam asked me with a chillingly calm face: “Mia, why wasn’t it you who died?” Only this time did I learn. It turned out that afternoon, Chloe had arranged to confess her feelings to Liam. But unfortunately, she ran into a gang of thugs having a turf war. In the chaos, she pushed me away. 2 It was strange. Everyone was very strange. After learning that Chloe died taking a knife for me, I became the target of everyone’s condemnation. The home I had lived in for over a decade was completely destroyed. Dad aged overnight, his hair turning white. He told me, “You shouldn’t even be alive.” Mom beat me, kicking and punching, screaming in a breakdown: “You are a jinx! You killed my Chloe! Give me my Chloe back!” They stopped letting me go to school. They locked me in the ancestral shrine all day, every day. But… Why not blame the murderer? Why blame me? Wasn’t I a victim too? Is the one who survives automatically the one in the wrong? I didn’t know. I only knew that, just as they said… I owed Chloe for the rest of my life. I owed her a life. … I stayed in the dark, sunless ancestral shrine for a long time. Until my eighteenth birthday. Liam convinced my parents. And finally, they let me out. Seeing the sunlight after so long, my legs gave out. I could barely stand. Liam, without saying a word, carried me on his back. Step by step, we walked to Columbia University. Columbia was the university I wanted to apply to. It was also the one Chloe had wanted to attend. In the season when the bauhinia flowers were blooming, Liam’s voice was very, very soft. “Mia, did you know? This was once Chloe’s dream too. But she can never achieve it now.” I didn’t reply. I just silently cried on his back. That day was my eighteenth birthday. And it was the last time Liam ever showed me any tenderness. After that, I was unenrolled from school. Locked in the attic at home. Mom and Dad went abroad, completely washing their hands of me. Liam no longer had any scruples. At first, I still begged for mercy. “Please let me go, Brother Liam.” But the attic was too dark. Not a sliver of sunlight. I was trapped inside, losing track of time. Losing track of the seasons. Gradually, I started losing my mind. On another anniversary of Chloe’s death, when Liam ordered me to kneel… We erupted into a violent argument. “I won’t kneel!” “I hate her! I hate her! I hate all of you!” “I never asked her to save me!” “Kill me then, Liam! Just kill me!” I was probably a bit crazy by then. Liam kicked me hard in the knee. He didn’t like it when I was disobedient. As punishment for talking back, he dislocated my wrists again. Tying me to the headboard in a humiliating posture. Liam’s tone was cruel. “Don’t blame me, Mia. This is what you owe Chloe.” “Don’t feel wronged. At least you’re still alive.” Oh. So my being alive… Is a mistake. Then I didn’t want to live anymore. On the night of my twenty-second birthday, I couldn’t hold on anymore. Blood soaked the bedsheets. I chose to slit my wrists and commit suicide. Fulfilling their constant refrain: giving my life back to Chloe. 3 Liam’s handsome brow furrowed. He waved his hand in front of my eyes. “Mia?” I snapped back to reality. The boy standing before me had clear eyes. Not the dark malice and hatred from my past life. But I jumped up instantly. Moving far, far away from him. “Um… I have something to do. I won’t go watch the basketball game.” “You guys go ahead.” I was afraid of Liam. Truly afraid. Whenever I got near him, I trembled. The person opposite me was slightly taken aback. Seeming unaccustomed to me rejecting him for the first time. After all, in all our interactions, when had I not been the one eagerly chasing after him? He thought for a long time before speaking: “Mia, are you mad? Because I brought a gift for Chloe a couple of days ago, but didn’t bring one for you?” Mad? I smiled bitterly. What right did I have to be mad? In my past life, although Liam never said he liked me, nor did he say he liked Chloe… He constantly hovered around Chloe. Yet I was blind and couldn’t see it clearly. I even harbored delusional hopes. Fighting with Chloe. No wonder I died so miserably. The school bell rang right on cue. If I remembered correctly, this was a P.E. class. Classes 1 and 2 had a basketball game. Chloe was in the other class and was already standing at the door. Liam ultimately didn’t say anything more. He gave me a look. Turned, and ran toward Chloe waiting at the classroom door. Watching their retreating figures, walking shoulder-to-shoulder. I let out a long breath of relief. However, the reborn me hadn’t even had time to properly enjoy the sunshine. Right before school ended, my mom called me to the hospital. The reason was, Chloe was having an episode. She needed a blood transfusion. Just like in my past life, whenever she needed it. I was still her personal blood bank at all times. Actually, at the very beginning, Mom and Dad said Chloe had a rare disease. She needed frequent blood transfusions. And when my blood type happened to match… I was actually very glad. Because I had lots and lots of blood. I could save my sister. I knew very early on that Mom and Dad loved my sister more. After all, she was their biological daughter. That was understandable. I only thought, if I could just treat my sister a little better, and a little better… Mom and Dad would be happy. And when they were happy, they would love me again. But Chloe was too greedy. She always cried, always needed my blood. The increasingly frequent occurrences left me overwhelmed. Especially when Liam was around, it was even more obvious. Just like right now. I took a cab and rushed over. Before being pushed into the hospital room, Liam hurriedly shoved a gift box into my hands. 4 A long, suffocating silence. Chloe wasn’t far from me. She also saw the gift box. With a pale face, she smiled at me. “Mia, Arthur really is very attentive to you.” “You didn’t come to the basketball game this afternoon. He stopped halfway through, said he had something to do, and just walked away.” “I only found out later that he went to buy a gift for you.” “He was afraid you were upset.” I raised an eyebrow. So this was the reason Chloe was having another “episode” today. Thinking back to my past life, it was the same. Every time Liam treated me even slightly well… Chloe would inevitably feel unwell and get hospitalized. I took a rough look at the gift box. A very expensive, co-branded watch. A limited edition, debuting in New York. No wonder Liam thought I was mad. This was something I had wanted for a long time. I asked Liam to help me snag one. But then Chloe wanted it too. Seeing her poor health, Liam gave it to her instead. I shook my head. Laughing at my own stupidity. Everything reminded me that Liam already had someone he favored this early on. Why was I so stubbornly blind? Drawing blood made me dizzy. Probably seeing that my face truly looked bad, Chloe instantly put on a look of extreme guilt. “I’m sorry, Mia. It’s all because your sister is too useless.” “I always need you to donate blood.” “If it weren’t for me, you definitely would be…” Before she could finish. Right in front of her, without hesitation, I threw the gift box into the trash can. I curled my lips. “It’s just the two of us here. There’s really no need for you to put on an act.” Chloe froze for a moment. As if she didn’t expect me to be so blunt. I was truly tired and didn’t want to play pretend. I pulled out the IV needle and approached her step by step. Looking down at her from above. “You weren’t having an episode this afternoon at all.” “You were just in a bad mood because you saw Liam give me something.” “You wanted to torture me.” “This trick never fails, does it?”

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After graduating from college, my fiancé suddenly said he wanted to stay and work at the university. I instantly guessed it: Liam had fallen for his academic advisor. So, I had a frank and open conversation with him. Either call off the engagement, or get his advisor transferred elsewhere. He disappeared for an entire night. When he showed up the next day, with dark circles under his eyes, he only said one thing: “The engagement proceeds as planned.” On the day of our engagement party, right at the moment Liam was about to slip the ring onto my finger… Someone suddenly pushed open the banquet hall doors, holding a baby. “Liam, do you really not want me and the baby anymore?” He instinctively curled his fingers inward. I violently grabbed his wrist, warning him in a low voice. “If you dare leave right now, this isn’t over.” He stared at the ring. Just as he was about to put it on me… The baby in the woman’s arms started wailing loudly, as if sensing something. He muttered an apology and left without looking back. … “Chloe, you decide what you want to do about this.” “Whatever happens, your family will always support you.” Saying this, my mom shot a death glare at Liam’s parents. “You really can’t judge a book by its cover. Human hearts are truly unpredictable. I was wondering why Liam practically disappeared for half a year. Turns out he was off having a baby with another woman!” “So this is the Hayes family’s upbringing. If I had a son like that, I’d beat him to death.” I froze for a moment. Liam’s dream was to become a superstar singer. So, the moment he told me he wanted to stay and work at the university… I knew he had fallen in love with his advisor. My best friend laughed at me for being too sensitive. “Staying at the university is perfectly normal, right? The job is stable, plus he gets summer and winter breaks.” I sneered internally. That was because our classmates didn’t know Liam’s and my family backgrounds. Liam’s coming-of-age gift was a ten percent dividend share in his family’s corporation. With his resources, he could do whatever he wanted. The only thing he wouldn’t do was become a nine-to-five university counselor. Our differing plans for the future were the only point of contention between Liam and me. I had to inherit my family’s business, so after graduation, I had to go abroad for further studies. He, on the other hand, had no real ambitions; he just wanted to treat life like a game. This wasn’t a big deal originally. Since he didn’t want to study abroad, I wasn’t going to force him. I still remember the day I decided to study abroad. He hugged me and gently coaxed me. “I don’t want to live a life where I can see the end from the very beginning. What if I actually become a pop star? Then you’ll be a celebrity’s wife.” “I’ll fly overseas to see you. Wouldn’t that be more of a surprise?” I was convinced. So, I went abroad. He stayed behind for his so-called “freedom and ideals.” Our families suggested we get engaged first. But I single-handedly resisted the pressure from both sides. My thought process was simple back then. Let him go achieve his dreams. Don’t let marriage become a burden. But I never expected his “freedom” would extend to having a baby with another woman. I thought he didn’t have time to visit me abroad because of his performances. It turned out it was because he was busy taking care of a pregnant Elena. Actually, it’s not like there weren’t any clues. I just chose to intentionally ignore them. But this is perfect. The truth is out, and we finally don’t have to second-guess each other anymore. My best friend looked at me with immense sympathy. “Girl, the next one will be better.” Her expression made me laugh. But the next second, tears slid down my eyelashes and smashed onto the back of my hand. I tilted my head back and covered my eyes with the back of my hand. A deep sigh echoed in my ear. My parents saw the guests out. In the massive banquet hall, fewer than ten people remained. Only then did Liam’s parents come over and grab my hands. “Chloe, you’re a good girl. What happened today is entirely Liam’s fault.” “It’s also our fault for not disciplining our son properly.” “To think he’d do something like this with his college professor… Don’t worry, Auntie will handle them—” I cut Liam’s mother off. “Auntie, there’s no need.” “That is, after all, your biological grandchild. This is your family’s business; it’s not appropriate for the Davis family to interfere.” “It’s been a chaotic day, so I won’t walk you out.” My obvious gesture of showing them the door made the Hayes parents’ faces look extremely ugly. But they couldn’t utter a single word of protest. Before leaving, Liam’s father asked, refusing to give up: “Chloe, I’ll give you thirty percent of our shares in exchange for you giving the child legitimacy.” “From now on, you can just treat the child as adopted. Our two families can join forces to suppress this scandal…” I smiled. “Uncle Hayes, why should the Davis family sacrifice its reputation for your family’s scandal?” His face changed, filled with the embarrassment of being completely exposed. Seeing my resolute attitude, the two of them had no choice but to leave in disgrace. I never expected the next time I saw them… Would be at our college reunion. Liam and Elena stood openly in the middle of the private room. Accepting the flattery and congratulations of our classmates. “I can’t believe Liam is the second young master of the Hayes family! You hid it so well. You were just experiencing normal life, but the professor dragged you back down to earth?” “Professor, you really should have told us! You already have a kid, but you didn’t even invite us for a wedding drink.” Elena smiled gently and nodded. “You all know Liam’s identity is special. Drink whatever you want tonight; it’s our treat.” Chapter 2 Everyone cheered. Liam stood next to Elena the whole time without saying a word. But his right hand constantly rested on the baby, gently patting it. His face was filled with the soft glow of a new father. I clenched my fists, a relentless coldness seeping into my heart. Them so brazenly accepting congratulations was no different from slapping me in the face. For a moment, I found the scene before me incredibly comical. The man who almost became my fiancé yesterday. Was today receiving our classmates’ blessings with another woman and their child. My best friend, standing beside me, was even angrier than I was. So, she grabbed a glass of wine and walked over. Her tone was pure mockery. “I wonder when Professor Elena and Liam got married and had a kid?” She bit down hard on the words “married and had a kid.” Elena’s face changed, and everyone else’s gaze fixed on my best friend. She then dropped a bombshell. “Did you know Liam has always been engaged? Tell me, as a teacher, does it feel good to knowingly be the ‘other woman’?” Like thunder exploding in everyone’s ears. Everyone stared at Elena. The people who had just been congratulating her silently took a step back. Openly grouping together to whisper and gossip. Liam suddenly stepped in front of Elena, blocking those probing gazes. “Since you don’t know the truth, I advise you to keep your mouth shut and avoid causing trouble for yourself.” My best friend wasn’t intimidated by Liam’s warning in the slightest. Liam shot a vicious glare in my direction. Then he spoke. “Since it’s rare for everyone to gather, we might as well be transparent. I do have an engagement with Chloe Davis, but that was arranged by our elders. It doesn’t represent my personal wishes.” “As an independent person, I believe I have the right to pursue love.” “Unlike some people. The feudal era is over, yet they’re still playing the arranged marriage game. I will absolutely never let anyone bury my life in a forced marriage.” Liam slightly tilted his chin up. Exuding an arrogance built on wealth. A few of the female classmates looked ready to applaud and cheer for him. I didn’t expect that to divert attention, he would throw me to the wolves. He thought I was still that accommodating, yielding fiancée. I let out a cold laugh. And took a step forward. “Listening to you, it seems you completely reject the engagement. Why didn’t you refuse it earlier?” “Do I need to list out all the benefits the Hayes family extracted from the Davis family because of this engagement? That kid of yours is pretty big; it wasn’t born in a day, was it? Before the engagement party yesterday, you had countless opportunities to come clean, but you didn’t.” “Stop acting so noble and pure, Liam. You make me sick.” Liam stayed silent, his face looking awful. Elena, however, got anxious. “Chloe, things aren’t what you think. Liam wanted to tell you a long time ago, but you were preparing to go abroad. He was afraid it would affect your performance, so he planned to wait until you got back.” “But he was afraid you would blame him. He wasn’t completely without feelings for you back then.” “Keeping it from you was for your own good.” Hearing such high-sounding, hypocritical words coming from her mouth… Made me feel even more that these two were meant for each other. Equally nauseating. My best friend couldn’t hold back and unleashed her venomous tongue again. “Oh, so according to Professor Elena, Chloe should get on her knees and thank you two cheating scumbags?” “Shut up!” Liam was angry. “Elena and I did absolutely nothing while I was a student!” My best friend sneered. “So what? You can never change the fact that you were her student for the rest of your life!” Liam instinctively looked at me, opening his mouth as if trying to explain something. But ultimately, he could only grab Elena and leave. Chapter 3 Actually, Elena was originally my academic advisor. Later, during our sophomore year, Liam said he wanted to major in the same subject as me and transferred into our class. Then I noticed he frequently went to Elena’s office. Realizing something was off, I asked him about it once. He smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist. “My little jealous pot! I transferred to your class just so we could spend more time together.” “I have to catch up on the classes I missed, right? I can’t believe you doubt me!” I frowned. “Liam, I’m a woman too. The way Elena looks at you isn’t exactly innocent.” “You’re too possessive. Just because we’re together, does that mean no one else can even look at me?” “Chloe, your way of thinking is very dangerous.” At the time, I couldn’t tell if it was just my possessiveness acting up or something else. I didn’t dwell on it. But looking back now, Elena probably had her eyes on him from the very beginning. It was just that her position prevented her from making the first move. To be able to seduce Liam into risking having a child with her while he was engaged… that takes some skill. That very night, I packed up everything related to Liam. I thought about the expensive gifts for a moment. I packed them up and arranged for someone to return them to him the next day. But I didn’t expect that after receiving the items, Liam’s father would show up at my door again. “Chloe, look at these things. Liam really put a lot of thought into them back then.” “Which one of these doesn’t prove his feelings? It’s normal for young people to have a moment of confusion.” “Isn’t it normal to date a few people before getting married nowadays? For the sake of our families’ relationship, please reconsider? What Uncle said yesterday still stands. What do you think?” I pulled my lips into a mock smile. “Uncle Hayes, why don’t you ask Auntie? If you had a child with someone else before you got married, would she still have married you?” “Dating before marriage is normal now. But from the day our engagement was set, I haven’t had contact with any other guys, because in my eyes, I don’t want to hurt two people at the same time.” I didn’t expect Mr. Hayes to actually bring Liam along too. As soon as I finished speaking, he strode in from behind the door. “But you never asked me what happened back then! You never asked me why I had to do it!” “Chloe Davis, if I say I had my reasons, would you believe me?” “By taking this ‘cut the Gordian knot’ attitude now, aren’t you just hurting me in a different way?” I listened to everything he had to say. Maintaining my composure. “Liam, this is the last shred of dignity I’m giving you, and myself.” Liam completely broke down. Screaming without any regard for his image. “But I don’t want dignity! I want a wife who loves me deeply!” “I want to marry a living, breathing person, not a high-society heir who acts like a precision machine!” My heart suddenly clenched. So that was it. True, romance wasn’t the entirety of my life, but I had already given him everything I possibly could. I didn’t speak for a long time, the air seemingly frozen. Everyone thought I was indifferent. Only my mom saw my trembling back. She rushed down from the second floor and slapped Liam hard across the face. “How did the Hayes family raise such a heartless thing like you!” Liam instinctively shoved my mom. “I’ve never been hit by anyone my entire life. What gives you the right?!” “Let alone the fact that I’m not your Davis family’s son-in-law today—even if I were, try touching me again!” I stepped forward to support my mom, looking at Liam in shock. My mom’s raised hand was still trembling. But Liam was like a snapped bowstring. His voice hoarse. “If you hadn’t bound Chloe with all your rules, turning her into this rigid, inflexible person, how could we have missed our chance?” “This is all your fault!” Chapter 4 “Shut up!” “Liam, you have no right to point fingers at my mother.” “Get out of my house.” After Liam left, exhaustion seeped into every corner of my body. My mom hadn’t yet recovered from the shock. She just looked at me blankly. She wanted to say something, but ultimately kept her head down and went upstairs. I didn’t know how to comfort her. After Liam showed his hand, his affection for Elena and their child became increasingly undisguised. Not only did he register the child under the Hayes family name. He also got Elena a much more prestigious job. On her birthday, he even booked the hardest-to-get restaurant in the city and posted a photo of the two of them. Making sure everyone in our circle knew. Some friends who were close to me sent screenshots of his social media posts. 【Chloe, are you just going to let this go? You can tolerate this?】 I didn’t reply. I just silently clicked on the post. I noticed many people commenting underneath. Filled with mockery and sarcasm. 【Liam, you’re the man. Can’t believe you actually bagged your own professor.】 【If you didn’t want to marry Chloe, you should have said so earlier! You just wasted her time. Chloe is my ultimate crush.】 【A woman like this is just for playing around with. You actually brought her to the main table? Aren’t you embarrassed?】 Just as I was scrolling through the comments. A pinned comment suddenly appeared. 【Background doesn’t dictate ability. And Elena is my lover. Disrespecting her means disrespecting me.】 Then, those mocking comments disappeared. My gaze grew even colder. Liam was establishing dominance for Elena. And publicly slapping me in the face. What I never expected was that this wasn’t even the worst thing Liam would do. Because she was triggered by Liam last time, my mom hadn’t slept well for days. Today, she couldn’t even get out of bed. Terrified, I immediately contacted the hospital. And the best hospital for treating this kind of illness was owned by the Hayes family. Fighting back my trembling, I called Liam. I wanted him to arrange a doctor. But he hung up on me three times in a row. With no other choice, I had to take my mom to the emergency room first. But we couldn’t even get in. A young nurse looked at me nervously, apologizing profusely. “Ms. Davis, we really don’t have any beds available. The doctors are all busy. If you delay this any longer, I’m afraid it’ll be dangerous.” Of course I knew that, but right now, I had no better options. I could only try to negotiate with the nurse again. “I have—” I was about to say I had shares in the Hayes family hospital. But before I could get the words out, Liam loudly interrupted me. “No matter who comes today, the hospital’s rules cannot be bypassed.” “Chloe, didn’t you cut ties with the Hayes family a long time ago? Does it matter who you are anymore?” “I can let bygones be bygones and arrange a room and a doctor, but she must apologize!” Liam pointed at my mother in my arms. His eyes filled with resentment. Because of that slap last time, he held a grudge against the person who had cared for him for over a decade. My heart turned completely to ice. A stroke is no minor issue. I didn’t dare delay. I could only take a step back. “Liam, I’ll apologize to you, okay? For the sake of how my mom treated you all these years—” “No. She hit me and humiliated Elena. The fact that I’m not making her kneel is already me showing mercy.” Liam blocked the hallway, ignoring the stares of the people around us. Insisting my mom apologize. More and more people gathered to watch the drama. Just as everyone thought my mom would apologize. The sound of an ambulance suddenly rang out outside. Five or six doctors wearing uniforms from the best private hospital in North City bowed to me. And efficiently arranged everything. Before getting into the ambulance, I looked at Liam, who was frozen in place. I made a phone call right in front of his face. “Pull all cooperative projects with the Hayes Group.” “Within a month, I don’t want to see a single Hayes-affiliated company still turning a profit.”

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1 When my boyfriend, whose year-end bonus was a measly $4,000, found out I had bought a $12,000 mink coat for the holidays, he went completely ballistic. “Chloe, are you insane?” “Is this coat plated in gold or encrusted with diamonds? It costs three times my bonus!” He grabbed me and aggressively tried to drag me toward the door. “While the tags are still on, hurry up and come with me to the mall to return it. We can use the refund money to buy holiday gifts for my family.” “My mom’s back is acting up; I want to buy her a massage chair. You aren’t even married into the family yet. If you don’t bleed a little now to show your sincerity, how can you expect my mom to dote on you later?” “And my sister, she might be talking marriage after she graduates next year. As her sister-in-law, shouldn’t you pitch in for her dowry?” Listening to his self-righteous calculations, I impatiently shook off his hand and seriously scanned the already emptied-out rental apartment. After winning the $10 million grand prize, I threw away all my old stuff. It seems the only thing left to toss was this incredibly low-class boyfriend. … Seeing me stand still, Arthur got anxious. “Don’t think you can stall by staying silent. What I say goes.” As he spoke, he reached out, trying to yank the mink coat right off my back. I took a large step backward and smacked his hand away hard. “Why should I return it?” “Do I need to submit an application to you to spend my own money on a holiday outfit?” “What kind of attitude is that!” Arthur clutched his stinging hand, spit flying from his mouth. “We are going to get married. There is no ‘your money’ or ‘my money’, it’s our money!” “Since it’s our money, and you’re spending it wrong, why shouldn’t I say something?” “Tell me, what kind of woman is as extravagant as you, spending twelve thousand on a single piece of clothing?!” The more he spoke, the angrier he got, his finger nearly poking my nose. “Do you have any idea what that twelve thousand could do?” “My mom is complaining about back pain; five thousand could buy a very nice massage chair. Another five thousand could buy a gold necklace for my sister, and the remaining two thousand could be used for holiday groceries!” “And you actually used it to buy clothes. You are truly a spendthrift!” Hearing the word “spendthrift,” I couldn’t hold back anymore and slapped him across the face. Over the past three years, he and his family had thrown that word around countless times. I wasn’t allowed to eat premium jumbo cherries. If I did, I was a “gluttonous spendthrift” in his mother’s mouth. Yet she’d turn around and demand I buy her imported Musang King durians costing hundreds of dollars each, under the guise of “nourishing her body.” I wasn’t allowed to drink a $9.90 coffee from Luckin. If I did, I was a “vain spendthrift” in his sister’s mouth. Yet she would use the Starbucks gift card I gave her to post pictures of her “elegant afternoon tea” on social media every day. I wasn’t allowed to take a cab when it rained; I had to squeeze onto the bus or subway. He said a good relationship means sharing hardships, otherwise, I was an ignorant spendthrift! Yet he’d turn around and demand I withdraw my housing provident fund to pay the down payment on his car. Not to mention Disney, a place I had always wanted to go. Every year on my birthday, when I brought it up, Arthur would criticize me for being too old to play with children’s things, not knowing how to live practically, and being a spendthrift! In this first love of mine, I always believed that giving was the only way to show true feelings, constantly wronging myself. I thought my sacrifices would be seen, that sincerity would be met with sincerity. But what was the result? His family’s life kept getting better and better. Meanwhile, I, who had been consistently promoted and gotten raises over the past three years, earning $20,000 a month—a high earner among my peers—was wearing cheap clearance clothes from discount sites and eating at street stalls. Last month, my dad got sick and desperately needed money. I suddenly discovered that my savings were a mere $5,000! When I asked Arthur for money, he claimed he had put it in a fixed-term deposit and absolutely refused to give me any. In the end, I had to borrow from my best friend. Holding the $30,000 I borrowed, I cried like an idiot in the hospital corridor. After three years of dating, what did I get! I got absolutely nothing. And he still had the nerve to call me a spendthrift! It was utterly ridiculous! Arthur was stunned by the slap. It took him a good while to recover. When he did, he saw that I had already taken a pair of scissors and snipped the tag off the mink coat. As the tag hit the floor. Arthur, ignoring the handprint on his face, shrieked with a contorted expression. “Chloe, are you fucking crazy? Who told you to cut the tag? You can’t return it now!” “How am I supposed to buy gifts for my mom and sister now!” I ignored his ugly demeanor, my tone calm. “If I can’t return it, I can’t return it!” “Besides, I never intended to!” 2 He was completely bewildered by my attitude, slightly dumbfounded. For three years of dating, he had always held the upper hand in our relationship. Ever since he saved me from some thugs, the suspension bridge effect made me think I was desperately in love with him. Before, to save two dollars on bus fare, I would walk three stops with him under the scorching sun. To protect his fragile ego, I scrambled to pay the bill at gatherings with friends, only to eat instant noodles for a week afterward. Even when I first started working and barely had any money myself, if he wanted an iPhone, I would get it for him, even if it meant a 24-month payment plan. It seemed that whenever he frowned, I would reflect on what I had done wrong. He probably thought I was still that soft touch who would obediently fork over money as long as he coaxed me a little or threw a tantrum. But I wasn’t anymore. I didn’t love him anymore. I didn’t even bother looking at him. Instead, I admired myself in the mirror wearing the mink coat, humming a tune. Looking completely disinterested in engaging with him. Arthur couldn’t stand it! He slammed his hand hard on the coffee table. “Chloe, I am very unhappy right now. I don’t like this version of you!” “You used to be sensible, you used to know how to live practically. How did you become so vain and materialistic?” “Acting like this will only make me hate you!” Seeing I didn’t respond, he took a deep breath, pointed at the mink coat I was wearing, and spoke as if he were bestowing a favor. “Since you cut the tag and can’t return it, we’ll let this slide. I won’t hold it against you. But you have to make up for this loss.” “You definitely still have a lot of your year-end bonus left, right?” “Hurry up and transfer twenty thousand to me; I need to go buy the massage chair first. I’ve already talked a big game to my mom. If I don’t produce the goods for the New Year, we’ll both lose face!” “Lose both our faces?” I covered my mouth and burst out laughing. “We aren’t even married; we’re just boyfriend and girlfriend. Your mom is your mom, not mine. Why should I honor her? Besides, have I bought few things for your mom and sister over the past three years?” “Have you ever bought anything for my parents, even once?” Arthur guiltily avoided my gaze. I still refused to let him off, sneering: “Furthermore, you didn’t work hard yourself and only got a $4,000 bonus. You can’t even afford a $5,000 massage chair. What the hell does that have to do with me!” Arthur’s ego was bruised, his face turning the color of pig liver. “Chloe, what do you mean? Are you saying I’m poor, a loser, and not good enough for you?” He thought I would deny it, but unexpectedly, I nodded. “Yes, a man who needs his girlfriend to pay for gifts for his own family is really nothing special.” “These past three years, you truly haven’t been good enough for me.” Arthur went crazy, gasping for air. “Apologize, Chloe, apologize immediately!” “Otherwise, I’ll break up with you right now!” “Break up?” Hearing me murmur these two words, Arthur straightened his back. He thought I couldn’t bear to let him go, waiting for me to compromise like before. After all, he had used this excuse flawlessly over the years. When I refused to buy his sister an iPad, he threatened to break up, and I compromised. When I refused to transfer an $8,888 birthday red envelope to his mom, he threatened to break up, and I apologized and agreed. But this time, I didn’t want to compromise. With $8 million hitting my bank account after winning the prize, my wallet was full, and I felt confident and smart. I thought, being so young and so rich, What kind of man couldn’t I find? I carefully examined Arthur. For the first time, I judged him without the filter of being his girlfriend. 28 years old, no house, and the car was bought with my money. Currently working as a low-level sales rep at a real estate company. Because of all the business dinners, his belly was bigger than a 5-month pregnant woman’s. And because he didn’t maintain a healthy lifestyle, his face was severely bloated. He wasn’t tall, about 5’8″. So average, so greasy. Tsk tsk. How did I ever fall for him? I can’t even remember! Thinking of the photos of college boys my best friend sent me—all 6’1″, sweet-talking, with abs. I despised Arthur even more. He was just like the trash I had cleared out of the apartment before. Needed to be thrown out immediately. 3 Seeing me staring at him, Arthur felt confident and stood even straighter. Little did he know, this made his belly stick out even more, looking hideous. I really couldn’t bear to look anymore, feeling it was an eyesore, and slightly averted my gaze. Arthur thought I was softening, that I was compromising. Just as he was about to reveal a victorious smile, he heard me say. “Okay, let’s break up.” Afraid he would regret it, I had already walked to the door and pulled it open. “Since we’re breaking up, hurry up and leave.” Arthur was dumbfounded. Thinking he was hallucinating, he asked uncertainly again. “You really want to break up with me?” I repeated it very firmly. “Yes, break up.” He became exasperated, “Fine, fine, fine, break up then!” “But Chloe, don’t regret this. Don’t come begging me to take you back like before!” He made a show of leaving, but actually slowed his pace, waiting for me to ask him to stay. When my plea didn’t come, he stopped and started insulting me. “You’re a thirty-year-old woman. Do you think any other man will want you if you leave me?” “Stop dreaming, Chloe. A woman’s prime is shorter than a man’s. You’re worthless at your age!” “As for me, a man at thirty is in his golden years. Without you, a whole bunch of women will be throwing themselves at me.” He coughed lightly, as if giving me a final ultimatum. “I’ll give you one last chance. Either give me twenty thousand and we’ll forget this ever happened, or don’t ever expect to see me again.” Looking at his punchable face, any thought of an amicable breakup vanished. Since we’re breaking up, he needs to spit out all the money I spent on him over the past three years. I wasn’t going to let him off easy! “You’re right!” Hearing this, Arthur thought I was going to get the money and reached out his hand with a smirk. “A woman’s youth is indeed valuable!” “So, as a grown man, you can’t take advantage of me. You have to pay back everything I spent on you!” To his shock, I threw a stack of printed A4 billing statements into his hands. “These are all the expenses I covered for you and your family over the past three years. It totals $405,000. I’ll wave the five thousand; just pay me back $400,000.” “And don’t even think about not paying. I will hire a lawyer, and you won’t escape a single cent.” Before he could react, I yanked him out the door. Before closing it, I deliberately reminded him. “I’m only giving you one week for this money. Otherwise, don’t blame me for getting nasty.” The door slammed shut. Outside, Arthur snapped out of his daze and exploded, pounding on the door. “Chloe, what the fuck do you mean! What right do you have to ask me for money!” “Doesn’t it cost money to hire a gigolo? You took up three years of my life. Isn’t my youth worth anything? Haven’t you heard that men are boys until they die?” “Let me tell you, don’t even dream about me paying this back!” The neighbors, unable to stand the noise, opened their doors and cursed at him. Arthur, tough on the outside but weak on the inside, slinked away. Looking through the peephole and confirming he had really left, I quickly called a moving company. Last week, after cashing in the $10 million prize, I immediately spent a $2 million down payment on a fully furnished luxury penthouse in a high-end complex in the city. Over the past few days, I had bought all the basic soft furnishings, so it was ready for immediate move-in. Now, there were only a few things left in my rental apartment. I would move them all over today. In a few days, I would be able to celebrate the New Year with my parents in a 2,500-square-foot penthouse. 4 Three days later, lying on the $30,000 genuine leather sofa in my new home, my mom was feeding me giant strawberries that cost $40 a pound. I was incredibly comfortable when a call from the contact saved as “Arthur’s Mom” came in. My mom asked if I was going to answer it. I decisively rejected it, my tone filled with disgust. “Mom, your daughter has over five million in cash in her pocket now. I’m a millionaire. Arthur is nowhere near good enough for me.” “Since we started dating, his mother has always treated me with contempt. Why should I offer my face for her to slap?” My mom flicked my nose. “You, oh you. You’ve finally woken up.” “Your dad and I told you Arthur was no good, but you insisted he saved you, that his character was good, and that we were prejudiced.” My dad chimed in, mimicking my righteous tone from back then. “Mom, Dad, I just love Arthur.” “Even though he has no money now, I believe he’ll give me a home for my sake!” Hearing these words, I got goosebumps all over. I really must have had water on the brain! “Dad, stop it.” I transferred $10,000 to my dad. “This is hush money. Didn’t you have your eye on a fishing rod recently? Hurry up, buy it, and go fishing.” My dad swiftly collected the money, laughing heartily. Meanwhile, after discovering her number was blocked, Arthur’s mother panicked and called Arthur. “Son, that wretched girl Chloe, she hasn’t really broken up with you, has she? She’s not even answering my calls!” “Girls these days aren’t easy to fool. It’s rare to find one like Chloe who is obedient, frugal, and willing to spend money on our family. Don’t let her run away.” Arthur’s sister, Mia, quickly leaned in to speak. “Yeah, bro. Last month you promised me you’d make Chloe buy me gold jewelry. The New Year is almost here, and many of my roommates have been showing off their gold jewelry. You can’t let me lose face.” Arthur’s expression was grim, but his tone remained confident. “No rush. Give her the cold shoulder for a few days, let her sweat a bit, and set some rules for her while we’re at it.” “When she regrets it, it won’t just be twenty thousand; it’ll be forty thousand!” Arthur’s mother and Mia started fantasizing. “Right, she has to pay us forty thousand.” “When we get the money, bro, I want a ten-thousand-dollar bracelet.” Arthur’s mother chimed in. “Son, Mom wants a massage chair and a gold necklace.” Arthur agreed to everything. After hanging up, he took the initiative to message me for the first time since our fight. [Chloe, my patience has a limit!] He expected an apology, but only saw a red exclamation mark. I had deleted him! He tried calling me, but I had blocked his number! He started to panic. Could I really want to break up? I knew nothing about this. I was picking out clothes for our family to wear tomorrow. We were picking up the $800,000 Porsche tomorrow, so we definitely had to dress well. Early the next morning, we headed straight to the Porsche dealership. My cousin, the store manager, was waiting at the door early to receive us. Arthur, on the other hand, went back to my rented apartment. When he learned from a neighbor that I had moved out, he was dumbfounded. “Bro, do you know where she moved to?” The neighbor shook his head and added. “Didn’t you two break up? Since you’ve broken up, let it end peacefully. Don’t pester her, it’s undignified.” Arthur was stubborn. “I’m not trying to pester her. I can easily live without her.” The neighbor sneered and closed the door. Just as Arthur was feeling utterly lost, Mia sent him a photo. It was a picture of me hugging my cousin intimately in front of the Porsche. “Bro, I know why Chloe wanted to break up with you!” “She hooked up with a sugar daddy, and he even bought her a Porsche!” “Bro, she must have been messing around with this guy and cheating on you for a long time!” Arthur was furious, yelling uncontrollably. “Fuck, actually cheating on me. I won’t let her get away with this!” He zoomed in and out on the photo a few times, then angrily hailed a taxi. “Driver, to the Southridge Porsche dealership!” After taking photos, the salesperson drove the car outside the store. My cousin, grateful for my parents’ past care, politely insisted on walking our family of three out, saying he wanted to see us off. I enthusiastically waved goodbye to my cousin, and he patted my head. After saying goodbye, just as I was opening the car door to get in, a familiar furious voice exploded from a distance. “Chloe, you shameless bitch! We just broke up, and you’ve already hooked up with a sugar daddy, haven’t you!” Arthur, looking like an angry groundhog, pointed at us and yelled furiously. His voice was so loud it instantly drew the attention of everyone around. In a flash, all eyes were on our family. My cousin, who had served in the military when he was younger and doted on me the most, Immediately stepped in front of me, staring coldly at Arthur. “Watch your mouth!” Arthur was intimidated by his aura and shuddered. But noticing the stares from others and not wanting to lose face, he roared stubbornly. “What’s wrong with my mouth!” He pointed at me. “She just broke up with me yesterday, still living in a rental apartment. Today she’s picking up a Porsche. Doesn’t that prove something?” “Prove what?” My cousin demanded. Arthur felt he was being provoked and became furious. “What else could it mean!” “You adulterous couple. You were messing around behind my back, putting a green hat on me. You are the scum of the modern era!” As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of the gleaming Porsche, and the jealousy and anger in his eyes deepened. To vent his feelings of inadequacy, he turned his crosshairs on me. “Chloe, you really make me sick. Selling yourself for a car!” “Three years of our relationship, and it can’t compare to a car, can’t compare to the money this adulterer gives you. You truly disappoint me.” He pulled a $66 blind box toy from his pocket. “To think I was going to try and get you back today. I specifically went to your favorite blind box store to buy the one you wanted most. I didn’t expect this is how you’d repay me!” Perhaps his acting was too good, because the people around were already pointing and whispering about me. Some people who couldn’t stand it actually spoke up for Arthur. “Young lady, you shouldn’t be so mercenary. He was with you for three years; doing this is too uncool.” “Yeah, money can be earned again, but true feelings are rare. Be careful you don’t regret it when you’re older.” “Exactly. A man’s money isn’t that easy to get. If he’s just playing with you, he can just take the car back!” There was also an influencer at the scene who had just picked up her car. Sensing this would get views, she immediately started live-streaming us. My mom couldn’t bear it anymore and wanted to retort, but I beat her to it. I crossed my arms and looked at Arthur. “Do you have evidence that I cheated?” I looked around at the crowd again. “Is the cost of spreading rumors this low now? Just by yelling that I’m cheating and playing the part of a deeply devoted lover, he can nail me to the pillar of shame?” As they met my gaze one by one, they suddenly realized that from start to finish, it was all just Arthur talking; there was absolutely no evidence! “Yeah, young man, you can’t just make things up without evidence.” “Right, didn’t you say she cheated? Hurry up and show us the evidence. Otherwise, this is spreading rumors, and you’ll be legally responsible!” Arthur seemed to have anticipated my question. He confidently held up his phone. The photo was exactly the one of me hugging my cousin. “Chloe, you’re hugging him right here in the store. What else is there to deny?” Seeing the photo, the crowd’s expressions changed again. But I burst out laughing. I even opened my arms in front of everyone and deliberately said to my cousin. “Cousin, I didn’t get enough of a hug just now. Let’s hug again.” My cousin instantly understood my intention. After hugging me, he specially ruffled my hair, saying dotingly: “Alright, whatever you want.” Arthur jumped up and down in anger. “Look at this! This adulterous couple isn’t hiding it anymore. They’re actually being affectionate right in front of me. So shameless.” The people around also cursed us, including those on the influencer’s live-stream chat. [Despicable. Scumbag and bitch. So shameless.] [Exactly. Feeling sorry for the guy for three seconds. Why can’t good men be matched with good women?] [I can tell from a glance that this woman has a bad face. Looks like a slut.] I wasn’t angry at all. Instead, I blinked and asked the crowd. “Can cousins hug?” The crowd was confused. But someone still answered. “Of course.” I spread my hands innocently. “Well, there you go.” “He’s my cousin. Why can’t we hug?” “And,” I held up my phone, swiping through photos. “My cousin hugged everyone in our family, not just me.” “But you.” I glared coldly at Arthur. “You only showed the photo of me and my cousin. What’s your intention!” Arthur was momentarily stunned but didn’t believe it. “Just because you say he’s a cousin doesn’t make it true. What if he’s a ‘sugar daddy’ brother? Don’t try to brush me off with this.” Our two families took a big family portrait every year we had time. I directly pulled out the photos from over the years. Seeing us together in a photo at 5 or 6 years old. Now the onlookers believed it. “You know, their facial features do look quite similar.” “Indeed, the more you look, the more they look alike.” The bystanders started looking at Arthur with disapproval. “Young man, you’re in the wrong here.” “Yeah, how can you spread rumors wildly without figuring out their relationship first.” “Exactly, you have to apologize for this.” “Right, hurry up and apologize.” As more and more people condemned him, Arthur’s face turned red, and he said stiffly: “Sorry, Chloe, I misunderstood you.” He quickly took out the blind box again. “Please accept my apology gift and let’s get back together.” “I really don’t want to separate from you; I love you very much.” His confession made our whole family physically sick. My dad, who had been holding back for a long time, was the first to step forward. “Don’t mention love. Our Chloe can’t bear your love.” My mom took over. “Dating you for three years, our Chloe lost a layer of skin, her money drained by your family. You latched onto her like leeches. Don’t even think about pulling the same trick again.” Arthur didn’t expect the boomerang to hit him, and the crowd actually started attacking him. Looking at the scrutinizing gazes around him, terrified that I would spill everything, he quickly said he wanted to talk to me alone. Onlookers generally encourage reconciliation, so they suggested we settle our issues ourselves. Arthur thought I would agree quickly to save his face. But I shook my head. “We have no feelings to discuss privately.” “Instead of wasting time cornering me, you’d be better off gathering the money you owe me…” “Chloe, enough!” Terrified I would reveal the $400,000 issue, Arthur raised his voice to stop me, the threat in his eyes becoming increasingly obvious. This scene was captured by the influencer. The netizens were frightened. [Wow, this guy’s eyes are terrifying. It looks like he wants to kill someone.] [Exactly, just like an abusive man. Living with someone like that must be terrifying.] [Am I the only one curious about what can’t be said?] I ignored his threat, enunciating every word: “Don’t interrupt me!” “Did you think that would shut me up?” I looked at the crowd, pointing at Arthur. “Dating for three years, this man gaslit me, making me spend $400,000 on him and his family.” Seeing I was about to blurt it out again, Arthur panicked. He clenched his fist and aimed it at my face. My cousin caught his fist and encouraged me to keep talking. I nodded, raising my voice again and pointing at Arthur. “The man in front of you is poor and stingy. In three years of dating, he played the victim and made me spend $400,000 on him.” “Meanwhile, he spent less than $10,000 on me in three years. I spent my own money, and he still gaslit me!” With that, I played the recording of Arthur demanding I return the mink coat and use the money to buy things for his family. “What kind of woman is as extravagant as you, spending twelve thousand on a single piece of clothing?!” “Do you have any idea what that twelve thousand could do?” “My mom is complaining about back pain; five thousand could buy a very nice massage chair. Another five thousand could buy a gold necklace for my sister, and the remaining two thousand could be used for holiday groceries!” “And you actually used it to buy clothes. You are truly a spendthrift!” As the recording ended, the crowd’s gaze on Arthur shifted from neutral to contemptuous and disdainful. “Disgusting. A grown man not working hard to earn his own money, but staring at the money in a woman’s hands!” “I have to say, this girl is too kind. Faced with such trash, she didn’t even beat him up, just broke up with him directly.” “Exactly, letting him live off her for three years, he got off way too easy.” Someone demanded Arthur return the $400,000 he spent right now. “Right, hurry up and return it, or we’ll report you to your company!” “Exactly, pay up, or we’ll make you trend online!” Seeing the angry crowd about to lose control, Arthur was scared. After scanning the Porsche, he suddenly got an idea and abruptly raised his voice, pointing at me. “Chloe, you say I lived off you, but how much better are you?” “Since this man is just your cousin, the person who bought you the Porsche must be someone else.” “Are you still trying to hide it?” He spoke with absolute certainty, looking as if he had personally seen me being kept by a sugar daddy. He clearly forgot the punishment for speaking carelessly just a moment ago. Hearing his same old rhetoric, many people in the crowd couldn’t sit still. I don’t know who picked up a small pebble and threw it at him first, but more and more people joined in. “This guy has a filthy mouth, hit him!” “Yeah, if we don’t teach him a lesson, he won’t know how to speak in the future.” Arthur yelled in pain, covering his face and exasperatedly trying to run away. Seeing him like this, I covered my mouth and snickered. When he was slandering me, why didn’t he think about the consequences? But it was too late now. As soon as he started throwing mud at me, I had already called the police. And now, two police officers were standing right behind Arthur. Sure enough, when Arthur turned to run, he was dumbfounded to see the police. In the few seconds he was stunned, the police stepped in front of him and showed their badges. “You are suspected of slander, defamation, and picking quarrels and provoking trouble. Please come with us to assist with the investigation.” Arthur frantically shook his head in denial. “No, I didn’t. I didn’t mean to. This is all a misunderstanding.” He turned to look at me, his eyes full of pleading. “Chloe, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have misunderstood you, nor should I have treated you poorly. Please, give me one more chance.” “I swear I’ll turn over a new leaf this time and will never treat you poorly again.” I raised my middle finger and shook it left and right. “No, your character has no guarantee with me. I don’t believe you!” He hastily added: “What about the money? Then I’ll return the four hundred thousand, is that okay!” “Even if I have to borrow it, I’ll give it to you immediately!” Getting him to return the money was the best outcome. Without hesitation, I pulled up my QR code for receiving money and held it in front of him. “Transfer it. Not a cent less of what you owe me!” “If I’m in a good mood, I might just forgive you!” Arthur, acting like he was grabbing a lifeline, desperately scanned the code and transferred the money. First transaction: $50,000 from Chase hit the account. Second transaction: $100,000 from Citibank hit the account. Third transaction: $50,000 from Bank of America hit the account. In 10 minutes, he coughed up all the money in his left and right cards. But it was still short by $200,000! “What are you standing there for? Didn’t you say you’d borrow to pay it back? If you don’t have enough, ask your mom, ask your sister!” Ultimately, after much pleading and pestering, he squeezed the final $200,000 he owed from his mother. As the $400,000 arrived, I no longer wanted to waste time with Arthur. After making him write a letter of guarantee in front of the police, promising not to pester me again, our family of three got into the Porsche and left. In the rearview mirror, Arthur stared at my car, his fists clenched tight.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “394608”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

In the fifth year of my marriage to Liam Hayes, his unattainable first love, Mia Sullivan, returned. Cracks slowly began to appear in our marriage. Liam started standing me up from time to time. The first time was the day I won a design award. Liam said he wanted to celebrate with me. But Mia had just returned, and one phone call from her pulled him away. The second time was my birthday. The candles were lit, but before I could make a wish, Mia called and pulled him away again. The third time was Valentine’s Day evening. I sat in a reserved private room and waited for Liam for four hours. He never showed up. Later, I saw a post on Mia’s social media. Liam was accompanying Mia, looking at the stars on a bridge. The fourth time was our wedding anniversary. This time, my humiliation was earth-shattering; everyone in River City knew about it. That night, sitting alone in a nursing home, I received a message from Mia. After reading that message, I walked into the operating room without hesitation and aborted our child. And took back the heart that loved Liam Hayes. Liam, because I love you, you can hurt me without restraint. If I don’t love you, you are nothing. 1 The painless abortion didn’t cause me the slightest physical suffering. After lying on the operating table and receiving the anesthesia, I fell into a brief slumber. Before losing consciousness, I heard the doctor performing the surgery sigh. “She looks so glamorous on the surface, but she’s actually so pitiful!” The nurse sneered, “What’s there to pity? The unloved one in a marriage is the true mistress. Chloe stole Mia’s love; she brought this upon herself.” Brought this upon myself? Perhaps. After all, following last night’s spectacle, Everyone knows that I, Chloe, am a woman unloved by my husband. Everyone knows that I am the stumbling block in the love story of Mia and Liam. Last night, Liam slapped me hard in public in the most ruthless way possible! Last night was our fifth wedding anniversary, and also the ninetieth day of my pregnancy. Liam had someone prepare the venue in advance for a grand celebration. In our five years of marriage, this was the first time he had thrown such a lavish party for me. Many prominent figures in River City were invited to the banquet. I appeared at the banquet arm-in-arm with the dashing Liam, wearing a custom-made dress. A custom ten-tier cake was wheeled in, and champagne glasses were filled. Just as we were about to cut the cake, Mia appeared. Mia is my cousin. Her past with my husband, Liam, was common knowledge five years ago. Back then, Liam and Mia were the university’s “it couple”—the campus king and queen. They were high-profile, always together, and their romance was public knowledge. Liam had done many sensational things for Mia: a light show confession on River City’s tallest building, a drone firework display for her birthday, and he even caught a thousand fireflies by hand just to make her smile… In short, Liam and Mia’s romance was passionate and earth-shattering. Everyone thought Liam would marry his beloved Mia. But the outcome shocked everyone. They broke up without any warning five years ago. Then Mia went abroad, and Liam married me, the ugly duckling. The moment I saw Mia appear, I knew tonight’s banquet was doomed. 2 Mia, wearing eight-inch stilettos and a dress identical to mine, walked gracefully toward Liam and me. Holding a glass of wine, a smile played on her exceptionally beautiful face: “Wishing Mr. Hayes and Chloe a happy fifth wedding anniversary! And congratulations on expecting a child!” As she offered her blessings, Liam’s grip on my arm noticeably tightened. Mia smiled charmingly and raised her glass. As the rim was about to touch her lips, My husband, Liam, let go of my hand and reached out to stop her. “Mia! You’re not in good health, you can’t drink!” Liam forcefully took the wine glass from Mia’s hand. Taking advantage of the momentum, Mia lost her balance and fell into Liam’s arms. Like a bystander, I stood next to the ten-tier cake, watching their blatant display of affection. The eyes of all the banquet guests were on us. In front of everyone, Liam doted on Mia, coaxing her in a low voice. Mia pouted and whispered intimately with Liam. After exchanging some words, Liam released her and walked towards me. “Chloe, I’m taking Mia home! I’ll be right back!” I smiled silently. Refusing or agreeing no longer mattered. The intimacy between Mia and Liam had already dealt me a resounding public slap. Tonight’s banquet was over. Liam supported Mia as they walked towards the exit. At the door, she suddenly stopped, turned around, and walked back towards me. “Chloe! I’m so sorry for interrupting your banquet! I’m sorry!” When apologizing, her expression was sincere, and her voice was loud. Everyone around heard her clearly. But the next second, She stumbled, leaned close to me, and said venomously in a voice only I could hear: “I’m pregnant too! Chloe, you know Liam’s feelings for me. There’s only one end for the child in your belly, and that’s death without an intact corpse!” As Mia’s words fell, I raised my hand and slapped her across the face. 3 Smack! The slap was crisp. I didn’t hold back; I hit her with all my might. I knew Mia came to provoke me deliberately to make me lose my temper. I knew she was definitely planning something. But none of it mattered anymore! No mother can tolerate someone cursing her child so viciously! Mia’s fragile body fell backward after taking my slap. Liam rushed over quickly, but he was still a step too late. Mia fell to the ground. Her expression was agonized. She reached out to hold her stomach, crying out shrilly: “It hurts! My baby!” Liam, his face contorted, roared at me: “Chloe, are you crazy? If anything happens to the child in her belly, I won’t let you off!” He publicly acknowledged Mia’s pregnancy, and his fierce defense of her left no doubt that it was his child. Under the shocked gazes of everyone, Liam picked up the groaning Mia from the ground. His eyes were full of anxiety and heartache, making no secret of his concern at that moment. Mia leaned weakly into his arms, her hand resting on his neck, and gave me a provocative smile. As Liam turned with Mia in his arms, her foot kicked the cake placed in front of me. The ten-tier cake collapsed with a crash. I was standing right under it, and the cake fell, covering me completely. It didn’t hurt, but the frosting all over my face and body left me in an extremely pathetic state. I wiped a handful of frosting from my face and saw Liam rushing out of the hall with Mia in his arms. The banquet naturally ended because of this incident. I left the club covered in a mess. I didn’t go home. I told the taxi driver to take me to the nursing home. The doctor at the nursing home was surprised by my late-night visit: “I was planning to call you tomorrow. Your father’s condition is not very good.” 4 My dad has been lying unconscious in the nursing home for ten years. If it weren’t for the massive expenses, I wouldn’t have become a pawn of the Sullivan family, nor would I have married Liam so humiliatingly. I looked calmly at my dad’s aged and emaciated face: “I can accept it, just tell me the outcome straight.” “His organs are failing, and no medicine can reverse it. It might be within these few days, you need to be prepared.” After the doctor left, I sat by my dad’s bed and reached out to hold his skin-and-bones hand. Maintained by IV fluids for ten years, my dad was essentially the walking dead. But I was unwilling to accept it. I always believed he would wake up, always believed he would open his eyes and call me Chloe. I think if my dad were conscious, he wouldn’t want to live like this, but I selfishly wanted to keep him. After all, he is my only relative in this world! I was born with weak family ties. My mom died during a difficult childbirth, and my dad had an accident when I was sixteen. In this world, my dad is my only relative. I stroked my belly. Now there’s another person related to me by blood in there. I’m not alone! Even if Liam doesn’t love me, I still have my child. But the next second, everything shattered my illusion. Mia sent me a photo. She was lying in a hospital bed, and Liam was gently peeling an apple for her. “Chloe, doesn’t seeing this make you sad? You followed him without complaint or regret for five years. Has he ever done a single thing to please you? No, right?” Indeed, he hasn’t. A tearing pain ripped through my heart. I clutched my chest, gasping for air. Seeing I didn’t respond, Mia sent another message: “My baby and your baby were conceived on the same day. Actually, my baby was conceived two hours earlier than yours.” The malice in her message was no longer disguised. My child was conceived on Valentine’s Day. Liam disappeared that night to watch the stars with Mia, returning only in the early hours of the morning. He reeked of Mia’s perfume. I was already asleep, but he roughly woke me up. He tossed and turned with me all night like he had lost his mind, and then I got pregnant. Mia’s meaning now was clear: Liam came off her bed and then got together with me again. The truth made me sick to the core; I wanted to vomit! 5 I stayed quietly with my dad in the nursing home until dawn. When morning came, I got up and left the hospital, having made a decision in my heart. My dad is leaving! I have no more attachments. I don’t want Liam anymore! I don’t want his child either! The surgery was quick. Just an anesthesia injection and a short nap, and the child I had longed for over five years was gone. After all, having loved Liam for so many years, and having longed for this child for so many years, to say my heart didn’t ache would be deceiving myself. But compared to being heartbroken day and night, being mocked and abandoned, I felt this was better for both the child and me. When I woke up, my phone was flooded with news about my public humiliation. A husband leaving a wedding anniversary banquet with his beloved woman in his arms. Leaving behind photos of me, covered in cake and looking pathetic, which went viral across major websites. Simultaneously, news about the love triangle between me, Liam, and Mia was brewing. Mia is a goddess, while I, Chloe, am the ugly duckling. The news that Liam and Mia, the campus king and queen, had loved each other for so many years, only to break up because I, the ugly duckling, intervened, was everywhere. Everyone was laughing at me, speaking up for Mia. I, Liam’s lawful wife, had become the mistress who stole another’s love. But I’m not a mistress, am I? Mia and Liam’s breakup had absolutely nothing to do with me. From five years ago to now, from beginning to end, I have been Liam’s designated fiancée. Mia is the true mistress. 6 Knowing full well that Liam and I were engaged, she spared no effort in using her beauty to seduce him. In the end, facing strong opposition from both the Sullivan and Hayes families, she had no choice but to leave in despair. Five years ago, I didn’t bother explaining, and five years later, I have even less desire to explain. I just didn’t expect Liam to let it go unchecked. As the CEO of Hayes Corporation, a man who could make all of River City tremble with a stomp of his foot, he actually ignored these fake news stories slandering his own wife. Allowing the fake news to spread, allowing me to be cursed and lose all face. I think Liam is thoroughly disappointed in me. After all, the dignified CEO’s wife acting crazy at a banquet filled with VIPs really made him lose face. Crucially, the target of my crazy outburst was his unattainable first love, Mia. How could Liam bear to let me slap Mia in public? I know they were deeply in love back then. But I didn’t force him to marry me; he could have chosen to leave with Mia. But in the end, he chose power, chose the alliance between the Hayes and Sullivan families. In the end, he could only choose me. For the past five years, we’ve maintained a harmonious facade in public. I dutifully performed the roles a wife should, and Liam also fulfilled his obligations as a husband. Except for not loving me, he was impeccable for five years. And from the day I learned Liam was my fiancé, I was infatuated with him, loved him dead set. Even when he cheated on me with Mia so sensationally behind my back. Even though he always had Mia in his heart, I tolerated it because I loved him. I thought that with utmost sincerity, even a heart of stone could be moved. No matter what, Liam would eventually have some feelings for me. But I was completely wrong. Some people’s hearts are made of iron and stone. Even if you use all your strength to warm it, it will quickly turn cold again. Five years of marriage, over ten years of love, I am thoroughly dead to Liam! My heart will no longer reserve a place for him; he doesn’t deserve it! 7 After the surgery, I lay alone in the hospital for five hours. During this time, Liam didn’t contact me. Of course, he wouldn’t. In these five years of marriage, I’ve always been the proactive one. Proactively making soup for him, proactively caring about his health. Beside Liam, I am less like a wife and more like a servant or assistant. In a marriage, the one who loves more always has to give more. Liam is already used to my solicitude, used to my fawning. I know that if I don’t call, he will never call me. And this time, I will never be so pathetic again! Later, it was Auntie Wang, the housekeeper, who called. She asked carefully: “Madam, are you alright?” Even Auntie Wang saw the news. It’s clear how much face I lost this time. I replied calmly: “I’m fine, I’ll be back shortly. Auntie Wang, please stew some chicken soup.” Liam came back while I was drinking the chicken soup. He looked exhausted. I lifted my eyelids, glanced at him, and quickly lowered my head to continue drinking. Footsteps approached. Liam sat across from me, looking at me quietly. We didn’t speak until I finished a bowl of chicken soup, pushed the bowl and chopsticks away, and stood up. Liam finally spoke: “Chloe, you went too far this time! Do you know Mia almost had an accident? How could you disappoint me like this?” I stared intently at Liam’s haggard face. Mia almost had an accident, so he stayed at the hospital until now. While his heart was full of Mia and the child in her belly, my child with him was gone. From beginning to end, Liam didn’t ask a single question about the child. It’s evident he never actually looked forward to this child. Knowing the truth is like this, my heart still aches terribly. Five years of living together day and night, even a heart of stone should be warmed. How can Liam be so cold-blooded? Is it really just because he doesn’t love me? I withdrew my gaze and apologized calmly: “I’m very sorry about last night! It was all my fault. Do you want me to go apologize to Mia?” 8 I didn’t defend myself, and my submissive offer to apologize to Mia clearly took Liam aback. He knows I don’t have such a good temper. Since Mia came back, Liam and I have had several arguments. The first time was when I won the design award, and Liam said he wanted to celebrate with me. The second time was my birthday; the candles were lit, and I hadn’t made a wish yet. I sat in the reserved private room waiting for him for four hours. He never showed up, and I saw Mia’s social media post. The first three times I was stood up, I swallowed the bitter pill alone, sad and upset. Each time I was angry and ignored him for days. Proactively offering to apologize this time is uncharacteristic of me. After all, being neglected and stood up the first three times was only known to Mia, Liam, and me. But last night was different. Being abandoned and humiliated in front of so many people, and then facing cyberbullying. I shouldn’t be this good-tempered. Liam looked at me for a good while but ultimately saw no clues. He frowned: “If you truly know you’re wrong, don’t go looking for trouble with Mia again.” “Okay!” I nodded. “I promise I won’t go looking for trouble with Mia again. Do you have any other requests?” My obedience left Liam with no grounds to lash out. He finally remembered I was pregnant. He reached out to touch my belly: “No morning sickness today?” I avoided his hand: “No! Can I go upstairs to rest? I’m very tired!” “I’ll help you!” He reached out again, and I avoided it again: “I’m not that fragile.” I’ve never rejected his touch; this was the first time. Liam rubbed his forehead again: “Last night… Chloe… I’m sorry! I’ll make it up to you next time.” I said “Oh” and went upstairs without looking back. He has said the same thing to me four times. I will never believe him again!

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Right after marrying into a wealthy family, my sugar-daddy husband dragged me into bed and we consummated our marriage for seven days and seven nights straight. He didn’t leave until the pregnancy test showed two bright red lines. Throughout my entire pregnancy, he never came back to see me once. But everyone in our circle envied me. After all, a living allowance of ten million a month isn’t something every rich wife gets. Especially after I was diagnosed with twin boys, my prospects looked even brighter. I eagerly looked forward to the future too. But after actually giving birth, I refused to let Arthur see the children, no matter what. He frowned: “What? Did you give birth to two bastards?” Heh, bastards would be preferable. I gave birth to two snakes. Is this something I can even say out loud? 1 As soon as I got pregnant, Arthur went abroad to continue his multinational business. During the ten months of my pregnancy, he didn’t see me once. He only finally agreed to come back and see the children around my due date. But unexpectedly, I went into labor early. The day I gave birth, the private medical team responsible for the delivery was completely dumbfounded. No one even went to hold the babies. My mind was full of terrible guesses: “Are they stillborn? Deformed? Or something else?” I didn’t dare look between my legs. The lead doctor, pale-faced, looked at me and shook his head. It wasn’t until a sticky, wet sensation touched my inner thigh that I finally realized something was wrong. Seeing a black and a white snake coiled between my legs, I screamed and fell right out of bed. The thing I fear most in this life is snakes. “Where are my babies!” I grabbed the doctor’s sleeve like a madwoman. The doctor looked like he was about to cry: “We… we watched you give birth to them with our own eyes, Madam! It’s absolutely true! The security cameras can prove it!” Looking at the clear footage from the monitor, my eyes rolled back, and I fainted. Thank goodness I delivered early. Otherwise, if Arthur returned as scheduled and found out I gave birth to two snakes, he might have just strangled me to death. I would rather have given birth to two bastards, even if they had completely different skin colors. But it absolutely couldn’t be a black and a white snake! If they were human, Arthur would at most kick me out and wouldn’t bother asking for the money he spent on me back. But snakes… this isn’t just wearing a green hat (being cuckolded). This is a blatant slap in the face! I gave the medical team a huge sum of hush money and had all the audio and video records deleted. I stared at the two baby snakes sleeping in the glass tank, deep in thought. No, I can’t keep them. Although I don’t know how I, a human, gave birth to egg-laying animals like snakes. But right now, the most important thing is to protect Arthur’s reputation. Which means protecting my money! Anyway, I bought off those private doctors. I’ll just say it was a difficult labor and both children unfortunately died. No sooner said than done. Carrying the tank, I went out under the cover of night, found a spot with good Feng Shui, and released the two snakes into the wild. After finishing all this, I lay in bed and completely passed out. In a daze, a cold sensation touched my fingertips. I thought the AC was set too low. I reached for the remote. But I touched a large, cold mass. “Ah!!” I sat up abruptly. Frantically shrinking back. The back of my head slammed into the wall with a loud “Bang!” 2 A black and a white baby snake. One coiled on the table, one coiled on the bed. The white snake was right next to the remote. That’s what I just touched. “Who… who told you to come back? Didn’t I release you?! How did you find your way back!” Bang! Bang! The white snake lowered its head and firmly bumped the temperature control button on the remote twice. The room temperature went up two degrees. My freezing hands and feet warmed up a bit. I was dumbfounded. The next second, the white snake sprang up. “Ah!!” I covered my head. Thinking he was coming for me. After waiting a while and feeling nothing, I opened my eyes to find him and his brother coiled side-by-side right in front of my face. Next to them was a pair of thick socks. The two brothers tapped their snake heads together with a smack! As if saying, “Snuggle!” My mouth fell open a bit wider. I tentatively reached for the thick socks. The two baby snakes wagged their tails excitedly. Scaring me into pulling my hand back. I remember someone saying that a snake wagging its tail is a signal for hunting. Seeing me pull my hand back, the two brothers immediately stopped wagging their tails. When I tentatively reached out again, the two brothers just looked at me eagerly. It wasn’t until I put the socks on my feet that the two brothers started wagging their tails like crazy again. Did I actually see happiness on the faces of two snakes? Wait… this behavior is a lot like a dog’s. With a trembling hand, I carefully reached out. If I get bitten, I get bitten. The two brothers haven’t even grown teeth yet anyway. Unexpectedly, Little White rubbed against my wrist. Seeing I didn’t hide. He coiled directly around my wrist. Like I was wearing a white jade bracelet. Little Black started wagging his tail furiously. I held out my other hand. He quickly wrapped around it too. Hmm, very good. I have two bracelets now. Looking at the two brothers swaying their heads, I swallowed hard. I tapped my fingers on their dog heads… uh, snake heads. The two snakes happily narrowed their eyes. I sighed with tears in my eyes— Forget it, I gave birth to them after all. I’ll raise them. It’s not like I can throw them away again. I started flipping through reptile care guides. But I found the two little ones weren’t that fussy at all. They ate sea cucumber and abalone, but they also ate fried chicken and Jianbing (Chinese crepes). And they were tough, very resilient. Gradually, I started raising them like dogs. However, I forgot. Arthur was coming back to see the children. One day, while I was leisurely twisting the two little ones together into a Chinese knot, I suddenly heard the butler yell: “Madam! Sir has an 8 AM flight tomorrow, he’ll be here in the afternoon!” I literally fell out of my chair. 3 Outside the maternity ward, right after a mother gave birth to twin boys. I slid to her bedside on my knees: “A blank check, fill in whatever amount you want. Let me adopt your two children!” Looking at the blank check, the mother swallowed hard. And agreed. The day Arthur returned, I hid Little Black and Little White in a room, held the two human babies, and sat in bed pretending I had just given birth. He was still as aloof and aristocratic as ever. His eyes saw nothing but financial reports and expanding the family line. But seeing my pale face, covered in white foundation, he still handed me a black card: “You’ve worked hard.” The two children actually looked a bit like him and me. Arthur held the two children in his arms. My mother-in-law was thrilled, her eyes full of tears: “Wonderful… The Sterling family finally has an heir. You are our great hero!” I looked embarrassed: “Haha… not really…” Silently praying in my heart that she wouldn’t see the two puppy-snakes in the basement. “Chloe.” Arthur spoke in a deep voice: “Are you sure these are my children?” My breath caught. My mother-in-law was wiping her tears. Looking at the children in Arthur’s arms, the tears froze on her face. “Chloe, are these… Arthur’s children?” 4 I was absolutely certain. My spies in the maternity wards of all the major hospitals had personally confirmed it. The children born to this mother were, among all the eligible candidates, The ones who looked the most like Arthur and me. I braced myself: “Of course!” “Are you sure?” Arthur’s voice grew colder. I swallowed hard. Although I had heard about his coldness and ruthlessness before marrying him. My interactions with him after marriage Were limited to those seven days and seven nights. And him transferring money to me every month. I had never truly experienced his oppressive aura. Now, my scalp was tingling. “O-of course.” “Good.” He put the children down and looked at his watch: “Schedule a paternity test.” “What?!” 5 In the hallway of the testing facility, I sat on a chair, pretending to be calm. But my hands were almost tearing the hem of my dress apart. I couldn’t figure it out. I chose the children so well. Their eyes looked like mine, their face shapes like his. How could he immediately suspect the children I gave birth to weren’t his? Could it be he actually wanted non-human children? I carefully glanced at him. He was clearly just leaning back casually. His face clearly showed no joy or anger. Yet the oppressive aura around him still made it hard for me to breathe. If he found out the children weren’t his. I’d probably die without even knowing how. My phone vibrated. It was the private medical team I had bought off earlier. 【It’s done, Madam.】 I breathed a slight sigh of relief. And deleted the message. The paternity test results came out. Sure enough, they were Arthur’s. I breathed a complete sigh of relief. Arthur looked at the test results. I pretended to be hurt and wiped the corner of my eye: “Hubby, I didn’t lie to you, did I?” He glanced at me. Tore up the paternity test. Threw it in the trash can right in front of me. Turned and walked away. I stood frozen in place. Wait… you suspected the wrong person, and you don’t even say sorry? But I didn’t have time to argue. My two children were still waiting in the basement for me to feed them. I packed up my bag and quickly walked out of the testing facility. Arthur’s car was parked right at the entrance. As soon as I came out, he had already opened the passenger door. But before I could take a step, a beautiful woman in a blue cheongsam got into the car before me. He leaned in, saying something to the beauty in the passenger seat. His brow, always cold and hard when facing me, wasn’t so icy now. I stood rooted to the spot. I suddenly remembered the rumors in our circle before I married Arthur. Arthur had a first love. But she wasn’t accepted by his mother. Arthur’s mother, my mother-in-law, wanted a woman who could expand the Sterling family line. Arthur’s first love looked like she would have trouble bearing children. The two had argued many times over this. Finally, Arthur couldn’t hold out against his mother constantly threatening suicide, and compromised. And I was the wife he married after compromising. I didn’t care about these rumors at the time. After all, I was only in it for the money. But now I understood. Arthur didn’t actually care if the children were biologically his or not. As long as I gave birth to them, he had to make things difficult. But this also showed that, in his eyes, I was a promiscuous woman to begin with. That’s why he could so easily demand a paternity test. Just to deliver a factual slap in the face to his mother. Thinking about how he wouldn’t let me go for seven days and seven nights after we got married, I found it ironic. Regardless, this feeling of not being trusted was still pretty uncomfortable. Even though… I really couldn’t explain giving birth to two snakes. I shook my head— Whatever, I have four kids waiting for me at home. I hailed a cab and quickly went home. As soon as I walked in, the four children in front of me gave me a huge shock. I pointed at the two extra children: “Who are you?!”

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On her eighteenth birthday, my sister received company shares, a luxury car, a villa… And I received a paternity test proving we shared no blood relation. My mom smiled coldly. “Chloe, since you aren’t our biological daughter, you’ll have to pay us back for the cost of raising you these past seventeen years.” My dad sneered. “Starting today, you’re the maid in this house. We’ll credit you a hundred bucks a month to pay off your debt. Room and board are not included.” I didn’t ask them how it was possible that my twin sister—who looked practically identical to me—could be their daughter while I wasn’t. Instead, I calmly nodded. Because last night, standing outside their door, I heard: My sister, holding our parents’ hands, whined, “Mom, Dad, my birthday wish is to be the only child of the Jenkins family. I want to enjoy your exclusive love. Let my sister be a maid for a year, please?” My dad’s face was full of doting affection. “Alright, whatever you want.” My mom agreed with a smile. “For this year, Mom and Dad will belong only to our precious Mia.” After everyone had dispersed, I looked at the leftover cake on the table, stuck a candle in it, and made a wish: I want to leave the Jenkins family. Not for a year, but for a lifetime. … My sister, Mia, covered her mouth and gasped. “Sister, no wonder you’re so ugly! You don’t look like Dad or Mom. Turns out you really are a fake.” Her shout was loud and exaggerated. As if she had completely forgotten we were twins and looked at least seventy percent alike. “Oh no, you’re not my sister at all. You’re just a wild bird from who knows where.” My mom’s expression was distant and cold. “Chloe, since the truth is out and you aren’t a child of the Jenkins family, this birthday banquet is solely for our precious daughter, Mia. You have no right to attend.” I looked up at Mia, whose face was full of smug satisfaction. She wore a custom-made princess gown and a tiara that cost as much as a house. Then I looked down at myself, wearing a faded, washed-out shirt and jeans, the cuffs frayed. I smiled bitterly. Right. I never possessed that right since I was a child. So how could I lose it? My dad raised his voice. “Starting today, you will move into the maid’s quarters. For the sake of our past relationship, until you find your biological parents, you’ll work as a maid here. I’ll credit you a hundred bucks a month—no room and board—to pay back the seventeen years of child-rearing costs we spent on you.” Whispers rippled through the crowd. Like a pathetic clown, amidst the mocking and derisive gazes, I bent down and picked up my backpack. Mia rushed over with blinding speed and yanked my backpack hard. The broken zipper, held together only by safety pins, burst open instantly, spilling my belongings all over the floor. Mia shrieked. “Aha! I knew it! You actually stole things from our house!” Among the scattered books on the floor lay a single, pink sanitary pad. My mom looked a bit uncomfortable. “Mia, forget it. It’s just a pad.” Mia immediately refused to let it go. “Mom, I am the only daughter of the Jenkins family now. What is she? She’s freeloaded off our family for years, and now she’s stealing our stuff! If I say she doesn’t deserve it, she doesn’t deserve it.” Seeing her angry, my mom immediately began coaxing her softly. “Okay, okay, don’t be mad, sweetie. You’re right. You are Mom’s one and only darling now. You can do whatever you want.” Satisfied, Mia stomped on the pad, grinding her heel into it. “Alright, I don’t want it anymore. It’s yours.” I stared at the sanitary pad, covered in footprints. My throat felt like it was stuffed with wet cotton—heavy and suffocating. Chapter 2 In the end, I bent down and only picked up my books. After the banquet ended, I was led to the storage room by the nanny, Martha. It was a space of about fifty square feet, containing only a wooden plank bed piled with junk and a rusted iron window. Martha stood at the door, hesitating before speaking. “Young Miss… Chloe. The Master and Madam remember your good deeds. When they come to their senses, you’ll still be the eldest daughter of the Jenkins family…” Before she could finish, two cockroaches scurried out from a corner and disappeared quickly. I pretended not to see the embarrassment on her face. “Thank you. I know.” Martha shook her head and left. I heard her mutter softly, “Looking so much alike, how could she not be… sigh…” I sat on the plank bed, staring blankly into the pitch-black night outside the window. It’s okay. Just wait one more year, and I can leave forever. That night, my stomach cramped terribly. Without any pads, I had to use wadded-up toilet paper. Coming out of the bathroom, I heard my parents talking in hushed tones. “Honey, do you think treating Chloe like this will make her hate us? She is our biological daughter after all.” My dad scoffed coldly. “It’s her own fault for always bullying Mia. As the older sister, she never knows how to yield. Making her suffer a bit is for her own good.” “In a year, when Mia has had her fun, we’ll just find an excuse and say the paternity test was a mistake. When she regains her status as the eldest daughter of the Jenkins family, she’ll be too happy to complain.” My fingertips went cold. It felt absurd and laughable. What makes them think that after trampling me into the dirt, I would just obediently stand there and wait for them? The next day, I went out to buy sanitary pads. At checkout, I was told my balance was insufficient. But I clearly had forty dollars saved up on my card. Returning to the villa, I pushed open the door. The three of them were laughing and chatting at the dining table. A gift bag sat on the table. My mom fondly stroked a silk scarf in her hands. “Our Mia is such a sweet, caring girl. She even bought Mom a gift. Mom is so happy.” My dad spun a plastic water bottle in his hands, unable to stop smiling. “Dad loves his too. That’s my precious daughter.” Mia pouted and leaned her head on Mom’s shoulder. “But these two gifts only cost forty dollars. You won’t blame me for buying something so cheap, will you?” My mom immediately shook her head. “Of course not! As long as my darling bought it for me, even if it cost two cents, it’s a treasure to Mom.” My dad didn’t forget to put me down while comforting her. “Exactly. Not like your sister, who only knows how to spend the family’s money. She’s never bought us a single gift. Just an ungrateful wretch. How could she compare to my Mia…” Noticing my return, they immediately stopped talking. Mia tilted her head to look at me. Her smile was full of malice. That forty dollars. Was the living expenses I had saved up over two months. It was all the money I had. My entire body went cold. Something in my brain exploded with a massive bang. By the time I realized what was happening, I had already grabbed Mia and raised my hand to slap her. But before the slap could land. My dad kicked me hard. My spine slammed into the sharp corner of the coffee table. The pain was so intense my vision went black. Mia held up an arm with a tiny red mark. Crying as if the sky was falling. “Mom! Dad! It hurts so much! Is my arm broken?” My mom yelled anxiously, “Quick, call an ambulance!” My dad hastily replied, “Forget the ambulance, there’s no time. I’ll drive Mia to the hospital.” Mia pointed at me, sprawled on the floor. “I don’t want to ride in the car. This bastard hurt me. I want her to carry me all the way to the hospital on her back.” Chapter 3 The nearest hospital from the villa was over twelve miles away. My mom looked at me with icy eyes. “You fatherless, motherless thing. We gave you the best food and a good life for over a decade, and you dare lay a hand on my biological daughter? Do as Mia says.” Seeing that I couldn’t get up for a long time, my dad simply grabbed me and yanked me up. “Stop faking it. You just bumped into it lightly. Hurry up and carry Mia to the hospital. If you delay my daughter’s treatment, I’ll throw you out of the Jenkins house.” I believed him. But I couldn’t leave just yet. I had no choice but to carry Mia on my back, stumbling my way toward the hospital on foot. My dad drove slowly, trailing right behind me. He kept yelling out the window, “Chloe, you better hold her tight. If you drop my precious daughter, I’ll skin you alive.” My mom complained from the passenger seat, “Walk faster, haven’t you eaten? Don’t delay my darling’s treatment.” Mia lay on my back, smiling smugly. “See? Nobody in this house loves you! You’re just an unwanted, mangy dog.” Words like that used to easily sting me. But now, perhaps because so much pain had accumulated, I was completely numb. Seeing I didn’t react, Mia stopped talking too. But just as we were nearing the hospital. She pulled a safety pin from her pocket and stabbed it deeply into my back. I stumbled in pain and pitched forward, crashing onto the ground. My parents immediately pulled the car over, ran over frantically, picked up Mia, who had fallen on top of me, and ran toward the hospital. My mom, following behind my dad, turned back to look at my deathly pale face. She threw down an impatient remark: “We’re already at the hospital. Go find a doctor yourself. We don’t have time to deal with you.” I never ended up going into the hospital. Because I didn’t have any money. Having no strength left to walk back. I sat on the hospital steps until dark before finally returning to the villa. They had already returned. Standing in the living room were a middle-aged man and woman, looking cowering and disheveled. “You’re back just in time.” My dad pointed at the couple. “These are your biological parents. Go with them now.” The air was dead silent. My mom walked over and took my hand, though she didn’t dare meet my eyes. “Chloe, we were mother and daughter for a time, and I’m very sad too. But since your biological parents have been found, there’s no reason for you to hang around the Jenkins family anymore.” I had thought I wouldn’t cry anymore. But tears still uncontrollably soaked my face. These were the parents I had placed above everything else in my heart for over a decade. Yet they weren’t willing to let me stay in this house, even if just in a tiny corner. My mom felt guilty looking at my tears. She reached out to wipe them away, but Mia grabbed her arm. “Sister, congratulations! You’re finally not a bastard without parents anymore.” The middle-aged woman standing nearby immediately grabbed my hand upon seeing this. Her dirt-encrusted fingernails dug into my flesh as she began to wail dramatically. “Oh, my daughter! Mommy finally found you! Come home with Mommy!” The man claiming to be my biological father dragged me toward the door. “Yes, yes, let’s hurry home. You’ve troubled Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins for so many years. You absolutely can’t be shameless and refuse to leave.” “Wait.” Mia rolled her eyes, smiling mischievously. “Sister, finding your real parents is a huge event. It doesn’t make sense not to kneel and kowtow to acknowledge them. Or are you disgusted because they’re poor? Do you look down on them?” I froze and turned to look at my parents. “Do you also think I should kneel and kowtow to acknowledge them?” Chapter 4 They instinctively avoided my gaze. Mia kept urging, “Hurry up and kneel. We’re all watching.” I laughed. Something inside me, in that moment, shattered completely. I knelt down, but I kowtowed deeply toward my parents. “Our relationship as parents and child ends here. From this moment on, the Jenkins family and I have no further connection.” My parents exchanged a look, both catching a glimpse of unease in the other’s eyes. But I had already stood up and left with my ‘biological parents’. My mom chased after us, shouting with false bravado, “It’s not settled! Unless… unless you pay back all the money we spent on you over the past decade!” I stopped walking but didn’t turn around. I replied softly, “Okay.” They thought they had spent a lot of money on me over the years. But they forgot. The daughter who was favored, the one who had lots and lots of money spent on her to be raised in luxury, was Mia. And me? I had an allowance of sixty dollars a month. And I was constantly extorted by Mia, who received six thousand a month. If I didn’t give it to her. She would go home and cry. Saying I rallied classmates at school to isolate and bully her. I was locked in solitary confinement countless times and forbidden from eating. Once, on a night with torrential rain. Because Mia said I was pushing her to the point where she couldn’t go on living. I stood in the freezing rain all night. I ran a fever of 104 degrees, and no one cared. Since I was little. It had always been like this. A single word from Mia could determine my right and wrong, my happiness, my life, Even my dignity. My explanations, my tears, my grievances, Were utterly worthless in this house. Just like me as a person. Very cheap. That night, I moved into my ‘biological parents” rented room in the slums. Because there were no extra rooms or blankets. I had to curl up in the only bathroom for the night. The windows, patched with newspaper, were falling apart, constantly letting in cold drafts. The next day, I fell into a groggy, high fever. In my delirium, I heard the woman talking anxiously on the phone. “Mr. Jenkins, Mrs. Jenkins, the… the young miss has a high fever. It’s already 104 degrees.” “Then what are you waiting for? Get her to a hospital!” The phone was on speaker, and Mia’s voice came through clearly. “Mom, Dad. My sister just left last night and she has a high fever today? There’s no such coincidence. It must be a trick to test you. If you believe it, you’re falling for it.” After a long silence, my dad’s cold voice rang out. “Don’t bother with her. She said it herself: she has no further connection with us. Let this ungrateful wretch learn her lesson.” My mom was full of impatience. “She’s your daughter now. Don’t call us if there’s no real issue. We still have to take our precious daughter on a trip around the world. Hanging up.” No one cared about me anymore. I was left in that forgotten, rented room. Fighting with my last breath to pry open the front door and crawl into the stairwell, I couldn’t hold on any longer and passed out. When I opened my eyes again, there was only a nurse by the bed. “Little girl, you’re finally awake. 107.6 degrees. If a kind passerby hadn’t brought you to the hospital, ten minutes later, and you’d be in critical condition.” “Alright, hurry up and contact your family to come over. And settle the medical bills while you’re at it.” I was silent for a long time. My voice was very faint. “I don’t have any money. And I don’t have any family.” The nurse was stunned. I stared at the IV tube in the back of my hand and pursed my dry lips. “But, I have blood to sell.” After the new semester started, I entered my senior year of high school. I started running errands for my classmates—buying their meals, delivering their packages. One run, twenty cents. I could save up four dollars a day. Chapter 5 One day, I had just gotten my food and was walking out of the cafeteria when I bumped into Mia halfway. She just crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. Her little followers snatched my lunchbox and smashed it. The food mixed with muddy water, scattering everywhere. “Sister, seeing how pathetic you are, this meal is on me.” They pressed my head down, trying to force me to eat the food they had stepped on. My homeroom teacher, Ms. Summers, happened to pass by and harshly scolded them. She pulled me up and wiped my face clean. She had heard bits and pieces about what happened at the birthday party and knew I was short on money. She didn’t ask any questions and found me a tutoring job. But the condition was only half a day on weekends, and it absolutely couldn’t affect my grades. I thanked her profusely. But I never expected that just because of one act of kindness from Ms. Summers. She would be reported and fired under the accusation of accepting bribes from a student’s parent. And I was put up on the school bulletin board. Because of a photo of the parent of the student I was tutoring picking me up and dropping me off. I was labeled as having a sugar daddy. My ‘biological mother’, Brenda, rushed to the school. Without a word, she slapped me twice across the face. She viciously grabbed my hair, twisting and pinching it. “You little slut, you’re barely of age and you’re already spreading your legs for men? You might not have any shame, but I do!” My face was smacked to the side. In my peripheral vision, I happened to lock eyes with my parents, who were standing with the school administrators, looking at me like I was trash. And behind them, Mia, whose face was practically splitting from smiling so hard. My hair fell loose, blocking my vision, and also blocking the tears I couldn’t hold back in time. I lowered my head and said calmly, “I’m sorry. I know I was wrong.” That night, just after I took a shower at home, I was violently dragged into a room by a pair of large hands. My ‘biological father’, Dave, shirtless and with bloodshot eyes, lunged at me. “Instead of giving it away to some man outside for cheap, you might as well give it to me.” The utility knife hidden in my sleeve slashed fiercely across his face. He was forced back two steps, panting heavily like a starving animal. “I’m still a student, and I don’t want to spend my life in prison, so get out!” Living in the slums, I couldn’t possibly be unprepared. Dave spat, wiped the blood from his face, bared his yellow teeth, and smiled. “You fucking wait. Your parents sold you to me. Sooner or later, I’ll get what I want.” The door closed. I slumped to the floor, drained of energy, trembling uncontrollably. Tears poured out. I bit down hard on the back of my hand to keep my sobs from escaping. My phone dinged. A message popped up in the family group chat. Mom: “Chloe, you willingly degraded yourself at such a young age. Just thinking about having been mother and daughter with someone as dirty and lacking in self-respect as you makes me sick.” The next second, I was removed from the group chat by my dad. My mom stared at the group that now only had three people. A sudden sense of unease rose in her chest. “Honey, did we go too far? Didn’t we investigate and find out Chloe was just tutoring?” My dad said angrily, “If she hadn’t forced Mia to eat food off the floor, Mia wouldn’t have cried until her eyes were swollen. Her only request was to kick her out of the group chat; that’s letting her off easy.” Thinking about it, his tone softened. “It’s just for a year anyway. I’ve already transferred enough money to Dave. Chloe won’t be mistreated. Once the time is up, we’ll go pick her up immediately.” One year later. On Mia and my birthday. My parents left the house early. My dad drove very fast. “You brought the real paternity test, right?” My mom nodded repeatedly. “I brought it. We haven’t seen Chloe for a whole year. When she comes back, we must compensate her properly.”

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In my tenth year working at a top-secret agency, my high school group chat suddenly blew up with people frantically tagging me. “Chloe, what’s your problem? Are you really not coming to Mia’s wedding?” Scrolling through the messages, I realized that Mia, the former high school beauty queen, was getting married today. Every single one of our old classmates was attending. “Sorry, I can’t get time off work.” I explained formally, only to be met with a barrage of attacks from the group. “What kind of garbage job doesn’t even give you a day off?” “Isn’t it obvious? She’s probably working in some sketchy sweatshop, too embarrassed to show her face.” Mia tagged me as well: “Remember our bet back then? I said I’d definitely be doing better than you in the future.” I replied honestly: “I don’t remember.” Seeing this, the others immediately chimed in: “Mia is marrying the richest man in Capitol City! She’s literally a billionaire’s wife now!” “What, are you pretending to have amnesia because you’re doing so badly and afraid of the comparison?” “Could it be you’re so broke you can’t even afford a wedding gift? How about you set up a GoFundMe and beg us to chip in a little?” Amidst everyone’s bombardment, Mia tagged me again, pretending to smooth things over: “I hope you can come to my wedding and witness my moment of happiness!” “For old times’ sake, I can even set you up with a job as a nanny later.” After saying that, she sent a wedding photo of her and her husband. Looking at the photo of her husband, I was stunned. Isn’t this Arthur, the husband who begged to marry me three years ago for a strategic alliance? “Alright, I’ll definitely be there to witness your moment of happiness!” 1 Right after replying to Mia, I received a message from Arthur: “Honey, don’t work too hard. Remember to come home and see me after your vacation.” “I miss you so much.” Due to the special nature of my work, I rarely had contact with the outside world. So even after getting married, Arthur and I spent little time together. But he frequently sent me messages expressing how much he missed me. I always thought he loved me very much. Thinking about it now, it just seems ridiculous. After getting approval for leave from my superior, I followed the location Mia posted in the group and drove the special vehicle my boss had assigned me to her hometown. From a distance, I could see a huge red banner hanging above the entrance to Mia’s house. “Warmly Welcoming Mr. Arthur Vance, CEO of Zenith Group, to Pick Up the Bride!” Beneath the banner, Mia, wearing a snow-white haute couture wedding dress, eagerly awaited the groom’s arrival. She was surrounded by a group of our old high school classmates. “Mia, you hid this so well! We didn’t know your man was a billionaire until you got married!” “Yeah! I heard Mr. Vance isn’t just incredibly wealthy, but his power is unmatched. No one dares to mess with him. You’re amazing for marrying such a top-tier man!” “Mia, you’re about to be a billionaire’s wife! Don’t forget about us old classmates in the future!” Even our high school homeroom teacher was trying to curry favor with Mia: “Mia, the first time I saw you, I knew you were destined for great things.” “That’s why I never criticized your poor grades in high school. I knew you were born for a life of wealth and didn’t need to rely on grades to speak for you!” Amidst the flattery, the corners of Mia’s mouth tilted high, her eyes full of smugness and enjoyment. Arthur’s abilities were actually quite lacking. If it weren’t for his marriage alliance with me, which made his rivals wary, He would have been chewed up and spit out by them long ago. He wouldn’t have even come close to becoming a billionaire. I didn’t expect this to become the capital for Mia’s bragging and others’ flattery. Seeing my arrival, the classmates who had just been eagerly brown-nosing instantly frowned, looking at me with disgust. One of Mia’s little followers saw the car behind me and immediately scoffed: “Chloe, you’ve worked for ten years and you drive this domestic piece of trash?” The others burst into loud laughter: “Hilarious. I’d rather die than be seen driving such a cheap garbage car!” “But why does her license plate have so many zeros? That’s a special plate you can’t buy with any amount of money!” “It’s obviously a fake plate! How could she possibly have such a good license plate on that junker?” “No wonder she had the nerve to show up. She slapped on a fake plate to show off! How laughable!” Faced with everyone’s belittlement, I kept a straight face: “This license plate is real.” “And this isn’t a garbage car. It’s a national state vehicle.” As soon as the words left my mouth, Mia suddenly stepped in front of me. She slapped me hard across the face: “Of course this license plate is real, because this is my husband’s car!” “I suspected my husband was keeping a mistress on the side, but I didn’t expect it to be you, you bitch!” “You shameless little slut, you actually dared to drive my husband’s car to my wedding to provoke me, his rightful wife?” 2 Mia’s words made the surrounding classmates widen their eyes in shock: “Mia, this car is your husband’s? Are you serious?” Mia looked haughty: “Could it be fake?” “My husband used to drive this car to pick me up. I noticed the license plate was very special, so I took a few photos!” Saying that, she took out her phone and pulled up several photos of her and Arthur. There were intimate photos of them pressing their faces together inside the car, and photos of them snuggling on the hood. In the photos, the interior details of the car and the license plate were captured clearly. It was exactly the same as my car. Seeing this, the crowd instantly sneered: “It really is Mia’s husband’s car! No wonder she could use such an awesome license plate!” “So it looks like Chloe is definitely a mistress!” Mia was so angry her eyebrows shot up, and she said sharply: “No wonder you haven’t posted anything on social media all these years. Turns out you’ve been busy being a professional mistress.” Hearing this, the others also glared at me and said: “Who would have thought? Chloe looks decent on the outside, but she’s actually acting as a mistress.” “Exactly! I even thought she was a cool, aloof academic overachiever in high school and wrote her a love letter. Now that I think about it, it’s disgusting!” “Some people look cool and innocent on the surface, but who knows how slutty they are behind closed doors. The moment they see a rich man, they act like they’re in heat, wishing they could walk with their legs spread!” “And she dared to drive her sugar daddy’s car in front of his legal wife to provoke her. I think she just can’t stand seeing Mia marry well and came here deliberately to ruin the wedding!” Even the homeroom teacher looked at me with contempt and said with disgust: “Chloe, when you go out in the future, never say you were my student.” “I’ve never taught such a morally corrupt student!” The crowd’s discussion and condemnation attracted many onlookers, each pointing their fingers at me. Some even took out their phones to take pictures and record me, spitting on me. I took off my outer jacket and threw it in the trash can. Then I faced Mia directly: “You hit someone in public without even understanding the situation. You really are lawless!” Mia was arrogant and bossy: “So what if I hit you? So what if I’m lawless?” “I’m a billionaire’s wife now. In Capitol City, I can do whatever I want!” Saying that, she looked at the car behind me: “Just thinking about my husband’s car being driven by a vixen like you makes me sick!” “I’d rather destroy something that’s dirty than let a cheap slut like you use it!” With that, she picked up a brick from the side of the road and started smashing my car wildly. The windows, the headlights, the hood—she didn’t spare anything. “Mia is the future billionaire’s wife. We can’t let her be bullied by a cheap mistress like Chloe!” Someone in the crowd of classmates yelled out. Everyone then picked up whatever handy tools they could find and started smashing my car with all their might. However, my car was bulletproof. They smashed it for a long time, only managing to leave some scratches; there was no other damage. This made them extremely angry: “What kind of car is this? Why is it so tough?” I looked at them and warned them seriously: “I advise you to stop while you can. This is no ordinary car. Damaging it cannot be solved simply by paying money.” Hearing this, Mia got even angrier: “This is my husband’s car. I can smash it if I want to. What’s the big deal?” The next second, she led everyone to pull open the car doors, got inside, and started slashing wildly at the car seats and interior. The originally neat and clean car interior was instantly torn to shreds. Looking at this group of lawless lunatics, I silently took out my phone and dialed my boss’s number: “Sir, the special vehicle assigned to me by the agency has been smashed.” 3 Before the person on the other end could speak, Mia’s little follower suddenly snatched my phone and smashed it hard on the ground: “Still trying to tattle? You’re just a mistress who only knows how to seduce men. Where do you get the nerve?” “Are you planning to call a bunch of your sugar daddies to crush us? Hahaha!” “You’re really addicted to showing off. We’re all old classmates here. Who doesn’t know exactly what you’re worth?” “Exactly. Were you reincarnated from a trash can? Why are you so full of garbage?” The old classmates started laughing arrogantly again, mocking me recklessly. I looked at my shattered phone on the ground and said coldly: “I hope you can all still laugh this happily later.” Hearing this, Mia grabbed me by the collar: “You bitch, you still dare to threaten us?” While speaking, Mia suddenly noticed the jade pendant necklace at my collar. Her eyes lit up, and she reached out and snatched it off quickly: “This necklace looks expensive. You bought it with my husband’s money too, right?” Seeing this, my expression changed drastically: “Give me the necklace back!” Seeing me suddenly tense up, Mia sneered and looked at me: “So nervous? Looks like this necklace is worth a lot, huh?” I was anxious and said quickly: “It’s not worth much money, but it’s very important to me. Give it back to me quickly!” As I spoke, I reached out to grab it. This jade pendant necklace was the only relic left to me by my parents. They were martyrs, and also my role models. I remember the last time I saw them was the day before my eighteenth birthday. They said that after finishing this mission, They would come back to celebrate my birthday. But I waited and waited at home. I didn’t wait for them, only for two boxes of ashes and this necklace. My boss said that before my parents died, they asked him to give this necklace to me. My parents gave their lives to the country. And they left this necklace to me. It was their belated birthday gift. It was also my most cherished possession. I would absolutely not allow anyone to destroy it! “The more you want it, the more I want to destroy it!” Before I could touch it, Mia forcefully threw the necklace onto the ground. Accompanied by a crisp sound, the jade shattered into pieces. Fragments scattered all over the ground. 4 “No!” Watching the only relic left by my parents shatter just like that. My heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife, making it hard to breathe. “You animal!” I instinctively raised my hand, wanting to teach Mia a severe lesson. But ultimately, I stopped my hand in mid-air. Because my boss had repeatedly warned me, saying I didn’t know my own strength. It was fine to use it on enemies. But if used on ordinary citizens, it could easily be fatal. He told me not to strike easily. Seeing me stop, Mia smiled triumphantly, pointed at her own face, and provoked: “Hit me! Let’s see if you have the guts to hit the wife of a billionaire?” I ignored her provocation, crouched down, and silently picked up the fragments of the necklace from the ground. “Coward!” “You don’t dare hit me, but I dare to teach you a lesson!” Mia shouted angrily, turning to look at the classmates: “Teach this bitch a harsh lesson for me!” “Whoever teaches her the lesson that satisfies me the most, I’ll give them a hundred thousand dollars!” Hearing this, the old classmates who already found me an eyesore immediately started punching and kicking me. “Still trying to lay a hand on Mia? She’s a billionaire’s wife now, do you think you’re worthy?!” “Exactly. It’s just a broken necklace. You earned it by sleeping around anyway. Can’t you just service a few more men later? Is there a need to be so dramatic?” “Shameless mistress! Seducing someone else’s husband is bad enough, but you still want to fight the legal wife? Do you really think old classmates are easy to bully?” Even the homeroom teacher couldn’t help but sneak in a couple of kicks. I endured their punches and kicks while picking up the necklace, saying: “You will regret this!” Hearing this, the old classmates reacted as if they had heard the biggest joke in the world and tilted their heads back in laughter. “Hilarious. Do you still think this is high school? Do you think being a top student makes you superior?” “Exactly. You’re nothing but garbage discarded by society now! You’re already making money by selling your body, and you still dare to threaten us?” “A mistress should know her place. If you get beaten, stand at attention!” “You shameless slut. Being a mistress and stealing someone’s man right under your old classmate’s nose, aren’t you embarrassed? If I were you, I would have bashed my head against a wall and died long ago!” These people all showed contempt, unscrupulously mocking and humiliating me. The onlookers also criticized me, saying I didn’t know my place. Supported by the crowd, Mia grabbed my hair and said arrogantly: “Regret? I’ve grown this big and I’ve never regretted anything. I’m waiting to see how a piece of bottom-feeder trash like you can make me regret it!” As soon as her voice fell, hundreds of military off-road vehicles sped over and stopped in front of everyone…

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In the sixth year of our marriage, I calmly said to my husband: “If you still won’t let me join your family for New Year’s Eve dinner this year, let’s just get a divorce.” Liam froze for a moment, frowning: “You want a divorce just over a New Year’s Eve dinner?” I rubbed the wedding ring on my finger. It was sterling silver, unbranded, and barely worth anything. Unlike the one he gave his ex-wife—a designer diamond ring worth over ten thousand dollars, which she still wore to this day. In our six years of marriage, my mother-in-law had never once allowed me to attend their New Year’s Eve dinner. Simply because she felt sorry for her former daughter-in-law being all alone in the city, and worried my presence would make her feel awkward. But they seemed to have forgotten that my own hometown was a thousand miles away in the Midwest. I get lonely eating New Year’s Eve dinner by myself, too. I looked up and nodded slightly: “Yes, just over this.” The next second, his phone screen lit up. Right in front of me, Liam “liked” a post his ex-wife had just uploaded, showing a happy family reunion. “How long are you going to drag this out this time?” “You know Leo’s condition, he can’t be left alone.” A thousand miles from home, estranged from my parents. He was certain I had nowhere to go, And even more certain I couldn’t bear to leave the little family I had painstakingly built over six years. I suddenly remembered the year I decided to marry Liam and move far away. My parents were so furious they publicly disowned me. “He’s a divorced man with an autistic son! Marrying him means becoming a free nanny!” I was dead set on it back then, diving headfirst into this highly disapproved marriage. Over the next six years, I stayed by his side as he went from a nobody to a top lawyer worth millions. I taught that stepson, who was entirely trapped in his own world, how to acknowledge people, bit by bit. He learned to call for his grandpa, grandma, dad, and his biological mother. I was the only one who remained a nameless entity without a title. I smiled bitterly, looking down to book a flight back to my hometown. This time, my mind was truly made up. 1. Liam glanced up at the clock. “Twelve minutes left until Leo wakes up.” “We have to go to my mom’s place to pay our New Year’s respects later. Even if the sky falls, it has to wait.” His tone showed he didn’t take my mention of divorce seriously at all. It wasn’t until I placed the pre-prepared divorce agreement in front of him, That Liam finally deigned to look at me. He scanned the clauses and said coldly: “Taking half my assets? Chloe, you have quite an appetite.” “You should know I’m the only one bringing in money for this family!” No explanation, no asking me to stay. Only icy interrogation. I felt an inexplicable urge to cry. For the unworthiness of my past six years. “Liam, these past years I’ve managed the household and taken care of the child.” “I gave you all my youth. Is that not even worth half a million to you?” He irritably tore the divorce agreement to pieces. “Did I force you to marry me?” “Besides, we’re an old married couple now. What exactly are you throwing a tantrum about?” I opened my mouth, but my throat felt blocked by wet cotton. Just last night, in Mia’s social media posts, The stepson, Leo, whom I had raised for six years but who still only called me “Auntie,” Was affectionately calling her “Mom,” over and over again in her video. People around them chimed in, asking what I was, then. Leo paused for a moment and simply said I was just the nanny who cooked. The room erupted in laughter, yet no one spoke a word in my defense. Even my husband didn’t offer a half-sentence of rebuttal. Just as Liam said, no one forced me to marry him. But it was clearly him who promised me, amidst a heavy snowfall, that for the rest of his life, there would only be me. When we first met, I was a newly minted psychology intern at the hospital. Seeing him bring his child in alone for autism treatment always stirred extra sympathy in me. As we got to know each other, I learned that his ex-wife had chosen to divorce him precisely because she couldn’t handle the child’s illness. My heart ached for this father and son from the city, and I took extra care of them. Eventually, my heart landed entirely on Liam. While we were dating, he would remember my period every month, prepare pads in advance, and personally make me brown sugar ginger tea. He would also thoughtfully renew my various app subscriptions. So when he proposed, I agreed without hesitation. Even if it meant marrying far away from home, even if it meant being his second wife, even if it meant becoming a stepmother, I accepted it all. But just as my mother said, dating and marriage are two different things. After moving to the city, because I had to take care of autistic Leo, I chose to become a stay-at-home mom. From then on, my life was consumed by daily chores. When Liam excitedly talked about his latest won case, I was busy apologizing to the parents of a child Leo had hurt. When he wanted to take me out for a romantic candlelight dinner, I chose to refuse because Leo was terrified of strangers. Every time this happened, Liam would hold my hand, visibly moved. “Chloe, thank goodness you are in this family.” For six years, I poured all my energy into a child who shared no blood with me. I hoped he would one day call me “Mom,” Hoped he could live like a normal person. In the end, all I got in return was an “Auntie.” Even my husband tacitly accepted that I was just the family’s nanny. Since that was the case, I wasn’t staying in this family anymore. 2. The flight was booked for tomorrow. It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and I didn’t want to ruin the mood. After Leo woke up, the whole family headed to my in-laws’ place together. Mia, wearing a red woolen coat, was standing at the door. Seeing her, Liam immediately got out of the car. “Your health isn’t good, and it’s freezing outside. You could have just waited inside.” The woman shot him a flirtatious, scolding look. “I just wanted to see you sooner…” She deliberately paused, mischievously watching Liam’s earlobes turn bright red. Mia added: “I hadn’t finished. I did it all to see Leo.” Liam’s disappointment was visible to the naked eye. With just a few words, she sent the usually composed man on an emotional rollercoaster. Liam was always cool and collected around me. Even on our wedding day, his expression only softened slightly. It turned out all his joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, Had long been reserved for Mia. A sudden, indescribable feeling surged in my heart. Funny enough, this was my very first time meeting Mia in person. Before this, I had only ever peeked at her life through social media. Just as depicted in her posts, Even in her thirties, she remained vibrantly and fiercely beautiful. Just like her irreplaceable position in Liam’s heart. And what about me? I turned to look at my reflection in the car window. No makeup, eyes swollen like walnuts. The wrinkles around my eyes looking exceptionally haggard. Leo, who had been silent, immediately let go of my hand and threw himself into Mia’s arms. Those repeated cries of “Mom” cut into my heart like a knife. Mia kissed his cheek, leaving a lipstick mark. Leo didn’t show a hint of disgust, his eyes full of adoration. A few years ago, I had merely sprayed a little perfume on myself. Leo, sensitive to the smell, covered his nose and started sneezing non-stop. Noticing this, Liam specifically told me to be more mindful. He told me not to wear makeup or dress up anymore, saying it was all for the child’s good. But when it came to Mia, Leo showed absolutely no signs of an allergic reaction. Even Liam looked at me with disdain. “It’s the New Year, why didn’t you dress up a bit? You look so plain.” Mia covered her mouth, hiding a smirk. “I remember when you got married, you showed me her ID photo.” “It’s only been a few years, I thought you had married some middle-aged woman just to gross me out.” Having said that, she feigned guilt and covered her mouth. “I have a habit of speaking my mind. Your current wife won’t be angry, will she?” Liam tickled my palm. “Don’t mind her, that’s just how she is.” “Before we divorced, she used to always call me a stubborn mule.” His tone seemed like a complaint, but it was actually full of nostalgia. I pulled my hand back and walked into the house ahead of them. I could still hear their laughter behind me. “Uh-oh, the wife is mad. Looks like someone’s sleeping in the study tonight.” “Mia, can’t you say something nice for once!” I pretended not to hear, but couldn’t help quickening my pace. As soon as I entered, I saw my mother-in-law getting up enthusiastically from the sofa. But when she realized it was me, her face instantly turned cold. Since we got married, she had never given me a single pleasant look. My mother-in-law felt that because I came from a small town, Marrying Liam, who already had a child, was nothing more than a ploy to get a city residency. For the first time, I didn’t try to warm up to her coldness. I sat on the sofa and started cracking sunflower seeds. In the past, to please this mother-in-law, Even though I wasn’t allowed to attend the New Year’s Eve dinner, I would still show up on New Year’s Day with all sorts of expensive supplements. Clearly, I bought them with my own private savings, But from her mouth, it became me recklessly spending her son’s money. 3. Lunch was exceptionally lavish. Amidst the uniform array of sweet dishes, there were surprisingly a few spicy ones. Mia winked playfully at my mother-in-law. “Mom really loves me the most, knowing I like spicy food.” Liam, however, frowned. “You just said yesterday your stomach was hurting. Eat less of that.” He smoothly passed over a peeled shrimp. Realizing I was still there, Liam smiled awkwardly. “I remembered you’re allergic to seafood, so I didn’t peel any for you.” To placate me, he put a piece of braised pork in my bowl. I forced a smile, feeling incredibly bitter. I had never liked sweet food. Liam used to joke that I didn’t even like the sweet and sour pork from my own hometown. But now, he had completely forgotten my preferences. Or rather, he no longer kept them in mind. After the meal, the table was a mess. My mother-in-law instructively commanded me, as usual. “Hey, you, remember to wash these by hand.” “Don’t use the dishwasher, it wastes water.” I looked up at her. The mother-in-law I always used to find intimidating, Was really just a mean, nitpicking little old lady. She always used that condescending tone, calling me “hey, you.” She refused to call me by my name, refused to acknowledge my position. Yet I still wanted to please her. Simply because I wanted to be a good wife to Liam, a good daughter-in-law to the Vance family. But now. I didn’t even want Liam anymore. And I certainly wouldn’t back down anymore. I stood up, “Mom, this is the last time I’ll call you that.” “Your son and I are getting a divorce.” Without waiting for my mother-in-law’s reaction, I turned and left. Walking past the living room, I happened to see the two of them on the balcony. They seemed to be arguing. Mia bit her lip, staying silent, then simply stood on her tiptoes and kissed Liam. The man’s hands, resting on her shoulders and meant to push her away, gradually slid down. Finally, he gripped the woman’s waist tightly. I stood frozen, feeling like I had swallowed a fishbone. My throat was slashed raw, even my breathing carried the metallic taste of blood. Liam once told me he hated his heartless ex-wife. Hated her for being so selfish that she abandoned her husband and child for her so-called freedom. He got dead drunk, crying as he recounted that failed marriage. But I forgot, where there is no love, how can there be hate? My mother-in-law, standing behind me, suddenly said coldly: “I never welcomed you marrying into this family in the first place.” “My son and Mia merely got divorced, it’s not like they can’t remarry.” “As for you, you’d better find someone else while you’re still young.” She paused, looking at me with pity. “Though you aren’t that young anymore, almost thirty, right?” While we were talking, Liam had walked over to me. He grabbed my hand and headed straight for the front door. Mia’s sorrowful voice trailed behind us. “Liam, what happened back then was my fault.” “But it’s been six years, can’t you forgive me?” I turned to look at the man beside me. And caught a glimpse of a smear of red on his lips. Bitten by Mia. It wasn’t until we were back in the car that Liam regained his composure. “Don’t listen to her nonsense. I’m not going to divorce you.” “As for that kiss, I was forced.” But I witnessed the whole thing. Saw the love and reluctance in Liam’s eyes. “Do you really not love her anymore?” The car fell into silence. Mia caught up to us right at that moment. Seeing me sitting in the back, a look of realization dawned in her eyes. “Liam, is this what you mean by not having me in your heart?” “Yet your passenger seat has always been reserved for me.” I looked at the man who didn’t dare turn around, and asked softly: “Didn’t you tell me someone in your family had a car accident while sitting in the passenger seat, And out of concern for my safety, you didn’t let me sit there?” Mia’s eyes crinkled with laughter. “Silly sister, you actually believed that?” “After we got married, I got jealous that he gave a female colleague a ride home and let her sit in the passenger seat.” “Later, I taught him to make up an excuse, and that’s how the passenger seat became my exclusive spot.” Liam slammed on the gas, gradually leaving Mia behind. Only when the woman’s figure completely vanished from the rearview mirror, Did he finally speak to promise me. “I’ll keep my distance from her from now on.” “I’ve never thought about remarrying her, really.” As soon as the words left his mouth, his phone rang. 4. Liam didn’t answer, putting the phone on silent. If he really wanted to cut contact. He could have just blocked her. The flashing screen was like vines that couldn’t be shaken off. Binding both Liam and me. Finally, I spoke, “You should answer it.” To show his determination, Liam put the call on speaker. “If you dare leave today, I’ll jump off a building right now.” Liam’s hand trembled, almost dropping the phone. He turned to look at me, his eyes full of anxiety. “Chloe, I swear, this is the last time.” Before I even nodded, the car doors automatically unlocked. On New Year’s Day, I was kicked out of the car by my husband. In the dead of winter, without even giving me time to put on my coat. During peak holiday traffic, I couldn’t get a cab. I walked back for two hours braving the freezing wind. After tossing a few cold pills into my mouth, I fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up again, it was already 3 AM. A strange pain started in my lower abdomen. I thought my period was coming, so I drank some hot water and started packing my bags. There wasn’t really much to pack. Not many of my things were in the house. Instead, books on treating autistic children filled the entire bookshelf. And the various legal statutes and case files Liam needed. After packing my important documents, I was completely awake. I simply started scrolling through my social media feed. The newest post was a photo of Mia at an amusement park. The caption read: [The real family of three reunited again~] The man who, just this morning, promised me it was the last time, Was accompanying his ex-wife and taking his autistic child to the most crowded amusement park. The in-laws who were always active in the family group chat were liking the post. The comments section was full of people asking when they were getting remarried. Some relatives, finding it inappropriate, told Mia, the ex-wife, to know her boundaries. Before she could reply, Liam’s uncle commented directly. “Even if they are divorced, she is still the child’s biological mother. That can’t be changed.” “Besides, just because they can’t be husband and wife, doesn’t mean they can’t be friends, right?” I didn’t dare scroll down any further. Afraid those words would turn into blades, stabbing into my organs one by one. But my fingers seemed to have a mind of their own. And left one final, fresh reply: [No need to be friends, you can go back to being husband and wife.] I curled up in my blankets, waiting until dawn before I felt a hint of sleepiness. A loud bang on the door scared my heart into a frantic rhythm. Liam walked into the bedroom, his face dark. He angrily yanked me up from the bed. I instinctively tried to struggle, but he furiously slapped me. “Do you know that comment you left made Mia cry all night long!” “Will you only be satisfied when you’ve torn this entire family apart?” “Go apologize to Mia right now!” My crumbling emotions could no longer be suppressed. “Why should I apologize to a woman who destroyed my family?” Liam raised his hand, but eventually lowered it mid-air. He said through gritted teeth, “If we’re talking about who came first, aren’t you the other woman?” I looked up in shock. The burning pain on my left cheek turned into a sharp sting. Even my heart began to ache. I started crying uncontrollably, even breathing became difficult. Liam’s face turned deathly pale, and he explained in frustration. “That’s not what I meant, I just…” Before he could finish, the phone in his pocket started vibrating. It was Mia again. “Liam, I’m pregnant.” “It’s probably from that time you came to see me in River City last month.” “If I don’t see you in an hour, I’m going to the hospital to get an abortion.” Last time she threatened to jump off a building, this time she added a new life. Liam gripped his phone tightly, his fingertips turning white. After a long time, he spoke with difficulty. “I drank too much that time, but the child is innocent.” Without waiting for my answer, Liam grabbed his car keys and left. Right then, a sharp pain struck my lower abdomen. Pulling back the covers, I realized the bedsheets were already stained red. I called Liam’s name in a panic. But only heard the sound of the door slamming shut. My irregular periods had kept me from ever suspecting I was pregnant. And as for now? I no longer had to agonize over whether to keep the child. My phone lit up, reminding me I had two hours until boarding. Six years ago, clutching a plane ticket, I accompanied him to the unfamiliar city of Shanghai; Six years later, all alone, it was time for me to go home too. Three days later, a physically and mentally exhausted Liam pushed open the bedroom door. The scene before him, however, made his entire body tremble. 5 The important documents I needed to take were already packed. I changed my clothes, left the signed divorce agreement on the nightstand, and took a cab to leave. But when the plane landed at Harbin Airport, looking at the vast expanse of white outside the window, I suddenly felt like I was running away. But where else could I run to? In love, I lost so completely that I didn’t even leave myself a way out. Carrying my luggage, I eventually returned to the familiar alley. When my mom saw me, she was startled at first, then glanced behind me, “Where is he? It’s the dead of winter, why didn’t he come back with you?” Without waiting for my answer, she took my suitcase. As soon as I stepped inside, the heat hit my face. Dad handed me a cup of hot tea. I bit my lip awkwardly, “Mom, I…” I couldn’t get the rest of the words out. Mom snorted coldly, “Did you guys have a fight?” “I told you not to insist on marrying so far away!” “Now you’ve been wronged, and you have nowhere to go to reason with anyone.” Mom scolded me while turning back to the kitchen. In no time, seven or eight dishes were ready. “Is the Vance family so poor? They can’t even give you a full meal?” “Look how thin you are! People would think you’re a refugee.” She naturally put a chicken drumstick in my bowl. Dad cleared his throat and looked at me: “Your mom has been hoping you’d come back.” “A few years ago, when she couldn’t reach you by phone and you didn’t reply to her messages,” “She even went to Shanghai herself. Seeing that you were doing okay, she finally felt relieved.” “Every year on the second day of the New Year, she buys groceries in advance, just waiting for you to come back.”

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On the day my fiancé was supposed to get engaged to the real heiress, I had a fleeting, manic thought of driving my car straight into the venue and perishing together with them. But right at that moment of madness, my phone started ringing off the hook. I answered. It was the hospital. “Ms. Hayes, you’re pregnant…” I turned off the engine and sat there, frozen. Half an hour later, joyful music drifted from the banquet hall. I started the car, turned around, and headed to the airport. From then on, the “fake heiress” of the Hayes family vanished from New York, just as everyone wished. I went to Miami, thousands of miles away, narrowly escaping death to give birth to my daughter—my only true blood relative. I never contacted those people again. Until four years later, when they, one by one, reappeared in front of me. 1 Seeing Arthur again after four years was at the kindergarten entrance. I had just picked up Lily when a mother next to me suddenly leaned in: “Lily’s mom, look at the guy across the street. He looks just like that famous singer… what’s his name again…” I followed her gaze and saw him. “Arthur Vance!” the mother tapped her head. “Yes, Arthur Vance!” I looked away. “I don’t know him.” She looked surprised. “Do you not listen to music? Arthur Vance! The hottest original singer-songwriter these past few years! He’s won so many awards! “Oh wow, honestly, his face looks a bit like yours… you’re both so good-looking…” I smiled, shook my head, took Lily’s hand, and kept walking. “Chloe Hayes.” Unexpectedly, his voice came from behind. I ignored him and kept walking. “Chloe!” Lily looked up. “Mom, is that uncle behind us calling you? Why did he call you Chloe Hayes?” I smiled and shook my head. “He got the wrong person.” Who would have thought, as we reached the parking lot and I was about to open the car door, someone grabbed my arm. I turned around. It was a panting Arthur. “Chloe, you… you’re actually still alive?!” His words were as sharp and mean as always. But perhaps because he ran too fast, his eyes were faintly red. 2 I left Lily at a neighbor’s house. Walking downstairs, Arthur stood with his hands in his pockets: “Why do you live in such a dump? Where’s your apartment? I’ll go up and take a look.” I shook my head. “There’s no need for that.” Four years ago, he was the one who said his only sister was Mia. He was also the one who said calling someone like me his sister made him sick. When I was kicked out of the Hayes family by Liam, dumped by Ethan, and completely out of options, I had thought of turning to him, my biological brother. On a heavily snowing day, I stood outside his office building all night, nearly freezing to death. But all I got in return was him saying his biggest wish was that he never had me as a sister. “If you hadn’t been born, Mia wouldn’t have been switched at birth and wouldn’t have suffered so much. “Sister? What a joke. The Hayes family threw you out, and now you’re trying to leech off me using blood ties? “I will never recognize someone like you as my sister.” That was when I realized, no matter how well I treated him, he hated me because of Mia. Right now, he still looked at me with that scrutinizing, frowning gaze. “That kid… is Ethan’s? You ran away just to have his baby?” I was silent for a moment. “She’s my child alone.” He scoffed. “Chloe, that kid is a spitting image of him. Do you think I’m blind? “Don’t tell me you thought secretly having his kid would win his heart back? Are you that desperate for love? “How ridiculous. How stupid…” “I said, she is my child alone,” I interrupted him. “I never thought of returning to New York, nor did I ever think of using a child to steal Ethan from your sister. You can rest easy. There’s no need to be so aggressive. “Just like you said back then, apart from blood, we are essentially strangers. I have no interest in your life now, so please don’t dictate mine.” He froze. “If you have nothing else to say, then leave.” I turned around. “Wait.” He suddenly grabbed me. He opened his mouth, then closed it. “You, you…” I frowned. “What?” “Why… why did you leave back then…” I looked at him quietly. “You were a spoiled rich girl who couldn’t do anything. Just because people said a few bad things, you played the ‘run away pregnant’ trope? “If I hadn’t run into you, how much longer were you planning to live this miserable life? And these past four years…” He paused. “How… how did you survive?” 3 I looked at the reddening corners of his eyes. Probably from anger. He was probably shocked I was still alive, and my being alive was a threat to Mia’s happy life. How did I survive? Someone traded their life so I could live. But I had no obligation to tell him that. The old Chloe Hayes, who never had to lift a finger, was like a beautiful, dependent dodder plant. But the current Chloe Vance had long stopped crying and begging others for support. Seeing me stay silent, he grew anxious. “No, why are you being so evasive now? Did that massive earthquake in Miami a few years ago break your brain? “Running off to this middle of nowhere, encountering an earthquake is what you get.” Just then, a neighbor walked by and greeted me, “Hey Chloe, haven’t started cooking yet?” I smiled. “Just about to.” Arthur was stunned. “You should go,” I said. But he grabbed onto me tightly. “Why did you change your last name?! Vance?! Did you get married? No, whose last name is this?” “Whose last name it is is none of your business.” I brushed his hand away, speaking clearly. “What my last name is, how I’m doing… Arthur, it has absolutely nothing to do with you.” 4 Arthur is a celebrity. He couldn’t afford to be seen tussling with me in public. I went upstairs, brought Lily back, and through the hallway window, saw him still standing blankly downstairs. He had never cared about me before. His melancholy now was probably just him not being used to my cold attitude. After all, four years ago, when I learned about this poor prodigy’s musical dreams, I exhausted almost all my connections in New York’s high society just to get him a chance to perform on stage. Even his current management agency—I found the best one for him. He was my biological brother. He had suffered a lot, and I wanted the best for him. But all my efforts were ultimately twisted by him. He thought I was calculating, trying to use him to isolate Mia and make her miserable. “Mom, was that uncle today your family?” I was slightly taken aback, then smiled and patted Lily’s head. “No, why would you think that?” “I just guessed. You guys look alike.” Family. Liam’s face suddenly flashed in my mind. I used to think that regardless of blood, Liam would always be my older brother. But four years ago, holding Mia who had fallen down the stairs, he looked at me with a gaze full of pure fury. “Chloe, you are such a disappointment. “From today on, the Hayes family doesn’t know you, and I don’t have you as a sister. “My only sister is Mia.” I cried and clung to his pant leg, swearing I didn’t push Mia, begging him not to abandon me, but he kicked me away and walked off holding Mia without a single look back. I shook my head. “That person is not Mom’s family.” She looked a bit disappointed. “I thought besides Uncle, Mom had other family.” I smiled and tapped her nose. “For Mom, having you and Uncle is enough.” “But Uncle isn’t here anymore…” She pouted. “I miss him so much.” I understood how she felt. But mere disappointment is better than the agonizing pain of gaining and losing, of relying on someone only to be ripped away from them. I had been through it, so I wouldn’t let my daughter go through it again. But I didn’t expect… The very next day, I saw Liam. 5 Lily got a fever in the middle of the night. I took her to the hospital. The viral infection was quite aggressive, requiring hospitalization and an IV drip. I stayed up all night. The next morning, her fever finally broke, but she was listless and weak. I carried her on my back to head home, stopping by street vendors to buy some meat and vegetables. After I paid, the bags were taken from my hands by a pair of long, well-defined fingers. I froze, looked up, and in the misty morning fog, I saw Liam’s face. Sleep deprivation made my mind go blank. I blankly called out “Brother,” before realizing he had forbidden me from calling him that a long time ago. I couldn’t afford to offend the Hayes family. After all, to punish me for “bullying” Mia, Liam just needed to say one word to have me blacklisted by all of New York high society. “Mr. Hayes,” I immediately corrected myself. I was trying to figure out why he suddenly appeared in Miami, naturally missing his momentarily ugly expression. “I’ll carry this for you,” he said softly. “No need.” I hurriedly reached for the bags in his hand, losing my balance. Lily whimpered on my back. “Don’t push yourself, Chloe.” He grabbed my arm, stopping me from taking the bags back. “I’ll take you and the child home.” 6 Chloe. Liam hadn’t called me that in a very long time. The Hayes parents were abroad year-round. In the past, I was practically raised single-handedly by Liam. When he treated me as his biological sister, Liam truly spoiled me. Someone once asked him, wasn’t he afraid I’d cause trouble if he spoiled me this much? He just half-squinted. “So what if she causes trouble? If she wants to cause trouble, let her. Even if the sky falls, I’ll cover for her.” But later, Mia returned to the Hayes family. At first, he still told me I would always be his sister. But faced with Mia’s repeated provocations, he always told me to endure it. “She’s suffered a lot, Chloe. Let her have her way.” He said we had to compensate her. I didn’t want to make things difficult for him. He had been my brother for over twenty years; I wanted him to be happy. So I yielded, I endured, time and time again. It wasn’t until he ultimately believed Mia’s framing of me unconditionally that I understood: I saw him as a brother, but he had long stopped seeing me as a sister. And when he withdrew all his kindness toward me, when I fell into the mud and was condemned by everyone, I finally realized how foolish I was to have always relied on him. The drive was silent. I hadn’t sat in a luxury car like a Maybach in a long time and wasn’t used to it. I just held Lily and shrank into the corner, thinking about why Liam was here. Did Arthur tell him? Was he afraid I’d hurt Mia, so he rushed over overnight to make sure? What would he do to me? Would he punish me for secretly having Ethan’s child? I didn’t know, and I couldn’t figure it out. My head just hurt so much. I held Lily tighter, completely missing the deep longing in his eyes as he looked at me. “Chloe…” I looked up. He had many more wrinkles around his eyes. “Four years ago, we all thought… you…” “Thought I died, I know,” I finished his sentence. “Actually, you can just pretend I died. I lost the desire to compete with Mia a long time ago. Everything belonged to her anyway. Returning things to their rightful owner is fine. You don’t need to be nervous, you don’t need to be on guard, and you certainly don’t need to come confirm it. I just want to live a quiet life with my daughter now.” “Oh, and my daughter will only stay with me. She will absolutely not look for Ethan. I swear on my life, I will definitely not proactively use my daughter to ruin Mia and Ethan’s relationship. You can rest easy.” I looked at him and repeated: “You really can rest easy.” He froze. “I’m not…” “Are you afraid I’ll use the Hayes identity to do something bad? Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t. I changed my last name ages ago…” “Chloe!” he suddenly interrupted me. His eyes were red. “Brother wants… wants to take you back…” 7 I didn’t understand what Liam was thinking. I haven’t been a Hayes for a long time. He was the one who announced it to the world four years ago. And what would I go back for? To continue being Mia’s punching bag? I also didn’t understand why a man of his status insisted on following me back to a 500-square-foot, one-bedroom apartment. I put Lily on the bed in the bedroom, walked to the cabinet, and took out a box of tea leaves. But then I realized he probably wouldn’t drink this cheap stuff. After thinking about it, I handed him a bottle of mineral water. His gaze fell on my right hand, a look of incomprehensible bitterness crossing his face. “Your fingers… are they better?” I looked down. The pinky and ring fingers on my right hand couldn’t move. This stemmed from after Mia returned to the Hayes family. Once, I accompanied her to visit a Hayes factory. She was curious and discussing a mechanical design with an engineer. To test her theory, she pressed the start button on a test machine. And at that moment, my hand was resting right there. Before the accident, I was a rising star in piano performance. It was the only area where I outshone Mia. I wasn’t as smart or as capable as her; playing the piano was my only talent. When Mia first returned to the Hayes family, whenever I practiced, she would look at me with deep regret: “I’ve loved music since I was little. If I hadn’t been switched at birth, I would be playing the piano right now too.” But I could never play the piano on stage again. I found it hard to accept for a while, causing scenes and throwing fits for a long time. I always felt she did it on purpose, so I couldn’t help but hate her for stealing my only source of light. Until she suddenly attempted suicide. After she was saved, I instantly went from victim to perpetrator. I still remember that day. Liam came back from visiting Mia, pinching the bridge of his nose, and said to me: “It’s just that you can’t play the piano. It’s just two fingers. Do you really have to have her life? Even if you’re a useless piece of trash, even if you aren’t my biological sister, didn’t I tell you the Hayes family would provide for you for the rest of your life? Do you really have to act like this?” Arthur coldly added: “If it weren’t for the mix-up, Mia would be the one playing the piano anyway. You’re just giving back what you stole. What right do you have to throw a tantrum?” They both told me my fingers would never fully heal and that throwing a fit wouldn’t change anything. But later, at the celebration party where Mia secured a patent using the mechanical design that crushed my fingers, I overheard a doctor telling Liam: “I told you back then, if Ms. Hayes went abroad for rehabilitation immediately, she could definitely recover over 90% of her function. But you never took her? Now it’s going to be very hard to recover.” Liam replied indifferently: “It’s fine if Chloe doesn’t play the piano anymore. Mia has wanted to learn the piano since she was little. Seeing Chloe unable to play might help balance her out mentally.” “Besides, no matter how useless Chloe is, I’ll take care of her. Whether she can play the piano or not doesn’t matter.” So my dreams, my future—in his heart, they were merely weights used to balance Mia’s mind. When did I start being afraid of him? Probably starting from that moment. “I heard you’re teaching music at an institute,” he suddenly said now. I froze, eyes wide as I looked at him. “I’m just teaching introductory music to toddlers. It’s simple music, so I don’t need my ring or pinky finger to play it. “I have no intention of returning to the stage to play the piano. I absolutely will not affect Mia’s mood because of me. I just need this job to raise my child. And the doctor said my fingers have permanent nerve damage. I’ll never be able to play the piano well in this lifetime. Even so, are you still not going to allow this?” He froze: “Chloe, I didn’t…” But whatever he said, I couldn’t hear it anymore. The fear of my life being ruined struck me again. I couldn’t lose this hard-won job just because it might upset Mia. So I desperately showed him my immobile fingers. “Really! I can’t play, I really can’t play. I gave back everything the Hayes family gave me!” “If you don’t believe me, you can try bending them. They don’t move!” “I was your sister for many years, can’t you at least leave me a way out?” He stood up in a panic, taking quick strides forward to hold my constantly trembling shoulders. “Chloe, don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid! “This time I will protect you! Believe your brother!” How could I not be afraid? This life I finally managed to restart. The life Noah traded his own to give Lily and me. “No!” I shoved him hard. But the more I struggled, the tighter he held me. Having not slept all night, I ultimately couldn’t match his strength. And in the struggle, my vision suddenly went black… And I fainted.

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To pay off my fiancé’s debts, I slaved away day and night in his family’s small workshop. Even when his parents, to save money, fired all the workers and made me do the work of five people, I gritted my teeth and accepted it. He promised that once the debts were cleared by the end of the year, he would marry me lavishly and give me a big diamond ring. But when the year-end arrived, his mother handed me a hard-seat train ticket back to my hometown, saying that a woman like me, who only knew how to do manual labor, was unworthy of him now that he had turned his fortunes around. 1 The Geller family’s workshop was exceptionally bright tonight. The moment the last batch of custom leather bags was sealed and loaded onto the logistics truck, I let out a long breath. Three million in debt, finally cleared. Looking at my calloused hands and the dense needle pricks on my fingertips, my heart felt sweet. Leo had promised me a big diamond ring and a grand wedding once the debt was paid. For that promise, even when my finger was pierced by an awl, I’d just slap on a bandage and keep working. His parents fired all the workers to save money; I took on five people’s jobs, toiling day and night. Fortunately, the hard times were over. I purposely changed into a clean dress, an old model from three years ago, but neatly pressed. Passing a cake shop, I spent fifty dollars on a small cake, thinking of it as a celebration. Pushing open the private dining room door, the cheerful chatter inside instantly ceased. Leo was gently peeling a shrimp for the woman beside him, his movements tender. She wore a Chanel suit, her makeup exquisite, an air of arrogance in her every gesture. Leo’s mother sat beside her, her face wreathed in smiles, serving the woman food. “Willow dear, eat more, look how thin you are. How will you bear me big, chubby grandchildren?” I stood frozen in the doorway, the cheap cake in my hand feeling glaringly out of place. Leo’s mother looked up, her smile vanishing instantly. “What are you standing in the doorway for? Don’t you know to close the door? The cold draft is coming in.” She waved her hand dismissively. Leo had just finished peeling the shrimp and placed it in the woman’s bowl without even glancing at me. “Since you’re here, sit down. This is Willow Crawley, our new design director. Don’t overthink it.” I wanted not to overthink it. But what design director gets peeled shrimp from the boss? What director makes that caustic Mrs. Geller smile like that? I quietly sat in the corner. The table was laden with abalone and lobster, but there wasn’t an extra set of chopsticks for me. Willow Crawley glanced at me, covering her mouth with a soft chuckle: “Liam, is this the capable ‘big sister’ you mentioned? She looks so… down-to-earth.” Mrs. Geller interjected: “Isn’t she? Just destined for rough work. Nothing like you, Willow, enjoying an office job.” At the dinner table, they chatted about the company’s future IPO plans, about traveling to ten countries across continents. No one mentioned my wedding, or the promised diamond ring. I took a deep breath, interrupting their grand visions: “Leo, the debt is cleared. When are we getting married?” The air froze instantly. Willow Crawley put down her chopsticks, looking at Leo with a smirk. Mrs. Geller slammed her chopsticks onto the table, making a sharp sound. She pulled a crumpled piece of paper from her pocket and slapped it in front of me. “Married? Married to what? Amy, you’re too clueless.” I recognized the paper. It was a hard-seat train ticket back to my hometown for tomorrow morning. “The debt’s cleared, you should go back to your hometown and rest. This is tomorrow morning’s ticket. No need to thank me.” Mrs. Geller’s tone was matter-of-fact, as if she were dismissing a beggar. I looked at Leo in disbelief: “What does this mean?” Leo lowered his head, sipping his soup, avoiding my gaze, his voice muffled: “Mom is doing this for your own good. You’re too tired. Go back and rest for a while.” “Rest? Are you trying to get rid of me?” My voice trembled. Willow Crawley laughed. “Oh, don’t say such harsh things. It’s mainly that the workshop is moving towards a high-end route, dealing with the upper crust.” She looked me up and down, her gaze settling on my scarred hands. “Your artisan style is too rustic. Those hands are rough as bark. What if you damage top-grade leather? Even selling the company wouldn’t cover the cost. Leo is now Mr. Geller. He can’t have a factory worker for a wife, can he? How undignified.” I stared intently at Leo: “Is this also what you mean?” Leo finally looked up, his eyes evasive yet tinged with impatience: “Amy, Willow is the daughter of a leather factory owner; she can bring resources to the company. You… what can you do besides mend things? One needs to know their place.” Three years of ceaseless toil, in his words, became “only good for mending things.” Yet, when he knelt before me, begging for help, he called me a “modern-day master craftsman.” I didn’t cry, didn’t make a scene, didn’t grow hysterical. I picked up the train ticket and, in front of them, tore it into tiny pieces. “Leo, don’t regret this later.” Mrs. Geller rolled her eyes: “Regret? Regret not making you pay for this meal? Get out, seeing you turns my stomach!” I turned and left, Willow Crawley’s triumphant giggle echoing behind me. 2 I returned to the workshop, not for sentimentality, but to retrieve my livelihood. That set of tools was a gift from my master when I started my apprenticeship; some had been with me for ten years. I had just opened the toolbox when Willow Crawley, arm in arm with Leo, followed me in. She covered her nose, a look of disgust on her face: “Liam, what’s that smell in here? So foul, like the sweat of common laborers.” Leo chuckled apologetically: “I’ll have someone spray air freshener right away. We just finished a rush order.” I ignored the despicable pair, reaching for my specialized awl and trimming knife. “Hey! What are you doing!” Willow Crawley suddenly shrieked. Mrs. Geller appeared out of nowhere, grabbing my toolbox. “Amy, why are your hands so dirty? You’re fired, and you still want to steal company property?” I looked at her coldly: “These are my own tools. My name is engraved on them.” I had scrimped and saved for two years for this set of tools; every knife was custom-made from top-grade steel. Leo frowned, walked over, and pushed my hand away. “Amy, don’t be so petty. Willow just took over the design department and needs some handy tools. Just leave these old things for her to practice with. I’ll buy them from you.” Buy? Every penny he had now, I had earned for him. “Not for sale.” I reached out to grab them. Willow Crawley, quick-witted, snatched my most cherished century-old sandalwood pony clamp. It was an heirloom passed down from my master, used to hold leather in place, and utterly irreplaceable on the market. “This wood looks nice, dark. I can just chop it up to brew tea; it has an antique flavor.” She knocked the pony clamp against the table corner with loud thuds. My rage instantly flared. “You wouldn’t dare!” I rushed to retrieve it, but Leo pushed me away. My foot slipped, and I fell hard into the scattered leather scraps. My palm landed on a discarded leather cutting blade. Excruciating pain. Blood instantly stained the floor. Leo didn’t even glance at me, anxiously pulling Willow Crawley closer: “Willow, are you okay? Didn’t hurt your hand, did you?” Willow Crawley coyly snuggled into his arms: “You scared me to death, her eyes are so fierce, like she wants to eat people.” Mrs. Geller pointed at my nose and cursed: “Defying heaven! Still daring to fight back? Believe it or not, I’ll call the police!” I picked myself up from the floor, blood dripping from my palm. Looking at this shameless trio, I burst out laughing. “Fine, keep your things.” “I just fear that these high-end tools might be too much for certain delicate claws to handle.” I took nothing, walking out the door empty-handed. Outside, it was raining heavily, cold water washing away the bloodstains on my hand. It hurt, but I felt clear-headed. My phone vibrated. Leo sent a Venmo transfer: 200 dollars. Note: Travel expenses, don’t think it’s too little. I’ve been more than generous. I stared at the number and simply turned off my phone. 3 Less than two hours after leaving the Geller family workshop, I found myself sitting in a coffee shop. The wound on my hand had been simply bandaged. Just then, a news notification popped up on my phone. A certain international luxury brand was recruiting a chief restorer in this city. I looked at my calloused hands and dialed the number. After receiving a reply, I turned on the camera in the Geller family workshop. I had had it installed previously when things went missing from the workshop. At this moment, the Geller family workshop was filled with a joyful atmosphere. Their big client, “Mr. Smith,” had placed an urgent additional order. This order involved three top-grade Himalayan crocodile skins, priceless, and represented the Geller family’s first big score after turning their fortunes around. If done well, the Geller family could enter the ranks of high-end manufacturing. Mrs. Geller was beaming, praising her new daughter-in-law for bringing prosperity to her son. “See, Willow arrives and a big order comes in, unlike that jinx who only knew how to work herself to death.” In the workshop, Willow Crawley looked at the three skins, her brows furrowed. “What kind of skin is this? It smells fishy, disgusting.” She had someone bring several bottles of cheap, strong perfume and sprayed it generously onto the million-dollar skins. “To get rid of the smell, otherwise how can Mr. Smith use them?” An old worker nearby tried to advise: “Director Crawley, this leather can’t come into contact with chemical agents…” “Shut up! Am I the university graduate or are you? Do you understand what ‘fragrance treatment’ is?” Willow Crawley snapped. Then, to speed up the process, she complained that natural air drying was too slow. “Turn on that dryer, full power, blow directly on them! They must be dry tonight!” Crocodile skin relies heavily on activity and oil balance; high temperatures are strictly forbidden. Even more fatally, when it came to the stitching phase, Willow Crawley, holding my set of tools, had no idea how to use them. The diamond chisel felt like an iron block in her hands; after a few taps, she complained her hand hurt. “What kind of broken tools are these, so outdated!” She threw down the chisel and had someone fetch an electric drill meant for renovations. “Use this to drill the holes, quickly!” As the drill whirred, the originally taut, delicate, and snow-mountain-gradient colored crocodile skin began to shriek. The high temperature caused the leather fibers to break, and the surface quickly wrinkled and cracked. The violent drilling created ugly, blown-out holes. Three hours later, Leo looked at the three pieces of leather on the table, wrinkled like old tree bark, and felt a little panicky. “Willow, this… why does this look different from what Amy used to make?” Willow Crawley swept her hair back, brimming with confidence: “What do you know? This is the current ‘aged style,’ it’s artistic! Foreigners like Mr. Smith love this unique, imperfect beauty the most.” “Really?” “Of course, I’m a professional. This is called Vintage style, it’s even more expensive than new!” I laughed inwardly; this family actually believed her, still immersed in the dream of millions about to come in. I turned off my phone, no longer caring about their self-destructive behavior, and began preparing for my interview a few days later. When the French interviewer looked at my portfolio and then at my scarred hands, he said only one sentence: “Start tomorrow, annual salary of one million. Miss Lin, we need your hands.” I signed the contract, walked out of the building, and the rain had stopped. 4 On my first day at work, I scrolled through Leo’s social media. A nine-grid post, all photos of Willow Crawley wearing a large diamond ring, with the city’s most luxurious hotel as the backdrop. The caption: [Finally met the right person, this is a soulmate. For the rest of my life, please advise me.] The location showed they had booked the entire place; I heard it cost two hundred thousand. And they used Mr. Smith’s newly transferred deposit. In the comments, Mrs. Geller replied: [Ten thousand times better than that country bumpkin who only knew how to work! My son has excellent taste!] I sneered, just about to toss my phone aside, when an unknown number called. It was the gatekeeper’s number from the Geller family workshop. But I knew it definitely wasn’t the gatekeeper calling now. The moment I answered, Leo’s furious roar nearly deafened me. “Amy! You b*tch! Did you tamper with the leather? Why did all the skins crack?” It turned out Mr. Smith had just inspected the goods. Seeing the three crocodile skins “aged” into rags, the foreigner erupted on the spot. Not only did he return the goods, but he also demanded ten times the compensation as per the contract. That was a full fifteen million! I held the phone a little further away, replying coolly: “Leo, a brain is a good thing to have. When I left, the leather was locked in the warehouse, and the key was in Willow Crawley’s hand. What, did your university-educated expert not tell you that crocodile skin is most afraid of high-temperature drying and alcohol sprays?” Silence on the other end for a few seconds. Clearly, Willow Crawley hadn’t dared to tell the truth. Leo’s tone softened slightly, but still carried a commanding edge: “Alright, stop sulking. Come back quickly and fix this batch of skins. As long as you fix them, I might consider letting you be Willow’s assistant and I’ll pay you a salary.” “Assistant? Leo, are you still dreaming?” I almost laughed out loud. “I am now Cartier’s specially appointed chief restorer, earning five thousand an hour. Want to hire me? Fine, get in line. There are three other luxury brands waiting ahead of you.” “What BS are you spouting! With your looks…” Before he could finish, I hung up and immediately sent him a photo. It was the first page of the contract I had just signed, clearly stating: Top Leather Goods Restoration Expert, Annual Salary of One Million (after tax). After sending it, I blocked him. Ten minutes later, a commotion erupted downstairs at the company. The Geller family trio had actually shown up. Mrs. Geller charged at the front, pouncing like a mad dog, trying to scratch my face. “Amy! You ungrateful wretch who watched us die! How can your heart be so vicious! You could fix it, so why didn’t you?!” Colleagues crowded around, curious onlookers, and security guards were rushing over. Willow Crawley hid behind Leo, crying tearfully, pointing at me and shouting: “It’s you! You deliberately didn’t teach me! Those tools must have been tampered with by you, otherwise how could I have made such mistakes!” Leo, thinking he had found my weakness, yelled loudly: “Everyone, come and see! This is a tramp I dumped, and now for revenge, she’s trying to destroy my ex-boyfriend’s family!” Colleagues whispered, their eyes complex. At this moment, I no longer held back. I pulled a document from my bag and flung it directly at Mrs. Geller’s face. The papers scattered across the floor. “This is my lawyer’s letter. For those three years at the workshop, I never signed a labor contract and never received a single penny in wages. I have records of all the accounts. According to labor law, you owe me one million eight hundred thousand in salary and overtime pay.” “Furthermore, the set of tools Willow Crawley destroyed, that pony clamp is a Qing Dynasty antique, valued at three hundred thousand. And that diamond chisel she threw away is a discontinued item.” I stepped closer, my gaze like a knife. “Pay up!” Mrs. Geller was startled by my imposing presence and collapsed onto the ground. “You… you’re extorting us!” “Whether I am or not, we’ll see in court. The evidence is irrefutable; you can’t deny it.”

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